[NFBofSC] FW: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, January 2024
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From: brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org <brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org> On
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Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, January 2024
The Braille Monitor, January 2024
BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 67, No. 1 January 2024
Gary Wunder, Editor
Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash drive, by
the
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Mark Riccobono, President
telephone: 410-659-9314
email address: nfb at nfb.org <mailto:nfb at nfb.org>
website address: http://www.nfb.org
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may be emailed to gwunder at nfb.org <mailto:gwunder at nfb.org> .
Monitor subscriptions cost the Federation about forty dollars per year.
Members are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to cover the subscription
cost. Donations should be made payable to National Federation of the Blind
and sent to:
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998
THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE
CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE
EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES
BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT;
BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND—IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR
OURSELVES.
ISSN 0006-8829
© 2024 by the National Federation of the Blind
Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick or USB
flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a National
Library Service digital player. The NLS machine has two slots—the familiar
book-cartridge slot just above the retractable carrying handle and a second
slot located on the right side near the headphone jack. This smaller slot is
used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective rubber pad covering this
slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in one position. If you
encounter resistance, flip the drive over and try again. (Note: If the
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remove the thumb drive to use the player for cartridges, when you insert it
again, reading should resume at the point you stopped.
You can transfer the recording of each issue from the thumb drive to your
computer or preserve it on the thumb drive. However, because thumb drives
can be used hundreds of times, we would appreciate their return in order to
stretch our funding. Please use the return envelope enclosed with the drive
when you return the device.
Vol. 67, No. 1 January 2024
Contents
Why Do Some Voting Advocates Fight Equal Access for the Blind?
by Mark Riccobono
Online Voting for the Blind: Security Should Not Supersede Access
by Curtis Chong
Why the NFB is Bringing STEM to You
by Ashleigh Moon
Deep in the Federation Lies a World of Breakthroughs
by Michelle Felix Garcia
A Report of the Blind Christians Group
by Tom Anderson
An Investment with Huge Returns
by Peggy Chong
Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship
by Tracy Soforenko
A Hot Time in Houston
by Maryanne Melley
When College is Not Right for Your Child: Preparing for Independence and
Success
by David DeNotaris
Full Participation of the Disabled in America: Nothing without Us
by Andrés Gallegos
The Evolution of Overlays
by Curtis Chong
Reflections on Four Decades: Celebrating Parents of Blind Children in the
Organized Blind Movement
by Barbara Cheadle and Carla Keirns
Gary Van Dorn Day Brings Dollars to NFBCO
by Peggy Chong
Structured Discovery Practitioners Are Part of the Organized Blind Movement
by Justin Salisbury
The Nation’s Blind Podcast and the Myth of the Model Federationist
by Blaine Deutscher
Monitor Miniatures
[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono]
Why Do Some Voting Advocates Fight Equal Access for the Blind?
by Mark Riccobono
Opinion contributor, The Hill - 10/27/23, reprinted with permission
Americans with disabilities are now the largest minority group in this
country, yet when it comes to voting rights, we are treated as second-class
citizens, excluded from the right to vote independently and privately in
most states.
To make matters worse, groups like the Brennan Center for Justice, Common
Cause, and Free Speech for People seem to want things to stay that way.
These advocates claim to “uphold the values of democracy,” “empower all
people to make their voices heard,” and fight for “free and fair elections.”
You would expect them to be working to make voting more accessible for
everyone. But, as the transformative membership and advocacy organization of
blind Americans, the National Federation of the Blind, of which I serve as
president, is deeply dismayed because these three groups and others have
repeatedly done the exact opposite.
That’s why this past summer, our national convention, the supreme governing
authority of our organization, took the unprecedented step of unanimously
adopting a resolution
<https://nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/resolutions/2023-resolutions
#04> calling on these groups to follow their own mission statements, to
support secure methods for online ballot marking and return, and to stop
blocking efforts to make voting more accessible for all.
The Americans with Disabilities Act <https://www.ada.gov/> (ADA) was
enacted over three decades ago and requires that every voting option be
accessible to voters with disabilities so that all voters can vote
independently and privately, whether in person or by mail. Yet millions of
voters like me and the members I represent still do not have the ability to
do so.
In-person voting remains fraught with barriers. Transportation issues make
getting to a polling place challenging, and many polling places
<https://www.ndrn.org/resource/polling-places-remain-inaccessible-to-voters-
with-disabilities-heres-how-to-fix-them/> continue to have barriers to
equal access.
Once at a polling place, voters with disabilities often encounter poorly
trained poll workers
<https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-elections-disabled-voters-ada-chic
ago-990141816396ebba59d9b13f3c7c7b59> and malfunctioning accessible
equipment, costing us time or, worse, forcing us to enlist strangers to help
us vote, thereby violating our right to privacy and independence. Even if
the equipment is working, these same groups question its security, calling
it too insecure for other voters to use
<https://freespeechforpeople.org/todays-electronic-voting-machines/> and
suggesting that
<https://freespeechforpeople.org/todays-electronic-voting-machines/> only
voters with disabilities be allowed to use it. Ironically, this position
implies that it is less important to protect the security and integrity of
our ballots and effectively segregates us from other voters, which makes our
ballots more vulnerable to attack.
Voting by mail is also inaccessible in most states. Blind voters and others
are unable to mark or handle paper ballots
<https://stateline.org/2019/09/18/voters-with-disabilities-feel-left-behind-
by-paper-ballot-push/> . As a result, we must rely on others to mark and
return our ballots, giving us no privacy or independence and violating the
rights afforded by the ADA.
It is unsurprising, then, that voters with disabilities vote at lower rates
than other voting groups. Even in 2020, when turnout was the highest in over
a century, voters with disabilities still had a seven-point turnout gap
<https://www.eac.gov/election-officials/us-election-assistance-commission-st
udy-disability-and-voting-accessibility-2020> from voters without
disabilities and were twice as likely to report difficulties voting. The gap
has remained roughly the same over the last fifteen years.
But there’s a proven fix to the barriers faced by blind voters and voters
with other disabilities that prevent them from reading, marking, or handling
printed ballots. Over a dozen states now offer fully accessible absentee
voting with electronic ballot delivery and return, which enables us to vote
independently and privately using our own assistive technology. These
options are also utilized by military and overseas voters in over thirty
states.
Systems used for electronic ballot delivery and return have been rigorously
tested, and cybersecurity experts have affirmed
<https://cyber-center.org/category/audit-reports/> that they are secure.
Research
<https://www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/ComparativeRiskAnalysisReport_20151228.pd
f> from the Federal Voting Assistance Program has even found that for some
voters, electronic ballot return options like these are more secure than
postal return. More recent research
<https://gbaglobal.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-07-29-Remote-Election
-Tech-Report-Final-4.pdf> from the Government Blockchain Association found
that systems that digitally protect ballots with encryption are much more
secure than traditional paper absentee ballots. But in spite of the
evidence—and the promise of even stronger technology in development—groups
like the Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, and Free Speech for
People have repeatedly worked to oppose legislation to offer those options
in states including Colorado
<https://leg.colorado.gov/content/dd52b4772c08d84b872586c600601875-hearing-s
ummary> , Maryland
<https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/WitnessSignup/SB0488?ys=
2023RS> , and Rhode Island
<https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/politics/2021/06/17/ri-house-a
pproves-bill-allow-remote-electronic-voting/7729059002/> . These efforts
directly contradict the mission statements of these advocates and are
wrapped up in misleading assertions and unfounded concerns about security.
Without accessible options, we must rely on another person—whether in the
voting booth or at home with a mail-in ballot—to fill out our ballots for
us. This violates our right to a secret ballot. After every election, the
National Federation of the Blind hears from members that their loved ones or
voting assistants incorrectly marked their ballots, sometimes deliberately.
Make no mistake. Election security is critically important. No voting method
should force any voter to risk the integrity of their ballot, and no method
should be vulnerable to hacking. But security and accessibility are not
mutually exclusive.
It is time for voters with disabilities to be treated as first-class
citizens and afforded full and equal voting rights. As blind people, we are
working towards that goal. Who’s with us?
-----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Curtis Chong]
Online Voting for the Blind: Security Should Not Supersede Access
by Curtis Chong
>From the Editor: Voting privately and independently becomes ever more
important as America becomes more polarized and far too many of us make
decisions on the people we love and will associate with based on their
political opinions. There was a time when the use of a sighted assistant was
essential for a blind person to vote, but with the advent of ballot-marking
devices and other machines, those days are no more. Here is what Curtis
Chong has to say in remarks that first appeared in the Blind Coloradan, the
official publication of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado:
The ability to vote using a secret ballot that can be marked privately and
without coercion has long been a fundamental cornerstone of America’s
democratic system. For centuries, blind voters were forced to rely on the
help of election judges, trusted friends or relatives, or other human
readers to mark their ballots. This deprived them of the right to a truly
secret ballot. Blind people like me, who wanted to participate in the
democratic process, put up with this lack of true secrecy and independence
as long as there were no viable alternatives available.
The 1972 presidential election was my first opportunity to participate in
the electoral process. At that time, the only way that I could vote was with
the help of an election judge. This didn’t bother me too much—I was used to
working with sighted readers. There were no alternatives available that
would have given me the chance to mark my ballot independently and secretly.
I voted this way for more than three decades.
The first non-visually accessible systems for marking and casting ballots at
the polls were developed because of the passage of the Help America Vote Act
(HAVA) in 2002. These systems had tactile keys and text-to-speech technology
to provide a nonvisual interface to the ballot. Once the blind voter
finished marking and checking the ballot, these systems would print
something which, for all intents and purposes, was the same ballot as that
cast by other voters. I used an accessible voting machine during the 2004
presidential election to mark and cast my very first truly secret ballot.
The personal freedom I felt after having done this was liberating.
Two years later, I went to the polls to vote in another election. I had
forgotten how to use the voting machine. The equipment had changed anyway. I
had to spend extra time learning how to use the new system before I could
get down to the actual business of marking the ballot. I felt more than a
little frustrated and annoyed with the whole experience. When I discussed
this with my blind friends and colleagues, I heard that I was not the only
blind person who experienced this. I had to familiarize myself with a system
which I would use only once every one or two years.
The online voting systems available today—in particular, those systems which
enable ballot marking and return via email or through a Web portal—offer
blind voters the chance to receive, mark, review, and return our ballots
using technology we can confidently and proficiently operate. The ability to
return a ballot electronically is critical for blind voters who don’t have
ready access to a printer—especially if travel to a polling center is
difficult or impossible. This type of system enables blind voters to work
with familiar software and hardware—something that is impossible using the
accessible voting equipment at the polls.
Security pundits have said that returning ballots electronically is the
least secure way to return marked ballots and is guaranteed to corrupt the
voting process. Stories in the media give greater emphasis to this argument.
They fail to point out that voters who are blind or who have print
disabilities still deserve the ability to return ballots electronically,
security concerns notwithstanding.
Many people (and some of the media) claim that online voting is equivalent
to eliminating the paper ballot. This is not true. Usually when a ballot is
received electronically, it is printed on the same kind of paper using the
same format as the standard paper ballot received through other channels.
During the counting process, a ballot submitted through an online system is
indistinguishable from one sent in by mail or placed in a ballot box.
I do not quarrel with the idea that the voting process needs to be as secure
as possible. Neither do I disagree that returning a ballot electronically is
not without some security risk. Where I draw the line is when security
experts and others tell us that blind voters and voters with print
disabilities do not deserve the opportunity to return their ballots
electronically on the theory that security concerns should supersede their
right to vote privately and independently.
I fully understand that the electoral process implemented in this country is
built on a foundation of trust. When voters place ballots into ballot boxes
or send their ballots in by mail, they trust that no disreputable individual
will tear up their votes but, instead, will insert the paper ballot into the
counting system so that it can be accurately processed. When ballots are
submitted electronically, I understand that the electronic information in
the ballot has a slim chance of being corrupted before it reaches its
destination, but I am willing to take that risk in light of the greater
accessibility that I enjoy by using the electronic ballot return process.
Online voting is a technology that is still relatively new. Blind voters
like me and voters with print disabilities appreciate having this
capability. We can and will continue to advocate for this type of system in
states where it doesn’t exist today. Gone are the days when technology did
not exist for us to cast a private and truly secret ballot! Security should
not supersede our right to cast a private and truly secret ballot.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Ashleigh Moon]
Why the NFB is Bringing STEM to You
by Ashleigh Moon
>From the Editor: Bringing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
programs to blind people opens up many opportunities that for too long we
have been told are beyond us. In addition to the programs we have been
holding in Baltimore and other places, the Federation is now moving STEM to
our affiliates. Ashleigh is a STEM-Access Consultant for blind students,
school districts, and organizations that work with blind youth. She provides
direct instruction to students in the areas of math, science, and assistive
technology. Ashleigh has experience organizing STEM programs for blind youth
and is the current coordinator for the National Federation of the Blind's
STEM 2U Program. She is the chair of the National Federation of the Blind of
Arizona's Education Committee and the president of the Arizona Organization
of Parents of Blind Children. Ashleigh provides support to families by
serving as a volunteer IEP advocate and providing free IEP consulting and
has organized IEP seminars for parents and professionals. Here is what she
says:
I have helped coordinate some of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs for blind
youth across the country. People often assume that I believe all program
participants should work in one of the STEM fields. This couldn’t be further
from the truth.
I do have strong feelings about immersing our blind youth in all that STEM
programs have to offer. It is also true that I have chosen a career that
motivates me to advocate for the participation of blind youth in any and
every STEM opportunity their classmates and peers receive. However, I do not
feel that every blind youth should become a scientist, mathematician,
information technology specialist, or engineer.
You may wonder why I feel so strongly about blind youth participating in
STEM if not to choose this career path. Furthermore, why should you advocate
just as strongly for equal participation as I do?
The answer to this question, though multi-faceted, is quite simple: Because
the other kids are doing it.
Of course, not all non-blind kids will grow up to work in a STEM field. This
may seem like an over-simplification of the matter, but this really is the
point. Sighted youth are provided with what adds up to hundreds of chances
to participate in STEM activities: in and out of their classroom, from
pre-school all the way through receiving that high school diploma. These
youth will not all become scientists and engineers, but by having
opportunities to participate in STEM, they know that these careers are
attainable.
Research demonstrates that participation in STEM activities improves
critical thinking skills, teamwork skills, language development, and more.
This explains why an increasing number of STEM-focused camps, curricula, and
even schools are popping up all over the nation. More and more people are
recognizing that participating in STEM learning opportunities helps youth
improve their academic skills in all subjects. Sighted students
participating in STEM are increasing their academic success and their career
potential in endless fields. Blind youth deserve the same opportunity to
reach their full potential.
Although I make this point seem cut and dried, many of us know that this is
not the case. The variety of access obstacles facing blind youth in and out
of the classroom make full and equal participation in STEM challenging.
Students often do not have the tactile graphics or technology they need to
participate. They often have teachers who are not knowledgeable or who are
unprepared to teach what they perceive as predominantly visual subjects to a
blind student. How many times have you heard of or can you recall for
yourself the blind student being relegated to taking notes in the lab group?
Blind students are sidelined, while sighted students interact directly with
the experiments and activities. Why can’t a blind student use the
open-flamed Bunsen burner or learn how to properly measure out the chemicals
for a lab experiment? The expectations that teachers have of blind vs.
non-blind students are not equal. Sighted students have hundreds of
opportunities to engage in STEM, but blind students are lucky to have half
as many. The opportunities that blind students do have are often severely
unequal.
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not a barrier
to full participation in STEM in and out of the classroom. We are raising
expectations by creating our own opportunities and educational resources for
blind youth to help overcome these barriers. Starting in 2004 with the NFB
Rocket On program, the NFB has been creating STEM programs for blind youth
that prove that equal access is possible. From NFB Youth SLAM to NFB EQ,
these programs have shown blind youth, their families, and teachers that
STEM careers are not out of reach. You can learn more about these programs
and other past NFB STEM programs at
nfb.org/programs-services/national-center-blind-youth-science/past-nfb-stem-
programs
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/national-center-blind-youth-science/past-
nfb-stem-programs> .
The NFB has also led efforts in creating educational resources about how
STEM can be accessible to blind people. This year the NFB has released two
informational toolkits to assist parents and teachers with bringing STEM
access and opportunities to blind youth: NFB EQ for Teachers
(nfb.org/programs-services/education/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb
-eq/nfb-eq-teachers
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/national-center-blind-youth-sci
ence/nfb-eq/nfb-eq-teachers> ) and NFB EQ for Parents
(nfb.org/programs-services/education/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb
-eq/nfb-eq-parents
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/national-center-blind-youth-sci
ence/nfb-eq/nfb-eq-parents> ). These toolkits are free online resources that
focus on how to bring STEM access to blind students wherever they are.
One of the currently running programs, NFB STEM2U, is uniquely designed to
bring these amazing STEM learning opportunities directly to blind youth
across the country. NFB affiliates in more than ten states will host STEM2U
programs in the spring and summer of 2024. The theme of the current program
is the James Web Space Telescope. Students will have opportunities to launch
homemade rockets, learn how telescopes “see” space, and even build their own
model of NASA’s James Web Telescope. Bringing these activities directly to
local affiliates eliminates travel and time barriers for students and
families while giving them opportunities to participate in a fully
accessible STEM experience. Many of these students have limited
opportunities like these, where their blindness has no impact on their
ability to engage, participate, and learn real science. Will they all decide
to go work for NASA, Google, or even the CDC after the program? The answer
is likely no. The important thing is that students will build on their
problem-solving skills, social skills, and knowledge of how science can be
accessible to them.
As the voice of the Nation’s Blind, the NFB knows that blindness is not (and
should not be) a barrier to blind youth actively participating in science,
technology, engineering, or mathematics. This is why the NFB is breaking
access and education barriers for blind youth across the country. This is
why the NFB is bringing STEM to You! You can find out more and register
youth for a local program by visiting nfb.org/stem2u
<https://nfb.org/stem2u> .
----------
Deep in The Federation Lies a World of Breakthroughs
by Michelle Felix Garcia
>From the Editor: Michelle lives in Mexico. She has a degree in music from
San Diego State University where she graduated summa cum laude. One of her
goals is to bring to Mexico what she sees in America when it comes to
advocacy, laws, and services. Michelle was a student at the Colorado Center
for the Blind from January 9, 2023, through September 21, 2023. Fortunately,
this allowed her to attend the convention of the National Federation of the
Blind in Houston. Like many of the articles we have been running lately,
hers describes her convention experience; her doubt about whether she wanted
to go, whether she could handle the crowds, and whether she would enjoy the
experience. Here are her conclusions:
“I don’t know if I want to do this,” I said, with visible hesitation. I had
requested to talk to Stefanie Parris after some days with anxiety
gratuitously creeping into my mind. With a gentle voice and a calm smile on
her face, she answered: “Michelle, I believe you should go. You have a
constant curiosity for things and an endless desire for learning. If you
attend this convention, I think you will love it.”
Was she right? She knew me really well. Stefanie is my home management
instructor at the Colorado Center for the Blind, a beautiful place where
trainees cook meals for each other, discover the wonders of the world
through independent travel, lift each other up, and in the process, find
themselves, their limitless potential, and an unstoppable confidence they
didn’t even know they possessed.
Stef taught me how to pour hot water into a cup to make myself a hot
chocolate on my very first day, when I was extremely scared I would get
hurt. With love, patience, and dedication, CCB instructors prove to students
time and time again that there is nothing to fear about blindness and that
life has an infinity of surprises to offer if only we are brave enough to
get out of our comfort zone. Maybe she had a point, I concluded.
My flying experience is relatively little. I have the privilege of being
Mexican, from a small peaceful city called Puerto Peñasco, with stunning
beaches and a bustling boardwalk. We have no public transportation, and the
town is not very accessible to walk in. I came to the Center in January of
this year, having never crossed a street on my own before in my twenty-two
years of living, and a sighted guide always accompanied me to any place I
wanted to go. Now in Colorado, one of my long-term goals was to learn how to
fly back home. After only three months of training, Martin, my travel
teacher, believed in me enough to practice the one-bus, three-train route to
get to the Denver International Airport. Thanks to our relentless
determination, I flew alone to see my parents for Easter. The takeoff and my
mom’s teary-eyed reaction seeing her daughter so sure of herself going down
the escalator without holding anyone else’s hand are precious moments I’ll
never forget.
On June 30 at 4:30 a.m., Coldplay’s “Amazing Day” rang in my phone’s alarm
clock. I got out of bed, not knowing what to expect. Surely a whole new
world of new insight awaited. The lessons began from the moment I had to
carry luggage down my eighteen apartment steps. I quickly figured it out.
Time goes fast, and convention was now upon us. It was a calm, sleepy ride
to the airport. For a second, I was nervous because an airline employee took
my bags, and I thought I’d never see them again. Later I learned this was a
normal part of the check-in process. We all received Braille tags to make
luggage identification easy. At the sound of tapping canes, dragging
suitcases, boarding announcements, and fifty lively people on an airplane, I
felt resolute and energized to make this happen.
We had a warm welcome in Houston, figuratively and literally. But the heat
didn’t stop us from venturing out into a city most of us had never been to
before, using our newly-acquired orientation and mobility skills. When it
comes to travel, pizza is an excellent motivator, and a group of friends and
I took to the streets to eat at a great nearby restaurant.
Among the animated conversations and the great company, I had forgotten the
incessant doubts I’d initially come with. For some reason, I swore I
wouldn’t know how to get around in the hotel, even being scared enough to
think that I would not find my sleeping room at night. My argument made no
sense, taking into account that for my birthday I had my parents come from
Mexico and guided them through the Denver light rail to find an ice cream
place in the heart of the city near the 16th Street Mall.
My questions quickly vanished as we took the evening to explore the hotel.
We read every single Braille sign we came upon and accidentally found what
we believe were the banquet kitchens, mountains of Braille books, tactile
games and yellow Frisbees we later made fly. My inner nerd cannot help
mentioning how I went around the entire Ballroom of the Americas, set up
with fancy tables and chairs, until I found the soundboard. My major at
university was music recording tech, and audio is my greatest passion in
life. I wouldn’t stop until I saw it. By the end of the day, I felt very
comfortable with a couple floors and ready to get some rest. By the way, I
did find my room.
Saturday presented multiple opportunities for learning that I wouldn’t let
go. There were interesting expositions of smart, accessible kitchen
appliances, but what I took most away from was the Job Seekers Seminar. I
have been actively looking for employment for a while, and I was very
inspired by the speakers discussing networking strategies in person and on
LinkedIn, when and how to disclose our blindness, and how to turn an
employer’s shocked reaction into an advantage and making a company realize
the value of hiring a blind person for our brilliant ingenuity, flexibility,
and natural problem-solving abilities.
Talking about problem solving, in the afternoon I felt a strong desire for
coffee. When my parents visited me last June, I went to their hotel to swim
in the pool and asked my dad to teach me how to use a hotel coffee maker
since they are smaller and different from the usual ones at home. Feeling
armed with the necessary knowledge, I rushed to my hotel room to find a
coffee maker with two filter trays. “In which of the two should I put the
pouch?” I thought, puzzled. I chose the right because that must be right.
And, to my bewilderment, I only got hot, clear water as a result. Later I
learned I could brew two cups at the same time. But this was one of the many
hilarious joys that come when you are a newbie first-timer.
What a first-timer I was. I had been eagerly looking forward to Sunday
because the NFB’s Job Fair was hands-down one of the events I wanted to
attend the most. I had taken time to prepare multiple versions of my resume,
but it turns out that the day before our flight to Texas, CCB students had
the chance to attend an opera in Central City. With the excitement this
performance brought, I forgot the copies in my locker. Upon that
realization, I panicked for two seconds and started looking for solutions.
Four hours before the career fair, Charles, a CCB cane travel instructor and
employment coordinator, asked if I had my documents; I was ashamed to admit
I did not. Later I dialed the front desk asking if there was a business
center in the hotel that I could use as a printing resource, and a mailing
store on the third floor saved my back.
With six resumes in hand, wearing black dress pants, a nice burgundy blouse,
and heels, I felt ready to take on the world. But not so fast, especially
for an introvert like me. Putting my name out there, introducing myself to
strangers, and talking about my skills did not come easy at all, but I
persevered through and accomplished it seven times. The hardest part was
standing in front of people I already knew and talking to them as possible
future colleagues. It was extraordinarily intimidating, but I believe it is
an essential part of my development as a human being to face my fears. After
all, if you never try, you’ll never know. I call this event a total success.
Navigating thirty-two tables among a sea of crowded lines is something I
feel very proud of having done.
At the Colorado Center, we are truly lucky, because throughout all of
convention we are assigned caring, experienced staff members who check in
with students daily and ask us about our needs, priorities, and concerns. I
had the most amazing mentor. Chris works with the senior program, and she
took the time out of her busy day to invite me for lunch. I let her know
about my shortage of time for meals, and she let me shadow her to learn how
to get food delivery to a hotel. Thanks to her, I did not starve.
Upon hearing how slow my elevator experience was, she took it upon herself
to give me an O&M lesson on how to take the spiral stairs. After her handy
tricks, my approach for getting places changed drastically, saving me lots
of time and not wearing so much on my patience. She even invited me to
attend the Braille Book Fair and the 2023 Talent Showcase. We had a great
time picking titles and watching the concert together. I was blessed to have
her kindness, encouragement, and guidance, making my convention experience
even more memorable.
The opportunities for meeting people were everywhere, and I was excited to
make new connections. In total, I attended twenty-eight different meetings.
I visited the Presidential Suite, where I met Mark Riccobono. I was very
glad to tell the Texas affiliate in person that I deeply enjoyed the
mariachi with which they welcomed all the Mexican population that showed up
to Houston as part of the organized blind movement. As soon as I heard the
first notes, I screamed like crazy. I bet every single person from the
Colorado delegation knew where I was from. Furthermore, the CCB gave us the
opportunity to work two shifts at the Independence Market, where I sold
Domino sets, Braille games, and white canes. It was a wonderful chance to
practice marketing, a skill I didn’t know I had. At one point I was asked to
be a marshal, meaning to yell out “elevators this way” so that people could
more quickly get where they were going. I had surely benefitted from these
human talking signs myself, and it was now my turn to be one. This pushed me
to break my shy tendencies and help others at the same time.
A highlight for me was the last general session. I signed up to interpret
the speeches into Spanish and realized that it’s much harder than I thought.
But with practice comes improvement, and I had so much fun translating
information in real time.
Before the banquet, I couldn’t leave the building without performing one
last bit of mischief. I went up to the sound booth to meet the person who
mixes and played back the music for the general sessions. He let me touch
his board, and we exchanged contact information. I can’t wait to see whether
I too can collaborate with audio for the Federation, since it is an
organization I believe in. I am a witness to their influence.
Thanks to the NFB’s philosophy, I will never be the same. There’s no doubt
it has changed my life.
I overflow with gratitude to the Colorado Center for the Blind for the
wealth of things it has taught me. I am forever beholden to my instructors
for the personal growth their confidence has led to and the strong belief in
myself they have imparted every single day through their structured
discovery challenges.
I found myself in the CCB kitchen working on chocolate chip cookies when I
heard Stefanie’s voice. I thanked her for having encouraged me to go to
convention, and she asked “So, did you love it?” My enormous smile said it
all.
----------
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 three thousand canes to blind people across the
United States, empowering them to travel safely and independently throughout
their communities.
* Deliver more than five hundred newspapers and magazines to more than
100,000 subscribers with print disabilities free of charge
* Give over seven hundred 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 in 2024, 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.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Tom Anderson]
A Report of the Blind Christians Group
by Tom Anderson
>From the Editor: It is unusual for us to publish the notice of one’s passing
and then to run an article written by them. Tom Anderson wrote this article
in response to the request that the Braille Monitor makes of all divisions,
groups, and committees. Appropriate modifications due to his passing have
been made:
The Blind Christians Group held its meeting on Monday, July 3, 2023, from 6
to 9 p.m. at the convention of the NFB held at the Hilton Americas Hotel in
Houston, Texas. A large crowd attended this meeting.
We had a panel discussion comprised of publishers of Bibles and other
Christian literature.
Craig Leeds, from Braille Bibles International spoke about the work of this
organization. They produce the King James Version and the New King James
Version of the Bible in Braille. They distribute cartridges of Bibles which
were originally produced by Aurora Ministries. They also have a concordance
in Braille.
Allen Decker from MegaVoice spoke about the work of this ministry. They
produce Bibles on a solar player and also plan to offer teachings from
various ministries using this device. Mr. Decker was previously employed by
Aurora Ministries and served faithfully with that organization for many
years.
Mike Smith and Thomas Bleemel from the International Christian Braille
Mission spoke about the work of their ministry. This ministry has made a
diligent effort to reach out to blind people in Liberia. It has a lending
library and distributes some literature from the Church of Christ.
Riley Johnson spoke about the work of Lutheran Braille Workers. This
organization produces the New International Version of the Bible, as well as
the English Standard Version in softbound Braille volumes. They also produce
other Christian books.
Geri Lyn Rogge from Christian Record Services for the Blind spoke about the
work of this organization. It was founded by the Seventh Day Adventist
Church. They have produced the Christian Record magazine since 1899. They
have a lending library as well.
Following these presentations, Deborah Prost spoke with us regarding the
work of Messianic Jewish ministries.
Tom Anderson spoke about reaching out to all about the good news of
salvation. Special Touch Ministries has an excellent book, which is
available for free, regarding the subject. We also had an interactive
discussion regarding goal setting. We will work to produce a document about
Bibles that are available from various ministries as well as with mobile
apps. Those who attended this meeting also expressed an interest in a weekly
bible study conducted via phone conference.
The Blind Christians Group conducted devotions prior to the morning sessions
on July 4, 5, and 6. Tom Anderson, Rev. Dr. Carolyn Peters, and Renee Akins
spoke at these meetings.
The Blind Christians Group is certainly willing to work cooperatively with
other faith-based groups. Those who wish to do so may contact the group's
new chairperson, Linda Mentink, via email at lmentink7360 at gmail.com
<mailto:lmentink7360 at gmail.com> or via phone (402) 563-8138. When calling,
please leave a message if she does not answer. She will get back to you as
soon as she can.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Peggy Chong]
An Investment with Huge Returns
by Peggy Chong
>From the Editor: When government spends money, the way people feel about it
often depends on whether they believe it is an investment or simply money
taken from their pocket to benefit the undeserving. Luckily for blind
people, most people believe education and vocational rehabilitation to be an
investment. Certainly we make this case repeatedly, but what is so
interesting about this story is not only the way an investment helped one
blind person but in addition what it did to help members of his family, who
would live to do wonderful things themselves. Here is the story as it can
only be told by Peggy Chong, the Blind History Lady:
In Maryland in the 1880s, the right to an education for blind children was
for families who could afford it. The Maryland Institute for the Instruction
of the Blind, founded in 1853, was a private school, funded primarily
through charities. Parents were expected to pay a tuition of $300 a year per
child that covered their education, room, and board during the nine-month
school year. Some parents turned to their local communities, family, or
friends to help pay for their blind child’s education. Families unable to
pay or find sponsors petitioned the Governor of Maryland for a special
appropriation granted for only one year at a time.
Oliver Keeney, born on November 22, 1876, in Granite, Maryland, was blind
from an early age. His father died when Oliver was only four, leaving his
mother Nancy with three small children, the youngest only a year old.
Although the extended family had lots of land, cash was not available for
any extras. Nancy applied under hardship to the Governor of Maryland to send
her son to the blind school.
In 1885 Oliver entered the school, now known as the Maryland School for the
Blind. He continued each year until he graduated from the academic and then
the piano tuning courses in 1897. Oliver’s tuition was approved and paid for
by the state of Maryland each year.
After graduation, Oliver worked as a piano tuner on his own. He had a room
at 2616 Oak Street in Baltimore that doubled as his office. Oliver placed
his piano tuning tools into a bag or later a cart and pulled them behind him
as he walked or rode the trolley to his clients.
In 1900 he became a piano tuner for William Knabe & Co. of Baltimore. One
year later, he was promoted to head piano tuner, earning a wage of at least
$18 a week. This was six times more than he would have earned if he worked
at the workshop for the blind.
William Knabe was a well-established piano manufacturer for more than fifty
years. The Knabe Company put out over 18,000 pianos a year in 1908. Their
facilities in Baltimore included at least seven buildings and about 300,000
square feet of business space. Oliver took great pleasure in being the last
employee to work on the pianos before these instruments were shipped to the
most famous concert halls in America such as The New York Metropolitan Opera
House.
Oliver seemed to live the American dream despite his blindness. Before
landing his prestigious position with William Knabe, Oliver played piano for
many civic and church events. He advertised for several days in a local
paper and on a bulletin board ahead of coming to town. If anyone wanted
their piano tuned, they left messages at his contact at a local store.
Usually, he already had one job lined up before advertising in a town. In
Woodsboro, he regularly tuned for the Lutheran Church, and on Saturday
night, they pushed the furniture to the wall and held a dance. Oliver played
the piano and usually a fiddler or two accompanied him.
At one of these dances, he met and later married Alverta May Eyler on
December 21, 1905. The couple had seven children, beginning with Donald in
1907 and ending with Wilbur in 1926.
Oliver first owned a brick rowhouse in Baltimore. The basement windows were
large to bring in the light from the outdoors. Four steps led up from the
public walk to the stoop and the entrance to the first floor. His home was
larger than many of his friends could afford, just over eleven-hundred
square feet, with a basement for a shop where he taught his boys to tune.
He learned to ride a single bike in his youth. About 1919, he purchased a
bicycle for two for the family and for his sons to ride in the front to
steer. Son Donald was in the front by his early teens, acting as Oliver’s
assistant. By 1920, the family owned a touring car that accommodated at
least nine people for long motor trips such as a vacation to Niagara Falls
in 1922.
The family was very musical. Oliver wrote, arranged, and published several
songs. Sons Donald and Theodore became employed as piano tuners like their
father by 1924. Donald also worked as a musician and band leader. Oliver’s
children were all still living at home in 1924.
In 1926, the Keeney family was changing; some of the children were beginning
to leave home. Oliver purchased a more modern home at 4712 Springdale Ave.
in Linthicum, a suburb of Baltimore. Theo continued to work with his father
as a piano tuner.
The depression hit the music business hard. No one bought pianos or wanted
their current piano tuned. The Knabe Co. was shrinking fast. As the last
tuner of pianos, one of his last jobs was to tune the piano purchased by the
Royal family in England.
Knabe closed its facility in Baltimore and transferred its main offices to
New York in 1933. Oliver was offered a position in Chicago, but he was in
his late fifties and did not want to leave Baltimore. The family traded
their home for a store near Hammonds Ferry and Nursery Road in Glen Burnie
in about 1931. Knabe could not provide full-time employment. Alverta ran the
store mostly by herself. Oliver bought and raised chickens in the back and
sold fresh eggs. He built and repaired the chicken coops while trying to
establish a new customer base as an independent piano tuner.
On weekends, the Keeney Orchestra played for their neighbors, asking only
for contributions. With the door opened, they used their garage as their
stage. Oliver and the children, even young Wilbur, played until everyone was
done dancing.
Donald moved back home and needed to find a source of income. He had hated
the tuning business when he helped his Dad. But now, Donald thought that he
could repair and sell used pianos from his home and asked Oliver where or
who might give him or sell him cheap pianos in need of repair. Oliver and
Donald soon had more pianos than they or Donald’s wife wanted in the house.
Donald found a store front in Annapolis and opened Keeney’s Music Store.
Later he sold musical instruments, sheet music, and music accessories.
Additionally, he offered piano tuning. The business added radios and
televisions to their inventory in the late 1940s. Donald bought a bigger
building in the 1940s. Oliver came down frequently and tuned pianos for
Donald’s customers.
One of Oliver’s Annapolis clients was his old paperboy from the days on
Payson Street, now the current Governor of Maryland, Theodore R. McKeldon.
Governor McKeldon also hired Oliver to entertain on the piano for one of the
events at the Governor’s mansion shortly before Oliver’s death on June 13,
1951.
Oliver’s Legacy
Son Donald, born in 1907, learned to tune pianos and worked with his father,
beginning by peddling the front of their tandem bike to and from jobs. He
joined the Navy and served as a sailor on the USS Reina Mercedes. He was
attached to the Navy Hospital in Anne Arundel, Maryland, and was a member of
the Naval Academy Band in Annapolis and played the trombone. His son Donald
Jr. served in the United States Army during the Korean War. Donald Jr.
learned piano tuning from his father, taking over the family business after
his father retired. Keeney’s Music Store was sold by Donald Jr. in the 1980s
when he wanted to retire. Yet, like his father and grandfather, he continued
to tune pianos until his death.
Theodore, born in 1909, learned to tune pianos. He played trumpet in the
family band. In his early adult life, he worked with his father on pianos.
Theo went into the Army in 1941, serving on several continents for four
years. Following the war, Theo was a budget analyst for a few agencies in
the Department of Defense, retiring from the Defense Supply Agency in 1976
after thirty-five years of service.
Calvin, born 1912, was an engineer for steel plants in Baltimore. During
WWII, Calvin was deferred from military service because his work in the
steel industry made him more valuable at home.
Kenneth, born 1915, enlisted in the Army Air Force, serving in the combat
service divisions. After the war, he worked as a postman.
Daughter May, born 1918, graduated from high school and married a man in the
petroleum industry. She died in an automobile accident on July 6, 1941
Waldo, born 1921, graduated from Glen Burnie High School in 1941. He went to
Pennsylvania to work as a mechanic for the Pennsylvania Railroad. Waldo
entered the Air Corps in March of 1942. He was looking forward to coming
home and working with brother Donald in the Keeney Music Store to repair
radios and TVs. Waldo was lost at sea, July 25, 1945, during a B-29 flight
near Saipan. He was a technical sergeant with the 864th Bomber Squadron,
49th Bombardment Wing of the US Army Air Force.
Wilbur, born in 1926, attended the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he
earned his bachelor’s degree. He came home to Baltimore to live with his
widowed mother and taught music in the Baltimore public schools. Later he
obtained a Doctorate in Music from the University of Miami. He taught music
in the Dade County School System for more than thirty years and played many
musical instruments with competence. After his death in 2016, he left
several large gifts, one to the Maryland School for the Blind for $250,000
in memory of his father.
Oliver may not have been the wealthiest man in the state, but the education
provided to him by the state of Maryland allowed him to become a taxpayer
and not a tax recipient. He demonstrated through example to his children
that hard work and service made a better citizen. Oliver gave to his country
six sons who served in the military and supported the war efforts.
Monetarily, his son Wilbur gave back to the school for the blind more than
six times the funds spent on Oliver’s education.
Peggy Chong is a 2023 Jacob Bolotin Award Winner. To schedule The Blind
History Lady for a presentation for your business, church, or community
group, email theblindhistorylady at gmail.com
<mailto:theblindhistorylady at gmail.com> . Purchase a copy of her book, Don
Mahoney: Television Star, at its new low price at Don Mahoney: Television
Star: Chong, Peggy: 9781098082956: Amazon.com: Books, and please check out
my other works at https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/24325.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Tracy Soforenko]
Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship
by Tracy Soforenko
>From the Editor: Tracy is a member of our National Board of Directors and is
the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia. He is
also the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Fund, and it is in this capacity
that he writes:
Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have not done
so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship
Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship grant. Perhaps
this July you too can be in the Rosen Center Orlando enjoying the many
pleasures and learning opportunities at the largest and most important
yearly convention of blind people in the world.
The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an NFB
national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel room for a
week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We
attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an
individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won’t pay
all the costs. In recent years, the grants have been $750 for individuals.
We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention mentor,
someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to share
money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive agenda in
the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the amazing
experience that is convention week.
Who is eligible?
Active NFB members blind or sighted who have not yet attended an in-person
NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply. If
you have attended a convention virtually but have never attended an
in-person convention, you are still eligible to apply.
How do I apply for funding assistance?
This year we will be accepting applications online. Since applications must
be completed in a single session online, we strongly recommend you prepare
your responses in a document, and then cut and paste your responses into the
application form. The application form does not support complex formatting,
so we recommend avoiding formatting such as bullet points and fonts/styles.
Effective January 1, 2024, the application form can be found at the
following link:
https://nfb.org/form/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scho?q=form%2Fkenneth-jerni
gan-convention-scho
The application will ask for the following information:
* Contact information: Include your full name and both your primary
phone where you can be contacted by your state president and your mobile
phone you might use at convention, if available.
* Please include your mailing address and, if you have one, your email
address. If you don’t have an email address, please consider if there is a
friend or chapter member who might be able to assist with email
correspondence.
* State Affiliate/chapter information: Include your state affiliate,
your state president, chapter, and chapter president, if you attend a
chapter.
* Mentor information: Include your personal convention mentor, and
provide that person’s phone number.
* Funding request: Include your specific request, and explain how much
money you need from this fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest
you consult with other members to make a rough budget for yourself.
* Essay questions to explain why this is a good investment for the
NFB:
* How do you currently participate in the Federation?
* Why do you want to attend a national convention?
* What would you receive?
* What can you share or give?
* Any special circumstances you hope the committee will take into
consideration.
If you cannot apply online, you can still apply by writing a letter to your
state affiliate president answering the above questions. This letter should
be emailed to your state affiliate president. Once you have decided you will
apply, please contact your state president in person or by phone to request
his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the state affiliate
president when to expect your application, and mention the deadline.
Once your application has been submitted, your application will be provided
to your state president via email. It is still your responsibility to
contact your affiliate president. He or she must email a president’s
recommendation directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
Committee at kjscholarships at nfb.org <mailto:kjscholarships at nfb.org> . Your
president must email the recommendation no later than the deadline of April
15, 2024. If you have applied outside of the online form, the state
affiliate president must email both the recommendation and the application
letter.
Notification of Award
If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter
with convention details that should answer most of your questions. The
committee makes every effort to notify winners by May 15, but you must do
several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen:
* Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from
attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for
roommates of your own to reduce the cost.)
* Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by
May 31.
* Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many
conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and mentor.
* If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not
win a scholarship this year.
Receiving the Award
At the convention, you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded with
the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card will
be listed in the letter we send you. The committee is not able to provide
funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state affiliate
to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you win a
scholarship and to pay your treasury back after you receive your debit or
credit card.
More Information
For additional information, please contact the chairman of the Kenneth
Jernigan Fund Committee, Tracy Soforenko, at kjscholarships at nfb.org
<mailto:kjscholarships at nfb.org> or 410-659-9314, extension 2020.
Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first convention on
the national level and join several thousand active Federationists in the
most important meeting of the blind in the world. We hope to see you in
Orlando.
---------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Maryanne Melley]
A Hot Time in Houston
by Maryanne Melley
>From the Editor: Maryanne is the energetic president of the National
Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. It is obvious that she serves her
fellow blind people, but what may not be so obvious is that, when a hotel
lets her down and fails to properly staff an event, Maryanne is found behind
the serving table and functions just as well as she does behind the head
table. Here are the experiences she had at the 2023 National Convention:
The National Federation of the Blind Convention in Houston this year was hot
and steamy both outside and in. There were many pleasurable moments and some
disappointments. For the most part the positives outweighed the negatives. I
send my sincere gratitude to Norma Crosby and the Texas affiliate for
hosting an amazing event. I can only imagine the magnitude of effort it
takes to prepare for such a task, and Norma handled it with such grace and
grit.
It was a wonderful surprise to have the return of local tours at the
convention again. The last time I recall this taking place was In Atlanta,
Georgia, in 2008. Tours of the Museum of Natural Science, The Houston Space
Center, and a Houston Astros baseball game offered a variety of choices.
Having President Riccobono throw the first pitch at the ball game to chants
of “NFB” from the crowd was incredible. And that’s just the fun stuff. The
vast array of meetings that we were offered the opportunity to attend and
learn about so many products and issues was enough to keep anyone busy
throughout the week. The speakers during general sessions were compelling
and informative.
It is difficult to pick favorites for this article and not take up ten
pages, so I will only pick three. Saturday’s “What’s New with JAWS,
ZoomText, and Fusion” seminar shed new light on many new keystrokes that are
up and coming that will make using our computers much more streamlined. But
one of the best new features coming out in the autumn will be JAWS assisting
you to line yourself up properly for a Zoom meeting. It will be able to tell
you if your face is on the screen rather than your shirt and will orient you
as to how to fix it. If you forgot to put the dirty laundry away, it will
let you know that also. Imagine how professional you will look in a job
interview or in a meeting with your legislators if they are seeing your face
and a clean background.
Another informative meeting was the National Association of Guide Dog Users.
President Raul Gallegos held a meeting with updates on the Air Carrier
Access Act for travelers with guide dogs. We have been having issues with
the airlines which you may recall hearing President Riccobono speak about.
They require us to fill out a form for our dogs before they can fly with us.
These forms are inaccessible. Though we would prefer the airlines to have
the same ADA laws apply to us, for now thanks to NAGDU there is progress
being made to these forms becoming obsolete.
Finally, at the “How to Get Legislation Passed in Your State” session, the
information that was shared on electronic ballot delivery and return was
frustrating but helpful. Hearing about the hard work that was done on bills
being passed just to be vetoed by the state governor was disheartening.
However, we are not deterred. With what I learned at the meeting plus the
language of Resolution 2023-04, I now feel more confident than ever to
approach my legislators in Connecticut to achieve accessible independent
voting for the blind.
The only disappointing part of this convention is the same I find at every
national convention. It is the lack of common courtesy at the elevators.
Many people do not allow those who are on the elevators to get off before
they go charging in. They also trample over people who are in front of them
waiting in line, even though they have been told that they are there. Why
does this happen every year? What happens to we are a loving family when it
comes to elevators? Don’t get me wrong, plenty of people were very kind and
helpful with swiping their card so people could then press their floor
number. Doing both was a challenge. I just wish people would remember from
year to year how to behave in a more generous manner. We are all going to
the same places. We all must be patient and wait our turn. In the big scheme
of things, this is a minor matter but an important one. All in all, let us
all keep deep in our hearts and minds what President Riccobono said in his
banquet speech. It is up to us, the blind, to change our world for the
better. Whether it be accessible websites, voting, medical devices, or more,
nobody is going to do it for us.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: David DeNotaris]
When College is Not Right for Your Child: Preparing for Independence and
Success
by David DeNotaris
>From the Editor: David DeNotaris has a long history in blindness
rehabilitation, leading agencies in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Through his
work and his personal experience, he has gained insight into the issues
faced by blind people when they finish school and seek to enter the
workforce. Here is what he had to say at a meeting of parents of blind
children on a critical subject for those of us looking to find employment
for all blind people:
When I was twelve years old, I asked my resource room teacher, Mr. Watson,
"What kind of jobs do people like me do?" He said, "I don't really know. If
you can figure it out, you'll help yourself and a lot of other people." It
occurred to me back then that even some professionals didn't know. You're in
the right place—that's why we're here today!
As advocates we tell a lot of stories. We look at the past as a way to build
for the future. I was born in October, so I started school in September,
before I turned five. I remember in August of 1974 my dad took me to meet
the principal at Public School 10 in Belleville, New Jersey. I was able to
see a little bit. I didn't use a cane—I probably should have! The principal
started sharing with my dad all the reasons why a blind student couldn't
attend that school. He said, "We've never had a blind student. Our teachers
don't know Braille. And there are a lot of stairs." When he said, "There are
a lot of stairs!" I said, "I walked up the stairs to get here."
My father said, "Please give my son a chance. If it doesn't work, we'll try
something else." The principal said, "Are you sure you don't want to send
him to that school in Philadelphia?" My dad said, "No, sir. It's two hours
away."
That night my father's sister and her husband came over. They were people
who loved to debate. My Aunt Rosie said to my father, "Why did you take him
with you to go meet that principal?" My dad said, "Because I'm not always
going to be here, and he's going to have to learn to stand up for himself."
I graduated from public school and attended Stroudsburg University in
Pennsylvania. I got my first job in a community organization helping people
with disabilities find jobs and use assistive technology. I served as a job
coach and a job developer. I served as the coordinator of assistive
technology for the New Jersey Commission for the Blind. I was director of
the Bureau of Blindness of Pennsylvania and the executive director of the
Office of Rehabilitation.
I have done this for a while, right? And these are some of the things I've
learned. The secret sauce is involved parents, involved families. I know—I'm
preaching to the choir! But as my dad would say, "That's how the choir gets
to be good." It's very important for parents to be great advocates. It's
also important to remember what my dad said when I was four years old, "I'm
not always going to be here." There's a fine balance between being involved,
being a good encourager and listener, and letting kids learn that they have
to stand up for themselves. Maybe they're going to have to advocate for
themselves in an IEP (individualized education program) meeting or an IPE
(individualized plan for employment) meeting. They're going to have to
advocate for themselves. We have to help them recognize that they can do
that.
In New Jersey we had a program through a university. It was a
twenty-eight-day program that prepared students for college. But you and I
know that not everyone is going to college, nor should they. We developed
another track at the College of New Jersey. We called it the Work Skill
Program, WSP. It taught many of the same skills that were taught in the
college-bound program, but it also provided work experiences right there on
the college campus. Students did jobs that ranged from emptying the
wastebaskets and doing maintenance to working in the IT department. For
three weeks we worked on soft skills in the mornings, and in the afternoons
we worked on job skills. Then at night we would debrief about what we all
had learned.
College isn't for everyone. Vocational school isn't for everyone, either.
Technical school isn't for everyone. Everybody has different abilities,
skills, and talents. It's a matter of figuring out what a student likes and
is good at. Do they like to do math? Do they like to create things? Do they
like to write?
In closing I want to share one strategy with you. While I was working for
the New Jersey Commission for the Blind, I was asked to speak to the Lions
Club State Convention. It was going to take place in Atlantic City, with
about fifteen hundred people attending. King Lion came into the room and
announced, "And now, from the New Jersey Commission for the Blind, David
DeNotaris will speak on what we can do to remove this horrible scourge
called blindness."
I thought, gee whiz! Honestly, I didn't know what he was talking about! I
wanted to come up with a way to help people understand that blindness is not
a tragedy, that blindness can be overcome with the proper skills and
techniques. So I thought of some ABCs.
A is for access. Access equals success. Access to what? Access to positive
role models, access to information, access to inspiration, access to
transportation. Access equals success.
B is for Braille literacy. We must be able to write things down! We can't
just think we'll remember. When I've run summer programs in New Jersey and
Pennsylvania, I'd ask the students, "How do you take notes?" I'd hear, "My
teacher, she gives me the notes," "My classmate, she takes notes for me!" or
"I just memorize things." If you can't write things down, you can't organize
your day. If you can't organize your day, you can't organize your week. If
you can't organize your week, you can't organize your month. And if you
can't organize your month, you can't organize your life! You need a way to
write things down. Do you use your iPhone or your Android? Do you use your
BrailleNote Touch? Do you use your slate and stylus? I don't care what you
use, but you've got to use something! You need to be able to get information
down and retrieve it later.
C is for can you travel independently from where you are to where you want
to go? There's not always going to be an elbow around! I use a white cane. I
don't care if you use a cane or a dog, but you've got to use something!
You've got to be able to travel independently.
I often hear kids say, "I travel with my mom," or "I travel with my
paraprofessional." And I also hear kids say, "No one wants to sit with me at
lunch because they don't want to hang out with my paraprofessional."
When I travel with an assistant, I let them know it's their job to help me
show up, to help me set up, and then to shut up! Shut up and let me do the
work!
I just had a good interview with some people from disability services at a
good university. I asked them, "Why do some blind students succeed while
some others fail? What have you found?" When I ask about this, I hear that
some blind students don't know how to travel, they don't know how to take
notes, and they don't know how to get along with other people. They may have
the hard skills, the academic strength, but if they don't have the soft
skills of travel and notetaking and getting along with people, they're at a
great disadvantage.
In our community it's very important to network in places like this. It's
important to see that if someone else can do it, maybe you can do it, too.
When I was young and met people through the NFB, I thought, Wow, I want to
learn to travel! I want to be able to present in front of people! I want to
use technology! When I'm around blind people who are doing things, it raises
my expectations.
So here you are. Listen and ask questions and learn. You're in the right
place!
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Andrés Gallegos]
Full Participation of the Disabled in America: Nothing without Us
by Andrés Gallegos
>From the Editor: We are sorry to report that Andrés Gallegos died on
December 1, 2023. This is most unfortunate, but his passing lends extra
weight to his remarks.
Here is what President Riccobono said to introduce this presentation: We're
very honored to have the chair with us of the National Council on
Disability. The National Council on Disability is an independent federal
agency charged with advising the president, Congress, and other federal
agencies on all aspects of disability in the United States. Since 2021,
Andrés Gallegos has been the leader for NCD. He serves as chairman, and that
gives him a lot of responsibility for directing the work that is done by
this agency. His background is in the law where he has been recognized
widely as a leader in disability rights. He's published widely, trying to
advance the ideals that people with disabilities are full participants in
society and have the right to live in the world. Unfortunately, he was not
able to be with us in person, but we are very happy that he is joining us
virtually for the first time at this convention. Please welcome Andrés
Gallegos.
Good afternoon. I am Andrés Gallegos, chairman of the National Council on
Disability. In case you are not familiar with the council, we are a very
small federal independent agency whose statutory mission is to advise the
president, his administration, Congress, and federal agencies on all policy
matters affecting all people with disabilities in our country and in our
territories. I am a member of the disability community, class of 1996,
having sustained a spinal cord injury resulting in quadriplegia. What a
privilege to address the National Federation of the Blind and its attendees
of its national convention on topics of profound importance that directly
touch upon your lives.
On July 26, we will celebrate the thirty-third anniversary of our civil
rights legislation—legislation that promised full participation of all of us
into every aspect of American society. Over the past three decades, we’ve
seen a surge in accessible public and private spaces, an increase in
reasonable accommodations in the workplace, improved access to public
services, and a shift toward a more inclusive societal mindset. Indeed, the
landscape of our society has been dramatically altered and improved by the
provisions and protections offered by the ADA.
However, as we all know, our journey toward complete inclusivity and
equality is far from complete. We have considerable work to do. One need
only step outside the National Federation of the Blind’s beautiful
facilities in Baltimore and attempt to utilize the city’s sidewalks to know
that work still needs to be done. But the work that is truly needed is to
empower each other to assert our civil rights collectively to hold to
account those that are holding us back, to address ablest policies and
practices wherever they arise, all to get closer to a society where
individuals are not defined by their disabilities. The National Council on
Disability, the federal voice of people with disabilities, in our advisory
capacity, works tirelessly to do just that—to push us closer to a time where
our day-to-day life is not dictated by the challenges society imposes but by
the immense potential that lies within us, to a time where accessibility is
not a privilege or reluctantly viewed as an unfunded mandated obligation but
recognized for what it is—a fundamental right; where the sound of a medical
device speaking out your results is as ordinary as the chirping of birds in
the morning or the rustling of leaves in the wind; where navigating websites
is as effortless as finding your way around your home, a place you know by
heart; where your paycheck is reflective of your talents, your skills, your
dedication, and not your ability to see. Our work extends beyond that, as we
push closer to a time where being a person with a disability does not serve
as a barrier but instead opens doors to greater opportunities; where
entrepreneurship and business leadership are reachable for people with
disabilities. This is the promise of the ADA that we have yet to realize.
We live in a time where technological innovations and medical breakthroughs
can be made in weeks or months, where it once took years. These innovations
and breakthroughs have dramatically improved the quality of life for
countless individuals around the globe. Yet, it’s imperative that we let our
federal and business leaders know that the effectiveness of any
technological or medical innovation depends largely on its accessibility and
inclusivity. For the over thirty-two million adults in America who report
“having trouble” seeing, even when wearing glasses or contact lenses, or who
are blind or unable to see at all, the need for accessible medical devices
has never been more critical.
Medical devices, including home medical devices, such as glucose meters,
blood-pressure monitors, thermometers, insulin pumps, home dialysis
machines, weight scales, heart rate monitors, among other devices, have
revolutionized the way we manage our health. They have transferred power
from the hands of healthcare professionals into the hands of individuals,
enabling us to monitor our well-being right from the comfort of our homes.
But those who design those devices don’t know what happens when those hands
that seek to monitor their health can’t see the readings on a device or what
happens when a medical device isn’t designed with inclusivity in mind,
leaving those who are blind or have low vision unable to utilize them
effectively. The answer is simple yet stark—exclusion, disempowerment, and
an increased risk of health complications.
Blindness and low vision should not preclude anyone from accessing the tools
they need to maintain good health. When we talk about accessible healthcare,
it’s more than just making sure that there is a ramp for me and those like
me, or sign language interpreters for the deaf. It is about ensuring that
the tools we create are usable by all, regardless of their physical
condition or situation. For those who are blind and with low vision, this
means designing medical devices with tactile buttons, large embossed
markings, voice output capabilities or Braille compatibility. It means
rethinking our design process and creating devices that do not rely solely
on visual cues but also incorporate auditory and tactile feedback. It means
having members of our community at the table during the design process.
Nothing without us.
In February 2022, we released our framework to end health disparities of
people with disabilities. Designed as a blueprint for our federal leaders to
address the decades-long significant health disparities that persist between
us and our nondisabled counterparts. One of its forty-three components calls
upon the Food and Drug Administration, through administrative action, to
establish regulations requiring that intermediate and high-risk medical
devices with a digital interface provide a blind or low vision user access
to the same services and information and generally the same ease of use, as
provided to a user who is not low vision or blind. Over the past year, our
main focus has been on working with our federal partners to move towards the
implementation of our five core components—enhanced data capturing;
designation of all people with disabilities as a health disparity
population; designation of all people with disabilities as a special
medically underserved population; the adoption of enforceable standards for
accessible medical diagnostic equipment; and funding for the development of
model disability clinical-care competency curricula and training. We are
focusing now on moving forward the balance of the framework’s components,
including engaging the FDA to address accessible home medical devices.
If we are in fact committed to addressing health disparities between us and
our nondisabled counterparts, we must also ensure that we are able to
participate in clinical trials. This is a matter of justice, equality, and
scientific validity. We have historically been underrepresented in clinical
trials, leaving a significant gap in our understanding of how treatments and
interventions work for us. From a justice and equality perspective, we, like
anyone else, have a right to participate in clinical research.
Participation provides early access to innovative therapies that could
potentially benefit others in the same community. It is therefore crucial
that clinical trials are designed and conducted in ways that are inclusive
and accessible for people with disabilities. From a scientific standpoint,
our exclusion can lead to skewed results. Without representation from our
community, we cannot ascertain the safety and efficacy of treatments for us.
This lack of data may lead to unexpected ineffectual treatments or missed
opportunities for effective interventions.
I am pleased to share with you that we are in the process of developing a
policy report addressing the need for inclusion of people with disabilities
in clinical trials. About one third of clinical trials in the United States
use eligibility criteria that excludes individuals with intellectual
disabilities and cognitive disabilities. And approximately two thirds of
clinical trials have specific exclusionary eligibility criteria, excluding
individuals who may not be able to read or write, those requiring assistance
with activities of daily living, those who do not have access to technology
or who, in the view of the research teams, do not have the ability to
complete study procedures, safely engage in the research, or have the
necessary health status.
A study published in Health Affairs last year analyzed ninety-seven
interventional protocols in four clinical trials relating to dementia,
depression, diabetes, and lung cancer. It revealed that 85 percent of those
protocols allowed broad investigator discretion to determine eligibility,
and only 18 percent explicitly permitted us to participate. Visual
disability was stated as exclusionary criteria in 34 percent of those
protocols.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, people with
vision loss are more likely to report depression, diabetes, hearing
impairment, stroke, falls, cognitive decline, and premature death. Clinical
trials evaluating therapeutics and interventions to address those conditions
must include people who are blind or with low vision. And while the report
is not yet completed, you can be sure that one recommendation will be that
federal funds should not support clinical trials that exclude people with
disabilities without evidentiary-based scientific rationale. We have to stop
permitting federal funds to be used to discriminate against us—period, full
stop.
The principle of inclusion extends far beyond healthcare. The empowerment of
individuals with disabilities does not stop at equitable health care, but
continues through ensuring equitable opportunities in business and work as
well. Thus, we shift now our focus from the laboratory to the realm of
entrepreneurship and employment—exploring avenues where inclusivity, once
again, plays a defining role. This brings us to discussion of the SBA’s
Section 8(a) program and the pressing need to eliminate subminimum wage—both
are critical areas where we need to foster greater inclusion and equality
for people with disabilities.
If you are not familiar with the SBA’s Section 8(a) program, it is a federal
initiative designed to support and empower small businesses owned by
socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. That program aims to
level the playing field by providing these businesses with a range of
benefits for federal sole-source contracts, competitive set-aside contracts,
and mentor-protégé programs, among others. It provides technical assistance,
training, and management guidance. A key feature of the program is its
“presumption of eligibility” for certain groups, enabling faster and more
efficient processing of applications. It embodies the federal government’s
commitment to diversity and inclusion in the business sector. Recognizing a
vibrant diverse business community contributes significantly to the economic
health and growth of our nation. Inclusion of people with disabilities as a
presumed eligible population under this program will mark a significant step
toward entrepreneurial opportunities for our community.
Pursuant to SBA’s regulations, a business is eligible for the 8(a) business
development program if they are, inter alia, at least 51 percent owned and
controlled by United States citizens who are (and I quote) “socially
disadvantaged individuals who have been subjected to racial or ethnic
prejudice or cultural bias within American society because of their
identities as members of groups and without regard to their individual
qualities.” The program thus presumes that Black Americans, Hispanic
Americans, and Asian-Pacific Americans are socially disadvantaged and
presumptively eligible for the program.
There is a significant body of literature evidencing that people with
disabilities are also socially disadvantaged. We achieve lower rates of
education, employment, and financial independence. We live in poverty at
more than twice the rate of people without disabilities (29 percent compared
to 12 percent). We make up approximately 12 percent of the US working-age
population. However, we account for more than half of those living in
long-term poverty; 17.5 percent of us participate in the workforce, compared
to 65 percent of people without disabilities, directly resulting in higher
rates of poverty.
Now, if an individual is not a member of one of the presumed socially
disadvantaged groups, it does not preclude them from eligibility in the
program. However, absent the presumption of eligibility, each applicant must
“present facts and evidence that by themselves establish they have suffered
social disadvantage that has negatively impacted their entry into or
advancement in the business world.” And each instance of alleged
discriminatory conduct must be accompanied by a negative impact on the
individual’s entry into or advancement in the business world, in order for
it to constitute an instance of social disadvantage.
The National Council on Disability believes that this is an unduly
significant burden to place on each disabled entrepreneur, and given the
stark evidence that people with disabilities are economically and socially
disadvantaged, we should be included as a presumed eligible group. To that
end, in May of last year I wrote to SBA Administrator Isabella Guzman to
address that very issue. Since then, we’ve had a couple of extended meetings
with the SBA’s associate administrator and his leadership team, the most
recent of which occurred this past May. I wish I could announce that there’s
been progress, but I cannot. There’s resistance to our categorical
inclusion. The SBA’s encouraging us to submit a formal application for
inclusion, which we (the National Council on Disability) cannot as an
advisory body. And therefore, we look to engage in conversation with the
National Federation of the Blind on this issue very soon.
While we push for categorical inclusion in the SBA 8(a) program, the
National Council on Disability continues to advise our federal partners to
eliminate subminimum wages that are legally permitted under the Federal
Labor Standards Act, Section 14(c). Established in 1938, Section 14(c)
allows eligible businesses to pay some people with disabilities less than
the federal minimum wage. That was 1938. It is now eighty-five years later.
Through an amendment in 1986, the wage floor was eliminated by Congress.
Elimination of the wage floor has resulted in some employees with
disabilities earning as little as pennies per hour, quite often earning that
little, while the employer was making hundreds of thousands of dollars, and
in some instances, millions of dollars from that labor. That should no
longer be tolerated. It is a matter of basic fairness and equity. We should
receive the same wage for the same work as those without disabilities. We
have bills to pay, dreams to pursue, lives to lead. We deserve the dignity
that comes with earning a fair wage. Subminimum wages reinforce harmful
stereotypes that we are less capable or less valuable as workers. This is
contrary to the fact that, with the right supports and accommodations, we
can and do perform our jobs as effectively as, or better than, our
counterparts without disabilities. With the payment of subminimum wages,
employers are disincentivized from investing in accommodations that can help
us to work more independently and productively. Therefore, eliminating
subminimum wage is a key step towards economic equality for people with
disabilities.
In closing, let us be reminded of the strength and resilience that lie
within our shared vision—a vision of a time where medical devices speak to
all who need them, not just those who can see; a time where the process of
scientific and clinical trials does not discriminate, but includes every one
of us, valuing our unique experiences and contributions; a time where no
individual’s paycheck is diminished due to their visual abilities, and where
entrepreneurship is not the exclusive domain of any one group, but is open
and accessible to all, including people with disabilities.
Each of these goals are not disparate goals. They are interconnected pieces
of the same vision—a vision of a society that truly sees all its members;
that truly values each one of us; and that truly fulfills the federal
promise that was made to us thirty-three years ago; a promise of full
participation in a society that understands—nothing without us. Thank you
again for this opportunity to address you.
----------
The Evolution of Overlays
by Curtis Chong
>From the Editor: At our 2023 National Convention in July, one of the topics
discussed was website accessibility and the role of what are commonly called
overlays to make that technology more user-friendly for blind people and
others with disabilities. After a presentation by accessiBe, Curtis Chong
was asked to make this technical gobbledygook understandable to those of us
who simply want to go to the World Wide Web and get the products and
services we need. Because Curtis’s time was cut, what we are running here
are the remarks he intended to give had time allowed.
Why are we talking about overlays and why, two years ago, did we adopt
Resolution 2021-04, regarding the use of overlays to make websites
accessible to the blind? What is an overlay anyway?
To begin with, since the pundits are telling me that the term “overlay” is
the wrong way to describe the automation that is supposed to help websites
to be more accessible, let me suggest the term, “accessibility widget.” So,
from here on out, at least during my remarks, I will refer to what we used
to call overlays as “accessibility widgets.”
The use of automated tools to address some of the more obvious accessibility
issues on the web is not really new. To fix some web accessibility issues,
website accessibility companies sometimes deployed a limited form of
automation along with the accessibility fixes they installed on behalf of
their paying customers. None of us knew or cared that this type of limited
automation was being used since, after all, we were not prompted to enter a
special screen reader mode or do anything else to use a particular website.
It was not until about three years ago that people began to be told that any
kind of screen reader mode was available for certain websites.
So what is an accessibility widget? Simply put, an accessibility widget is
automation that is supposed to be smart enough to find and fix the coding on
a website so that it meets the accessibility requirements in the law. Among
other things, this technology is said to be able to:
* Add descriptive text to a graphic that doesn’t have a text label.
* Make sure that expanding or collapsing of menus can be accomplished
with keyboard commands.
* Pause animated carousels and expose their controls to screen reading
software.
* Attach text to a graphical icon that passes descriptive information
to screen reader users.
* Provide better descriptions for links whose function and meaning are
not clear.
* Add more descriptive labels to form fields like “full name,” “email
address,” etc. and tell a screen reader user whether data entered into a
form field is required or invalid.
Accessibility widgets can do a lot of other things for people with
disabilities other than blindness. Since this is a convention of blind
people, focusing on accessibility from the nonvisual access perspective
would seem to be the appropriate approach for me to take here.
Accessibility widgets cannot:
* Fix PDF files to make them more accessible (PDF files are not a part
of the webpage source code).
* Fix a bad website implementation.
* Automatically fix the description of a picture to make it more
specific to the needs of the website provider.
* Test the website to guarantee for certain that it is 100 percent
usable with screen reading software.
* Make the website as usable to blind users as it might be for
everybody else.
Remember, this is only a partial list. Let’s just say that as things now
stand today, artificial intelligence, as implemented in accessibility
widgets, can fix some, but not all, of the nonvisual access issues which,
unfortunately, we encounter too often on the Web. (Let me digress by
pointing out that accessibility widgets do not seem to help us to deal with
that pesky visual CAPTCHA.)
So, if the accessibility widgets of today cannot fix all of our nonvisual
access issues on the Web, why, then, do companies that offer accessibility
widgets boast so many paying customers? AudioEye says on its website that it
is trusted by more than 95,000+ leading brands and happy customers.
accessiBe says that it is trusted by 198,210 small businesses and industry
leaders alike. UserWay, a company which styles itself to be “The Leading
AI-Powered Web Accessibility Solution” urges us to join “over 1 million
websites and millions of users with disabilities who trust UserWay for their
digital accessibility needs.” I can only assume that a lot of small
businesses and organizations imagine accessibility widgets to be a less
expensive and more effective method to make their websites accessible. Since
I have already established that accessibility widgets fix some, but not all,
of our nonvisual access problems and since we know that there are literally
millions of websites that we will never touch, there will be businesses and
organizations out there who may never know that they have an accessibility
problem—that is, unless or until blind people come along.
To those companies who develop and sell accessibility widgets, we, the
blind, may not be the customers who actually pay you, but we are the
ultimate beneficiaries if you get it right and the victims of what you do if
you get it wrong. You have chosen to use automation which announces the
availability of a screen reader mode on the websites you support. For the
uninitiated screen reader user, this is a powerful encouragement to turn on
this screen reader mode with the expectation that this will make the website
more usable for someone running a program like JAWS or NVDA. If turning on
the screen reader mode actually works, no harm, no foul. But if it doesn’t,
you really need to give us a way to turn off your screen reading mode (if
this is even possible) and to reach out to you for help. You have grown your
business on the premise that accessibility widgets alone will help your
paying customers to deploy more accessible websites. You really need to
dispel this myth and do more to encourage your customers to do a lot more
than simply implement a solution based on automation. You, the providers of
accessibility widgets, need to engage with the blind community so that you
can learn from real blind people how your automation works and where it
breaks down. Hold listening sessions with real, living blind people. Find
out what excites us about the Web and what causes us no end of frustration
and annoyance.
What should we, the National Federation of the Blind, do? For one thing, we,
the largest organization of the blind in this country, must use our power as
a vehicle for collective action by the blind to work with the major players
in the accessibility widget marketplace. Resolution 2021-04, passed two
years ago at our convention, gives us a framework regarding accessibility
widgets and the companies that deploy them. We can use those concepts and
principles to engage with companies like accessiBe, UserWay, and others, and
we can stand firm in our understanding that automation alone cannot fix all
of our nonvisual access issues on the Web. We can learn how to recognize
when a particular website is using an accessibility widget, and we can
demand to have methods and procedures that we can share with others to
reinforce the positive aspects of accessibility widgets while diminishing or
eliminating those aspects of the accessibility widgets which stand in our
way.
We can and must challenge claims that artificial intelligence and automation
are the most effective way to address our nonvisual access issues. We need
to continue encouraging organizations and companies to develop the knowledge
and expertise they need so that accessibility is considered and built from
the ground up in everything they do. We must insist that companies like
AudioEye, UserWay, and accessiBe stop leading their paying customers to
believe that their accessibility widgets alone are the only way that true
accessibility can be achieved, and we should continue encouraging them to
partner with us on a basis of mutual respect and understanding.
For those small businesses who cannot or will not establish accessibility
teams, if your website is truly not usable by someone who is blind, then
come up with a way that doesn’t involve your website where a person can do
business with you.
Accessibility widgets are not going away. The companies selling this
technology are simply too large, and their technology is simply too
pervasive. I know that most people will groan whenever they hear “overlay”
or “accessibility widget.” Groan if you will. But I know that if we put our
minds to it, we can use our energy, experience, and understanding to move
this in a direction which will work for us. Thank you.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Barbara Cheadle]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Carla Keirns]
Reflections on Four Decades: Celebrating Parents of Blind Children in the
Organized Blind Movement
by Barbara Cheadle and Carla Keirns
>From the Editor: On July 4, 2023, NOPBC President Emeritus Barbara Cheadle
addressed the NFB National Convention. She looked back on the founding and
growth of the NOPBC and shared her hopes for the future of blind children in
the United States. Her remarks were immediately followed by then-President
Carla Keirns. These remarks are taken from the convention issue of Future
Reflections, a publication of the American Action Fund for Blind Children
and Adults edited by Deborah Kent Stein.
Barbara Cheadle: When I sat down to write this speech, I remembered what Dr.
Kenneth Jernigan told me when I asked him for guidance in writing one of my
first public speeches. I was totally taken aback when he said, "Be
entertaining." And he was right! If you can't entertain, no one's going to
listen long enough to be informed or inspired. Those of you who have been
around long enough to remember Dr. Jernigan will recall the jokes he told at
the beginning of every recorded Presidential Release. They were hopelessly
terrible, terrible jokes—real groaners! The worse they were, the more we
loved them. We looked forward to them, and within minutes, we were relaxed,
happy, and eager to be informed and inspired by the rest of the release.
So, in honor and appreciation of all that Dr. Jernigan taught me, here's, I
hope, a good groaner to get us started today.
What kind of shoes do frogs wear?
Why, open-toad sandals, of course!
My husband John and I adopted our blind son, Chaz, in 1980. He was two years
old when we met him at the airport with his escort from South Korea, and I
fell instantly, irrevocably, in love. He was perfect. We were living in
Omaha, Nebraska, at the time, and I had a job with the local Red Cross.
Shortly after the adoption, a job came open in my department that I was
positive could be done by a blind person. What an opportunity it might be
for the right blind applicant if we could get the job description out
through the NFB. I was very excited when I went to my boss to lay this
suggestion before her. But as soon as she heard the word blind she shut me
down. Her husband, she said, had limited vision. He couldn't drive, or read
print, or cook, or clean, and most certainly he could not hold down a job.
I was stunned. All I could think was that in twenty years or so, it could be
my newly adopted, happy, beautiful son who, without ever knowing it, had a
door of opportunity slammed shut against him. I locked myself into a nearby
bathroom stall and sobbed. I knew then that it wasn't going to be good
enough to raise a competent, confident child with good blindness skills and
a strong work ethic. If I didn't do something to help change the world, he
might never be given the chance to live the life he wanted.
By the way, my husband John and I are both sighted. In the mid-1970s, before
we had a child or even were married, we worked for the state rehabilitation
agency for the blind in Nebraska. We joined the NFB because we wanted to
learn more about blindness from the real experts. By the time Chaz joined
our family, we had been NAC-tracking, attended state conventions, and a
national convention. I had even helped organize and conduct a statewide
seminar for parents of blind children. Very few parents showed up at that
seminar, and those who did looked sad and desperate. They clearly didn't
know what to make of all these blind people, and they were too frightened
even to ask questions. I remember thinking, if only there were some way NFB
members could get invited into their homes so they could get to know blind
people and be comfortable around them! Maybe they could start to learn that
it really is okay to be blind.
Fast forward to the 1981 NFB Convention. At that convention, I approached
the NFB Parental Concerns Committee, most of whose members were blind
parents. I suggested that we start a newsletter for parents of blind
children and volunteered to be the editor. I had a vision for the magazine.
Of course, it would republish some classic NFB speeches and articles, but
also it would seek to generate and publish new material from blind adults
and parents and teachers of blind children. Teachers such as Doris
Willoughby could share practical tips and strategies that were deeply
embedded in the NFB philosophy of positive attitudes about blindness.
As soon as the first issue of the newsletter came out, Dr. Jernigan
contacted me to let me know that henceforth the national office would handle
the publication. I was to continue working as editor on a volunteer basis
from my home in Jefferson City, Missouri. And then YOU, the leaders of local
chapters and state affiliates, got to work. There was no internet or social
media in those days, but somehow affiliate leaders such as Joanne Wilson and
Gary Wunder got their hands on mailing lists of parents in their states.
Slowly, issue by issue, the newsletter started showing up in mailboxes
around the country.
As you know, that newsletter was later renamed Future Reflections, and,
under the capable editorship of Debbie Stein, it continues today to be
invited into thousands of homes of parents and teachers nationally and
globally. If you haven't read the recent special issue, “The World of Work,”
you must. I read it on the plane on the way to convention, and my heart
soared with gladness at the inspiring stories.
But the magazine alone wasn't going to be enough. Dr. Jernigan had a vision
that encompassed so much more than mine. His was a vision of blind people
working side-by-side and hand-in-hand with sighted parents to bring about
cultural, legislative, educational, and deeply personal changes in attitudes
and expectations. Those changes were required if blind children were ever to
have the opportunities they needed to live full, productive, satisfying
lives as adults. To achieve these goals we needed parents to be engaged as
fully participating members of the Federation.
Historically, very few sighted parents of blind children had joined the
organization. Mostly, sighted parents didn't even know about the NFB. If
they did find out about us, the information often came with warnings from
teachers, rehab counselors, and even some eye doctors, telling them not to
get mixed up with that "radical" group of blind people.
To make his vision a reality, Dr. Jernigan sent an invitation to Doris
Willoughby, Ramona Walhof, Susan Ford, and me. "Come to Baltimore," it said.
He wanted us to sit down with him and write a constitution for a new NFB
division, a division for parents of blind children, to be presented and
approved at the upcoming 1983 NFB Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.
Why did he choose us? Ramona was a powerhouse national and state leader
within the NFB, and she had worked closely with Dr. Jernigan in Iowa. Doris
Willoughby was a sighted teacher of blind students and the spouse of NFB
member Curtis Willoughby. Curtis was one of the first competitively employed
blind engineers in the country. Doris was already well-known for her books
(published by the NFB) about the education of blind children. Susan Ford was
a blind foster parent of a blind child. She was the chairperson of the
Parental Concerns Committee and an active officer and leader in her state
affiliate. All of us, including me, had experience organizing local chapters
and building membership.
Dr. Jernigan had plenty of experience with writing affiliate constitutions.
Most of the details and decisions were not difficult or controversial—except
for one. The most important decision we made at that meeting was positively
to affirm the right of sighted parents to run for all offices in the new
parents' division, especially the presidency.
This decision was a big deal! In the 1980s many members of the NFB could
still remember historical attempts of sighted professionals to take over and
run—for their own purposes—groups originally organized by the blind. The NFB
is an organization of the blind, not for the blind. Therefore it is
fundamental that the office of the presidency at the local, state, and
national levels be filled by a blind person. This decision was an
acknowledgement that sighted parents of blind children had common cause with
the organized blind. As the guardians, the spokespersons, and advocates for
our blind children, we were natural allies and partners.
That was forty years ago. What has the National Organization of Parents of
Blind Children, the NOPBC, together with the NFB, accomplished in the past
four decades?
In 1982, the year before we organized, the NFB started selling canes sized
for children—really, really young children, even toddlers. The NFB was the
first entity, agency, or organization to do so. The NOPBC had its first goal
and program ready to go in 1983: get those canes into the hands of kids. We
started by distributing the video "Kids with Canes" from the Nebraska
Services for the Visually Impaired. We distributed that video across the
country. For years, Doris Willoughby stocked copies of the video and mailed
them from her home.
Next, we started giving away kid-sized canes to children who came with their
parents to our NFB National Conventions. Once blind kids got canes in their
hands, they refused to give them up. We changed forever the educational
practices concerning white canes for children.
In 1984, the NOPBC voted to sponsor a national Braille reading contest for
children in kindergarten through high school. Soon parents and teachers
started to complain that the youngest kids were reading so much, so fast,
that they were running out of Braille books to read for the contest. We even
heard suggestions that we should drop the contest categories for early
readers! Of course we didn't do that. Instead, we pressured the Library of
Congress to increase the number of Braille titles for children. We went to
organizations such as National Braille Press, Seedlings, and the American
Action Fund. We asked them to provide us with more Braille books for early
readers, and they did. When the contest established a category with prizes
for children with additional disabilities, the participation of schools for
the blind skyrocketed. In the 1990s students who participated in the contest
formed an important cohort of research subjects for the groundbreaking
Braille literacy research conducted by Dr. Ruby Ryles.
For almost thirty years, the NOPBC's Braille Readers Are Leaders contest
proved that Braille-reading kids can be competitively literate with their
sighted peers. After a hiatus, the contest is back with a new sponsor and an
updated structure—and it is more vibrant and vital than ever. Thank you,
Debbie Stein and Sandy Halverson!
Toward the end of the decade, in 1987, NOPBC parents in Minnesota were
instrumental in helping the NFB affiliate in that state pass the first
Braille bill. Many states followed, including Maryland. Ten years later, a
Braille literacy provision was included in the reauthorization of IDEA, the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Despite legislative progress,
the struggle to make Braille the default for blind and low-vision children
still continues, but we have not given up.
There was an enormous growth spurt in the decade of the 90s. In partnership
with O&M instructor Joe Cutter, we established the annual Cane Walk at
convention. We created and distributed numerous videos for parents,
including "It's Okay to Be Blind," "White Canes for Blind Kids," and a
six-video set, "Avoiding an IEP Disaster." We published The Bridge to
Braille, an instruction book for educators co-authored by Carol Castellano.
In the era of the 2000s, we established what has become one of our most
beloved convention programs with a grant from UPS—the Braille Book Fair. By
this time, our original parent leaders were beginning to age out as their
blind children grew up and left home. In 2006, under Carol Castellano's
guidance, the Parent Leadership Program (PLP) was established.
>From that time to the present we have done so much more! We have a website
and a Facebook presence; we have more books, articles, and videos. We
established Braille Reading Pals, an early literacy program for
preschoolers. We host IEP workshops and Braille and technology workshops for
parents.
Our most important program is the one the NOPBC voted to establish in 1984.
At that meeting, we unanimously voted to hold a seminar for parents every
year at all future NFB National Conventions. The seminar gradually expanded
to become a multi-day conference embedded within the NFB Convention. I did a
quick count this year, and NOPBC had thirty-five or more named programs,
workshops, and activities listed in the convention program, with more than
one hundred volunteers behind the scenes making all those programs happen.
Of all our successful NFB programs, how can I assert that this one is the
most important? I make that assertion because parents need you—you, the
members of the NFB. We need to meet you, talk with you, laugh with you, cry
with you, debate with you, collaborate with you. We need you so we can
imagine together, with you, what the future might be for our blind children.
And when we are new and a little raw about this blindness business, we need
your understanding, your love, your patience, and your sense of humor to
help us get over our fears and awkwardness. We need you to be models, not
only for our blind children, but for us. You are a reflection of what the
future can be for our children.
And as we sighted parents grow in our understanding of blindness, you need
us. We demonstrate for each other, and for the world, what it looks like
when sighted people accept blind people as equals.
The pandemic has upended so many things in our country! It has had a
profoundly negative impact, especially upon the educational and social
development of our children. More than ever, we and our children need to be
in community together, in person, with you, our blind colleagues. The
internet and social media present wonderful opportunities to us for the
spreading and sharing of the NFB philosophy about blindness. Yet there is no
substitute for personal, one-on-one connections. These connections can only
bubble up from the grassroots—from our local chapters, our state affiliates,
and our divisions. You are the key to our continued progress and successes.
Remember the joke I told at the beginning of this speech? I found it on a
plaque in a little nature center near where Chaz and his family live. Just a
few weeks ago, my husband, John, read it with our ten-year-old grandson. Our
son Chaz was chasing down and corralling our eighteen-month-old grandson,
who runs as if he's competing for a place on a high-school track team. Chaz
is a great dad. He brings home a paycheck, changes diapers, and walks his
son to and from the bus stop. He shares with his wife all cooking, laundry,
and house-cleaning duties. But he still finds time to have fun with his
hobbies—photography, ham radio, woodworking. And he and his wife are active
in a local committee to make their community more walkable, safer, and
accessible to pedestrians. I've never asked him if he is living the life he
wants, but I think I know the answer.
NOPBC President Carla Keirns: I didn't tell Barbara how old I was when she
started the NOPBC. Should I keep it a secret?
My older sister is not blind. She has autism, and she was born in 1967. For
those who can do math, my young son can help us out. Five years later, what
year is it? 1972. So in 1972, my mother took her five-year-old to the local
school to enroll her in kindergarten. And what happened? They turned her
away at the door.
Now, my mother tells the story that they said, "It's too bad you taught her
that she's five years old. If she didn't know, then it wouldn't be so bad."
It is impossible for me to imagine that an educator really could have said
that! But when you and I talk, when people in this room talk about what we
are facing, about the challenges we have today, a lot of times we get
discouraged. We think, you know, we've been fighting this fight for decades,
and it just doesn't seem like we're making progress.
Making progress? You all know we are!
The next year they had to take my sister. They didn't know what to do with
her, though. Six years later, my family moved from New Jersey to New York,
and my mother decided that my sister needed access to the general
educational curriculum. They had her stuck in the resource room for six
years.
My mother thought about this, and she decided that the best first strategy
would be not to tell them. Yeah, that worked for, about, like the morning.
My sister had moderate autism, and it was pretty clear that there was
something else going on. So my mother decided that the hill she was going to
die on was that my sister deserved an education.
Four years later, my other sister had a visual impairment and dyslexia. She
failed the first grade. Twice.
My mother says that when they went to sit in the meeting to decide what to
do next with her now eight-year-old—with the vocabulary, by the way, of a
sixteen-year-old—the first-grade teacher was maintaining that she was not
smart enough to learn to read. The plan was to keep her in the same
classroom with the same teacher and the same instructional method for a
third year!
So, one, my mother is a force of nature. Two, she was raised a southern
debutante. Three, her first job in the mid-1970s was as a chemical engineer
for Exxon. So she had to decide ... Southern skills, Yankee skills?
Debutante skills, chemist skills?
Cry, argue. Cry, argue.
She went with cry. And she got my sister placed in one of the first
twice-exceptional classrooms in the country, what at the time was called
"gifted handicapped." That was the year of the first NOPBC convention. And
we have come so far! The reason we have come so far is that my mother was on
her own. And I have you. We have the laws that you fought for. We have the
teachers you have educated. We have the infrastructure that you have built
and the other infrastructure that you have torn down. We have a future.
When my son was diagnosed as blind, we found ourselves in the conference
room of a small library on Long Island, New York. We went to a room, and
there were twelve blind adults. And there we were with our little baby boy,
who was five months old. And he gave a high five to all the grownups, and
everybody who wanted to hold the baby got to hold the baby.
Then my husband and I sat down in this room full of blind adults, and they
were polite. They didn't say, "Why are you here?" But they said, "Hey, can
you introduce yourselves?" We explained that we were sighted and our baby
was blind. And almost on the verge of tears, I said, "We're here because we
don't know what he needs, and we need help."
The president at the time of that chapter meeting was David Stayer. So you
all can imagine how this went. David said, "You don't worry about that. We
know what he needs. Your kids are our kids."
So our plans for the NOPBC are to continue to do what you do so well. My son
has been to Albany for a state seminar. He's been to Jeff City [Missouri].
He's testified before the Education Committee at the Missouri State
Legislature. After Gary Wunder, my son Russell spoke at the state
legislature, and the special education administrator who was there to
testify against our bill cowarded out and didn't talk.
We're about educating parents, advocacy, partnerships, mentorship between
blind children and blind advocates and all of you. But I have a problem with
advocacy. Advocacy is only necessary when the system doesn't work on its
own. What I want for all of us is to build a world in which we no longer
need the level of advocacy that we need today.
Thank you to everyone here for being our partners and supporting our kids.
Our kids truly are your kids. Thank you!
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Van Dorn]
Gary Van Dorn Day Brings Dollars to NFBCO
by Peggy Chong
On August 18, several Federationists, members of the Denver Disability
Community, and friends of Gary Van Dorn, treasurer of the Mile High Chapter
of the NFB of Colorado stood in the hot morning sun at 16th and Welton
Streets, to honor Gary Van Dorn for his service to the community and to the
Federation in particular.
Gary was nominated for the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award by the NFB
of Colorado for all he does, highlighting his tireless work to keep everyone
informed about the many changes in the public transportation system, new
developments that affect rideshare services, and the multi-year, 16th Street
Mall re-development project.
The Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer Award is presented ten months of each
year since 1977 to an unsung volunteer hero in the Denver area for their
selfless service to the community. Gary is the third Federationist to
receive the award: Elsie Cowan, in 1977, the first year of the award; Julie
Hunter in 2021; and Gary in 2023.
Minoru Yasui (October 19, 1916 – November 12, 1986) was an American lawyer
from Oregon. Born in Hood River, Oregon, he earned both an undergraduate
degree and his law degree at the University of Oregon. He was one of the few
Japanese Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor who fought laws that
directly targeted Japanese Americans or Japanese immigrants. His case was
the first case to test the constitutionality of the curfews targeted at
minority groups.
Yasui's case made its way to the United States Supreme Court, where his
conviction for breaking curfew was affirmed. After internment during most of
World War II, he moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1944. In Denver, Yasui
married and became a local leader in civic affairs, including leadership
positions in the Japanese American Citizens League. In 1986, his criminal
conviction was overturned by the federal court.
In 2015, Senator Mazie K. Hirono nominated Yasui for the Presidential Medal
of Freedom, the highest civilian award of the United States. On November 16,
2015, President Barack Obama announced that Yasui would receive a posthumous
Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In recognizing Gary, everyone had a different story to tell, a different
project he worked on, and a different organization he connected with. His
energy and service knows no limits. Even with a full-time job, Gary never
has an excuse why he cannot serve.
The half-hour presentation began with speeches from the Minoru Yasui
Community Volunteer Award Committee. They presented Gary with a plaque
recognizing his outstanding, longtime service to the community and the NFB
in particular. A proclamation from the mayor declaring August 18, 2023, to
be Gary Van Dorn Day, and a check for $2,000 made payable to the NFB of
Colorado in recognition of his efforts was the highpoint of the day.
Afterwards, several accompanied Gary to a local restaurant to help him
celebrate.
Blind Leader Honored for His Contributions to Denver
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Denver, Colorado, (August 16, 2023): The National Federation of the Blind of
Colorado (NFBCO) is proud to announce that state board member Gary Van Dorn,
Denver, is the August 2023 recipient of the Minoru Yasui Community Volunteer
Award. Gary has requested that the $2,000 award he will receive be donated
to NFBCO.
Gary moved to Denver in 1991 and quickly joined the NFBCO, becoming very
active. He is a busy analyst for the IRS. Yet, he finds time to accept
several titles and responsibilities in the organization: secretary of the
NFBCO Mile High Chapter, NFBCO state board member, NFBCO Transportation
Chair, fundraiser, and official photographer. Gary contributes to the NFBCO
in an abundance of large and small ways.
Some of his many projects involve disabilities counsel to the Sixteenth
Street Mall redesign. He advises the city of Denver, the Denver Regional
Transportation District (RTD). Gary provides his insights with various
developers and contractors on the needs and wishes of the disabled
community. As a member of the Colfax Redevelopment Project, Gary provides
the collective voice of people with disabilities, an essential part of the
community who needs to be heard when designing new spaces.
Gary collaborated with other organizations at Denver International Airport
rideshare pickups. Recommending improvements for people with disabilities,
including the blind. Gary serves as a volunteer leader in the Colorado Cross
Disability Coalition.
“Gary has been a great mentor to me, especially after I was elected
president of the NFBCO’s Mile High Chapter,” said Cody Bair, a blind person
who works as a CPA Manager at PwC. “He is always willing to share his time
and knowledge with anyone who asks,” Cody added.
“I became better acquainted with Mr. Van Dorn when I first moved to Colorado
in the late summer of 2018,” said Curtis Chong, Nonvisual Access Technology
Consultant. "Despite his busy schedule and full-time job at the IRS, Mr. Van
Dorn kindly took the time to welcome me to Denver. He introduced me to
various transportation options for blind people like myself in the
metropolitan area."
Chong continued, “When I was persuaded by Mr. Van Dorn to attend an RTD
board meeting, I was impressed that many of the board members knew Mr. Van
Dorn personally, so frequent was his attendance. Mr. Van Dorn often provided
public testimony on various transportation issues and often spoke personally
with RTD directors and senior management.”
“Gary does not seek the spotlight,” said Peggy Chong, NFBCO’s historian.
“That is why we in the NFBCO are so excited for Gary and grateful for his
generous gift through the Minoru Yasui Award.”
Minoru Yasui was a Japanese American. He was one of thousands of Japanese
Americans who endured curfews and internment during World War II. Coming to
Denver after the war, Yasui passed the Colorado Bar with the highest score
recorded that year. He spent his career helping other Japanese Americans as
well as other minorities. He was a strong political activist and fought for
civil rights. He valued inclusivity and integrity. He acted with vision,
perseverance, and compassion.
In 1976, the city of Denver established a monthly Community Volunteer Award
in his honor. As a result of this award, more than $982,000 has been given
to 514 non-profit organizations.
# # #
About the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado: The National
Federation of the Blind of Colorado is the oldest and largest organization
of blind people in Colorado. 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.
Contact:
For information about this initiative, please contact:
Peggy Chong
chongpeggy10 at gmail.com <mailto:chongpeggy10 at gmail.com>
303-745-0473
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Justin Salisbury]
Structured Discovery Practitioners Are Part of the Organized Blind Movement
by Justin Salisbury
>From the Editor: Justin is a committed member of the National Federation of
the Blind who believes that his commitment does not stop when he goes to
work and resumes on his free time. He teaches with a philosophy that is not
an on-again off-again part of his being. Here is what he has to say about
Structured Discovery and the role of the National Federation of the Blind in
creating and maintaining it:
When I decided to attend Louisiana Tech University to pursue a master’s
degree and a professional certification to teach cane travel, I was not
simply looking at it as a path to teaching cane travel. I also looked at it
as a way to learn more about the organized blind movement. The Professional
Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University
and its programs were created by leaders in the organized blind movement
because there had previously been no university program, at least in the
United States, where a blind person could earn a master’s degree in
orientation and mobility with a professional certification for teaching
orientation and mobility. The National Federation of the Blind was not
satisfied with the world being as it was, so we took action, creating a
certification board, professional certifications, a university research
institute, and university programs. Because the folks at Louisiana Tech
understand the importance of a defined philosophy about blindness, the
organized blind movement, and the ability to critically think about
blindness, my master’s degree program helped me to further develop my own
understanding of our philosophy and how to apply it to many of the
situations that we face in society.
I once applied for a job that would allow me to work in the public policy
space in the blindness field. I remember having a conversation with the
prospective boss, and I remember him asking me, after all the time and
effort that I had devoted to earning a master’s degree and professional
certification, why I would want to throw that all away to work in the public
policy space. I was definitely caught off-guard by that question. I insisted
that earning a master’s degree and certification in the blindness field was
a part of preparing me for a career in the blindness field and that my love
for public policy work had been involved in my professional choices from day
one. I insisted that Structured Discovery practitioners were inherently
focused on the civil rights of the blind and the advocacy work of the
organized blind movement, evidenced by how I could earn continuing education
units for recertification by performing governmental affairs and other
policy work.
One thing that sets Structured Discovery practitioners apart from the rest
of the practitioners in the blindness field is our participation in the
organized blind movement. I am speaking in trends, not absolutisms. I am not
the first person to promote this idea. I learned it from mentors and role
models.
During my time at Louisiana Tech, one of the documents that we read for
class was the 2004 Institute on Rehabilitation Issues (IRI) Report, which
discussed two major models for teaching orientation and mobility. In a
chapter written by Jeff Altman and Joe Cutter, one simple line told the
story of something that is so incredibly important to me. Offering its
preceding sentence for context, here is the quote: “Accordingly, proponents
of the Structured Discovery method believe that it is essential that
instructors themselves hold a deep, personal belief in the ability of blind
people. They do not regard themselves as simply trainers of a particular
skill, but rather, regard themselves as part of the movement of blind people
from exclusion to full integration and equality,” (Altman & Cutter, 2004, p.
90). The same chapter later included the following passage: “They do not see
Structured Discovery as only one choice among many, all equally effective in
preparing blind people to learn to travel safely and independently.
Proponents believe that the attitudinal dimension, the emphasis on the civil
rights perspective of blind people as part of a minority group, is central
to the acquisition of travel skills but, more to the point, the acquisition
of confidence and self-respect. They believe that it is vital that the
student recognize that blind people live in a world in which their
opportunities are constricted by prejudice and misunderstanding,” (Altman &
Cutter, 2004, p. 93). The idea that Structured Discovery practitioners are
part of the organized blind movement is not new, but it is frequently
misunderstood and overlooked.
Mercedes Zapata, a member of our California affiliate, recently earned a PhD
from the University of California-Berkeley. She continues to publish
research in the blindness field. In one of her recent articles, published in
the Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research, she investigated the
relationship between social support that blind people receive through
participation in the National Federation of the Blind and predictors of
disability identity and well-being (Zapata, 2022). The greater the person’s
perceived social support through the NFB, the greater their life
satisfaction and the more positive their disability identity. Structured
Discovery practitioners want these outcomes for our students and for
ourselves, so we participate in and introduce our students to the NFB.
Next, I want to state my own personal discomfort with the continued
commitment to the term “orientation and mobility” and why I love how we do
not call it that in our training centers. My cane travel instructor was
Arlene Hill, and she never let me call what she taught “orientation and
mobility.” “Orientation and mobility” sounds inherently scientific and
complicated to many people. When a newly blind person shows up for blind
services, I could either tell them that I’m going to teach them cane travel
or that I’m going to teach them orientation and mobility. I want it to sound
like what it is: a foundational skill that ordinary people can do, where
nobody should worry that they are not smart enough to do it. “Cane travel
training is not viewed as a subset of the broader discipline, but rather, is
regarded as the foundational skill needed by blind people to travel
independently. Cane travel is regarded as a set of skills and strategies,
developed by blind people, that have evolved over time and have been refined
as the world has changed. It is not regarded as mysterious or scientific or
something that is, or should be, the exclusive province of any group of
professionals,” (Altman & Cutter, 2004, p. 91). My instructor, Ms. Arlene,
also discussed many of these ideas in her writing about seven years earlier
(Hill, 1997a, 1997b).
In my opinion, calling the subject which I have taught “orientation and
mobility” helps to perpetuate the Vision-Centered Approach and the Vision
Industrial Complex, both of which have been named by President Riccobono.
There are many practitioners who work with blind people who decide to align
themselves with the Vision Industrial Complex, with its existing power and
pervasiveness, and demonstrate their commitment to reinforcing it further in
an effort to extract some crumbs of power and prosperity for themselves.
Some of them may profit quite nicely. Anyone who challenges or disrupts the
Vision Industrial Complex faces a stiff headwind, as the system is designed
to reject or crush us. Those who make themselves enforcers of sighted
hegemony over the blind are like wasps protecting a nest, and they’ll come
after us. This is why collective organizing is so important. We have to work
together if we are going to make progress, and the wasps have a playbook for
dealing with unruly lower beings. Every play in that playbook begins with
getting us by ourselves. If we don’t let them get us by ourselves, then we
disrupt the playbook, and we become more threatening to the Vision
Industrial Complex.
The Vision Industrial Complex teaches us that teachers of the blind should
not be connected to the organized blind movement. Still today, some agencies
for the blind tell their employees that they are forbidden from joining the
National Federation of the Blind because it would be a conflict of interest.
Many of us struggle to get permission from our employers to attend
Federation functions because they determine that it is unrelated to our
jobs. If our job is to reinforce the Vision Industrial Complex, I suppose it
would be a conflict of interest, but if our job is to advance the well-being
of the blind, a social minority group, then connecting with the organized
blind movement is essential.
Some of the scholars before me have described a reductionism inherent to the
Vision-Centered Approach, where practitioners try to measure, analyze, and
bean-count our way through everything they do to work with blind consumers.
The Structured Discovery approach, by contrast, honors a more holistic way
of approaching blind services, where we look at the interconnectedness of
the different parts of a person’s experience, as well as the
interconnectedness of the collective experiences of blind people and the
major institutions in the blindness field.
While it may be possible to learn all other mechanics of providing
Structured Discovery instruction without participating in the organized
blind movement, I believe that the very process of aligning oneself and
one’s teaching with the organized blind movement offers something extra,
which is essential for maximizing the contributions toward the liberation of
the blind as a minority. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and
I cannot imagine trying to replicate the value of being a Federationist
without participating in our movement.
The benefits are exchanged equally between Structured Discovery
practitioners and the broader NFB. Structured Discovery instructors are
having conversations about blindness philosophy and current issues all day,
every day, so we are ready for these conversations at any time. Structured
Discovery instructors learn things from our teaching experience that can be
useful to our movement, which we are often proud to share. Our movement also
channels the collective lived experiences of blind people, which can and
should inform an instructor’s praxis. Leaders in the National Federation of
the Blind can contribute meaningfully to adjustment-to-blindness programming
and should be introduced to students in training.
I have not called Structured Discovery a “method,” and I never do. When
Structured Discovery is reduced to a method by the powers within the Vision
Industrial Complex who practice under the Vision-Centered approach, it
allows them to argue that they can employ the Structured Discovery method
when they want and then switch back out of it. The key ingredient that makes
Structured Discovery work, in my opinion, is what lies in the heart of the
instructor and in the culture of the blind services agency where the
instruction occurs. It comes from an emotional adjustment to blindness and
an understanding as deep as one’s gut that blindness is not scary,
dangerous, or anything else inherently bad. When I say “adjustment to
blindness,” it can apply to anyone, including the sighted and including
those who have been blind since birth. The adjustment to blindness that I
discuss is an emotional adjustment to the societal condition of blindness,
not the medical condition of blindness. Societal expectations treat children
as children, but when blind children reach adulthood, we are often still
infantilized in a way that our sighted peers are not. This key difference
inspires an enhanced need for support in the adjustment to blindness in the
transition to adulthood. Refining our own adjustment to blindness is
important for us to help our students to advance theirs, as well.
If an instructor is practicing under the Vision-Centered approach, they
cannot truly have the commitment to the organized blind movement and
collective liberation of the blind, as well as the emotional adjustment to
blindness, necessary to provide Structured Discovery instruction. In other
words, it is impossible to be a person or blind services agency that can
simultaneously provide Vision-Centered instruction and Structured Discovery
instruction. I cannot teach Vision-Centered orientation and mobility in the
morning and then teach Structured Discovery cane travel in the afternoon. I
cannot switch my worldview that quickly. It’s either oppressive or it’s
liberatory; if it is ever oppressive, then it is never liberatory. We need
to pick one because we can’t have both.
If a Structured Discovery practitioner shows up at a function of the
National Federation of the Blind, I hope that the leaders in that space will
recognize them as someone who has made a sincere commitment to our movement,
even if that state has never had a Structured Discovery practitioner and
even if they are sighted. The other side of that coin is that I expect
Structured Discovery practitioners to be true to the organized blind
movement, even in spaces where they are the only person who belongs to it,
and even if they are sighted. Structured Discovery is much more than a
method and nobody can toggle back and forth between the Structured Discovery
approach and the Vision-Centered approach. If anyone wants to pursue a
career in the blindness field, I consistently direct them to the programs
where they will learn within the Structured Discovery approach, which
currently include Louisiana Tech, Louisiana Tech, and Louisiana Tech.
Participating in the National Federation of the Blind adds something special
and irreplaceable for instructor and student. Participating in the National
Federation of the Blind is the fundamental ingredient that sets Structured
Discovery practitioners apart from the rest.
References:
Altman, J., & Cutter, J. (2004). Structured discovery cane travel. In D. Dew
& G. Alan (Eds.), Contemporary issues in orientation and mobility: 29th IRI
2004, Institute on Rehabilitation (pp. 65-96). Washington, DC: George
Washington University.
Hill, A. (1997a). Teaching cane travel: A blind professional's perspective.
American Rehabilitation, 23(3/4), 23-25.
Hill, A. (1997b). Teaching cane travel blind? Braille Monitor, 39(4).
Retrieved from https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm97/bm970402.htm
Zapata, M. A. (2022). Social Support through a Blindness Organization
Predicts Life Satisfaction and Positive Disability Identity. Journal of
Blindness Innovation & Research, 12(1). Retrieved from
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir22/jbir120104.html. DOI:
http://dx.doi/10.5241/12-220
-----------
The Nation’s Blind Podcast and the Myth of the Model Federationist
by Blaine Deutscher
>From the Editor: The Nation’s Blind Podcast is one way that we communicate
with blind and sighted people to spread our message about what it means to
be blind, and equally important, what it does not mean. Here is a note
expressing appreciation for the messages in our podcast, one which offers us
the opportunity to better explain how we do some of the things this
gentleman says that he cannot do. In this note he gives us an opportunity to
explain how some of the limitations he thinks are a part of blindness need
not be. With slight editing, here is what Blaine says:
It is evening as I write this. I just wanted to say what a wonderful podcast
you two [Melissa Riccobono and Anil Lewis] are running (with appearances
from Chris). I found the podcast before I knew it was one of the blind
parent podcasts. You did an episode breaking down the myths about the
Federation and what you stand for. I really appreciate that because I
believe everything mentioned.
I live in Canada and am a member of the Canadian Federation of the Blind. I
was first introduced to the Federation when attending guide dog school. As
we know, representation from most guide dog schools attend both conventions.
Someone mentioned attending the NFB Convention in 2007, and I wanted to know
about it. The members I met were "living the lives they want." As we know,
low expectations of blind people are what create barriers for us. There are
some here in Canada who live the life they want, but I see more people who
are a part of the Federation in the states truly living the life they
want—lighting fireworks on the 4th of July, taking whatever methods of
transportation they desire to get to their destination, etc. I realize that
those people who are living this way also attended one of the three training
centers you have. I used to be one of those blind people that thought that
you weren't independent enough if you didn't take public transportation and
relied on fixed routes or carpooling. The one takeaway I got out of that was
in some ways those that carpool to work (not because they're blind but
because the coworker lives near them) actually had to be more organized than
those that took the bus. The one thing I took away from this podcast was a)
You don’t have to justify your reasoning for doing what you do; b) Blindness
shouldn't be the excuse for doing something. If you take paratransit because
you’re blind when good bus service is available, then we should work on
that. On the other hand, if you take paratransit because the area you live
in (affordability causes you to live with your parents as you are paying off
those student loans) doesn't have the greatest public transit, this may be a
different story. If it's safer to take door-to-door services at night
because downtown in your city isn't conducive for safe travel by a
pedestrian, I totally understand that.
I’ve told people here in Canada that I want to attend either the Colorado
Center for the Blind or the Louisiana Center for the Blind because I want to
improve on what I know, but also to build that level of confidence I believe
I can have. I also want to attend an NFB Convention one day in person. As
you said, it's the place where blindness is accepted, and you can just be
you.
I also read the two articles you noted and still feel the same way about
blindness as mentioned above. [The articles were “NFB Philosophy: What It Is
and What It Is Not” published in the Braille Monitor in April of 2018, and
“The Nature of Independence,” a speech by Dr. Kenneth Jernigan given at the
1993 National Convention.] I do agree with learning Braille and trying to
use the remaining vision you have and struggling that trying to learn
Braille will possibly help with your reading speed. I know blind people who
only learn Braille for basic things like continuing to play cards with
friends, label items in their kitchen so they can get their coffee—that's
okay too. As I always tell people, my philosophy is I never want blindness
to be a reason why I don't do something. I want to be pushed to learn things
that I may not know how to do, but I am also aware that certain things I may
not want to do just like all sighted people do not like to do the same
things. I always tell people that the only thing I can't do is drive a car,
but I've never found a way to be a blind treasurer for an organization or
sell 50-50 or door prize tickets for an event and be able to read out the
winners without having a sighted person to assist. [We should note that
techniques exist for blind folks to do all of these things, and perhaps we
should devote an article to them that is written by those who are blind
treasurers and actively in charge of all elements in the drawing of raffle
tickets.] Usually this role is given to a sighted volunteer for that very
reason. I've never been able to learn how to run sound/video to play in the
background for presentations either for a sighted organization or blind.
Our blindness organization often will have shuttle services pick you up when
attending one of their events, carry your luggage, and make sure you get to
the location where they are holding it. And, when it's all said and done,
they make sure that you get back to the airport. I liked how you mentioned
that the biggest thing is letting you be in control of you and your
decisions. I know the guide dog schools do that too, but it sure feels good
when you make it to an event on your own without hassling others.
My wife and I went to Toronto for a hockey tournament, and I knew ahead of
time that there was a transit service that took you to the subway. I asked
ahead of time what subway I needed to take to get us close to the hotel, and
we managed to get through the airport with plenty of time and made it to the
tournament. As sighted people might have done if we were running late, we
took a shuttle to the hotel. We had that option, so we tried it. Going home,
we asked the hotel to book the shuttle, and he took us to the airport. With
a huge hockey bag and a long weekend of playing back-to-back games, it felt
nice to get to the airport and check in. I remember reading the article "The
Nature of Independence" and it made so much sense; you’re a busy person who
has an assistant, and it's easier to send the assistant ahead to scope out
the hotel and pick you up from the airport then take you back so you can get
home quickly. I also understand why you dictate your speech and have your
assistant write it out while you're doing something else.
I wish that the NFB would consider expanding to having an international
presence and having contact info for people who want to find out who is
doing the same thing in their country. I don't know if the scholarships for
attending the convention are for the United States or if it is open to
international people too. I would love to come and be a sponge to see how
blind people run an event. As I said, our events here have sighted guide and
volunteers who literally come running if you start walking to the door. They
even go so far as to offer an arm if you ask where the banquet room is or if
they see the table with Ohio, they would not offer directions but would say,
“Let me take you over there,” without ever trying to explain the directions
in words.
As you mentioned, sometimes that service might work, but letting you have
that control of what you want to do and how is important. You might want to
go over to the bar because you mentioned to a friend that you were going to
get them a drink. The volunteer doesn't know if you want to go to the table
or the bar. How often I've sat in a chair and had people bring me a drink or
something like that. I’m saddened by the way some programs have volunteers
as in the case of tandem bike programs, and the volunteers will talk with
each other and every now and again come over to the blind people and talk
with us, but mostly they leave us alone.
I love your podcast with all the info you're putting into it. Sorry for the
long message. Could you make a continuation of this? How does NFB feel about
special privileges if you're blind? Here in Canada CNIB has ID cards that
get you free transit for city buses, not for paratransit though, and I know
I disagree with it. The argument is that blind people can't drive and
therefore need to take the bus. As mentioned above, I feel that if one
disability gets it, then all should or it isn't fair.
Keep up the great work, and I hope to meet the two of you someday.
Blaine
----------
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.
Seeing AI is now on Android:
The popular app that has been an important tool for iOS users is now
available from the Google Play Store. This versatile application provides
many functions that are available through what Microsoft calls channels.
They include functions such as:
* Reading short text
* Reading a longer document in which more accuracy is required
* Reading handwriting
* Identifying colors of objects
* Identifying sources of light and indicating their distance by pitch
* Identifying paper money
* Identifying products using a barcode
* Describing a scene
* Identifying known people
The Seeing AI application is available without charge, is frequently
updated, and is a valuable tool to keep in your toolbox.
----------
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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