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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>From the desk of NFBNJ President Joe Ruffalo.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Received from Brian Burrow, NFB.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Greetings to all!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Provided is the February Braille Monitor. Please read and share with others.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><i><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Many educational, motivational and inspirational articles that will continue to raise your expectations to live the life you want!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>***<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> BRAILLE MONITOR<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Vol. 61, No. 2 February 2018<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Gary Wunder, Editor<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>drive, by the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Mark Riccobono, President<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> telephone: (410) 659-9314<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> email address: <a href="mailto:nfb@nfb.org">nfb@nfb.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> website address: <a href="http://www.nfb.org">http://www.nfb.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> NFBnet.org: <a href="http://www.nfbnet.org">http://www.nfbnet.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> NFB-NEWSLINE. information: (866) 504-7300<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Watch and share our videos: YouTube.com/NationsBlind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>orders for NFB literature should be sent to the national office. Articles<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>for the Monitor and letters to the editor may also be sent to the national<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>office or may be emailed to <a href="mailto:gwunder@nfb.org">gwunder@nfb.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Monitor subscriptions cost the Federation about forty dollars per year.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Members are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to cover the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>subscription cost. Donations should be made payable to National Federation<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of the Blind and sent to:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND-IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> OURSELVES.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ISSN 0006-8829<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>) 2018 by the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>or USB flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>National Library Service digital player. The NLS machine has two slots-the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>familiar book-cartridge slot just above the retractable carrying handle and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a second slot located on the right side near the headphone jack. This<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>smaller slot is used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective rubber pad<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>covering this slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in one<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>position. If you encounter resistance, flip the drive over and try again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>(Note: If the cartridge slot is not empty when you insert the thumb drive,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the digital player will ignore the thumb drive.) Once the thumb drive is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>inserted, the player buttons will function as usual for reading digital<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>materials. If you remove the thumb drive to use the player for cartridges,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>when you insert it again, reading should resume at the point you stopped.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> You can transfer the recording of each issue from the thumb drive to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>your computer or preserve it on the thumb drive. However, because thumb<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>drives can be used hundreds of times, we would appreciate their return in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>order to stretch our funding. Please use the return envelope enclosed with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the drive when you return the device.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO/CAPTION: The Rosen Shingle Creek Resort]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Orlando Site of 2018 NFB Convention<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The 2018 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>place in Orlando, Florida, July 3 to July 8, at the Rosen Shingle Creek<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Resort, 9939 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32819-9357. Make your<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>room reservation as soon as possible with the Shingle Creek staff only.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Call (866) 996-6338.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The 2018 room rates are singles and doubles, $88; and for triples and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>quads $93. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>present is 12.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $100-per-room deposit is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>required to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>before June 1, 2018. The other 50 percent is not refundable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Reservations may be made before June 1, 2018, assuming that rooms are still<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> All Rosen Shingle Creek guestrooms feature amenities that include<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>plush Shingle Creek Sleeper beds, 40" flat screen TVs, complimentary high-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>speed internet service, in-room safes, coffee makers, mini-fridges, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>hairdryers. Guests can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>site spa. The Rosen Shingle Creek Resort has a number of dining options,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>including two award-winning restaurants, and twenty-four-hour-a-day room<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>service.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The schedule for the 2018 convention is:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Tuesday, July 3 Seminar Day<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Wednesday, July 4 Registration and Resolutions Day<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Thursday, July 5 Board Meeting and Division Day<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Friday, July 6 Opening Session<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Saturday, July 7 Business Session<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Sunday, July 8 Banquet Day and Adjournment<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Vol. 61, No. 2<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>February 2018<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Contents<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Illustration: A Day for Unity and Growth<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The Superhero Hangs Up Her Cape<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Sophie Trist<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ecorched<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Justin Salisbury<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>A Really Sharp Knife<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Chris Kuell<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway: Browsers-Choosing the Right<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Vehicle for the Journey<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Amy Mason<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Why Human Readers are No Substitute for Accessible Software<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Sabra Ewing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Lessons in Blindness Inspire Insight<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Scott McKinney<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The Library Leadership Forum: An Introduction to Open Libraries<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Amy Mason and Anna Kresmer<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Priscilla Ferris Dies<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Gary Wunder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Disney Research Creates Tactile Fireworks Display<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Grace Warn<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>OrCam: Pointing Toward the Future<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Joel Zimba<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Independence Market Corner<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: A Shining Example of the Value of Diversity<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>in Employment<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by Dick Davis<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Constitution of the National Federation of the Blind as Amended 2014<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Recipes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Monitor Miniatures<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Left to right: Joe Miller, Bob Watson, Tammy Albee, Shelley<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Duffy, and Susan Skaarer work on assembling words into the one-minute<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>message.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Left side of the table: Seth Lamkin, Danielle Harten, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Karla Bingman. Right side of the table: Paul Ficarro, Valerie Yingling, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ellen Ringlein sit working on the math problem challenge.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Left to right: Kimie Beverly, Anna Adler, Mary Ellen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Jernigan, Anil Lewis, Kathy Douglas (her face is covered by an arm; you can<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>only see her arm up in a peace sign), Bill Jacobs, and Will Schwatka smile<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>together and a few of them hold up the peace sign.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Amy Mason wears sleep shades and carries a fake egg on a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>spoon while using her cane to find her way to the other end of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>challenge. Steve Booth does the same in a lane parallel to her.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> A Day for Unity and Growth<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The National Federation of the Blind is an organization on the move,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and it demands a lot not only from its members but from its staff. Each<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>year we try to recognize the hard work of the men and women whose paid<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>employment is directed to helping us achieve our goals.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> In 2017 our staff team building day was on Monday, November 15, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>what an opportunity it was to team up with people who work in other<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>programs and to learn more about them than their name and their job. After<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>President Riccobono outlined the activities for the day, we moved to our<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>team tables and started the friendly competition that would continue<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>throughout the day. One of our simpler tasks was to take words we were<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>given and to figure out the Federation message they comprised. We played a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation trivia game that included important facts from history and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>humorous facts from the present - how many people attended the first<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>meeting in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and how many toilets are there in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Jernigan Institute? Some of the tasks were physical, and some of them<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>were mental. We were given a solo cup, a balloon, and the instruction that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>we knock the cup off the table without touching it. The most difficult<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>challenge of the day involved solving complicated word clues that led us to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>even harder word clues and objects, all of which would guide us to the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>successful conclusion of the game. Of course, what would any teambuilding<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>day be without the sheer physical challenge of a team relay race in which<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the challenge is to be the first to carry your egg on a spoon across the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>finish line.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The day concluded with a wonderful meal and the many stories that were<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>shared during it. As the pictures make clear, all of us had a wonderful<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>time and are anxiously planning for the celebration that will come in 2018.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>It is a distinct honor to work for the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>alongside such dedicated and inspired men and women.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Sophie Trist]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The Superhero Hangs Up Her Cape<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Sophie Trist<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: Sophie Trist is the winner of a 2017 national<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>scholarship. She is intelligent, energetic, introspective, and articulate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>In this piece she contrasts the experience of winning two different awards<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>during her lifetime: The Inclusion Alliance's Adult Spirit Award when she<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>was nineteen, and the National Braille Challenge when she was eight. Her<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>narration of the events alternates between the two awards, really letting<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>her reader see what a difference the criteria to win the award makes to the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>value of winning it. Here is what she says:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I've always loved the limelight. The sound of applause is music to my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ears. That's why I answered the email I got from Mrs. Sarah Cordet in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>August of 2016. "Dear Miss Trist," it read, "The special education<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>coordinator for St. Tammany Parish has nominated you for Inclusion<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Alliance's Adult Spirit Award. After much consideration, we have chosen you<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>as a finalist. The ceremony will take place on Thursday, September 28,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2016, at 7:00 PM in the Long River Hall." I'd never heard of Inclusion<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Alliance in my life; a quick Google search told me it was a local<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>organization that helped special needs people become involved in the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>community. I had no idea what an Adult Spirit Award was, but I told Mrs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Cordet that I would be delighted to attend her ceremony.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The National Braille Challenge<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I sat in a classroom with eleven other eight-year-olds at the Braille<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Institute in Los Angeles. I forced myself to stay still, remembering all of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Mom's prohibitions against fidgeting. I was one of twelve finalists in the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Apprentice division (ages eight to ten) for the National Braille Challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>We would now take a test, and the first, second, and third place winners<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>would win trophies and money. Nervous, excited sweat broke out all over my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>palms as a grown-up called for quiet. "We will now begin the test," she<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>said. "I'll be passing out the booklets, but no one is to open them until I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>say so. As you all should know, you'll be competing in the categories of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Braille reading, spelling, and proofreading. Good luck!"<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The Inclusion Alliance Award<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> All of the Inclusion Alliance award finalists, including nineteen-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>year-old yours truly, had companions (read, chaperones) assigned to them<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>for the evening. My companion was an older, extremely nice lady named Ms.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Linda. I actually knew Ms. Linda's family pretty well; her younger daughter<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Alyssa had been in Advanced Placement classes with me in high school, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>her older daughter shared my name, Sophie. At the reception that took place<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>before the ceremony, Ms. Linda and I stood beside a poster containing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>numerous pictures of me that Mom had emailed to Mrs. Cordet. I was skiing,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I was playing the piano, I was reading Braille, I was meeting Taylor Swift.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I was the belle of the ball. Tons of people, most of whom I knew at least<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>vaguely, came to talk to me. I was a fountain of laughter and smiles.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Everyone from my hometown's special needs community was dying to know how<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>my freshman year of college was going. The fact that I had pledged Delta<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Gamma the week before was especially interesting in a town where Greek<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>affiliations are almost as important as church and football.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The National Braille Challenge<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> "How do you think you did?" Mom asked the second I walked out of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>classroom. All around us, other parents were asking their kids the same<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>question. I told them that I thought I did pretty well. That was an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>understatement. I felt like Santa Claus had just told me it would be my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>birthday every single day for the next year. All I could think about was<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the adrenaline that shot through my veins as my fingers flew across the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>keys of my Braillewriter. I had been fast, and the questions had been easy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I thought about the judges who were even now scoring everyone's tests. Let<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>me win, I prayed silently. Let me be one of the winners. I thought about<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>what everyone at school would say when they found out I was one of the top<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>three Braille readers in America. I was quivering with excitement as we<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>walked back toward our hotel to get ready for the awards banquet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The Inclusion Alliance Award<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The Inclusion Alliance ceremony started out with the pledge and the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>national anthem. The first award presented was to a business that hired<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>special needs people. As the three finalists for the Student Spirit award<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>were presented, each walking onstage with his or her companion, an image of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a superhero, standing tall and glorious in a flowing cape popped into my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mind. Everyone always said it must be great to be a superhero, but I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>thought it must be a lonely life, living with extraordinary powers. Sure,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>superheroes have sidekicks, but the reason we make movies about them and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>plaster their pictures on t-shirts, posters, and everything else we can<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>think of is because they're exceptional. They stick out from the crowd.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>These people think I'm some kind of superhero, I realized as a troop of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>girls went through a dance routine onstage. But they're wrong. I'm just a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>normal nineteen-year-old girl. I took AP classes in high school, I got a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>full ride to college, I advocate on social justice issues that are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>important to me, and I'm proud of all those accomplishments. But they don't<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>make me a superhero. When sighted kids achieve those same things, they get<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>some praise and a pat on the back, but no one would ever dream of giving<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>them an Adult Spirit Award.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Disabled people are often crowned with laurels for doing things that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>don't get noticed when done by "normal" people, such as excelling in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>school, getting a college scholarship, or using a fork. (Seriously, one of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>my blind friends was once lavishly praised for using a fork properly.) I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>could invent a new superhero, I thought, struggling not to laugh out loud.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Forkman would be right at home in the Justice League, swinging his Terrible<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and Awesome Silverware of Justice to save America! But my mirth didn't last<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>long as I started to think about why disabled people who live full and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>productive lives and refuse to let our disabilities stop us are treated<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>like superheroes. I think non-disabled people do this to feel better about<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>themselves. While the brokers of the disability superhero mentality mean<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>well for the most part, they can't see how their actions are demeaning to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>disabled people. Congratulating someone for the ability to eat without<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>making the table look like the scene of a Civil War battle implies that you<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>don't believe that person capable of truly great things. It perpetuates the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>low expectations that hold disabled people back much more than blindness,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>deafness, or any other physical or mental handicap. Treating disabled<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>people like superheroes allows organizations like Inclusion Alliance to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ignore the discrimination faced by people with disabilities, such as the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>payment of subminimum wages to disabled workers and the inability of many<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>blind college students to gain accessible materials for their education.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The superhero mentality surrounding independent disabled people is holding<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>back true and meaningful change.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The National Braille Challenge<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Of course, the winners from the Apprentice division were the last to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>be announced. My friend Tiffany, who was twelve, had won second place in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Sophomore division. "For the Apprentice division, we have Emily Necker<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>from Paradise, Ohio in third place!" The lady with the microphone<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>announced. I clapped with everyone else; Emily had struck me as nice and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>smart. Once she received her trophy, the woman called, "In second place, we<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>have Sophie Trist from Louisiana!" The cheering in that hall sounded like<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the best kind of thunder. For the first couple of seconds I was too shocked<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to move. I'd imagined myself winning, but I couldn't believe it was<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>actually happening! A dreamlike calm stole over me as Dad took my hand and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>led me to the stage. Someone thrust a trophy into my hands; the thing felt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>almost as big as me. "Congratulations!" someone gushed. I tried to say<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>thank you, but I couldn't speak. My smile was too big. As cameras flashed,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I basked in the applause like a cat basking in the sun. I'd never been<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>happier in my life. Being recognized as the second-best Braille reader in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>America was a huge accomplishment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The Inclusion Alliance Award<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The three Adult Spirit Award finalists were called up in alphabetical<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>order. Owen Hart, whom I'd known since childhood, had Downs syndrome, loved<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>riding horses, and worked two jobs, one as a janitor at Clear Lake Middle<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>School, and another as an assistant at the weekly farmer's market in the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>next town over. Mary Katherine Church was a schoolteacher who was mostly<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>deaf. And then the MC announced, "Sophie Trist graduated high school with a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>4.2 GPA. Several years ago she started her own business Brailling menus for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>local restaurants. Sophie's hobbies include reading, writing, and singing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>She is a freshman at Loyola University New Orleans and recently pledged<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Delta Gamma sorority." Once we were all introduced, the MC presented Mary<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Katherine with the third-place award. Owen won second place. My heart rate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sped up; I knew what was coming next. "For the winner of the 2016 Adult<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Spirit Award, Miss Sophie Trist," the MC exclaimed. Applause thundered<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>through the Long River Hall. I beamed as Mrs. Cordet handed me a plaque and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a certificate.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The Gnawing Persistence of Introspection<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> As cameras snapped pictures that would appear on Facebook by the next<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>day, I thought about the other times I'd stood on stages to receive awards.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Many of them had been earned. But this wasn't my first night as a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>superhero. In sixth grade I'd received the Principal's Award, and just last<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>year, a few days before graduation, I received the Dare Award at the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>seniors' assembly. This award was for a student who "showed tremendous<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>courage in the face of adversity." I'm a white, middle-class girl from the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>suburb; the only adversity I've encountered is blindness. And while I have<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to do some things differently from my sighted peers, my life isn't hard by<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>any definition of the word. I have always been encouraged to pursue my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>dreams and been given every tool and opportunity necessary to do so. I felt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>like a China doll someone had placed on a high shelf, something to be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>admired but not necessarily understood, something designed to make others<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>feel better about their supposedly perfect lives. I felt more pride when I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>won second place at the National Braille Challenge than when I won first<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>place at this empty ceremony.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> On the way home that night and for many nights after, I tried to push<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>thoughts of the ceremony out of my head. But I couldn't forget the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>revelation I'd had while sitting in that auditorium. I've always been a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>writer, and a few months after that evening in November, I decided to write<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>about it in the hope that it would help me process my thoughts and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>feelings. The result is the piece you've just read. I've hung up my cape. I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>won't-no, I can't-accept any more awards for simply being myself and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>fulfilling my own high expectations. I won't take part in this superhero<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>culture any longer. I want to be acknowledged for true accomplishments such<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>as starting my own business or writing a novel that makes the New York<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Times bestseller list, a lifelong dream of mine. I bear no ill will toward<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Inclusion Alliance or my school principals or anyone else who gives<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>disabled people awards for doing mundane things. They do this out of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ignorance and misunderstanding, not out of any malice toward the disabled<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>community. They have big hearts, but they do not understand our struggles.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I do hope to educate people, blind and sighted alike, on the harmful nature<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of these low expectations and misconceptions. I want to change the laws and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>our culture so that disabled people can truly shine, with no barriers in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>their way.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Justin Salisbury]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Ecorched<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Justin Salisbury<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: Justin Salisbury is a frequent contributor to these<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>pages, and we are the better for his thoughts. He is committed to helping<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>blind people receive good rehabilitation and challenging his students to go<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>beyond what is comfortable. Here is an article in which he shares with us a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>new word that was added to his vocabulary while on a travel lesson and how<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the word describes something he thinks important for those who work in or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>receive services from our nation's rehabilitation service:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> When I meet my new students, I take the time to talk with them to get<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to know them a little bit. I like to learn their story, family structure,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>hobbies, career goals, motivations, and things like that. I enjoy getting<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to know people anyway, but it tends to improve the quality of instructional<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>time, too. Here in Hawaii we have a very high immigrant population. When I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>meet immigrant students, I often ask them what has brought them to the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>United States. Frequently I get answers about leaving areas of civil unrest<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>or pursuing greater educational or economic opportunity. One student told<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>me that he came to the United States to get better at speaking English. It<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>turned out that he spoke many languages, and he had worked as a private<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>language tutor for many years. When working with him, I always had to be on<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>my toes to hear when he would drop a new word which I needed to add to my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>vocabulary. At the end of such lessons, when we would debrief in my office<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I would write down these new words and their definitions. For the sake of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this story I will refer to this student as Jim.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> One day on a group travel lesson, he coined a new word which captured<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>an important concept. I took Jim and another student to find the post<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>office in downtown Honolulu. I gave them the directions myself and wanted<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to see how well they could follow them. When we got on the number 4 bus,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Jim sat somewhere down on the bottom level but behind the disability seats-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>we don't use those during training. The other student and I went to sit<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>near the very back of the bus. When we got to King and Punchbowl, the stop<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>where we had agreed to get off the bus, only Jim and I did so. The other<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>student, it appeared, had lost his focus and had inadvertently given<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>himself an entirely different kind of travel assignment. Upon exiting, Jim<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>began calling the name of his classmate to regroup with him on the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sidewalk. We both realized that his classmate was not there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Jim became noticeably upset and passionately declared that his<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>classmate had been ecorched. For pronunciation, this word begins like<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"ecosystem" and rhymes with "scorched." I had to slow him down to help him<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>relax and focus, but I also wanted to know what this word meant. He<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>explained that a sapling tree which has been ecorched has had all of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>bark stripped off from it so that the tree is still alive but will<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>inevitably dry out and die. Such a sapling tree would never survive to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>reach its potential. I could not help but laugh at the imagery. Jim asked<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>if I was going to call the bus company to see what they could do. I told<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>him that I was sure his classmate would figure something out, and I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>suggested that we proceed to find the post office without him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Sure enough, after we had walked about fifty yards down the sidewalk,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I received a call from his classmate. He sounded a little stressed out. He<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>told me that he had realized that he had missed our stop and then gotten<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>off the bus. He was at the Alapai Transit Center, a major transit center<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>which was also completely unfamiliar to him. Someone had given him<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>directions to the post office from there, but I told him not to worry about<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>finding the post office and just hop on a number 13 bus to go back to the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>training center. I figured this would fall within his optimal level of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>challenge.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> During our trip back to the training center, Jim and I had some time<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to debrief. I asked him how he spelled the word "ecorched," which he<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>explained to me. Since he spoke so many languages, I asked him about the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>etymology of the word. He explained that it was derived from a French verb,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>icorcer, and he was making an English word out of it. He told me that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>another use of the word was to describe a military strategic move where a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>commanding officer would assign a disliked subordinate to a maneuver that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>was sure to get him killed. In other words, a commanding officer could<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ecorch a subordinate by sending him into a battle ill-equipped against much<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>stronger forces. Jim told me it was almost a form of human sacrifice. He<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>said that he coined the word out of his strong emotion. I was so excited to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>finally have a word for an instructional transgression of which we are so<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>often accused.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> This experience and newly-coined word encapsulate many important<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>themes in blindness rehabilitation, especially some misperceptions about<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Structured Discovery, a model developed by members of the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind. The National Federation of the Blind operates<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>three training centers on this philosophy, and there are three state-run<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>training centers which are accredited on this model as well. I am proud to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>work at one of them. Structured Discovery is based on a belief that blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>people are normal and that we must do more than simply learn alternative<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>techniques. We must take the time to achieve an emotional adjustment to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>blindness so that we truly come to think of ourselves as normal. We must<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>develop confidence in our own ability to function and compete. We must<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>learn how to blend into sighted society. Good practitioners take an active<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>role in the organized blind movement to help us move toward full equality<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and inclusion. Sometimes we use teaching methods which demonstrate that we<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>expect much more of students than they expect of themselves and more than<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>those around them have expected.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Why did I leave that student on the bus instead of making him get off<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>at King and Punchbowl? He had struggled with paying attention to stop<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>announcements on buses many times before. He was advanced enough in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>training that he would be able to problem-solve to make it back to the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>training center. After all, it was easier than a drop route. If I had told<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>him that we were at our stop, it would have taught him that it was not<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>necessary for him to pay attention for stop announcements because somebody<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>else would do it for him. I am writing this article about two months after<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this experience, and I am pleased to report that he has been on his game<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>with stop announcements ever since and shows no nervousness about going to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>unfamiliar transit centers. He had a valuable problem-solving experience<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that day when he arrived in a completely unfamiliar transit center and had<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to find his way back. I told him what bus to take in order to help him have<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>some direction and keep him from stressing out too badly, but, if it had<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>happened today, I would probably just tell him to figure it out. As a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>student progresses in training, the challenges get harder. We do not set<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>people up to fail or be overwhelmed, but we always push them to that next<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>level. We need them to understand in their hearts, based on experience,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that they can function on their own and that blindness does not necessitate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>an instructor to help them travel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> There are some professionals in the blindness field who might contend<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that it is unsafe or mean to allow a student to have those kinds of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>experiences. There are some who would say that I did ecorch him that day. I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>am proud to be a part of a training center whose staff and students have<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cracked jokes about that word ever since that day because we understand<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that students can and should be allowed to make mistakes. There are some<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>blindness professionals who are afraid to let their students make mistakes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and who contend that mistakes break a student's confidence. On the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>contrary, we demonstrate every day that the process of learning to overcome<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mistakes can build a student's confidence. I do not allow the risk of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>getting lost or students being challenged to prevent me from pushing them<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to their limits. This is a necessary part of finding the frontier and then<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>advancing it further. Some days my students do fail, but we talk about the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>problems and conquer them another time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I would never be able to teach the way that I do if not for my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>training at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, and I feel bad for those<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>blindness professionals who are attempting to teach alternative techniques<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and understandings of blindness which they do not possess themselves. It is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>not necessary that I be a blind person to do this; I know some sighted cane<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>travel instructors who are proficient travelers under sleepshades and can<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>hold a great philosophical discussion. I have no problem letting students<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>make mistakes because I know from experience that correction is possible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>When we let students make mistakes, they learn not to be afraid of making<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mistakes on their own. This opens the door for experimentation and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>innovation. Yes, blind people are capable of these things, too, and these<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>abilities make us better contributors on the job and in society in general.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I am glad that I now have a word for the thing that I never do to my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>students: ecorch.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Chris Kuell slices a vegetable.]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> A Really Sharp Knife<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Chris Kuell<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: Chris Kuell is an articulate, reflective man who<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>manages to capture what he feels, grows from integrating what comes from<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>his head and his heart, and shares that through his writing. Here is his<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>most recent offering:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Earlier this week I took a cab to a doctor's appointment. We passed<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The Sesame Seed, a Middle Eastern restaurant around the corner from where I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>live, and the driver commented on how fat he'd be if he lived that close.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>We chatted about the great hummus, baba ganoush, kibbe, and wonderful fish<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>dishes served at the restaurant. This led us to talk about our favorite<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>local restaurants, how his son was a CIA (Culinary Institute of America)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>graduate, and some of our favorite dishes. When he told me his girlfriend<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>wasn't a vegetarian but would only eat seafood and chicken for protein, I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>described my original seafood chowder and lettuce-wrapped chicken recipes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>He told me about a pork dish he makes when his girlfriend isn't around, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>then I described how, after many attempts, I'd finally figured out how to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>make an authentic shrimp pad Thai. Around this time we arrived at my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>appointment, and I wished him a good day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> All went well at the doctor, and when the cab I'd requested to go<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>home arrived, it was the same driver who brought me there. We drove in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>silence for a few minutes. Then he said, somewhat uncomfortably, that he<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>hoped I didn't mind, but how, uh, could a guy with my-ummmm-handicap, cook<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sophisticated dishes?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I assured him that I didn't mind his question, then answered that I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>believed I could cook anything, I'm experienced in the kitchen, and I have<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a really sharp knife. I'm totally blind, but I'm fairly certain his jaw<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>dropped at that last one.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I told him that a few years ago I invested in a couple of really nice<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>chef's knives and a sharpening stone, and I keep the knives sharp enough to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>shave the hair off my arm. This is a trick an old lobsterman taught me when<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I was a kid.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> While your average sighted person would probably feel very<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>uncomfortable with the thought of a blind guy wielding something that could<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>easily lop off a finger or two, a sharp knife makes slicing everything so<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>much easier and faster. I love when the blade easily glides through a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>tomato rather than hacking and mashing it. And really-it's no more<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>dangerous than the various saws and power tools or deep fryer that I use<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>regularly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I'm extremely fond of my fingertips, so I am always careful when<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>doing anything that could endanger them. Yes, I've received the occasional<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>burn when a pan wasn't on the stove exactly where I thought it was or when<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>flipping something in hot oil and a little splatters, but those are the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>marks of a cook-reminders to always be aware of your surroundings and what<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>you are doing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Belief that I can do anything comes relatively easy to me. Call it<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>confidence or arrogance or good parenting-whatever. All I know is that it<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>is a key to successful endeavors. When I first lost my sight at thirty-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>five, I fell into a short-lived despondency. Then my wife convinced me to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>attend an NFB national convention. There I was with thousands of blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>people who did whatever they wanted, and I knew that if they could do it, I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>could as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> You need to either be shown how to do something or figure it out<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>yourself, then practice. The experience you gain will not only improve your<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>skills but your confidence in tackling other tasks. Nobody is good at cane<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>travel right away. It takes a lot of practice, some getting lost, some<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>figuring out what to do next, and some sighs of relief when you make it to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>your destination. Learning Braille takes practice. Learning how to navigate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a computer with screen reading software takes practice, confronts you with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>some stressful moments when your computer freezes up, and requires the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>assistance of friends who can help you figure things out when you are at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>your wits end.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Cooking, or whatever you want to undertake, is similar. I'm always<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>asking my friends who are good cooks how they do this or that. I pay<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>attention to the details, to what herbs and spices they use, and what<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>helpful tricks or techniques they know. Of course, the internet is an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>invaluable resource. Although I can't see what people are doing in the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>millions of YouTube cooking videos out there, I can get enough information<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to make a go of it in my own kitchen. And while some of my meals don't come<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>out the way I wanted, I can usually figure out what I did wrong and make it<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>better the next time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I've won a local chili cook-off the last three years in a row, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the entries are anonymous, so I know people aren't just voting for the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>blind guy. I've made great Italian food, Greek food, Asian food, Spanish<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>food-anything I can think of. Last spring a woman at church asked me to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cook Korean pork rolls (a dish I invented) for a special event, which I was<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>happy to do.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> When I was a teenager, I used to help my Dad work on his old '56<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ford. He had a special wrench that was bent at a certain angle for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>adjusting the carburetor. He told me that having the right tool makes every<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>job easier. You can bang in a nail with a rock or a brick, but a hammer is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the right tool for the job, which is why I like a really sharp knife for my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cooking. When it comes to blindness, Braille, a long white cane, screen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>reading software, an accessible smart phone, and blind friends you can call<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>on when you have questions-these are essential. With these tools, there<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>isn't anything you can't accomplish.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Amy Mason]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway Browsers-Choosing the Right<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Vehicle for the Journey<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Amy Mason<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: This is the second article in a series intended to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>help users of assistive technology learn to use and get the most out of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>World Wide Web. Navigating the web is possible, productive, and enjoyable,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>but there are many parts to the puzzle, and this series of articles is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>intended to let readers examine each piece and decide how they will put<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>together the system that gives them the access they desire to the vast<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>resources of the internet. With her analytic mind, her vast knowledge of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>resources, and her command of language, here is what Amy Mason has to say:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Welcome back! It's great to see you all again. In our last class we<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>touched on the history of using the web, the terminology of web browsing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>today, and defined "accessibility" at least for the purposes of this<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>series. If you missed our first session, it can be reviewed in the January<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2018 Braille Monitor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Browsers-The Basics<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> When people talk about using the internet, they are usually referring<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to accessing websites or web applications (programs that mimic software<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>usually found on a local computer, but built to run remotely using the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>programming languages used on the internet). Each computer is built to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>understand several different programming languages, but each type of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>computer system (Mac, Windows, Android, iOS) is pretty exclusive about what<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>they understand. Because the internet is built to allow all sorts of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>devices to share all the same information, it has been built with several<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>languages of its own that are made to allow lots of machines to communicate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>freely. Our computers don't understand these languages by default, so we<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>need programs that can translate the shared languages of the web into<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>information our computers can natively understand. That is the purpose of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the browser.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> In its role as a translator, the browser will read the information<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>coded onto web pages and other internet resources and rephrase that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>information so our computers can understand and present it to us as<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>readable text, images, videos, and controls. The W3C (the folks who built<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the technical accessibility standards we discussed last month) and other<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>governing bodies have created guidelines for the language of the web. They<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>have created rules for how things should be written and what the browser<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>should do to appropriately translate that information. However, browsers do<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>not all follow the guidelines perfectly, and even when they do, they tend<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to do so in their own way with their own unique voice, (think of it as an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>accent, or a regional dialect). They make sure that we can all basically<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>understand the language of the web, but each browser does so in its own<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>way. Returning this to our driving analogy, each browser is like a vehicle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>They can all be used on the road, but each one will take curves<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>differently, handle differently, and provide a slightly different driving<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>experience. Once you've learned one, they all work similarly, but each has<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>its own quirks you must understand to get the most out of them and even to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"drive safely."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> As blind computer users it's important to think through our browser<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>options and be open to using more than one. There are three major reasons<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>for this. First, we are adding an extra layer of "translation" in the form<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of screen readers, to access information that the computer is representing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>We will discuss this layer in more detail later, but suffice to say that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>each layer plays its part in our ability to understand and access<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>information. The web page is the road, the browser is the car, and the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>screen reader is the blind driver interface. For the best driving<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>experience, the road must be smooth and well maintained, the car needs to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>be in good working order, and our blind driving interface needs to be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>receiving and passing on all the information provided by both the road and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>our vehicle. Therefore, we want to find the car that will handle best for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the type of road we are driving on and will speak most clearly with our<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>information gathering tools. Sometimes the ways these vehicles/browsers<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>handle will affect our ability to access different sites so greatly that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>they can make the difference between a usable and functionally accessible<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>page or even determine whether we can access some pages at all.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Furthermore, as we also discussed earlier, there are dangers to be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>found on the road. Not all roadside attractions are what they seem. Some<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>are fun and diverting, others a little seedy, but if you are careful you'll<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>be ok, while still others... ideally your car is fast, and has good<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>automatic locks. Otherwise, you may find that it, and your luggage<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>(personal information, computer files, etc....) could be hijacked. For<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>these reasons it is important to use an up-to-date and modern browser. They<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>contain fixes for known security flaws and provide you with an additional<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>layer of safety over older models.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Finally, Henry Ford once said of his Model T, "Any customer can have<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black." Despite<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this early pronouncement, today we can customize our vehicles in nearly<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>endless ways. Browsers are the same. Early browsers didn't offer much in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the way of personalization, but today most offer the user a great scope for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>customization, which we can use to make our lives easier on the net. As a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>more advanced topic we will cover customizations later, but it's useful to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>know that some options are tailored to the tinkerer, and that even modest<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>customization can improve your experience immensely.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Test Driving the Browsers<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> As we discussed above, browsers all do approximately the same job but<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>offer different advantages and disadvantages for the intrepid internet<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>traveler. Therefore, the rest of this article will focus on comparing the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>different options available and providing some context on which of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>browsers are likely to provide you with the best experience.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Internet Explorer (IE)-'57 Chevy Half-Ton Pickup<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Operating Systems Supported: Windows Only<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Screen Readers Supported: JAWS/NVDA/Narrator<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Obtained from: Included with Windows Installation. Default browser on all<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>versions prior to Windows 10<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> In the song, "Classified," C.W. McCall tells an (amusing) story of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>his purchase of an unforgettable vehicle. Here's how he describes it:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> And settin' right there in a pool of grease was a half-ton Chevy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> pickup truck with a 1960 license plate, a bumper sticker says, "Vote<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> for Dick" and Brillo box full of rusty parts, ... Well, I kicked the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> tires and I got in the seat and set on a petrified apple core and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> found a bunch of field mice livin' in the glove compartment. He says,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 'Her shaft is bent and her rear end leaks, you can fix her quick with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> an oily rag. Use a nail as a starter; I lost the key. Don't pay no<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> mind to that whirrin' sound. She use a little oil, but outside a'<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> that, she's cherry.'<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> As the song concludes we see our intrepid hero taking life and limb<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>into his own hands to get this relic out of the farmyard and down the road.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Sadly, our reliable old friend, Internet Explorer, has come to resemble<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this pickup truck. Once upon a time it did most of our heavy lifting on the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>net. It was never fast, but by brute force and persistence we were able to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>use it to get an awful lot of work done. At the time, we didn't have a lot<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of other accessible options, so we put a lot of miles in on IE.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> For this reason, many blind people continue to use Internet Explorer<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>as their primary, or even only browser. It's comfortable and familiar. We<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>know all the quirks and lots of little secrets to keep it rolling another<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>couple of miles, but it's just not fit for the road any longer, and we<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>really need to be looking to retire it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Microsoft has stopped active development of Internet Explorer. So new<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>features of websites aren't well supported (when they are supported at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>all). This includes accessibility features. New websites increasingly rely<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>on behavior that we can't get out of IE, so our screen readers aren't<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>provided with the information we need to review them. Beyond this, it's<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>just not very stable on Windows 10 and tends to hang with alarming<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>frequency.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Long story short, the only features of IE that Microsoft is putting<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>any energy into at all are security patches, and even that will come to an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>end in the next five years or so. You don't want to still be reliant on it<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>when that day comes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> As such, it is my strong recommendation that you consider one or more<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of the other browsers on this list as your primary, and only use IE as a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>last resort.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Firefox-Tinker's Toy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Operating Systems Supported: Windows/Android/iOS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Mac OSX support is available, but very poor for VoiceOver users. Best to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>find a different option on the Mac.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Screen Readers Supported: JAWS/NVDA/Narrator/TalkBack/VoiceOver (iOS)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> At the time of this writing, recent updates to the underlying engine<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>in Firefox have temporarily degraded support for Windows screen reader<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>users. If Firefox is your preferred browser, you may wish to use the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>extended support version of the software for best results. This version<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>will not be updated with new features as regularly as the primary version<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of Firefox, but it will receive security updates. The download page notes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that it is intended for large organizations; however, individuals are also<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>able to download and use the software for their own purposes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Obtained from: Current <a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/">https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Extended Support: <a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/">https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/organizations/all/</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Honestly, I don't know that much about cars, so I can't say what<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>exactly we should be comparing Firefox to, but it exists. There are some<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cars that are known for not what they are, but what they can be. Firefox is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the browser equivalent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> A fresh install is... fine. It will competently get you where you are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>going. It is engineered to be reliable, if not overly fast, secure, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>very good at following web standards. As it has offered real, robust<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>accessibility support for quite some time, many blind folks have chosen to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>make it their primary or secondary browser.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Firefox is an open source project from the Mozilla Foundation. Its<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>goals are largely to play nice with standards bodies and other open source<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>projects. As such, it works especially well when paired with NVDA (Non-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Visual Desktop Access), and Mozilla has even provided direct support to NV<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Access to continue active development.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Furthermore, it is widely supported across different operating<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>systems, and it is possible to sync bookmarks, autofill, and tabs across<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Firefox installs on multiple devices. If you use several machines, these<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>features may be of interest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> If this is where your interest ends, Firefox will serve you perfectly<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>well, but you can take it quite a bit further. Many users choose to install<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>extensions and custom elements which will extend the Firefox experience far<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>beyond that which is available in a fresh download. We will come back to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>these customizations in a later article, but for now, know that it is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>possible to make some extreme changes to the way this browser works. In<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>fact, more than a thousand of the supported extensions mention<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"accessibility." I can't promise the quality of any of those extensions,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>but at least a few are bound to be helpful. As such, if you like to play,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>it may be the right choice for you.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Even if you don't like to play, Firefox may be a solid choice since<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>it is overall well supported across multiple screen readers, websites and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>devices. Unless you are running a Mac, Firefox would be one of my top picks<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>for a safe and reliable primary browser.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Chrome-The Toyota Prius<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Operating Systems Supported: Windows/Android/iOS/Mac<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Screen Readers Supported: JAWS/NVDA/Narrator/TalkBack/VoiceOver (both iOS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and OSX)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Obtained from: Included as default browser on Android. Otherwise can be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>downloaded from <a href="https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html">https://www.google.com/chrome/browser/desktop/index.html</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Chrome is that browser that everybody seems to have and use. It's<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>reliable, easy to come by, and can provide a very nice experience. It's<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>relatively fast, secure, and available on just about every computing device<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>out there. The Toyota Prius is that car that tons of people have for pretty<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>much all the same reasons... except for its cross-platform compatibility.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>(Strangely enough, most people don't care if their Prius works with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Windows.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Tons of people have it just because it's better than the default<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>browser their system came with, and that's good enough for them. Many<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>others have it because it is created by Google, and that's a name they have<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>come to know and trust.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Its support for screen readers (particularly on Windows) is a more<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>recent development than with Firefox, so there may be occasional hiccups<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>you will notice if using this browser that you won't find in others. But on<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the flip side, there are times things work better here as well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Like the Prius and Firefox, there are lots of ways to take your browsing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>experience with Chrome a bit further, though the out-of-the-box experience<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>is perfectly adequate for many users, so you can decide just how much<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>customization is right for you. Extensions are available to add all sorts<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of features to the browser, including some which promise accessibility<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>enhancements. Furthermore, as a truly cross-platform option, with very<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>tight integration into Google's ecosystem, it can make traveling from one<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>computer to another very easy. Like Firefox, Chrome allows for syncing of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>bookmarks and autofill information. In addition, many extensions will carry<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>across when you are signed into the browser, so when you get things just<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the way you like them, you can carry the experience across to all your<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>other machines. Chrome even allows you to set up your own custom keyboard<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>commands, so if you want to take the time, you can get it feeling just<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>right. Even if you don't, you should find it will adequately meet many of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>your needs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I want to point out a couple of technical notes which may be helpful<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>as you consider your browsing strategy. First, Chrome can be a bit of a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>resource hog because of how it keeps track of the different tabs you keep<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>open. Each one is given its own separate chunk of memory to run in. Sadly,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this means some resources end up being wasted because each tab needs things<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that on other browsers might be shared. But on the up side, it also means<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that if things go sideways in one tab, you can just close it and not affect<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the others you have open in the browser. Second, Chrome is the only viable<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>third-party browser for the Mac. As we've discussed, it's always good<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>practice as a blind user to have a couple of options available, so you will<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>probably want this if you use OSX.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Overall, like Firefox, I would argue that Chrome is a keeper. Most<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>people will find that one or the other suits them a bit better, and either<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>can be a solid choice, so give them both a test drive and see what you<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>think.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Safari-BMW Mini Cooper<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Operating Systems Supported: iOS/Mac<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Screen Readers Supported: VoiceOver (both iOS and OSX)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Obtained from: Default browser on Apple products. Installed by default on<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>both iOS and OSX (Mac) devices.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Safari, like Internet Explorer, is an exclusive. Unlike Internet<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Explorer, it is still being actively maintained and improved. If you are a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>heavy Mac or iOS user, you are probably already familiar with this browser.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>It's what your device comes with out of the box, and for the most part, so<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>long as you play by Apple's rules, it works fairly well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> That's really the main point when it comes to Safari. Apple devices,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>like BMWs, are something of a "lifestyle" product. An iOS device, or a Mac,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>are meant to be as much a fashion statement as a computing device, and as<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>such, there is a certain expected way that things will behave.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The consistency born of this tight design control is part of why so<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>many blind people love their iPhones, and more than a few would fight<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>anyone who tried to pry their Macs out of their hands. The predictability<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>born of this high level of control has made for an environment where<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>accessible software can be tightly integrated with a screen reader<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>(VoiceOver) to very powerful effect. The BMW Mini feels very similar. It<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>has some unique advantages and is pretty iconic, but the moment you want to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>start doing things in a way the creator didn't intend, things get much<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>trickier. For example, the Mini Cooper is known for its handling; in part,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this is because the company requires special nitrogen filled tires. Mac and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>iOS are known for extremely tight integration, but you must use their<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>browser and follow lots of other rules to get the best effect.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>There are a few extensions available for Safari, though the list is much<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>shorter than for Chrome or Firefox. Like those browsers, it is possible to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sync autofill data and bookmarks between Apple devices, but Apple takes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this one step further. When using Safari on an iOS or Mac system, you can<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>send the page you are reviewing to another device. Therefore, you can start<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>an article on your Mac, realize that you need to leave, and send that page<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to your phone to continue reading on the bus. The other unique Safari<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>feature is the inclusion of a native "reader" mode. In this mode, the page<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>is simplified and restructured so that only the article is present on a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>page, while all the noisy "clutter" of ads, comment sections, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>navigation are removed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> One technical note to keep in mind for Safari is that, for best<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>results as a VoiceOver user on the Mac, you might find it beneficial to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>enable full keyboard accessibility. For reasons that are not entirely clear<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to me, some items that should normally receive keyboard focus when tabbing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>do not in a default installation; as heavy keyboard users, we probably are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>going to want to rectify that issue.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Otherwise, if you are already invested in Apple's ecosystem on Mac or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>iOS, Safari will do most of what you need on the web and can even provide<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>some useful additional features so long as you like the way that Apple does<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>things.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Edge-Tesla<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Operating Systems Supported: Windows 10 only<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Screen Readers Supported: Best support with Narrator. Partial support with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>very recent versions of JAWS and NVDA<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Obtained from: Default browser on Windows 10<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> This brings us to the final browser in our lineup today. Microsoft is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>not simply retiring Internet Explorer. Instead, they are working to replace<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>it with a new browser: Edge.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Edge is... interesting. It's built to be fast, light, and clean, but<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>nobody really cares. Very few people use it, and for our purposes, there<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>are still some real disadvantages when compared to other browsers. In many<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ways, it is like the Tesla. It is intended to be the "future," and there<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>has been quite a lot of work put into its appearance and performance. But<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>something is still not quite right for mass appeal. Tesla and other<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>electric cars just haven't been perfected yet. They take a long time to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>recharge, so unlike fueling up, a pit stop on the highway is going to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>require an actual time investment. This will affect what you are able to do<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>with the car. Much in the same way, Edge is on an experimental platform.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>This means that things don't work the same, and we face real tradeoffs in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the way that features behave. There are even problems in speed and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>responsiveness given the current interaction with screen-reading software.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> It's only available for Windows 10, which further shrinks market<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>share. With Firefox and Chrome readily available on the same platform, it's<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>hard to imagine that it will ever claim the dominance once held by Internet<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Explorer over the browsing experience on Windows.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Edge is likely to improve. Microsoft is dedicated to improving the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>compatibility between it and screen readers. They want it to be adopted,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>but even they know there is still more to do. We don't have a great deal of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>knowledge about the future of browsing with this application, so it's out<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>there and available to try if you are feeling adventurous, though I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>wouldn't expect to count on it for now. NVDA and JAWS support are both<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>improving, but neither are as robust as they are on other browsers,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>(including IE) which makes it an awfully hard sell right now.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> In short, play with it if you like; the experimental nature of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>browser may provide you with access to things you couldn't use in the past,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>but I'd keep something more reliable in the garage just in case.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Homework Assignment<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I mentioned at the beginning of this series that we were going to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>driving school, didn't I? Well, you know how school is... you can almost<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>never escape a bit of homework. In that spirit, I invite you to pick a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>different browser than you've been using from the list, and give it a spin<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>for a couple of days. If you already are using these browsers... what are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>you doing throwing spitballs in the back of the classroom? Get up here and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>help me teach this stuff! We blind users who are comfortable with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>technology are in the best position to educate developers and other blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>people on what good access looks like for blind people and how to make the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>most of these tools.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> If you want to learn more about which browser may best suit you or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>you have other general access technology questions, feel free to contact<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Access Technology Answer Line at (410) 659-9314, option 5, or email us<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>at access@nfb.org. We want to help empower you to live the life you want by<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>helping you understand the accessible technology available now.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Class dismissed!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Sabra Ewing]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Why Human Readers are No Substitute for Accessible Software<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Sabra Ewing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: Sabra Ewing is a newly graduated college student<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>looking for a job. She is a person who has many interests, among them<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>universal design, inclusive education, canine nutrition, and the Tutor<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>monarchy.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> On a number of our lists, especially those frequented by students and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>computer enthusiasts, there is a long-running discussion about the way<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>inaccessible software can keep a blind person from achieving his or her<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>goals. In these discussions the use of a human reader has been suggested,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and a surprising number of respondents have rejected the idea. Some say<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that a human reader is too expensive, too limiting, and too inconvenient.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Some go further and suggest that using a human reader is actually selling<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>out by failing to press immediately for accessibility, which is our right<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>as blind people. Many of us have suggested that the human reader is a far<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>better solution than not taking a class or the abandonment of a career<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>goal. While the human reader is no long-term substitute, we should consider<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>using one rather than being thwarted by technology. Some of us who have<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>used human readers for decades even assert there are times when using the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>eyes and the brains of human beings is superior to technology, though all<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of us hope that one day technology will be good enough that we will no<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>longer need to rely on someone else in working efficiently with print. At a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>minimum, those who consider using a human reader believe it should be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>another tool in our toolbox.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Sabra believes this is bad advice, and she asked me whether there was<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a place in the Braille Monitor for dissenting opinions. I assured her that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>there was, so here is what she has to say about the inadequacy of using a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>human reader to deal with inaccessible technology:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The Accessible Instructional Materials Act creates guidelines for the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>use of accessible, education-based electronic content. The act also has a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>provision for alternate equal access that allows schools to provide access<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>through other means when the current materials are not sufficient. Both<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>school officials and blind people believe that a human reader can serve as<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>alternative access. They fail to realize that use of a human reader creates<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>diminished access by distorting cause and affect relationships in virtual<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>environments, demanding impractical knowledge of a visual interface, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>promoting dependence and distortion throughout the data analysis process.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Let us imagine that a district serving a blind student is short of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mobility instructors. They cannot provide one for this student, but they<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>have the perfect solution. An instructor working with someone else will<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>call the student, who will listen as she describes pertinent features of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the lesson like intersections, safe street crossings, and proper cane<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>technique. As the student listens, he will mentally participate in the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>lesson. Okay, so maybe it isn't the perfect solution, but schools do a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>similar thing to blind students by providing a reader in place of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>accessible software. A virtual environment has cause and effect<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>relationships just like a physical one. When you press a button or move to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>another area on the screen, the environment changes. When you enter data,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the environment will respond. Because the process is very interactive,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>allowing a human reader to control software for a blind student will hinder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that person's learning, similar to incomplete participation in a physical<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>environment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Some might argue that schools could minimize this effect by having<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the reader serve as a proxy, following the student's exact instructions<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>from the beginning of software activation down to the last mouse click. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>problem is that a blind student interfaces with the computer nonvisually.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The student would have difficulty telling a reader how to locate and click<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>on an envelope or green arrow for example. Many blind students process<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>information in such a way that they could not direct a reader to such icons<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>on a constantly changing screen. Then there is the meaning. You can explain<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to a blind student that an envelope is what you click on to check your<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>email and that a green arrow means next or forward like a green light, but<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this process could potentially apply to every icon. For someone who has<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>always used a screen reader, it is not very intuitive or practical. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>school should encourage the student to focus on blindness skills that take<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>less effort and allow more independence instead of asking them to master a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>skill that would take years of study and leave them dependent on a reader.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> One more problem exists with using a reader instead of accessible<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>software, which is that information will become distorted and less<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>available. A reader, even a trained one, becomes a control and a filter for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>how to present information and what is important. This becomes especially<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>true with software simulations because it will take too long for a reader<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to describe every changing screen, but the principle applies to all<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>instructional media including textbooks. Blind people have learned through<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>experience and training what information they can get with a screen reader<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and how to ask for it. Further, the information is available when they need<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>it the way it is for sighted students. Blind students are not receiving<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>equal access when they have to learn at a slower pace, wait for recordings<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>or work around a reader's schedule, and create notes from scratch from what<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a reader tells them when the school can provide alternative software and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>file formats.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> In short, forced use of a reader in place of accessible instructional<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>materials will severely stunt a student's learning and success. They must<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>use software themselves to fully understand concepts. Additionally, schools<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>should expect them to perform from a blindness skill set rather than<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mastering the counterintuitive skill of operating a visual interface. Equal<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>access also means that both blind and sighted students should have the same<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>independence and ease of use. We must therefore demand that where a school<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cannot reasonably switch to accessible software, it must provide<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>alternative instructional materials to blind students that do not require<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the use of a human reader.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Lessons in Blindness Inspire Insight<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Scott McKinney<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: This article first appeared on October 4, 2017, in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Kanabec County Times. It reminds those of us who have been blind a long<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>time that getting to where we are wasn't easy, and it tells those who are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>on the journey that they are not alone in their experiences and that there<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>is hope. Here is the article:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I'm in a narrow winding stairwell, and I can't see a thing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The stairs are steep and make ninety-degree turns. Sometimes it seems<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>like there are two steps to a landing, sometimes eight, and sometimes a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>dozen. There's no way to tell. I can't see anything, and the sounds I hear<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>echo in the empty stairwell, so I can't rely on them for direction. I edge<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cautiously toward what I think is a stair-but instead, I step into thin air<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and tumble, landing flat on my butt. No one is near, so I pick myself up,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>say a few choice words, and start edging cautiously forward again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Excluding the choice words (maybe), in these fifteen minutes, I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>experience what many people who are newly blind and learning nonvisual<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>techniques deal with in the early stages. You see, I'm wearing a blindfold,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>using a cane, and learning what it's like to suddenly be blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> My new day job is at Minnesota State Services for the Blind (SSB),<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>supervising its Radio Talking Book (RTB) network. RTB broadcasts current<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>newspapers, magazines, and best-selling books to thousands of visually<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>impaired listeners throughout Minnesota and across the country. As part of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>my orientation, I'm attending a six-week "Adjustment to Blindness"<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>training. SSB is Minnesota's only public statewide organization providing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>services to those with visual impairments and thus has an obligation to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>train staff on the essential aspects and experience of blindness.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> People with blindness have access to education, vocational training,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and recreational opportunities in their move toward first-class<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>citizenship. They not only participate but thrive in almost every<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>imaginable vocational field. Surprisingly, their biggest challenge is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>overcoming the perception of blindness held by the sighted community.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> BLIND Inc. is a nonprofit organization that provides training for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>adults, children, teenagers, and seniors with various visual impairments.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Located in the historic Charles S. Pillsbury mansion in south Minneapolis,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>BLIND Inc. teaches the skills blind people need to live independently and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>secure employment. Just as important, the organization builds the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>confidence students need to put these skills into practice. BLIND Inc. also<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>offers a six-week "Adjustment to Blindness" course for professionals<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>working with the visually impaired. This allows me a unique opportunity to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>meet and talk with potential RTB listeners, our "target market."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I'm halfway through my six-week training, and there are two things I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>know for sure:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> One, I will never again take any of my senses for granted.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Two, I will never again think of people with visual impairment as<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>helpless, powerless victims of their disability.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Most of the students at BLIND Inc. are young adults in their mid-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>twenties to early thirties. Many of them are University of Minnesota<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>students residing in an on-campus apartment building. They deal with the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>same issues as other students: weighing career paths, exploring interests,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and developing independence from families who sometimes "care take" too<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>much.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> On my first day of training, I was fitted with a mask and a white<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cane which I must use during and between all my classes. The mask is the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>more daunting of the two, as it eliminates all sight. In fact, all students<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>at the center must also wear the same mask, regardless their level of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>visual impairment. This way, skills taught in classes are learned similarly<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by all participants.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Though I'm sightless with the mask on, it was tempting to "cheat" when<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>it occasionally slid up, uncovering part of my eyes. I'm embarrassed to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>admit that my sudden loss of vision so disoriented me that I was compelled<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to peek outside the mask a couple of times for a brief glimpse of sight.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>But I'm no cheater-I haven't peeked since, despite hitting walls and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>tumbling on steps.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I'm told that relying on one's other senses, especially hearing, is a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>normal adaptation when wearing the mask. But when students are milling<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>around between classes like in any other school, I become disoriented by<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the wall of sound. When things get quieter, I'm better able to find my way.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The white cane is much taller than the ones seen on TV and in movies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Everyone uses one. Mark, the instructor of mobility who is also blind,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>teaches his new recruits proper cane use-a light "pencil grip" for indoors,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and a more secure "open palm" grip for outside. "Your cane will help you,"<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Mark says. "If you use it right and have no fear, it will tell you what you<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>need to know."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> While most other students glide effortlessly throughout the ornate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>four-story mansion, I plod along, losing my way. Sometimes I stand for at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>least fifteen minutes trying to locate a stairway that is literally right<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>behind me. "I'm frustrated," I tell Mark one afternoon. "I'll never get<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this. I know this is just a sliver of what people with visual impairments<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>go through, but I'm terrible at this."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Mark nods. "You're having the true blindness experience," he replies.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> BLIND Inc. students are extraordinarily understanding toward us<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>newbies and willing to help. Although dealing with visual impairments<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>themselves and wearing the same mask that I wear, they offer directions and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>guidance. After one precarious misstep I quipped to a student, "Stairways<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>are my downfall." She didn't get it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> "By the end of six weeks many of these challenges won't be so<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>'challenging'," says Dan, who is BLIND Inc.'s executive director. "The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>stairs get easier, the sounds get easier. Veterans don't struggle as much<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>as rookies."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> School begins at 8:00 a.m. with a daily meeting, followed by a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>session of light calisthenics. Then, classes are held throughout the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>building: Braille, Technology Training, Home Management, Career Building,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Travel (mobility), and Industrial Arts. BLIND Inc. also provides a language<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>learning lab to those for whom English is not a primary language, where<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>currently a number of blind Somali students are learning English. The day<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>wraps up with a discussion session called "Seminar" that addresses current<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>events and day-to-day issues.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Classes are a challenge. Expectations are high, and students are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>given opportunities to try, fail, and try again. Most students complete the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>program in six to nine months. During my first three weeks, I sat in on<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>graduation ceremonies for four students. The ceremonies are filled with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>laughter and some tears. Classmates and instructors share stories and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>encouragement, and each graduate receives a "Freedom Bell," symbolizing the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>freedom and independence each has achieved.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Each class has a requirement for graduation. In home management,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>students must plan, prepare, and serve a meal for fifty guests. In Braille<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>class, students must organize an activity or adapt a board game for the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>visually impaired. In Industrial Arts, students must design and complete a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>woodworking project using traditional shop tools, with some adaptations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Even the most routine daily activities require some adaptation. "You<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>know what's really challenging about being newly blind?" I say to Mark.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"Going to the bathroom."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Mark nods. "Ah, just sit down," he says. "No one's gonna see you."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> It's interesting how we "Minnesota Nice" people try to "help" those<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>with visual impairments. "I'm passing on your left," we say, or "I'm<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>holding the door for you," or "You're going to run into a bench," or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"There's a car coming down the street." One BLIND Inc. student says, "If I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>seem to need help, introduce yourself to me, and ask me if I need it. If I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>don't, I'll say 'No thanks,' and go on my way. Don't feel hurt if I reject<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>your offer of help, and don't insist that I accept it. I appreciate your<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>offer. Just say something like, 'Okay, have a nice day,' and go on your<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>way."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I learned my own lasting lesson one afternoon. Mark and I embarked<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>from the center to practice outdoor cane use. The day was rainy, windy, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>chilly, and I stumbled back and forth to find the elusive door and return<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>inside to comfort. Finally I'd had enough. "That's it," I say. "I give up."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Mark whirls around. "Never say that," he replies. "Never give up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>That's not an option. I can't give up, and neither can you. Never give up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>No fear."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I've stricken "I give up" from my vocabulary. I don't say it anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>I'm not blind, but I'm less afraid of blindness than I was before.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Blindness changes how we do things, but doesn't stop us from doing them. As<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Helen Keller famously said, "The only thing worse than being blind is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>having sight and no vision." Halfway through my training, I'm beginning to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"see" that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> To learn more about BLIND Inc. and its mission, visit them online at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>www.blindinc.org. And now if you'll excuse me, I have a stairwell to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>tackle.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Leave a Legacy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> For more than seventy-five years the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>has worked to transform the dreams of hundreds of thousands of blind people<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>into reality, and with your support we will continue to do so for decades<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to come. We sincerely hope you will plan to be a part of our enduring<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>movement by adding the National Federation of the Blind as a partial<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>beneficiary in your will. A gift to the National Federation of the Blind in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>your will is more than just a charitable, tax-deductible donation. It is a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>way to join in the work to help blind people live the lives they want that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>leaves a lasting imprint on the lives of thousands of blind children and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>adults.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>With your help, the NFB will continue to:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Give blind children the gift of literacy through Braille;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Promote the independent travel of the blind by providing free, long<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> white canes to blind people in need;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Develop dynamic educational projects and programs that show blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> youth that science and math are within their reach;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Deliver hundreds of accessible newspapers and magazines to provide<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> blind people the essential information necessary to be actively<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> involved in their communities;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Offer aids and appliances that help seniors losing vision maintain<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> their independence; and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Fund scholarship programs so that blind people can achieve their<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Plan to Leave a Legacy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Creating a will gives you the final say in what happens to your<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>possessions and is the only way to be sure that your remaining assets are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>distributed according to your passions and beliefs. Many people fear<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>creating a will or believe it's not necessary until they are much older.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Others think that it's expensive and confusing. However, it is one of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>most important things you will do, and with new online legal programs it is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>easier and cheaper than ever before. If you do decide to create or revise<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>your will, consider the National Federation of the Blind as a partial<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>beneficiary. Visit www.nfb.org/planned-giving or call (410) 659-9314,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>extension 2422, for more information. Together with love, hope,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>determination, and your support, we will continue to transform dreams into<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>reality.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Invest in Opportunity<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>characteristic that defines you or your future. You can live the life you<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>want; blindness is not what holds you back. A donation to the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind allows you to invest in a movement that removes the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>fear from blindness. Your investment is your vote of confidence in the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>value and capacity of blind people and reflects the high expectations we<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>have for all blind Americans, combating the low expectations that create<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>obstacles between blind people and our dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>In 2017 the NFB:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Distributed over seven thousand canes to blind people across the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> United States, empowering them to travel safely and independently<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> throughout their communities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Hosted forty-five NFB BELL Academy programs, which served more than<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> three hundred and twenty-five blind students throughout the United<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> States.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Provided over one hundred thousand dollars in scholarships to blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> students, making a post-secondary education affordable and attainable.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Delivered audio newspaper and magazine services to 115,491<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> subscribers, providing free access to over four hundred local,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> national, and international publications.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . In the third year of the program, over three hundred fifty Braille-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> writing slates and styluses were given free of charge to blind users.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Just imagine what we'll do next year, and, with your help, what can<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>be accomplished for years to come. Below are just a few of the many<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>diverse, tax-deductible ways you can lend your support to the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Vehicle Donation Program<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The NFB now accepts donated vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>motorcycles, or recreational vehicles. Just call (855) 659-9314 toll-free,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and a representative can make arrangements to pick up your donation-it<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>doesn't have to be working. We can also answer any questions you have.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>General Donation<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> General donations help support the ongoing programs of the NFB and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the work to help blind people live the lives they want. Donate online with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a credit card or through the mail with check or money order. Visit<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>www.nfb.org/make-gift for more information.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Bequests<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Even if you can't afford a gift right now, including the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind in your will enables you to contribute by<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>expressing your commitment to the organization and promises support for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>future generations of blind people across the country. Visit<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>www.nfb.org/planned-giving or call (410) 659-9314, extension 2422, for more<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>information.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Pre-Authorized Contribution<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Through the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) program, supporters<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sustain the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind by making<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>recurring monthly donations by direct withdraw of funds from a checking<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>account or a charge to a credit card. To enroll, visit www.nfb.org/make-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>gift, and complete the Pre-Authorized Contribution form, and return it to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the address listed on the form.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Anna Kresmer]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The Library Leadership Forum: An Introduction to Open Libraries<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Amy Mason and Anna Kresmer<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: Readers will know this dynamic duo from other<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>articles, the longest and most recent being a fictional visit from the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>future by a ship of curious aliens happening upon the Jernigan Institute.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Their work is stellar, and so too is this article:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The National Federation of the Blind was recently invited to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>participate in the Library Leaders Forum of 2017, a two-day conference<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>bringing together librarians, lawyers, educators, technical experts in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>accessibility, and representatives of the print-disabled community, which<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>was hosted by the Internet Archive. The Internet Archive is a San Francisco<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>nonprofit with lofty goals. It is working to create a comprehensive digital<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>library. According to its website, "Our mission is to provide Universal<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Access to All Knowledge."[i] It pursues this ambitious goal by working to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>preserve the artifacts of multiple spheres of culture in digital form,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>including software, audio and visual news clips, music, video games, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>even the internet itself through the Wayback Machine. In addition to all of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this, the Internet Archive has now turned its sights toward the humble<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>print book.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The Internet Archive has a dream. It wishes to ensure that everyone in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the United States and the world can access all the paper books in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>libraries, many of which are out of print. Unfortunately, the vagaries of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>US copyright law have left a gaping void in the availability of books in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>digital format which extends through most of the twentieth century. Due to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>public domain laws, a large portion of the surviving materials published<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>before 1923 have already been digitized, and the majority of books<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>published since the late 1990s have been "born digital," meaning that they<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>were initially created in an electronic format. However, those books<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>published in the span of years between 1923 and about 1995 are largely<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>unavailable due to copyright concerns, low commercial interest for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>republication, and outright confusion. Effectively this locks the knowledge<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>they contain between their covers. Many of these books now reside only on<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the shelves of libraries, and in the current digital-minded world, if<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>something isn't available online, it is effectively invisible. This is the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>enormous problem that the Internet Archive wants to solve and the reason<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>for hosting the Library Leaders Forum.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Of course, gaining access to print books has always been of interest<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to blind people, and the NFB has long been a leader in tackling this<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>challenge. Over the years, the Federation has been instrumental in the work<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of ensuring access to information in both print and electronic form.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Projects in this space have included:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Urging the NLS to diversify the materials it makes available to blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> patrons;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Creating the NFB-NEWSLINE., which provides access to over 400<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> publications over the phone or computer;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Advocating for quality, accessible electronic books and book readers<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> as digital books came to be embraced by the mainstream;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . Promoting the development of digital formats with accessibility built<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> in at the ground level, like DAISY in the late 1990s and its direct<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> descendent ePub;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> . And finally, working with Ray Kurzweil to develop print-reading<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> machines, a project started in the late 1970s that has developed into<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> the KNFB Reader app and the very technology required to make the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Internet Archive's digitizing work possible today.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Therefore, it is clear that although the project championed by the Internet<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Archive may be a new way of looking at the problem, its efforts are an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>obvious extension of the work the NFB has been doing for decades.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> In addition to the Federation's already lengthy history of work in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this area, the NFB has also collaborated with the Internet Archive through<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>our Jacobus tenBroek Library. From 2010 to 2012, the tenBroek Library<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>worked with the Internet Archive to digitize all issues of NFB publications<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that had previously been unavailable online, as well as a significant<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>portion of our main research library collection. Titles digitized during<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this project, which were either published by the NFB or were already in the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>public domain, were made available to all users immediately and can still<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>be accessed in multiple formats including plain text and DAISY. However,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>about five hundred digitized titles still subject to copyright (or with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>unclear statuses) were largely kept hidden and only made available to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>patrons who could prove that they were eligible for an accessible copy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>through the Chafee Amendment. At the time, the Internet Archive had no<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>system for making copyrighted titles available to patrons. In fact, the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mainstream library profession is still working out how best to make<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>digitized library materials available to all users. But today, the work of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Internet Archive has progressed, and solutions that were previously<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>unclear or unattainable are coming to fruition.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The Internet Archive has always been at the forefront of dealing with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the issues of digitization, preservation, and information sharing. And the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Open Libraries project is both the result of its work so far and the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>roadmap for the work that still lies ahead. The best description of this<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>potentially world-changing venture comes directly from the Open Libraries<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>website:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> "At the Internet Archive, we believe passionately that access to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> knowledge is a fundamental human right. Knowledge makes us stronger<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> and more resilient; it provides pathways to education and the means to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> secure a job. But for many learners, distance, time, cost, or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> disability pose daunting barriers to the information in physical<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> books. By digitizing books, we unlock them for communities with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> limited or no access, creating a lifeline to trusted information. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Internet Archive's Open Libraries project will bring four million<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> books online, through purchase or digitization, while honoring the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> rights of creators and expanding their online reach. Working with US<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> libraries and organizations serving people with print disabilities,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Open Libraries can build the online equivalent of a great, modern<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> public library, providing millions of free digital books to billions<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> of people."[ii]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> To date, Open Libraries has digitized and made available approximately<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2.7 million books through its online lending platform. It has seen over 3<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>million downloads in 2017 alone and has partnered with over 270 libraries<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>around the globe. Even without results like this, no stretch of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>imagination is required to understand why the NFB has chosen to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>participate. President Riccobono himself explains that, "The Internet<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Archive's proposal to digitize four million books would constitute the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>greatest single increase in accessible materials for the blind since the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>passage of the Pratt-Smoot Act, which created what is now the NLS, in 1931.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>It would benefit millions of blind people, both in the United States and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>around the world."[iii]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The purpose of the Library Leaders Forum was to gather together the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>groups who could benefit the most from this endeavor, as well as provide<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the most support for it. This included early adopters, partners, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>stakeholders as diverse as educators, legal and copyright experts, the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>print disability community, and librarians of all stripes who were tasked<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>with helping to lay the groundwork for the next phase of Open Libraries.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Attendees participated in working groups which focused on curation and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>collection development, legal topics, service plan and sustainability, and,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of course, accessibility. The two-day conference stimulated much discussion<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and enthusiasm among those present, and many, including the NFB, pledged to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>continue contributing to the working groups going forward. After all, just<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>as the library in Alexandria was not built in a day, Open Libraries will<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>require time to grow into the accessible, comprehensive information<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>resource that we know it can become.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Even so, there are benefits to be enjoyed today. Most excitingly, the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>tenBroek Library is now a full partner in the Open Libraries lending<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>platform with over 1,000 digitized titles (regardless of copyright status)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>available for circulation freely to any user who signs up for an Internet<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Archive account. Further, a large portion of the materials available from<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Open Libraries, including those pulled from the NFB's own collection, are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>available in text DAISY format for use by those with print disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Unfortunately, at present there are some limitations in how these files can<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>be accessed. Titles which are still subject to copyright have been<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>encrypted with the same key used by the NLS. Therefore, users must have a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>compatible hardware player which is capable of displaying text DAISY<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>content which has been unlocked for use with NLS materials. This has<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>obvious drawbacks, and the NFB is currently working with the Internet<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Archive to find a solution that protects copyright holders and provides<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>meaningful access to all members of the print-disabled community, not just<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>those with access to the appropriate hardware. We will keep the members of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Federation apprised as this work develops.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> In the end, the Library Leaders Forum of 2017 was only one of many<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>milestones in the shared journey of those organizations devoted to ensuring<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>equal access to information. However, we believe we will reach this<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>destination, and the NFB is proud to make this journey together with our<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>partners and friends from the Internet Archive. We look forward to the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>adventures ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> For more information on the NFB titles now available for digital<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>lending, please visit<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>https://archive.org/details/NationalFederationoftheBlind. Titles can also<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>be found by searching in the tenBroek Library's Blind Cat database at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>www.nfb.org/theblindcat. If you have any questions or need assistance<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>accessing these books, please send an email to jtblibrary@nfb.org.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>-----------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[i] "About the Internet Archive," accessed December 6, 2017,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>https://archive.org/about/.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[ii] "Open Libraries: Everyone deserves to learn," accessed December 6,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2017, http://openlibraries.online/.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[iii] "Open Libraries: Accessibility for all," accessed December 6, 2017,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>http://openlibraries.online/accessibility/.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Priscilla Ferris]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Priscilla Ferris Dies<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Gary Wunder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> On December 1, 2017, a longtime leader in the National Federation of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Blind died. Priscilla was a woman who spoke with an accent that left no<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>doubt that she was from Massachusetts, and her bearing and manner of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>speaking left no doubt that she was a gracious, hard-working, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>intelligent human being.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Priscilla joined the National Federation of the Blind in 1973, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ten years later she would become the affiliate president, serving in that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>role for almost a quarter of a century. She joined the National Federation<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of the Blind Board of Directors in 1987 and served until 2005. She was also<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the winner of the highest award we have to offer, the Dr. Jacobus tenBroek<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>award, which was presented to her in 2004.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Priscilla served for a number of years on the National Federation of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Blind Scholarship Committee. I remember that she would tell scholarship<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>finalists that as a Girl Scout leader she could cut wood, build a fire, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>dig a latrine without breaking a sweat, and she expected no less from any<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of them. That line always got her a laugh, but there was something serious<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>in it that was communicated to all of us: don't whine, come up to the line,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and live the life of a good scout.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I had many conversations with Priscilla, but one stands out for me.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>One day, after a lively discussion during a board meeting, she pulled me<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>aside and asked if I was easily offended. I had been active in that board<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>discussion, and I wondered if my youthful exuberance was going to get me a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>well-deserved reprimand. I said that it wasn't my nature to take offense<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and that I was able to take constructive criticism. "Oh no, sweetie.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Nothing like that. I have a funny joke that I thought you would appreciate,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>but it's one you have to be careful about telling." I was relieved,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>thoroughly enjoyed the joke, remember it to this day, but what I really<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>treasure is the memory of this prim and proper lady telling me a joke I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>would never have ventured to tell her.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Priscilla Ferris was as fine a Federationist as I have ever known,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and after allowing a few seconds to grieve for her passing, I think she<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>would want all of us to cut some wood, build a fire, dig a latrine, and see<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that each of our brothers and sisters get to live the lives we want.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Fireworks light up the night sky over Cinderella's castle<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Disney Research Creates Tactile Fireworks Display<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Grace Warn<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: I am blessed to have an assistant who looks over my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>work and catches my errors before they make it to our proofreaders-yes,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>they still find some mistakes. Grace not only checks formatting, works hard<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>on miniatures, and is almost exclusively responsible for initially<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>formatting recipes. She occasionally writes an article, and it is with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>pleasure that we publish what she has written about her favorite<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>enterprise: Disney. Here is what she says:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> It's been mentioned before that I'm a big Disney person, and part of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>that includes following several unofficial Disney blogs and Facebook pages.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Lately a lot of the stories they've had have revolved around the new<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Pandora attractions in Animal Kingdom or the upcoming Star Wars attractions<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>in Disney Hollywood Studios. But in the middle of October I saw one that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>made me stop scrolling and immediately click to read it: a Disney Research<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>lab in Zurich had developed the technology to create a tactile fireworks<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>display.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> My first thought was, "Of course Disney came up with something like<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this." For those who aren't the fan I am, Disney is one of the world<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>leaders in pyrotechnics. One of the better-known examples of this came out<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of Disneyland Paris. France had strict noise level limits, and Disney had<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to create an air-launch system in order to hold their signature nightly<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>fireworks shows. This time, though, there was no legal pressure on Disney.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>They simply acknowledged that fireworks shows are primarily a visual<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>experience, and they decided to find a way for the blind and visually<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>impaired to better share in the experience. Disney Research put out an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>announcement about the new interface on October 22, 2017, and the online<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>version also has a link to the full paper. Check it out at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>https://www.disneyresearch.com/publication/feeling-fireworks/.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> How it works is fairly simple: different nozzles and directable water<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>jets on pan-tilt heads spray water onto the backside of a flexible latex<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>screen. The variations in the water's impact create different shapes on the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>front, simulating the various visual effects created by the fireworks. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mechanism is modular and designed for easy transport and set up. It rolls<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>on caster wheels and is powered off a standard power cord for ease of use.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>It sits in a plastic tray to prevent water leakage. The system uses a near-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>silent, medical-grade controllable pump, while the water hitting the screen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>makes a quiet drumming sound. The back-projected visual fireworks are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>visible outdoors at night or in standard light conditions indoors, so<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sighted family members can enjoy the fireworks display as well. And while<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>it was designed with the blind and visually-impaired in mind, I could see<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>how families with someone who has autism or other sensory processing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>disorders would also find this a better way to experience a fireworks<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>display.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The paper from Disney Research makes the point that most assistive<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>technology is designed for a functional purpose. That is, these<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>technologies are designed for performing tasks or being practical. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>tactile fireworks display is for aesthetic purpose, envisioned to bring all<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>crowd members together to enjoy the experience of feeling fireworks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Disney did testing with focus groups of blind people to discuss the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>experience and also did testing with sighted subjects to measure the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>correspondence between the visual firework effect and the tactile analog.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>That testing "indicates good correspondence between the tactile fireworks<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and the visual fireworks they represent. For sighted users the results<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>suggest that sampling the tactile firework show while viewing the physical<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>show in the sky is meaningfully multi-modal. For blind or visually impaired<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>users, the tactile firework show is an analogous and shared experience with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sighted users, in accordance with our goal of inclusivity."<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> To the best of my knowledge and belief, no one asked Disney to do<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this. Disney imagineers simply looked at their signature fireworks shows,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>acknowledged that they were an almost-entirely visual experience, and said,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"How do we change that?" And, while it's not something available in all the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>parks yet, I'm sure in the relatively near future a child who only knew<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>fireworks as loud bangs and booms that weren't really entertaining will<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>have the opportunity to be dazzled by the spectacular extravaganzas that<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>nightly light up the skies above Disney parks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Joel Zimba]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> OrCam: Pointing Toward the Future<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Joel Zimba<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: Joel is best-known to many Monitor readers and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federationists as the man who supports the KNFB Reader. Of course his<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>technical talent and his ability to evaluate technology and write about it<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>isn't limited to one product or even one subset of the field. Here is what<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>he has to say about a new technology meant to bring some of the benefits of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>vision to those of us who are blind:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> We all have expectations of technology. If Apple's newest smartphone<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>were to arrive on your doorstep requiring a couple of hours of assembly<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>after reading a six-inch-thick manual, the backlash would be enormous.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Especially in the last decade, the trend has been toward the actual working<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of a device giving way to the information or service provided by the gadget<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>in question.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Wearable technology promises to become a part of your daily life; the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>actual operation will be barely noticeable. The interface of the technology<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>itself will get out of the way and give you what you want when you want it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>We are certainly not there yet, but it is coming. My recent experience with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a product from OrCam hints of this.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> For the last month, I have been using the MyEye 2.0 product from<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>OrCam. This is a wearable device which will perform several services<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>whether on command or automatically. It is a clichi to refer to convenience<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and ease-of-use as being "at the push of a button." With MyEye 2.0, the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>button pushing is no more. Most of the services activate with the wave of a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>hand or by simply placing an object in view of the MyEye camera. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>simple, real world gesture interface of MyEye makes it fun and easy to use.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>For example, the feature I use most often is to check the time by raising<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the back of my hand into view of the camera, as though checking a watch.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The OrCam MyEye 2.0 device has a couple of major components. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>small head-mounted camera attaches magnetically to a mount which can be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>attached to your existing pair of glasses or to the glasses which ship with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>MyEye. A long cord connects the camera module, which also provides speech<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>output to the control unit. This is a box which can clip to a belt or be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>carried in a bag. The control unit has a few controls including the on/off<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>button and is where the rechargeable batteries are housed. While the camera<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mounts to the left or right side of your glasses, it is designed with an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>offset which lets it look directly ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> If this setup sounds unwieldy, I would have to agree. After having<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>spent considerable time wearing the MyEye, I just could not get used to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>having a cable hanging down or tucked behind my ear. Fortunately, if the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cord becomes tangled, the camera easily separates from the glasses. It<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>clicks back in place magnetically with a satisfying thunk. Anticipating my<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>dissatisfaction with the form factor of MyEye, the excellent OrCam<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>representatives were eager to show me the newest version of their<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>technology which eliminates the need for the control unit and cable. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>next version of MyEye is no more than the camera unit itself and became<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>available in mid-December.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> By far, the most useful feature of MyEye has been text reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Rather than taking a picture of text with a smartphone, you can simply hold<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a document in front of you and MyEye will begin reading after taking a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>picture. If edges are not found, Reading can be invoked by pointing toward<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the text to be read or by pressing a button on the control unit. While it<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>is possible to navigate the text, the results are ephemeral. Re-reading a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>page is as easy or time-consuming as recognizing the same page again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I was pleased with the things OrCam would read which were not printed<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>documents. Room numbers worked often. Street signs proved to be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>surprisingly easy to read as long as there was proper light and the sign<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>could be found in the first place. MyEye did not perform quite so well with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>text on rounded objects like cans. This shortcoming is made up for by the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>barcode recognition feature. A vast product database comes with MyEye.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>While some barcodes are unknown, the names of many common products are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>announced. Because MyEye is a stand-alone device, meaning it has no network<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>connectivity (more on this later), only the names of products are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>announced. Preparation instructions or nutrition information cannot be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cross-referenced.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> For those times when barcodes or text will not suffice, MyEye can be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>trained to recognize objects. I did this successfully with compact disc<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cases-yes, I still have some. Spice containers also proved successful. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>training process involves taking three pictures of the object at varying<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>distances and with a changed background. While I typically identify such<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>things with alternative methods, the use of MyEye is a plausible approach.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> One of the challenges of this emerging technology is finding uses for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>new functionality. The ability to identify people is just such a case.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>After training MyEye to identify a few coworkers, I could have their names<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>spoken to me when I looked toward them at a distance of around six feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>While interesting and fun, understanding how such a service would fit into<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>my life is difficult. Perhaps in the future the next generation of facial<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>identification would report the bearing and distance of a desired person in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a crowd. With a data connection, I would like to see this be able to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>identify people without first adding them to MyEye by hand. Knowing if the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mayor is still at the far end of the bar seems like a trivial request, but<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>it is nearly impossible to determine independently using current artificial<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>intelligence technology.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Interestingly, MyEye will guess a few details about unidentified<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>people, like gender. While frequently correct, this extrapolation is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>allegedly made through identifying characteristics such as facial hair. If<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>these details were reported rather than culturally-based stereotypes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>boiling down to a binary gender model, MyEye might be on to something.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> OrCam provides a couple of other services. Currency identification<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>works quite well with MyEye. I found it to be slower than popular<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>smartphone apps but faster and easier than using the bill identifier<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>devices. Color identification, which no device or app does well is just as<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>questionable with MyEye.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> This is not intended to be a thorough review of the OrCam product.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Rather, I want to discuss the features which make OrCam unique. Many of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>services provided by MyEye are available with other devices. OrCam has<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>brought these services together in one package and made a user interface<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>which is unlike any other. I believe the gestures such as pointing to text<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>or holding up one hand to stop reading are groundbreaking and will set the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>stage for the wearable products of the future. Note that even with both<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>hands occupied, it is possible to read text. Imagine carrying a package and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>wanting to place it in the proper bin. MyEye could make completing such a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>simple task much faster.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Where MyEye goes from here depends on who it believes its customer<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>base to be. Unlike previous software releases, version 8, which became<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>available in September of 2017, can be used by the blind. Still, it seems<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to be geared toward those with low vision or the newly blind. Given the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>aging population of the Western world, this is a sound marketing choice. As<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mentioned previously, the newest incarnation of MyEye is a fraction of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>size and weight of MyEye 2.0. It contains basic Wi-Fi connectivity, which I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>hope to see augment its services in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> To learn more about MyEye 2.0 and other products from OrCam, go to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>www.orcam.com.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Independence Market Corner<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The National Federation of the Blind Independence Market is the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>conduit through which our organization distributes our empowering<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>literature to our members, friends, and the general public. As a service we<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>also operate a blindness products store, which sells mostly low-tech items<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>designed to enhance the every-day independence of blind individuals. We<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>introduced some of the products which were newly available from the NFB<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Independence Market at the 2017 convention and in an earlier Braille<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Monitor issue. Below we have described the remaining items.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Some folks still appreciate having a separate source for telling the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>time apart from their smart phone, which may not always be at hand. A<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Braille watch is especially discrete for checking the time unobtrusively.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>We have added the Ladies' Two Tone Montiel Braille Watch to our product<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>offerings. This elegant Swiss-made watch features a gold tone, 3/4 inch<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>face with a chrome bezel and case and a two-tone (silver and gold tone)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>expansion band. Simply lift the watch crystal, which opens at six o'clock,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and touch the hands to tell the time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> We now also carry two more atomic talking watches, which will<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>automatically set the time once the specific time zone has been selected.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The time can also be set manually, should the user have trouble receiving<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the signal. Both watches are black and feature a male voice, in addition to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>announcing the time and complete date and having an alarm. The Digital<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Atomic Talking Watch with Top Button and Buckle Band has a digital display<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and a plastic buckle band. Press the green button on the watch face to hear<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the time and date announced. The Atomic Talking Watch with Black Face and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Expansion Band has a 1-1/8 inch diameter, black face with white hands and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>numbers and a black case and expansion band. The display on the analog<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>watch face synchronizes to the spoken time announcement when the watch is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>set. This watch also features an optional hourly announcement. The two<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>setting buttons are recessed, which makes it easy to correctly orient the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>watch nonvisually.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> We also added a couple of talking clocks to our product lineup. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Talking Keychain Clock with Date and Alarm attaches easily to your keyring,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>belt loop, or handbag with its clip. It announces the time and the date in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a male voice and features an alarm. The Loud Talking Desk Clock announces<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the time in a clear, female voice. The time is also shown on an LCD display<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>with the numbers a little over 1/2-inch tall. Other features include an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>alarm with snooze option, an hourly announcement, a twelve- or twenty-four-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>hour cycle, and a high/low volume control.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The Object Locator which includes one pager and three receivers<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>proved rather popular; we sold out at convention. When one of the three<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>buttons on the pager is pressed, the corresponding receiver unit will beep.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The pager remote can locate items up to approximately thirty feet away. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>three receivers can be turned off to conserve battery life. The pager<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>features a metal keyring, and the receivers can be attached to easily-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>misplaced items with included loops, lanyards, or double-sided tape.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> We also featured a new game called Rummikub. This Rummy-like game<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>uses tiles rather than cards; the tiles are labeled in print and Braille,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and we are including the instructions in Braille. The game comes with 106<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>tiles (two sets of four colors: black, blue, orange, and red, numbered 1 to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>13 plus two jokers) and four sturdy racks. Be the first player to eliminate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>all the tiles from your rack by forming them into sets of runs of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sequential numbers of the same color and groups of numbers of the same<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>value. For two to four players, ages eight to adult.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> We also started selling a Beeper Box, the replacement unit for the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sound source in the beeping Frisbee, as a standalone audible beacon. If you<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>are looking for a continuous sound source, this lightweight, portable<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>beeper box may meet your needs. When turned on, the unit emits three beeps<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>followed by a brief pause before beeping again. The device has many<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>creative uses. Employ it for some mobility training situations, as an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>accessory for sports and games, or even when bike-riding; your imagination<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>is the limit. You can tuck it into your pocket; attach it to virtually any<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>object with tape, a rubber band, or piece of Velcro.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> For more information about the products and literature available from<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Independence Market, visit us online at https://nfb.org/independence-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>market. Our catalog and supplement are available for download as MSWord and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>BRF files. You may also request a catalog in Braille or in print by<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>contacting us using email at independencemarket@nfb.org or by phone at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>(410) 659-9314, extension 2216, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Our staff will be glad to assist.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Dick Davis]<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: A Shining Example<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> of the Value of Diversity in Employment<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Dick Davis<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: Dick Davis is the chairperson of the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind Employment Committee. He has had a long and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>distinguished career in rehabilitation of the blind and has been a friend,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>colleague, and partner. Words cannot overstate his optimism about what<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>blind people can do or the active way he has made his beliefs tangible.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Here is a wonderful contribution that was written during the Christmas<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>season and can encourage all of us as we work to make 2018 all that it can<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>be:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Over the holidays, as I was reading the Little Golden Book Rudolph<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Red-Nosed Reindeer to my grandson Lucas, it struck me that I could use<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Rudolph's story in my talks because it has everything to do with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>discrimination and the value of diversity in employment. So here it is,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>slightly rewritten to serve that purpose:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer was a differently-abled animal who<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>faced discrimination and social ostracism because of his red nose. As we<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>all know, deer have beautiful shiny black noses. Rudolph's was shiny too,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>but it was red-so red that it actually glowed! While this characteristic<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>might have been regarded as beautiful in some societies, it was a visible,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ugly deformity in reindeer society. Because of it, Rudolph was mocked,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>humiliated, and disqualified from participating in reindeer games.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> To make things worse, Rudolph fell prey to this discrimination,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>internalized it, and took responsibility for his misfortune instead of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>realizing it was a problem of the larger society. Since he was isolated at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the North Pole Manufacturing Zone, there was no organization of disabled<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>reindeer to explain this to him. So, when Santa sought applications from<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>reindeer to pull his sleigh, Rudolph hid himself in shame until all the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>candidates for the job had been selected.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> On Christmas Eve a sudden fog arose, no doubt caused by global<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>warming, impeding the progress of Santa and his team. But when Rudolph came<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>out of hiding, Santa immediately realized the practical value of his<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"disability" and hired him as lead worker for the sleigh team. The other<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>reindeer, realizing that they had foolishly overlooked an individual with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the exact skill set to enable them to achieve their mission, welcomed him<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to the team.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Were it not for Rudolph, the team would have failed to achieve their<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>all-important Christmas objective, resulting in global disappointment to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>all the good little girls and boys. But because of Santa's wisdom in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>understanding that Rudolph's difference could be an asset rather than a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>limitation, they succeeded. And they memorialized this organizational<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>achievement by creating a song which continues to be sung by children<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>today.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Constitution of the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> as Amended 2014<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> From the Editor: Because the constitution of this organization<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>describes its purpose and outlines the policies and procedures that control<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>this democratically elected organization of the blind, the Braille Monitor<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>periodically reprints this document. Here it is as last amended in 2014:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ARTICLE I. NAME<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The name of this organization is the National Federation of the Blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ARTICLE II. PURPOSE<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The purpose of the National Federation of the Blind is to serve as a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>vehicle for collective action by the blind of the nation; to function as a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>mechanism through which the blind and interested sighted persons can come<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>together in local, state, and national meetings to plan and carry out<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>programs to improve the quality of life for the blind; to provide a means<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of collective action for parents of blind children; to promote the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>vocational, cultural, and social advancement of the blind; to achieve the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality with the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sighted; and to take any other action which will improve the overall<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>condition and standard of living of the blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section A. The membership of the National Federation of the Blind shall<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>consist of the members of the state affiliates, the members of divisions,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and members at large. Members of divisions and members at large shall have<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities in the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind as members of state affiliates.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The board of directors shall establish procedures for admission of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>divisions and shall determine the structure of divisions. The divisions<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>shall, with the approval of the board, adopt constitutions and determine<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>their membership policies. Membership in divisions shall not be conditioned<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>upon membership in state affiliates.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The board of directors shall establish procedures for admission of members<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>at large, determine how many classes of such members shall be established,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and determine the annual dues to be paid by members of each class.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section B. Each state or territorial possession of the United States,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>including the District of Columbia, having an affiliate shall have one vote<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>at the national convention. These organizations shall be referred to as<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>state affiliates.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section C. State affiliates shall be organizations of the blind controlled<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by the blind. No organization shall be recognized as an "organization of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the blind controlled by the blind" unless at least a majority of its voting<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>members and a majority of the voting members of each of its local chapters<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>are blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section D. The board of directors shall establish procedures for the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>admission of state affiliates. There shall be only one state affiliate in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>each state.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section E. Any member, local chapter, state affiliate, or division of this<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>organization may be suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>misconduct or for activity unbecoming to a member or affiliate of this<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>organization by a two-thirds vote of the board of directors or by a simple<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>majority of the states present and voting at a national convention. If the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>action is to be taken by the board, there must be good cause, and a good<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>faith effort must have been made to try to resolve the problem by<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>discussion and negotiation. If the action is to be taken by the convention,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>notice must be given on the preceding day at an open board meeting or a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>session of the convention. If a dispute arises as to whether there was<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"good cause," or whether the board made a "good faith effort," the national<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>convention (acting in its capacity as the supreme authority of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation) shall have the power to make final disposition of the matter;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>but until or unless the board's action is reversed by the national<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>convention, the ruling of the board shall continue in effect.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section A. The officers of the National Federation of the Blind shall be:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>(1) president, (2) first vice president, (3) second vice president, (4)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>secretary, and (5) treasurer. They shall be elected biennially.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section B. The officers shall be elected by majority vote of the state<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>affiliates present and voting at a national convention.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section C. The National Federation of the Blind shall have a board of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>directors, which shall be composed of the five officers and twelve<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>additional members, six of whom shall be elected at the annual convention<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>during even-numbered years and six of whom shall be elected at the annual<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>convention during odd-numbered years. The members of the board of directors<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>shall serve for two-year terms. Biennially, during even-numbered years, at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the first meeting of the board of directors following the convention at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>which officers and board members are elected, the board of directors shall<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>select a chairperson from among its members who shall not be the same<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>person as the President and who shall serve without compensation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section D. The board of directors may, in its discretion, create a national<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>advisory board and determine the duties and qualifications of the members<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of the national advisory board.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ARTICLE V. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE CONVENTION,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THE PRESIDENT<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section A. Powers and Duties of the Convention. The convention is the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>supreme authority of the Federation. It is the legislature of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation. As such, it has final authority with respect to all issues of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>policy. Its decisions shall be made after opportunity has been afforded for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>full and fair discussion. Delegates and members in attendance may<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>participate in all convention discussions as a matter of right. Any member<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of the Federation may make or second motions, propose nominations, serve on<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>committees, and is eligible for election to office, except that only blind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>members may be elected to the national board. Voting and making motions by<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>proxy are prohibited. Consistent with the democratic character of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation, convention meetings shall be so conducted as to prevent<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>parliamentary maneuvers which would have the effect of interfering with the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>expression of the will of the majority on any question, or with the rights<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of the minority to full and fair presentation of their views. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>convention is not merely a gathering of representatives of separate state<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>organizations. It is a meeting of the Federation at the national level in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>its character as a national organization. Committees of the Federation are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>committees of the national organization. The nominating committee shall<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>consist of one member from each state affiliate represented at the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>convention, and each state affiliate shall appoint its member to the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>committee. From among the members of the committee, the president shall<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>appoint a chairperson.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section B. Powers and Duties of the Board of Directors. The function of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>board of directors as the governing body of the Federation between<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>conventions is to make policies when necessary and not in conflict with the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>policies adopted by the convention. Policy decisions which can reasonably<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>be postponed until the next meeting of the national convention shall not be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>made by the board of directors. The board of directors shall serve as a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>credentials committee. It shall have the power to deal with organizational<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>problems presented to it by any member, local chapter, state affiliate, or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>division; shall decide appeals regarding the validity of elections in local<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>chapters, state affiliates, or divisions; and shall certify the credentials<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of delegates when questions regarding the validity of such credentials<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>arise. By a two-thirds vote the board may suspend one of its members for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>violation of a policy of the organization or for other action unbecoming to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>a member of the Federation. By a two-thirds vote the board may reorganize<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>any local chapter, state affiliate, or division. The board may not suspend<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>one of its own members or reorganize a local chapter, state affiliate, or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>division except for good cause and after a good-faith effort has been made<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to try to resolve the problem by discussion and negotiation. If a dispute<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>arises as to whether there was "good cause" or whether the board made a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"good-faith effort," the national convention (acting in its capacity as the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>supreme authority of the Federation) shall have the power to make final<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>disposition of the matter; but until or unless the board's action is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>reversed by the national convention, the ruling of the board shall continue<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>in effect. There shall be a standing subcommittee of the board of directors<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>which shall consist of three members. The committee shall be known as the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>subcommittee on budget and finance. It shall, whenever it deems necessary,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>recommend to the board of directors principles of budgeting, accounting<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>procedures, and methods of financing the Federation program; and shall<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>consult with the president on major expenditures.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>The board of directors shall meet at the time of each national convention.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>It shall hold other meetings on the call of the president or on the written<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>request of any five members.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Section C. Powers and Duties of the President. The president is the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>principal administrative officer of the Federation. In this capacity his or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>her duties consist of carrying out the policies adopted by the convention;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>conducting the day-to-day management of the affairs of the Federation;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>authorizing expenditures from the Federation treasury in accordance with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and in implementation of the policies established by the convention;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>appointing all committees of the Federation except the nominating<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>committee; coordinating all activities of the Federation, including the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>work of other officers and of committees; hiring, supervising, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>dismissing staff members and other employees of the Federation, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>determining their numbers and compensation; taking all administrative<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>actions necessary and proper to put into effect the programs and accomplish<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the purposes of the Federation. The implementation and administration of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the interim policies adopted by the board of directors are the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>responsibility of the president as principal administrative officer of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ARTICLE VI. STATE AFFILIATES<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Any organized group desiring to become a state affiliate of the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind shall apply for affiliation by submitting to the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>president of the National Federation of the Blind a copy of its<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>constitution and a list of the names and addresses of its elected officers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Under procedures to be established by the board of directors, action shall<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>be taken on the application. If the action is affirmative, the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind shall issue to the organization a charter of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>affiliation. Upon request of the national president the state affiliate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>shall provide to the national president the names and addresses of its<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>members. Copies of all amendments to the constitution and/or bylaws of an<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>affiliate shall be sent without delay to the national president. No<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>organization shall be accepted as an affiliate and no organization shall<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>remain an affiliate unless at least a majority of its voting members are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>blind. The president, vice president (or vice presidents), and at least a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>majority of the executive committee or board of directors of the state<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>affiliate and of all of its local chapters must be blind. Affiliates must<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>not merely be social organizations but must formulate programs and actively<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>work to promote the economic and social betterment of the blind. Affiliates<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and their local chapters must comply with the provisions of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>constitution of the Federation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Policy decisions of the Federation are binding upon all affiliates and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>local chapters, and the affiliate and its local chapters must participate<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>affirmatively in carrying out such policy decisions. The name National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind, Federation of the Blind, or any variant thereof is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the property of the National Federation of the Blind; and any affiliate or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>local chapter of an affiliate which ceases to be part of the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind (for whatever reason) shall forthwith forfeit the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>right to use the name National Federation of the Blind, Federation of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Blind, or any variant thereof.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>A general convention of the membership of an affiliate or of the elected<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>delegates of the membership must be held and its principal executive<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>officers must be elected at least once every two years. There can be no<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>closed membership. Proxy voting is prohibited in state affiliates and local<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>chapters. Each affiliate must have a written constitution or bylaws setting<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>forth its structure, the authority of its officers, and the basic<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>procedures which it will follow. No publicly contributed funds may be<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>divided among the membership of an affiliate or local chapter on the basis<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of membership, and (upon request from the national office) an affiliate or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>local chapter must present an accounting of all of its receipts and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>expenditures. An affiliate or local chapter must not indulge in attacks<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>upon the officers, board members, leaders, or members of the Federation or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>upon the organization itself outside of the organization, and must not<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>allow its officers or members to indulge in such attacks. This requirement<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>shall not be interpreted to interfere with the right of an affiliate or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>local chapter, or its officers or members, to carry on a political campaign<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>inside the Federation for election to office or to achieve policy changes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>However, the organization will not sanction or permit deliberate, sustained<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>campaigns of internal organizational destruction by state affiliates, local<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>chapters, or members. No affiliate or local chapter may join or support, or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>allow its officers or members to join or support, any temporary or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>permanent organization inside the Federation which has not received the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sanction and approval of the Federation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ARTICLE VII. DISSOLUTION<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>In the event of dissolution, all assets of the organization shall be given<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>to an organization with similar purposes which has received a 501(c)(3)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>certification by the Internal Revenue Service.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>This constitution may be amended at any regular annual convention of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the state affiliates<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>registered, present, and voting; provided that the proposed amendment shall<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>have been signed by five state affiliates in good standing and that it<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>shall have been presented to the president the day before final action by<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the convention.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Recipes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>February is the shortest month of the year, but it is marked with a holiday<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>for romance. In honor of Valentine's Day we're taking a tour in the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>archives for some recipes to make for your sweetheart.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Frozen Cranberry Salad<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Mary Jane Fry<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> A cool and slightly tart start or side for your romantic meal, this<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>recipe first appeared in February 2004. At that time, Mary Jane Fry was<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>secretary of the NFB of Rhode Island.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 bag or 3 cups fresh cranberries<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1-1/2 cups granulated sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>8 ounces cream cheese<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 cup nuts (personal preference)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1/8 teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 8-ounce tub Cool Whip<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Method: Chop cranberries and nuts. Add the sugar and salt to the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cranberry nut mixture and mix together. Thoroughly drain the crushed<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>pineapple and add to berry mixture. Let the cream cheese soften at room<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>temperature, and then work the Cool Whip into it until smooth and creamy;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>then fold into first mixture.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Place salad in a mold or freezer container and freeze. When ready to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>serve, unmold and slice in serving sizes. May be kept in freezer for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>months. Serve frozen. It will thaw during the meal and is very festive when<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>served on a lettuce leaf.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Spicy Winter Squash Soup<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Katie Keim<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> As a light first or main course, this soup will warm your Valentine<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>as much as a hug. It first appeared in February 2006, and was introduced<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>like this:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Katie Keim is secretary of the NFB of Hawaii and a member of the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Honolulu Chapter. She enjoys cooking and baking for friends and family. She<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>reports that this recipe is a tradition at Christmas or any cold winter<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>night. Depending on guests' preferences, this soup can be made very spicy<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>or just very flavorful.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 teaspoon olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 large yellow or white onion, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>4 cloves garlic, minced<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2 carrots, chunked<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 2- to 4-inch piece fresh ginger, chunked<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 stalk dried or fresh lemon grass<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 medium winter squash such as butternut, kabocha, acorn, or pumpkin,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>peeled and deseeded<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 teaspoon salt (or to taste) <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2 cups water or vegetable or chicken broth<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 or 2 cans coconut milk, depending on how thick you like your soup<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>4 kaffir lime leaves, found in Asian markets (extra lemon grass and lime<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>juice can be substituted.)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>4 limes cut in wedges<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Method: In a heavy saucepan or double boiler, sauti all ingredients<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>except liquids, salt, cayenne pepper, and kaffir lime leaves, and lime<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>wedges for about twenty minutes or until vegetables are hot. Then add two<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cups liquid, salt, and cayenne pepper. Let simmer until all vegetables are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>tender. Remove chunks of ginger and the stalk of lemon grass. Blend in food<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>processor or blender or beat with an egg beater until smooth. Add coconut<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>milk and keefer lime leaves. Reheat on low until soup is warm. Serve with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>fresh lime wedges for guests to squeeze into soup to taste.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Cereal-Crusted Chicken with Curry Cream<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Jack Mendez<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Keeping with the theme of spicing up the romantic meal, this recipe<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>first appeared in February 2013 and was introduced this way:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Jack Mendez joined the LCB staff in November 2012 as director of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>technology. He is a committed Federationist who is eager to share his<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>positive philosophy about blindness with others. Jack loves to cook and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>experiment with all types of cuisine. He and his fiancie, Maryann<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Topolewski, will be married in April. Jack made this recipe as part of his<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>meal for eight at LCB when he was a student, and it received rave reviews.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Jack says, "Take this breakfast treat to a new level. You can use any<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>unsweetened cereal, granola, or oats when you want to explore new flavors.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>(For best results place the cereal in a plastic bag and roll with a rolling<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>pin until coarsely crushed, or give it a quick spin in the food<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>processor.)"<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ingredients: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Cooking spray<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2 cups crushed unsweetened cornflakes cereal<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1/4 cup orange marmalade<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ingredients for Curry Cream:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1/2 cup sour cream<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 teaspoon curry powder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Pinch of paprika<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet with<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>cooking spray. Place the crushed cereal in a shallow dish and set aside.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper and brush marmalade<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>over both sides. Add the chicken to the cereal and turn to coat completely.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Arrange the chicken pieces on the sprayed cookie sheet and spray the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>surface of each with cooking spray. Bake until the crust is golden brown<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and chicken is cooked through, about twenty-five minutes. Meantime in a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>small bowl whisk together the sour cream, curry powder, and paprika. Serve<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the chicken with the curry cream spooned over the top or on the side.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Eggplant Casserole<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Shirley Barksdale<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> For a lighter or vegetarian-friendly dish during a romantic evening,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>check out this recipe from January 2006, with the original introduction:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Shirley Barksdale is the treasurer of the NFB of Georgia. She takes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>medication for her diabetes and high blood pressure. She is a strict<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>vegetarian and is working to manage her health more effectively.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 eggplant, peeled and diced<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 cup dry bread stuffing mix<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 clove garlic, crushed<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2 tablespoons diced onion<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 egg, lightly beaten<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Salt and pepper to taste<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the eggplant in a medium<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>microwave-safe dish and cook on high (stirring once) in the microwave for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>five minutes or until tender. Transfer to a nine-by-nine-inch baking dish.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Mix in 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, stuffing mix, garlic, onion, and egg. Add<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bake fifteen minutes in the preheated<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>oven. Top with remaining cheese, and continue baking for fifteen minutes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>until cheese is bubbly and mixture is lightly browned.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Lemon Curd<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Barbara Pierce<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> This recipe first appeared in February of 2010. A lighter dessert,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and one that will appeal to those less chocolate-oriented, this is how it<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>was originally introduced:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Though it is now sometimes possible to find lemon curd in American<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>supermarkets, most Americans have never experienced this delightfully tart<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and sweet treat. The English spread it on scones, but it is also delicious<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>over fresh fruit or as a filling for cream puffs or cakes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>3/4 cup sugar or half Splenda<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 tablespoon lemon rind, grated<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2 large eggs<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2 tablespoons butter or margarine<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Method: Combine the first three ingredients in a saucepan over medium<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>heat, stirring with a whisk. Cook until sugar dissolves and mixture is<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>light in color (about three minutes). Stir in lemon juice and butter; cook<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>for five minutes or until mixture thinly coats the back of a spoon,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>stirring constantly with a whisk. Cool. Cover and chill; the mixture will<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>thicken as it cools. Yield: 1-1/3 cups. Note: lemon curd can be stored in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the refrigerator for up to one week. You can easily double the recipe and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>freeze half of it in a heavy-duty ziplock plastic bag. Thaw in the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>refrigerator and use within one week of thawing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Chocolate Pie<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> by Kathy Jones<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Of course, chocolate is something of a traditional treat for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Valentine's Day. This light dessert first appeared in June 2003 and was<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>introduced like this: Kathy Jones is the wife of Tim Jones, the newly<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>elected president of the NFB of North Carolina.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>4 cups sugar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 cup cocoa powder<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1/2 cup flour<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1 can evaporated milk<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2 cups water<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>2 baked pie shells, not deep-dish<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Method: Combine sugar, cocoa, flour, milk, and water. Cook over<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>medium heat stirring constantly until thickened. Pour mixture into prepared<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>crusts and set aside.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Meringue for Pies: Beat four egg whites until soft peaks form.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Gradually add two teaspoons cream of tartar, 1/2 cup sugar, and a pinch of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>salt as you beat whites into stiff peaks. Spread meringue on cooled pies<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and bake at 375 degrees just until meringue is as brown as you like it;<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>begin checking after fifteen minutes. Cool on wire rack and then chill in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>refrigerator until time to serve, or eat warm.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Monitor Miniatures<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> News from the Federation Family<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Eligible Sprint customers can get a KNFB Reader Enterprise license for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>free:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Starting November 20, 2017, Sprint customers who purchase a new line<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of service or eligible upgrade through Sprint Accessibility will receive a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>free license to download the KNFB Reader Enterprise app on up to two mobile<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>devices.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> If you are a new or upgrading Sprint customer, you may be able to get<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the power to convert printed documents into speech or Braille instantly and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>accurately at no extra cost!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>All you need to do is:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 1. Visit sprint.com/vision or a Sprint store to purchase a new line of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> service or eligible upgrade.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 2. Call 855-885-7568 and ask a Sprint Accessibility Care representative<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> for the KNFB Reader Enterprise app.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 3. Sprint will provide you with the information you need to create a<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> username and password that will activate your new KNFB Reader<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Enterprise license.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 4. Download the KNFB Reader Enterprise app from the Apple App Store,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Google Play Store, or Windows 10 Store.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> 5. When you launch the app, enter the username and password from step 3<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> above, and you're all set!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Please be sure to download the KNFB Reader Enterprise app, not KNFB<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Reader for $99.99. The KNFB Reader Enterprise app is listed free in the app<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>stores and can be activated with your free KNFB Reader Enterprise License<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>from Sprint. KNFB Reader Enterprise allows users to enjoy the power of KNFB<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Reader on multiple devices. Make sure that KNFB Reader Enterprise is the<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>app that you download onto your devices to take advantage of this offer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>KNFB Reader Enterprise works on Apple, Android, Windows 10 devices, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Windows 10 laptops and PCs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> You'll be able to use KNFB Reader Enterprise provided by Sprint. Just<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>download KNFB Reader Enterprise on both devices and use the same username<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and password. For example, you can download KNFB Reader Enterprise onto<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>your Sprint phone, and also to your Windows 10 laptop. Or onto both your<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Android phone and Android tablet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> To learn more about the KNFB Reader Enterprise, visit<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>www.knfbreader.com.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Happy reading from the National Federation of the Blind and Sprint<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Accessibility!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Elected in Maine:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The 2018 officers for the National Federation of the Blind Greater<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Portland Chapter are: Leslie Landry, president; Gerard Landry, vice<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>president; Mark Hodgdon, secretary; Randy Bellavance, secretary; John Lee,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>trustee; Sarah Bellavance, trustee.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Newly Re-Established Prince William County Chapter of the NFB Of Virginia:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> On November 18, 2017, after a number of years in hiatus, we re-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>established the Prince William County Chapter of the National Federation of<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the Blind of Virginia. A constitution was adopted and officers elected. The<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>board is as follows: president, Marc Canamaso; vice president, Oscar<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Montiel; secretary, Alysha Hiller; treasurer, Mark Ross; and board members,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>John Dubois and Andrew Hiller.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Letter-Writing Campaign to Request Accessibility from SiriusXM Radio:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> My name is Alexander Kaiser, and I am trying to start a letter-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>writing campaign to SiriusXM Satellite Radio to convince them to create<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>fully accessible home kit units. Among the features that Sirius does not<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>currently have that I believe they should make available are: audible menus<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>for setup configuration, wi-fi settings, music genre, channel number, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>audible voice-driven remote control, and the channel guide and user manual<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>available in Braille for those who would prefer hard copy to electronic. I<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>would also like to encourage SiriusXM Radio to address the inaccessibility<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>of the current tabletop wi-fi and home kit units. The address to write to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the company directly is: SiriusXM Radio Inc, Corporate Customer Relations,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> If you have any questions about SiriusXM, its current<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>inaccessibility, or my suggestions for how the company could make its units<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>more accessible, you can contact me by email at ASKaiser99@outlook.com, or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>by phone at (848) 205-0208.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> In Brief<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>have edited only for space and clarity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Seedlings Adds Five New Books to UEB Collection for Older Kids:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Seedlings Braille Books for Children just added five more books to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>its UEB collection for independent readers. Three are new titles, A to Z<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Mysteries: The Lucky Lottery, Cam Jansen and the Snowy Day Mystery, and<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Nancy Drew #15: The Haunted Bridge. Two are popular titles converted from<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the old Braille code: Superfudge and A to Z Mysteries: Detective Camp.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> This brings to seventy-two the number of books Seedlings offers in<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>contracted UEB for older children. Order today at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>http://www.seedlings.org/browse.php?cat=12.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Seedlings' nearly 300 print-and-Braille books for babies and toddlers<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>and beginning readers are already in UEB. Order at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>http://www.seedlings.org/order.php.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Learn to Play:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Come check out our new website where we have beginner courses for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>piano, guitar,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>ukulele, banjo, bass guitar and more! Our courses and song lessons are<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>taught completely<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>"by ear" so there is no print, video, or Braille to mess with.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The lessons and songs can be purchased in either CD or MP3 format<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>which makes<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>them easy to use and travel with. Come see what we have at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>www.MusicForTheBlind.com.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> Monitor Mart<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> The notices in this section have been edited for clarity, but we can<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>pass along only the information we were given. We are not responsible for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the accuracy of the statements made or the quality of the products for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>sale.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Looking to Buy:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> My name is Melody Edwards. If anyone has one of these items and no<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>longer has a use for it, please contact me. I want: The Handy Cassette One<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>from APH, books or music on cassette, a double cassette radio, a Sharp<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>talking calculator clock, or a Franklin Language Master Dictionary. Contact<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Melody Edwards by phone at (336) 893-6295 or by email at<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>infoprincess2013@gmail.com.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> ----------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> NFB Pledge<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'> I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:14.0pt'>abide by its constitution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>