[NFBofSC] FW: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, August/September 2023

[Frank Loza]

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Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, August/September 2023

 


The Braille Monitor, August/September 2023


BRAILLE MONITOR


Vol. 66, No. 8 August/September 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

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National Federation of the Blind

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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

© 2023 by the National Federation of the Blind

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Vol. 66, No. 8 August/September 2023


Contents


The 2023 Convention Roundup

by Gary Wunder

Statement of the Board of Directors to the Federation Community Regarding Location of 2024 National Convention

Presidential Report 2023

by Mark A. Riccobono

Belief, Courage and Wisdom: Centering on the Blind People’s Movement

by Mark A. Riccobono

The Dr. Jacobus tenBroek Award

Presented by Pam Allen

2023 Jernigan Award Presentation

Presented by Mary Ellen Jernigan

Blind Educator of the Year Award Presentation

Presented by Robin House

Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Presentation

Presented by Carla McQuillan

Presentation of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards

Presented by Everette Bacon

2023 National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Awards

Presented by Cayte Mendez

Distinguished Accessibility Champion Award

Presented by John G. Paré

Resolutions Passed by the 2023 National Convention

Our Passion for Performance Permeates National Convention!

by Katelyn MacIntyre

Monitor Miniatures

[PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Wunder]


The 2023 Convention Roundup


by Gary Wunder


Introduction


Whether July 1 through July 6 found you in Houston, Texas, or glued to your Zoom device, there is no question that you found yourself proud to be at the eighty-third convention of the National Federation of the Blind. No matter how you took the ride, it was intriguing to sail deep into the heart of the Federation and to know that together we have created the greatest change agent in the history of the blind. Our job is to build and shape, and this article will describe in some detail the way the hottest gathering in Houston took on this responsibility.

In recent convention roundups, we have tried to describe many of the events that happened outside the main convention sessions. Much of this information is, however, already available in the agenda. We will certainly offer information that we get from those who attended sessions they wish to write about, but for those wanting to know the breadth and depth of the convention experience, we suggest that you look at the 2023 convention agenda which can be found at https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/2023-national-convention-agenda. Don’t hesitate to encourage divisions, committees, and group officers to make their contributions so that in future issues of this magazine you can read about what you could not attend or wish to have emphasized in our flagship publication.

[PHOTO CAPTION: It was a packed house at the Rookie Roundup this year. Almost every seat was full with members.]

[PHOTO CAPTION: The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children “family game night” was as popular as ever. Families got together to socialize and celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the NOPBC.]

[PHOTO CAPTION: The Technology Evaluation Committee’s Exhibitor’s Showcase attracted a lot of members interested in low- to high-tech products from vendors.]


The Board Meeting Arrives


The first session of the convention is always met with tremendous fanfare, and it is the board meeting of the National Federation of the Blind. Among the things we anticipate are the registration numbers at that point, words from those who do not wish to be renominated for the National Board of Directors, and then there is the always popular "great reveal,” where we learn about the location of our next annual convention.

The meeting began with all board members reporting present. President Riccobono asked that we observe a moment of silence for those who have passed in the last year, and he read a list of fifty-one people we have lost. There are always some who do not make the list, and we were invited in our silence to remember all of them.

Ever Lee Hairston was recognized to say that she no longer wishes to be considered for election to the board. It has been her honor to serve since 2010, and her purpose in leaving the board is to make way for a new person to bring their talent and energy to a position she has so much enjoyed holding. After a stirring round of applause, President Riccobono said that Ever Lee Hairston is the person he wants to be when he grows up.

Terri Rupp next asked for the floor, and, with tears in her eyes, she recounted the way she came to the Federation and how she has now decided to leave the board. Once she has devoted the energy necessary to raising her family, she may well again seek to return to the board, and the applause that greeted her announcement suggests strongly that she will be welcome.

Denise Avant next called for the floor, recapped several primary initiatives with which she has been involved, and said that she would no longer let her name be placed in nomination. "Please be assured that I am not going anywhere. I plan and pledge to help continue our movement. Remember, with love, hope, and determination, we turn blind people's dreams into reality." President Riccobono observed that Denise has taken on some of the hardest assignments there were during her tenure and in addition has been an active member of the American Bar Association, where she has continued to advance causes important to us.

Norma Crosby came to the podium to welcome us to the hottest thing happening in Houston. She said that her mother taught her an important principle in dealing with people, that being always to thank them for what they have done and continue to do. She presented an extensive list of Federationists who were involved in making this convention the fantastic success it was. In addition to all of the activities that contributed directly to the convention, the Texas Affiliate sponsored tours in which over two hundred people participated.

Norma told us that the annual book fair we conduct made it necessary for the affiliate to find space in its office for 115 boxes of Braille books. She said the book fair would happen in the afternoon, and that, in addition to all of the books that would be available, NASA was sending a retired astronaut to meet with those participating. Michael Baker had promised that not only would he be with us for a good part of the day but that he would come dressed in his flight suit.

Norma concluded her announcements by saying that about sixty-six people would be going to the Houston Astros game on Friday evening, a day after the convention concluded. Not only were they drawn by a love of baseball but also by the fact that the first pitch will be thrown by President Riccobono. On the front of the jersey the president will wear is the name of the team, that being the Houston Astros. On the back of the uniform is the name Riccobono.

The great reveal was next on the agenda, and we will be returning to the Rosen properties in Orlando, Florida. The announcement was made by Florida affiliate President Paul Martinez in English and in Spanish. He was followed by a recorded welcome from Mr. Harris Rosen, who said that this would be something of a family reunion between the Rosen staff and the Federation. We have talked with the Rosen hotels, and they are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for us. A statement from the Board of Directors affirming this will immediately follow this article. We are interested in knowing where you would like us to go in future years, keeping in mind that the place you recommend must have enough space for us, allowing not only for meeting space but for us to be housed in a manageable number of hotels.

President Riccobono noted that, in looking at agenda items that will occur later in the week, we will have some people on our stage who are controversial. Sometimes we invite them for the purpose of establishing relationships. Sometimes they are asked to present so that we can clearly articulate our views, which may differ from theirs. In any event, we always proceed with civility and respect, noting that disagreement can be expressed without being disagreeable.

The President talked about our commitment to the code of conduct document we have been developing since 2018. Reports continue to be received; some can be handled by our affiliates, but those involving allegations of sexual misconduct are handled by our external investigator.

Ronza Othman took the stage to talk about our Code of Conduct Feedback Committee which has, as its responsibility, learning about what we want in the code and how well the code is working. Anyone having information they would like to share with the committee should send it to codefeedback at nfb.org <mailto:codefeedback at nfb.org>  or call 410-659-9314, extension 2284. Ronza said, "We will aggregate the feedback that we will receive; we will protect the identities of anyone communicating with us; and we will use your feedback to compile recommendations for code updates and process improvement."

Our Federation has formed the Scott C. LaBarre Leadership and Justice Fund. To raise money for the fund, the National Association of Blind Lawyers is selling recordings of mock trials that were selected by Scott LaBarre. To make a purchase for twenty-two dollars, go to blindlawyers.net.

Shawn Callaway took the microphone in his capacity as the cochair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. He reported a very spirited meeting on the day prior to this one, and he encouraged anyone with comments to write the committee at diversity at nfb.org <mailto:diversity at nfb.org> .

Denise Avant spoke on behalf of the Membership Committee, introducing Tarik Williams as her cochair and Danielle McCann as staff support for the committee. She reminded chapter presidents that there are quarterly meetings, and these are held on Thursday evening and Sunday evening, giving chapter presidents a choice as to when to attend. Notices of these calls are distributed on our NFB listservs and through our social media outlets.

The Committee also sponsors the Introduction to Blindness 101 membership recruitment calls for those who wish to talk with our leaders about barriers that may come between them and joining the Federation. These calls are held on Wednesday evenings and again are advertised widely.

Denise concluded by saying that in the last year we have recruited at least six hundred new members, and with this kind of growth, the Federation has a tremendous future ahead of it.

Carla McQuillan was invited to the microphone to present our Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award. The recognition given in 2023 represents the thirty-fifth time this award has been presented. Krystal Guillory was the winner of this award, and since she was already at the convention and planning to work at the book fair, the question was how to keep this award a surprise and get her on the stage at the board meeting. This was successfully done, and a full report of the presentation and her remarks will be found elsewhere in this issue.

The CEO of Aira, Troy Otillio, was invited to the podium to talk about special benefits in being an Aira customer who is also a member of the National Federation of the Blind. He began his remarks by saying, "Hello everyone. I'm smiling. Thank you NFB for providing the world's largest, highest-energy convention for this community, where vendors like Aira can engage our customers and partners and listen and learn. This is truly awesome, and it is really great to be here." The NFB is a strategic investor in the company, and Aira is offering for new NFB members a 20 percent discount off all its plans. Anyone interested should contact Aira at 800-835-1934. Troy also announced that Everette Bacon has been hired as Aira's vice president of strategies and blindness initiatives.

Eve Hill now serves as the General Counsel for the National Federation of the Blind, and she came to the stage for a report. She began by saying that "We are doing lots of work in public and higher education, lots of work in healthcare access, lots of work with websites and kiosks and other forms of technology, accessible technology, voting, and employment. But the word of the year is technology.” Her remarks will appear elsewhere in the fall.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Many members signed up to attend the career fair at convention. Here, NFB of Texas member Derick, looking sharp in his suit, speaks with a potential employer.]

[PHOTO CAPTION: The Braille Book Fair is always a popular event. Uriajah checks out a new book he is interested in.]


The Business of Financing our Movement


Patti Chang came to the microphone in her capacity as our director of development. It is important that we thank our sponsors, not only when we are at convention but when we have occasion to deal with them during the year. A list of our sponsors follows:


Platinum: 


Google

Horizon Therapeutics

Microsoft

UPS Foundation

Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Vispero

Wells Fargo


Gold: 


Amazon

HumanWare

Oracle

Target

Waymo


Silver: 


American Printing House

AT&T

Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP

JPMorgan Chase & Co

Lyft

Market Development Group

Pearson

Tusk Philanthropies

Uber


Bronze: 


Centene Corporation

Charter Communications (Spectrum)

Cruise

Ellume

Kellogg

United Airlines

UserWay

VitalSource Technologies


White Cane: 


Aira

C&P-Chris Park Technology

Central Intelligence Agency

Computers for the Blind

CVS Health

Democracy Live

En-Vision America

Envision, Inc.

GoodMaps

HIMS

IKE Smart City

Independence Science

Jackson Walker LLP

Leader Dogs for the Blind

McGraw Hill

National Industries for the Blind

National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress

Personal.AI

Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld, LLP

Saavi Services for the Blind

Tactile Engineering

The Chicago Lighthouse

VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention’s (OMHSP) Suicide Prevention Program (SPP)

Patti also discussed our vehicle donation program, the Lyft Round Up and Donate opportunity, and the Dream Makers Circle. Anyone interested in helping with these efforts is encouraged to contact Patti directly at pattichang at nfb.org <mailto:pattichang at nfb.org>  or at 410-659-9314, extension 2422.

The New Mexico Affiliate was recognized for donating to our national treasury half of what the affiliate received in a bequest. The check presented was for $144,065.65. This generous practice does much to help us carry out the work we do at all levels of the organization.

Everette Bacon made a presentation about our Give $20 Fund and encouraged that, during the convention, we give to meet the generous match made by the Aira Corporation. Sandy Halverson also took the opportunity to discuss the Shares Unlimited in the National Federation of the Blind (SUN) Fund, and coming into the convention it now has $1,627,676.64. As Sandy observed, it won't take much reviewing of the financials to realize this won’t carry us very long, but it is wise to have and to grow it.

Ryan Strunk came to the podium with the most difficult job imaginable in this year of 2023, that being to follow in the footsteps of Scott LaBarre as the chairperson of the Preauthorized Contribution Program. He said that he could never match the big booming voice that Scott brought to the task, but Ryan asked that each of us, his pack, work to see that we continue to make this the most important internal fundraising mechanism in the movement.


More Awards and Important Reports


Robin House came to the stage to present the Blind Educator of the Year award. She was joined by the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Puerto Rico, Shalmarie Arroyo Mercado. A report of this presentation will be found elsewhere in this issue.

The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults has again produced an annual calendar, this one for 2024. They are available by writing to calendars at actionfund.org <mailto:calendars at actionfund.org>  or by writing to the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. Request should be made by August 31, 2023.

Tracy Soforenko made a brief presentation on behalf of the Jernigan Award Committee, noting that this year we were able to help ninety-four first-time convention attendees come to Houston. We ask that anyone with a story to tell about the way the Jernigan Fund has helped them write to kjscholarships at nfb.org <mailto:kjscholarships at nfb.org> . Those who wish to leave their story using voicemail may do so at 410-659-9314, extension 2020.

Kathryn Webster took the microphone in her capacity as the chairperson of the Jacobus tenBroek Memorial Fund. Her report was one of the shortest given, but her message was quite clear: we need to support the building that houses so many of our programs, so please contribute what you can.

For many the highlight of the morning occurred when Scholarship Committee Chair Cayte Mendez was called to the stage to present the 2023 Scholarship Class. A full report of her presentation and the remarks made by the winners will appear elsewhere in this issue.

The board meeting was concluded with a presentation by Board Chairperson Pam Allen. After her warm and heartfelt remarks, the meeting was adjourned.

[PHOTO CAPTION: The Bulldog Express band, one of the many amazing performances at opening general session, got the crowd moving.]

[PHOTO CAPTION: NFB Members clap and cheer during opening general session performances.]


The Federation General Sessions Begin


At 9 a.m. on the fourth of July, the first full convention session began with the drop of the gavel by President Riccobono. A door prize was offered for those in attendance and prizes were likewise offered throughout the convention to those participating virtually. After the invocation, given by Syed Rizvi, the presentation of colors and the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag were the next order of business, and presiding over this patriotic ceremony was the president of our National Association of Blind Veterans, Vernon Humphrey. The events of the morning cannot be captured in words; thankfully they can be heard on our convention highlights page at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW144PTYGib3jjo_BRxQHIoHMXvFQbAbb.

This will be an important link to bookmark because some events that cannot be captured here may be enjoyed there.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Norma Crosby]

After changing into his Houston Astros outfit, President Riccobono introduced Norma Crosby to welcome the full convention to Texas. Part of the welcoming ceremony included a recorded presentation by the mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner. Thirteen members of our Texas Affiliate treated us to a presentation featuring mariachi music, and again the experience must be heard to be appreciated and is found at the link above.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Vernon Humphrey and Mark Riccobono smile and shake hands.]

Following the Texas welcome, President Vernon Humphrey was again called to the microphone to recognize our veterans. Thirty-three men and women were recognized, saluted, and honored with the singing of America the Beautiful.

When we moved to the roll call of states, we had fifty-one affiliates reporting. Arizona brought thirty-nine first-timers to the convention, and the affiliate was joined by several other states who also brought more than thirty first-timers to Houston. Hawaii introduced four legislative proposals, all of which passed. Following the report from the Iowa affiliate, Mrs. Sharon Omvig took the stage to thank the Federation for what it did in saving the life of her husband Jim, how it brought about a relationship between the two of them made in heaven, and the way it continues to show her support that sustains her. When it came time for the Maryland delegation to report, Ronza Othman began by acknowledging the tremendous work of Sharon Maneki, who was listening online. Ronza also acknowledged the founder of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, Barbara Cheadle. She concluded by acknowledging the passage of legislation that means that all blind people in Maryland can receive prescriptions that are labeled in a way they can read. Nevada reported that in its work with the legislature it was able to turn back efforts to do away with the accessible voting machines that are used at polling places, thereby defeating a proposal that only hand-marked paper ballots be used in the state. A parental rights bill was passed in Ohio and signed by the governor in April. The conclusion of the roll call marked the end of the morning session.


The Presidential Report and Other Momentous Events of Tuesday Afternoon


The afternoon session began with the delivery of the Presidential Report. The President was introduced for his remarks by Oriana Riccobono, perhaps a hint of leadership roles in the future and a very pleasant way to emphasize our President’s commitment to family and involvement. His report spoke eloquently to what is deep in the heart of the Federation, and it will appear immediately after the statement of the Board of Directors referenced earlier in this article. The now familiar chant of “Ric-co-bo-no” was a fitting response to such a year of progress and what we can look forward to in the future if all of us join in the effort.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan O’Rourke wearing his National Hockey League jersey.]

The man who will ride from California to Illinois to raise money for the National Federation of the Blind was next recognized, and he amused the crowd by saying that, in his capacity as a referee for the National Hockey League, he was much more comfortable with boos than cheers. Accordingly, Dan O’Rourke was greeted a second time with a round of boos that would do credit to the most vocal hockey fans. With almost fifteen hundred games in his career and being not too far from two hundred playoff games, there is no question that Dan is a prominent figure in the world of officiating. An article about Dan's career and his ambition to help blind people was published in the May issue of this magazine. His goal is to pay tribute to his father, provide funds for blind children so that they can become literate, and to make the name of the National Federation of the Blind better known throughout the country.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Barbara Cheadle]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Carla Keirns]

President Riccobono introduced the next presentation with these words:

Well, while we are launching one endeavor, which is the Ride for Literacy, this afternoon we’re celebrating another, and this item is Reflections on Four Decades of Growing our Organization with the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. Forty years ago our movement took a leap of faith. We created a division for parents of blind children and, recognizing that although there are certainly blind parents of blind children, most of the parents who we need to bring into the blind people's movement are not blind. So we permitted the constitution to reflect that a division could be made up of non-blind people. That was a leap of faith for us. The parents took a leap of faith too by choosing to embed themselves and operate within the organized blind movement. They took a leap of faith by believing we would create a welcoming place not just for them but for the future of their children, and, in my opinion, it has made all the difference to multiple generations of blind youth in this nation. Our convention is a family event, and a huge part of that is embedding families of blind children into the convention. So here to present a special celebratory presentation on behalf of our National Organization of Parents of Blind Children in its fortieth year we have the founding first president of the division who built the foundation for what we are celebrating, and we also have the current president, because we know that while it's nice to celebrate what has been done, what is important is what we are going to do in the future. Please welcome Barbara Cheadle and Carla Keirns.

The remarks of these two outstanding women will appear in a future issue.


Partnering for Innovation and Increased Opportunities


[PHOTO CAPTION: Craig Meador]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Bruce Miles wearing his Monarch antenna headband.]

We next addressed the topic of the Braille Flyway, a reference to the Monarch, which is a product created through the partnership of HumanWare, the American Printing House for the Blind, and the National Federation of the Blind. Presenters were Craig Meador, the president of the American Printing House for the Blind, and Bruce Miles, the president of HumanWare. The goal of the partnership is to produce a device that can display refreshable Braille and tactile graphics on the same surface. Generically this is known as a dynamic tactile device, but Monarch is the name we have chosen to represent a truly significant advance not only for blind students but for blind adults of all ages. Bruce Miles said: "Without a doubt it's our partnership with NFB that has been responsible for getting the Monarch where it is today. I know that President Riccobono said you are there to criticize, but you are there to do a whole lot more than that. The NFB has been there to answer for us the difficult questions, and thanks for that. The NFB has been there to help us make the right connections that we need to make this happen. The NFB has been there to help us break down barriers. The NFB has been our North Star, helping us and keeping us going in the right direction. And NFB has been there to encourage us that we have to keep going, even when the going gets tough. Most importantly, our partnership with NFB has allowed us to share all of this with all of you and to get your expertise, your dreams, and your ideas."

The presentations made by Craig Meador and Bruce Miles will appear in an upcoming issue. For those who receive the Braille Monitor in an audio format, you will enjoy the ending of this presentation, a song having been written to commemorate the flight of the Monarch. It is also available under the convention highlights link presented earlier.


A Museum Celebrating the Blind People’s Movement


[PHOTO CAPTION: Kathryn Webster]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Jordyn Castor]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Marilyn Green]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Donald Porterfield]

Our last topic of the day was a discussion of the Museum of the Blind People's Movement. The panel to make this presentation was comprised of Kathryn Webster from Massachusetts, Jordyn Castor from Colorado, Marilyn Green from Illinois, Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum from Maryland, and Donald Porterfield from Arizona. Kathryn began with a powerful video that will likely be one of many in the museum that will help convey the progress of blind people in the voices of those who have made it happen. We are asking members and friends to make donations, but of equal importance is our request that each of us ask five people who may in turn make contributions to this effort. The remarks made by each member of the panel will appear in an upcoming issue.

On this enthusiastic note, the session was concluded.

[PHOTO CAPTION: NFB members cut a rug at the Welcome Dance to the music of the Haymakers led by newly elected board member Tom Page.]


Wednesday Morning: Finances, Elections, and Highlighting Advocates and Their Work


When the gavel dropped and President Riccobono called the Wednesday morning session to order, an invocation was given by the president of the NFB in Judaism Group, Stuart Proust.

Our first order of business was the presentation of the financial report. For anyone interested in a detailed review of our audit, it may be found on the NFB portal. We are pleased to say that the documents are fully accessible. There are certainly numbers in the report that are concerning because they represent spending that exceeds income, but the bulk of this has to do with significant losses in investments. We know, however, that if left untouched, the stock market and other investments pay very well, and 2022 was a difficult year for everyone who had investments on Wall Street. We are starting to see signs of recovery in 2023, so while we certainly need aggressive and ongoing fundraising, we are in good shape and will continue to carry on the work we have committed ourselves to do. Understanding all of the foregoing, the convention voted unanimously to approve the financial report.

After updates on fundraising efforts at the convention, Pam Allen was called on as the chairperson of the Nominating Committee to present its report. The committee nominated Tom Page from Kansas, Marcy Carpenter from Washington, Jessica Beecham from Colorado, Grace Pires from Rhode Island, Marilyn Green from Illinois, and Tracy Soforenko from Virginia. The motion to accept the report was made, seconded, and passed. We then proceeded to elections.

As moved by the committee, the nomination of Tom Page was seconded and his election to the board was by acclamation. Tom has been in the Federation for thirty-two years and vows to do the best job he can as a board member in giving back what has been so generously given to him.

Marcy Carpenter was next elected by acclamation. She looks forward to continuing her work on the board and especially to bringing in new members.

Jessica Beecham was nominated by the committee, and Brittany Brim nominated herself. Each candidate was invited to make a brief pitch to the convention. In the voice vote that followed, Jessica was elected. She said that when she came to her first convention in 2011 as a scholarship winner, she went to her room, cried, and vowed that she would never come back. By the end of the convention, however, she realized she had found her family of choice.

The name of Grace Pires was placed in nomination, for although she was elected last year, the term she filled had only one year remaining. Virginia Robertson from Arkansas was self-nominated, and both she and Grace explained why they should be elected. After a voice vote, Grace won reelection to the board. She said that when she attended her first convention, she knew she had found a second home. Grace said she is excited to continue the work required of those who serve on the board.

The nomination of Marilyn Green was seconded, and she was elected by acclamation. She joined the Federation in 2017, and with tears she expressed her joy at being given the opportunity to continue her service to the organization, this time on the national board.

Tracy Soforenko’s nomination was seconded, and he was elected by acclamation. Tracy said that he joined the Federation because he had needs, and when the Federation helped him meet those needs and helped him come to believe in himself, he sought to return the favor. With his election, the elections were concluded, with the new terms of those elected to begin at the conclusion of the convention.

Any organization interested in establishing its future direction will create a strategic plan. A copy of our most recent plan was published in the July issue of the Braille Monitor, and it supersedes the one we did in 2018. To discuss the strategic plan, a panel chaired by Denise Avant took the stage. Other members of the panel were Trisha Kulkarni, Sanho Steele-Louchart, Lisamaria Martinez, and Denise Brown. Ms. Avant said that the strategic planning process began with the survey that each of our members was invited to complete. Those who worked on this plan consider those of us who completed the survey to have been invaluable. The comments from this panel will appear later in the fall.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Susan Mazrui]

Our next presenter has been a longtime advocate for accessible technology, with much of her effort being concentrated in the communications industry. As President Riccobono observed, whether we know it or not, she has had an impact on all of our lives. Often she has been the only blind person in the room when issues surrounding accessibility and communication are discussed. She has been employed and has been an advocate since 1998, and with these remarks he introduced a lifetime member of the Seattle Chapter, Susan Mazrui. Her presentation will appear in an upcoming issue, but the question and the challenge she left us with was this: can we as Federationists work less on fixing the technology of the world by working harder to shape the world to come?

[PHOTO CAPTION: Karla Gilbride]

Our next presenter was a blind woman who has recently argued a case before the United States Supreme Court, the only blind woman ever to do so. Most recently she led arguments in the court of appeals for the Federation on behalf of Joe Orozco. She has been nominated by President Biden to serve as general counsel for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and this is a nomination the Federation has enthusiastically supported. With these remarks, President Riccobono introduced Karla Gilbride.

Karla was the winner of a national scholarship in 1998, and though she had a reputation for not always listening to adults as she grew up, she did listen to the National Federation of the Blind and its positive philosophy about blindness. She also brings to life a strong set of blindness skills, the determination to speak, and the resolve to see that what she says counts. Her outstanding remarks will appear in an upcoming issue.

At the completion of Karla's message, President Riccobono asked the crowd whether we thought she should be confirmed by the United States Senate. We hope that the thunderous response in the affirmative will make it clear that the organized blind believe she should be the next General Counsel of the EEOC.

The afternoon festivities began with a virtual convention warm-up show as they did throughout the week. Shawn Callaway is the president of our District of Columbia affiliate, and he was invited to start the show by talking about some of his favorite activities during the convention. He said he was tremendously impressed with the diversity that he saw in the gathering, was loving the program, and was really looking forward to what was to come. Commendations for the staff of The Hilton Americas-Houston were universal, and everyone was interested in what the upcoming session would bring.


Changing the Direction of a Relationship, Advocacy and Policy Work, and Resolutions for 2023


[PHOTO CAPTION: Eve Hill]

The Wednesday afternoon session opened and door prizes were given to virtual and in-person attendees, the first presentation was made by Eve Hill. We have known Eve in many capacities, but the one thing that is always clear in her presentations is that she hates injustice and pursues civil rights with her entire being. Eve began with a tremendous recitation about the legal history of advocacy pursued by the National Federation of the Blind and concluded by talking about the new initiatives and the emphasis on our legal efforts. Her remarks will appear in full later in the fall.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Eric Bridges]

President Riccobono introduced our next presenter by going through a bit of the history that the National Federation of the Blind has had with the American Foundation for the Blind. Sometimes we have been able to work together, but often we have found ourselves on different sides of the most essential question in matters concerning the blind: who shall speak for the blind? Shall it be those who have invested time in getting an education and drawing their salaries to assist the blind, or shall it be those who live each day dealing with the authentic experience of being blind? Shall the wants and the needs of the blind be articulated by an organization for the blind or by leaders of an organization elected by blind people? As the title in the agenda indicates, we have invited the current president of the Foundation, Eric Bridges, with the hope that the next decade will be better than the century that preceded it.

In his presentation, Mr. Bridges talked about programs of the AFB that he believes have not been thoroughly publicized due to changes in leadership, but he believes they are significant in contributing to the journey of blind people in becoming all that they want to be. In terms of the future, he said, "What I want for us moving forward is to have an open and honest relationship with the consumer organizations. I want us to be able to collaborate when it makes sense for us to collaborate. I want us to have a good working relationship at a bare minimum."

At the conclusion of his presentation, Mr. Bridges was asked by Immediate Past President Maurer whether the American Foundation for the Blind opposed the payment of subminimum wages in any program serving the blind. Mr. Bridges said that he could not answer at the moment but that he would get back with us before the day was out. He said that he had his own opinion, but as a relative newcomer to the Foundation, he would research the question and then give us the Foundation’s position by the end of the day. The presentation by Mr. Bridges and the subsequent follow-up can be heard using the convention highlights link presented earlier.

A report from our Advocacy and Policy Team followed, with its executive director taking the lead. The team is informally known as the four J’s: John Paré, Jeff Kaloc, Justin Young, and Jesse Shirek. Each made presentations that discussed specific programs and the legislation we are supporting. The remarks made by each of them will appear in full later in the fall.

At the conclusion of the Advocacy and Policy Team's report, President Riccobono introduced a video from the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg. His remarks were intended to follow up on the convention presentation he made two years ago. In the video, the Secretary pointed to several important initiatives regarding the disabled, though he clearly did not forcefully address our concerns about the paperwork required to fly when accompanied by a guide dog and what we perceive as the utter foolishness of the procedures involved in filling out the forms and then either having them ignored or causing unnecessary delays while being reviewed. Secretary Buttigieg’s remarks will appear later in the fall.

Donald Porterfield is the new chairperson of our Resolutions Committee, and he was introduced to present sixteen resolutions that were considered by the convention. An article containing the text of all resolutions that were passed will appear elsewhere in this issue.

Before concluding the session, President Riccobono announced he had received a letter from Mr. Bridges within thirty to forty minutes of his presentation answering the question he was asked about subminimum wages. In that email was a paper released in 2020 saying that the Foundation is against the payment of subminimum wages and fully supports the abolishment of them. The convention liked both the message and its timeliness. On this encouraging note, the afternoon session was adjourned.


Thursday Morning: Artificial Intelligence, and What we have a Right to Expect of our Technology


As on other days from July 1 to 6, Thursday morning started with what is called the preshow convention activities for those attending virtually. In NFB lore this is known as the longest day of the convention, but, as Anil Lewis said, “I may be exhausted today, but I'll always have tomorrow to rest up.” All of our hosts were very impressed by the three-hour talent show that took place from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. the previous evening. The winner of that talent show walked away with $200, and other prizes were awarded as well. See the report of the division later in this issue.

The morning invocation was offered by Dan Frye, a man well-known to Monitor readers. What some may not know is that he is completing work at a seminary to become a minister in the Unitarian Universalist Church.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Suman Kanuganti]

The first presenter of the morning was Suman Kanuganti, the founder of Aira and now the owner of Personal AI. He was attending his eighth consecutive national convention and reminded us that at his first he was one of the 2,480 people who helped set a Guinness World Record in our umbrella mosaic.

Interestingly he tackles the question of what makes us human; what is unique to the human experience. This synopsis will not be a spoiler, but you may read the comments that he made about artificial intelligence and his chat with our president as embodied in the artificial intelligence information that President Riccobono has given to the system. It is fair to say that Suman does not believe in the dystopian future of AI as so often portrayed in newspaper headlines, television shows, and movies. The remarks of this innovative and enthusiastic man will appear in an upcoming issue.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Mike Buckley]

Continuing with the theme of artificial intelligence, the next presenter was the chief executive officer of Be My Eyes, a company that won a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award in 2018. With this as background, President Riccobono introduced Mike Buckley.

Mr. Buckley thanked the NFB for its support and the invitation to speak. He reminded us that some of the core values of Be My Eyes include that it will always be free and that the service is all about safety, equity, and choice. In addition to the volunteers who help us, the service is adding artificial intelligence and a new group feature that will let us define fifteen to twenty of our trusted family and friends for those special tasks where we need more than the opinion of a stranger. Mr. Buckley’s remarks will appear in an upcoming issue.

Certain names we associate with quality, whether those names relate to products or people. Jonathan Mosen is a person whose name evokes qualities such as competence, intelligence, objectivity, warmth, and a desire to help other people who are blind. No one will be surprised when we say without reservation that Jonathan clearly fulfilled any expectations we had in inviting him to the convention stage of the National Federation of the Blind. In his presentation, he defines, in terms that any layperson can understand, what inaccessibility and the inability to use certain functions mean to blind people. With equal clarity he reveals how intolerable those situations would be were sighted people asked to accept them. He also suggests a plan to address these deficits in usability and hopes that organizations around the world will adopt it. Jonathan's speech will appear prominently in the October issue.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Shir Ekerling]

President Riccobono introduced our next guest by again providing some important history. The presenter was Shir Ekerling, and he is the chief executive officer of accessiBe. The purpose of accessiBe is to assist businesses in presenting to the world websites that are usable for people who are blind and those with other disabilities. When we first came in contact with the company, much of its advertising strongly suggested that this could be done with the insertion of code into one's website, the task taking less than two minutes. The emphasis in the initial advertising was to attract businesses with the promise that they would not be sued by people with disabilities because of website inaccessibility. The Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind said, and the convention concurred, that this advertising was completely unacceptable. We also had serious questions about whether the insertion of a piece of code that would enable the artificial intelligence provided by accessiBe to discern the intent of a company's website owners to be adequately displayed with screen-reading technology truly represented the capabilities of the system. For this reason we declined to accept accessiBe as a sponsor and passed a resolution demanding change.

AccessiBe did not throw up its hands and go away. While it continued to seek customers and gain revenue, it also decided to do extensive work to get to know the National Federation of the Blind and to regard our concerns as constructive criticism rather than hostile reactions. An apology was submitted to the National Federation of the Blind Board of Directors and was included in the May edition of the Braille Monitor. With the hope of beginning to build the trust that is essential to the relationship we must achieve, Shir Ekerling was invited to the stage to talk about that apology, the activities that have taken place over the last several years, and to explain to us his commitment to changing the focus of accessiBe so that it actively works not only with the technical problem of web access but also seeks to be directed by the beneficiaries of this technology and other services the company provides. In his remarks Shir said, "In the last two years, we have been working night and day, alongside many disability community leaders, individuals, and organizations, to change and transform a lot of what we do following the NFB's 2021 resolutions regarding overlay products and accessibility. The NFB guidance was clear, instrumental, and very much appreciated. Today I am happy to tell you that we have addressed all the points you brought forth in your 2021 resolution." The remarks of accessiBe's Chief Executive Officer will appear in an upcoming issue, as will the question directed to him at that time. For this brief overview, let it be sufficient to say that both accessiBe and the NFB agree that trust must be built, that it will take time, and that, as important as they are, apologies and presentations can only be the starting place for that trust. The relationship we want will require tangible results in terms of candidness in advertising, the usefulness of the services, and the continued willingness of each of us to communicate openly and honestly with one another.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Curtis Chong]

Curtis Chong is no stranger to members of the National Federation of the Blind. He has lived in several states and has been an active participant in these affiliates as well as in national activities. He is known for his technical prowess but is admired even more for his skills in relating to and helping blind people without regard to their technical competence. In his remarks, he discussed the frustration of blind people when we encounter unusable technology, the proliferation of websites that are not accessible, the certainty that overlay technologies will exist and must be held accountable for doing what they say, and the necessity that blind people continue to call on companies when they fall short of making the use of their website as easy for blind people as it is for those with sight. His common-sense presentation reflecting tremendous technical knowledge and user experience will appear later in the fall.


We’ve got a Ticket to Ride: Ensuring our Right to Use it


[PHOTO CAPTION: Liza Winship]

When measuring the frustration level of blind people, it is hard to know whether the biggest problem is inaccessible technology or unresponsive rideshare companies. Last year we passed a resolution taking to task Uber and Lyft for policies that clearly discriminate against blind people and especially those of us who use guide dogs. Liza Winship came on behalf of Uber, acknowledged the bad behavior that caused last year’s resolution to be written and passed, and pledged to continue the effort of the company to make rideshare more equitable for blind people. "We are in this; we are going to get it right.," she said.… "If you will accept us as partners, please hear our willingness and our enthusiasm in building on this together." The remarks of Ms. Winship and the comments made before and after her presentation by President Riccobono will appear in an upcoming issue.


An Anniversary is not just a Celebration but a Chance to recommit ourselves to a Goal


[PHOTO CAPTION: Andres Gallegos]

Our next presenter was the chairperson of the National Council on Disabilities, Mr. Andrés Gallegos. His message as we approach the thirty-third anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act was clear: while we have made substantial progress, there is much to be done. We must acknowledge that many of us live in poverty, that much of the technology we use is not fully accessible, that many devices we should be able to use to monitor and improve our healthcare are not independently useable, and that far too few of us hold a job that will let us enjoy the full benefits of citizenship. These thoughtful and hard-hitting remarks will appear in an upcoming issue.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Jason Broughton]

Jason Broughton, the Director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, made our last presentation of the morning. The director said that he is well aware of the perils of standing between an audience and its lunch. In his remarks, he talked about the popularity of the Braille e-reader and the hope that it will be available in all fifty states by the end of the year. A new audio player is under development that will have the familiar cartridge slot in the front but will also be equipped to download books without the need for a cartridge. Last, but certainly not least, it looks like NLS will again be moving back to the Library of Congress, although this move will occur in several phases and will take some time. Nevertheless, there is a commitment on behalf of the leadership at the Library of Congress to move from the rented facilities now being used and thereby save the money that is being expended on them. The move will begin in 2024, and the director promises no disruption of service as a result. His remarks will appear in an upcoming issue.


Recognizing Accomplishment, Acknowledging Stronger Relationships, Appreciating Growth through the Federation Family, and Hearing from Members of Congress, Past and Present


For the next to last preshow of the convention, Melissa Riccobono, Danielle McCann, Anil Lewis, and Chris Danielsen reviewed the morning's activities and were moved and inspired by them. Their reactions to Mark Riccobono's artificial intelligence incarnation were interesting and worth a listen. They were also joined by Sharon Maneki, and though she sounded tired, as anyone recovering from an illness would be, it was wonderful to hear her voice and to realize that she was participating in the convention virtually.

For the sixteenth annual presentation of the Jacob Bolotin awards, chairperson Everette Bacon was invited to the stage. Everett began by observing that we have given away seventy-five Bolotin awards; after the presentation, we will be up to eighty-one. Everett's remarks were followed by an eight-and-a-half minute video and then the presentation of the awards. A full report of this exciting presentation will appear later in this issue.

As in so many cases, knowing the history of our relationship with a given entity is important. So it is with the AbilityOne Commission. It is not only helpful but gratifying in this case to see the transformation that is occurring. It was very revolutionary when NFB members, who had previously complained about the process from the outside, began to emerge as part of the Commission that actually ran the programs. James Omvig and Anil Lewis are notable pioneers for going where Federationists were definitely in the minority and, at least at the beginning of their terms, not well regarded. Currently there are now four citizen members, and the remarks that will appear later in the fall from AbilityOne’s Chai Feldblum are a tremendous testament to the progress being made in the program and our relationship with it.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis]

To speak with us about initiatives sponsored by our own Blindness Initiatives Department, Anil Lewis next came to the stage. He began his presentation by saying that we are the most intimidating audience he speaks to every year, and that he loves all of us, though he may not like all of us. The crowd responded in the way that a family responds to truths that are always known but seldom spoken. As he always does, Anil got us moving and clapping, not only in the celebration of the programs that we carry on but in anticipation of those that will soon bear our name and continue our work of changing the opportunities for blind people. Anil's remarks will appear in a later issue.

President Riccobono announced our registration numbers, and 2,489 people joined us in person for the convention. Additionally, 1,180 people participated virtually.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Mary Fernandez]

Mary Fernandez came to a national program of the Federation in 2006 when she participated in our Youth Slam Rocket On program. She has been actively involved since that time, and she now works as the lead accessibility consultant for Cisco Systems.

Mary’s presentation offered tremendous insights about growing up as a blind person, being rebellious, slowly moving towards enlightenment, and the value of stubbornness, not the first time that word was credited with resistance and then acceptance. This is a presentation in which almost every line has enough meaning that one could write an essay from it, and I hope that all who read it in an upcoming issue will enjoy it as much as I have. With a generous monetary pledge for the mother who did so much to shape her personality, Mary made these remarks before leaving the stage: "Education has been the touchstone of my success, my mother the unwavering support, and the NFB the community that has helped me and on whose shoulders I stand."

[PHOTO CAPTION: Sheila Jackson Lee]

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee was a featured speaker at one of our Washington Seminars, but it was on this day that she addressed the convention for the first time. The representative began her speech by acknowledging not only those who are visible and active in leadership but also by commending several of the speakers preceding her with words that demonstrated a real understanding and appreciation of and for their messages. She has served in the House of Representatives for fourteen terms and has declared her candidacy to fill the job as the mayor of Houston.

Representative Lee’s appreciation of us is that we show up, and her advice is that we continue to show up any time we can. Showing up is key to being heard, to being seen, and to making a difference. "In this week when we all become red, white, and blue, we are teary-eyed about the birth of this nation, the birth of freedom and democracy. This is the right week for you to have been here from July 1 to be able to commemorate the nation's birthday founded on freedom and democracy for all – for all. You are much more than the visually impaired; you are hope for those who experience the world through sound, sensation, and touch; you make sure that they have the freedom to pursue the American dream. This is what July 4, the nation's birthday, is all about." These spirited remarks are captured on our convention highlight page and definitely merit listening by those who wish to be inspired through Representative Lee's patriotism, commitment to American values, and the belief that all of us should have an equal chance at the promise America delivers to the most privileged of her citizens.

At the conclusion of her remarks, Congresswoman Lee gave President Riccobono a resolution commending the National Federation of the Blind on its eighty-third year of advocacy, and the resolution she presented has been placed in the Congressional Record.

Introducing the final presentation of the day, President Riccobono reverently recognized former representative Tony Coelho, the man universally credited as the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In his brief remarks, Representative Coelho talked about the maturity of the disability movement, the role blind people have played in it, and the fact that he actively supports all of our legislation and is a great fan of our director of advocacy and policy, John Paré. The representative’s remarks will be published in a future issue.

[PHOTO CAPTION: It was a full house at the banquet this year. Every table and chair were full of members celebrating the end of a great convention together.]


The 2023 Banquet Festivities


The last pre-session show, in keeping with its predecessors, was outstanding and represented the satisfaction that is felt after the intensity of a national convention and the promise of still more to come from the banquet. After an invocation presented by Louis Maher, we heard from Sharon Maneki who, despite illness, managed to be an active and ever-present force during the convention. Sharon thanked everyone for the Bolotin Award received earlier in the day, and she assured us all that, though her banquet celebration was considerably smaller than the one we were in, it was nevertheless spirited and delightful.

A video thanking the sponsors of our scholarship program was offered and, at its end, received enthusiastic applause.

Everette Bacon took the microphone in his capacity as the chair of the White Cane Committee and announced that in our Give $20 campaign, we not only matched the $25,000 given by Aira but managed to raise $37,601 with six hundred contributors.

Chairperson Ryan Strunk said that our effort to attract new people to the PAC program and the dollars it raises both increased. We were able to raise monthly pledges by $12,762, meaning that we have an annualized total of $471,496.

The highlight of the banquet is always the banquet speech, which embodies the experience, the reflection, and the resolve of the person we have chosen to lead our movement. What a challenge it is to deal with the day-to-day details of an organization such as ours and still be able to see the big picture, explain it in a way that is both understandable and entertaining, and outline what work the future will require of us to achieve the dreams we share together. We are the blind people's movement, and we are centered by what blind people want, need, and direct us to pursue. As he made clear in his speech, the blindness-centered approach receives about 2 percent of the financial support given to blind people by the public, the rest going to what our leader calls the vision industrial complex. The remarks of our president will appear prominently in this issue and will become an invaluable part of the body of literature that explains who we are, why we exist, and the world we are intent on shaping for blind people.

For many years we have had the honor of hearing from Raymond Kurzweil immediately following the banquet speech. Each year he manages to both comment on the speech and add his own personal remarks about the past, present, and future of the National Federation of the Blind, its unshakable place in advancing civil rights, and its essential role in seeing that new technology does not leave blind people behind but in fact is used to enhance our ability to live in a world primarily comprised of sighted people. The introduction made by Pam Allen and the remarks of Dr. Kurzweil are both found on our convention highlights page, and anyone who takes the time to listen to them will be encouraged and uplifted by being a part of our organization.

In addition to the many roles that she plays in our organization, Pam Allen is also the chairperson of the Jacobus tenBroek Award Committee. The comments she made about Jacobus tenBroek, the words she said about the award winner, and the comments that this year's recipient made are found elsewhere in this issue.

John Paré was recognized to present a unique award to a very special person. The recipient of this award was Tony Coelho, and the remarks he made and those of John Paré will appear elsewhere in this issue.

Mary Ellen Jernigan came to the podium to present the Kenneth Jernigan Award. Like the tenBroek Award, this is issued only as often as we decide someone merits its presentation. Mrs. Jernigan's remarks and those of the winner are found elsewhere in this issue.

For thirty people in the room, the highlight of the banquet was about to commence as their 2023 Scholarship Class was recognized. The remarks made by Chairperson Cayte Mendez and the presentation made by the winner of the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship appear elsewhere in this issue.

Immediate Past President Maurer came to the podium and reminded us that Dr. Kenneth Jernigan came to his last convention twenty-five years ago. It goes without saying that in his time President Jernigan set the bar high for what it means to be the president of this organization. This he did through the energy he put into being its executive officer, the attention he gave to selecting a successor, and his good judgment in picking Marc Maurer. In turn in 2014 it fell to then President Maurer to recommend to the convention that his successor be Mark Riccobono. As he begins his ninth year as our president, it is clear that Mark Riccobono was an excellent choice, and Former President Maurer wished to express his gratitude for the service of Mark Riccobono and his belief that our president will continue to uphold the high standards set by his predecessors.

After the drawing of a door prize befitting the state of Texas and our affiliate there, President Riccobono took the microphone to conclude our 2023 convention. He asked that all of the members of the Dream Makers Circle rise for a brief moment of recognition, and the applause of the convention certainly conveyed the appreciation he intended. The president thanked Dr. Maurer for his remarks and thanked us for the challenge, saying that it is only because we expect a lot that he is able to give what he does as we do the work of the blind people's movement.


Concluding Thoughts on the Convention and the Movement that Inspired It


As the gavel dropped on the convention, several strong impressions continue to resonate. One is the power of community and how much more we can do together than we can do separately. The second is the importance of unity: the effort to keep top of mind those things that unite us and to make a real effort at understanding those that will divide us if we let them. The third great take-away was the value of stubbornness, the characteristic that keeps us pushing for what we need in the face of denial. From this denial comes the unshakeable resolve to change our part of the world and live as the first-class citizens we are. This is the reason for and the pledge of the blind people’s movement, and nowhere was it better represented than in our 2023 National Convention and in the work of our Federation.

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Statement of the Board of Directors to the Federation Community Regarding Location of 2024 National Convention


The National Federation of the Blind is aware that prominent civil rights organizations representing marginalized groups, including racial minorities, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community, have issued travel advisories for the state of Florida because of recently enacted laws and policies that affect these groups and, consequently, affect our members as well. We acknowledge the serious concerns raised in these travel advisories. Over the past decade, we have enjoyed many safe and meaningful conventions in Florida, and we hosted the 2016 General Assembly of the World Blind Union working closely with the team at Rosen Hotels & Resorts. We made a previous commitment to come back to a Rosen property in 2024 specifically because of the hospitality and respect shown to all our members by the Rosen Hotels & Resorts staff.

As the transformative advocacy organization of blind people in the United States, our purpose in visiting Florida is to further the work of our organization through our annual Convention, which is our supreme governing authority, not to benefit the state’s tourism industry or to make a partisan statement of any kind. Our work is centered on defending the rights of blind people to live the lives they want. As our code of conduct affirms, the National Federation of the Blind does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, marital status, age, genetic information, disability, political affiliation, or any other characteristic or intersectionality of characteristics. We commit that our 2024 convention will be a safe space for all blind people, as well as our friends, families, partners, and allies, and we are confident that Rosen Hotels & Resorts and the Orlando community join us in that commitment. We will work closely with other civil rights organizations to ensure that our convention is a safe place for all our members and friends.

Furthermore, we affirm and support advocates in creating a safer and more equitable America for all marginalized people in this country. To our members under attack by laws and policies, please know that we are actively working to ensure that these policies do not affect your continued participation in the organized blind movement. This work includes consideration of affordable locations without such advisories. We hear you. As we consider our future convention locations beyond 2025, we pledge to examine our convention-planning process and priorities to determine if there are more effective ways to select convention locations that do not present the increased risk for certain portions of our membership. We will continue to engage groups, committees, and divisions within the Federation to identify meaningful steps we can take to continue the work of the blind people’s movement in all parts of this nation.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark A. Riccobono]


Presidential Report 2023


An Address Delivered by Mark A. Riccobono

National Federation of the Blind

Houston, Texas

July 4, 2023

During the past year, the warmth and strength of our blind people’s movement has been felt in increasing intensity throughout our nation. While our mission to achieve equality, opportunity, and security is rooted deeply in our souls, it is the commitment we make to work together, to have each other’s backs, that drives the collective heartbeat of our movement. As we gather to review our progress over the past year, we share our lived experiences and the motivation to pursue a better future as a family of blind people joined arm in arm in a march for independence. Deep in the heart of our movement, we are proud of our achievements and celebrate the thousands of blind people who are responsible for our victories. Together, we are the National Federation of the Blind.

Each year at this convention, our delegates elect those blind members who will represent our movement on our National Board of Directors. While this convention remains the supreme authority of the organization, our board has the responsibility for managing the work of the movement during the other fifty-one weeks of the year. Coming out of the unprecedented period of isolation caused by the pandemic, our board was determined to move aggressively to build our community. Over the past year, we have undertaken a comprehensive strategic planning process that has included deep data collection from members and partners of the Federation. That work has been led by a steering committee that included a wide cross-section of members and staff from all levels of our organization. This diverse group of individuals was tasked with ensuring that our strategic development work represented the whole community of the Federation, including those we have yet to fully welcome into membership. This week we have made the final strategic plan publicly available. In the coming weeks, we will begin the work of implementing the key values and commitments of the plan. From our position of leadership, we deal with all matters affecting the blind in society, yet our time and resources are not infinite. The strategic plan ensures that our commitments are clearly tied to building capacity for the organization—developing a strong, coordinated, blind people’s movement. The single greatest factor in our success will continue to be the commitment that blind individuals bring to the work that we do. It is not enough for our leaders to be invested in the strategic direction of the organization—it has to be all of us together. It is not just that we believe in blind people—we are those people. This movement is the expression of our hopes and dreams for the future.

Dr. LaShawna Fant serves as president of the Jackson Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Mississippi. To further her dream of expanding awareness of the Federation, she proposed bringing the monthly Presidential Release Live event to her community for Blind Equality Achievement Month. In the weeks leading up to our event in Jackson, national news reports began giving focus to a local water crisis that Jackson residents had been enduring for many years. We know that when problems impact our communities, blind people are disproportionately impacted. While water distributions sites were being established, there were no accommodations to support those in the community, such as blind people, who could not drive to pick up water. In response, we mobilized help from the Federation family. Our National Association of Blind Merchants secured the delivery of seven hundred cases of water to Jackson, and LaShawna made a plan for us to personally distribute water to the homes of blind people in the community. As the water was graciously accepted at each visit, I was deeply moved by the personal stories of how important the National Federation of the Blind has been in creating community and hope for our members in Jackson. This is one example that demonstrates the power of our coordinated network. More importantly, it shows the love and support that lie deep in the heart of the Federation.

Membership capacity building happens through development of strong Federation state affiliates. This includes providing infrastructure support for managing corporate documents, fiscal responsibility, and maintaining important policies and practices like our commitment to the protection of youth in our programs.

One recent example of affiliate capacity building was our work to strengthen the National Federation of the Blind of Puerto Rico, which has been our fastest growing affiliate this year. This work is consistent with our efforts to reimagine and improve outreach and effective communication with the Spanish-speaking blind of our nation. Our Board of Directors has initiated the production of a Spanish version of the Braille Monitor, our monthly flagship publication, and we have begun working with our partners in the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults to begin plans for distribution of the Future Reflections magazine in Spanish. At the same time, we are building our capacity by combining the interpretation efforts of our blind members with the delivery of interpretation and translation through our national office. We are also improving the quality of our online tools, including Spanish-language content on NFB-NEWSLINE®. Shortly before this convention, we established a corps of members to help with this effort that we call the Committee for the Advancement of Spanish-Speaking Advocates (CASA). This committee will make recommendations toward our continuous improvement of coordination, outreach, and engagement in this part of our community. We seek to ensure these blind people know this home is also their home. Estás profundamente en el corazón de la Federación con nosotras.

We continue to improve the process for onboarding and engaging members. Examples from this year include faster delivery of our new-member welcoming materials and initiating biannual listening sessions with new members to inform our strategies for engaging underrepresented voices within our community. Additionally, we continue to add features to our Member Management Module to assist chapters, divisions, and affiliates with local membership records. In the coming year, we will launch an online member profile feature allowing individual members to change their primary contact information, review their membership record, and access exclusive benefits for NFB members made available through our partners.

Thousands of informal and formal activities contribute to building our nationwide blind leadership network. Fifty years ago, Kenneth Jernigan held the first presidential leadership seminar—a tradition that we continue twice each year. Dr. Jernigan understood how critical it was to build leadership and plan for the transition between leaders in our blind people’s movement. The leaders from these seminars have expanded the reach and the depth of leadership within the movement. However, we do not have enough leaders to achieve all that we desire deep in the heart of the Federation. As a result, today I am announcing the establishment of the Kenneth Jernigan Leadership in Service Program of the National Federation of the Blind. This yearlong, intensive leadership experience is intended to expand the corps of blind people working in service of our mission to integrate the blind into society on terms of equality. This program will not only build new leaders; it will also raise the expectations of existing leaders. Our service in mentorship is required in this program. Our Kenneth Jernigan Leadership in Service Program will deeply root participants in the history of the organized blind movement, the philosophy born of our lived experience, and the network of community connections necessary to lead into the future. Participants in the program will have to dedicate time to in-person and virtual seminars and make a commitment to their leadership journey. More importantly, we want our future leaders to be central to the development of the leadership experience. Therefore, our first class, expected to start this fall, will serve as a test group to guide the structure and progression of the program in the future. This is not a replacement for existing leadership efforts. This is an additional program intended to accelerate our leadership development in service to our mission to improve the lives of blind people by fostering personal empowerment, coordinating nationwide advocacy, and building a network of collective achievement. More details will be available in the coming weeks about this new program supported by our Kenneth Jernigan Fund.

The members of the National Federation of the Blind are known for action and effectiveness. From helping newly blind people in our local communities to persuading members of the United States Congress to support our priorities, we continue to make a difference by breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for the blind of our nation. This year we returned in person to our nation’s capital to advance legislation related to equal access to websites, mobile applications, and medical devices. We also seek to empower blind people to control their own economic security by eliminating harmful disincentives in the Social Security Disability Insurance Program, creating a new incentive for blind people to secure access technology, and taking the final steps to eliminate the discriminatory practice of permitting employers to pay blind people unequal wages. We bring the voice of the nation’s blind to policy issues as they come up in all branches of government. In the past year, this included commenting on the potential benefits of autonomous vehicles, advocating for an increased appropriation for the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals Who Are Blind Program, and urging the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to take action against discriminatory driver’s license requirements in employment screenings. A full report of our advocacy and policy work will be featured later in this convention. With certainty, our commitment to speak and act for ourselves is found deep in the heart of the Federation.

A persistent problem we face is the denial by rideshare drivers who refuse to transport us because of our guide dogs and, sometimes, even just because we are blind people. For years I have reported to you about our attempts to get sustained changes at these companies, as well as our growing frustration. Following last year’s convention where we passed resolutions calling out both Lyft and Uber, we redoubled our efforts to make progress. Over the course of several meetings with each company, we have slowly realized some progress in ensuring that guide dog users are treated fairly with dignity and respect, but there is still much work to do.

Denials are experienced by blind people daily, and, unfortunately, the media gives them little coverage, and the companies give little information about the results of our complaints. One recent high-profile incident involved Judge David Tatel, a senior judge at the US Court of Appeals in Washington, DC, being denied a ride with Lyft because of his guide dog. Judge Tatel’s experience was documented in The Washington Post on April 20, 2023. Another interesting incident happened in March 2023—interesting because I was there. Gary Wunder, editor of the Braille Monitor, and I were with our colleague, Danielle McCann, who uses a guide dog. We called an Uber to take us back to the national office after participating in an extremely positive meeting with Federation partners. The joy from the meeting ended when the Uber arrived. Within seconds of his arrival, the driver made it clear he would not take us because of the guide dog. He left his doors locked and spoke to us through the passenger window. Faced with this discrimination, we would not let him refuse this chance for education. I began recording a video on my phone while talking politely with the driver about his understanding of the Uber policy. He made it clear: he was not afraid of what Uber would do. Meanwhile, and I am not recommending this to you, Gary stood in front of the car. The driver attempted on a number of occasions to get Gary to stand down by using his car to push him out of the way. Gary stood strong in his resistance of the discrimination and was not hurt. Once I completed my conversation, we stood aside and let the driver leave. We sent the video and our account of the incident to Uber, and they took appropriate action. They have even, for the first time, sent a prominent executive to address our concerns at this convention. To Lyft and Uber we say that it should not take this extreme level of evidence or the profile of a federal judge to get your action on these issues. This is happening to blind people every day, and it must stop immediately. We demand that both of these companies uphold their responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and deliver equal treatment to our community. We will not stand down. We will use all the tools at our disposal to make this happen. We will continue to document the discrimination. We will report incidents to local law enforcement. We will demand that the United States Department of Justice use the full power of its authority to protect our people. We will even bring our guide dogs to your offices to disrupt your business if we must.

Similar problems are on the rise in airports across the nation where we have been encountering low expectations from officials of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the airlines. There is an increased trend of guide-dog users being accosted and, in some cases, denied boarding of their flight by airline personnel who refuse to transport their guide dog. Blind people have been using guide dogs in this country just about as long as commercial airline flights have been widely offered. There is no justification for the harassment, and we will not permit it to continue. In April, members of the National Federation of the Blind held a meeting with officials of the United States Department of Transportation to discuss our ongoing concerns and seek federal intervention. We expect to make meaningful progress during the coming year. Deep in the heart of the Federation is a determination to stand our ground for equal treatment—a determination that will not be driven from us.

The federal government can be an important factor in enforcing our rights, but the government itself systemically discriminates against us. The most glaring discrimination happens in the lack of implementation and enforcement of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This law requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology, including their public and internal systems, accessible to people with disabilities. Typically, when blind federal employees face barriers and file complaints, they go unaddressed for years and sometimes decades.

Joe Orozco, a leader from our Virginia affiliate, has been working as an intelligence analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 2012. Over his career he has observed his employer procure several technologies that are inaccessible to the blind. Joe needs to be able to efficiently use these technologies to maximize his contributions to the mission of the agency. He wants to take on the same challenging assignments and range of tasks available to others on his team. For years, he faithfully navigated the reasonable accommodations process and advocated tirelessly within his agency hoping that the government would meet both the spirit and the requirements of Section 508. After years of patience and unanswered administrative complaints, Joe courageously brought suit in federal court to order the agency to comply with the law.

The trial judge dismissed Joe’s case—echoing a series of flawed decisions from other trial court’s ruling that federal employees have no right to sue their federal employers under Section 508. With the support of the National Federation of the Blind, Joe stood his ground and appealed the decision. A panel of judges of the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agreed with our arguments and, in a landmark decision, reversed the trial judge. This sets a strong precedent reversing the tide of flawed opinions. We have reclaimed the right of blind and otherwise disabled federal employees and members of the public to directly sue federal agencies for their continued discrimination through use of inaccessible electronic information technology.

We are now mobilizing federal employees through our National Association of Blind Government Employees division and educating all people with disabilities about their rights under Section 508. For this year’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we held a training on the requirements of Section 508 in partnership with the United States Access Board. We hope that other disability rights organizations will leverage this important breakthrough and join with us in holding the government accountable. Deep in the heart of the Federation is the strength not simply to pass laws but to follow through in getting them enforced, no matter how long it takes.

While the National Federation of the Blind has been essential in making progress with the federal government, our coordination with our state affiliates gives us many more tools for change in society. Much of our effectiveness comes from our affiliates moving model legislation at the local level and creating innovative approaches that we can share across the country. While we have not yet eliminated the allowance of unequal pay for the blind at the federal level, in fifteen states we have secured legislation or promulgated regulations to phase out subminimum wages for people with disabilities. In two additional states we have secured a limited restriction on subminimum wages. This is only the beginning.

Deep in the heart of the Federation, we all feel the painful experience of discrimination against blind parents and caregivers based on outdated misconceptions. These attempts to break the bond of love between family members will only strengthen our resolve and the bond of faith we share together in this movement. Due to the structure of social service laws, protecting blind caregivers is a critical issue best addressed at the state level. We now have secured meaningful protections for the blind in twenty states, and we are prepared to make this a reality in our remaining thirty-two affiliates. In the meantime, we continue to help counteract the discrimination faced by individuals.

One example from the past year is Tiffany Green, a blind person in Maryland, who sought to be a foster parent. The Department of Social Services in Baltimore City denied her initial application. Tiffany’s application demonstrated a significant amount of experience with children, and there was no credible reason why her application was denied other than the fact that she was blind. The Federation and Disability Rights Maryland stood by Ms. Green and convinced the department to change its decision. This is a victory for Tiffany, but also for any children that will benefit from her skilled care and love in the future. We will continue to stand with blind caregivers and fight the harmful discrimination they face.

Another critical area of action for us is protecting the fundamental right to vote privately and independently. We have been hopeful that federal voting legislation would present an opportunity to strengthen protections for the blind to have an equal, private, and accessible voting experience, but no substantive movement by Congress has occurred. In the meantime, we have had an aggressive strategy of both litigation and advocacy work at the state level. During the 2020 federal elections, nearly half of America’s votes cast were by mail, and considerably more than half of the states in our union were not prepared to provide the blind with equal access in their absentee voting program. In coordination with other voting advocates, we have secured legislation to permit electronic delivery of ballots for people with disabilities in twenty-eight states. In an additional six states, their law achieves our ultimate goal of electronic delivery and return of ballots. We must continue to monitor the progress.

One example of our success this year comes from North Dakota, where their secretary of state had refused to implement the state’s new law allowing for accessible, electronic absentee voting. Our persistent advocacy has persuaded the current secretary of state to agree to implement the accessibility required by law. We will continue to provide oversight to ensure our equal access is no longer denied.

Another victory came in Bexar County, Texas, where we won a preliminary injunction requiring Bexar County to allow our three blind plaintiffs to electronically vote absentee in the 2022 general election. It is worth noting that the filing of this case was a significant motivator to the advocacy community and a wake-up call for the state legislature, which passed a bill to allow people with disabilities to use accessible electronic absentee ballots starting this September. Bexar County moved to use the new law as a basis to dismiss our case. In the meantime, the governor of Texas, a person with a disability himself, vetoed the bill. But shortly before this convention, the judge declared his intent to find that the county violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and scheduled a hearing for permanent injunction. In the last week we won the case on summary judgment. Due to our advocacy, blind people in Bexar County will be able to vote absentee using accessible electronic ballots privately and independently in future elections.

Deep in the heart of the Federation, we have the strength to do the work needed to transform our demand for equal treatment into reality.

Our quest for equal treatment touches all aspects of society. Consider the challenges faced by blind people within the prison industrial complex. The unacceptable low expectations for blind people are further exacerbated in the prison environment where no meaningful access is provided, no disability-centered rehabilitation training is offered, and no accountability exists with respect to the treatment of blind people. We are a movement that believes in rehabilitation and opportunity, but blind people must be given real access to those opportunities. The importance of our role with regard to the prison industrial complex is further emphasized by the statistics that demonstrate that marginalized communities are overrepresented in the prison population. Those blind people who have the least access to programs such as the public vocational rehabilitation system are more likely to be inside prisons where they are denied even the most basic access and dignity.

Leveraging our earlier success within the Maryland correctional system, we achieved a settlement on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado and blind prisoners in that state. Blind prisoners were denied any ability to read mail, write grievances, complete other forms, or take advantage of employment or educational opportunities. As a result of our settlement, blind prisoners in that state will now have the essential accessible technology they deserve to have a fair opportunity to take advantage of the employment and educational programs offered to all other prisoners. In another case, we have filed suit on behalf of seven blind prisoners and our Virginia affiliate challenging the Virginia Department of Corrections’ failure to provide accommodations and access technology to blind prisoners. We stand with blind people, behind bars and otherwise, who are denied a fair opportunity to rehabilitate themselves because of the unequal treatment of the discriminatory structures around them.

Equal access to educational opportunities is central in our mission. Since 2017, I have reported on our efforts to stop the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD) from denying blind students those opportunities. Following a positive ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, our case returned to the district court for trial. Days before the trial, LACCD offered us a seven-figure settlement to walk away without any relief for blind students. They do not know what is deep in the heart of the Federation—we refused to sell out. I am happy to report that on May 26 a jury found that LACCD had violated the ADA—and did so in fourteen different ways. The jury found that LACCD intentionally discriminated through actions such as failing to give blind students accommodation letters in accessible formats and through their failure to maintain accessible technology such as websites, library resources, and educational software. The jury also awarded damages to the individual blind students. The finding that LACCD broadly violated the ADA now sets a strong foundation for asking the court to order LACCD to comply with the law. We will continue to press for equal access to education by the blind at LACCD, and we will use this victory to make equal access a first principle in all higher education institutions across our nation.

Our pursuit of equal access to employment opportunities also continues. We focus our resources on opportunities to bring relief through systemic change. One example is our continued advocacy with several blind employees who were denied pay while waiting for Amazon to provide reasonable accommodations. Our success includes monetary settlements for many of these individuals, as well as guiding Amazon in eliminating the systemic problems that have led to the discrimination. We are also working to organize Amazon’s current blind employees so they can provide support to each other. Our advocacy will both reduce discrimination and open new avenues for employment opportunities for the blind in Amazon’s extensive network of distribution centers across the nation.

Other examples of our employment advocacy range from investigating inaccessible applicant screening tools and the use of artificial intelligence to eliminate blind people from employment consideration, to supporting a blind teacher whose school district continues to make excuses regarding its failure to provide Braille instructional materials and its insistence that a companion is required for the teacher to travel in the school.

In the meantime, the greatest network of resources and employment opportunities for blind people continues to be the National Federation of the Blind. We produce important content through our Where the Blind Work webinar series. In addition, our specialized divisions continue to support blind jobseekers in a variety of career areas. With the leadership of the Federation’s employment committee, chaired by Jennifer Wenzel of Wisconsin, we are again offering a robust set of employment-boosting opportunities during this convention. Over the past year, including our 2022 convention, we hosted seventy-seven employers and put 349 potential blind employees in front of them. It is worth emphasizing that one of those employers is the National Federation of the Blind, where we are also seeking talented people to join our staff team that works to advance the blind people’s movement. Let me take this occasion to thank the incredible paid staff of our movement.

Through our partnership with SmartJob, LLC, we supported a dozen aspiring blind entrepreneurs through the Ideas to Incubation Program managed by Synergies Work out of Atlanta, Georgia, providing intense instruction and one-on-one mentoring in business development. In addition, ninety-six of you responded to our call for blind people to join us in the five-week course “From Idea to Business.” This intensive course curriculum was delivered online and covered key topics related to business and venture readiness. Deep in the heart of the Federation, we seek innovative partnerships with those who share our belief in blind people in order to achieve all of our employment aspirations.

We raise expectations and build meaningful community connections through educational programs innovated by us for the next generation of blind people. Our mantra has been “If they will not teach them, we will teach them ourselves.” The teaching continues in our Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning Academy. Last summer we offered in-person programs in nine state affiliates and a three-week, in-home virtual edition with the theme of music, movement, and mathematics. Two hundred nineteen blind students benefited from this program with ninety-four of these being first timers to our program. More than one hundred individuals supported this work through instruction, coordination, mentoring, materials preparation, and logistics support like Zoom hosting. Our 2023 program is now underway and we expect the results to be even more impactful to blind students across the nation.

We now add a new mantra to our work, “If they are to teach them, we must teach them ourselves.” For far too long, programs to prepare teachers of blind students have been rooted in an outdated vision-centered model rather than an authentic approach centering the lived experience of the blind. We are dismantling the outdated systems by teaching the future teachers ourselves and grounding them in the blind people’s movement. We find that these teachers are hungry for the authenticity and support offered in our community. Consider this from one of the participants in our current program: “It has truly been a pleasure being a part of the Teachers of Tomorrow program. It has been phenomenal, and I want more. I also want to give back in other ways. As a blind individual, I received negative connotations about the NFB, but they were false. This program and these approaches are priceless…”

As our current cohort of teachers finishes the program at this convention, they begin their career as part of our blind-centered movement. We are their professional network, and, together, deep in the heart of our Federation, we work tirelessly to ensure that no blind child is left behind.

We are also planning for change in the future. Last year I announced our intention to establish the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement before the end of this decade. This bold initiative to establish a museum centered on blind people and providing a radical level of inclusion for all, is not as much about the past as it is about our future. We seek to preserve the authentic stories of blind people and our work together. During the past year, we have collected twenty-two new oral histories and our collection will grow in the coming year. We added important papers and artifacts to our archives including Dan Parker's motorcycle driven on the salt flats in Utah, personal papers and artifacts from Jim Omvig, fully digitized archival records from our Colorado affiliate, and papers from the Cambridge Chapter and Massachusetts affiliate preserved by David Ticchi. We are now building the solid foundation required for a credible museum effort. We have begun the concept design phase where the identification of themes and user experiences are being developed with a cross-section of blind people from our movement. Each of us is the key to success in this effort. We need your ideas, your dreams, and your help. You can send your ideas for our future museum and how you would like to help via email to museum at nfb.org <mailto:museum at nfb.org> . In the meantime, we have been talking to blind people throughout the country and from around the world. This museum will be unlike anything we have ever dreamed of before, and it will be the most powerful tool we have ever built to positively impact the public image of blindness. It will require all of our imagination, and it will stretch us in new ways. Most certainly, we need to do all of the other core work of our movement in addition to this bold new initiative. In one quiet year of raising financial pledges for this effort, we have already secured commitments for more than $2.7 million. Our ultimate success will require much more. Our stories are important and centering them in a new way will accelerate the change we want in society. Together we will open new doors to understanding and bring new allies to our mission of equality.

There is much more progress in our work during the past year than I have time to cover in this brief report. We have not detailed our increased communications effort, including the dissemination of new video public service announcements, the establishment of a Federation community in the Mastodon fediverse, and progress on improving affiliate websites. We have not detailed the growth of NFB-NEWSLINE—providing free access to hundreds of publications using multiple delivery methods to over 125,000 blind subscribers. There is not time to cover our work to train Braille transcribers, to educate blind youth in science, to disseminate a teaching curriculum from our blind engineering grant from the National Science Foundation, and to provide access to a Nemeth Braille curriculum. If there was time, we would detail our distribution of thousands of free long white canes and hundreds of free tools for writing Braille, as well as our collaborative effort to give wings to the Monarch—a device to revolutionize the use of Braille and tactile graphics. We would also talk about our work to hold technology companies accountable for providing meaningful access to the blind, to train people on important technology-related topics, and to evaluate products and give feedback from the lived experience of blind people. Without more time, we cannot detail our work to break down barriers at the Social Security Administration, secure accessible communication from healthcare entities in North Carolina, and ensure that public agencies in Iowa provide equal access to their application processes.

It would be impossible for us to take enough time to cover in adequate detail the true strength that lies deep in the heart of the Federation. That strength is the thousands of individual stories of blind people who, in the process of striving to live the lives they want, commit to working together to make the community better for everyone. You, the members of the National Federation of the Blind, are the strength, energy, ingenuity, and heart of this movement. Our success is a result of your actions to build our movement every day. Every time you answer a call from a newly blind person, help to plan a chapter meeting, contribute to our financing, take a moment to educate a public official, or talk about our priorities with someone at the bus stop—you are making a difference. Deep in my heart I am filled with hope, energy, love, and gratitude for what we share together deep in this movement. It is my greatest honor to serve you in this movement. While our progress has been good, I know that you expect our future to be even better. You have my full commitment to do what is needed to help us go the rest of the way to fulfilling our mission of equality. I cannot do this without each of you. I pledge to you my continued commitment to the work ahead, to the continuous improvement of our great organization, and to stand with you through whatever challenges we face in the future. I continue to be energized by the hope that radiates from the bond of faith we share deep in the heart of the Federation. Hold strong to that bond, and there is no dream that we will fail to make come true together.

My Federation family, this is my report for 2023. This is our progress in advancing our mission. This is the future we build for ourselves with love, hope, and determination. This is the blind people’s movement.

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We Need Your Help


Very soon after I went blind, I went to my first convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Though as a six-year-old I was not scared about my future as a blind person, learning about the NFB and going to conventions showed me tons of independent blind people who I could look up to. Real life superheroes that I could aspire to be like. - Abigail

Blind children, students, and adults are making powerful strides in education and leadership every day across the United States, but we need to continue helping kids like Abigail. 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 can continue to provide powerful programs and critical resources now and for decades to come. We 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.
*	Mentor young people like Abigail.
*	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.

Below are just a few of the many tax-deductible ways you can show your support of the National Federation of the Blind.


LYFT Round Up 


By visiting the menu, choosing donate, and selecting the National Federation of the Blind, you commit to giving to the National Federation of the Blind with each ride.


Vehicle Donation Program


We accept 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, extension 2430, to give by phone. Give online with a credit card or through the mail with check or money order. Visit our Ways to Give Page at: https://nfb.org/give.


Pre-Authorized Contributions


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 877-NFB-2PAC, or fill out our PAC Donation Form https://www.nfb.org/pac.


Plan to Leave a Legacy


The National Federation of the Blind legacy society, our Dream Makers Circle, honors and recognizes the generosity and imagination of members and special friends 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.


Percentage or Fixed Sum of Assets


You can specify that a percentage or 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.


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.

In 2022 our supporters helped the NFB:

*	Send 371 Braille Santa and Winter Celebration letters to blind children, encouraging excitement for Braille literacy.
*	Distribute over 3,000 canes to blind people across the United States, empowering them to travel safely and independently throughout their communities.
*	Deliver more than 500 newspapers and magazines to more than 100,000 subscribers with print disabilities free of charge
*	Give over 700 Braille-writing slates and styluses free of charge to blind users.
*	Mentor 207 blind youth during our Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning® Academy.
*	Award thirty scholarships each in the amount of $8,000 to blind students.

Just imagine what we will do this year, and, with your help, what can be accomplished for years to come. Together with love, hope, determination, and your support, we will continue to transform dreams into reality.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono smiles as he speaks to the members at banquet.]


Belief, Courage, and Wisdom: Centering on the Blind People’s Movement


An Address Delivered by Mark A. Riccobono, President
At the Banquet of the Annual Convention
Of the National Federation of the Blind
Houston, Texas
July 6, 2023

As we gather here tonight, I would like us to reflect on the center of our movement. In military strategy, the center is fundamental to the wellbeing of the unit. If you fail to prioritize the center of the formation, the left and right sides can be divided. “The centre cannot hold” is a famous line from a W.B. Yeats poem that describes post-World War I Europe in apocalyptic terms. What is centered, matters.

In psychology, to center yourself means that you come back to a place where you find balance. You organize life’s challenges and your responses to them, putting everything in its proper place.

So what lies at the center of work that affects the blind? You and I might say blind people, but as we’ll soon discuss this evening, not everyone would agree.

The ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius is credited as saying, "The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name."

Tonight we consider how each of us contributes to centering blind people through the collective power of a movement. We also consider how a persistent complexity collides with our community of blind people, obstructing our focus. Tonight we seek to name that barrier and, in doing so, to continue to fuel the progress centered on the blind of our nation.

We the blind gather with our allies to center our lived experience and celebrate our progress. We come in our thousands to affirm our commitment to direct our own future, to speak and act for ourselves, and to build the community that has made the most significant difference in elevating the blind throughout society: a community founded by blind people, led by blind leaders elected by the blind themselves, and sustained by the authentic ingenuity of blind people—a unified force built on hope, fueled by love, sustained through determination, and motivated by the truth that blindness is not the characteristic that exclusively defines us or our future. With the strength of one collective heartbeat, tonight we invite all of humanity to join our blind-centered people’s movement—we are the National Federation of the Blind.

Let us first center on a shared understanding of what we mean when we say, “blind people.” In the National Federation of the Blind, we have come to understand blindness from a functional perspective. While there is a legal definition of blind that is used as an eligibility metric for government services, we understand that there are practical limitations to that definition. We also know that socially constructed norms have been established over centuries by nonblind people who do not truly know the experience of being blind.

As a result, our community has adopted a functional approach in which we consider individuals blind when they must function in the world with techniques and tools that allow them to efficiently do those things without vision that they might otherwise typically use eyesight to do. >From our experience, people who do not yet personally identify as a blind person, but who can or will benefit from those functional skills in the future, are part of the class of people we refer to as blind. Oftentimes someone whose eyesight is changing is reluctant to identify as a blind person, but we know this to be a symptom of the socially constructed misconceptions about blindness. The community of people who are blind is broad and very diverse; we face a common set of barriers within society and benefit from combining the wisdom of our individual lived experiences.

At this banquet last year, we discussed in detail the characteristics of our movement—our vehicle for collective action. We said that, in general, a movement is defined as a group of people who share the same beliefs, ideas, or aims. As the people that make up our movement have shared with each other the wisdom of lived experience, our movement has grown and gathered momentum. The experience in the movement has shaped the people, but the growth in the people also shapes the movement. This is how the diversity of the blind people in the movement makes us stronger.

One of the defining characteristics of our dynamic people’s movement is ingenuity. Consider that many of the principles now so closely associated with the National Federation of the Blind are centered on innovation and locus of control. This might be most evident through Structured Discovery teaching, but more broadly in the progress made by taking responsibility for our own lives and rejecting the obstacles created by the vision-centered approach. Furthermore, ingenuity accurately describes our continuous effort to grow, innovate, and reflect the blind people of our time and circumstances; an ingenuity born from lived experience. Our first principle is we believe in blind people. It is the expression of that shared lived experience that is a sharp contrast to the constructed misunderstanding of blind people throughout society.

If the driving force that elevates us in society has been the blind people’s movement—the National Federation of the Blind—from where does the resistance to our movement come and what might we name it? It comes from a deeply rooted series of misconceptions mythologized over centuries, flawed charitable intentions driven by those misconceptions, and institutions built upon those intentions and misconceptions. Tonight we name it the vision industrial complex.

The term “industrial complex” was first popularized by its use in President Dwight Eisenhower’s 1961 farewell speech. In general, the industrial complex is a socioeconomic concept involving the complicated tangling of businesses, governmental, and social systems that creates an economy of its own. Entities within an industrial complex may have been created to advance a social or political goal, but mostly profit when the goal is not reached.

The vision industrial complex can be defined as a network of nonprofit, for-profit, medical, governmental, and quasi-governmental organizations that collectively benefit from perpetuating the vision-centered limitations falsely believed to be inherent to blind, low-vision, and deafblind people.

The roots of this complex are in the medical aspects of blindness; preserving remaining vision is success, while living with blindness is the last resort, at best. The industry has been built on the negative—a loss. The vision-centered industrial complex celebrates the maximization of useable vision while claiming as extraordinary those achievements of individuals who experience total sightlessness. Yes, even centering use of the word blind is rejected throughout much of the vision industrial complex.

Let me pause for just a moment to make a point that cannot be overemphasized. When I speak of the vision industrial complex and the deep systemic problems it perpetuates, I am not commenting on all of the people that are working within that system. To be sure, there are many committed and thoughtful individuals working to dismantle and rebuild it into something meaningful to blind people. The most successful of those individuals stay rooted in the national blind people’s movement and find in it not only strength and determination but supportive, authentic guidance, and insight. These are all elements needed to reform the complex from the inside. But despite the best efforts of these individuals, the industrial complex is built to self-perpetuate, which makes meaningful change difficult at best. As leaders in the National Federation of the Blind, we must continue to support the journey of growth and understanding of our true allies and encourage their dismantling of outdated approaches from within the complex. We also have an obligation to our community to hold these same individuals accountable by raising their expectations and challenging their misconceptions. Our true allies will welcome the insight and accountability. In contrast, those who believe more in the vision industrial complex and its ideology will react to our lived experience as an insult to them personally.

Returning to the vision industrial complex, its roots go back many centuries in society. History tells us that beginning sometime in the late Middle Ages, society began making provisions for the care and protection of the blind in almshouses and other sheltered institutions—benefits often only available to privileged blind individuals from the upper classes. Those protections were based upon misconceptions about the perceived limitations that vision loss brings to the individual—misunderstandings generally classified into the categories of pity, sin, and myth. One important effort in documenting these roots and centering the lived experience of blind people is the Critical Concerns in Blindness series established by the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University. Published in 2001, the first book in the series, We Know Who We Are: A History of the Blind in Challenging Educational and Socially Constructed Policies, was authored by Dr. Ronald Ferguson. The book provides a detailed scholarly account of the connection between the classical attitudes about blind people, the establishment of care and protection efforts, and the modern-day vision industrial complex, which had a significant footprint by 1940 when our blind people’s movement was founded.

Dr. Jacobus tenBroek was the founding president of the National Federation of the Blind. He was a brilliant scholar of the United States Constitution and a thoughtful elected representative of the lived experiences found within the blind people’s movement. It was not at all inevitable that the movement would succeed in altering the harmful buildup of the complex. At this time, the vision industrial complex was epitomized by the American Foundation for the Blind. To understand why, we must examine the time before our founding.

In Ferguson’s book we get a detailed accounting from historical records of the professionalization within the vision industrial complex. He tells us of the clash, beginning in the 1800s, between the American Association of Instructors of the Blind (AAIB) and the American Association of Workers for the Blind (AAWB). The AAIB was the earlier, exclusive domain of the nonblind superintendents of the blind residential schools. On the other hand, the AAWB, established more than forty years later, began as an organization comprised of blind graduates of schools for the blind seeking to speak for themselves, as reflected in their original name, American Blind People's Higher Education and General Improvement Association.

The AAWB was clearly resented by the AAIB in the early part of the last century. One example is found in the writing of Richard French, who was an administrator at the California School for the Blind (at the same time that Dr. tenBroek was a student there). Mr. French noted that AAWB, "at first confined its membership to the blind, and declared war, covert and overt, on the American Association of Instructors of the Blind, then a purely institutional organization." If you are like me, that description from a nonblind leader in the field sounds like a distant echo of comments made today about the blind people’s movement.

In 1905, AAWB opened its membership to anyone interested in work with the blind. The inclusion of nonblind members did not immediately change the character of AAWB, but by 1921 the balance of power had changed. The pivot point was at the 1921 meeting of AAWB where leaders of the AAIB engineered the presentation and passage of a proposal to set in motion the establishment of a central national organization to represent agencies and their interests in the blindness field. This resulted in the creation of the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), which stood as the designated representative for all issues impacting people with vision loss until the blind organized on a national basis in 1940. It is also worth noting that the AAIB and AAWB eventually merged in 1984 to become what is still today the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER).

Knowing that the vision industrial complex silenced earlier efforts by the blind, Dr. tenBroek and our early leaders worked tirelessly to set a philosophical and policy direction for the movement that could resist selling out to the limitations inherent in the existing systems of control. It is little known that the American Foundation for the Blind courted Dr. tenBroek to leave his university work and become part of the complex. As early as 1944, Robert Irwin, AFB’s executive director, was corresponding with Dr. tenBroek about potential employment at the Foundation. On September 17, 1945, Dr. tenBroek ultimately turned down employment with the Foundation. In doing so he provided substantive recommendations to the Foundation and stated an important truth by saying, “…I cannot express too strongly my feeling that the Foundation has failed to do an adequate job of liaison and public relations with the blind of the country and the necessity for federal legislative work cannot be overstated. The Foundation has immense potentialities for good, but their realization will be frustrated unless the institution can gain and retain the confidence of the blind generally.”

Imagine what might have happened if Dr. tenBroek had become an employee at the Foundation. Would the buildup of the vision industrial complex have been altered? Would the need to propose federal legislation to protect the right of the blind to organize have been unnecessary? Would a group of petulant blind people not have left the organized blind movement, creating a protective front for the entrenched vision industrial complex? We cannot know what would have happened, but we do know that because the Foundation failed to win the support of the blind, the blind people’s movement continued to rise and, this time, would not be crushed by the buildup of professionalism in the field.

Dr. tenBroek stuck with blind people, and our movement grew. He spoke truth to the problems of the vision industrial complex, and he articulated for the blind of this nation the deep importance of self-determination by the blind. He even sparked the building of blind people’s movements in other countries beginning to forge the worldwide connections between blind people that fuel our global movement today. With this inspiration, our movement began advancing progressive policy ideals that were rooted in the blind lived experience and which, in turn, threatened the core values of the established institutions. This was fortified in the second generation of the blind people’s movement as characterized by the determined chant led by our second dynamic president, Kenneth Jernigan, “We know who we are and we will never go back.” This was a chant not only repeated in ballrooms of blind people but on the streets outside of the boardrooms of nonblind agency leaders. For this generation of our movement, dismantling the harmful impacts of the vision industrial complex took true courage and sacrifice as the agencies found creative ways to personally attack leaders of the movement. Tonight, those of us active in this fourth generation of our movement must recognize that courage is still required as the dismantling is not yet complete.

The American Foundation for the Blind is no longer the national leader in the vision industrial complex, and it struggles to find a place of relevancy in the field. Other entities of the complex are attempting to fill that perceived void—again centering the institutions, not the people. In contrast, throughout the rest of society significant emphasis is on centering the people. People of color lead with their own voices and their authentically chosen representatives. Individuals identifying as LGBT+ are leading their transformation in society and not waiting for someone else to speak for them. Yet the vision industrial complex continues to claim a place of privilege in representing the voice of the blind. Furthermore, the complex hides behind the ideal of advancing consensus-driven progress in the field by marginalizing the significance of viewpoints offered by leaders elected by the blind themselves.

Consider a recent interview conducted by Jonathan Mosen, a blind advocate, technology reviewer, and podcast personality. Jonathan is known for conducting strong interviews with clear and straightforward questions. I have been interviewed by him myself, and I found it much like a meeting of Federation members who expect answers about what is happening in their organization. In episode 216 of his podcast, Jonathan interviewed Mark Richert, president-elect of AER. You will recall from our resolution 2018-02 that we denounced AER’s attempt to revive the outdated accreditation system first established by the American Foundation for the Blind in 1967. We again emphasized the position we have held for more than fifty years, “We do not oppose proper accreditation properly done; we will be happy to participate in and cooperate with any appropriately organized and democratically constituted accrediting activity; and if the time should come that a genuine accreditation system is created along democratic lines and blind people have more than token representation in the governance of the accreditation system and throughout the accreditation process, the National Federation of the Blind pledges its willingness to work with AER and other organizations truly to make services for the blind more relevant and responsive to the needs of the blind than ever before.”

Now branded as the AER Accreditation Council (AERAC), it is operated according to a policy and procedure manual. This document is quite telling as it credits the National Federation of the Blind exclusively as the reason that the previous accreditation system failed to gain wide support. Yet it gives no indication of what AERAC has done to address the concerns of the blind people’s movement. Should we give them a gold star for transparency? The manual does state that three of their twelve council members should represent consumer organizations, but it also makes the weak commitment that “every effort will be made to identify individuals to serve on the Council who are blind…” Is it possible that consumer representatives need not be blind if AERAC cannot, in their own judgement, qualify any suitable blind candidates?

In his interview, Jonathan raises the concern of authentic blind representation in accreditation. He asks:

…Coming back to those first principles, if you’ve got a majority of people on a body that accredits organizations who provide services for blind people, and those people are sighted, then they are essentially gaining secondhand knowledge of blindness in some way by observing us, by studying us. They don’t live blindness every day. They don’t understand intrinsically the struggles that we face. They can empathize, but they don’t live it. Surely, it’s absolutely essential that the majority of those people on that body be people who are qualified, and capable, and have the credentials, but who live the life of blindness every day. Isn’t it just a core principle?

This is a reasonable question to ask a forward-looking incoming elected leader for the association that claims representation of professionals in the vision industrial complex. Mr. Richert, a blind person himself, responds, “Again, it’s not an inevitable conclusion that someone who was blind or visually impaired is going to have a better perspective on the needs, capabilities, rights, etc., of blind and visually impaired people. It’s just not. Let me tell you something. Our community in the United States has reflected that.”

This answer is not in the past. It represents the future at AER and it speaks for itself. If we are centering blind people, we must interpret the comment, “Our community in the United States has reflected that.” as, “Our vision industrial complex in the United States has reflected that.” I agree with Mr. Richert that the legacy of the complex has reflected the exclusion of the blind-centered experience. The reality is that AER also is struggling for a place of relevancy in 2023, and comments like this demonstrate why. The wisdom comes in naming it. I believe the modern-day expression is putting lipstick on a pig.

It is long overdue for professionals in the vision industrial complex to stop marginalizing leaders elected by the blind to represent the blind. Does it matter that we are blind people? Does it matter that we speak and act for ourselves? Does it matter that we want to be represented by blind leaders we elect ourselves? Of course it does—this is 2023, not 1823. Furthermore, do we trust the elected representatives of the vision industrial complex to know who we are and how we live the lives we want? No! Trust has not been built with our community, based on the historical record, and trust will not be built if the vision industrial complex continues to perpetuate outdated viewpoints like “blind perspectives don’t matter.”

The vision industrial complex generates over $1 billion in public financial support on an annual basis, and yet it constantly claims it does not have enough financial resource. Many of these agencies also get exclusive contracts from the federal government under the AbilityOne program, and yet they have resisted policy efforts to require minimum wage payments and integration into competitive work settings. Dozens of research projects are perpetuated yearly to study all of the things that are broken about blind people, why employing us is difficult, and to explain how hard it is to teach us. Yet when we present opportunities to demonstrate the capacity of blind people and to invest in what works, where are those same researchers? The really good news is that while the vision industrial complex is still here, the National Federation of the Blind continues to grow in influence, determination, and solidarity.

During the third generation of the organized blind movement, represented by the leadership of our longest-serving president, Marc Maurer, an increasing number of individuals within the vision industrial complex recognized the importance of centering the organized blind movement. For decades now, many professionals have chosen to collaborate with us and have sought to learn from our lived experience—even at the risk of being marginalized by the leaders of the complex. We have witnessed the growth of training programs centered on the experience of blind people and a growing number of skilled professionals who are blind coming into the field. We have sparked innovations such as programs to inspire education of the blind in science, technology, engineering, art, and math; and we now find an increasing number of allies using the research and resources developed by the organized blind movement as tools for dismantling outdated vision-centered practices.

Consider Dr. Natalie Shaheen, assistant professor of blind education at Illinois State University. She is a blind person whose work is rooted in the shared experience of the movement. To professionals seeking to educate the blind in STEM, she gives this as a first principle, “Embrace nonvisual ways of knowing: Acknowledge that nonvisual ways of knowing are equivalent to visual ways of knowing and actively reject the notion that the ways blind people learn and develop knowledge are objectively inferior to normative sighted methods.” To those blind people who took science, do you feel such an understanding would have enhanced the ability of your instructors to meaningfully engage you in the subject? Yet the president-elect of AER says it’s not an inevitable conclusion that our experience matters. To AER we say, our twenty years of blind-led STEM programs demonstrate that, despite the vision industrial complex, with certainty our lived experience makes all the difference.

In collaboration with outstanding professionals in Maryland and the blind-centered programs at Louisiana Tech University, we have invested in training upcoming teachers of blind students while grounding them in the blind people’s movement. These future professionals are not threatened by the blind; they are secured by the insights of the blind. Some of these highly qualified individuals cannot get hired by the same school districts that begged us to help them find blindness professionals. Where is the vision industrial complex in advocating in these school districts? For that matter, where are the leaders of the complex when blind teachers of blind students are denied jobs because a driver’s license is required? The complex is silent. Might it have anything to do with jeopardizing their funding streams? Fortunately, for these emerging educators, they are part of a blind people’s movement, which will continue to have their back.

Our progress is not only limited to the programs we have built for ourselves. Some of the traditional entities in the vision industrial complex are making an active choice to center the blind. This does not mean they always get it right, but they are building trust through genuine collaboration rather than through a top-down, medical-provider-to-patient mentality. A prime example is the American Printing House for the Blind where the leadership has committed to centering the experience of their blind customers. This is to the credit of Dr. Craig Meador and the leadership team he has built there since 2016. The leadership at APH has actively welcomed us into guiding their work and genuinely appreciates our honest feedback rather than taking it as an attack on their character. They recognize that trust is built through active engagement over time. We recognize that sustained change is rarely fast and never easy. Consider the fact that the American Printing House for the Blind was founded in 1858 and began receiving federal government backing in 1879. In October 2022 they held their 154th annual meeting of trustees and, thanks to the courage of the leadership at APH, this was the first time a currently serving, elected leader of the National Federation of the Blind ever appeared as a partner on their program. May the courageous dismantling of the complex continue.

There are many thousands of other reasons to be optimistic about the continued rise of the blind people’s movement and the dismantling of the complex. They are found in the hearts and minds of the thousands of people gathered together at this moment as well as those blind people we are elected to represent. While we only raise 2 percent of what the vision industrial complex generates in a year, we make up for it in authenticity, creativity, determination, heart, and action. The single greatest factor that has made the difference in our progress is the determination of blind individuals committed to working together to make a better future for all. The heritage of our movement goes back to a small group of less than twenty blind people in 1940. It extends forward to a future legacy where all blind people can live the lives we want as valued and respected members of society, free from the barriers, misconceptions, and problematic structures that were entrenched before we could mobilize. While we imagine that future, we are not there yet. The work continues, and it requires the contributions of each of us—blind people representing all diverse characteristics and backgrounds, committed to working together for our common future: a future that is defined by our hopes and dreams, not by the charity of the vision industrial complex; a future built by us and our nonblind allies who know in their hearts as well as their minds that the value of their contributions are in service of advancing our cause rather than causing our advancement.

Tonight we do not declare war on the vision industrial complex. We declare we are at peace with who we are—holding centered on blind people. We call on leaders in the vision industrial complex to demonstrate their courage by declaring their intention to center blind people through real sustained action rather than patronizing promises. Action that is demonstrated through active partnership with the organized blind movement. One way to bring that declaration to life is by pledging progress toward the aspiration called for in our resolution 2020-05. Those agencies within the vision industrial complex that cannot commit to actively working toward blind leadership at an equitable level should ask themselves why they exist and if their accumulated assets would better serve the community in a place centered on the blind themselves. Our declaration has been clear and consistent since 1940, and our aspiration for our future is equally clear. We are prepared to welcome all who champion our cause even if they are still growing in their own understanding. However, to those who minimize our lived experience, we will go to the future without you if we must, and we will continue to resist being silenced as we have in the past. The future is ours and we, the blind, intend to define that future and achieve all of our dreams.

My Federation family, we are a movement not yet sustained for one century, but a movement that has already positively changed a harmful pattern of misconceptions that had been largely uninterrupted for multiple centuries. Just as our arrival at this point was not a certainty, neither is our future. To ensure that blind people continue to be centered, we must have the courage, determination, and creativity to continue to march together. While there is a minority opinion that blind perspectives do not matter, we know who we are and we will never go back. Inherent in our blind people’s movement is the willingness to grow, evolve, and lead in the society around us. The movement shapes the people, but the people also shape the movement: a blind people’s movement that makes all the difference to us and makes our society better for everyone. This is the commitment we make to each other. This is the love, hope, and determination felt in our movement. This is the bond of faith that fuels our hope for our tomorrows. Let us go together to find the blind who have not yet shared our strength. Let us show that we belong in the world and make it better. Let no foe ever divide us. Let us go build the National Federation of the Blind!

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Pam Allen]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Adelmo Vigil holds his plaque with Mark Riccobono smiling beside him.]


The Dr. Jacobus tenBroek Award


Presented by Pam Allen

PAM ALLEN: Dr. Jacobus tenBroek was one of the most influential minds in the field of civil rights. He was a staunch advocate, respected attorney, and legal scholar whose legacy continues more than five decades after his death. His writings and teachings on equality were pivotal to the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education, the Supreme Court decision that desegregated schools in America. He founded the National Federation of the Blind in 1940 and served as our first president. His work in the blindness field shattered stereotypes and revolutionized how the blind live in the world. As a testament to the immense and lasting impact his contributions have on society, we hold an annual disability law symposium which carries his name.

The National Federation of the Blind awards this prestigious honor only when an individual meets its rigorous criteria, and 2023 is one such year. As an organization, it is the highest honor we bestow. The recipient must embody the characteristics that are synonymous with Jacobus tenBroek: an unwavering commitment to civil rights, a heart for service, and contributions that result in transformative change for the blind.

This year's recipient was born in a small community west of the Atlantic Ocean and south of the North Pole. [Laughter] This person learned early the importance of reading and writing Braille. After being diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition and enrolling in the local public school, this person was expected to read print, which they could not and therefore did not read or write well for many years.

When the individual was thirteen, their parents enrolled them in the state school for the blind, hoping they would receive a better education. After several years of struggling with reading and writing print, a doctor told this person what they perceived as bad news, that the individual would need to learn Braille.

Though learning Braille was a gamechanger and a relief, it opened up a world of opportunities for them to achieve academic success.

This person learned early that educating young blind people would be a lifelong passion. In high school, our winner learned to wrestle, a skill that would later earn them extra money in the early days of teaching.

While taking a college speech class, this individual met a local schoolteacher, and they struck up a friendship that would prove valuable for many reasons in the years to come. When our winner was ready to do a teaching internship, the adviser advised them to pursue an internship at the state school for the blind. However, this year's recipient wanted to teach sighted children, which the adviser stated would be impossible. The schoolteacher, who this individual met earlier in the speech class, told them that they wanted them to do the internship in their third‑grade classroom. The principal at the school agreed with and supported the plan. You can only imagine how surprised and perplexed the adviser was when his low expectations were proven to be that: low expectations.

Our award recipient had cleared his first discrimination hurdle and began to change for so many what it means to be blind. Our recipient this evening began to know the power of advocacy. He knew about how important strong skills of blindness were in holding an unwavering confidence in combating discrimination.

In 1982, this individual was invited by the leadership of the state affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind to speak about his experiences at their state convention. This invitation, along with his attendance at the National Federation of the Blind's National Convention the following year, changed his life. And like so many of us can relate from our own experiences, when asked about that convention, the individual said, “I realized that I was not alone in facing challenges and discrimination and that I had the Federation family behind me. I also learned that the progress I had been able to make and that other blind people were making was due to the work that the National Federation of the Blind had been doing since its inception in 1940.”

This individual, our 2023 Jacobus tenBroek Award winner, Adelmo Vigil, [cheers and applause] had found a home in the National Federation of the Blind with like-minded blind friends.

Throughout the years, Adelmo has held various leadership positions in the National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico, including serving as president for more than a decade, along with several other offices, and currently serves since 2016 on the National Federation of the Blind Board of Directors.

In 1993 Adelmo began a second career with the New Mexico Commission for the Blind as director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind Adjustment to Blindness Center. In this capacity, Adelmo served as a mentor and encouraged young students who came to the Center to learn the foundational skills of blindness to build a positive philosophy of blindness necessary to be successful in whatever career they chose. Eventually Adelmo became the deputy director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind.

Many young people throughout the years, those in this room and those listening virtually, have benefited greatly from Adelmo's firm admonitions and gentle and loving encouragement. He is a professional who has successfully built strong friendships with blind people that have made the difference between a life of mediocrity and a life of tremendous fulfillment.

Through his speeches at state conventions, national presentations, and through his writings, he has shared the message of the National Federation of the Blind and helped others realize they can dream big and live the lives they want.

In his current role as president of the National Blindness Professional Certification Board, he works tirelessly to promote professional development and training opportunities for individuals and agencies to offer Structured Discovery training, which truly powers blind individuals.

Since 1975, Adelmo has been married to his beloved wife, Soledad, who contributes in so many ways to our organization, and they have two children, Adrienne and Gabriel, and six grandchildren so far.

Adelmo says of his involvement in the National Federation of the Blind over the past forty-plus years, "When I think about why I'm in the National Federation of the Blind, my greatest reason is that I want to give back what has been given to me, because I have been blessed. I want to share that blessing. I want to pay what I have been given by giving encouragement and hope to future generations of blind people.”

I am honored and grateful to call Adelmo a cherished friend and to work side-by-side with him in our movement. Please join me in recognizing our 2023 Jacobus tenBroek Award recipient, Adelmo Vigil.

I want Adelmo to have a moment to speak, and I want to mention today is also Dr. Jacobus tenBroek’s birthday. So it is extra special that you are receiving this on July 6. Adelmo is receiving a beautiful plaque, which has Braille and print on it. I'm going to hold it up, and I'm going to present it to you, Adelmo. Here you go. I will read what is on it.

JACOBUS tenBROEK AWARD

PRESENTED TO

Adelmo Vigil

WHENEVER WE HAVE ASKED, YOU HAVE ANSWERED. WE CALL YOU OUR COLLEAGUE WITH RESPECT, WE CALL YOU OUR FRIEND WITH LOVE.

JULY 6, 2023

ADELMO VIGIL: I don't know what to say. I am shocked, I am surprised, I am honored to receive this prestigious award. There are many out there who are worthy, but I am very thankful to you, all of you, because your successes have been my successes.

I just told President Riccobono just a minute ago, I said, I am going to retire sooner or later. [Laughter] I have been threatening to do that for a while, but I haven't done it yet.

But it is an honor to receive this award, and I thank all of you, my Federation family, for this. Thank you very much. Thank you, Pam. [cheers and applause]

PAM: Congratulations again, Adelmo. Let's have a round of applause. You can tell Adelmo's humility and gratitude. Thank you so much for your service, Adelmo, and for all the ways that you have contributed. I want to also thank the members of our tenBroek Committee: Dr. Maurer, Norma Crosby, Ron Brown, and Barbara Loos. Thank you so much for serving.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Gilles Pepin and Mary Ellen Jernigan smile together. Gilles holds his award.]


2023 Jernigan Award Presentation


Presented by Mary Ellen Jernigan

>From the Editor: This award was given on July 6 at the banquet of the 2023 National Convention. It was written and presented by former first lady Mary Ellen Jernigan.

Precisely thirty years, ten months and five days ago, I met the individual we are honoring tonight. The occasion was a meeting in the fourth-floor conference room of the NFB headquarters. It was an invitation-only meeting. The invitations were to individuals, not to the organizations they were associated with.

Only two organizations were permitted to issue the invitations. This person was not invited by the Federation. The meeting was the Second US/Canada Technology Conference for the Blind held in November of 1993, and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind had issued an invitation to the head of a relatively small and fairly new Canadian company. Neither the company nor its founder was very well-known.

This company, no longer “relatively small,” no longer “relatively new,” and as for being “not very well known,” it is today known and respected by blind people the world over. I am, of course, talking about Gilles Pepin and the merged entity of VisuAide and Pulse Data that became the HumanWare Group.

>From that first meeting with Gilles, he has been a partner and colleague in our efforts to give blind people access to information. For those of you who were born around the time of that conference and afterwards, it may be difficult for you even to imagine the discouragement felt by the blind community at the headwaters of the ever-increasing pace of visual-based electronic information. Though convenient and visually pleasant for sighted people, information was presented in ways inconvenient and inaccessible to blind consumers. The shift from text to the new “Graphical User Interface,” seemed an impossible barrier to overcome.

Nevertheless, giving up was not an option—not for blind people, not for Gilles.

When “personal data assistants” like Blackberry and Palm appeared, HumanWare introduced “Maestro,” and refreshable Braille notetakers. When GPS guidance systems replaced maps, HumanWare responded with Trekker. When print calendars and stand-alone calculators were incorporated into electronic devices for the sighted, HumanWare incorporated them into its accessible devices for the blind. In short, as the methods used in the broader society to access and use information have undergone revolutionary changes in recent decades, Gilles and HumanWare have been at the heart of that revolution as it has affected blind individuals.

In the 1950s and ‘60s the National Library Service created Talking Books to be read straight through from beginning to end on a bulky 20-pound record player. By the ‘70s the seven-pound cassette machine had replaced the record player, but reading was still done beginning to end, and one still hoped (often in vain) not to find a missing or broken tape toward the end.

Today’s less than two-pound Digital Talking Book Machine was created for NLS by HumanWare. Books could now be read with navigation features of the kind available to sighted readers of print books.

Perhaps it does not surprise you that HumanWare’s design of the navigation features for the NLS Digital Talking Book Player came about with significant participation from the National Federation of the Blind.

At about this same time HumanWare was working in a more formal partnership with the National Federation of the Blind to develop its own Victor Reader Stream. Here again, the Federation contributed to the design of the user interface, with much of the usability testing taking place at the Jernigan Institute.

At this point, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge Ray Kurzweil’s key, though silent, role in the success of the company Gilles Pepin has led:

>From the time Dr. Kurzweil, who invented the first machine that gave blind people access to electronic information, he never failed to involve blind people in the development and testing of the user interface. Furthermore, Dr. Kurzweil always insisted that those involved be representatives of the organized blind movement, who bring vast knowledge and recommendations coming from the lived experience of blind people themselves. Learning this essential element for success from Dr. Kurzweil, Gilles Pepin has done the same.

I recently asked a question to a member of the Federation. A person I believe to be one of the most competent users of virtually every known access technology device. My question was: What is so special about the Victor Reader Stream? His answer was thoughtful, simple, and non-technical: “It’s the buttons,” he said. “They are big; they are tactile; they always do the same thing.”

No matter the source of the material; no matter how it is marked up; no matter where you are in the material, the buttons always do the same thing. To me this answer speaks volumes. Because in the end, it’s not about the genius of the technology itself, but about the blind people who use it.

Like our friend and colleague Dr. Kurzweil, Gilles Pepin has truly become one of us.

The Kenneth Jernigan Award has been given sparingly—only three times since its establishment. The common thread running through the accomplishments of those who have received it is that their work has been done in solid and ongoing relationship with the National Federation of the Blind.

Tonight, it is my honor to present the Kenneth Jernigan Award to Gilles Pepin.

The inscription on the plaque reads as follows:

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KENNETH JERNIGAN AWARD

For your dedication to the highest ideals;

For your commitment to extraordinary service;

For your imaginative leadership in expanding opportunities by designing technologies in partnership with the blind;

We, the organized blind movement, confer upon

Gilles Pepin

The Kenneth Jernigan Award

YOUR HAND ASSISTED IN EVERY CHALLENGE;

YOUR HEART RESPONDED TO EVERY NEED;

YOU ARE A TRUSTED COLLEAGUE AND VALUED FRIEND.

July 6, 2023

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Robin House stands with Tomás Cintrón who holds his award plaque.]


Blind Educator of the Year Award Presentation


Presented by Robin House

ROBIN HOUSE: Thank you, and good morning President Riccobono, Board of Directors, and members and guests at the National Federation of the Blind. It is my privilege and my honor to present the 2023 Blind Educator of the Year Award. To help me during this presentation, we have a Spanish interpreter, Shalmarie Arroyo Mercado, who will be interpreting the recipient's comments and my comments as well.

I also want to share that the Blind Educator of the Year Committee gets together and makes this important decision, and I want to thank them for their work. The members of the committee this year include Vernon Humphrey, Cayte Mendez, Melissa Riccobono, and Adelmo Vigil.

I want to provide a bit of history about the Blind Educator of the Year Award. This award is presented and has been presented for over thirty years now and began with the National Organization of Blind Educators. The importance and prestige of this award means that we don't award it every year. We only award it in years when a suitable candidate has been nominated and the committee agrees on the recipient.

Again, it's my pleasure and privilege to be able to announce the 2023 Blind Educator of the Year. Let me tell you some information about him. He holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in special education from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico in San German.

He holds certification in visual impairment from the Central University of Bayamón. He teaches Braille, orientation and mobility, and blindness skills to students. Additionally, he works with children K-12 in the special education program and mainstream education. He provides Braille instruction to parents and caregivers at the Lola Rodriguez de Tio School.

His philosophy of blindness is in line with the National Federation of the Blind, and he has been involved in the organization for many years and has been instrumental in building and rebuilding the Puerto Rican affiliate.

In terms of the educator that he is, he believes in his students' strengths, abilities, and capabilities.

Fun fact: he is also a mechanic, involved with the Boy Scouts, and has two sons. The 2023 Blind Educator of the Year is Tomás Cintrón.

Congratulations, Tomás. We have a plaque in both Braille and print, and I will read the inscription in a moment. And to go along with the plaque, we have a check for $1,000.

Here we go:

BLIND EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

PRESENTED TO

Tomás Cintrón

In recognition of outstanding accomplishments in the teaching profession

YOU ENHANCE THE PRESENT;

YOU INSPIRE YOUR COLLEAGUES;

YOU BUILD THE FUTURE;

July 3, 2023.

[Applause]

TOMÁS CINTRÓN: Good morning to all. In 1992 when I became blind, I thought my life was over. But I met the National Federation of the Blind Puerto Rico affiliate and my vision about blindness and my own life changed. In 1993 I came to my first convention here in Texas. So now in 2023, it's my thirty-year anniversary of being initiated to the philosophy of liberation and living it throughout those thirty years.

When I decided to become a teacher, it was because I wanted my blind students to have the opportunities I did not have when I was growing up and in school. When I decided to become a teacher, it wasn't only to be a good teacher but to give my students the security, opportunity, and equality that we practice in the Federation. So for me, I am not only proud to be a part of this big NFB family, but also to contribute to the Puerto Rico affiliate by being its current first vice president. All of this I do to help Hispanics in Puerto Rico to achieve and live their dreams. Thank you. [Applause]

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Holding her award, Krystal smiles with Carla.]


Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Presentation


Presented by Carla McQuillan

CARLA McQUILLAN: Good morning, everybody. Every year the National Federation of the Blind honors and recognizes a teacher of blind students for going above and beyond the expectations and by upholding the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind.

I started as chair of this committee in 2016. This year we received several good applicants and nominees, but one of them caused me to have to go back to my list. We never repeat this award to the same person. So I went to my list, and there's a lot of impressive people. We started this award in 1988, so this is the thirty-fifth Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award that we will be giving.

There are some impressive names on that list. Evelyn Riggan and Ruby Riles, for example. So I looked back because I could not believe that this individual had not previously won this award. But sure enough, she had not.

In typical years, we notify the teacher that they are going to be receiving the award to make sure they're here at convention, right, because they don't always attend. We did not have to do that this year. In fact, this year President Riccobono said, "What are the odds we could make it a total surprise?" Remember that we offer this individual a beautiful plaque in Braille and print, a check for $1,000, and the opportunity to speak for the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. How do we get this person at the board meeting to receive the award without knowing why, and how do we get her to speak for the parents of blind children without knowing why?

So Carol Castellano and Beth Braun were part of this scheme. Sitting to my right is the recipient of this year's Educator of Blind Students Award, Krystal Guillory!

[Applause]

Now, I have to tell you, I didn't know the sneaker Beth Braun was. Beth Braun created a false agenda that she gave to Krystal who thought she was here to talk about the Braille Book Fair. Now, she can talk to you about that if she wants to, but for those of you who do not know Krystal, she is one of our greatest members and teachers from the great state of Louisiana. She is not only a full-time teacher, but she is the coordinator of our Louisiana BELL Academies. She was written up in the Ruston Leader newspaper for all of her efforts for the BELL Academy. She also runs a Braille Saturday program, and she's very active in the Louisiana Association of Parents of Blind Children.

Beth came over and said, "Don't let Krystal see the screen on your iPad," where I have the language of the plaque. So let me pull it up here.

It says:

THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND HONORS

Krystal Guillory

Distinguished Educator of Blind Students, for your skills in teaching Braille and other techniques of blindness, for graciously devoting extra time to meet the needs of your students, and for empowering your students to perform beyond their expectations.

YOU CHAMPION OUR MOVEMENT;

YOU STRENGTHEN OUR HOPES;

YOU SHARE OUR DREAMS.

July 3rd, 2023.

[Applause]

Krystal, here is your plaque and your check for $1,000.

KRYSTAL GUILLORY: Okay, I —

CARLA McQUILLAN: Are you surprised?

KRYSTAL GUILLORY: I—I am very surprised, had no clue. I guess good job keeping it a secret. I actually stepped in a little bit earlier, and I had some notes for the book fair, and I was thinking, well, Norma already gave away the big surprise of the astronaut and what have you, so I'm going to be repetitive! So I was a little confused as to why I was here, but it's all good.

I don't have anything prepared obviously. I will say that I feel like I've been in the field forever. I think as we get older, we're like, "Please don't ask me how many years; I don't want to figure it out." I do know that I've been teaching about twenty years. But I will say that my teaching phenomenally changed when I got connected with the NFB. I knew very few actual blind people. Obviously, I had a phenomenal blind role model in my house with Eric, but I needed to know that there were more than Eric out there and, more importantly, my students needed to know that. Everything that I've taught my students to empower them is always, "You can do this. I promise you. I don't know anything. I am your teacher, but sometimes I have no clue because no one can know everything. But we are going to find this person who can help us get through this.” And it gets really tough every day in the school system because you're in a pickle or a predicament I guess you could say. You’re employed by the school system, so it does get a little testy at times, because you know what your students need. The power that the Federation has for me to be able to say, "Oh, let me tell you about so and so who is doing this job, and this is how we're going to do it."

So I am just so very grateful. I think that I have become a better teacher, a better person, a better mom, and I just hope to give back so much more because you've all helped me. Thank you.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: The 2023 Jacob Bolotin Award Winners with members of the Bolotin Committee: Neil Soiffer, Andy Burstein, Everette Bacon, Norma Crosby, Mary Ellen Jernigan, Peggy Chong, Donald Porterfield, Danielle Montour, Jessica Beecham, and Lindsey Yazzolino.]


Presentation of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards


Presented by Everette Bacon

After his introduction, Everette was welcomed to the stage with a song.

EVERETTE BACON: Man, I get Tina Turner. Is that not the coolest? Hello, my Federation family. How are you all? We have an outstanding presentation for you that I'm really excited to give. This is the sixteenth year. We have now given away seventy-five Jacob Bolotin Awards. Can you believe that? After today, we will be up to eighty-one; so we are inching closer to giving away one hundred Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards, which is pretty fabulous. Awesome, right?

How many people have read the book The Blind Doctor: The Jacob Bolotin Story? Good, excellent. If you haven't read it yet, you can go download it after you download the Amish romances our NLS director told us about. You can read an outstanding story of a man who persevered through so many trials and tribulations to get to where he wanted to go. We like to refer to Dr. Bolotin as a Federationist before there was a Federation. You can read how he grew up as a blind person and the different trials he went through as a young man. There's a little romance in there; you get to read about his wife and his family—everything that he went through.

One of the things that I always like to point out is that, when he was in college, this was back in the early 1900s, he faced the same types of adversities that we faced going to college. He didn't have accessible textbooks. He had teachers doubting him. I think it is a real inspiration to college students today to understand that we have been traveling this pathway—all of us have—and people like Dr. Bolotin started it. We have been doing it for years and years, and we are going to continue to travel this pathway and break the barriers and beat down those doors.

I want to thank the previous chairpersons, Gary Wunder and Jim Gashel, who have come before me. I also want to thank our current committee members in no particular order: Dr. Natalie Shaheen, who couldn't be here with us today; Ms. Mary Ellen Jernigan; Donald Porterfield; Steve Jacobsen; and board-elect member Jessica Beecham.

Okay, let's get to the presentation. We have an eight and a half minute video we are going to play for you now, so let's go ahead and queue that up.

SPEAKER: Federationists and guests: the National Federation of the Blind is proud to introduce the 2023 recipients of our Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards, made possible in part by the generous support of the Alfred and Rosalind Perlman trust and the Santa Barbara Foundation. These individuals and organizations have broken down barriers faced by blind people in innovative ways, changed negative perceptions of blindness and blind people, and pushed past existing boundaries to inspire blind people to achieve new heights.

The three individual winners are Peggy Chong, The Blind History Lady, who is receiving her second Bolotin Award to fund a new and ambitious research project.

PEGGY: I think it is extremely important for counselors, rehabilitation professionals, and social workers to know the history of the disabled: not just our eye disease, not just when laws were passed, but the successful people who made it in the world. We all need to know that there have been blind people who have been US Senators, bankers, crooks—you know, murderers. People must know that we are a cross section of society and that we aren't the first to try something—so that we don't always feel like we need to reinvent the wheel every time we turn around.

SPEAKER: Sharon Maneki of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, for over thirty-five years of advancing legislation to benefit blind people in Maryland and beyond.

SHARON: I just want to say that there's this quotation that I like, and I think it really symbolizes Dr. Bolotin: "Service is the rent we pay for living. It is not something to do in your spare time; it is the very purpose of life." That's the very purpose of life. I think that's what he represents.

SPEAKER: Neil Soiffer, developer of Math Capable Assistive Technology. MathCAT: A free open-source tool that allows software development to make digital math content accessible to screen readers.

NEIL: The whole goal of MathCAT is for vendors to easily be able to incorporate math accessibility into their products. It is open source, it is free, and it has a nice, simple interface. So I am hoping that the excuse that I heard a lot of when I did MathPlayer about math accessibility is hard and we will eventually get to it, that it is no longer an excuse at all. It is not hard, because the software does it. It's free, so it doesn't cost much, and it is simple to integrate into products.

SPEAKER: Our three organizational winners are: Accessible Pharmacy Services, for solutions that allow blind people independent control of their healthcare. Here’s co-founder Alex Cohen:

ALEX: So Accessible Pharmacy Services is a full-service healthcare company specializing in medication management and diabetes management for the blind, low-vision, and deafblind community. We find solutions to alleviate and remove any challenges or barriers related to loss of sight or hearing impairments and identify each one of our particular patients as an individual and unique patient, finding solutions to meet that patient's unique needs and medication profiles. This community is our primary focus. At Accessible Pharmacy Services, accessibility, working with patients of various abilities and levels of sight, is not an afterthought; it's our primary focus. To be one of this year's award winners for the Jacob Bolotin Award is validation that we are headed in the right direction and that we are doing good things in the community, but we also understand that we're not done; this is not the end of the road. Accessibility and inclusion is a moving target that takes continual effort. We could not be more honored to receive this award at Accessible Pharmacy Services. Again, it shows we are on the right track, but we are just getting started.

SPEAKER: AstroAccess, for its work to create opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in space travel: Here's Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen.

SHERI: Humanity is going into space; that is kind of a given. We know what is happening. Blind people are going to be there; we're not going to be left behind. AstroAccess is all about doing the research that we need to do to figure out the things we need to change in the space vessels; in the space habitat; in training; in procedures to make it possible for a blind person to serve as an equal, trusted partner of a crew; or just to go up on a weekend to the space hotel in however many years it takes for that to happen. We are all about figuring out what we need to change, both in the space program, the governmental space program, and the increasing number of private space programs. What do we need to do to get blind people in line to go like everybody else?

SPEAKER: The National Federation of the Blind of Texas receiving its second Bolotin Award for project BOLD. Here's affiliate president, Norma Crosby.

NORMA: Project BOLD is an outdoor learning opportunity for blind children and their families, including their sighted siblings. It is a project that we took on as a result of receiving a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. We asked children and their families to apply to be part of the program. As I said earlier, we not only invited the blind children, but their families. We wanted to teach their sighted siblings how to be better allies for their blind siblings. So, as the name says, Blindness Outdoor Learning and Development is what BOLD stands for, and we take children outside and do things like kayaking, fire theory, tent building, and philosophy about blindness. We teach our children and their siblings as a pod, and all of the instructors in the program are blind adults.

SPEAKER: These winners will receive a trophy and a monetary prize to advance their work to help blind people live the lives we want. Now, the National Federation of the Blind proudly presents them with their 2023 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards.

EVERETTE BACON: Now those are some exciting winners aren't they? When I call your name and talk about your particular program, I want you to come up and we will hand you an award. So our first one—I thought I would do this one first because I kind of wanted the loud applause right away—so let's just go with the NFB of Texas, $5,000. This program is called BOLD, Blindness Outdoor Learning and Development. It is basically to help blind families—blind adults, blind children—get an opportunity to experience the great state wildlife services and the great state parks in the great state of Texas. Norma Crosby is here to accept the award. Thank you, Norma.

NORMA: Thank you.

EVERETTE BACON: Okay. Our next award winner, Accessible Pharmacy Services. This program provides a fully accessible home delivery pharmaceutical services. Lynn Heitz from Pennsylvania nominated them, and Lynn Heitz said simply that, "Before this service, blind people were left out by pharmaceutical services. They didn't understand the needs that blind people had. And this service has now broken down those barriers for us to get our accessible pharmacy services." Thank you, Andy Burnstein.

ANDY: Thank you.

EVERETTE BACON: Now to our next award: I'm really excited about this one. This is really fun to learn about—AstroAccess. I just want to read their motto to you. "If we can make space accessible, we can make any space accessible." Don't you love that? I was reading about this program and some of the great things they do, and we have two blind astronauts up on stage right now. Danielle Montour and Lindsay Yazzolino. They are honorary blind astronauts, but they are more than just that because they have experienced zero gravity. I have not experienced zero gravity. Danielle was telling me she had an opportunity to go into the rocket and be able to create an accessible tactile map for the sighted people when the lights go out so that they can find their way. I thought that was really awesome. So I'm really proud of AstroAccess. Danielle Montour and Lindsay Yazzolino are here to accept the awards. $5,000 to them as well. Here you go.

Now to the individual awards. The award for $5,000 goes to a person—I like to refer to her as "OUR blind history lady," Peggy Chong. Peggy Chong has previously won the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award for her work in the Blind History Lady Program that she directs. But this is a special project that she is doing. She will be going to Washington, DC, to go into the Library of Congress to review documents related to the Harmon Foundation. The Harmon Foundation gave awards back in the 1920s and 1930s to Black workers who were in the shops making broomsticks and all kinds of things. They gave out awards, and then the program stopped. So she is going to be able to look into that and figure out why they stopped and who won these awards. I have a sneaky suspicion that after she does her research, this will have a space in the Museum of the Blind People's Movement. Thank you, Peggy Chong, and congratulations.

Our next winner is not here today for me to give her this trophy, but I know she's listening on Zoom. Sharon Maneki. (Cheers and Applause, and chanting for Sharon). I love it. Sharon Maneki was the longtime president of the NFB of Maryland for many, many years. Ronza Othman nominated her for this award. I like to think of Sharon as a policy wonk before there was such a thing as a policy wonk. Of Sharon, Ronza said that no other leader in any state has done more to advance the rights of legislation in a particular state like Sharon Maneki has. I will name three, but I counted up fifteen listed on Ronza's application. Three stand out to me: One of the very first states to get a Parental Bill of Rights for the Blind; One of the very first states to require Braille certification for teachers of blind students; and one of the very first states to require accessible textbooks, not only K-12, but PhD, K-PhD. She did it for both. We will make sure that Sharon gets her award. She's also a $5,000 winner.

Our last and final award winner, Dr. Neil Soiffer, is going to win $25,000. Dr. Neil Soiffer has created something I wish I would have had when I was in school—an open-source math accessibility tool. This allows blind individuals to be able to access math using software and tools for their screen reader. There's nothing else like it. And guess what? It is free. It is free to you. You can use it right now. This is an awesome service. We feel like this is exactly what the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award recognizes and stimulates. I'm going to let him speak.

NEIL SOIFFER: Thank you very much. It's a great honor to receive this award. As I say, I'm a math nerd, so I'm not used to speaking before a really large crowd. It's not my forte, so please bear with me. I will make this as brief as I can.

Before hearing about this award, I didn't know about Dr. Bolotin. I read about him, and I read the book and his incredible achievements. I'll never match his determination or his accomplishments, but I found we do share one thing in common: We have the same birthday. So I'll have that; thankfully, not the same birth year; I am not that old.

I want to thank Dr. John Gardner who, twenty years ago, asked me to help him make some software accessible so that he could continue his research after becoming blind. That ask has given me purpose in my life. It might surprise some people, but there are people who think that math is fun. I'm one of them. For those who don't like math, it's likely because you weren't taught about what math really is. I could go on and on about that for many hours, but I don't think that's what you want to hear about today.

I just want to say that I want to make the joy of math accessible to everyone, which is why I have been working on making math accessible and will continue to do so as long as I can. Again, thank you so much for the recognition. Perhaps this gives hope to other math nerds that they too someday will be appreciated.

EVERETTE BACON: That's it. That's our six winners. They are pretty awesome, aren't they?

Thank you, again, to the Perlman Trust. Mr. President, that is my report.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: The 2023 Scholarship Winners: Back row: Felecia Bradford, Ashleigh Rogers, Tyler Hoppe, Zachary Ledford, Athena Scopelite, Jack Freeburg, Kamran Vora, Justin Harford, Ernest Emmanuel Peeples, Tatyana Tolliver-Hughes; Middle row: Kahmile Whitby, Sara Folsom, Avery Sallean, Joanne Kim, Nina Marranca, Zach McLean, Maura Loberg, Dan Hlavinka, Ammar Tarin; Front row: Trisha Kulkarni, Ellen Harper, Noah Carver, Roshunda Holt, Mickayla Biddle, Theresa Mendez-Booze, Ryan Menter, Mitchell Ford, and Eric Gonzalez]


2023 National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Awards


Presented by Cayte Mendez

>From the Editor: Each year the National Federation of the Blind presents thirty academic scholarships to outstanding blind postsecondary students from the fifty states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. At the annual board meeting of the NFB, this year's scholarship finalists had the chance to introduce themselves to the Federation's Board of Directors. Scholarship Committee Chairperson Cayte Mendez gave some background about the scholarship program and introduced each of the finalists.

CAYTE MENDEZ: Good morning, Mr. President, members of the board.

The National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Program is one of the ways we invest in our future, the future of blind people across the nation and the future of this Federation. Every year we receive hundreds of applications, and I have to thank the dedicated folks on the Scholarship Committee for convening to select the top thirty students within this year's batch of applicants.

What makes someone stand out to the Scholarship Committee? Well, they demonstrate scholastic aptitude. So we look for folks who have exceptional track records in their academic careers, whether they're in high school or grad school. We look at their academic records, and we look for scholarship, because these are academic merit scholarships.

The other thing we look for is their leadership, demonstrated through their community involvement. This program seeks to bring new people with new perspectives into our organization. To present these folks to you every year is one of my great privileges in working with the NFB.

So without further ado, I am going to begin. I will announce each finalist by first name, last name, home state, school state if it's different, and vocational goal. Then they each will have thirty seconds to introduce themselves. I hope you enjoy getting to know them as much as I have! Here we go!

CAYTE: McKayla Biddle, New Mexico, teacher of blind students.

MCKAYLA BIDDLE: Good morning, everybody. One of the things that stands out about me quite a bit is my sense of humor. Everybody is constantly laughing about my puns. For hobbies I like to play a blind version of hockey. I like to write creative stories. And I put my humor in those, too. And I've been blind since birth. Thank you.

CAYTE: Theresa Mendez-Booz, Oklahoma, international health advocate for physical activity and disability.

THERESA MENDEZ-BOOZ: Hello, everyone. As Dr. Jernigan had a vision to improve global accessibility and empower blind individuals to succeed, I want to help within the disability community. Thank you so much for the scholarship.

CAYTE: Felicia Bradford, Michigan, social work technician.

FELICIA BRADFORD: Greetings, everyone! My goal is to bridge the gap between the elderly blind and our young people, because our young people are our future, and they will be standing where we are today. Thank you.

CAYTE: Noah Carver, Maine, New York, Vocalist.

NOAH CARVER: Good afternoon. Listen, I came from the Eastern Time Zone. It's afternoon. When I chose to take a leap of faith and study at one of America's premiere conservatories, Eastman School of Music, there were many unknowns, but none more terrifying to me than my inexperience with music Braille. So I taught myself. Literally. And it was very difficult. Turns out obtaining resources to learn music Braille is challenging, time-consuming, and requires much hard work. My goal, apart from my work at Eastman, is to make any score accessible, whether you compose it or whether it's written by someone else, through software called MuseScore. Visit musescore.org, or come find me. Thank you.

CAYTE: All right. Sara Folsom, Georgia, biology.

SARA FOLSOM: My intention is to pursue a pre-physical therapy track to work with disabled children and athletes, which is a cause very close to my heart as a disabled athlete myself. Thank you for the scholarship opportunity.

CAYTE: Mitchell Ford, Virginia, attorney.

MITCHELL FORD: Greetings to the esteemed board and general membership. I am humbled and honored to receive this scholarship. A little bit about myself: I've had a fruitful ten-year career as an educator teaching Arabic, and now I will be transitioning to a career as an attorney to advocate for causes that I care about and to help people. Thank you very much for this opportunity.

CAYTE: Jack Freeburg, South Dakota, Indiana, capital compound expert.

JACK FREEBURG: Hello, everyone. Thank you for this great opportunity. I'm an incoming freshman at the University of Notre Dame. I plan on studying finance and accounting. I really like to run and trade stocks, but I don't really know what I want to do with my life after I graduate college. So that's why I just made up something funny on the career goal.

CAYTE: I told him last night at the NABS meeting someone will have to explain what that means, because I have no idea. I think it means he's going to get rich someday. Speaking of riches, this year's scholarship class is rich in people whose last name begins with the letter H. For the first of the six Hs, Justin Harford, Oregon, Accountant.

JUSTIN HARFORD: Thank you, everyone. My name is—wait, I'm not going to say that, because you know my name. I have had a career before this. I got my first life as a student ten years ago, got a degree in history and Spanish lit and worked for eight years in the nonprofit sector. I am looking to migrate to the field of finance, working possibly as an accountant in a nonprofit governmental organization. I am also really passionate about languages, whether the language of South America, Spanish, or the language of business, and thinking linguistically, how that can help me solve problems. For me, I'm just really passionate about my involvement in the NFB. My first time meeting blind people that I would want to be like was when I was fourteen. My goal is to support programs so that young blind kids don't have to wait that long. Thanks.

CAYTE: Ellen Harper, Michigan, Washington, DC, attorney.

ELLEN HARPER: Thank you. I am attending Georgetown Law this fall to pursue a career in public policy. Two years ago, when my doctor disclosed to me that I am legally blind, I was shocked to discover how drastically others' perspective of me changed. I discovered that many of the institutions designed to help me find the resources I need to succeed also told me that my goals were too ambitious. This type of ableism perpetuated in the systems assigned to assist people with disabilities made me realize I need to be more than a self-advocate; I need to be a community advocate. Thank you.

CAYTE: All right. Dan Hlavinka, Colorado, social worker. His name actually starts with an H. Find him in the hall and ask him.

DAN HLAVINKA: Thank you. Thank you so, so very much from the depths of the wealth of gratitude that I have. I'm very interested in end-of-life care. That's kind of where the dart hopes to end at the end of the day. And speaking of the end of things, I want to circle back to the beginning of things. And this whole place, all these people, the route that got me here through the CCB giving me the confidence to really root into this aspect of wanting to create life and come August, towards the middle or the end, we're going to push it back as much as we can, we got two twin Hlavinkas coming on the way. It's hard for me to say that as a terrified blind person. I can only say that with the confidence that I do have because of all the support that I've ever had through all of this. And to be here, standing here and saying this amongst a big group of people, it's really one of the highest highlights of my life. So thank you, thank you, thank you.

CAYTE: Roshunda Holt, Kansas, business management.

ROSHUNDA HOLT: Hello, everyone! I am so grateful to be here! I've been told that I'm positive, optimistic, and very, very loud. So I appreciate anyone that hears my voice and calls my name. I will try my best to find you and greet you and just love on you as much as I can. Being diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa was the best thing that could have happened to me, because I got to be a part of this amazing community of National Federation of the Blind! So thank you guys so much for accepting me! I'm emotional too! And I'm really happy that I got to go back to school and learn how to be visually impaired. Because of my journey, my education is going to take me to start a program called Life Transitions: Assisting Individuals into Adulthood. Because I need everybody to know that even though it's hard being an adult, there's somebody out there willing to help you go through that. And because of everyone that I've encountered that's helped me get to where I am, I want to be an advocate to help others do the same. So thank you. I'm really not hoarse. I'm just emotional right now. I appreciate you all.

CAYTE: And you made a mistake telling us you're loud, because somebody is putting your name down for next year's Ambassador Committee.

All right. Tyler Hoppe, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Law.

TYLER HOPPE: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm honored to be here today. Just to give you a little background about myself, I am currently studying at Penn State as a junior, studying political science with aspirations to become a US senator in my future. I have very strong aspirations to give a voice to the voiceless and help communities in need such as ours. There's far too much discrimination that goes on in this world, and I want to be one of the people in the United States Senate that can help make a difference. I just want to give thanks to the National Scholarship Committee. I am honored to be here and be recognized as a scholarship finalist. And thanks to my beautiful girlfriend Cassie, who has helped me through this last school year. I would not be here today without her support.

CAYTE: Marco Hurtado, Texas, software development.

MARCO HURTADO: Hello! I would like to point out how apt it is that we have so many Hs, given that we are in the lovely city of H Town. I get to say that because I live here. But I am immensely grateful to be here for the week down in the searing City of Houston from the city for the blind in Austin, which has been the culmination of my efforts for the past year or so to take my independence into my own hands and live away from home, pursuing school and a degree in software development and potentially also marry my two passions: artistic expression and technology. Thanks to the support of the National Federation of the Blind, that dream can become a reality. Thank you.

CAYTE: Joanne Kim, Pennsylvania, environmental protection.

JOANNE KIM: Thank you so much for having me here. I currently study environmental science with a focus on climate and a minor in geology, which is a fancy way to say I like rocks. I am very honored to be here today. I lost my vision when I was ten due to a benign brain tumor. That day I thought my life was over, mainly because in the Korean community there's a lot of internalized ableism, and my own father was very not supportive around my vision loss. However, being here today I learned that it's okay to be confident in my vision loss and to not be fully sighted and still possible to lead a full life. Thank you very much.

CAYTE: This next scholarship finalist is one of two distinguished as a tenBroek Fellow. Dr. Jacobus tenBroek was the founding president of this organization. This award commemorates folks who have received a scholarship in the past through the National Federation of the Blind, and the standard for these folks is a little bit higher. As if the standards weren't high enough for this program, trying to find the top thirty blind scholars in the nation! To become a tenBroek Fellow and receive a second scholarship, these folks have to have really shown active involvement and participation in the organization and have turned their tremendous talents and hands to helping to grow our movement. So this next person is one such young leader. Trisha Kulkarni, Ohio, educational technology.

TRISHA KULKARNI: Hello my Federation family! This past year at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, I realized one of my favorite quotes: "Confidence is not about knowing all the answers, but instead about being ready to face all the questions." I'm grateful to the National Federation of the Blind for supporting me as a blind woman in tech as I tackle questions like how to regulate artificial intelligence to not discriminate against people with disabilities. Thank you for this incredible honor, and let's go build the National Federation of the Blind.

CAYTE: Zachary Ledford, Utah, sports medicine.

ZACHARY LEDFORD: Hello! I am honored and grateful to be here with all of these incredible scholarship finalists as well. Thank you for your support and your love and mentorship. I'm also honored to serve as the president of the Utah Federation of Blind Students. I love to see the growth within students, not only in Utah but throughout the National Federation of the Blind. I'm very grateful for those experiences as well as my past experiences in athletics, and I hope and intend to pursue an education in sports medicine to help further athletics around the world. Thank you.

CAYTE: Maura Loberg, Nebraska, mental health counselor.

MAURA LOBERG: Hello, everybody. Thank you for watching me go through these milestones from high school to almost graduating college in December. You guys have watched me grow and change and cry and learn and do all the good things that you do. Thank you to the Scholarship Committee. You guys are bringing me closer to my dream of helping others in so many different capacities. I will be heading off to grad school next fall. Not this fall, next fall, to pursue my master's in mental health counseling. We have grown and changed so much during the pandemic, and I hope to be one of the people that helps foster that process. Thank you so much.

CAYTE: This next person is our second tenBroek Fellow. Nina Marranca, New York, clinical psychologist.

NINA MARRANCA: Hi, everyone. I just want to say that I'm extremely honored and humbled to be standing here for a second time. I obviously do not have time to get into all the ways that I've changed since the first time I was here, but one of those is that I don't cause feedback on the mic, so I'm really proud of that today because that was in my dreams for a long time! I'm happy to be back, and I can't wait to reconnect with people from before, but also I am so excited to continue networking with new people. So feel free to say hi, and I can't wait to make the most of this opportunity. So thank you.

CAYTE: Zach McLean, Washington, Oregon, sports and leadership management.

ZACH MCLEAN: Hello, everyone. So a little bit about me, I've been playing football now for about seven years. I was recruited by over thirty NCA schools across all three divisions to play linebacker this fall. I was one of the leaders at my high school who organized and advocated for unified sports and now annual unified prom. And I was informed by Harvard Children's a few years ago that I'm currently one of two in the world with a similar undiagnosed eye condition. So thank you for this opportunity. I could not put into words how grateful I am.

CAYTE: This scholarship class represents twenty-seven different affiliates, which if you think about it, out of a class of thirty, that's pretty good. Twenty-seven affiliates! We can't get them all. The math would have to be really in our favor. But I think we've done really well. And this next one is our second from Maine. Ryan Menter, Maine, Ohio, law.

RYAN MENTER: Hi, everyone. I recently completed my double major at Southern New Hampshire University and will be attending Case Western Reserve School of Law this fall. I hope to practice as a disability rights attorney and also work as a guardian ad litem to represent abused and neglected children in the courtroom. More specifically, I hope to fight for those who have faced discrimination and also serve as a voice for children failed by the systems and by people that were supposed to protect them. Thank you to the board and the Scholarship Committee. I'm extremely grateful to be at convention and look forward to the many opportunities that await over this week.

CAYTE: Emmanuel Peeples, Illinois, actor.

EMMANUEL PEEPLES: Thank you. My artistic goals as a multihyphenate artist are to change the perception of albinism in the media through my work as both an actor and playwright. I am beyond humbled and honored to be here and excited to share more of my work with you and to join this fabulous NFB family. Thank you.

CAYTE: Eric Rivera-Gonzalez, Puerto Rico, attorney.

ERIC RIVERA-GONZALEZ: (speaking in Spanish) Thank you so very much to the Board of the National Federation of the Blind for having me here. Without you guys, I would not have this opportunity. I want to thank Tomás [Cintrón] for inspiring me. As a finalist, I'm going to be very strong as a blind lawyer in Puerto Rico to educate, to showcase that we as individuals with disabilities can do more. My dream and my passion are to showcase that everyone has a voice, a vision, and a way to do what they want in their heart. Thank you to Mr. Riccobono and the Board of Trustees for having me and the scholarship finalists here. Thank you!

CAYTE: Thank you. In this year's scholarship class there is a forty-year gap between our most senior finalists and our youngest finalists. This one is one of our youngest. She has been eighteen for—what, about two weeks now? And we're so glad that her birthday is in June so she could be here with us today. Ashley Rogers, Pennsylvania, actuary.

ASHLEY ROGERS: Thank you for having me here, everyone. In case you don't know, an actuary will be doing a blend of math, statistics, economics, and business. So that's my career, a blend of all of those. I would like to thank the NFB and everyone that made the scholarship possible for giving me this opportunity. And I'm looking forward to starting college in the fall and seeing what life has in store. Thank you.

CAYTE: Avery Sallean, North Carolina, neuroscientist.

AVERY SALLEAN: Good morning, everybody! Thank you so much for having me here, and thank you so much to the scholarship board for awarding me this amazing opportunity. I'm currently a rising sophomore at UNC Chapel Hill, studying neuroscience and minoring in chemistry. After my undergrad I want to pursue a PhD in neuroscience and do research in the field of Alzheimers and neurodegeneration. The reason that I'm interested in that is because being blind has taught me that we're not the only community that has challenges. There are many communities in our nation and in this world that have challenges that need to be addressed. And so I would really like to be a part of this community and other communities, helping in any way that I can. So thank you again so much for having me here, and I'm so excited for the rest of this week.

CAYTE: Athena Scopelite, California, psychologist.

ATHENA SCOPELITE: Thank you so much. It's an honor to stand here and tell you about myself. Since I've been to this convention, it's my first one, my pride as a blind person has just grown so much! I have noticed myself noticing all the little accomplishments that I've achieved so far in these first three days and actually recognizing them. So that's amazing, and it wouldn't have happened without the National Federation of the Blind here to show me what I'm capable of. My goal as I continue in my studies is to become a counselor, and not only be a caring ear for people who need to talk but also have the honor and privilege of helping people design their own personalized plans and steps forward as they walk along their own mental health journey. And I am very fortunate to be able to perpetuate the ever-growing concept and truth that taking care of your own mental health is integral to living a happy and healthy life. And I very much look forward to helping people along that journey. Thank you so much.

CAYTE: Ammar Tarin, Arizona, attorney.

AMMAR TARIN: All right! My friends, how is everyone doing?! Okay. If you know me, I am very proud to say that my family is originally from Afghanistan. And it's always been my dream, my passion, to not only help the refugees here coming from Afghanistan to the US, but also in Afghanistan. So I feel right now the best way to do that is to be an attorney, to do what I can in Afghanistan. So thank you for this opportunity. I really appreciate it.

CAYTE: Tatyana Tolliver-Hughes, West Virginia, Missouri, law.

TATYANA TOLLIVER-HUGHES: Greetings, everyone. I am currently at Washington University, pursuing a major in philosophical law and policy and double minoring in education and African-American studies. Like many of you, I've been advocating for myself within the public school system for as long as I can remember. And in my position, I was acknowledged by administration and encouraged to mentor my fellow visually-impaired students in orientation and mobility, classroom advocacy, and even pursuing interests through adventure whitewater rafting and vocalist interests. In my academic journey thus far, I have been able to acknowledge my passion for education and see the disparities across not only the disabled community but also through other minorities such as religion, linguistics, and race. It's my passion to pursue educational equality for all of these marginalized groups and eventually continue to the federal judicial system. Thank you.

CAYTE: Cameron Vora, Texas, medical doctor, bioethics attorney.

CAMERON VORA: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you so very much for having me today. I graduated law school a number of years ago, and I'm currently a second-year medical student here at Texas A&M. I realize after so many years of school I probably need to find a different hobby by now! But in sincerity, this is my first convention, and it's no exaggeration for me to say that without exception, every interaction I've had so far has been an incredible learning experience. So thank you all for the wonderful honor and the very warm welcome to the Federation family.

CAYTE: Kahmile Whitby, Massachusetts, autonomous vehicle design.

KAHMILE WHITBY: Good afternoon, everyone. I'm the last scholarship finalist. I promise. I am a mechanical engineering undergrad. I hope to use my degree to advance the accessible design of autonomous vehicles to promote independent mobility. I have an interest in beep baseball and board games and fashion. Thank you for investing in me and believing in my aspirations.

CAYTE: Okay. Now we can do the applause! [Applause] And Mr. President, members of the Board, it's been my pleasure to present to you the National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Class of 2023!

At the Annual Banquet of the National Federation of the Blind, Cayte Mendez presented the 2023 National Scholarship Awards to this year's winners. Each received a plaque in print and Braille contributed by the Ray Kurzweil Foundation and an award of eight thousand dollars from the National Federation of the Blind.

National Federation of the Blind Scholarships: McKayla Biddle, Felicia Bradford, Sara Folsom, Jack Freeburg, Roshunda Holt, Marco Hurtado, Maura Loberg, Zach McLean

Charles and Betty Allen Scholarship: Ryan Menter

EU and Jean Parker Scholarships: Justin Harford and Ashley Rogers

Charles and Melba T. Owen Memorial Scholarships: Noah Carver, Theresa Mendez-Booz, Ammar Tarin

Edith R. and Alvin J. Domrow Scholarships: Dan Hlavinka and Athena Scopelite

Jesse and Hertha Adams Trust Scholarship: Tyler Hoppe

Jeannette T. Eyerly Scholarship: Emmanuel Peeples

Jacqueline Billie Memorial Scholarship: Nina Marranca

Mimi and Marvin Sandler Award: Joanne Kim

Pearson Award: Eric Rivera-Gonzalez

JAWS for Windows Award: Tatyana Tolliver-Hughes

NFB STEM Scholarship: Cameron Vora

Oracle Scholarship for Excellence in Computer Science: Kahmile Whitby

Oracle Scholarship for Excellence in STEM Field: Avery Sallean

Adrienne Asch Memorial Scholarship: Mitchell Ford

Scott C. LaBarre Memorial Scholarship: Allen Harper

American Action Fund Scholarship: Zachary Ledford

Kenneth Jernigan Memorial Scholarship: Trisha Kulkarni

Each year the recipient of the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship has the honor of addressing the NFB Banquet. Here are Trisha Kulkarni’s heartfelt remarks.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Cayte Mendez, Trisha Kulkarni, and Mark Riccobono smile and pose for a picture.]

TRISHA KULKARNI: My Federation family, thank you! When my sisters and I were growing up, our parents wanted to give us the world. Their only requirement was that we put our hearts and minds into everything we did. We were happy. Our family was complete. But my parents knew what the world is like, that there was discrimination, that there were challenges we were not prepared for. They gave us everything we needed to be successful. The only requirement was that we put our mind and heart into everything that we do.

But then, their youngest child, in middle school, went blind. Suddenly they faced a world that they didn't understand. But they still wanted to give me the world. They fought for me to have an aide in class who would read my textbooks. They stayed up with me at night to read my assignments. They were prepared to give me the world, but it was a world they didn't understand, and I needed that understanding.

In 2018 I was called with the news that I was to receive a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship. At the time I didn't know what that meant, but I got on a flight and went to Orlando, Florida. I was overwhelmed, not only by the resources, the mentoring, the national community of students, but the love that fills every corner of this organization. The National Federation of the Blind gave me the world when they allowed me to serve our student community, and when they gave me my Freedom Bell from the Louisiana Center for the Blind.

But when you're given the world, you have to put your heart and your mind into everything you do. Tonight, to my Federation family, I promise I will put my heart and mind into everything we do in this organization. To my family back home and my family in this room, thank you so much for everything!

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[PHOTO CAPTION: John Paré holds up the award.]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Tony Coelho on the big screen via Zoom.]


Distinguished Accessibility Champion Award


Presented by John G. Paré

JOHN: Our next award recipient presented to us earlier today. He grew up in California. He went to Loyola Marymount University. He first thought he would be a priest. He went and took his physical, which is needed to become a priest, and when he took it, he found out that he had epilepsy, which means that he failed his medical test and would not be able to become a priest.

He decided then to go into politics. I'm not sure that's the traditional alternative career progression, but that's what he decided to do.

He worked for a congressman in California, Congressman Bernie Sisk, and Tony did very well. He started as a very junior staffer and worked his way up very quickly to senior staffer and then to staff director. He was instrumental in producing some of the rules associated with CSPAN and was doing terrific in Washington. Eventually the congressman decided not to run, so this gentleman ran for his seat, and on January 3rd, 1981, Congressman Tony Coelho was sworn into Congress.

He continued to do very well. He quickly became the chair of the DCCC, which is a position of great honor, and worked his way up to the majority whip, the number three Democrat in the House of Representatives. He then started to realize, partly from way back with the discrimination he encountered with epilepsy, that a real civil rights bill for the blind and in fact a civil rights bill for all people with disabilities was needed, and he actually introduced the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1988.

The representative decided to leave Congress in 1989, the next year, but not until he found another champion for people with disabilities in Steny Hoyer from Maryland. He recruited Steny to take over the bill. Really they worked as a team. In fact, I talked to Steny Hoyer, and he's always attributed all of the ADA to Tony Coelho. The bill did pass in 1990, as many of you probably know, and was signed into law on July 26, 1990.

In 1994 it was said that 800,000 people with disabilities—new people—were employed because of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Congressman Coelho kept working, and when the courts started to chip away at the ADA, he sprung back into action and helped instrument the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act, which was signed into law on September 25th, 2008.

But he still kept going. When we started working on the website bill, Tony reached out to us and said, as you heard earlier today, that the lack of access to the websites and applications he considered to be just as egregious and just as important as the original ADA work that he had done twenty years earlier. He joined us, and joined us in a big way. He has influence, power, knowledge, and has done this really twice before with the original ADA and the ADA Amendments Act. He started attending our weekly phone calls, calling members of Congress, educating them, calling other disability groups to join our effort. And he has done this not just with this bill, but also with the website regulations work at the Department of Justice. He contacted the assistant attorney general. He's contacted people at the White House. He has put all he's got into working to improve website accessibility for all people with disabilities, especially blind people.

I do want to mention one other thing. He realizes how important the bipartisan nature of this is. So he contacted former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, as I mentioned earlier today, and they published an article. I want to repeat a key quote from that article. I think it shows you how much he and Newt Gingrich believe in what we're doing. This is a quote: "It's about time that companies realize that digital accessibility is a key brand imperative and took ownership for the role that websites and software play in the employee customer experience. People with disabilities should have universal access to technology, even as innovations occur."

It's because of that that we are now presenting Tony the Distinguished Accessibility Champion Award. It says—and I'll hold up the plaque in a minute—

DISTINGUISHED ACCESSIBILITY CHAMPION

PRESENTED TO

The Honorable Tony Coelho

FOR YOUR SKILL, PERSEVERANCE, AND DRIVE TO ENSURE THE PASSAGE OF THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT;

AND FOR YOUR TENACITY, WISDOM, AND PASSION TO MAKE THE WORLD MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES;

AND FOR YOUR COMMITMENT, EXPERIENCE, AND LEADERSHIP IN ENSURING THE ACCESS OF WEBSITES AND APPLICATIONS TO THE BLIND.

July 6, 2023

I'm going to hold up the award. Tony, we know you're on Zoom. [Cheers and applause]

TONY: Thank you, John. Thank you very much for your comments. I'm really sorry I can't be with all of you tonight. I had planned to, but my health concerns decided it was not appropriate, so I'm not there. But I want you to know that I feel very strongly about access to the Internet for the blind and other disabilities. As I indicated earlier today, I think it's a moral issue. I think it's critically important that we make sure that every American has the right to access the Internet. So I've been working hard to try to make that happen, along with John and other members of the blind community. I've been working with the chief of staff at the White House and other members to try to make that happen. I think we're making great progress, and I appreciate all the work that the Federation and others have done to make this possible.

My passion and my ministry is to make a difference in the lives of those of us with disabilities, and in this case in particular, those of you who are blind.

I love you all for your work, your enthusiasm, and Mark, I want you to know that I totally agree that those of us with disabilities have the right and have the ability to run organizations. I made sure that that was the case with the Epilepsy Foundation. It only took thirty years for that whole effort that I started back then to get it to a situation today where the chair of our facility is a person with epilepsy. There's always been an attempt by others who feel they know better about our disability than we do, and that is wrong. And I agree totally with you Mark on making that happen.

Again, I want to say thank you. It means a lot to me that you honor me with this award. I hope to see all of you at one of your conventions at a later date. Thank you very, very much.

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Resolutions Passed by the 2023 National Convention


RESOLUTION 2023-01


Regarding the Promulgation of Americans with Disabilities Act Website Accessibility Regulations


WHEREAS, on July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, including Title II requiring that public entities be accessible to Americans with disabilities and Title III requiring places of public accommodation to be accessible to Americans with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, “public entity” is defined in Title II of the ADA as “any State or local government; any department, agency, special purpose district, or other instrumentality of a State or States or local government; and the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, and any commuter authority.”; and

WHEREAS, the twelve examples of public accommodation provided in Title III of the ADA include, but are not limited to: places of lodging, establishments serving food or drink, places of exhibition or entertainment, places of public gathering, sales or rental establishments, service establishments, public transportation terminals/stations, places of public display or collection, places of recreation, places of education, social service center establishments, and places of exercise or recreation; and

WHEREAS, on July 26, 2010, exactly twenty years after the ADA was signed into law, the United States Department of Justice published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding website accessibility regulations for both Title II and Title III of the ADA; and

WHEREAS, seven years after the publication of the advance notice of proposed rulemaking, the Department of Justice suddenly announced that it was withdrawing the website ANPRM entirely on December 26, 2017; and

WHEREAS, thirty-two years after the ADA was originally signed into law, and twelve years after the original ANPRM regarding Title II and Title III website regulations, the Department of Justice announced in the Fall 2022 Unified Agenda that it would issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding Title II website regulations in the spring of 2023, but has so far failed to release Title II website regulations and has failed to announce any plans regarding Title III website regulations: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization demand the United States Department of Justice immediately release the previously announced ADA Title II website accessibility NPRM; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand the United States Department of Justice immediately begin the process of promulgating the ADA Title III website accessibility NPRM.


RESOLUTION 2023-02


Regarding the Preservation of the Vocational Rehabilitation Program in the United States through the Liberalization of Policies Governing Federal Expenditures


WHEREAS, a disproportionately high rate of unemployment and under-employment exists among the nation’s blind, causing genuine hardship and suffering; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind has long championed and advocated for programs within federal and state government, non-profit organizations, and elsewhere that will effectively help to minimize and address the multiple economic and social disadvantages stemming from unemployment and under-employment; and

WHEREAS, the national Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program, a federal/state partnership charged with supporting disabled people who have an impediment to securing work within an integrated, competitive environment, has—during its hundred-plus years of existence—received priority attention and resources of the National Federation of the Blind, calculated to advocating that the VR program in this country adopt policies that positively affect the lives of blind people by increasing choice provisions, unique nonvisual training, and ultimately employment opportunities; and

WHEREAS, within at least the last decade, Vocational Rehabilitation agencies have started to return substantial portions of their unused federal VR grants to the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), a part of the United States Department of Education, for either redistribution through the annual federal re-allotment process or ultimate return to the United States Treasury; and

WHEREAS, members of the United States Congress and other relevant Executive Branch officials have observed that the national VR program has increasingly been challenged to spend its federal resources, giving the reasonable impression that this valuable federal employment program may not be proving effective or does not require the level of funding it is currently receiving; and

WHEREAS, federal VR officials and leaders of state VR agencies that manage the day-to-day administration of the VR program propound different institutional reasons for the existing federal VR expenditure challenge, both perspectives having some merit; and

WHEREAS, many state VR directors and senior fiscal policy staff believe that some of the reasons for state VR agencies needing to return large portions, or occasionally the entire federal VR grant, back to the federal government include the strict federal fiscal enforcement and interpretation that has deterred state VR agencies from spending their federal grant dollars and the requirement to reserve and spend 15 percent of the federal VR grant on Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) services; and

WHEREAS, the alarming pattern of state VR agencies returning federal VR grant resources has caused federal leaders in both the Legislative and Executive Branches of government to sincerely conclude that this pattern of non-expenditure reflects some type of dysfunction within the national VR program or that the VR program is simply over-funded; and

WHEREAS, federal officials from RSA have been adopting administrative measures and encouraging state VR agencies to liberalize some of their policies and practices that falsely attribute the inability to spend federal resources due to an inaccurate interpretation of the federal VR regulations; and

WHEREAS, on October 29, 2019, the Office for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) issued its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document, which granted prior approval for certain Participant Support Costs and Equipment Purchases, making it markedly easier for VR agencies serving blind consumers to spend their federal grant dollars with greater practice and speed; and

WHEREAS, during the consecutive fall 2022 conferences of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation and the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, senior RSA officials charged state VR agency directors with being creative in reviewing long-existing state policies that may be legal, but which may not fully take advantage of latitude that the federal VR Act allows state VR agencies to exercise: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization call upon the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation, and the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind to join together to develop policies that may be relied on to support state VR agencies to spend their federal VR grant resources responsibly and consistently.


RESOLUTION 2023-03


Regarding the Accessibility of Twitter


WHEREAS, social media has become a significant part of many people’s lives, serving as a vehicle for staying in touch with friends, seeking advice, searching for jobs, and staying up-to-date on information about local and national news and events; and

WHEREAS, Twitter, a mainstream social media platform, has been a space for the blindness community, having prioritized accessibility by establishing a dedicated accessibility team, and providing frequent accessibility-related updates and communications; and

WHEREAS, Twitter in the past allowed for third party clients that use its application programming interface (API) to ensure an accessible experience; and

WHEREAS, in the fall of 2022 Twitter laid off its entire accessibility team and made changes to its API that have broken accessible Twitter clients used by our community; and

WHEREAS, frequent updates to social media platforms and apps like Twitter introduce new features and bring changes to existing features, and without the accessibility team, accessibility is no longer taken into account with new builds and features: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization condemn and deplore all acts of blatant discrimination and disregard of blind people by Twitter; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Twitter shall no longer be a platform this organization supports due to its complete lack of regard for equal access by the blind; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization shall not abandon our supporters on Twitter, but shall no longer use it as a primary source of social media engagement; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that Twitter build back its commitment to creating more inclusive experiences by prioritizing accessibility.


RESOLUTION 2023-04


Regarding the Opposition of the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, and Free Speech for People to Fully Accessible Vote-By-Mail


WHEREAS, the ability to cast a secret and anonymous ballot is a cornerstone of our democracy that enables citizens to vote their conscience without fear; and

WHEREAS, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that voters with print disabilities must be provided an opportunity to mark and return their by-mail ballot privately and independently at home that is equal to the opportunity provided voters without disabilities; and

WHEREAS, thirty-two states currently permit military and overseas (UOCAVA) voters to return their marked ballot either by email, fax, or web portal; and

WHEREAS, twenty-eight states currently permit blind and low-vision voters to mark their by-mail ballot using a remote accessible vote-by-mail (RAVBM) system, but only thirteen states (Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, and West Virginia) have passed state laws or have been ordered by a federal court to permit voters with disabilities to return their marked ballots electronically; and

WHEREAS, states that do not permit electronic return of ballots require that ballots that are marked using an RAVBM be printed out and returned by regular mail, or placed in a ballot drop-box, which is a barrier that prevents many voters with print disabilities from exercising their right to vote by mail privately and independently; and

WHEREAS, organizations such as Common Cause, Brennan Center for Justice, and Free Speech for People oppose fully accessible vote by mail, and therefore the right of voters with print disabilities to vote by mail privately and independently, solely on the basis of unfounded security concerns; and

WHEREAS, Common Cause, Free Speech for People, and the Brennan Center for Justice claim that their missions are to “ensure that every eligible American can cast a ballot,” and “to ensure people can participate equally and meaningfully in our democracy”; and

WHEREAS, the most commonly used RAVBM, OmniBallot from Democracy Live, is a web portal hosted in the federally approved Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud, which has been approved by the US Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, National Security Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, and other US federal government intelligence agencies to secure nationally sensitive documents and data; and

WHEREAS, Synack Security, the nation’s premiere security testing company, has conducted continuous penetration testing of the OmniBallot portal since 2020, and a Synack Security report, dated July 27, 2022, indicates that recent testing by over four hundred independent security testers found just one low-risk security vulnerability, which was later confirmed to be fixed and no longer present in OmniBallot; and

WHEREAS, ballots electronically returned on the OmniBallot portal are encrypted, protected from being changed or overwritten, and securely stored until the elections office prints out and tabulates the ballot; and

WHEREAS, the Democracy Live OmniBallot RAVBM portal has been deployed in over four thousand elections in ninety-six countries since 2010 with no security breaches, and is the most deployed RAVBM in the US; and

WHEREAS, the Enhanced Voting System, another RAVBM portal commonly used in the United States, has incorporated Microsoft ElectionGuard, an end-to-end verification system, that permits the voter to verify their submitted ballot from the time it is submitted to when it is counted: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization demand that Common Cause, Free Speech for People, and the Brennan Center for Justice adhere to their mission that every eligible American be able to cast a ballot, including a by-mail ballot by blind, low-vision, and voters with other print disabilities, privately, and independently, and to amend their position on fully accessible vote-by-mail to reflect the actual security status of the state-of-the-art systems currently in use, and to reflect the requirements of Title II of the ADA.


RESOLUTION 2023-05


Regarding Audio Delays During Live Radio Play-by-Play Broadcasts


WHEREAS, many blind people are sports fans who support their local sports teams; and

WHEREAS, live radio broadcasts of sporting events, where available, are pivotal in helping many blind people to enjoy sporting events, even when they attend the events in person, because radio broadcasters typically provide thorough nonvisual descriptions of the action on the field of play for listeners; and

WHEREAS, there may be a significant audio delay, ranging from a few seconds to a minute or more, between the action and the description of the play over the live radio broadcast, which can mean that blind people listening to the broadcast in the stadium or arena do not receive timely information about the action as it occurs; and

WHEREAS, some sports franchises have worked with their broadcast partners to eliminate such delays, indicating that there is no broadcast requirement that the delays be present to meet Federal Communications Commission standards: for example, the Baltimore Orioles worked with the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind to resolve this issue; and

WHEREAS, other franchises have reportedly solved the problem by providing dedicated pre-tuned receivers to blind fans, tuned to a direct feed from the broadcast booth, allowing fans to hear the play-by-play with no delay; and

WHEREAS, while these solutions have been implemented by some franchises, there are not any league-wide policies, practices, or standards that recognize and address the negative effects of broadcast delays: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that we urge all of the professional sports organizations in the United States, including but not limited to Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League, to develop policies, standards, and/or best practices in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind and with their franchises and broadcast partners to eliminate audio delays during live play-by-play broadcasts.


RESOLUTION 2023-06


Regarding the Enforcement of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973


WHEREAS, the Workforce Investment Act, which significantly expanded and strengthened the technology access requirements for Americans with disabilities under the original Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, was signed into law in 1998; and

WHEREAS, the strengthened Section 508 went into effect and became enforceable in 2001; and

WHEREAS, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal agencies to give employees with disabilities and members of the public access to information comparable to the access available to others; and

WHEREAS, Section 508 requires federal agencies to make not only websites and information published on the internet accessible, but all electronic and communication technology (ECT), including when those agencies develop, procure, maintain, or use ECT; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Justice is required by Section 508 to provide a report to Congress and the President every two years regarding federal technology accessibility; and

WHEREAS, the publication of these reports has been sporadic, and frankly ignored, with the previous report’s publication in September of 2012; and

WHEREAS, on June 30, 2022, Senators Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Tim Scott of South Carolina, along with five other senators, sent a letter to the Attorney General demanding the publication of an updated Section 508 report; and

WHEREAS, in July 2022, the Senate Committee on Aging, led by Senators Casey and Scott, held a hearing on the impact of lack of 508 compliance on blind and disabled employees, veterans, and members of the public as part of a Senate investigation on Section 508, which resulted in the Committee publishing a report on December 1, 2022, entitled, “Unlocking the Virtual Front Door: An Examination of Federal Technology’s Accessibility for People with Disabilities, Older Adults, and Veterans”; and

WHEREAS, the December 1, 2022, report included clear and actionable recommendations for Congress and executive branch federal agencies for improving data collection, enforcement, accountability, and compliance for Section 508; and

WHEREAS, the effort led by Senators Casey and Scott ultimately resulted in the Department of Justice publishing an updated Section 508 report in January 2023, which showed a significant level of inaccessibility among federal agency websites, including 10 percent of external agency pages being inaccessible, 59 percent of internal agency pages being inaccessible, and 80 percent of PDF documents being inaccessible; and

WHEREAS, given the degree of inaccessibility that the January 2023 Report shows, it can be reasonably assumed that federal agencies are failing at making other types of ECT accessible in the same way they are failing for web content; and

WHEREAS, the United States Access Board has regulatory authority over Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has regulatory authority over employment discrimination but no authority over Section 508; and

WHEREAS, neither the Access Board nor EEOC has enforcement authority over Section 508, resulting in little oversight or accountability for employees and members of the public who encounter non-508 compliant ECT; and

WHEREAS, inaccessibility to this degree after more than twenty years of the law being in effect and enforceable is outrageous, inexcusable, and unacceptable: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization demand federal agencies immediately cease the development, purchase, maintenance, or use of inaccessible information and communication technology as well as the publication of inaccessible website content and PDFs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand federal agencies develop and publish a roadmap by July 5, 2024, to remediate all Section 508 violations; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand the United States Department of Justice publish the next required bi-annual accessibility report no later than January 2025 and every two years thereafter; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge Congress to introduce and adopt legislation that gives the Access Board and EEOC the authority to enforce Section 508 and hold federal agencies accountable that fail to make their ECT 508 compliant; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge that Congress and executive branch federal agencies adopt the recommendations in the December 1, 2022, Report of the Senate Committee on Aging; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend Senators Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Tim Scott of South Carolina for leading a bipartisan effort to demand the Department of Justice publish the Section 508 report and improve Section 508 across the federal government.


RESOLUTION 2023-07


Regarding Text Formatting in Real-Time Refreshable Braille


WHEREAS, italics, boldface, underlining, and other formatting attributes are often used as an integral aspect of much written material to emphasize certain words, indicate a shift in time or speaker, show insertions, or otherwise convey information that is necessary for comprehension of the full meaning of the text; and

WHEREAS, such text formatting can be displayed in Braille by the use of specifically defined Braille indicators that clearly identify which attribute is being used and where it begins and ends; and

WHEREAS, to reduce clutter, when formatting attributes are used for visual appeal but do not add meaning, they are generally not shown in Braille; and

WHEREAS, screen reader technology makes the contents of a digital screen accessible via not only speech output but also by displaying the words in Braille via real-time translation software and a connected refreshable Braille display; and

WHEREAS, in speech output, most screen readers can, if set to do so, represent italics, boldface, underlining and the like by the use of a different pitch, tone, or voice when speaking the affected words; and

WHEREAS, in Braille, indication of text attributes by screen readers is inconsistent at best—for example, NVDA is the only screen reader which will, when set to do so, display the assigned Braille boldface, italic, and underline indicators wherever these formatting attributes occur in the text; and

WHEREAS, a recent software update gave Apple’s VoiceOver screen reader the ability, in very limited circumstances, to render the Braille boldface, italic, and underline indicators, but the implementation does not extend to many popular applications such as the Kindle; and

WHEREAS, the methods generally used by other screen readers to render this formatting information in their real-time Braille translation are either non-existent or are very cumbersome and do not use the assigned Braille indicators; and

WHEREAS, lack of access to this formatting information not only denies the Braille reader some needed elements of the full meaning of the text, but also represents a missed opportunity for the Braille reader to learn about the print formatting customs used in résumés and many other documents they may be called upon to create as part of employment or educational endeavors: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization call upon developers of screen reader technology to prioritize the implementation of displaying the Braille indicators for boldface, italics, underlining, and other attributes with assigned Braille indicators, wherever these attributes appear in print, so that the user can show or hide the indicators as preferred.


RESOLUTION 2023-08


Regarding the Transportation Security Administration


WHEREAS, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for screening all passengers and their belongings for safety purposes; and

WHEREAS, blind people traveling through airports every day for work, vacation, or personal reasons interact with TSA agents while navigating through the screening process; and

WHEREAS, TSA agents frequently request long white cane users to send the cane through the X-Ray machines, but then fail to immediately return it, resulting in blind travelers feeling inferior and being forced to rely on the agent to help navigate the screening area; and

WHEREAS, for guide dog users, TSA officers frequently attempt to separate users from their animals, require that they be screened in a separate screening room, or attempt to improperly remove the harness from the dog during the detection process; and

WHEREAS, TSA agents often incorrectly inform these travelers that they are breaking the law, but, when pressed for said law, the agent is unable to provide further information; and

WHEREAS, blind passengers have been unnecessarily delayed or missed their flights entirely because of aggressive TSA agents not allowing us to quickly and independently move through the screening process: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization demand that the Transportation Security Administration adopt proper training on dealing with blind passengers, including how to handle long white canes, guide dogs, and assistive technology products, as well as respectfully asking blind people if they would like assistance, to be consistently used at all airports while interacting with blind travelers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand that the training be developed in direct consultation with the National Federation of the Blind, thereby ensuring the agents understand how to best accommodate blind travelers’ needs.


RESOLUTION 2023-09


Regarding the Accessibility of Training Administered by the American Red Cross


WHEREAS, the American Red Cross is the premier organization providing first aid and CPR training to individuals across this nation; and

WHEREAS, accessibility to these training programs is vital to individuals who are blind and wish to administer life-saving aid to their friends and family members who may experience medical emergencies and need assistance prior to when emergency medical personnel may arrive; and

WHEREAS, members of the National Federation of the Blind have enrolled in American Red Cross training programs and found that over the last several years the electronic portion of training, including materials provided after training, have been inaccessible to them; and

WHEREAS, the American Red Cross has recently begun to include videos in their training programs, but these videos are not audio-described and thus do not provide full access to blind participants; and

WHEREAS, members of the National Federation of the Blind have communicated with the American Red Cross for over three years to offer assistance in making the American Red Cross electronic materials accessible with limited success to date: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization strongly urge the American Red Cross to take meaningful steps to make all training programs and services accessible to the blind and print-disabled; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the American Red Cross to seek the input and partnership of blind consumers, notably the National Federation of the Blind, in its efforts to obtain and maintain accessibility.


RESOLUTION 2023-11


Regarding the Nonvisual Accessibility of Hearing Aids


WHEREAS, the mission of the National Federation of the Blind is to improve the lives of blind people by fostering personal empowerment, coordinating nationwide advocacy, and building a network of collective achievement; and

WHEREAS, in today’s society, blind and deafblind individuals need equal access to a wide variety of information as well as access to computers, smart phones, and other communication devices; and

WHEREAS, recently at least one hearing aid manufacturer, Sonova, has made the controls for its Phonak hearing aid accessible, demonstrating that blind and deafblind individuals can use these controls independently and safely; and

WHEREAS, other manufacturers of devices should be able to duplicate accessibility; and

WHEREAS, many hearing-care professionals have the same misunderstandings about the abilities of deafblind individuals that the rest of the public has; and

WHEREAS, all hearing-care professionals must recognize the capabilities of deafblind individuals to manage their accessible devices; and

WHEREAS, the United States Food and Drug Administration has recently issued a ruling, effective October 17, 2022, allowing the over-the-counter purchase of hearing aids without a prescription from a hearing health specialist; and

WHEREAS, such a ruling opens the market for hearing aid manufacturers to produce more widely available, affordable, and potentially accessible products: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization call upon all hearing-care professionals, marketers, and manufacturers to work with the National Federation of the Blind so that blind and deafblind individuals can incorporate independent management of their own hearing aid and assistive listening device profiles; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Food and Drug Administration to require that all hearing aids be accessible to blind and deafblind people.


RESOLUTION 2023-12


Regarding Expediting the Plan to Achieve Self-Support Processing


WHEREAS, a Plan for Achieving Self-Support (PASS) is a Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provision to help individuals with disabilities return to work so that the applicant can find employment that reduces or eliminates SSI or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits; and

WHEREAS, the Social Security Administration (SSA) fact sheet on Plan for Achieving Self-Support states, “PASS is a written plan of action for pursuing and getting a particular type of job.”; and

WHEREAS, a PASS can include supplies to start a business, school expenses, equipment, transportation, uniforms, and other items or services that an applicant needs to reach his or her employment goal; and

WHEREAS, an advantage of an approved PASS is that SSA does not count the money set aside to reach a work goal, thus making the participant eligible for SSI and other public assistance programs such as Medicaid and SNAP; and

WHEREAS, the SSA can take years to make a decision on the approval or denial of this plan, causing hardship to the applicant because its decision is not retroactive and the client must wait in limbo for other public assistance programs; and

WHEREAS, the SSA does not assist beneficiaries in developing a PASS, but instead directs the applicant to seek help from the state rehabilitation agency; and

WHEREAS, the applicant is forced to work with two bureaucracies, the state rehabilitation agency and SSA, resulting in duplication and indefinite delays; and

WHEREAS, the state vocational rehabilitation agency has organizational knowledge and experience evaluating education and training programs and already has a good working relationship with the applicant; therefore, these agencies should take over the approval of the plan; and

WHEREAS, precedent already exists for SSA to get information from the state rehabilitation agency because it currently uses disability determination from the state vocational agency: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization urge the Social Security Administration to issue rulemaking procedures that will delegate authority to state vocational rehabilitation agencies to approve individual plans to receive self-support.


RESOLUTION 2023-13


Regarding Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and their Information on Blindness


WHEREAS, an artificial intelligence chatbot is any computer program that can carry on a natural conversation with a user and provide responses drawn from a set of existing data; and

WHEREAS, chatbots and other artificial intelligence technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent in society, including in the provision of customer service and information; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind is committed to ensuring that blind and low-vision people have equal access to information and technology; and

WHEREAS, it has come to the attention of the National Federation of the Blind that some chatbots, including ChatGPT and Bard, may provide users with stereotypical and inaccurate information about blindness and blind individuals; and

WHEREAS, the provision of such information perpetuates harmful stereotypes and contributes to the marginalization of blind individuals; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind believes that creators of chatbots have a responsibility to ensure that their technology does not perpetuate harmful stereotypes or misinformation about blindness: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that we urge the creators of ChatGPT, Bard, and any future chatbots that may be developed to work with the National Federation of the Blind to build their chatbots in a way that ensures the provision of accurate, non-stereotypical information about blindness and blind individuals; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the creators of these chatbots to collaborate with the National Federation of the Blind to develop and implement best practices for ensuring that their technology is accessible and inclusive for blind and low-vision people and that these best practices should include the use of blind and low-vision people in the development and testing of these chatbots.


RESOLUTION 2023-14


Regarding the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities


WHEREAS, the United States federal government claims that one of its primary goals is to be the model employer of individuals with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, the federal government hires individuals either competitively into the competitive service or noncompetitively into the excepted service; and

WHEREAS, since the 1930s, Schedule A appointments to the federal government have included a variety of categories of individuals who are hired non-competitively and into the excepted service; and

WHEREAS, President Jimmy Carter issued Executive Order 12125 on March 15, 1979, which, for the first time, established the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities as a section within the broader Schedule A Hiring Authority, in order to create a pathway to level the playing field for applicants with disabilities who are seeking employment with the federal government; and

WHEREAS, the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities is intended to create a vehicle for individuals with severe psychiatric, mental, and physical disabilities, including blindness, to be excepted from the competitive hiring process in order to increase the number of individuals with disabilities that are hired to work for the federal government; and

WHEREAS, the Office of Personnel Management promulgated the implementing regulation for the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities at 5 C.F.R. 213.3102(u) and is responsible for oversight and implementation of this authority; and

WHEREAS, this authority is applicable to both veterans and non-veterans with disabilities; and

WHEREAS, though this regulation has been updated and modernized on multiple occasions in its forty-four year history, most recently in 2013, the federal government has still struggled to hire and retain employees with disabilities and routinely fails to meet its own targets; and

WHEREAS, the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities requires a two-year trial period for newly hired employees, which is equivalent to a probationary employment period, while other new employees are only required to serve one year of probationary employment; and

WHEREAS, though existing employees with disabilities may use the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities to non-competitively be promoted or transferred within the federal government, they must serve a new two-year trial period every time the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities is used, effectively disincentivizing the process contrary to its intent; and

WHEREAS, the two-year trial period was, in 1979, intended to protect employees with disabilities because it took significant time to procure and implement reasonable accommodations; and

WHEREAS, technological advancement, commercial availability, and equity principles have significantly reduced the amount of time to procure and implement reasonable accommodations, rendering the prolonged trial period unnecessary and potentially punitive; and

WHEREAS, on November 6, 2020, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) revised 5 C.F.R. 302, which governs the general Schedule A Hiring Authority, to require the use of veterans preference and other significant restrictions for excepted service positions; and

WHEREAS, this change has created tremendous confusion among federal agencies about how to implement the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities, resulting in multiple federal agencies severely curtailing their use of this authority; and

WHEREAS, some federal agencies have reacted to this amended regulation by outright prohibiting non-competitive hiring using the Schedule A Authority for Individuals with Disabilities; decommissioning non-competitive résumé databases containing applications and résumés for Schedule A applicants with disabilities; ranking and rating applicants who seek to use the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities behind all other applicant categories, even competitive applicants; and other consequences that effectively render the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities meaningless; and

WHEREAS, OPM has indicated that the revised regulation does not apply to the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities, but this guidance is not easily available, prominently published, or enforced; and

WHEREAS, on June 25, 2021, President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14035, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce, which directs the federal government to “assess current practices in using Schedule A hiring authority to employ people with disabilities in the Federal Government, and evaluate opportunities to enhance equity in employment opportunities and financial security for employees with disabilities through different practices or guidance on the use of Schedule A Hiring Authority”: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization emphatically urge the Office of Personnel Management to provide federal agencies with clear instructions concerning the non-applicability of 5 C.F.R. 302 to the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities and direct agencies to reinstate non-competitive hiring procedures for applicants with disabilities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge OPM to update the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities regulations to reduce the trial period to one year for new hires and eliminate it entirely for promotions and transfers consistent with competitive hiring principles; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization commend the Biden Administration for elevating accessibility including the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge OPM to promulgate updated regulations to implement the Schedule A Hiring Authority for Individuals with Disabilities that update and modernize the authority consistent with the federal government’s goal of being the model employer of individuals with disabilities and include stakeholders with disabilities, including the National Federation of the Blind, in that effort.


RESOLUTION 2023-15


Regarding the Inaccessibility of C-SPAN's Coverage of Congressional Votes


WHEREAS, C-SPAN provides complete coverage of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives; and

WHEREAS, typically only C-SPAN equipment is permitted to cover Congressional proceedings, including coverage of floor votes in both chambers; and

WHEREAS, as votes are taken on bills, nominations, motions and more, a tally is displayed on the screen listing the current vote; and

WHEREAS, members of the Senate cast their votes orally, however members of the House record their votes by electronic device; and

WHEREAS, despite the Senate using voice votes, at no point is the changing vote tally read out loud for either chamber for those who cannot see the current vote margin on the screen; and

WHEREAS, numerous pieces of legislation are debated and voted upon that would considerably impact the lives of the nation's blind; and

WHEREAS, C-SPAN sometimes interrupts coverage for a moment to speak important details, such as what is about to be considered, but never to say the current vote totals; and

WHEREAS, C-SPAN has been contacted about adding a feature to make these votes accessible and has not returned correspondence: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that we urge C-SPAN to audibly update viewers as votes progress every few minutes; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge other services that offer coverage of state and federal legislatures and government proceedings to add an accessible mechanism for following vote tallies and other pertinent information that is readily displayed on the screen for viewers at home.


RESOLUTION 2023-16


Regarding Urging the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind and Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation to Promote Certifications Issued by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board


WHEREAS, all blind Americans deserve high-quality vocational rehabilitation (VR) services that empower and inspire them to live the lives they want; and

WHEREAS, there continues to be a shortage of instructors to fill vacancies in positions providing adjustment-to-blindness training to blind consumers of VR services; and

WHEREAS, the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB) is composed of specialized state agencies providing VR services to the blind; and

WHEREAS, the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR) is composed of the chief administrators of state agencies providing VR services; and

WHEREAS, the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) was created in 2001 and now offers certifications in access technology, orientation and mobility, rehabilitation teaching, and Unified English Braille and emphasizes a positive philosophy of blindness and the importance of blind role models; and

WHEREAS, some state VR agencies and contractors with state VR agencies do not accept certifications issued by the NBPCB, but recognize certifications by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) when hiring instructional rehabilitation personnel; and

WHEREAS, the pathway to obtaining certifications issued by ACVREP continues to be problematic for blind applicants, thus marginalizing blind people within the professional community affiliated with ACVREP; and

WHEREAS, the NBPCB was established to administer certifications for blindness rehabilitation professionals in a way that does not discriminate against blind instructors and thus treats blind and sighted instructors equally; and

WHEREAS, blind people holding certifications from the NBPCB have been successfully providing VR services to blind adults through VR programs funded by the United States Department of Education since 2001, demonstrating their capabilities for the last twenty-two years: Now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2023, in the City of Houston, Texas, that this organization urge the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind and Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation to urge their member agencies and administrators to accept certifications issued by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) and treat them equally to their counterpart certifications issued by the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation and Education Professionals (ACVREP) and to require their contractors to accept NBPCB certifications wherever they accept ACVREP certifications.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Katelyn MacIntyre smiles while wearing her son in a carrier.]


Our Passion for Performance Permeates National Convention!


by Katelyn MacIntyre

The National Federation of the Blind Performing Arts Division was full of energy at the 2023 National Convention! We are thrilled to report that we shared our love for the arts with so many members, guests, and friends throughout the week. Below you will find an overview of all that we hosted, and we hope this recap encourages you to get involved next year with our division as we take over Orlando once again.

We launched our week full of involvement with the 2023 annual business meeting of our division, where we heard from so many fantastic Federation leaders, such as Debbie Stein of Illinois. Debbie shared with us her history and talents in storytelling, and we were so lucky to have her join us. Of course, there was lots of additional business to address, too, and we thank all our members for exercising their rights in helping us amend our constitution, approve annual officers’ reports, and elect a new board member. We are thrilled to see what we can accomplish with Kingsly Martin on our team!

After our business was settled, board member Elizabeth Rouse led our group in an exciting improvisation workshop that allowed us all to embrace our senses of creativity. We spent almost two hours planning and executing scenes, laughing until our sides hurt, and making new connections that could last a lifetime. We even made sure to record a few live-action moments for our Scene Change Podcast, so be sure to listen to upcoming episodes, and feel free to dive into our archives if you have the time and interest.

Last but certainly not least, we rounded out the week with our Twenty-First Annual Showcase of Talent, a competition that allowed twenty-one fantastic folks the opportunity to step into the spotlight. We were lucky enough to have a plethora of talents present, including singing, playing live instruments, and baton twirling among so many others. A huge congratulations goes out to Sharonda Goode of Arizona for taking home first prize with her performance of “Rise Up” by Andra Day. Our crowd turnout was once again a smashing success, and we thank all who made this event possible, including our sound technicians, judges, and marshallers, as well as our performers and attendees.

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Monitor Miniatures 


In Brief


Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for space and clarity.


Programs for the Jewish Blind


Rabbi Lenny Sarko has three programs that are of interest for the Jewish blind and visually impaired. He has a home program that teaches Hebrew Braille. There is no cost for the course. He has a refreshable Braille file of the Reform prayer book Mishkan Tefilah that will go with either the free National Library System units or any commercial refreshable Braille device. This file is also free. He also has made a Hebrew Braille Sefer Torah that people can borrow to do a bar or bat mitzvah or Aliyah at their congregation. If you do not have a congregation, you are welcome to try my services at the Pittsburgh congregation I lead that we do both live and online. You are welcome to join in remotely, including for our weekly Friday night Shabbat services. Please contact Rabbi Lenny if you have interest in any of these programs at rabbi at rabbisarko.org <mailto:rabbi at rabbisarko.org>  or you can call him at 724-963-0789.


Ski for Light


Hunts for the Hodag in Rhinelander


Ski for Light (SFL) makes tracks to Rhinelander, Wisconsin, January 28 through February 4, 2024. Ski for Light, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization hosts an annual, week-long event where adults with visual or mobility impairments learn the basics of cross-country skiing.

Around 250 active, adventurous adults from across the United States and several other countries will meet in Rhinelander to ski the Northwoods of Wisconsin and hopefully catch a glimpse of the mythical Hodag. Participants will stay at the Quality Inn or AmericInn and enjoy skiing on trails expertly prepared by the Northwoods Nordic Ski Club. While described as a fearsome creature with giant fangs, bull horns, and spines down its back, the Hodag will certainly be smiling as new participants learn the thrill of gliding on the snow while veteran skiers hone their skills, and everyone builds confidence and friendships to last a lifetime.

During the International Event, each blind/visually or mobility-impaired skier is paired with an experienced, sighted cross-country skier who acts as ski instructor and on-snow guide. The program emphasizes recreational trail skiing, rather than competition, with the skier and guide deciding together each day how far, how long, and on what kind of terrain they will ski.

“I immediately felt right at home as a first-timer,” agrees skier Jessie Mabry of Connecticut. “I was not surprised to find that the week was everything I’d expected and more, whether on the trails with my fantastic guide or around the fireplace during evening pop-up jam sessions. There was always plenty to do, but no pressure to do it all.”

Come and share the magic by participating in the Ski for Light 2024 International Week as a skier, a guide, or a volunteer. Applications for all, including details about event fees and financial assistance, will be available in late July/early August at www.sfl.org <http://www.sfl.org> ; meantime, you can get answers to frequently asked questions on our website and join our community on Facebook or Twitter (Ski for Light, Inc.), and check out our YouTube channel (Ski for Light International). To speak with a visually impaired participant in person, call VIP Recruitment Chair Melinda at 231-590-0986.

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NFB Pledge


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

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