[NFBofSC] FW: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, January 2023

[Frank Loza]

From: brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org <brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org> On
Behalf Of Brian Buhrow
Sent: Sunday, January 1, 2023 9:20 PM
To: brl-monitor at nfbcal.org
Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, January 2023

 


The Braille Monitor, January 2023


BRAILLE MONITOR


Vol. 66, No. 1 January 2023

Gary Wunder, Editor

Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash drive, by
the

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

Mark Riccobono, President

telephone: 410-659-9314

email address: nfb at nfb.org <mailto:nfb at nfb.org> 

website address: http://www.nfb.org

NFBnet.org: http://www.nfbnet.org

NFB-NEWSLINER information: 866-504-7300

Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind
<http://www.Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind> 

Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice

Watch and share our videos: YouTube.com/NationsBlind
<http://www.YouTube.com/NationsBlind> 

Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, and orders
for NFB literature should be sent to the national office. Articles for the
Monitor and letters to the editor may also be sent to the national office or
may be emailed to gwunder at nfb.org <mailto:gwunder at nfb.org> .

Monitor subscriptions cost the Federation about forty dollars per year.
Members are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to cover the subscription
cost. Donations should be made payable to National Federation of the Blind
and sent to:

National Federation of the Blind

200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998

THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE
CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE
EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES
BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT;
BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND-IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR
OURSELVES.

ISSN 0006-8829

C 2023 by the National Federation of the Blind

Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick or USB
flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a National
Library Service digital player. The NLS machine has two slots-the familiar
book-cartridge slot just above the retractable carrying handle and a second
slot located on the right side near the headphone jack. This smaller slot is
used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective rubber pad covering this
slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in one position. If you
encounter resistance, flip the drive over and try again. (Note: If the
cartridge slot is not empty when you insert the thumb drive, the digital
player will ignore the thumb drive.) Once the thumb drive is inserted, the
player buttons will function as usual for reading digital materials. If you
remove the thumb drive to use the player for cartridges, when you insert it
again, reading should resume at the point you stopped.

You can transfer the recording of each issue from the thumb drive to your
computer or preserve it on the thumb drive. However, because thumb drives
can be used hundreds of times, we would appreciate their return in order to
stretch our funding. Please use the return envelope enclosed with the drive
when you return the device.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Hilton Americas-Houston Convention Center Hotel]


Convention Bulletin 2023


There are plenty of reasons one might travel to Houston, Texas, the fourth
most populous city in the United States. One might visit for the nearly
three-week-long Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The city's vibrant arts
scene boasts the largest concentration of theater seats outside of New York
City. And no Houston resident would let a visitor forget that the city is
home to the 2022 World Series Champion Houston Astros. There is little
question that Houston has a great deal going for it. The city's real draw,
however, is that it will play host to the National Federation of the Blind's
2023 National Convention.

It has now been more than fifty years since the largest gathering of the
organized blind last convened in Houston, Texas, and our return in 2023 will
be an event not to be missed. The Hilton Americas-Houston hotel (1600 Lamar
Street, Houston, TX 77010) will serve as our convention headquarters hotel.
Situated in the heart of downtown Houston across the street from the
beautiful twelve-acre Discovery Green Park, the Hilton Americas is an ideal
location for our annual event. Ballrooms, breakout space, and sleeping rooms
are all stacked in the same tower housed on a single city block, simplifying
navigation and minimizing travel distances. In-room internet is
complimentary to all attendees as is access to the health club and swimming
pool on the 22nd floor. There are several dining options on the hotel's
lobby level (including a Starbucks for those of you requiring a caffeine
fix) and many more choices within easy walking distance from the Hilton's
front door.

The nightly rate at the Hilton Americas-Houston is $119 for singles,
doubles, triples, and quads. In addition, the sales tax rate is 8.25
percent, and the hotel occupancy tax rate is 17 percent. To book your room
for the 2023 convention, call 1-800-236-2905 after January 1 and ask for the
"NFB Convention" block. For each room, the hotel will take a deposit of the
first night's room rate and taxes and will require a credit card or a
personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged
against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Monday,
June 1, 2023, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will
not be made.

We have also secured overflow space at the wonderful Marriott Marquis
Houston. The Marriott is only a three-block walk directly across Discovery
Green, or attendees can walk entirely indoors through the George R. Brown
convention center, connecting both hotels on the second level. You will find
many of the same amenities at the Marriott as well as a Texas-shaped lazy
river pool. The room rate at the Marriott Marquis is also $119 per night for
singles, doubles, triples, and quads. To book a room, call 1-877-622-3056
after January 1. Again, ask for the "NFB Convention" block. Similarly, the
same deposit and cancellation policies apply.

The 2023 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will be a truly
exciting and memorable event, with an unparalleled program and rededication
to the goals and work of our movement. A wide range of seminars for parents
of blind children, technology enthusiasts, job seekers, and other groups
will kick the week off on Saturday, July 1. Convention registration and
registration packet pick-up will also open on Saturday. Breakout sessions
continue on Sunday along with committee meetings. Monday, July 3, will kick
off with the annual meeting, open to all, of the Board of Directors of the
National Federation of the Blind. National division meetings will follow the
board meeting that afternoon and evening. General convention sessions will
begin on Tuesday, July 4, and continue through the afternoon of Thursday,
July 6. Convention ends on a high note with the banquet Thursday evening so
be sure to pack your fancy clothes. The fall of the gavel at the close of
banquet will signal convention's adjournment.

Remember that as usual we need door prizes from state affiliates, local
chapters, and individuals. Once again prizes should be small in size but
large in value. Cash, of course, is always appropriate and welcome. As a
rule, we ask that prizes of all kinds have a value of at least $25 and not
include alcohol. Drawings will occur steadily throughout the convention
sessions, and you can anticipate a Texas-sized grand prize to be drawn at
the banquet. You may bring door prizes with you to convention or send them
in advance to the National Federation of the Blind of Texas at 1600 E
Highway 6, Suite 215, Alvin, TX 77511.

The best collection of exhibits featuring new technology; meetings of our
special interest groups, committees, and divisions; the most stimulating and
provocative program items of any meeting of the blind in the world; the
chance to renew friendships in our Federation family; and the unparalleled
opportunity to be where the real action is and where decisions are being
made-all of these mean you will not want to miss being a part of the 2023
National Convention. To assure yourself a room in the headquarters hotel at
convention rates, make your reservations early. We plan to see you in
Houston in July.

Vol. 66, No. 1 January 2023


Contents


Illustration: Working Together on Literacy

Corrections with Apology

by Gary Wunder

The Evolution of Independence

by Elizabeth Rouse

Archaeology Through Touch

by Natasha Ishaq

Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS): An Effort by the National Federation of
the Blind of New Jersey, Northern Chapter, to Address this Concern in Essex
County

by Rick Fox and Ellen Sullivan

The 2023 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards

by Everette Bacon

How Going Blind Helped Me Rediscover the Power of Optimism

by Sameer Doshi

Central Valley Chapter Takes on Challenges in Blind Equality Achievement
Month

by Rachel Grider

Living the Life He Wants: Stoking Employment Opportunities through Movies,
Sports, and Achievement

by Jack Chen

Living the Life She Wants: Staying Grounded and Shooting for the Moon with
Federation Philosophy

by Deena Lambert

The Passing of Jim Omvig: A State President who Touched the World in so Many
Ways

by Gary Wunder

You're Golden: Reflections from the NFB National Senior Division's 2020 and
2021 Senior Retreats, Plus Some Additional Musings on Aging

by Miss Ruth Williams

Blind to Problems: How VA's Electronic Record System Shuts Out Visually
Impaired Patients

by Darius Tahir

2023 Writers' Division Contest Guidelines

Seeing that Piano Tuning is for Both the Museum and the Agenda of the
Movement

by Don Mitchell

Rookie Tails: A Seeing Eye Dog Team's First National Convention

by Alyssa and Jan Henson

NOPBC Conference Sharing Our CORE Values: Creating Opportunities, Raising
Expectations

by Carlton Anne Cook Walker

Monitor Miniatures

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Several tall and wide panels of holes, three down and two
across, fill this wall in the NFB Jernigan Institute. Each panel has tennis
balls that can be inserted in the holes to create words, sentences, and
brief messages. President Riccobono moves some dots to "write" Braille on
the wall for Jason Broughton, the director of the National Library Service
for the Blind and Print Disabled.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Jason Broughton, the highly energetic director of the
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, visited the
Jernigan Institute to explore our many programs promoting literacy for blind
and low vision Americans.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Jason Broughton takes a turn at writing a Braille message by
moving the tennis balls as Mark Riccobono advises.]


Working Together on Literacy


Given the importance of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print
Disabled in the lives of blind people and the role of the National
Federation of the Blind in supporting the library, Jason Broughton visited
the headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind. In addition to
seeing our facilities and discussing a bit of the history of the Federation,
he and President Riccobono talked about the importance of literacy and the
role of Braille, both hardcopy and softcopy. One of the newest projects of
the Library is the distribution of Braille delivered to patrons using the
newly-developed and deployed machines created for the Library.

------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Wunder]


Corrections with Apology


by Gary Wunder

In the December issue we misspelled Trevor Attenberg, instead showing his
name as Tattenberg. We regret the error.

In the article about Able accounts, the title should have been "A Way to
Save using Able Accounts" rather than "A Way to Save when Receiving Public
Assistance." It is possible to benefit from Able accounts whether or not one
receives public assistance.

Lastly, we did not include the endnotes that were in the blog in the article
"Understanding the Orozco v. Garland Appeal" by Valerie Yingling. We
certainly want to acknowledge the work of all of the attorneys who worked on
this case, so here are those notes:


Footnotes


1.
<https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2022-10/2022-08-03_Orozco_P_Reply_Brief
_for_Plaintiff-Appellant.pdf> Orozco v. Garland Reply Brief for
Plaintiff-Appellant

2. https://www.access-board.gov/ict/

3.
https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2022-09/Orozco_v_Wray_1_P_Complaint.pdf

4.
<https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2022-10/2022-08-03_Orozco_P_Reply_Brief
_for_Plaintiff-Appellant.pdf> Orozco v. Garland Reply Brief for
Plaintiff-Appellant

[PHOTO CAPTION: Elizabeth Rouse]


The Evolution of Independence


by Elizabeth Rouse

>From the Editor: Elizabeth promised me this article some time ago. True to
her word, she delivered. I love what she has to say about independence and
hope you do as well. Here is her story:

When I was young, the concept of independence seemed simple. Independence
meant learning to ride my bike without training wheels or receiving
permission to ride said bike to the end of our curved road and back (without
parental supervision). It meant staying at the community pool for a few
hours after my parents left to go home if I promised to be home by dinner.
But as I grew, so did my understanding of this not-so-simple concept. In
middle school, independence meant having my first flip phone (with parental
monitors, of course). It was not until my second year of high school that
independence became a concept that left a nasty aftertaste in my mouth.

A large-scale milestone in a young person's life is the ability to drive a
car. Because of my blindness, I was unable to learn this skill along with my
sighted peers. Add in the fact that my parents both served in the roles of
driver's education instructors and that my sighted brother had learned to
drive about two years before, and you can imagine that I was a cocktail of
bitterness, anger, and a myriad of other negative emotions. It took me most
of my sixteenth year to recognize how much this denial of independence
affected me emotionally. Almost ten years later, the only thing I can say
now is that I was immensely lucky my parents did not reciprocate my
disrespectful angst with whatever punishment I truly deserved. Instead, they
chose to try and understand my confusion. After all, it was no secret that
our one-square-mile town could make anyone feel claustrophobic from time to
time, regardless of their level of vision.

At the end of my high school career, my understanding of independence
shifted drastically once again. I chose to attend a private college about
two hours down the road from my hometown that no one else I knew would be
attending in the fall. Although I felt a wave of nervousness and more than a
little sadness as my parents moved me into my first-year dorm, I knew that
this was my chance to grow into a new version of myself, starting with my
name. At my first floor meeting, I introduced myself as Elizabeth instead of
Beth for probably the first time in my life, and the rest was history. Over
the next four years, I made friendships that will last a lifetime, received
mentorship and guidance from some of the most amazing professors I will ever
know, and, quite possibly the most important, applied for a National
Federation of the Blind Scholarship.

In the summer of 2018, I said goodbye to my parents about halfway through my
summer break and boarded a plane to Orlando, Florida, for my first-ever
national convention. I remember changing flights in St. Louis, Missouri, and
finding other blind people boarding my second flight, which, even though I
had been relatively active in my state affiliate over the past two years,
still managed to surprise me. For the next six days, I was awed to meet
blind people in so many different career fields, living these successful
lives that I had always imagined for myself but never fully believed were
attainable. After that week, I returned home, began carrying my cane
full-time, and started self-identifying as blind instead of visually
impaired, which was its own monster to tackle with my mom; however, the
greatest period of growth was still yet to come.

During my senior year of college, I made the decision to attend the
Louisiana Center for the Blind post-graduation. I knew many confident
individuals who had gone through the program previously, and even more, I
knew I wanted more of their independent spirits instilled in me. So, on
January first of 2021, I began the twelve-hour journey to Ruston, Louisiana.
The following nine months challenged me in more ways than I can count. I
remember having conversations about failure with one of my home management
instructors that left me in tears after not pouring enough oil onto a baking
sheet. I remember threatening to throw my laptop against a wall when
assistive technology became so frustrating that I wanted to rip out my hair.
But I also remember feeling a distinct sense of empowerment the first time I
successfully and safely operated the full roster of power tools in my wood
shop class, and nothing has ever made me feel the sense of pride I felt the
day I completed my first independent drop route in cane travel. Walking into
the Center that day and hugging my travel instructor is one of the moments I
will remember and cherish for the rest of my life.

Do I know everything there is to know about independence? Absolutely not. I
have had to make some decisions in my life within even the last three months
that have forced me to redefine independence entirely; however, I know that
independence is a choice I get to make each day. Whether I choose to walk to
a destination or call a Lyft is my decision. Whether I ask for help in a
given situation is my decision, too. I do know this for certain: the
National Federation of the Blind has given me the knowledge and sense of
determination that allow me to continue shaping the presence of independence
in my life. Through my day-to-day interactions with friends, mentors, and
strangers both in and out of the Federation, I get to take pride in being an
independent blind person. I actively choose to follow the wise words of
William Faulkner, "We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because
we practice it." I will always be grateful to my Federation family for
showing me not only that we can change what it means to be blind, but also
that choosing to embrace independence can be one of the most remarkable
changes of all.

---------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Natasha Ishaq]


Archaeology Through Touch


by Natasha Ishaq

>From the Editor: This article is about playing in the dirt, something I once
did with gusto, but this is all about playing in the dirt with a purpose.
When Natasha promised me this article, I thought it would be good to have
because we don't get much about people talking about how they do their work.
Her work makes it especially interesting. Enjoy:

My name is Natasha Ishaq and I am a senior at The College of New Jersey. I
am also a proud member of the National Federation of the Blind and was a
recipient of a national scholarship this past year.

I am majoring in anthropology and have a minor in political science. For the
last year and a half, I have been fortunate enough to conduct original
research in paleoanthropology. In fact, I am hoping to publish my work in an
academic journal in the near future.

This past summer I took part in my first-ever excavation and archaeological
dig. The site was a historic one, and although historical archaeology does
not necessarily align with my research interests, I figured that the
hands-on experience of working in the field would be worthwhile. I joined a
team of two archaeologists and several other college students to carry out
this excavation.

Our team excavated a historic farmhouse and property located at the edge of
my college campus. This farmhouse is called the William Green House. The
house was used as a billet for Washington's cavalry during the American
Revolution. Additionally, archival research has revealed that enslavement
occurred on the property as well. For several years the school's
anthropology faculty and students have been excavating this historic site in
search of artifacts to help tell the story of the house, its history, and
its inhabitants. So far, hundreds of artifacts have been excavated and
cataloged.

Although I was excited for the opportunity to gain experience in the field,
I could not help but wonder how I would navigate this experience as a blind
person. I have always been comfortable with finding innovative ways to
accomplish visual tasks, but this was completely new territory for me. When
I tried to find information online about blind archaeologists and
anthropologists, I had very little luck. I was shocked and saddened to learn
about the lack of blindness representation in my field of study.

Nonetheless, I had a fantastic time out in the field and found that I was
able to use my sense of touch extensively. For example, I would dig with a
trowel in my right hand and then use my left hand to feel the dirt for
artifacts. After filling my bucket with dirt, I would then head over to the
sieve. Using the sieve allowed for the dirt to fall out, leaving behind
rocks and artifacts. At this point I was able to use both of my hands to
feel and search for artifacts. What I found included shards of glass, a
brown eighteenth or nineteenth-century bottle cap, shell, and brick. While
my peers examined the artifacts with their eyes, I examined them with my
hands and fingers.

A key component to the excavation was the collection and recording of field
notes. When one is out in the field digging, it is vital to write down
everything. Keeping track of how far down one has dug and what they found in
that soil layer is important. Noting something like the soil stratigraphy is
also helpful. Typically, field notes are recorded in a field notebook. I, on
the other hand, recorded my field notes on my iPad using my screen-reading
software and accessibility features.

Overall, the team came across a variety of artifacts. While each person's
individual archaeological finds were interesting and unique, we made some
extraordinary discoveries as a collective group. One such discovery included
the unearthing of the stone and brick foundation of a late nineteenth and
early twentieth-century springhouse in the heart of a bamboo forest that
stands next to the house.

In no shape or form was my blindness a hindrance to my ability to succeed
out in the field. Fields of study and careers like archaeology that are
often presumed to be visual in nature are by no means unreachable for blind
people. I encourage other blind people not to fear archaeology, science, or
fieldwork. Embrace it. Challenge yourself. You will find that you will
gradually adapt to the environment and will find, or perhaps even create,
innovative ways to succeed within it. I sure did.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Rick Fox]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Ellen Sullivan]


Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS): An Effort by the National Federation of
the Blind of New Jersey, Northern Chapter, to Address this Concern in Essex
County


by Rick Fox and Ellen Sullivan

>From the Editor: This article is taken from The Sounding Board,
Spring/Summer 2022. Rick Fox and Ellen Sullivan are both wonderful leaders
who dream and then give those dreams form. Here is something they have done
recently that shows what work and determination can do:


Introduction


Have you ever had one of these days? Rick needs to walk his service dog,
Flash, and Ellen is literally dashing out the door to her appointment at the
dentist nearby. The weather is dreary, and we are on the go! We both live in
very walkable environments-let us say a walkability score of 87 percent (out
of 100, according to standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency
for the ease of living, shopping, and using one's local amenities without
having to drive a car.) Rick lives in Bloomfield and Ellen in Maplewood.

Oh yes, we are both blind and sometimes have difficulty crossing complex and
often confusing intersections because the access button to cross the street
can be non-existent or, literally, twelve feet away from the intersection.
Yes, indeed, Rick and Ellen are in a hurry and listen carefully for the
traffic flow and surge, and say that "Hail Mary" as they each bolt across
the street.

Oh no! We forgot about that invisible "delayed green" button signaling cars
to turn right, and so did the driver, so Rick and I find our lives in peril
for a brief moment! Hence, you can see why Rick and I and the members of the
Northern Chapter are interested in Accessible Pedestrian Signals. For blind
people, it may be the difference between life and death.


Definition


Many people have asked us what Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) are.
There are many definitions for these devices and the one we're using here
is:

Devices that communicate information about the WALK and DON'T WALK intervals
at signalized intersections in non-visual formats to pedestrians who are
blind or who have low vision. They involve both auditory and tactile
information about the location, direction, and timing to cross an
intersection.


Information Provided to Pedestrians by APS


. Existence of and location of the pushbutton

. Beginning of the WALK interval

. Direction of the crosswalk and location of the destination curb

. Intersection street names in Braille, raised print, or through speech
messages

. Intersection signalization with a speech message

. Intersection geometry through tactile maps and diagrams or through speech
messages


Benefits of APS


Since intersection controls are now computerized, traffic patterns can vary
depending on time of day and traffic flow. Research has found that APS
improved crossing performance by blind pedestrians including:

. More accurate judgments of the onset of the WALK interval

. Reduction in crossings begun during DON'T WALK

. Reduced delay

. Significantly more crossings completed before the signal changed

In addition, sighted pedestrians begin crossing more quickly and safely.
Okay, that was a lot of background information. So, back in early March
2020-just prior to the Covid lockdown-Rick Fox, president, and Ellen
Sullivan, vice president of the Northern Chapter, suggested identifying some
useful locations for APS in Essex County and then doing what was necessary
to have the APS installed. This is an objective for the Northern Chapter-and
worth considering as a possible project for your NFBNJ chapter, too.

Progress was quite slow at first, but we started by identifying
intersections in Essex County where these signals would be most beneficial
in terms of blind pedestrian safety.

In October of 2021, Rick Fox met with Lukas Franck, a senior consultant at
The Seeing Eye who has trained guide dogs and their handlers for many years.
Lukas was a wonderful source of information and guidance and, from this time
on, we felt like we were finally moving ahead with our project.

Under Lukas' guidance, Rick and Ellen reached out to County Commissioner
Carlos Pomares of Bloomfield and Wayne Richardson, president of the Essex
County Board of Commissioners. They just happened to be Rick and Ellen's
elected representatives.

Rick and Ellen received immediate feedback from Commissioner Richardson's
office and were invited to meet with the Commissioner and his staff,
including the Essex County Engineer, to discuss this issue. We developed a
mutually agreeable agenda and scheduled a meeting at the Commissioner's
office on October 28, 2021. At the meeting, we explained our roles in the
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey, the primary purpose of our
organization, why Accessible Pedestrian Signals are so important to us, and
outlined specific examples in Essex County.

Together we developed an action plan that included:

1. NFBNJ to provide a list of high priority intersections to be evaluated
for APS.

2. NFBNJ to provide an engineering guide (given to us by Lukas Franck) to
the Commissioner's office that would help prioritize intersection and APS
needs.

3. The Commissioner's office agreed to work with the NFBNJ to access and
install APS at new and planned upgraded intersections in Essex County.

4. The Commissioner agreed to alert the NFBNJ when these devices are added
and allow assessment by our blind members.

Coincidentally, on Tuesday, December 28, 2021, the New York Times published
a front-page article on the subject. Here is an excerpt:

A federal judge ordered New York City to install more than 9,000 accessible
pedestrian signals at city crosswalks. In a response, Nick Paolucci, a
spokesman for the city's Law Department, said that the ruling acknowledged
the "operational challenges" the city has faced in its attempts to install
the systems over the years. We are carefully evaluating the court's plan to
further the city's progress in increasing accessibility to people who are
blind and visually impaired, Mr. Paolucci said in a statement.

This ruling in New York City is encouraging news for its neighbors in Essex
County, New Jersey, and Rick and Ellen continue to keep the lines of
communication open with Essex County Commissioner Wayne Richardson. While
the fluctuations in the COVID pandemic and the icy winter weather have
presented immediate challenges to our meetings at this time, we are grateful
for the encouragement given to us by Commissioner Richardson and his staff.
This may be a long journey, but we believe the outcome will be what blind
and vision-impaired people in our state need.

Note: For additional information on walkability and its importance to human
health, the environment and other impacts, visit: National Walkability Index
Methodology and User Guide.

https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-06/documents/national_walkabili
ty_index_methodology_and_user_guide_june2021.pdf

-----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Everette Bacon]


The 2023 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards


by Everette Bacon

>From the Editor: Everette Bacon is a member of the National Board of
Directors and the affiliate president in Utah. He also chairs the Dr. Jacob
Bolotin Award Committee. Here is his announcement about the 2023 Bolotin
Awards program:

The National Federation of the Blind is pleased to announce that
applications are now being accepted for the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards. These
prestigious awards, granted each year as funds permit, seek to honor
initiatives, innovations, and individuals that are an exemplary positive
force in the lives of blind people and advance the ultimate goal of helping
them to live the lives they want. Award winners will be publicly recognized
during the 2023 annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind in
Houston, Texas. Each recipient will receive a cash award determined by the
Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee and will also be honored with an engraved
medallion and plaque.

Dr. Jacob W. Bolotin (1888-1924) was a pioneering blind physician, the first
in history who achieved that goal despite the tremendous challenges faced by
blind people in his time. Not only did he realize his own dream; he went on
to support and inspire many others in making their own dreams a reality. The
awards which bear his name are supported in part by the Alfred and Rosalind
Perlman Trust, left as a bequest by Dr. Bolotin's late nephew and niece to
the Santa Barbara Foundation and the National Federation of the Blind to
present the annual cash awards.

As chronicled in his biography, The Blind Doctor by Rosalind Perlman, Dr.
Bolotin fought ignorance and prejudice to gain entrance to medical school
and the medical profession. He became one of the most respected physicians
in Chicago during his career, which spanned the period from 1912 until his
death in 1924. He was particularly known for his expertise in diseases of
the heart and lungs. During his successful career, Dr. Bolotin used his many
public speaking engagements to advocate for employment of the blind and the
full integration of the blind into society. Interested in young people in
general and blind youth in particular, Dr. Bolotin established the first Boy
Scout troop consisting entirely of blind boys and served as its leader.

Jacob Bolotin's wife Helen had a sister whose husband died suddenly, leaving
her to raise a son, Alfred Perlman. The Perlmans moved in with the Bolotins
when Alfred was eleven, and for four years (until Jacob Bolotin's untimely
death at age thirty-six), "Uncle Jake" became Alfred's surrogate father.
Alfred later married Rosalind, and the couple worked on a book about Dr.
Bolotin's life. After Alfred's death in 2001, Rosalind dedicated the rest of
her life to completing and publishing the book, The Blind Doctor: The Jacob
Bolotin Story, published by Blue Point Books. The book is available in
digital audio format from the National Library Service for the Blind and
Print Disabled (NLS) program.

Past award winners have:

1.	Broken down barriers facing blind people in innovative ways.
2.	Changed negative perceptions of blindness and blind people.
3.	Pushed past existing boundaries to inspire blind people to achieve
new heights.


Award Description


In 2023 the National Federation of the Blind will again recognize
individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves in
accordance with the criteria established to receive a Dr. Jacob Bolotin
Award. The committee will determine both the number of awards and the value
of each cash award presented. The Federation determines the total amount to
be distributed each year based on income received from the trust supporting
the award program. The award categories for each year are blind individuals,
sighted individuals, and organizations, corporations, or other entities.
Individuals may apply on their own behalf or may submit a third-party
nomination, or the committee may also consider other individual or
organizational candidates.


Who Should Apply?


Individuals: Only individuals over eighteen years of age may be considered
for a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award. Applicants must demonstrate that they have
shown substantial initiative and leadership in improving the lives of the
blind. Examples of such initiative include but are not limited to developing
products, technologies, or techniques that increase the independence of the
blind; directing quality programs or agencies for the blind; or mentoring
other blind people. All individual applicants or third-party applicants
nominating other individuals must demonstrate that the work to be recognized
has been conducted within the twelve months preceding the application and/or
that the work is continuing. Applications by or on behalf of individuals
must include at least one letter of recommendation from a person familiar
with or directly affected by the work to be recognized.

Organizations: Organizations may apply for a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award in
order to further programs, services, technology, or techniques of unique and
outstanding merit that have assisted and will continue to assist the blind.
Applications from third parties nominating an organization will also be
considered. The organization category includes for-profit or nonprofit
corporations or organizations or other entities, such as a specific division
within an organization. Organizations or third-party applicants must
demonstrate that the programs or services to be recognized include
substantial participation by blind people as developers, mentors,
administrators, or executives and not merely as clients, consumers, or
beneficiaries. For example, an organization operating a program for blind
youth might demonstrate that a substantial number of the counselors,
teachers, or mentors involved in the program are blind. The organization or
third-party applicant must demonstrate that it has substantially aided blind
people within the twelve months prior to application and that an award would
support efforts to build on previous successes. The application must also
include at least one testimonial from a blind person who has benefited
substantially from the programs or services.

To qualify for an award, both individuals and organizations must provide
programs, services, or benefits to blind people in the United States of
America.


Procedures


More information, including an online application, can be found on the
National Federation of the Blind website at https://nfb.org/bolotin.

Online submission of nominations, letters of support, and other relevant
materials is strongly encouraged, but applications sent by mail and
postmarked by the deadline will also be accepted. The 2023 deadline for
application submission is April 15, and recipients chosen by the committee
will be individually notified of their selection no later than May 15.
Receipt of all complete applications will be acknowledged, but only those
applicants chosen to receive an award will be notified of their selection.
All decisions of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee are final.

The awards will be presented in July during the annual convention of the
National Federation of the Blind. Individuals selected to receive an award
must appear in person, not send a representative. Organizations may send an
individual representative, preferably their chief executive officer.
Recipient candidates must confirm that they will appear in person to accept
the award at the National Federation of the Blind annual convention. Failure
to confirm attendance for the award presentation by June 1 will result in
forfeiture of the award.


Ineligible Persons


Those employed full-time by the National Federation of the Blind may not
apply for a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award for work performed within the scope of
their employment. Students may not apply for both a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award
and a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship in the same year.

----------

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Sameer Doshi]


How Going Blind Helped Me Rediscover the Power of Optimism


by Sameer Doshi

>From the Editor: Sameer has gotten some publicity lately as he promotes his
book, The Work Ahead. As you will see from this article he wrote for the
Braille Monitor, he works at Microsoft, went blind in his early working
years, had some difficulty adjusting, and now believes he is onto something
that not only can help blind people but the rest of the world as it
struggles with being positive in a time when negative makes the headlines.
Here is his offering, which we receive with thanks:

We've all been there. Just when things are going great, life unexpectedly
throws you a lemon or a curveball. What do you do? When you have no other
option, you make lemonade. You catch the curve ball. I learned this at
thirty-one when I went blind overnight. In the years since this devastating
surprise, I've made all my dreams come true.

How did this happen? It all comes down to the power of optimism. That's it!
Optimism helped me to adapt and continue working in tech, where along the
way I've excelled and landed my dream job at Microsoft. I even wrote a
novel-about optimism. Stay with me here. I'm about to give you the secret
code to develop a forcefield that will repel any nasty situation that comes
for you. Here we go!


What's the deal with pessimism? 


The events that shape us are like Double Stuf OREOs, a fascinating
juxtaposition of good and bad. Long term, we tend to forget the good (these
things are delicious!) and dwell on the bad (OMG I ate the entire package?!)
This is human nature. But, when we spend too much time worrying, it becomes
part of our daily thought process and clouds our perception with negativity.
Life becomes tedious. You feel like you're in a rut. This is where optimism
comes in! Changing the way your brain frames daily life will change your
life.


The power of optimism


Remember what I told you about me going blind when I was thirty-one? Now is
when I tell you it also happened to be about a month after my daughter was
born. I went blind overnight. There was no warning. In a time of great joy
and transition in my life, everything around me was dark. For months, all I
could think of was what I could not do. I mean, I was struggling to just put
toothpaste on my toothbrush! The only thing I could do to help my wife was
simply holding our newborn daughter. I felt like a total failure.

Then, little by little, I switched over to the power of positive thinking. I
got an appointment with the Spectrios Institute for Low Vision, and it was
there that I was reminded I still had unlimited potential. A counselor, who
herself was blind, taught me about a special software to allow me to use a
computer again. Then came other lessons, including how to put that
toothpaste on my toothbrush. I thought, hey, if I could learn so much in so
little time, maybe just maybe, life might get back to the way it was before.


Embrace the new normal


Did life get back to the way it was? No. It did not. It took another two
years of learning and practice, but I slowly mastered skill after skill. I
trained my inner dialogue to help rather than hinder. I just learned how to
pour a cup of coffee. That's a win! I just signed up to learn Braille. Win!

Gradually, the pile of small victories turned into a mountain of
accomplishments, and I forged ahead doing the things I wanted to do, at
every turn thinking of it as a win. Walking the dog became a win. Working
out became a win. I had turned into a winning machine! My life wasn't the
way it was before. It was better.


Focus on the work ahead


With so many wins and successes under my belt, I found the energy to keep
challenging myself. I built a tactile Rubik's Cube and solved it! I learned
to play the guitar. If you keep yourself busy, you don't think of your
challenges as obstructions. I know you've probably got your hand raised,
ready to ask, "But, you said life has a way of throwing bad stuff at me?"
First of all, it's very polite of you, but no need to raise your hand. I'm
blind. (Thank you - I'll be here all week, folks!)

I'm not saying you have to avoid bad situations. I'm saying you should have
a plan for handling them and turning them into wins. This is the work ahead.
I left Spectrios with a long list of tasks. I forced myself to forget about
the distant future and zero in on what I could do now. Imagine the loftiest
goal you've ever had. Now center down and realize that every small step you
take gets you closer to that goal.


Shape your reactions


I can't control my emotions, but I can control how I react. You can too.
When I was deep into learning Tom Petty's Free Fallin' on the guitar, I'd
miss a chord here and there and get so frustrated! I sighed. I frowned.
Then, I took a breath. I let the frustration evaporate and then do you know
what I did? I subjected my loved ones to yet another Free Fallin' attempt. I
just kept playing.

I trained myself to make a conscious effort to modulate my reactions. The
world is complicated. There's already a lot of bad stuff. I vow to resist
the temptation to make it worse.


Flex your good memory muscles


Optimism takes practice. One of the best ways to do this is to reinforce
memories of your accomplishments. I like to pretend I'm giving myself an
annual performance review, except I don't list any bad feedback. Instead, I
focus on all the growth I've had in the last year. Simple things like
emptied the dishwasher before I went to bed most nights count. I'll include
any new places I've been, books I've read (Thanks, Talking Books!), shows
I've watched (Thanks, descriptive audio!), or new recipes I've made. Make a
list of the good stuff. You'll realize just how awesome you are!

Going blind forced me to rediscover optimism and create techniques to infuse
it in everything I do. This has helped keep the darkness at bay and taught
me to push myself to grow. It's been a decade since I lost my sight, and
just recently I re-learned how to ride a bike. My daughter and I biked along
a nature trail! Win!

Six final points:

*	When life brings bad news, you can choose to be angry and devastated
or to look for the bright spots and move toward them.
*	When you push through the hard times, there are always better times
on the other side.
*	Surviving big setbacks and failures makes failure feel okay. And
that is a superpower.
*	Overcoming huge challenges shows you how adaptable the human brain
is and teaches you that you can accomplish just about anything. It also
makes you more curious and eager to continually learn.
*	Being an optimist and spreading optimism really does help make the
world a better place.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Rachel Grider]


Central Valley Chapter Takes on Challenges in Blind Equality Achievement
Month


by Rachel Grider

>From the Editor: Rachel is familiar to Monitor readers because of her work
in coordinating the work of one hundred singers who harmonized when
in-person contact was impossible, an electronic miracle if ever there was
one. She is very active in our California affiliate and certainly represents
leadership at its best. Here is her report of what her chapter did during
Blind Equality Achievement Month:

The Central Valley Chapter helped with a voter education workshop on October
8 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Stanislaus County Elections Office at 1021 I
Street in Modesto. We demonstrated the remote accessible vote-by-mail system
with different types of screen-reading software, and attendees had the
opportunity to try out the Touch Writer ballot marking device. Members of
election staff were on hand to answer questions so that everyone who wishes
can be prepared to vote independently during the November election.

On October 15, White Cane Awareness Day, the Central Valley Chapter will be
participating in a White Cane Walk with the Stanislaus County Office of
Education at JFK School, 1202 Stonum Rd. in Modesto. This event will include
fun activities for our local blind children, including an obstacle course,
cane decorating, and games with tactile emojis. Members of the chapter will
be on hand to answer questions and to demonstrate that blindness should not
hold anyone back from living the life they want.

On October 29, the Central Valley Chapter will have a booth at the Modesto
Farmer's Market, located on 16th Street between H Street and I Street, from
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. We will be demonstrating Braille and assistive technology,
and we will have some fun Halloween-themed activities, including a
descriptive costume game.

---------


You Can Make a Difference


Blind children, students, and adults are making powerful strides in
education and leadership every day across the United States. For more than
eighty years, the National Federation of the Blind has worked to transform
the dreams of hundreds of thousands of blind people into reality. With
support from individuals like you, we continue to provide powerful programs
and critical resources for decades to come. We sincerely hope you will plan
to be a part of our enduring movement by including the National Federation
of the Blind in your charitable giving and in your estate planning. It is
easier than you think.

 

With your help, the NFB will continue to:

*	Give blind children the gift of literacy through Braille.
*	Promote independent travel by providing free long white canes to
blind people in need.
*	Develop dynamic educational projects and programs to show blind
youth that science and math careers are within their reach.
*	Deliver hundreds of accessible newspapers and magazines to provide
blind people the essential information necessary to be actively involved in
their communities.
*	Offer aids and appliances that help seniors losing vision maintain
their independence.


Plan to Leave a Legacy


The National Federation of the Blind Legacy Society, our Dream Makers
Circle, honors and recognizes the generosity and vision of members and
special friends of the National Federation of the Blind who have chosen to
leave a legacy through a will or other planned giving option. You can join
the Dream Makers Circle in a myriad of ways.


Fixed Sum of Assets


You can specify that a fixed sum of your assets or property goes to the
National Federation of the Blind in your will, trust, pension, IRA, life
insurance policy, brokerage account, or other accounts.


Percentage of Assets


You can specify that a percentage of your assets or property goes to the
National Federation of the Blind in your will, trust, pension, IRA, life
insurance policy, brokerage account, or other accounts.


Payable on Death (POD) Account


You can name the National Federation of the Blind as the beneficiary on a
Payable on Death (POD) account through your bank. You can turn any checking
or savings account into a POD account. This is one of the simplest ways to
leave a legacy. The account is totally in your control during your lifetime
and you can change the beneficiary or percentage at any time with ease.


Will or Trust


If you do decide to create or revise your will, consider the National
Federation of the Blind as a partial beneficiary.

Visit our Planned Giving webpage
(https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving) or call
410-659-9314, extension 2422, for more information.

Together with love, hope, determination, and your support, we will continue
to transform dreams into reality.


Ways to Contribute Now 


Throughout 2021, the NFB:

*	Sent nearly one thousand Braille Santa and Winter Celebration
letters to blind children, encouraging excitement for Braille literacy.
*	Distributed over five thousand canes to blind people across the
United States, empowering them to travel safely and independently throughout
their communities.
*	Delivered audio newspaper and magazine services to 126,823
subscribers, providing free access to over five hundred local, national, and
international publications.
*	Gave over six hundred Braille-writing slates and styluses free of
charge to blind users.
*	Mentored 232 blind youth during our Braille Enrichment for Literacy
and LearningR Academy in-home editions.

Just imagine what we'll do next year and, with your help, what can be
accomplished for years to come. Below are just a few of the many diverse,
tax-deductible ways you can lend your support to the National Federation of
the Blind.


Vehicle Donation Program


The NFB accepts donated vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats,
motorcycles, or recreational vehicles. Just call 855-659-9314 toll-free, and
a representative can make arrangements to pick up your donation. We can also
answer any questions you have.


General Donation


General donations help support the ongoing programs of the NFB and the work
to help blind people live the lives they want. You can call 410-659-9314 and
elect option 4 to donate by phone. Donate online with a credit card or
through the mail with check or money order. Visit our Ways to Give webpage
(https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give) for more information. 


Pre-Authorized Contribution


Through the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) program, supporters sustain
the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind by making recurring
monthly donations by direct withdrawal of funds from a checking account or a
charge to a credit card. To enroll, call 410-659-9314, extension 2213, or
fill out our PAC Donation Form (https://www.nfb.org/pac) online.

If you have questions about giving, please send an email to outreach at nfb.org
<mailto:outreach at nfb.org>  or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Jack Chen]


Living the Life He Wants: Stoking Employment Opportunities through Movies,
Sports, and Achievement


by Jack Chen

>From the Editor: I love it when I am moved by a speech. This is the second
in the Living the Life series we experienced at our 2022 Convention, and I
feel blessed to have sat through it and equally blessed to run it here. We
begin with remarks by President Riccobono:

The presenter for this item is a blind person who is using his life
experience to raise expectations for all blind people. He is a blind person
who is pursuing his dreams in many ways. One way he has raised expectations
in his own life is by riding a bike from coast to coast. He has committed to
using his story to bring attention to the underemployment issue that exists
for the blind community and the low expectations that are at the root of our
underemployment. We got to know him virtually during the pandemic, so it's
great to have him here in person at this convention.

I first got to meet him in person a couple of months ago at our national
office. I got to meet his whole family. Here to talk to us about his
experience and the work we've done together is Jack Chen:

When I was growing up people didn't look at me like they do today. I am
Chinese American, and my extended family lives in Taiwan. My brother and I
both are visually impaired. When we were growing up, our relatives in Taiwan
wrote us off. They didn't know what to do with us. They had no experience
with people who are blind or have low vision.

I want to tell you a bit of my story, but it is really with the help of
other people that I've been able to do what I have done in my life. I want
to thank my wife and my four kids, and also my God whom I serve.

New Orleans is a city of resilience. You may not know, but there was a fire
here in 1788 that threatened to wipe New Orleans off the map. They started
to build the city back up, and then, six years later, in 1794, another fire
came and threatened to wipe New Orleans off the map again.

During the Civil War, political unrest and daily torchings again threatened
the city. Then came Hurricane Betsy in the 1960s, Katrina in 2005, and most
recently, Ida-that one-two punch! They thought they could take New Orleans
down, but they couldn't. New Orleans is a cultural icon in our country.
Everyone knows New Orleans for great music and great food.

New Orleans is a city of resilience, and for me this has been a powerful
homecoming. I was here thirty-one years ago. I came to New Orleans for a
cornea transplant. I went to Louisiana State University Eye and Ear
Hospital, and, as I flew here from New Jersey, I remember seeing the blue
sky above and the white clouds below. I thought to myself, How much more
will I see on the way back? They told me I would be able to read a
newspaper! I would be able to go shopping and see the price on a box of
cereal!

This happened during my sophomore year in high school. I had been to New
Orleans many times in the past before 1991 for other corneal transplants
that didn't go well. This time, though, they said they had developed DNA
technology that would help them find a tissue donor that my body would not
reject.

When I came out of the surgery they had put a big thick gauze patch over my
eye and taped it up tight. I sat in my bed for a couple of days before I
went to the examination room. I remember sitting on a big hard plastic
chair. I remember the doctors coming over and peeling off one layer of
bandages. My mom and the doctors were in the room. Nobody moved. I was
puzzled; I wondered, what's going on? Impatient as I was, I touched my face,
and when I felt the skin of my eyelid, I knew something was very wrong. I
couldn't see anything. I had become totally blind.

Despite the sweltering weather outside, I felt like someone took a bucket of
ice and poured it to the deepest reaches of my soul. I was without hope. I
was completely fearful about what the future was going to be. I imagined
myself walking down a long hallway, and a door on the left was slamming, and
a door on the right was closing, and there were closing doors behind me and
above me and below me. What could I do but put one foot in front of the
other? The alternative was terrifying-to sit down and do nothing.

So I put one foot in front of the other.

Before I went to New Orleans I was studying for my SATs. To block out the
fear, I went back to study for my SATs when I returned home. I put one foot
in front of the other, not knowing what was to come. I was a mediocre
Braille reader at the time, I have to admit, but I dug hard into my studies.
Does anyone here remember the 3,500-word Barron's SAT book? I decided to
memorize the whole thing. (That's not a testament to my ability, but to my
pigheadedness!) The SATs were in three months, and I was going to give it
all I had.

I was frightened to go back to school. I had always gotten around with my
limited eyesight, and navigating the school with a cane was frightening to
me. Most of my friends wouldn't hang out with me anymore. Seeing another
young person go through something so difficult was hard for them, and they
didn't know how to react. Their fear left me alone.

I was on the wrestling team as a sophomore, and I jumped back into
wrestling. If my record were to predict my future success, it would be one
win and a whole lot of losses.

In December of that year my SAT results came back. My parents opened the
envelope for me, and I was shocked. I had scored just ten points lower than
my brother, who was off at his freshman year at Harvard. I could not believe
what was happening!

At the end of the wrestling season, past results were not a predictor of
future success. I wound up with a winning record for wrestling at Districts.
But the biggest test of all was coming. My friend Oliver and my friend Ryan
and I walked into the guidance counselor's office for that fateful call to
the college admissions office to find out whether you got in. Only one
person from my school each year had ever gotten into Harvard. When Oliver
got on the phone he whooped and hollered and said he had gotten in. I was so
happy for him, but I was fearful for myself. Then I got on the phone and
managed to stammer out my name. I heard, "Mr. Chen, you have been accepted
to Harvard!"

I felt as though my whole future had been squeezed into a really tight
package. I had cut off the zip tie, and it was exploding. My future had
seemed really dark, but now it started to have some light and some life. It
was kind of like what I said about New Orleans, how it rose from the ashes
again and again.

Harvard wasn't easy. I only had about 20 percent of the reading materials I
needed. Going to class was hard. It was like putting together a
thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. I had some lectures and some readings, but
that was the easy stuff. That was like the edge pieces and the corner
pieces. But you had to extrapolate all the stuff in the middle. You had to
guess. Sometimes you were right, and sometimes you were wrong. But I did get
through, and I managed to graduate.

I graduated with a computer science degree, and I went to work for a startup
building home-automation technology, way before the internet was even a
term. They asked me to manage the data center at the company, but the
operating system for those sophisticated pieces of equipment wasn't
accessible, and I couldn't read what was going on. I couldn't see the lights
on the front of the machine to know whether I had to replace the hard
drives.

At the same time they also asked me to help design the second generation of
their product. In doing so I helped them build a patent portfolio. I emerged
from the company a few years later with my name as a listed inventor on over
forty patents.

I got a little tired of computers and jumped into law. I went to law school
at night and graduated, and then I went to take the bar exam. The National
Conference of Bar Examiners told me, "Mr. Chen, you're not going to be
allowed to use a computer to take the test. We'll give you a cassette tape,
and you can take the exam on tape." It was like taking a two-hundred-page
exam on a one-line teleprompter! I did pass, in New York and New Jersey.

I've been blessed to work on so many things in my lifetime. I've had so many
experiences! I have the most wonderful family ever. I've had the chance to
work as product counsel for Google for over ten years. I worked as a member
of the public policy team as a product manager for Chrome LS. For the past
year and a half, I've had the opportunity to support the product team that
builds the technology that supports 99 percent of Facebook's revenue. I've
run marathons and Iron Mans, and I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. Do I share all
these things to tell you how great I am or to inspire you, to show you that
blind people can do anything? No, not really.

Let me tell you a story. Five weeks ago I had the opportunity to go to my
twenty-fifth college reunion at Harvard. I was standing in Harvard Yard
having lunch one day, and my friend Edwin Lin came up to me. He told me,
"Jack, I have one big regret from college. I couldn't help you more." I
said, "What do you mean?" He said, "Remember, you and I were roommates for
one summer. You had to take differential equations, a math class. I
volunteered to go with you to class and help you understand what was going
on on the board. I went with you that first day, and the teacher was going
so fast and was putting so many things in the equations up on the board that
I couldn't help you. It was impossible."

He watched me struggle and suffer for the next three years, but he did see
me graduate with honors. Edwin is now a senior executive at City Group, and
he told me this story. "I had the opportunity to interview a blind person
for my group." He said that when he was about to extend the offer letter,
his coworkers told him, "You must be crazy! Do you think a blind person can
be successful at an organization like ours?" And Edwin said, "Yes, he can. I
know, because I've seen it done before."

That sentiment inspired me and my cofounder, Dan Berlin, to create a movie
about blindness and success. Here's the trailer.

[The trailer introduced the film "Surpassing Sight," with vignettes of Jack
Chen, Dan Berlin, and other successful blind people. It presents the idea of
a bike ride across America.]

Race Across America was a 3,100-mile cycling race from San Diego to
Annapolis, crossing thirteen states and three mountain ranges and including
175,000 feet of elevation gain. Put forty people into two 400-square-foot
RVs, give them no sleep, make them work sixteen hours a day, bring eight
cyclists from one country to another-nothing can go wrong. Right? Actually
that trip was the toughest thing I've ever done in my life by far!

On the second day of the race, I got a calf cramp. Who gets a calf cramp on
the second day of a nine-day race? What was I going to do? If I dropped out,
our chances of finishing would be less than 30 percent.

Then I got an infection in my toe. The crew chief had to go online to
YouTube to watch a video on how to do minor surgery to lance somebody's toe.
I got yelled at by a number of people on my team for something I said. We
had to stop the race and have a come-to-Jesus moment because it threatened
to tear the whole team apart!

Like I said, you work sixteen hours a day and shove people into a tight
confined space, and nothing will go wrong . . .

In the movie my cofounder, Dan Berlin, said, "It's in the deepest struggles
that you will find the vitality of life." My friend Edwin personally watched
me struggle, and he watched me find victory and rise from the ashes. The
thing that really impacted me and Dan was the fact that some statistics say
that 70 percent of college-educated blind people in America can't find a
job. Dan and I wouldn't stand for that! Dan was the CEO of his own
corporation, a very successful vanilla extract company that produced 75
percent of the vanilla extract in our country. I was an attorney working for
Google, having been transferred over to Facebook later on. The two of us
said, "We have to do something about this."

When you think about Edwin, when you think about what other people see in
us, when they see us becoming victorious and surmounting challenges, we tell
our own stories. We wanted to tell our own story, but we could only do it on
a one-on-one basis. I know each of you does that as well. We wanted to solve
this problem at scale. We said, "We're going to take on the toughest cycling
race in the world, and we're going to do it as blind professionals. We want
to tell a story of success, both on and off the bike." We wanted every
person, every hiring manager, and every chief executive of every corporation
in America to see our story and have that Edwin experience. We wanted every
fully sighted person in the world to say, "Yes, he can, because I know. I've
seen it done before."

To close, I ask each of you to come on this journey with us, to partner with
us. First of all, we're incredibly honored that the National Federation of
the Blind has partnered with us as an executive producer of this film, and
that we'll have the worldwide premier at this convention. Each of you is
invited. It will be shown at an independent theater at 333 Canal Street, on
the big screen.

I want each of you in this room and each of you online to tell people about
this film. When the full release comes out, I want everybody to see it.
Please help us spread the word!

For the folks in the room who are blind or have low vision, sometimes it
feels like the doors are going to be slammed in your face. I've had that
experience myself. You have no idea where things are going to go. But when
we face those challenges together and we emerge victorious, you know you
lift me up. I'll continue to do the same, battling through challenges; I
hope I'll lift you up as well. Together let's create more Edwin Lins in this
world, people who can say, "Yes they can, because I've seen it done before."
Together we're going to take the 70 percent unemployment rate and knock it
down to 7 percent or lower!

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Deena Lambert]


Living the Life She Wants: Staying Grounded and Shooting for the Moon with
Federation Philosophy


by Deena Lambert

>From the Editor: This stellar presentation was given on Saturday, July 9,
2022, at the convention of the National Federation of the Blind in New
Orleans. Here is the way President Riccobono introduced it:

Introduction by Mark Riccobono: We have a member who has been building a
career at NASA and also in her own life. She and I came into the Federation
at a similar time, so it's been a joy to observe her journey and her
strength in applying the Federation philosophy. She is truly an example of
what thousands of blind people do in this movement on a daily basis. Here
from Maryland to talk to us about her journey is Deena Lambert.

A few months back President Riccobono reached out to me and said, "Hey, are
you interested in sharing part of your story?" I was like, "Who, me? What
part of the story do you want me to share-the part where I have more gray
hairs than I had three years ago? Or that story about my girls on New Year's
Eve with a few mimosas in us decorating our vision boards, but failing to
include a whole pandemic where we would be stretched and tested beyond our
wildest dreams and fears? Or the part that says I would have to dig down
deep in my soul for all the courage I would need to pursue my dreams of
working in the aerospace industry and becoming a mom, even if it meant there
was failure and that I would be walking much of that journey alone?" He
said, "Yes, all of it."

Twenty years ago almost to the day, I introduced myself at the 2002
Louisville Convention as an NFB scholarship finalist. I was excited, I was
nervous, I was hopeful because I saw and heard so many things at that
convention! I met businessmen and women, engineers, parents, and students. I
went to the parties-all of the parties! Some of us are just waking up now
from those parties! Basically, I experienced a microcosm of our society as a
whole. Everyone was there.

As someone who is twenty years older, with a few more gray hairs and
hopefully some wisdom to share, I'd like to take a few moments with you to
have a conversation. Mark said talking to you would be like talking to
family.

There's a saying: "Teach the young early what we have learned late." I hope
that some of you will gain something that is helpful and challenging, but
that will feel real, which is a part of my story. Even though I am the one
standing here before you with this honor, hundreds, even thousands of our
Federation family members are in the room and in our affiliates who can
share wisdom and insight. That wisdom could positively shift the trajectory
in your life as an individual toward living out the version of your life
that you deeply desire, even if you haven't realized it yet. Two and a half
years of living in a pandemic have forced us to shorten our time horizon,
meaning that we have to place more urgency on the decisions and actions we
take.

I can only imagine what the original NFB founders and leaders faced when
they formed this organization that would provide strength, unity, and
community to blind people who were fighting just for the right simply to
live and attain self-determination. I grew up in a home where there was
absolutely no doubt that my mom and dad loved me deeply. But as a young
adult, I realized a sense of urgency to finding that sense of confidence to
pursue my dreams and make my own decisions. It wasn't just about going to
college and picking a degree. It was something more basic, like choosing
what I wanted to wear or doing my own hair as a sixteen-year-old. It was
even about choosing to use a white cane without my mama's disapproval and
fear or shame about what she would say. Building that confidence did not
come from just one instance. It took understanding that, while I would
survive and likely even earn a degree, I might not seize that gift of
freedom and self-agency that you can observe in so many people here. I would
likely end up living a life where others would make decisions for me.

Then I attended a voc rehab transitions seminar in Arkansas and met a ragtag
bunch of staff from the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB). I was shook! A
few weeks later, Joanne Wilson, with all of her gusto, helped me navigate a
conversation with my parents that led to me attending LCB. That simple phone
call was the Federation in motion. The core values of the NFB leaders were
fully alive in that conversation and in subsequent conversations during my
brief time at LCB.

When you get that feeling in your gut that says there is more for you, don't
wait! Don't second-guess yourself! Do not short-change yourself or the
process of training.

You may have noticed that I said I was a student at LCB for a short period
of time. I left LCB after only eight weeks of training to go off to college.
Later I realized that I had indeed short-changed the training and mentorship
I needed. Even though attending a training center is not the only way to
gain confidence and independence, there is something about the process and
the method, the positive philosophy about blindness in Structured Discovery
that is potent and well-measured.

I went off to college as an electrical engineering student at the University
of Arkansas. My head was full of knowledge but short on wisdom. For example,
a few blind freshmen-we had our own little crew-found that the laundry
facilities were not fully accessible. When we raised this issue to
university leadership, the university offered for the university's
housekeeping staff to do our laundry for us! Now, to the seventeen-year-old
version of me, that seemed like a victory! But even my short time at LCB
helped me identify the ugly, sinking feeling that this was perpetuating
lower expectations of the blind, and that it needed to stop. I share this
story with a bit of embarrassment-I haven't told it to anyone before.

We presented a tangible example of the power that can be wielded by a
collection of blind people. But wisdom would have said, "Are you for real?
Are you kidding me?" We had won the battle of making the university do
something, anything. But we were well on our way to losing the war on
misconceptions and poor beliefs about the capabilities of the blind.

What impression did that one housekeeping staff member have when she had to
deliver multiple loads of laundry to the blind students? Maybe she would
share with her family what she had to do to help the blind students. It
wasn't right.

I did eventually learn to do my own laundry, and I went on to complete my
degree. After graduation I encountered rejection after rejection when I
applied for jobs. I had to shift gears and get creative. I started attending
regional and national conferences of organizations such as the Society of
Black Engineers, Microsoft, and others. I got assistance from voc rehab and
a small grant from my university, and I used my own personal funds from
work-study jobs. This was called self-investment. I broadened my mentor
base, not only with academic advisors but with experienced professionals
from my Greek organization, Delta Sigma Theta Incorporated, and my frat,
Alpha Phi Alpha. I drew upon my local community of sighted and blind leaders
who I could learn from.

Finally, almost a year after graduation, I received the call I had dreamed
of. It was NASA calling!

Fast forward to today. I am now the DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and
Accessibility) lead for NASA'S early-stage innovations and partnerships.
It's a functional leadership position within a $350-million-dollar
portfolio. We are tasked with identifying, promoting, and advancing the
transformational space technology that helps NASA achieve its on-Earth and
long-duration missions. We are the widest and lowest entry point into NASA's
space technology readiness level, or TRL. With over seven hundred funding
opportunities, we are the most outward-facing technical component NASA has,
with funding vehicles that reach small businesses, researchers, citizens,
and students.

Fifteen years ago, probably more, I remember hearing hesitations as to why
the NFB was funding and moving out on the Blind Driver Challenge. At the
time it did seem a little farfetched. But, as I review proposals and engage
in topic-specific technology research opportunities outside of blindness, I
realize that what the NFB has been doing is the first step toward radical
innovation. We may not see all of the rewards and benefits right now.
However, I am confident that we will see them in the near future with
spinoff technology and techniques that we will advance with more innovation.

Right now I want to make you aware of a pilot program that we just started,
targeting students, entrepreneurs, and researchers who have an idea and need
some support to bring it to market. It's our Innovation Corps or I-Corps
Pilot. We will provide ten thousand dollars to applicants coming in. We'll
offer technical assistance in order to accelerate your idea, and we'll help
you build the network you need to move on toward larger funding tiers,
possibly to the tune of four hundred thousand dollars! I would like to see
more people in this room and people on the scholarship winner list as
applicants for our funding opportunities.

I want to close with a personal experience. Many of you may remember that I
wanted to be a mom. After much thought, prayer, and skepticism, I landed on
one question. Would I be happy with how I lived my life and the decisions
that I made if I did not pursue this dream? With the support of my chosen
community and my family within the NFB, I asked, "Can I choose to say yes to
this life I want?"

This question was specific to my choice to become a single mom, but it has
applications elsewhere. For you in the audience this question may hit home
in other ways, whether it is about employment, education, relationships.
Many people outside the adoption community, which is where I chose to pursue
motherhood, may not know that in private adoption the expectant mom who is
voluntarily choosing to place her child is offered an opportunity to choose
the family she wants. The sixteen-year-old me would have said, "Why would
she choose me? I am blind." The version of myself at that time didn't have
many blindness or independence skills. Why would any expectant mom choose me
for one of the biggest and most permanent decisions in her life? But the
thirty-seven-year-old me was bold enough to say, "Why not?"

I've observed in myself over and over again, and sometimes in the blind
community at large, that we can easily talk ourselves out of opportunities
and choices. It happens when we listen to the lingering voices of doubts and
misconceptions. I dare each of us to say, "Why not me?" and have the actions
and decisions that reflect that energy. "Why not me?"

Let me go back to that ripple effect I mentioned earlier. Indeed, it came
back full circle. To be approved to become an adoptive mom, I had to pass a
home study test with a licensed social worker. Let's call it the white glove
test. It covers all-and I mean all!-areas of your life. My fear of rejection
drove me to sign up for courses that were above and beyond my agency's
requirements for prospective families. After one frantic call the social
worker said, "Deena, please stop! For one, you're causing too much
paperwork. These courses are way too expensive. I know that you are quite
capable of being a well-rounded and safe mother." After she completed her
report (of course, she couldn't tell me what she was thinking while she was
writing it), I said, "How did you know?" She shared that she had observed
multiple blind people raising families, managing classrooms, and going about
their lives with dignity, respectability, and grace. That was enough for
her. So if you are one of those blind people she observed, I want to say
thank you!

I leave you with the charge to feel empowered, knowing that you have
influence in positively shifting not only your life as a blind person but
the lives of others whose names you may never even know. Thank you so much!

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Jim Omvig]


The Passing of Jim Omvig: A State President who Touched the World in so Many
Ways


by Gary Wunder

It is with sadness that we report the death of James Omvig, a former
president of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland and a very
active member anywhere he happened to live and work. Jim was born February
12, 1935, and died on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. At the time of his death,
he and Sharon were living in Des Moines, Iowa, and though health somewhat
limited where and how often he could go, Jim maintained his can-do spirit,
his feelings about being blessed to have known Dr. Jernigan and other
leaders in the Federation, and the pride he took in all he was able to
accomplish.

It is fortunate that the Braille Monitor did an extensive write-up on Jim
while he was alive and able to appreciate and share it. He said he loved it,
so it is with the deepest respect that we run it again to commemorate this
towering figure in our Federation's history.


A Modern-Day Pioneer in Our Midst: An Attempt to Say Thank You to a Civil
Rights Leader for the Blind


by Gary Wunder

One of my jobs as the state president in Missouri has been to deliver
eulogies for Federationists whose long service and love of the organization
deserve a tribute. I have written them for two past affiliate presidents,
several other leaders of prominence, and many friends. The honor in being
asked to deliver a eulogy is that you may be saying the most important words
that have been or will ever be said about someone's life. The sadness is
that it isn't being said to the person we are honoring. At best one must
take on faith that the remarks will be heard, felt, sensed, or known by the
one being honored, and at worst the comments come too late to matter to that
person.

What a pleasure it is when sometimes we are able to say thank you to a gem
while he or she is still around to appreciate it, correct us when we don't
quite get it right, and tell us just a bit more that we don't quite know as
we write the remarks to share their lives with those who may not have known
them as well as their family and friends. So it is that I have drawn an ace
from the deck and have the honor of putting down some part of Jim Omvig's
life story: an inspiration, a tribute to what can happen when one works
hard, meets the right people, is encouraged, and takes advantage of the
opportunities offered.

Jim was raised in Slater, Iowa, and for a time attended the public school
there. Though he tried hard, much of his effort focused on using vision he
simply didn't have. Eventually he went to the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving
School in Vinton. While competing academically and athletically was made
easier by the lack of emphasis on vision, the school brought with it other
difficulties. Foremost among these was the attitude held by the school about
its blind charges. Those with the most sight were the most blessed: those
called upon for giving the school tours, for pitching the tents during
scouting events, and for looking after "the totals" (those without any
usable vision). The school believed the blind could be educated, but the
fields in which they could participate were quite limited, and, given this
philosophy, the school provided vocational technical training in the few
jobs they believed their graduates could do. The staff members were good,
honest people, but they saw their calling to be to teach the blind some
academic skills, help them compete with other blind people athletically, and
acquaint them early on with the limitations of blindness. These would not
have been the words they used, but certainly the attitude they conveyed to
Jim and his fellow students.

After high school Jim lived at home almost eight years. Most of his days
were not so much living as existing, always waiting for that piece of
medical news that would change his life. His mother so wanted him to see
that she went to eye doctors, offering one of her eyes if only they could
give it to Jim so that he might have vision. Since no operation, regardless
of the sacrifice, could give him the vision he would need to be a productive
citizen, he and his family lived from day to day, with Jim doing what little
he could to help with family chores. Occasionally he got work in a local
creamery, where his strength could be used in moving butter and loading
trucks with products bound for the city. This was not the kind of work that
could provide a real income, but any extra money was helpful, and so too was
any reason to get up in the morning. This was not the life he wanted, but it
was the life he had been given, and people from Iowa knew there was only so
much time that could be given over to grief about what one had lost and
wanted back.

Jim lived what he now regards as an isolated life. Though tall and good
looking, he decided early on that it would be irresponsible to get involved
with women. In his mind a man's role was to be the provider, the leader in
his home. He believed that being blind precluded this, so there was no
reason to offer his heart or to ask for the heart of another.

When he was twenty-five, Jim was contacted by the Iowa Commission for the
Blind and invited to go to Des Moines to tour the agency. His sister Jan was
then a student and encouraged him to come. He figured he already knew much
of what there was to know about what blind people could do and become from
his time at the school in Vinton, but he agreed to visit if for no other
reason than for the brief change in daily routine the visit would afford.

Mr. Omvig remembers his first interview with agency Director Kenneth
Jernigan and the questions that set him on a path he never thought possible.
The first question was whether or not he was blind, and Mr. Omvig gave what
he regarded as a cutesy but accurate answer. "I am hard of seeing," he said,
at which point Mr. Jernigan asked, "How many fingers am I holding up?" and
then told Jim unequivocally that he was blind. Jim remembers that this
answer cut deeply and stung bitterly. Mr. Jernigan asked Jim his age. When
Jim said he was twenty-five, Mr. Jernigan said, "My, my, twenty-five. So a
man your age can expect to live for another fifty years. Jim, what are you
going to do for the next fifty years?" As he considered his answer, he
remembers feeling sick at heart. Fifty years was more a sentence than a
promise. Jim's reply was that he didn't know, but what he feared was that he
did and that those years would be spent doing just what he had done since
high school graduation.

But the very asking of the question hinted that there were possibilities
beyond returning to Slater and living out his life as the dependent son and
brother. Kenneth Jernigan suggested that Jim come to the Orientation and
Adjustment Center for training and told him that a man with some motivation
and brains could be a productive citizen. Jim wasn't sure he believed it,
but he could clearly see that the man offering the opportunity did. What was
the risk? Unrealized hopes would hurt, but so would returning to Slater,
where nothing was happening or likely to happen for a blind man named Omvig.

Although Jim agreed during his visit to come to the center for training, he
still had one hope-that he might regain his vision. Friends told him about a
doctor in South Dakota doing miraculous work, so he took all of his money,
got a friend to drive him, and once again got the sad news that vision was
not in his future.

Jim spent nine months at the center: learning Braille, cane travel, typing,
woodworking, and engaging in challenge activities he had previously thought
to be well beyond what blind people could do. Nearing the end of his
training, Jim was asked what he would like to do with his future-what he
might like to do for a living. Full of enthusiasm for what he was
experiencing, he replied that he would like to run a training center and do
what Mr. Jernigan was doing to help the blind.

Mr. Jernigan responded with a question: "Mr. Omvig, do you want to go into
work with the blind and run a center because you think you would truly love
it and be good at it or because you really believe you can't succeed at
anything else and that getting into work with the blind will be easy?" When
Jim said that he didn't know if he could answer the question honestly, Mr.
Jernigan suggested that he consider another career.

What Jim had considered foolish and impossible only a year before was
reshaping his life. Those crazy people from the commission were offering him
the chance to go to college and promised financial support that his family
could never hope to provide. Beyond the financial support, they convinced
Jim that they believed in him, let him observe a few blind people who were
successfully pursuing careers and raising families, and suggested to him
that he could do the same. What he came to understand later was that he was
being given the opportunity to be a modern-day pioneer, to assume a special
place as part of a social experiment to determine if the philosophy of the
National Federation of the Blind was simply a fine-sounding theory or
whether it would prove to be true and could change lives in the way its
proponents proclaimed.

Jim finished his training at the commission, went to college, and was the
first blind person to attend and graduate from the Loyola University of
Chicago's School of Law. He recalls that 144 students entered the school,
and of those only thirty-six were granted law degrees. Having this degree
meant that the man who once had nothing to do and plenty of time to do it in
would find himself busy for the rest of his life, taking his place as a
senior warrior in the civil rights struggle of the blind and eventually
appearing before the justices of the United States Supreme Court to be
granted the right to practice law before that august body.

But, after graduating in 1966 with good grades and a degree from a
prestigious law school, Jim had to arrange and participate in 150 interviews
before he landed a job. Even this took some political intervention from his
friend and mentor, Kenneth Jernigan. Mr. Omvig moved to Washington, DC, and
became the first blind employee of the National Labor Relations Board.
Although he was admired and well-liked by his fellow employees, several did
try to convince him that his long hours and prodigious output raised the bar
for them and let it be known that they were none too happy about this. Jim
told them that they were free to work as much or as little as they liked,
but he was there to do more than earn an income and provide for himself: he
was there to convince the world that blind people could do high-quality work
and do it as well as their sighted coworkers. His fellows saw the logic in
this, and it added to their respect for him. But the secretary who had been
assigned to him said, "Mr. Omvig, you are a damned workaholic, and you're
not going to make one out of me." Given the friction, Mr. Omvig asked for a
different secretary and got one, and his former employee was transferred.

While rewarding, his job in DC primarily involved doing administrative
research and paperwork. But Jim wanted real courtroom experience and
requested a transfer. It was granted, and he moved to New York to continue
his work with the agency. He found the work more rewarding, but it posed
some challenges he had not faced in DC. He had relied primarily on volunteer
readers in his first appointment, but when, as a field attorney, he began
serving as a hearing officer, there were times when he was presented with
written material and required to decide whether or not it should be admitted
into the record. In these cases it is traditional for the hearing to be
recessed while the hearing officer studies the material. It was not
practical for Jim to send the material out for recording or to expect a
volunteer to sit with him throughout his workday. The solution he arrived at
was ideal: he asked that the stenographer, who was already being paid, act
as his reader during the recess, and in this way he had access to printed
documents without incurring additional cost or inconvenience to himself or
his employer.

As he settled into his job, Jim began to be asked by President Jernigan to
visit state affiliates as a national representative. He appreciated being
asked, thrived on being able to serve, and gladly took up the task. What he
found surprised him. At some level he knew that Iowa represented something
tremendously different in rehabilitation than could be found in the rest of
the country, but knowing this wasn't quite the same as seeing firsthand the
denials that blind people were facing when they sought to become
self-sufficient and to exercise some control over their education and
careers.

Jim recalls meeting a woman from New Hampshire who had always wanted to be a
teacher. Having gone blind in her teens, she approached the rehabilitation
agency there and was told by her counselor that her goal was unrealistic and
that certainly he would not approve the college education that teaching
would require. Having read in the Braille Monitor about Judy Young, a blind
teacher in Iowa, the woman in New Hampshire took her case to the agency
director. He agreed with the counselor, telling her that a college education
was unrealistic and that any thought of landing a teaching job was foolish.
When she told him about the article she had read in the magazine of the
National Federation of the Blind, he said that he knew about that Jernigan
guy, a crazy man who was setting blind people up to fail. He, the agency
director, would have none of it, and he suggested that she continue at the
workshop, where she was making twenty-four dollars a week. In this case,
like so many, Jim knew that the answer was not for everyone to move to Iowa,
but to build and strengthen the Federation in each state and then to bring
about the changes that the National Federation of the Blind and the Iowa
Commission for the Blind were proving possible. Encounters such as these
pushed Jim in the direction of trying to answer the question Mr. Jernigan
had posed to him on his graduation from the orientation center.

Eventually Jim gained enough self-confidence to say to Mr. Jernigan that he
really did want to learn to direct a training center, that he had convinced
himself and others that he could cut it alongside his sighted colleagues,
and that his turning to the blindness field for employment was not to hide
but actively to contribute to what had so changed his life and the way he
would spend the most productive years of it. Jim wanted to be a part of
encouraging blind people to dream and to see those dreams become reality.
Mr. Jernigan agreed, and Jim moved back to Iowa, first to work as a
rehabilitation counselor and later to head the orientation center.

While in training to become a counselor, Jim accompanied coworkers to learn
the ropes. Knowing that his primary job was to observe, Jim nevertheless
wanted to become involved in the sessions so clients would come to know him.
One day he asked a client how long he had been blind. The newly blinded
client was angered and put off. On the drive to their next appointment, Jim
learned from his coworker that coming to understand that one is blind is
often a gradual process and that asking how long the client had been having
trouble with his vision would have been more appropriate. Coming to
understand and admitting that one is blind is crucial to acceptance and
getting on with one's life, but for some people the subject should be
approached with gentleness and understanding. Jim took the advice as sound
and has tried to be mindful that the journey to accepting one's blindness
and a new understanding of what it means to be blind sometimes takes a firm,
direct approach and that sometimes it takes time, patience, and gentleness.

Although Jim's return to Iowa put the right man in the right place, the
transition was not without difficulty. He had decided that he could be a
provider and that risking to become involved with another was not precluded
by being a blind man. He married Jan, a fellow Iowan, and together they
brought Jamie Omvig into the world in 1966. But their marriage ended in
1972, and the door that closed led to the opening of one that would lead
James Omvig and Sharon Lewis to find that they were soul mates. Meeting for
a casual drink one evening in the fall of 1973, they found that their
talking kept them for hours. Sharon describes their courtship and marriage
this way: "It may not have been the love story of the century, but I'm sure
it was the love story of the decade." On January 31, 1974, Jim and Sharon
Omvig were united in marriage, and since then they have been inseparable in
their faith, love, and work. From the time they became two hearts beating as
one, any mention of Jim could, if not for the cumbersomeness of the
construction, be Jim and Sharon or Sharon and Jim.

The man who once believed that he could never share his heart not only has
enjoyed a wonderful marriage but has composed two songs in honor of his
soulmate. One of them, titled, "She's My Wife," says:

Have you seen her?

She's the loveliness of spring.

Have you seen her?

She's the song that I sing.

With her tender lips and her glowing eyes,

Her smile is a wondrous thing.

And her arms can make a man a king.

You should know her.

She's an angel from above.

With a heart that's filled with love.

Oh, you should know her; she is my life.

She's my lady, she's my lover, she's my wife.

Before leaving the National Labor Relations Board, Jim learned from a
colleague that a decision of the NLRB made in 1960 declared that blind
people did not enjoy the same rights as other workers when it came to
organizing and being represented by a union. He highlighted this unfair
segregation of the blind in a speech delivered at the NFB convention in
1969. Appearing with him were prominent members of the AFL-CIO (American
Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) who agreed,
after some tough questioning from President Jernigan, to help the blind
change laws forbidding blind people from organizing.

Work started that year to build a Sheltered Shop Division in the NFB and to
find blind people who wanted to be represented by a union. Mr. Omvig warned
that gaining the right to organize and be represented would take a long
time. A request to organize had to be made and rejected, and an appeal would
have to be made to the members of the National Labor Relations Board. It
took more than half a decade, but in 1976 the NLRB reversed itself and said
that blind people, like other workers, did indeed have the right to be
represented by a union if they chose. This delightful news came the day
before Jim was to attend the national convention in Los Angeles, so he
hurriedly constructed and delivered a speech at the convention.

The Federation knew from long years of experience that blind people were the
victims of discrimination in the sale of insurance. Deciding to test the
waters for themselves, Jim and Sharon went to the ticket counter prior to
their trip to the Los Angeles convention, purchased insurance for Sharon in
the amount of $350,000, and then tried to purchase insurance for Jim. To his
surprise, Jim learned that he could purchase insurance, but the maximum
amount he could buy was $20,000. The ticket agent could offer no reason for
the rule, and arguments that Jim did not want to fly the plane but only ride
on it were wasted. Rules were rules.

On his return from Los Angeles, Jim contacted the insurance commissioner for
the state of Iowa, Herbert Anderson, and convinced him to accept a charge of
unfair discrimination against the blind using the Iowa Unfair Trade
Practices Act. The commissioner conducted a survey of all insurance
companies doing business in Iowa, and the findings were so disturbing that
he caused regulations to be created prohibiting discrimination against the
blind by any company licensed to do business in the state. Mr. Anderson then
took his findings to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners,
and that organization passed a resolution condemning such discrimination.
Just as it did with the Model White Cane Law, the national body of the
Federation drafted a model insurance regulation and encouraged its enactment
by state insurance regulators. Jim was extremely helpful in providing
guidance to state affiliates and even testified before state insurance
commissions in support of the prohibition.

As Fredric Schroeder observes: "Today, we do not think much about the
ability to purchase life insurance, and that is due in large part to Mr.
Omvig. In the 70s and 80s, many blind people were denied life insurance on
the assumption that blind people were more likely to die as a result of
accidents. Mr. Omvig understood that assumptions about blind people were at
the heart of lost opportunities: lack of access to a good education, lack of
access to employment, lack of access to renting hotel rooms, and lack of
access to buses and trains. In short, Mr. Omvig knew that discrimination was
the major barrier facing blind people, and discrimination in all its forms
had to be opposed."

After nine wonderful years working at the Iowa Commission for the Blind, Jim
accepted a Federation assignment and moved to Baltimore to work for the
Social Security Administration. At the time about 150 blind people were
working for the agency, but they were limited to answering telephones and
fielding questions from the public. James Gashel, the head of the National
Federation of the Blind's Washington office, was instrumental in convincing
officials of the agency that the way to greater employment opportunities for
the blind and avoiding a lawsuit from the Federation lay in hiring someone
who could look at the procedures of the agency and figure out how to open
other employment opportunities. It seemed to President Jernigan and Mr.
Gashel that Jim would be the perfect fit, being a lawyer and having previous
experience in the federal government.

Jim was hired, and in 1981 the glass ceiling preventing blind people from
accepting other positions within the agency was shattered. Nearly three
years of work resulted in the following policy statement being read by the
newly appointed director of the Social Security Administration: "Today, I
wish to announce a clarification of the policy which affects employment and
promotional opportunity for otherwise qualified partially and totally blind
SSA employees. I have determined that there are no significant factors which
make it impossible for blind persons to perform the full range of the GS 10
claims representative (CR) position. Therefore, it is SSA policy that
otherwise qualified partially or totally blind individuals may be promoted
to the journeyman GS 10 CR position within the standard CR position
description . . . . I am committed not only to providing equal employment
opportunity for blind persons, but also for all qualified handicapped
individuals." This breakthrough was significant not only for the Social
Security Administration but for other agencies in the federal government
that had good, quality jobs blind people were capable of performing.

In the late 1970s the National Federation of the Blind found that
regulations which had been passed to assist the blind and otherwise
physically disabled in air travel were being used to limit them. Many
Federationists were arrested for insisting on their right to use and keep
with them the canes that provided independent mobility. Some of us were
asked to sit on blankets, the logic being that some handicapped people had
accidents and soiled airline seats. Mr. Omvig was one of those who were
arrested, and he and many others testified at hearings sponsored by the
Federal Aviation Administration. As a result of those hearings blind people
can now travel with their guide dogs and canes; there is no limit as to the
number of blind passengers who can fly on an aircraft; there is no
requirement that we sit on blankets or other items used in dealing with
incontinence. We are prevented from sitting in exit rows, but the
frustration we encounter with airlines today is far less than it was, and
this is due in no small part to the work of Mr. Omvig's talent in writing,
speaking, and developing important relationships with the policymakers of
that era.

After five years working for the Social Security Administration, Mr. Omvig
once again returned to the pursuit of his dream to direct an orientation and
training center. This took him to the state of Alaska in the fall of 1984.
When he arrived, he found himself in charge of an agency that was housed in
a World War II Quonset hut. Bleakness and despair were in evidence in the
blind people seeking services. In January of 1985 Mr. Omvig went to the
governor and the legislature, and the funds to run the agency were doubled.
A new five-unit apartment building was purchased and remodeled to become a
residential training center for blind adults. It contained sleeping rooms
for twelve residents, one staff apartment, and administrative offices.
Putting the building into service as a training center required asking the
city of Anchorage to rezone the property, which they did. In the spring of
1986 Governor Bill Sheffield dedicated the Alaska Center for Blind Adults.
Though the willingness of state officials to purchase and remodel the center
was commendable, they did not provide funds to furnish the building. To Mr.
Omvig and other leaders of the NFB in Alaska fell the task of going to Lions
Clubs with the request that they help in furnishing the center. Through the
work of individual clubs and the statewide body, the center was furnished
and began serving students.

In 1987 Jim found himself troubled with bad health, and by the end of that
year his doctor told him that he had no choice but to stop working. It would
take several years for Jim to be diagnosed with a rare condition known as
porphyria. Jim and Sharon moved to Arizona, and both became active in the
affiliate, assisting significantly and advancing its legislative agenda for
providing better services to blind people. He continued writing about the
value of separate agencies for the blind and what proper training in those
agencies could do, and, as he began to exert better control over his health,
he was asked to visit many states to evaluate their programs and make
recommendations for improvement.

Although one of the goals of the Federation is to see that quality
rehabilitation is available to all blind people regardless of where they
live, the reality is that not all rehabilitation centers are equal, and not
all of them are guided by the positive philosophy of the National Federation
of the Blind. In 1992 amendments to the Rehabilitation Act were passed and
signed into law. One of those amendments introduced the concept of "informed
choice" into the Act, providing in federal law the opportunity for
recipients of rehabilitation services to decide where they would go to
receive service. In theory this would mean that a person living in Montana
could go to a rehabilitation center in Louisiana, or that a person living in
Maryland could go to Colorado or Minnesota. Practically speaking, however,
rights guaranteed in federal law have been slow to be implemented in the
states, and they have strongly favored either rehabilitation centers that
they fund or centers with which they have done business in the past.
Implementing informed choice in practice has often meant finding people who
want to go to a center outside their state, helping them to appeal the
denial of the rehabilitation counselor, and getting and winning a fair
hearing. Mr. Omvig has used his skills as a lawyer and an advocate in
helping to draft these appeals and has traveled extensively to participate
in these hearings.

In all of the assignments he has been given as a Federation member, none was
more difficult than the one that brought him to work to advance the rights
of blind people working in sheltered workshops. President Maurer and other
colleagues in the National Federation of the Blind believed we needed
someone to work from the inside to make changes in the system that employed
thousands of blind people at wages that were far below their productive
capacity. Mr. Omvig was persuaded to apply for and was appointed by
President George W. Bush to the President's Committee for Purchase from
People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. He was initially appointed in
2003 and was reappointed in 2007. During his tenure Mr. Omvig served on a
number of important subcommittees and task forces and was elected as vice
chairman of the committee.

When accepting his newest Federation assignment, Jim knew that there was
little the National Federation of the Blind and what would come to be called
the AbilityOne Commission had in common. Certainly each group had little
respect for the other. What the organizations knew about one another they
didn't like. The committee viewed the NFB as a group of malcontents and
rabble-rousers who knew nothing about running businesses that employed the
blind. The NFB believed the committee to be composed of self-serving agency
directors who cared less about uplifting the blind people they were to serve
than they did about increasing their own prestige and income. In the opinion
of the Federation, these were people who may have come to do good but who
stayed to do well. Their salaries and their place in the community came on
the backs of hard-working blind people, who got little from their effort in
money, benefits, or their productive work.

When Mr. Omvig began his work with the committee, he followed a strategy
that had evolved from a question Dr. Jernigan had once asked him and his
fellow students: "What is the purpose of a speech?" The answer was "To get
people to love you. If you can't get them to love you, they won't pay much
attention to what you have to say." This became Jim's compass. He would not
go to make war-soldiers on each side knew full well how that could be done.
Instead, he would go as an ambassador, a man in search of friends, a human
face that would go the first few steps in dispelling the myths about
Federationists as unreasonable, militant, and foolish dreamers who believed
in a future the blind could never have because they weren't capable enough
to earn or retain it. Jim would build relationships based on common traits
and would show that this commonality could be used as a foundation to build
trust. On that trust he and his new-found friends could begin to make change
that might one day revolutionize the sheltered workshop system where
thousands of blind people worked and sometimes lived.

But the Omvig strategy was not obvious to some of his Federation colleagues
and disappointed more than a few of his friends. He had gone to the
committee to represent the Federation, so where were his protests? Why
wasn't he using his seat to make changes so long overdue? Because Jim was a
part of the Federation family, some who loved and cared about him and who
cared deeply about rights for shop workers came to him with their concerns.
Although he appreciated the chance to clarify his strategy, to explain his
understanding that most fundamental changes take time, and to show the
incremental changes his participation was having, the idea that he might not
be trusted hurt, and carrying out this work proved to be one of the hardest
assignments he ever undertook. He gave nine years of his life to traveling,
negotiating, and trying to change how those in the system felt about blind
people.

Even with his sadness at having his motives-or at least his
strategy-questioned, Mr. Omvig is proud of the change in workshops he has
witnessed over the past forty years and is proud to count among his friends
people who once thought that he and his fellow Federation members were
meatheads-people who were dead from the neck up. He is proud of the expanded
employment opportunities that have resulted from his service on the
committee, and he is proud to have played some small part in National
Industries for the Blind paying at least the minimum wage in all of its
sheltered shops having AbilityOne contracts and requiring that any agency
doing business with it do likewise. In its most recent move, National
Industries for the Blind has decided that no person affiliated with a
workshop that holds a Section 14(C) certificate can hold a position on its
board of directors.

Jim has been active in a number of other efforts to help in the education
and rehabilitation of the blind. He has served on the board of directors of
the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at
Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. This is the first institute
of its kind to implement the philosophy of the National Federation of the
Blind in teacher-training programs. In addition to needing better teacher
training, Jim and other Federation colleagues realized that the certifying
authority for providing training to the blind often used vision as a
requirement for certification. And so was born the National Blindness
Professional Certification Board (NBPCB), whose purpose was to develop
standards that did not discriminate against the blind and which also
emphasized competence in teaching the skills that were most likely to lead
to an education, a job, and a life equal to those enjoyed by sighted
Americans. He also served proudly on this board and has also been
instrumental in helping to develop the policies and standards of the body.

Increasingly over the last two decades Mr. Omvig has turned his attention
from writing articles to writing books. Freedom for the Blind: The Secret is
Empowerment has won widespread praise in the field of rehabilitation, and
many students credit this book with encouraging them to go into the field.
The Blindness Revolution: Jernigan in His Own Words has also figured
prominently in documenting the challenges and triumphs of what many have
called "the miracle of Iowa," but Mr. Omvig concludes that there was no
miracle there, only the application of good, solid attitudes and the
willingness to believe in blind people.

One of the things Mr. Omvig is most proud about is that his service extends
well beyond organizations of and for the blind. He became the founding
president of the Des Moines East Town Lions Club and was elected as
president of the congregation of the Grant Park Christian Church in Des
Moines. He was vice president of the Catonsville, Maryland, Lions Club and
was a deacon (which came with the job of serving communion) and a member of
the board of trustees of the Christian Temple in the Disciples of Christ
Church in Baltimore. He has also served as the president of the
International Air Crossroads Lions Club in Anchorage, Alaska.

Of all the honors and awards Mr. Omvig has received, none has touched him
more deeply than the Jacobus tenBroek award in 1986. He received this award
for helping gain the right of blind shop workers to unionize, for leading
the effort to eliminate insurance discrimination against the blind, for
helping to end discrimination against blind air travelers, and for his
writings on how to provide quality training to vocational rehabilitation
clients.

No single article can do justice to the life's work of Jim Omvig. Thankfully
there are others who have committed his story to paper and places where he
gives first-hand accounts of what it has been like to be one of the pioneers
in the civil rights movement for the blind. I can think of no better way to
conclude this article than with comments made by two of Mr. Omvig's finest
friends and admirers. Not surprisingly both have given a significant amount
of their energy to the field of rehabilitation, taking the improvement of it
as one of their Federation responsibilities and assignments. About her
friends, the Omvigs, Joanne Wilson says: "Jim and Sharon worked with a
tireless passion to give back to the movement what they got from the NFB.
They worked on systemic problems that would make the lives of the blind
better, but they also spent hours and hours talking with individuals, both
blind and sighted, over dinners in their home, at conventions, on a plane,
in a discussion group, and anywhere they were-sharing the truth about
blindness. They have truly dedicated their lives to giving back what they
learned about blindness so others could have more enriched lives. Thanks for
asking me to be a small part in giving them this tribute."

And Fred Schroeder says: "When I think of Mr. Omvig, I think of kindness; I
think of a man with tremendous ability and one blessed with the power of
persuasion. Mr. Omvig knows how to lead, knows how to inspire others to do
more than they believe they are capable of doing, and knows what it means to
share the disappointment of exclusion and heartache that come from society's
low expectations. He is not a man to live according to the assumptions of
others; he is not content to build a life just for himself and his family;
he is a man who gives all that he has on behalf of blind people. He is a
role model, a mentor, a leader, and, most of all, a friend."

----------


You're Golden: Reflections from the NFB National Senior Division's 2020 and
2021 Senior Retreats, Plus Some Additional Musings on Aging


by Miss Ruth Williams

>From the Editor: Here is a report from our National Senior Division on two
retreats handled during the pandemic. Ruth Williams is a moving writer, and
I hope readers enjoy both of the journeys she describes. This is taken from
the Spring/Summer issue of The Sounding Board, the official publication of
the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey.

As someone fully ensconced in my "golden years," I'd like to tell you all a
little story.

First, let me set the stage. I'm a kindly-auntie type who goes by the name
"Miss Ruth." My knitting is always nearby, and I've got a tiger-tabby cat
named Squeaky. Hard candy is in my handbag (you may call it a "purse,"
dearie) and I own nothing but sensible shoes. Does this sound like a person
who'd sell you a bill of goods?!? Of course not! I'm not Tom Selleck saying,
"Look. This isn't my first rodeo," as he shills for reverse mortgages. Mind
you, I love that mustached man. I'm just not so sure I trust him!

When I started out in freelance writing, I wrote articles for senior
magazines, and one of my topics was reverse mortgages. It's funny how much I
thought I knew about getting older back then, but that reflected my relative
youth. I was in my thirties, writing about things I wouldn't need for
decades, like Medicare supplements and retirement funds.

Now that I'm fifty-six, I can say that life isn't always easy, but with age
often comes wisdom, and you learn how to shine in your own unique way.

So what's the key to aging gracefully? In a nutshell, find things that
interest you, people who "get" you, and if you've learned a few things along
the way, share them with others.

Fellowship like that is what the NFB's 2020 Virtual Senior Retreat, held
from October 18 to 24, 2020, was all about.

Normally held at Rocky Bottom Resort and Conference Center for the Blind in
Sunset, South Carolina, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was held virtually.
Sixty attendees "Zoomed" together to accelerate (small pun for you there) a
sense of well-being and self-confidence for those with newly acquired vision
loss, or life-long blindness.

There were eleven of us in attendance from New Jersey (the most of all of
the twenty states represented) and the fifteen volunteers running the
show-including instructors, presenters, and Zoom hosts-did a phenomenal job.

Even though the topics were varied-leather-crafting, military collectibles,
knitting, gardening, creative writing, auto-maintenance, jewelry-making,
technology, and cane travel-they all spoke with enthusiasm and energy about
their pet passions.

For example, my Krafters' Korner pal, Jill Rossiter, taught participants how
to create a craft out of a towel. Even though my origami project ended up
looking more like a hammerhead shark than a swan, I was still proud of my
crafty creation, whom I named JAWS after the movie monster (and the screen
reader!).

The next day, during a presentation by Shelley Alongi, President of the
NFB's Writers' Division, I went to their website and signed up. Finding
people with shared experiences is a way to keep thriving.

Fast forward to 2021, and, while we're still holding the NFB National Senior
Division meetings virtually, this one was just as jam-packed with
interesting discussions and warm fellowship. It was held from September 19
to 25, 2021.

There were so many sessions of interest that it's hard to focus on just one,
but I got a lot out of the conversation about how to respond when you find
yourself in unexpected social situations. For example, a small child points
at your white cane and says loudly, "What is that stick, Mommy?" It's always
best to be tactful when this happens and to regard it as a teachable moment.
There's no better way to mitigate the sense of stigma around blindness than
to address it kindly but directly. You could say something like, "I'm using
this stick to find my way around, since I can't see. It helps me feel what's
in my way."

All in all, it's been my experience that the NFB Senior Retreat is a
terrific resource for those of us in our golden years living with vision
loss.

The way I see it, another way of saying "aging gracefully" is simply "living
with grace;" being yourself in a world that counts on conformity; putting
aside metrics like net worth and social status to set your moral compass by
the Golden Rule.

So how do you find the "zhoosh" you need to keep going strong, well into
your later years? Find what lights you up from the inside. For me, it's
reading books, writing stories, and knitting on a round loom. Find the
people who "get" you. For me, it's my friends who are like
sisters-of-the-soul. It's also the kind, kindred spirits in my network of
support groups. Find a way to share what's important to you with others. For
me, it's positivity, spirituality, and standing up for my principles.

As you age, you realize that problems are projects in disguise, and every
time you overcome an obstacle, you build resilience muscles you can use to
move the next mountain. You also learn you don't have to climb every
mountain. Some of them, dear hearts, you can go around!

If you think about who you are today, at whatever decade you're in, it's the
most "you" you've ever been. You've survived exactly 100 percent of your
worst days, so you must be doing something right.

It doesn't matter that you can't see well, if at all. So you've got grey
hair and wrinkles? You've earned every one of them. Wear them with pride.
You've got wisdom to share, time in which to do it, and a world in need of
encouragement.

Before you know it, you'll have found your calling, and once you've figured
that out, you're golden.

----------


Blind to Problems: How VA's Electronic Record System Shuts Out Visually
Impaired Patients


by Darius Tahir

>From the Editor: The article that follows is generously provided by Kaiser
Health News and demonstrates a good working knowledge of what we too often
experience when trying to use medical software. I should reveal that I once
worked briefly for Cerner, and at the time it regarded accessibility as a
nice thing to do but not something it was required to develop or purchase.
This article also parallels my experience with my university job, when
objections about accessibility prior to purchase were routinely dismissed as
something that would be fixed later. I hope this article resonates with
readers in the same way it has with me:

Sarah Sheffield, a nurse practitioner at a Veterans Affairs clinic in
Eugene, Oregon, had a problem. Her patients-mostly in their 70s and
beyond-couldn't read computer screens. It's not an unusual problem for older
people, which is why you might think Oracle Cerner, the developers of the
agency's new digital health record system, would have anticipated it.

But they didn't.

Federal law requires government resources to be accessible to patients with
disabilities. But patients can't easily enlarge the text. "They all learned
to get strong reading glasses and magnifying glasses," said Sheffield, who
retired in early October.

The difficulties are everyday reminders of a dire reality for patients in
the VA system. More than a million patients are blind or have low vision.
They rely on software to access prescriptions or send messages to their
doctors. But often the technology fails them. Either the screens don't allow
users to zoom in on the text, or screen-reader software that translates text
to speech isn't compatible.

"None of the systems are accessible" to these patients, said Donald Overton,
executive director of the Blinded Veterans Association.

Patients often struggle even to log into websites or enter basic information
needed to check in for hospital visits, Overton said, "We find our community
stops trying, checks out, and disengages. They become dependent on other
individuals; they give up independence."

Now, the developing VA medical record system, already bloated by outsize
costs, has been delayed until June 2023. So far, the project has threatened
to exacerbate those issues.

While users in general have been affected by numerous incidents of downtime,
delayed care, and missing information, barriers to access are particularly
acute for blind and low-vision users-whether patients or workers within the
health system. At least one Oregon-based employee has been offered aid-a
helper assigned to read and click buttons-to navigate the system.

Over one thousand Section 508 complaints are in a backlog to be assessed or
assigned to Oracle Cerner to fix, Veterans Affairs spokesperson Terrence
Hayes confirmed. That section is part of federal law guaranteeing people
with disabilities access to government technology.

Hayes said the problems described by these complaints don't prevent
employees and patients with disabilities from using the system. The
complaints-469 of which have been assigned to Oracle Cerner to fix, he
said-mean that users' disabilities make it more difficult, to the point of
requiring mitigation.

The project is under new management with big promises. North Kansas City,
Missouri-based developer Cerner, which originally landed the VA contract,
was recently taken over by database technology giant Oracle, which plans to
overhaul the software, company executive Mike Sicilia said during a
September Senate hearing. "We intend to rewrite" the system, he said. "We
have found nothing that can't be addressed in relatively short order."

But that will happen under continued scrutiny. Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.),
chair of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said his panel would continue
to oversee the department's compliance with accessibility standards.
"Whether they work for VA or receive health care and benefits, the needs of
veterans must be addressed by companies that want to work with the VA," he
said.

Takano, along with fellow Democrat Sens. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Jon
Tester of Montana, sent a letter Oct. 7 to VA Secretary Denis McDonough
noting the significant gaps in the agency's systems, and urging VA to engage
with all disabled veterans, not merely those who are blind.

VA was alerted early and often that Cerner's software posed problems for
blind and low-vision users, interviews and a review of records show. As
early as 2015, when the Department of Defense and VA were exploring
purchasing new systems, the National Federation of the Blind submitted
letters to both departments and Cerner, expressing concerns that the product
would be unusable for clinicians and patients.

Alerts also came from inside VA. "We pointed out to Cerner that their system
was really dependent on vision and that it was a major problem. The icons
are really, really small," said Dr. Art Wallace, a VA anesthesiologist who
participated in one of the agency's user groups to provide input for the
eventual design of the system.

The Cerner system, he told the agency and KHN, is user-unfriendly. On the
clinician side, it requires multiple high-resolution monitors to display a
patient's entire record, and VA facilities don't always enjoy that wealth of
equipment. "It would be very hard for visually impaired people, or normal
people wearing bifocals, to use," he concluded.

Before the software was rolled out, the system also failed a test with an
employee working with a team at Oregon's White City VA Medical Center
devoted to helping blind patients develop skills and independence, said
Carolyn Schwab, president of the American Federation of Government Employees
Local 1042.

In the testing, the system didn't work with adaptive equipment, like
text-to-speech software, she said. Despite receiving these complaints about
the system, VA and Cerner "implemented it anyway." Recently, when a regional
AFGE president asked VA why they used the software-despite the federal
mandates-he received no response, Schwab said.

Some within the company also thought there would be struggles. Two former
Cerner employees said the standard medical record system was getting long in
the tooth when VA signed an agreement to purchase and customize the product.

Because it was built on old code, the software was difficult to patch when
problems were discovered, the employees said. What's more, according to the
employees, Cerner took a doggedly incremental approach to fixing errors. If
someone complained about a malfunctioning button on a page filled with other
potholes, the company would fix just that button-not the whole page, the
employees said.

VA spokesperson Hayes denied the claims, saying the developer and department
try to address problems holistically. Cerner did not respond to multiple
requests for comment.

Accessibility errors are as present in private sector medical record systems
as public. Cerner patched up a bug with the Safari web browser's rendering
of its patient portal when the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's
student clinic threatened legal action, the former employees said. ("MIT
Medical does not, as a general practice, discuss individual vendor contracts
or services," said spokesperson David Tytell.)

Legal threats-with hospital systems and medical record systems routinely
facing lawsuits-are the most obvious symptom of a lack of accessibility
within the U.S. health care system.

Deep inaccessibility plagues the burgeoning telehealth sector. A recent
survey from the American Foundation for the Blind found that 57 percent of
respondents struggled to use providers' proprietary telehealth platforms.
Some resorted to FaceTime. Many said they were unable to log in or couldn't
read information transmitted through chat sidebars.

Existing federal regulations could, in theory, be used to enforce higher
standards of accessibility in health technology. The Department of Health
and Human Services Office for Civil Rights issued guidance during the
pandemic on making telehealth technologies easier to use for patients with
disabilities. And other agencies could start leaning on hospitals, because
they are recipients of government dollars or federal vendors, to make sure
their offerings work for such patients.

That might not happen. These regulations could prove toothless, advocates
warn. While there are several laws on the books, the advocates argue that
enforcement and tougher regulations have not been forthcoming. "The concern
from stakeholders is: Are you going to slow-walk this again?" said Joe
Nahra, director of government relations at Powers Law, a Washington, DC, law
firm.

Building in accessibility has historically benefited all users. Voice
assistance technology was originally developed to help blind and low-vision
users before winning widespread popularity with gadgets like Siri and Alexa.

Disability advocates believe vendors often push technology ahead without
properly considering the impact on the people who will rely on it. "In the
rush to be the first one, they put accessibility on the back burner," said
Eve Hill, a disability rights attorney with Brown, Goldstein & Levy, a civil
rights law firm.

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth
journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling,
KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family
Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information
on health issues to the nation.

----------


2023 Writers' Division Contest Guidelines


You are invited to enter the 2023 NFB Writers' Division contest. See
guidelines below.

The annual youth and adult writing contests sponsored by the NFB Writers'
Division will open January 1, 2023, and close April 30, 2023. This contest
is open to all aspiring writers whether blind or sighted.

Adult contest categories are:

*	Short fiction
*	Nonfiction, including personal essay and memoir
*	Poetry.

Youth contest categories are short fiction and poetry. The youth contest is
divided into three groups, determined by grade level:

*	Elementary, 1st through 4th grade
*	Middle, 5th through 8th grade
*	High school, 9th through 12th grade

In both adult and youth contests, there may be up to three prize winners
(1st, 2nd, 3rd), in addition, one or more entries may receive honorable
mention. Prize-winning entries may be published within the Writers' Division
magazine, Slate & Style. All contest winners will be announced during the
2023 National Convention in Houston, Texas, at the annual Writers' Division
business meeting.


Prizes


Youth contest winners will receive cash prizes equal to:

*	$30 for 1st place,
*	$20 for 2nd place, and
*	$10 for 3rd place.

Adult contest winners will receive cash prizes equal to:

*	$75 for 1st place,
*	$50 for 2nd place, and
*	$25 for 3rd place.


Submission Guidelines


Youth Contests


If you are eighteen years old, or older, you must enter the adult contest.
This is a contest for students who use Braille. Entries must be submitted in
hand-embossed Braille, either with a slate and stylus or Perkins Braille
writer; there are no exceptions. Submissions must be Brailled by the
entrant. All submissions, no matter the grade level, must be in contracted
Braille. Let us know if you are learning contracted Braille. Additionally,
let us know if you have chosen to use UEB, or not.

Send your hardcopy Braille and cover letter to:

Chelsea Cook

901 Englewood Parkway, Apt. J304,

Englewood, CO 80110

Each entrant must provide an identical electronic copy of the cover letter
and contest entry as a Microsoft Word file [doc or docx] or as a Rich Text
Format [rtf] file. Construct each contest entry as a separate electronic
file. Construct your cover letter as a separate electronic file. Attach each
separate electronic file to one (1) email and send it to Shelley Alongi,
Queenofbells at outlook.com <mailto:Queenofbells at outlook.com> . Include your
name and title entries in the cover letter only. Each contest entry must
contain the title and text only. Example: if you are entering three poems
and one story into the contest, attach five files to your email. No entries
will be considered unless submitted in the formats listed above. Electronic
files submitted in any other format will be immediately disqualified, no
questions asked.


Cover Letter


Your cover letter must contain the following information: your name, mailing
address, phone number, email address. List the titles of all submissions,
including the category in which they are being entered, school, and grade
level.


Entry Requirements


We will consider only unpublished original entries. Please do not submit
entries that have been previously submitted on a website or blog. Youth
short fiction stories submissions cannot be more than 1,000 words and poetry
no more than fifty lines. Authors of either poetry or fiction are encouraged
to submit multiple pieces.


Youth Entry Fees - None


Are you the best Brailler in the contest? Be sure to double check your work
for spelling and grammatical errors. Remember to use Braille paper so the
Braille is easy to read. Good luck!


Adult Contest


This contest is for everyone eighteen years old or older. One need not be
blind to enter. We will consider only unpublished original entries. Please
do not submit entries that have been published on a website or blog. Fiction
and nonfiction categories can be of any mainstream genre, and cannot exceed
3,000 words. Poetry: We will accept poetry of any length. Adults are
required to submit all poetry, fiction, and nonfiction as attachments to an
email message. Each entrant must provide an identical electronic copy of the
cover letter and contest entry as a Microsoft Word file (doc or docx) or as
a Rich Text Format (rtf) file. Construct each contest entry as a separate
electronic file. Construct your cover letter as a separate electronic file.
Attach each separate electronic file to one (1) email and send it to Shelley
Alongi, Queenofbells at outlook.com <mailto:Queenofbells at outlook.com> . Note:
Only include the title and text of each entry in each contest entry.
Example: if you are entering three poems and one story into the contest you
must attach five electronic files to your email. No entries will be
considered unless submitted in the formats listed above. Electronic copies
submitted in any other format will be immediately disqualified, no questions
asked. Each separate attachment must be in either Microsoft Word (doc or
docx) or a Rich Text Format (rtf). Authors are encouraged to submit multiple
pieces. Fiction and nonfiction should be written in a normal prose style,
with paragraphs being left justified, lines being single spaced, and having
a fourteen-point font of Arial, regular. Be sure to double check your work
for spelling and grammatical errors. No hard copy submissions will be
accepted.


Cover Letter


Along with your entry or entries, include a cover letter providing the
following information:

Your name, mailing address, phone number, email address. List the titles of
all submissions, including the category in which they are being entered.
Method of payment for the entry fee (check or PayPal).


Contest Entry Fees Payment and Methods


Adult Fees: The fee for each short story is $15.00 for members and $20.00
for non-members. The fee for each nonfiction entry is $15.00 for members and
$20.00 for non-members. A member is considered to be one whose dues to the
NFB Writers' Division are current for the contest year. A nonmember is one
who is not currently a paid member of the NFB Writers' Division at the time
of entry into the contest.

*The base fee for poetry will cover up to three poems, if the combined
line-count of all three poems does not exceed 108 lines-additional poems
require a second fee, following the same fee payment scheme. Base fees are
$15.00 for members and $20.00 for non-members.


Payment


You may use PayPal from the Writers' Division website,
http://writers.nfb.org/.

Alternatively, you may mail a check made out to NFB Writers' Division, with
a note in the memo line relating to the contest. Send to:

Shawn Jacobson

19541 Olney Mill Rd.

Olney, MD 20832

Good luck to all!

----------


Seeing that Piano Tuning is for Both the Museum and the Agenda of the
Movement


by Don Mitchell

>From the Editor: Don Mitchell is a piano tuner who has long been a member of
the National Federation of the Blind and a staunch advocate for the
profession that has made him a good living and can make other blind people a
good living as well. Here is what he has to say both about the history of
piano tuning and about what he believes to be its future:

One reason I chose to join the National Federation of the Blind is the
following short story. I don't know where it came from so I can't give
credit where credit is due.

A man was once observed walking on an ocean beach. As he walked, once in a
while, he would stop and pick something up and throw it out into the ocean.
An observer walked until he was able to talk to the man. He saw, on closer
observation that the man was picking up stranded starfish cast up on to the
beach, and throwing them back into the sea. The question was asked: Why do
you throw them back in the water; they will just be thrown back on shore by
the waves and the tides; it just doesn't make any difference. The man
stooped again and threw another starfish back into the water and stood up
and said, "It makes a difference to that one."

The NFB is like that man casting starfish back into the sea. If the sea is
analogous to the sea of productive life in society then the work and
projects of the NFB are the comparison to that man on the beach. The man can
also be compared to each of us as members who, in our own ways, work to help
our fellow blind humans to stay in the sea of productivity in life and
inclusion in the full range of human activities. As hard as we work, blind
men and women continue to experience much higher unemployment than the
general American population. It is certain that, as hard as we work,
prejudice, due to ignorance, still exists. Those of us who believe in the
value of continuing the work of the NFB do so because it does make a
difference to that one. That one is me and you and thousands of other blind
persons who have benefitted by the continuing hard work of Federationists
everywhere.

My area of focus has been telling blind people about the career of piano
tuning and repair. I started this after joining the NFB in 1994 and
beginning to work with the NFB Blind Piano Technicians Division. Later we
became a group, and last year the formal work of the Blind Technicians in
the Federation ceased because of lack of participation. Because of the size
of the piano repair field, our NFB piano technology work was not
sustainable. I hate to see this part of our movement relegated only to our
new museum.

Piano tuning for the blind has a rich history beginning with Claude Montal
in the early nineteenth century. Mr. Montal was a contemporary of Louis
Braille and was associated with the Royal Institute of the Blind in Paris,
France, where Louis Braille was a student. Claude Montal was, most likely,
the first blind man to learn and practice the craft of piano tuning. After
leaving the Royal Institute for Blind Youth, he went on to work at the
Pleyel Piano Factory

in France. After a time working for Pleyel, he began his own piano service
business. He published a book on piano tuning and went on to build and sell
his own pianos. Claude Montal was such a success that other blind men were
taught piano tuning by the Royal Institute for Blind Youth. The teaching of
piano tuning to the blind spread through Europe and eventually to America.
Sometime in the 1860s, Samuel Gridley Howe of the Perkins School for the
Blind made a tour of Europe to learn about the education of the blind there.
He observed that blind men were learning to tune pianos and then being
employed in piano factories. For the most part in America, tuning was taught
to male students at schools for the blind. In the late nineteenth century
and the early twentieth century, hundreds of blind men were taught and were
successfully practicing piano tuning to make a living.

I completed a course of piano tuning at the Emil Fries Piano Hospital and
Training Center in Vancouver, Washington, back in 1973. I had the wonderful
opportunity to then work at the school until it closed in 2016. In the
school's sixty-seven years of existence, hundreds of men and some women were
trained to tune and repair pianos. Many were able to earn a substantial
income. Many were able to get off of the SSI roles and other financial
assistance programs, and become financially independent.

One unique characteristic of the piano technology field is that often the
blind have an innate advantage because it is apparent, to almost everyone,
that tuning requires the use of the human ear and most people think that the
blind can hear better than everyone else: this gives a built-in advantage to
the blind. It also gives blind tuners an opportunity to educate by
explaining that the blind don't hear better than the sighted; we just learn,
by necessity, to pay attention to our hearing, and are trained by
orientation and mobility teachers to listen and interpret the sounds around
us to be efficient and stay safe.

As the blind have been moved into public schools for education and as
schools for the blind are closed or their tuning training programs are
discontinued, fewer blind men and women are trained in piano tuning and
repairing today.

Opportunities in the field still exist. In the Portland, Oregon-Vancouver,
Washington area, where I live, there are still fifty-three people who earn
part or all of their living in this profession. The nature of the piano
manufacturing industry has changed much in the last fifty years. Fewer
pianos are manufactured in the United States, and piano sales have declined
substantially. Many music stores throughout the country continue to sell
both new and used pianos. Though, at seventy-three years old, I am retired,
I continue to maintain over fifty pianos per year. If I were a younger man
and wanted to pursue a full-time, full-scale piano tuning business, I am
certain I could still be successful today. With the rise of ride-on-demand
services like Uber and Lyft, one of the major difficulties in the
business-transportation-is much more manageable today.

I have found much support from our national leadership; especially is this
true from the employment committee. The majority of the work of spreading
the good news of the piano tuning career has been done by blind piano tuners
themselves. There are not enough blind piano tuners in the NFB to fill the
need. Let's shout the news of a way to earn a very substantial living and
becoming in charge of your own destiny by running your own business.

I call upon all members of the Federation to join with me in sharing this
opportunity with blind men and women who like working with their hands,
enjoy working with people who are involved in music, and who want to become
financially independent.

Just like the education of blind elementary students who are more and more
mainstreamed in the public school system, we will need to turn to the few
remaining schools that provide training in piano tuning and repairs. I
assisted a woman in enrolling in the North Bennet Street School in Boston,
where she graduated as a trained piano tuner/technician. So, there is a
facility where we can be trained, but much mentorship will be required. The
staff at the school is not trained in teaching the blind and often have many
of the same low expectations society holds. This means that self-advocacy
and mentoring by the blind is essential in the success of people trained in
piano tuning in a mainstream environment.

I invite the leadership, both local and at the national level, to watch for
young students who may have an interest in piano tuning and assist them in
learning about this career path. I invite the instructors at the three NFB
training centers to also work with me in getting the word out about the
piano technology craft. I and other blind tuners would be happy to assist in
mentoring and educating future students about this career.

If you have questions or would like to talk more about this opportunity,
please contact me at donmi at q.com <mailto:donmi at q.com>  or 360-281-0187. I
look forward to talking to you and any future students who might be
interested in furthering this opportunity for the blind. Let's highlight
tuning in our museum, but let's not write it off as a career!

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Alyssa Henson and guide dog Jan]


Rookie Tails: A Seeing Eye Dog Team's First National Convention


by Alyssa and Jan Henson

>From the Editor: This article is authored by one human and one guide dog. I
suspect Alyssa is the better typist, though she tells me her dog Jan has a
Facebook page and quite a following. Here is what the team has to say about
their adventure to the 2022 National Convention:

When I think about my experience attending my first national convention, the
word that comes to mind is energy. By that I mean over 2,400 blind people
were putting their energy into one cause, and that cause is continuing to
stand up for our right to equal access within our society. With the
resolutions calling for the end of many discriminatory practices, we as
blind people are taking important steps to insuring that we get the equal
access we deserve.

It was energizing to attend a convention with so many meetings that covered
topics which are of significant interest to me. I personally attended
meetings facilitated by the National Association of Guide Dog Users and the
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, where I was given
the chance to let my voice be heard on these important matters.

As a guide dog handler, the National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU)
meetings were highly informative and covered a wide array of issues
specifically pertaining to the guide dog handler community. I learned about
being a better self-advocate and was among the first to hear the resolutions
regarding the continued discriminatory practices of Uber and Lyft drivers. I
was extremely satisfied when both of those resolutions passed during general
session. It was neat sitting in a room with probably a couple hundred guide
dogs and witnessing all of those dogs behaving in a professional manner. A
convention like this is a huge undertaking for a guide dog. With that in
mind, I would like to share some guide dog convention survival tips. Some of
these are my own, and others were passed down by veteran guide dog handling
convention attendees.

1. Learn where the relieving areas are as soon as possible. It is important
to know these because your dog will need them often.

2. Allow extra relieving breaks. Along with knowing where the appropriate
relieving areas are, it is important to allow your dog plenty of
opportunities to take advantage of those spots since working in a convention
environment is highly demanding.

3. Give yourself extra time to navigate to and from meetings. It's no secret
that the meeting rooms and areas around them can become quite crowded right
before and after meetings, so giving yourself and your dog extra travel time
is essential.

4. Give your dog work breaks when you can. If you have time between
meetings, stop back at your room to allow your dog a few minutes of
off-harness time. Much like us, our dogs need to decompress after a hard
day's work.

5. Be patient with yourself and your dog. Remember, convention is a very
demanding environment for dogs and handlers alike, so be patient, offer your
dog lots of praise, and keep good control of your dog at all times.

I hope these tips are helpful to any future guide dog teams wishing to
attend a national convention. Jan and I had a wonderful time attending the
convention, as well as meeting new friends and catching up with friends from
around the country. I know Jan particularly enjoyed meeting some new dogs,
even if she only got to see them from a distance. Speaking of Jan, I thought
it would be fun for the last part of this piece to try to put myself in her
paws and think about what she might say if she could speak. So let's hear a
few words from the mind of Jan.

Hello and tail wags to my Federation friends! When my handler told me about
the convention, I didn't know what to think. How could a place be full of so
many canes and dogs? I hadn't been around that many dogs at once since my
training at the Seeing Eye where I met my handler. Once I was at the
convention, I found out everything my handler said was true. Attending a
convention is hard work for us dogs, and every dog has a different
experience, but I'd say I had a good one. I met many friendly people and a
bunch of friendly dogs. There were labs like myself, but also golden
retrievers, German shepherds, poodles, and I even saw a boxer! I loved
guiding my handler to the many events of the convention, and I hear the food
around the city was pretty good. Too bad I had to stick with kibble. As we
write this, it's past my dinner time, speaking of food, so I need to let my
handler know it's time to get off the computer and get me some grub! Now for
a few final remarks from my handler.

Ah yes, the computer is back in the hands of the human. I am so grateful to
have been given the opportunity to attend the 2022 National Convention in
New Orleans. I had a great time meeting new people, reuniting with friends,
checking out new products in the exhibit hall, attending meetings, trying
new foods, meeting some awesome guide dogs, and feeling the positive energy
that is an NFB convention. I look forward to the possibility of attending
the 2023 Convention in Houston. Until then, as many of us guide dog handlers
say, let's move forward.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Carlton Anne Cook Walker]


NOPBC Conference Sharing Our CORE Values: Creating Opportunities, Raising
Expectations


by Carlton Anne Cook Walker

>From the Editor: This article from the immediate past president of our
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children is reprinted from Future
Reflections, Volume 41, and it is there that many convention items important
to parents are captured. Here is the way it was introduced by Editor Deborah
Kent Stein:

Since 2007 Carlton Anne Cook Walker has worked tirelessly to promote the
Federation's positive message about blindness to parents and colleagues
throughout the nation. Below is the presentation she delivered at the
opening session of the NOPBC Conference at the 2022 Convention of the
National Federation of the Blind in New Orleans.

Welcome to the opening General Session of the 2022 National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) Conference here at the National Federation
of the Blind (NFB) Annual Convention.

This conference would not be possible without support from the NFB and
volunteers from around the country (including our NOPBC board members) who
are dedicated to providing our children with what they need to thrive:
blindness skills, role models, high expectations, and a commitment to
nurture and support our children throughout their lives.

The theme of our conference this year is "Sharing Our CORE Values-Creating
Opportunities, Raising Expectations." We are excited to embark with you on a
week of exploration, learning, and relationship-building.

I am Carlton Anne Cook Walker, president of the National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC), a proud division of the National
Federation of the Blind (NFB). That's a real mouthful, so please feel free
to call me Carlton, president of the NOPBC, and a member of the NFB. Also,
please note that I will refer to "blind children" in this address. This
reference is not meant to divide us or to delve into the academic and
functional implications of a child's degree of vision. When I use the word
blind, I mean it as an inclusive term. I use the word blind to describe any
individual whose vision (or ability to use vision) poses obstacles for them
that individuals with typical vision do not face. In fact, my own child is
legally blind, but she identifies as blind because blindness skills and
tools help eliminate those obstacles for her.

I attended my first NOPBC conference and NFB convention in Dallas, Texas, in
2006. At that time I was an attorney in South Central Pennsylvania, trying
to rebuild my law firm. My firm concentrated in the areas of estate planning
and administration, real estate, and municipal law. Little did I know that
my husband, our five-year-old child, Anna Catherine, and I were about to
embark on an incredible journey.

We learned so much at that NOPBC conference in 2006! I met so many amazing
people, including many who are here with us today. While my family went to
Dallas focusing on the NOPBC and other parents of blind/low-vision children,
we discovered so much more! We discovered blind adult NFB members, people
who had never met us or our child before, who cared for and mentored us as
if we were family. Over the years these relationships have grown and
blossomed. These individuals have served as aunts and uncles to Anna
Catherine, helping her and us find and unlock doors to new opportunities.
They showed us, as parents, how to escape the mindset that blindness has an
adverse impact on personal fulfillment.

As president of the NOPBC, I have the privilege of sharing with each of you
our CORE values. Remember, I'm an attorney, so I must start by referencing
our founding document. According to the NOPBC Constitution, "The purpose of
this organization shall be:

*	to create a climate of opportunity for blind children in home,
school, and society
*	to provide information and support to parents of blind children
*	to facilitate the sharing of experience and concerns among parents
of blind children
*	to develop and expand resources available to parents and their blind
children
*	to help parents of blind children gain understanding and perspective
through partnership and contact with blind adults, and
*	to function as an integral part of the National Federation of the
Blind in its ongoing effort to eliminate discrimination and prejudice
against the blind and to achieve for the blind security, equality, and
opportunity."

These are our CORE values. We have focused on these values since our
founding in 1983, and that's what we continue to strive to do. Through COVID
we hosted online workshops, open houses, and informal online chats.
Throughout the year we host an active Facebook group with more than five
thousand members. We have an email listserv, we support the quarterly
magazine Future Reflections, and we maintain a treasure trove of information
on our NOPBC.ORG website. Our seasoned members spend countless hours on the
phone and in person with parents and families, sharing the opportunities
that exist for our blind children. They strive to instill the confidence
that it is both acceptable and proper to keep our expectations
high-regardless of what society or educators or even family members might
tell us about blindness and low vision. For my family, this support was
invaluable.

The year after we went to Dallas, we attended an Early Childhood Conference
called "Beginnings and Blueprints" at the NFB's headquarters in Baltimore,
Maryland. When we went home we started making plans for Anna Catherine to
get training in some blindness skills. AnnaCat could see some, but her
opportunities were limited by her vision loss. At the "Beginnings and
Blueprints" conference we learned that, even with some usable vision, our
child could benefit from learning blindness skills.

But we were met with resistance. School personnel dismissed our concerns.
They told us, "Anna sees too well to learn Braille," and "Anna doesn't need
a cane." Our families offered no greater support. You see, no one in my
family or my husband's family had any experience with blindness or low
vision. While most members wore glasses from young ages, their vision was
fully corrected. The idea of blindness was not only foreign; it was scary.
It was emotionally safer to ignore the impact of Anna Catherine's vision
loss than it was to dig into an unknown world connected with a word they
feared: blindness.

Without the support of the NFB and of NOPBC leaders, we never could have
found the strength to advocate for our child's right to have access to all
opportunities-to maximize our child, not our child's vision. Through
meaningful and authentic relationships with blind peers and adults, Anna
Catherine learned to advocate for these opportunities. Now, at age
twenty-one, she still does! Over time school staff and family members
learned that skills, not vision, dictated Anna Catherine's potential to
succeed, and their expectations rose-not as high as ours, but higher than
theirs had ever been before.

Today is jam-packed with panels and concurrent sessions. This conference
will help you gain the knowledge and resources you want and will allow you
to make the connections and relationships you need to support your blind
child, your family, and yourself in the years to come.

But please note these words of caution: Sometimes, in my zeal to increase
Anna Catherine's opportunities, I ended up curtailing them. This is an easy
trap to fall into-replacing negative stereotypes with positive ones.
Positive stereotypes are still stereotypes, and they obscure the individual
within. I was determined to free Anna Catherine from stereotypes based on
disability, gender, etc. I did not want anything to restrict my incredible
child! I wanted Anna Catherine to engage in every opportunity that arose,
and I wanted the entire world to be open to my child. While this, in and of
itself, is not a bad thing, it went too far. Sometimes I focused more on
breaking negative stereotypes than I did on my child's particular wants and
needs.

The funny thing is that my parents did the exact same thing to me. They
didn't want me to limit my goals to traditional "female" roles, and they
nurtured my interests in math, science, and advocacy. Unfortunately, they
also actively discouraged my interest in teaching-even as an additional
major in college. When I got my law degree and my MBA, I had fulfilled their
dreams. But for me, something was still missing. I found that something a
decade later when, with my husband's full support, I finally pursued a
teaching degree and began teaching blind and low-vision students. Please
don't misunderstand-I love the law! I would not give up my legal and
business-school education for anything. I am who I am because of the path I
took, and now I have the perfect job for me: educational consultant and
advocate.

Though I have no regrets, and I am fulfilled now, I spent a lot of years
feeling like an outsider in my own life. I had pursued new opportunities and
had successfully broken traditional societal stereotypes. But by rushing
through those newly opened doors, I found others slammed shut. After all,
how common is it for an attorney with a successful law practice to go into
classroom teaching? Even now, many people are shocked that I became a lawyer
first and then became a teacher.

And then I did the same thing to my Anna Catherine. I fought off negative
blindness stereotypes by focusing on what I considered a positive path of
high expectations, encouraging her to pursue a four-year degree immediately
after high school. I was substituting a negative stereotype for a positive
one. By focusing my efforts on changing societal prejudices about blindness,
I failed to provide the supportive environment needed to nourish my child's
personal aspirations based on her individual wants and needs.

Only recently have I stopped fighting obstacles and started listening to the
young adult in my life. I'm so glad I did! The more I stepped back, the more
we moved forward together.

I am still a staunch and steadfast advocate for my blind child and for all
individuals with disabilities. I also recognize that people are far, far
more interesting, creative, and valuable than any stereotype-even a positive
one.

Please don't make the mistakes I made. I focused on the CORE-creating
opportunities and raising expectations-but I assumed that the CORE had to be
an apple core. All apples have cores, so shouldn't all cores be apple cores?
And, after all, there are many varieties of apples: Fiji, Golden and Red
Delicious, Rome, Granny Smith. All this variety provides enough space for
individuality, doesn't it? If not, let's look at other fruit with cores,
such as pears and quince. Shouldn't that be enough?

Instead of focusing on the core, we must focus on the reason for the core.
In fruit, the core performs two main functions. It provides the structure
that allows the fruit to grow and mature, and it provides seeds containing
DNA, the blueprint for the future.

Our CORE values do the same. We raise expectations by sharing the
accessible, nonvisual tools and techniques that enable blind individuals to
build their futures, unhampered by the low expectations of our
vision-centric world. Our philosophy provides the structure, the framework
for individuals to pursue their own goals. Like DNA, our core values serve
as building blocks that bring forth new life and set the stage for the
transformation of the world as we know it. Our CORE values provide the
foundation for growth and ensure that the ecosystem of blindness need not
define individuals or limit their lives.

Focusing on the purpose, the reason that a core is important, I began to
embrace this analogy in new ways. CORE values need not be limited, at least
not in any way that interferes with the purpose of the CORE value. Now we
can move beyond apples and pears to all fruit, including oranges,
blackberries, and plums. While they do not have actual cores, they have
inner architectures that provide foundations upon which the fruit may grow;
they provide resources for the future.

Then I wondered: Can the analogy stretch to vegetables, too? I think so.
Some vegetables, such as cabbages, grow above ground in layers. Others
flourish when hidden from view, like potatoes and onions. No matter what
path they take, they can thrive only when they have a structure in which to
grow and the nourishment they need to move ahead. 

Similarly, our CORE values can embrace all individuals, without regard to
additional disabilities, race, gender, or other societal prejudices. We
reject societal prejudices against blind individuals, and we can reject them
for all individuals. Every living thing needs a core, and we wholeheartedly
offer you our CORE values and ourselves.

We welcome you to the NOPBC Conference and to our NFB family.

The National Federation of the Blind is our garden. Here you will find the
soil, the sun, and the water of life. Here we do not practice container
gardening; we do not judge or define you. Here we welcome new shoots and
unknown seeds. We cannot wait to share our garden with you so that each of
us may support one another in our diverse and bountiful harvest. We look
forward to sharing with you our CORE values-creating opportunities and
raising expectations-throughout this week and throughout our lives. Welcome!

---------


Monitor Miniatures


News from the Federation Family


Lyfting Up the Federation

Many of us are frequent rideshare users, and it is now possible to make
every ride you take using Lyft result in a donation to the National
Federation of the Blind. Simply go into your profile, find the donate tab,
and select the NFB from the dozen or so charities that appear there. Your
fare will be rounded up, and the NFB will receive the added amount. Thank
you for all that you do to move around doing the good work you do and
simultaneously adding to the funds we have to help the Federation in our
work.

----------


NFB Pledge


I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation
of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind;
to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its
constitution.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20230101/d903cda1/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
Brl-monitor mailing list
Brl-monitor at nfbcal.org
https://nfbcal.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/brl-monitor