[NFBofSC] FW: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, November 2024

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From: brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org <brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org> On
Behalf Of Brian Buhrow
Sent: Friday, November 1, 2024 1:17 PM
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Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, November 2024

 


The Braille Monitor, November 2024


BRAILLE MONITOR


Vol. 67, No. 10 November 2024

Gary Wunder, Editor

Chris Danielsen, Associate 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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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
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You can transfer the recording of each issue from the thumb drive to your
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when you return the device.

Vol. 67, No. 10 November 2024


Contents


Reporter Calls his Blindness an Asset for Key Trump Shooting Interview:
“Vision Could Get in the Way”

by Ramon Antonio Vargas

A Season for Counting Our Blessings

by Barbara Pierce and Gary Wunder

So Much Regulation, So Little Change

by Peter Slatin

Will the US Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Decision Burn Blind Students?

by Carlton Anne Cook Walker

Dreaming Big: The Influence of Blind-Centered Experience and Direction on
Artificial Intelligence

by Bryan Bashin

The Sugar

by Anil Lewis

Embracing the Challenge: A Personal Journey Through Diabetes Management

by Gary Wunder

Expect Much, Give Much, Get Much!

by Ronza Othman

Invest in Dignity: A Matching Gift Challenge to Advance the Lives of Blind
People

An Almost Forgotten Guide Dog School

by Peggy Chong

Inspiration, Education, and Where We Fit in Speaking for Blind People

by Gary Wunder

Community Cultural Wealth and the Empowerment of Blind People through the
National Federation of the Blind

by Justin Salisbury

South Carolina’s White Cane Awareness Day Proclamation

Monitor Miniatures

[PHOTO CAPTION: Gary O’Donoghue]


Reporter Calls his Blindness an Asset for Key Trump Shooting Interview:
“Vision Could Get in the Way”


by Ramon Antonio Vargas

CW: This article contains content related to gun violence and death.

>From the Associate Editor: The following article originally appeared in The
Guardian, a newspaper based in the UK but also with a digital presence in
our country. It was written by the weekend editor for Guardian US and is
reprinted courtesy of Guardian News Service. Federationists may remember
that Gary O’Donoghue, a senior North America correspondent for the British
Broadcasting Corporation who reports both for radio and TV broadcasts, spoke
at our 2016 convention, and his remarks were reprinted in the October 2016
issue of this magazine. His job placed him in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July
13, 2024, to cover what would have been just another campaign rally were it
not for the attempted assassination of Former President Donald J. Trump. Mr.
O’Donoghue, who is also a personal friend, managed to get one of the first
eyewitness interviews about the shooting, and that interview soon went
viral. Readers may or may not agree with Mr. O’Donoghue that his blindness
was an advantage in procuring the interview or with some of his other views,
but what is certainly true is that he is a blind journalist working at the
highest professional level, and that in this case he made a significant
contribution to the immediate global understanding of a historic event. Here
is how The Guardian reported the story:

As Gary O’Donoghue interviewed the Donald Trump supporter who watched a man
calmly climb onto the roof of a nearby building and fire a rifle at the
former US president, the BBC television reporter could not see his subject.

O’Donoghue, who is blind, could only hear him. And he came to regard that as
an advantage upon later being informed that witness Greg Smith cut a bizarre
figure to some—clutching a can of beer in his right hand while wearing a
red, pro-Trump visor with wild fake hair styled to resemble the Republican
presidential nominee’s signature coiffure.

“I wonder, if I could see, whether I would have given him the time of day 

because he did look a bit odd,” O’Donoghue said recently. “But I’m glad I
did, obviously.”

That’s because Smith delivered to O’Donoghue—while on live television—the
earliest account of some of the most alarming aspects of the serious
security failure that marked the 13 July assassination attempt targeting
Trump at a political rally in rural Pennsylvania.

As Smith relayed it into O’Donoghue’s microphone, he was just outside the
rally site but close enough to hear Trump’s speech lobbying for a return to
the White House. He described how he and others pointed out to police that a
man carrying a rifle had gotten atop a bottling plant with a view to the
stage where Trump spoke—but officers did not halt him before he fired about
five shots at the former president. Ultimately, Smith said of the shooter, a
US Secret Service agent “blew his head off.”

O’Donoghue, who was covering the rally as part of his duties as the BBC’s
chief North America political correspondent, said he momentarily feared
Smith might be fabricating “something incredibly inflammatory and dangerous
and misleading and irresponsible, quite frankly.” But Smith’s account was
markedly consistent, and his interview has withstood the test of time.

Multiple videos recorded on cell phones showed rally-goers warning
authorities about the gunman, who investigators confirmed killed one
spectator, wounded two others, and injured Trump’s right ear before a Secret
Service counter-sniper shot the attacker to death.

The apparent failures in communication among the Secret Service and
different police agencies who were tasked with protecting Trump but failed
to stop the shooter from firing are under congressional and FBI
investigation. And they prompted the Secret Service’s director to resign.

All of which only reminded O’Donoghue that the condition some in his life
have tried to convince him is a disability—given his visually focused
profession—can actually be the exact opposite.

“The vision could get in the way, and 
 the words were the thing that really
counted” that day, O’Donoghue said.

While O’Donoghue was already well-known in the UK when a clip of his
interview with Smith went viral on social media in the early aftermath of
the Trump assassination attempt, many in the US only then got the
opportunity to become familiar with the backstory of the reporter who had
just played a key role in helping shocked Americans begin to understand how
the shooting unfolded.

O’Donoghue, 56, was born in Norfolk in eastern England with partial
eyesight, but by age eight he had completely lost his vision. He has
recounted how he soon attended boarding schools for people who are blind.
But otherwise, there wasn’t much support available during O’Donoghue’s youth
for him, his father—a semi-professional soccer player and taxi driver—or
mother, a former ballroom dancing teacher.

He doesn’t mince words when he discusses how difficult life could get for
his family. As he previously told the Independent, when he was older,
O’Donoghue’s mother confided in him that she had contemplated killing them
both—something he regarded as a brave admission.

O’Donoghue eventually pursued degrees in philosophy and modern languages
before embarking on a career as a reporter at the BBC. He does not recall
the outlet initially being eager to hire him—in fact, he said someone there
told him “a blind person couldn’t be a reporter” before he landed a job at
the prestigious broadcaster.

“And I 
 never accepted that,” said O’Donoghue, who was 21 at the time he
was told his disability would prevent him from being a journalist. “That’s
why I pursued my career,” rising from a junior reporter on BBC Radio 4’s
Today show to the chief North America political correspondent post for the
outlet’s television news network by 2015.

Having moved with his wife, fellow BBC journalist Sarah Lewthwaite, and
their daughter, Lucy, to the US, O’Donoghue has since covered six of the
nation’s highest-profile deadly mass shootings—none of which have led to the
substantial gun control many Americans would like to see. He reported on
Trump’s successful run to the White House in 2016, Trump’s defeat to Joe
Biden during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and he is covering the 2024 race
between Trump and Vice-President Kamala Harris—a contest many believe could
decide the future of American democracy.

As he told it to the Telegraph newspaper, O’Donoghue fights hard to
accomplish his responsibilities while simultaneously trying to escape
stereotypes associated with being blind. He doesn’t drive—but he did learn
how, at a defunct air base while studying at one of his boarding schools. He
doesn’t use a guide dog, suspecting one would be “more of an encumbrance.”

His producer colleagues sometimes help him get around—otherwise, he walks
using a long white cane. He has joked that one perk of being a blind
journalist is that it seems harder for people who don’t want to talk to him
to shut doors in his face than it would be for them to do the same to his
counterparts who can see.

Journalism students who are blind often respond to his work by contacting
him. The parents of children who are blind occasionally stop him in the
street—especially when he is in the UK but increasingly in the US, too. All
tell him that seeing him thrive makes them dream that they or their children
“will be able to have a fulfilling career,” O’Donoghue said.

O’Donoghue said he never tells those people it is easy “because it’s not.”
For instance, as he once discussed with the Independent, a producer once
took one of his stories from him and gave it to another correspondent to
present on air, prompting him to successfully press a discrimination
complaint.

Nonetheless, hearing from those journalism students and parents makes him
proud, he said, noting that he does not see many—if any—people who are blind
or in wheelchairs reporting or presenting on cable news. He also said he
knows of only two journalists who are blind working at newspapers in the US,
which O’Donoghue did compliment for its 1990 passage of the Americans with
Disabilities Act, legislation that was meant to protect the civil rights of
people who are disabled.

O’Donoghue said he has struggled to overcome the emotions that coursed
through his body when the Trump rally shooting erupted, forcing him to dive
to the ground for cover while clad in a business suit.

Chiefly, O’Donoghue said, he felt sadness at how painful it can be to report
on the US when politics and violence intersect.

Yet he quickly regained his footing, reached his hand out, ended up touching
Smith as he passed by and nailed down perhaps the day’s most important
interview.

O’Donoghue said he hoped the grace he demonstrated in front of a global
audience—under literal fire—leads more of the public to realize “that the
barriers 
 often put in the way of disabled people do not need to be there.”

“They’re constructed by the world,” O’Donoghue said. “They are not inherent
to being blind or disabled, and 
 these great things can be done.”

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Barbara Pierce and Gary Wunder outside the Pierce home in
Oberlin, Ohio.]


A Season for Counting Our Blessings


by Barbara Pierce and Gary Wunder

>From the Editor: One of the things I have enjoyed most about being the
editor of the Braille Monitor is getting the opportunity to learn. In my
training, I listened to tapes from Dr. Jernigan and had several classes
under the tutelage of President Maurer who believed in me enough to hire me.
But as important as all of these were, the person who worked longest with me
and did her best to teach me what I was able to learn was Barbara Pierce.
Most of our sessions were spent either in conversation or being linked
together through the tandem utility that is offered by JAWS. On one
occasion, however, I was invited for a four-day intensive training class and
shared company with Barbara and Bob at their home. This is an experience I
will never forget.

When planning the November issue that would appear in 2010, both of us felt
we would be remiss if we did not include something about Thanksgiving. Our
associate editor Chris Danielsen and I both feel the same way, and so we
take this opportunity to reprint that article. I hope it is able to kindle
or strengthen the feeling each of you have that we are blessed to have one
another and to share in the National Federation of the Blind. Here is the
article:

In the United States Thanksgiving is traditionally the season for taking
stock and being thankful. Regardless of political persuasion or religious
inclination, this is a time for looking about us and counting our blessings
for what is best in our lives. These days it is easy to find plenty of bad
news and rotten luck: homes or jobs lost, health or relationships
compromised, even violence and personal danger for ourselves or those we
love. Notwithstanding such problems, Thanksgiving is the time when we
concentrate on the good, the healthy, and the generous in ourselves and in
those around us.

In the past few days the two of us have been thinking and talking about the
special blessings that accrue to those in the Federation who have learned to
give spontaneously and to give back to others. Leaders at every level have
experienced the gratification and even joy of extending help to someone who
accepts it and then turns around to ask what he or she can do to help the
organization or someone else in need. We rejoice because the NFB has just
become a little stronger and more effective and because we have found a new
friend and colleague. That is always something for which to give thanks.

In such situations we count ourselves lucky and blessed, but have you ever
stopped to consider that such people are also among the very luckiest in our
society? Sometimes, for the first time in their lives, they know the joy of
giving, the feeling of self-worth when they are needed, and the cleansing of
spirit which comes when they begin to believe they are repaying a debt. That
debt is never totaled, never demanded, but always present in the conscience
of those who are willing to admit to ourselves and others just how much we
have been given to get where we are today. Sometimes it is the goodwill of
others expressed through a kind word, the name of a passing bus, or the name
on the next street sign. Sometimes it is the lunch we were bought when we
came to convention on a hope and a prayer and with just enough money to get
home. Sometimes it is money set aside by our fellow citizens for our
vocational rehabilitation. At last we have hope that we can assume our
places in the world as givers—grateful for what has been given or loaned,
but equally grateful for the chance to pay it back. This is the one time in
life when we're willing to pay interest because that interest means we are
not only giving back what was loaned but adding to the treasure available
for helping our fellow human travelers.

Consider for a moment those folks whom we reach out to help but who, after
receiving the assistance, subside back into apathy or actively withdraw.
Their actions are often cloaked in self-justification: I can't get to
meetings; I don't have the skills to help others; I am too old to take an
active part in things; my family wouldn't like for me to go out on my own; I
did my part when I could see; I'm just not a joiner; I'm not a causist like
you people. Then there are those who benefit in a substantial way from our
help and with sincere-sounding words that make your heart want to burst,
proclaim their allegiance to giving back to the people and the organization
that has done so much to help them. It hurts when, after these promises,
their names appear in a presidential report at a state or national
convention, and you go to congratulate them on their victory, only to
realize they have disappeared. The excuses vary, but the motivations are
pretty obvious and depressing: insecurity, laziness, self-absorption, and
passivity; the world has dealt me such a dirty hand that I just can't find
it within myself to raise a finger in the service of others.

Blind people find it temptingly easy to fall into such habits of mind. The
people around us usually don't believe that we can do the things they do, so
their instinct is to protect us from failure by discouraging us from trying.
If one's impulses to try new things are stifled long enough, it is no wonder
that one eventually begins to believe that holding up one's end, returning
favors, even talking about the interests of another person are social rules
that do not apply. Down this road live the blind people who assume that they
deserve free services, a place at the front of the line, and representation
by the NFB when they are denied what they want or think they deserve.

Such shriveled souls are exasperating and frustrating, but mostly they are
to be pitied. One of the most vivid pictures of such folks is the statement
making the rounds that they play the game of life wearing catcher's mitts on
both hands—always ready to receive but unable to throw the ball back. These
are truly blighted souls, and we should pity them, for they have deprived
themselves of a joyous feeling words can't begin to convey. They have missed
one of the most fundamental components of the contented life—giving. Whether
it is enabling a blind child to get the Braille instruction she needs or
offering a stranger a listening ear, giving blesses both the recipient and
the giver. It may be more blessed to give than to receive, but it is also
much more fun and more rewarding.

We who are members of the National Federation of the Blind can count among
our blessings this Thanksgiving that we have the opportunity to give to each
other and to our communities. We know the satisfaction of helping others and
improving the world. By the grace of God our capacity to commit to others
and to reach out with understanding has not been smothered by society's
conviction that we have nothing to give. For this and for very much more,
this Thanksgiving we are thankful.

----------


We Need Your Help


Attending my first National Convention in Orlando, Florida, I was
overwhelmed by not only the resources, mentorship, and national community of
students, but the love that filled every corner of the organization. The
National Federation of the Blind gave me the world. - Trisha

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 students like Trisha. 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 Trisha.
*	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 online contribution page at:
https://nfb.org/donate.


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 2023 our supporters helped the NFB:

*	Send 401 Braille Santa and Winter Celebration letters to blind
children, encouraging excitement for Braille literacy.
*	Distribute over six 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
130,000 subscribers with print disabilities free of charge.
*	Give over seven hundred Braille-writing slates and styluses free of
charge to blind users.
*	Mentor 321 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.

---------


So Much Regulation, So Little Change


by Peter Slatin

>From the Editor: It is interesting and sometimes difficult to understand the
background of our laws here in the United States, let alone comparing and
contrasting them with laws in other countries. Our author does a good job of
describing the history of laws here and in Canada, complete with their
difference in emphasis and their pros and cons.

Peter is a consultant, writer, and disability advocate. He lives in New York
City and is the founder of the Slatin Group created in 2012. He also serves
as a board member of the Colorado Center for the Blind. A version of this
article appeared in the September issue of Able News.

In late May I participated in “Accessible Canada, Accessible World,”
(https://wecount.inclusivedesign.ca/initiatives/acaw/) a two-day conference
in Montreal created by the International Design Resource Center at the
Ontario College of Art & Design and sponsored by Accessibility Standards
Canada, a federal agency tasked with developing what its name calls for. It
was an extraordinary event, with most discussions held in a “flipped
classroom” format: two people, in the somewhat interchangeable roles of
facilitator and provocateur, guided attendees—most of whom were
accessibility and disability scholars and advocates—in discussion while
encouraging everyone present in person or virtually to contribute. Not
surprisingly, the majority of attendees were Canadian, and the majority of
discussions were framed around accessibility creation in Canada. I suddenly
found myself outside of what I realized was my US-centric disability and
accessibility comfort zone.

The ACAW event allowed me to see how the different approaches to enabling
and optimizing disability inclusion of a nation that is our very close
geographic and cultural neighbor can highlight both positives and negatives
in our own journey toward full accessibility.

We pride ourselves here on having enshrined disability rights in law with
the passage and signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act thirty-four
years ago. Yet, in Canada the rights of people with disabilities are
foundational: they are written into its 1982 Constitution. That’s as basic
as it gets. Yet, against the backdrop of the long-running failure in the
United States to pass the Equal Rights Amendment for women to our
Constitution, it’s difficult to expect that an equivalent amendment
guaranteeing equal rights to disabled people would get very far.

Even if it did, would it make it easier to increase the prevalence and
quality of accommodations across society? If Canada’s history is any guide,
apparently not much. So activists kept pushing, and thirty-seven years after
the Constitution was adopted, the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) became law.
The ACA, like the ADA, is a federal statute, but unlike the ADA, it seeks to
regulate only federal entities and federally regulated business enterprises
including banking, telecom, transportation, and federal services. In
contrast, the ADA seeks to regulate private enterprise as well as government
at the federal, state and local level, including education and employment.
State laws offering stronger protections than the ADA override it, and vice
versa.

Canada’s provinces, territories, and local governments are not under the
ACA’s jurisdiction, although they can pass their own regulations. The
strongest of these is the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
(AODA), passed in 2005, which some provinces and territories have used as a
partial template.

The development and passage of both the ADA and ACA were driven by
activists, and each reflects a seemingly robust mechanism for embedding
accessibility into their respective national landscapes. But that outcome is
proving illusory. The ADA is overseen by the US Department of Justice. It’s
not exactly written in stone, but—other than through litigation—there is no
formalized process for reviewing, revising, and updating the statute.

The Canadian federal department, Accessibility Standards Canada, was created
through the ACA and is a framework for collecting and reviewing input from
stakeholders across the diverse disability community to design, set, and
implement accessibility standards.

In simpler terms, the ADA is a reactive mechanism, permitting government to
rely on the disappointment and anger of citizens at the ongoing failures of
private and public-sector enterprises to acknowledge and act on the need for
change. The ACA offers a proactive and collaborative approach to maintain a
living legislative framework that theoretically gives citizens with
disabilities the means to establish and strengthen the legislation.

Yet, in their enforcement mechanisms, these two approaches also reflect each
nation’s disinterested attitude toward a full-throated embrace of
accessibility. The ADA invites—insists on—litigation, guaranteeing the
entrenchment of adversarial attitudes toward disability inclusion. For its
part, the ACA kindly requests—and hopes—that everyone will do the right
thing. While it includes a procedure for processing complaints and even for
asking entities to respond and comply or face fines, the actual mechanisms
for doing so are buried in time—a consuming and tedious bureaucracy, a less
than robust formula for successful remediation.

Despite enormous effort on every front, and despite the plethora of
regulation that has been enacted toward the creation of accessible
societies, the movement continues to grind against the same basic entrenched
barriers: public, business, and governmental indifference. Perhaps as the
developed world ages and finds itself understanding accessibility as a
personal need that might have something to do with how everyone else also
functions, societal attitudes will recognize and accommodate to reality.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Carlton Anne Cook Walter]


Will the US Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Decision Burn Blind Students?


by Carlton Anne Cook Walker

>From the Associate Editor: This article is reprinted from the Summer 2024
issue of Future Reflections, the magazine of the National Organization of
Parents of Blind Children. Here is what its editor, Deborah Kent Stein, said
to introduce the article:

>From the Editor: As many readers of Future Reflections are aware, Carlton
Walker is a fierce and tireless advocate for the rights of blind children.
As an attorney, a teacher of blind students, and the parent of a blind
child, she brings many layers of experience and expertise to the challenges
blind children face today. In this article she explains a recent ruling by
the US Supreme Court and ponders how blind students may be affected. 

School is out, but the summer of 2024 has kept me and other education
advocates very busy! While we monitor the provision of Extended School Year
(ESY) services to our students, we also support our families with ideas for
summertime learning and fun.

Summertime also brings the annual convention of the National Federation of
the Blind (NFB), as well as the annual conference of the National
Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) and the annual meeting of
Professionals in Blindness Education (PIBE). (Both NOPBC and PIBE are
divisions of the NFB.) This summer also marked the inaugural class of NFB’s
IEP Advocacy Academy, and several participants presented IEP (Individualized
Education Plans) workshops at the NFB Convention. 

As I eagerly prepared for the NFB Convention, the US Supreme Court issued a
decision that seemed to change the very foundation of federal law. As you
may know, federal law provides the basis for IEPs—the documents that guide
the educational access, instruction, and tools for students with
disabilities, including blindness and low vision. In addition, federal law
serves as the bedrock of civil rights laws that secure the right to both
reasonable accommodations and freedom from disability-related
discrimination.

In recent years the US Supreme Court issued three opinions that have
expanded the rights of students with disabilities (Endrew F. v. Douglas
County School District (2017), Fry v. Napoleon Community Schools (2017), and
Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools (2023). None of these decisions had a
dissent. Each justice agreed with the judgments of the Court—judgments that
solidified the rights of disabled students. Endrew F. clarified that IEPs
must be “appropriately ambitious in light of [the student’s] circumstances.”
Fry opened the door to allowing students with disabilities to enforce their
civil rights to reasonable accommodations—even when the IEP team refuses an
accommodation. The unanimous Perez decision further empowered disabled
students with IEPs by removing a longstanding hurdle to enforcing their
civil rights outside the IEP process.

As an advocate for blind/low-vision students and their families, I eagerly
embraced each of these rulings. Taken together, these three decisions
strengthen my clients’ positions as we advocate for a free and appropriate
public education (FAPE), including instruction in blindness skills such as
Braille, Nemeth Code, tactile graphics, assistive technology, and
orientation and mobility. The fact that the US Supreme Court reached each of
these judgments unanimously served to reinforce the principles of these
cases.

Meanwhile, the NFB has continued its tireless advocacy for blind
individuals, including public school students. These efforts have resulted
in notable federal protections for our students, including federal
regulations and positive administrative regulatory guidance from the US
Department of Education and the US Department of Justice (through Dear
Colleague Letters, factsheets, and other publications). These documents help
clarify the rights of blind/low-vision students to IEPs, Braille, assistive
technology, and more in public schools, including public charter schools.
These guidance documents have also clarified the right of students of all
ages attending public or private schools or colleges to accessible
curricular materials, effective communication, etc. 

On June 24, 2024, the US Department of Justice’s final rule regarding
“Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web
Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities” became
effective. Wow! And, in just a few days, the NFB Convention would bring
together thousands of blind people and allies. NFB IEP Advocacy Academy
participants would be presenting their first IEP workshops. Despite the
suffocating heat of June, buds of equity abounded in the garden of blind
students’ rights.

Yet, on June 28, 2024, before those buds had a chance to bloom, our US
Supreme Court issued an opinion that threatens to scorch those buds and
leave the garden wilted and weak. This case, Loper Bright Enterprises v.
Raimondo, upended four decades of jurisprudence in the area of
administrative law. In non-lawyer speak: Loper Bright diminished the power
of many of the educational and civil-rights protections that
blind/low-vision students enjoyed prior to June 28.

In Loper Bright, the Court expressly overruled its own June 25, 1984,
unanimous decision, Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council, which
recognized the expertise of regulatory agencies (such as the US Department
of Education and the US Department of Justice) and directed the courts to
give deference to reasonable agency interpretations of Congressional
statutes in cases where those statutes were ambiguous. This interpretation
became known as the Chevron Rule, and it served as the basis of
administrative law for more than forty years. 

While we still do not know the full impact of the Loper Bright decision, we
do know some things. Loper Bright does not have an impact on case law (court
decisions) or federal law passed by Congress. Instead, Loper Bright removes
the Chevron Rule, so courts will no longer defer automatically to federal
agency regulations or guidance. Nevertheless, Loper Bright instructs that
courts may use regulations and agency guidance to help determine the
appropriate interpretation of ambiguous Congressional legislation.

For blind students, Loper Bright will likely impact civil rights (reasonable
accommodations and freedom from disability-related discrimination) more than
educational rights (IEPs). Congressional law, the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act, plainly sets forth many IEP rights, including
broad definitions of assistive technology devices and services, least
restricted environment, members of an IEP team, and the explicit inclusion
of orientation and mobility services as related services. Moreover, the IDEA
statute (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) includes the Braille
Provision, which ensures the rights of blind/low-vision students to Braille
use and instruction unless such is deemed “inappropriate” for the student.
Loper Bright does not impact these important educational rights. In
addition, as noted above, other recent Supreme Court decisions have
bolstered students’ educational rights.

Loper Bright will likely have far more impact in the area of civil rights.
At its core, Loper Bright argues that the Chevron Rule stripped courts of
their duty to interpret Congressional statutes and major civil rights
statutes such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. These statutes tend to be less detailed
and more controversial than is the IDEA. In particular, businesses and
governments may well seek to use Loper Bright to challenge the long-awaited
Web Accessibility rules referenced above. Other regulations and guidance
relating to reasonable accommodations may face challenges as well.

Back to our initial question: “Will the US Supreme Court’s Loper Bright
Decision Burn Blind Students?” I have to offer the typical lawyer answer,
“It depends.” I do not expect Loper Bright to shake the foundations of
educational rights for blind students. However, I fear that it will “burn”
individuals who rely on civil rights protections contained in the ADA and
the Section 504 regulations for guidance, including blind individuals of all
ages. Let us be ever hopeful and ever vigilant!

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Bryan Bashin]


Dreaming Big: The Influence of Blind-Centered Experience and Direction on
Artificial Intelligence


Presented by Bryan Bashin, Vice-Chair, Be My Eyes; Berkeley, California


>From the Editor: Here is one of the most enlightening presentations of the
2024 National Convention agenda, one in which the presenter was a
facilitator who introduced us to an almost unbelievable dialogue with
artificial intelligence and showed how it can be harnessed to assist us in
our day-to-day living. Here is what President Riccobono said to introduce
the presentation:

MARK RICCOBONO: This presentation is from another entity which we supported
through our partnership, along with SmartJob and the American Action Fund.
We supported their exploration of artificial intelligence. This item is
“Dream Big: "The Influence of Blind-Centered Experience and Direction on
Artificial Intelligence,” and this gentleman is no stranger to this crowd.
He brings his blind-centered intelligence to his role in helping to shape
the work at Be My Eyes.

Here is Bryan Bashin.

BRYAN BASHIN: Good morning, fellow Federationists! You know, last year
during convention, Be My Eyes CEO Mike Buckley stood here and told you about
the thing that had just started, a little thing called Be My AI. Anybody use
it here?

Today I want to tell you a little bit more about what happens when a company
has leadership that is centered on blindness. Beginning ten years ago from
our blind founder, furniture craftsman Hans Wiberg, who wanted more
solutions, more tools, there are significant blind memberships at Be My Eyes
on the board of directors, and our products are influenced by two hundred
blind beta testers around the world.

In fact, are there any blind beta testers from Be My Eyes in this room?
[Cheers]

Since Mike Buckley spoke here in the last twelve months, we've had a
profusion of new features that are blind-informed. Now you can do private
friends and family circles, create your own. You have Be My Eyes for work,
you have Be My Eyes on the Android platform for the Global South. You have
Microsoft partnered with Be My Eyes for Windows Desktop AI. Anyone use it
yet? [Cheers]

A couple months ago we put out Be My Eyes' own inclusive language guide.
What company puts out a disability language guide? One that is
blind-informed. And we put out a service directory; it's in every app, maybe
a thousand different companies and so forth, but also in there you will find
the phone numbers and can be connected directly to every NFB affiliate
president in the United States.

Centering on blindness really makes a difference. You know, those beta
testers who started with us a little more than a year ago said one thing: “I
want facial description,” and that loud and clear voice informed us. We're
working with our partners at Open AI, and we said, “Our members need facial
description.” They said, “No, we've got to blur it.” I said, “We need this
description.” We're at a table demanding something from a
one-hundred-billion-dollar company, and guess what? They gave us facial
description. It's available in all forty-nine states except for the state of
Illinois, which has its own rules. I think there are a few lawyers;
Illinois, where are you? You've got some work to do.

What we are finding in this last year is that blind people are using the
hell out of AI. Last month our servers had 2,100,000 queries just for Be My
AI. That means every 1.2 seconds around the clock somebody on the planet who
is blind is asking for description through AI. To our surprise, that's seven
times more queries for AI than the old volunteer service. But guess what?
The volunteer calls are still as strong as ever, have themselves increased,
and it's important to us that, if you need information, you have the choice:
AI or human. It doesn't matter, as long as you use it.

The average person who uses AI uses it 4.7 times a day to find out
information. This last sixteen months of experience has shown us that AI can
really do amazing things. I'll tell you one example. Last week a woman—a
blind woman in California who is using Be My AI— has figured out how to
write the code to run a 3D printer, and those who have run 3D printers know
that sometimes they go awry. Is the object being created properly or is it
not? Be My AI will describe how the thing is going and how it worked. So, I
was very impressed. At the end I thought to ask her what university she is
with, and she said, “I'm in the eleventh grade.” That's the future of AI.

So I want to talk to you a little about the future, and I want to do the
most dangerous thing possible from the stage, which is a live demonstration.
I'm going to ask my associate Kerns Lane to come and help with this
demonstration. He's going to demonstrate our latest capability, which will
be in your hands in a matter of weeks. It is GPT4.0, which is informed, I'm
told, by one trillion parameters, things it sucked up on the Internet from
God knows where. It's the largest model out there, apparently.

So when we demonstrate it, I want you to notice how the world is changing.
Instead of taking a picture and waiting ten seconds, which was a miracle all
the way back in 2023, today AI will be quick, conversational, and
interruptible.

So, Kerns, where are you? Hello, AI, can you hear me?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Hi, I can hear you.

BRYAN: Can you describe the logo of the National Federation of the Blind?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Yes, the logo of the National Federation of the Blind has
three intertwined circles in red, blue, and green, symbolizing equality,
opportunity and security for the blind. Have you seen this logo before?

BRYAN: Yes, absolutely. But now I want to change topics, because knowing
about STEM and science is important to blind people. Could you describe to
me the appearance of the asteroid Ryugu?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Absolutely. Ryugu is a diamond shaped asteroid with a
rugged surface covered in rocks and boulders. Its color is dark, almost
black, and [it is] about half-a-mile wide. It's quite an intriguing sight.
What got you interested in asteroids?

BRYAN: I'm interested in many things, but can you tell me that same
description in Spanish?

AUTOMATED VOICE: [Speaking Spanish]

BRYAN: All right, now I would love to change from just talking to live
video, okay? Are you ready?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Ready when you are.

BRYAN: Can you tell me what you see?

AUTOMATED VOICE: It looks like a conference room with lots of people seated
and a podium at the front. There is a banner with logos, including Google,
hanging behind the podium. Are you attending or presenting at this event?

BRYAN: Can you tell me if the folks look like they are enjoying my
presentation?

AUTOMATED VOICE: They seem engaged and attentive.

BRYAN: Okay. That's a first. I would like to ask Kerns to point the camera
at the President of the National Federation of the Blind?

AUTOMATED VOICE: How are you feeling about the presentation so far?

BRYAN: This is Mark Riccobono; do you know who he is?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Yes, Mark Riccobono is the President of the National
Federation of the Blind. How are you feeling about how it's going?

BRYAN: Excuse me, can you tell me what he looks like?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Sure. Mark Riccobono is wearing a dark suit with a green
shirt and a tie. He has short light-colored hair. He seems focused on his
presentation. Anything else you would like to know?

BRYAN: You said he has short light-colored hair. The other day he told us
that after ten years his hair is receding. Is it really receding?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Yes. Yes, his hair is receding. [Laughter]

BRYAN: Okay, Mr. President, can I ask you to do something for the camera?
Just do something, and I'll ask AI what you are doing.

PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Okay.

AUTOMATED VOICE: Sounds good. I'm ready to describe what is happening.

BRYAN: Tell me what he is doing.

AUTOMATED VOICE: He's waving his hand at the camera. He's waving again.
Anything else you would like to ask him?

BRYAN: Try one last thing. What is he doing now?

AUTOMATED VOICE: Now he is [raising] his hand up high, almost like he's
waving or making a point. Seems like he 
 he's still keeping his hand up
like he's making a point or signaling something.

BRYAN: He's very determined like that. Thank you, AI. And thank you, Kerns.

Will this be something requiring high tech when it comes to Be My Eyes? No,
that was an iPhone 13 using a regular cellular network. I'm going to tell
you something: that today's AI is the worst AI you will ever use. It's only
going to get better.

We are seeing over the last year fewer hallucinations. But the
blind-centered folks at Be My Eyes are seeing some things that are actually
a little worrying about this too. The descriptions that AI is giving are
increasingly bland, warm, and homogenous. If you ask, say, for a photo of a
real estate broker, you are never going to get a real estate broker carrying
a white cane. Blind people are missing from these large language models. So
we're seeing deeper problems because of that.

Sometimes you will ask one of these models—and there are about twenty-four
of them active right now, so I don't want to pick on any one. You will say,
“I'm blind,” and it will respond with “I'm sorry.”

Or sometimes you will hold up a business card—and you think that would be an
easy thing—and you're happy that the business card is in Braille and print.
You'll say, “Can you read the business card?”

The AI says, “I can't read it because I can't read Braille.”

Sometimes it's taken a picture of me and described me like it described
President Riccobono and said, “He's carrying a long, red-tipped cane.” Well,
I've never used a red-tipped cane in my life. The models have to stop
generalizing. [Applause]

The models actually have told me that it's preferable to call somebody
“visually impaired” than blind. Obviously, they weren't in resolutions
yesterday. It's called a dog guide, “your best friend,” and sometimes we see
that you get syrupy and condescending language when a blind person does the
merest accomplishment.

Then it still has, guess what: the same ableist construct when you ask it,
as the video will now tell you, “your Uber is here.”

But where is here?

One day I thought, okay, I'm going to try one model. I'll get my mail, and
I'll just go through it one piece at a time. So I picked out a piece of mail
and held it up. I wanted to see who it is from. And it said, "It's an
envelope."

Then I thought, okay, I'll ask it a second question. I did.

And it said, “Oh, it has a return address and regular address and a stamp on
it.”

It took me three times to get it to read who it was from. It never occurred
to the model makers that users of this service would be blind or would hold
paper upside down. These models are not unkind or prejudiced. We simply
don't exist in them right now. We need to train these readers to be
efficient as we train human readers. [Applause]

This field is called "reinforcement training through human feedback." Large
companies, the largest LLMs, are spending up to $100 million every year with
humans training the models to be more accurate and more respectful. But to
my knowledge, no blind person has yet been hired to join this team of
reinforcement training. Would any of you like to be hired to train these
models? [Cheering]

Some companies say they don't need us; they can train these models with
theoretical models of blind people. Do you think that could possibly
represent our lived experience?

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: No!

So how can we make things better? In the very near future, you will have a
chance to train these models yourself. In fact, our friend Everette Bacon
announced this week that his company, Aira, is already soliciting your input
to train its models for better results.

Now, I know that some of your sessions, your video sessions particularly,
may be private, and we want to find ways to respect that. So in our and
other user agreements, you will always have the chance to opt out if
something seems private to you. But we hope you are going to lean in and
train these models. It's the only way that we can exist and show up in them.
You know, we train teachers and employers, family, everybody on the street
about blindness every day. Why is training AI any different from that?
Actively speaking our truth has always been at the core of Federationism.

And so I ask you: Did you sit and wait for the vision industrial complex to
get rid of subminimum wages?

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: No!

BRYAN: Did you sit and wait for somebody else to put sounds on quiet
electric cars?

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: No!

BRYAN: Did we put up with ATMs that didn't talk when they arrived?

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: No!

BRYAN: Do you want to sit and wait for the AI companies to get blindness
right by themselves?

AUDIENCE MEMBERS: No!

BRYAN: So please, share your sessions. Consider it a revolutionary act to
change the machine.

You know, tech writer Tom Chatfield said it best. "There is no question that
AI is changing the world. The question is... who will be changing AI? Whose
majority models will be the ones that go forward? And who will be left out?"

Federationists, we must not be left out. Thank you! [Applause]

---------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis]


The Sugar


by Anil Lewis

>From the Associate Editor: Anil Lewis is a former affiliate and chapter
president, among many other roles, and currently the Executive Director for
Blindness Initiatives on the National Federation of the Blind staff.

I remember growing up and hearing many of my family members and their
friends consistently referring to an affliction they were experiencing
called “the sugar.” “Did you hear that Mary has the sugar?” I had no idea
what it meant and was definitely not threatened. How bad could it be? After
all, like bacon, sugar makes everything delicious.

Recently diagnosed as diabetic, I have come to know “the sugar” as diabetes
and realize the significant threat that it poses to my life and, according
to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 38.4 million other Americans.
Thankfully, this is another issue that the National Federation of the Blind
works to address head-on.

“Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called
blood sugar, is too high. Glucose is your body’s main source of energy. Your
body can make glucose, but glucose also comes from the food you eat—over
time, high blood glucose can damage your heart, kidneys, feet, and eyes.”
(From:
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabe
tes)

Many members of the National Federation of the Blind are very familiar with
diabetes because one of the potential negative health effects of the disease
is diabetic retinopathy, which is “a progressive eye condition where the
blood vessels around the retina get progressively damaged by high blood
sugar levels, and is the top cause of blindness among working-age adults.”
(From: https://assileye.com/blog/diabetes-leading-cause-of-blindness/)

Interestingly enough, with my mother, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, and
other family members experiencing diabetes, I did not come to know blindness
because of diabetes. I became blind due to retinitis pigmentosa at the age
of twenty-five with no other health complications and paid no attention to
the fact that I was at high risk for diabetes. Moreover, despite years of
warnings from my primary care physician about being “borderline diabetic,” I
still took no steps to alter my eating or exercise habits.

For those currently exercising the same strategy of inaction, I offer the
following: ignoring health concerns is not a good strategy for prevention.
Additionally, I ignored common symptoms of diabetes. I appreciated the
weight loss and attributed it to better living. The constant need to urinate
just became part of my day-to-day life. Ignorance was only bliss for a
little while.

Around age fifty-five, I finally crossed the borderline and became an
official Type II diabetic. The actual diagnosis was intimidating. I had so
many questions. How would this change my life? What would I need to stop
eating? Would I need to have insulin injections? Most importantly, would I
need to give up chocolate?

An additionally disturbing potential consequence of diabetes is diabetic
neuropathy, “nerve damage that is caused by diabetes that, in the case of
peripheral neuropathy, typically affects the feet and legs and sometimes
affects the hands and arms.” (From:
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-pr
oblems/nerve-damage-diabetic-neuropathies/what-is-diabetic-neuropathy)
Diabetic neuropathy can be doubly damaging for blind people, as the loss of
eyesight can also be complicated with the loss of sensitivity in the hands
and feet, making it difficult for a blind person to read Braille or gain
access to environmental information tactually through their hands and feet.

Now I realized why I had the tingling in my feet at night, which was scary
because I had friends who had toes and other body parts amputated as a
result of their diabetes. Thankfully my diabetes can currently be treated
with oral medication, but I realize that I am at another borderline, and
unless I make some significant lifestyle changes, diabetes could lead to so
many other health complications. My overachieving Air Force colonel, trauma
surgeon, ordained minister cousin made it plain when he told me that “You
don’t know the damage diabetes is doing to your body until the damage has
been done.”

Finally, realizing that this is a serious health concern that I should
address immediately, I began making better decisions on what to eat and
started a simple exercise routine. My cousin emphasized the importance of
changing my diet and increasing my exercise. He also explained that working
out the larger muscles burns more sugar, so I added squats, lunges, and
push-ups to my workout. I do not mean to infer that this is simple, and that
I consistently adhere to a new diet and exercise regularly. It is difficult
and takes work. I still cheat a little when there is a delicious chocolate
cake on the menu, and I still miss a few days of my morning exercises.
However, I am dedicated to continuing moving in a positive direction toward
making these changes, and I take three steps forward for every one or two
steps backward.

It is somewhat advantageous that blindness came before diabetes. Otherwise,
I may not have become aware of my greatest resource, the NFB Diabetes Action
Network (DAN)
(https://nfb.org/about-us/divisions-committees-and-groups/divisions/diabetes
-action-network). The DAN is one of the many affinity groups of the NFB made
up of blind diabetics that, through our collective action and a shared lived
experience, provide information and support to one another; seek to promote
systemic change to improve the lives of blind people; collaborate with
technology developers to innovate dynamic means for blind people to access
information; and in this particular case, strive to work with medical
professionals to ensure that those individuals who experience blindness as a
result of diabetes realize that they can still live the lives they want.

Members of the DAN have assisted me by sharing suggestions on healthy snacks
that would replace my sugar-filled favorites and are equally delicious. Our
conversations about accessible ways to monitor glucose initially helped me
understand how to use an accessible glucometer and have evolved to my
current use of a glucose sensor that monitors my glucose throughout the day
and is accessed using a smartphone app. I can better understand the meaning
of A1C as a result of common-sense discussions with others. I strongly
encourage all blind diabetics to join this dynamic division.

DAN members have done some initial work of assisting to develop accessible
insulin pumps by engaging with several manufacturers through the creation of
our Accessible Insulin Pump Task Force, and we will be expanding that work
through our new Accessible Diabetes Devices Work Group. We believe this work
will eventually lead to the development of an accessible bionic pancreas and
will support our Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act legislative
efforts because there is definitely a link between legislation and progress
and the reverse of that, progress leading to legislation. Our participation
in these initiatives will not only result in the development of medical
devices that are nonvisually accessible to blind users; it will result in
the creation of multimodal devices that are easier and safer for everyone to
use.

We believe that by bringing blind people, medical professionals, technology
developers, and medical device manufacturers together, we can build on our
collective knowledge toward creating enhanced treatment strategies that will
result in improved quality of life for all. Our first “Knowledge is Sweet”
conference held earlier this year educated, entertained, and inspired others
to take control of their diabetes and was a successful start to what we hope
to be an ongoing annual conference. We are already making plans for our 2025
conference that will be held at the National Federation of the Blind
Jernigan Institute on a date to be announced.

The National Federation of the Blind continues to assert that blind people
have the right to live in the world. The work we conduct through our NFB
Diabetes Action Network actively seeks to bring awareness of the
intersection of blindness and diabetes and highlights how society can be
improved through our full participation. We are happy to recognize November
as National Diabetes Awareness Month and celebrate November 14 as National
Diabetes Day.

Whether you are blind or sighted, you can take steps to prevent acquiring
diabetes. If you have diabetes, “you can lower your chances of developing
diabetes health problems by taking steps to improve your health and learning
how to manage the disease. Managing your blood glucose, blood pressure, and
cholesterol levels can help prevent future health problems.” (From:
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabe
tes) Most importantly, if you are blind and have diabetes, remember that you
can live the life you want; neither blindness nor diabetes holds you back.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Wunder]


Embracing the Challenge: A Personal Journey Through Diabetes Management


by Gary Wunder

Delivered at the Knowledge is Sweet Seminar, St. Louis, Missouri, April 27,
2024

Good morning, everyone. Today, I stand before you not just as a speaker, but
as someone who walks the same challenging path as many of you do—a path
marked by a constant companion named diabetes. This journey is not just
about the physical hurdles we face daily; it's profoundly shaped by our
knowledge of this disease, an honest acceptance of ourselves, and a
realistic look at what it takes to change our behaviors.

My journey into the world of diabetes management began with a mix of anger,
denial, and disbelief. Like some of you, diabetes was not a stranger in my
family. Yet, I carried on with life as if I was somehow immune to its grasp
and consequences. My attitude toward managing this condition through diet
was passive at best, summed up to my doctor and family by the statement "I
can do that," rather than by a commitment, "I will do that." Unlike some of
you, I was warned by my doctor and had a clear sense that I was on the road,
being what she called prediabetic.

My lax approach continued until the day I received my first bottle of
Metformin. I remember calling my pharmacy with anger, being convinced that
they had made a mistake and had given me my wife's medication. Yes, I was
riding that big white horse, sword in hand, wishing to recite to them all of
the dangers in medication mix-ups that could be caused through their
inattention. They listened politely, and then they read me the prescription
from the doctor saying that Metformin was in order because my A1C was 7.2.
A1C is a measurement of one’s blood sugar for the three-month period prior
to the test. The blood sugar for a person not yet a diabetic is about one
hundred, meaning an A1C of about 5.0. My blood sugar level was at 163,
firmly placing me in diabetic territory.

I hung up the phone and started experiencing denial, anger, and frustration.
Normally when I feel these emotions, I look around me and figure out who is
to blame. I didn't have to look far.

I grudgingly took my first dose of Metformin, and then bought my lancets,
the Prodigy meter for announcing my sugar, and plenty of test strips. All of
that showed resolution, right? But using it was a different matter, and
every finger stick reminded me I had not been smart, especially when I did
not get enough blood for the strip or in some cases did not get any blood at
all. Every time I got ready to do the finger stick, I heard a choir standing
behind me singing the chant, "stupid, stupid, stupid." They were singing it
to me, for in fact it was a musical version of part of my autobiography of
which I was not proud.

When I came to the dinner table, I was not a happy camper. For me, it
brought back memories of childhood restrictions: a time when choices were
made for me, not by me. Suddenly, I was that child again, facing a world of
"can't haves" and "shouldn't eat that.” I never thought I would face such a
psychological battle when it came to my plate. Suddenly I realized with new
clarity that food is not just sustenance; it's a source of joy, a
centerpiece of social gatherings, a cultural identity. When we become a
diabetic, suddenly we are watched whenever we eat. This statement is not all
about being paranoid. Take a piece of pie and listen as someone says, "Is
that really good for you?" It made me want to yell, "Do you remember when,
two weeks ago at the family picnic, you urged me to have a piece of your
cake and assured me that you had made it just for me, it always having been
one of my favorites?”

Once you decide that the drugs only go so far and that it's really up to you
to determine what and how much you will eat, the question then becomes what
you will eat, what you won't, and how often you will make an exception.
Before I got my continuous glucose monitor (CGM), I made many more
exceptions. There wasn't any problem with that small piece of sweet roll or
that generous serving of mashed potatoes. They wouldn't affect my blood
sugar much, and if I didn't bother to test that day, there was no evidence
to argue I was wrong.

If I was going to have to limit what I ate, who was the authority I could
rely on to help me figure out what to eat and what to avoid? I find reading
easy and enjoyable, but when you don't want to give up eating certain foods,
it is easy to argue that with regard to nutrition, nobody knows what they're
talking about. The case is easily made given all the contradictory theories
and their numerous opponents and proponents. This is a great excuse for not
acting, but it doesn't bring down the blood sugar one little bit and
therefore does not lessen the damage occurring to the diabetic.

After listing all of the excuses, the question then becomes what motivates
us to embrace this challenge? For some, it's the desire for longevity, to be
there for our loved ones. My wife dreams of seeing our grandchildren
graduate and perhaps find their callings. For others, including me, it's
more about the fear of complications, the desire to maintain quality of
life. Although I have no desire to hasten death and shorten my time with
loved ones and friends, I find that my motivation has much more to do with
holding onto the quality of life I have now. I want to maintain the feeling
in my feet so that I can have a better chance of keeping my balance. I like
feeling the texture of my wood floors and using my feet to tell me whether
I’m doing a good job while vacuuming. I love being able to feel Braille
under my fingertips and the softness when petting a golden retriever. The
thought that I might lose feeling in my hands or feet helps me to make
better choices. The CGM keeps me honest; the desire to maintain my sense of
touch makes hard choices easier. Just how important is the Frosty or the
banana split blizzard? I don't always make the right choices, but the easy
availability of my blood sugar number and the fear of what I might lose does
keep me on a narrower path.

In an age where information is abundant, finding the right path to manage
diabetes can feel like navigating a labyrinth. Competing theories on diet,
exercise, and medication can leave us feeling lost and frustrated. I find
myself constantly trying to find a balance as I sift through this
information, armed with knowledge from healthcare professionals and a
personal understanding of my body. I'm frustrated by all we don't know but
challenged to figure out what seems to be right for me. I’m also challenged
to keep in mind that I am a learner and not a teacher, and what proves true
for me may not be for someone else.

Using psychological tools and seeking support can transform our approach to
diabetes management. Mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral strategies, and
support groups offer us a compass in this journey, guiding us through
moments of temptation and frustration with a renewed sense of clarity and
purpose. This is part of what we do in the Diabetes Action Network: help
provide good information and then help each other be honest with ourselves.
Have I been adhering to a reasonable eating regimen, have I been exercising,
have I been taking my medication regularly, and have I shared my numbers to
get a gentle prod or some congratulations from those who understand?

My journey with diabetes has been filled with ups and downs, moments of
denial, and eventual acceptance. It has taught me that managing diabetes is
not just about the physical aspects—monitoring blood sugar, adjusting my
diet, or taking medication. It's about confronting the psychological
battles, embracing change, and finding a sense of balance.

Let us move forward, not with a spirit of denial but with a commitment to
action. Let us not see diabetes as a barrier that will stop us but as a
challenge to live our lives more fully, more consciously. Together, we can
navigate this journey, supporting one another in embracing the challenge
with courage, determination, and hope.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Ronza Othman]


Expect Much, Give Much, Get Much!


by Ronza Othman

>From the Editor: Ronza Othman serves as president of the National Federation
of the Blind of Maryland (NFBMD). Below is the introductory remarks she made
in the Presidential Report she gave at the NFBMD convention on February 17,
2024. When placed alongside the remarks by President Riccobono and the
comments I’ve written about being a self-advocate and a person committed to
educating the public, this should either be very instructive or give some of
us the desire to sit down and write an article that supports very different
views. Here is what Ronza said to our Maryland convention:

As a kid, I wanted to be a cartoon character when I grew up. I loved the way
cartoon characters experienced a challenge, and through their own pluckiness
and creativity overcame that challenge. They made it all look easy, often
with a clever or wisecracking sidekick along for the ride. My favorite
cartoons were those that had an anvil fall on their head and then they
jumped up and went on to the next adventure.

As an adult, I can reflect on the fact that I was attracted to the concept
of wanting to be a cartoon character because of the unapologetic way cartoon
characters occupy their space and their resilience in times of adversity.
Road Runner never apologized for existing. Buster and Babs Bunny never
worried about what society thought of them. I wanted that for myself, and I
slipped into a world of cartoons and imagination because, as a blind child,
I didn’t know how to make that my reality. I still want to be a cartoon
character when I grow up, but maybe without the anvils.

The blind share a desire to want to feel a sense of belonging in society.
This desire to belong is natural—everyone wants to belong. But for us, our
desire to belong is rooted in the sense of exclusion many of us feel as a
result of society’s low expectations about us due to our blindness.

Society’s low expectations shouldn’t be our problem, but we in the National
Federation of the Blind of Maryland will continue to fight them as long as
it takes to annihilate them.

One afternoon, I stood at a street corner with a four-way intersection
waiting to meet a friend so we could travel together. Time has dulled my
recollection of where we were going or what we were going to do when we got
there. But more than a decade later, I can still feel the sun on my face and
the breeze wrestling my clothes. I can still smell the exhaust fumes from
cars and buses going by and the scent of weed that together make up that
unique but recognizable city smell with which we are all familiar. I can
still hear the air brakes on a city bus and the horn of a vehicle too
impatient to wait the five seconds it’ll take people to get off the bus. I
can still taste the Pepsi that I undoubtedly held in my hand.

 

That afternoon, as I waited at that street corner, leaning on a lamp post, a
random stranger walked up to me, and she said with pity in her voice, “Don’t
worry, hon, I’ll help you cross the street.”

I thanked her politely and said I didn’t want to cross the street. She
persisted.

“It’s OK, hon, I’m willing to help you. I have a few minutes to spare.”

I persisted some more, but she continued to offer help crossing the street.

In my mind, I had an internal debate that went something like this:

“Self?”

“Yes?”

“Why does she think I want to cross the street?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is it the way I’m standing?”

“Maybe.”

“Is it the way I’m leaning against this pole?”

“Maybe.”

“Is it that people don’t just stand around in public?”

“I don’t know about that—I’ve seen a lot of people standing around in
public.”

“Is it that blind people can’t just stand around in public?”

“Yes, that’s probably what she thinks. She thinks I’m lost.”

“But I’m not asking for help, so why does she think I’m lost?”

“Probably because she can’t imagine a blind person could be alone in public
and not be lost.”

“Why are her assumptions my problem?”

“Because I’m the one in her space right now.”

“But it’s my space. I was here first.”

“But blind people don’t get to own space if it rubs up against what
well-meaning sighted people think is supposed to be happening.”

Meanwhile, the random stranger and I continued to politely debate whether or
not I needed help crossing the street.

 

“Self?”

“Yes?”

“Why are we still having this conversation with her?”

“Because I don’t want her to think I’m rude.”

“So what if a random stranger thinks I’m rude?”

“Well, then she’ll think all blind people are rude.”

So, eventually I gave in and let her escort me across the street, mostly to
keep the peace. We started at the southwest corner and crossed directly in
front of us, so we were at the southeast corner of the intersection.

She asked me where I was going next.

Here’s the discussion that went on in my head.

“Self?”

“Yes, still here.”

“Why does she want to know where I’m going? She’s a stranger.”

“Because she thinks I can’t get there on my own.”

“Is it safe for me to tell her?”

“No, probably not, because she’s a random lady chatting up a stranger on a
street corner.”

“But why does she get to ask a random stranger where I’m going and actually
expect me to tell her? Isn’t that a bold thing to do to someone you don’t
know?”

“Yes, if the same rules applied to me that apply to everyone else.”

“They should.”

“But in her mind, her low expectations about blind people mean she gets to
violate social norms.”

“Again, why is that my problem?”

“Because I’m occupying the same space as her.”

“What if I tell her I’m going to my job as a circus juggler?”

“She won’t believe me.”

“Well, what if I told her I was going to visit my Baltimore Ravens player
millionaire fiancé?”

“She won’t believe me.”

“What if I told her I was going to a meeting of the Board of Directors for
the Fortune 500 company I lead?”

“She won’t believe me.”

“What if I told her I was going to court to try a case as the lead
attorney?”

“She won’t believe me.”

“But that one could be true. All of them could be, but that one is sometimes
true.”

“Her low expectations for blind people mean she thinks I am going either
somewhere where I can be taken care of or nowhere at all.”

Then I got a brilliant idea.

I answered the stranger that I was crossing the street kitty corner from
where I’d come from. As I expected, my new friend decided she had to help me
cross the street.

So, we crossed and now I stood at the northeast corner of the intersection,
diagonally from where we started.

Predictably, she asked me where I was going next, and this time I was ready
for her.

I told my new best friend that I was crossing the street and pointed at the
opposite corner. She was thoroughly confused. I could practically hear the
conversation she was having with herself in her head.

“Random stranger?”

“Yes?”

“This poor pitiful blind girl doesn’t realize she could have crossed just
one time instead of three times to get there.”

“I know. She must not be very bright.”

Once we got to the northwest corner, my new best friend asked where I was
heading. I told her I was going to cross the street and pointed to the
corner where we’d started.

With a deep sigh, she “helped” me cross the street. We were right back where
we started.

“Ummm
hon, do you realize we’re right back where we started?”

“Yes,” I responded.

“Where do you want to go,” she asked?

“Exactly right here,” I answered confidently.

“Then why did we cross all four corners,” she asked completely puzzled and a
little annoyed?

“Because you insisted, so you must have needed a walk.” I answered
cheerfully.

 

It could have gone one of two ways—she could have reacted badly and given me
the business for wasting her time, or, she could have learned from what I
was trying to make a teachable moment.

Fortunately, she, after a moment of processing what had just happened, began
to laugh and said, “I was pretty insistent, wasn’t I?”

We were able to chat about her low expectations for me because I was blind
and my own capitulation so as to not offend her. In the end, she said, “Oh,
hon, if I’m being a total idiot, please, offend me.”

This is one example of how we let society tell us that we don’t belong and
that we shouldn’t occupy the same space as others. There I was, minding my
business, just literally standing there leaning against a pole on a busy
city street. But because I was blind, this stranger assumed I was lost and
needed help. Then, though I tried for a bit to disabuse her of that notion,
in the end I gave up and went with what she wanted in order to keep the
peace. How many times have each of us done something because society wanted
us to conform to their misconceptions about us? We belong in this world, and
we deserve to exist in our space. And yet, because society’s expectations
for us are low, we find ourselves falling into the pattern of “going along
to get along.” There’s no shame in that—we all do it. But I’m here to tell
you that you belong in this space and in any space you choose to occupy.

----------


Invest in Dignity: A Matching Gift Challenge to Advance the Lives of Blind
People


“One of the key elements for us to live the lives we want is to bring a
community of blind people together. The other key is that everybody gets to
bring the ingredients that they like to the table in our organization
we
bring lots of diverse individuals with individual preferences, backgrounds,
and diversities to work together in a shared experience as blind
people.”—Mark Riccobono, President, National Federation of the Blind

In the National Federation of the Blind, we believe our strength lies in the
collaboration with partners who share our vision. One of our most valued and
enduring partnerships is with HumanWare, a global leader in assistive
technology for the blind and people with low vision. You may know them for
their innovative products like the Victor Reader Stream, the Mantis Q40, or
the newly introduced Monarch dynamic tactile graphic display. Together, we
are making strides to ensure blind individuals have equal opportunity and
access to the world around us, especially through Braille literacy and
tactile graphics.

We’re excited to announce that HumanWare and additional anonymous donors
have presented us with a Matching Gift Challenge. From October 1 through
December 31, 2024, every dollar contributed will be matched up to $100,000.
This is your chance to double the impact of your gift and help us reach our
goal.

Your support is an investment in dignity, empowering blind people to live
full, independent lives. Dignity is built on equality, respect, and
opportunity, and by contributing to this campaign, you are helping create an
environment where blind people can share information, make choices, and take
control of our futures. With your generosity, we can continue advancing the
next generation of access technology and fostering inclusion in the
classroom, at home, and in the workplace.

Please share this opportunity with friends and family, and if you are able,
here’s how you can contribute:

*	Give online at nfb.org/donate <https://nfb.org/donate> 
*	Call 410-659-9314, extension 2430, to make a gift by phone
*	Send a check to National Federation of the Blind, 200 East Wells
Street, Baltimore, MD 21230

With the support of our partners like HumanWare and the generosity of
supporters like you, we can build a community where equality and opportunity
are brought to life, empowering blind individuals to live the lives we want.

Thank you for your investment in dignity and for helping us expand
possibilities for blind people everywhere.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Peggy Chong]


An Almost Forgotten Guide Dog School


by Peggy Chong

>From the Editor: When many of us think about the guide dog coming to
America, the story of the Seeing Eye, Morris Frank, and the year 1929 come
to mind. But as important as the school, the person, and the date may be,
perhaps we are missing out on some history. This is the case made by Peggy
Chong in her capacity as the Blind History Lady. Here is one of the many
treasures she so generously donates to the Braille Monitor and the National
Federation of the Blind:

October is White Cane Awareness Month. In past years I have written about
the cane. Today is about a dog guide school almost forgotten.

Someone once told me that one man’s fact is another man’s fable. I knew what
he meant at the time but have come to realize that statement is so true in
so many ways. Today we have many sources from which to get our information.
It is getting harder and harder to determine which source has done in-depth
research on any issue and if it is as accurate as possible.

The blindness community has terrific researchers and sources to reference.
These seekers of the truth work with the material, archives, and
professionals available in the blindness field. As many of us know, what
little history we have is in print, written for the sighted. The Braille/New
York Point diaries, letters, files, and reports of the past written by and
for the blind are all but gone as family, friends, and even agencies for the
blind cannot read these formats. So, researchers can only work with what
they know about.

Today, I want to highlight a piece of history that pre-dates many of the
written articles regarding dog guides in the United States. Most of the
records from this school were burned in a fire in 1935. Few graduates of the
program left written testimony about their dogs and the school. All we have
are a handful of personal stories and a few newspaper articles to help us to
unearth the first guide dog school in our country, Master Eye Foundation of
Minneapolis, Minnesota.

John “Jack” Sinykin (1891-1984), a Russian-Jewish immigrant from St. Paul,
Minnesota, owned a successful cosmetic company with endorsements by famous
Hollywood actresses. While riding a train between Chicago and St. Paul, he
saw a blind veteran of the recent World War asking for assistance. In his
travels, Jack remembered his dog who saved his life several years back when
he was thrown from his horse in the middle of nowhere on his father’s ranch
in South Dakota. He speculated on how a dog might have helped that blind
man.

Jack already was well-known for his ability to train dogs. So it was that he
began to investigate dogs and blindness. Germany had a successful program
for almost ten years training dogs to guide blinded veterans. He contacted
them, and in 1925, the first two of his more than 3,000 dogs trained for the
blind came over from Germany.

Lux came first with no instructions. The dog was extremely agitated by the
trip to such an extent that Jack had to take the kennel with Lux inside to a
small, private room. Lux only understood German. Jack found a friend who
gave him a few German words to calm the dog. Jack almost had second
thoughts. He could not bring the dog to his house out of concern for his
small child and family dog at home. In a few days, Lux relaxed with the
constant companionship of Jack.

Lambert Kreimer, the most successful trainer of dogs for the blind in
Germany, arrived several months later. Jack and Lambert worked with the
other dogs, helping to enhance Jack’s techniques for teaching dogs to guide
the blind.

While waiting for the dogs to come to his La Salle Stables in Wayzata, Jack
gave careful thought as to who the first few people to receive his dogs
should be. The blind recipient needed to have a high profile in order to
help promote the idea of a guide dog for a blind person. That blind person
also needed to be successful in the use of the dog. Jack chose blind Senator
Thomas Schall of Minnesota.

Jack traveled to Washington, DC, and approached the blind senator in a
hallway where he laid out his plans. At first, Schall was skeptical. He had
been blind twenty years by then and had designed his own methods for travel
and other blindness techniques. Schall agreed to meet with Jack and later
came to La Salle Stables to meet and train with the dogs.

Senator Schall was impressed. Schall learned the German words that Lux
trained under until Lux grew accustomed to and understood the English
commands. Schall now walked alone to and from places he wanted to go both in
Minneapolis and in Washington, DC. Lux and Schall became a team for the next
seven years until Lux died in 1933.

The second dog, Eric, was partnered with Colonel Fred Fitzpatrick,
(1880-1962). Fred retired in 1919 after twenty years in the military, a hero
of the 1916 Mexican War and World War One. Fred lost his sight about 1923.
He headed his own mortgage firm and was serving as sheriff of Salina,
Kansas, when he received his dog in 1927.

More German Shepherd dogs were being raised and trained at La Salle Kennels.
The third dog, Junker, was assigned to Ruth Hoefer of Michigan, and the
fourth, Blackie, was paired to Dr. Francis Naegeli, an osteopath of Durango,
Wisconsin.

Jack wanted every blind person who wanted a dog as a guide, no matter their
race, religion, employment status, or income to have one. He spent his own
money to bring the first dogs and trainers to Minneapolis and expanded his
own fifty-acre stables to include kennels to house and train the dogs. If a
potential recipient could not afford to travel to Minnesota to train with
the dog, he financed their travel and housing during their stay. After the
first few dogs demonstrated the dramatic impact on the lives of the blind
men and women who received his trained dog guides, the Twin Cities Jewish
community became regular and significant contributors to the Master Eye
Foundation (MEF).

The MEF school raised funds through donations and collaborating with a pet
food company. For every few labels from Perk Dog Food cans mailed back to
the foundation’s post office box in Minneapolis, the Perk Company donated
money to the MEF.

Dog guide schools that followed in the next few years required the blind
person to pay $150 towards their first dog. Their philosophy was that if the
blind person paid a significant part of the cost of the dog, the blind
person would appreciate the dog and take better care of it. Yet, most adults
could not afford the dog on their own. They went to family, community
groups, churches, or charities to ask for funding to travel to New Jersey to
obtain their guide dog. This brought a higher public profile to the other
schools.

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) in New York warned of several
fraudulent schemes regarding the blind and dog guides. Although the AFB
never said the Perk labels were fraudulent, their articles had a dampening
effect in the many states where Perk was sold.

Celebrity contacts Jack made in Hollywood through his wholesale cosmetic
company such as V. E. Meadows and Eve Parshalle, raised funds for the
foundation. He traveled to Hollywood several times in the 1930s when
proposed legislation to allow dog guides for the blind into public places
was introduced in the California State House. He held press conferences to
emphasize his support. The Hollywood contacts hosted glamorous dances, even
during the Depression for the foundation.

William A. Christensen, owner of a manufacturer’s distribution firm and
chiropractor in Hollywood, California, received Almo from MEF. William later
founded the National Eye Dog Association that began training dogs primarily
for WWI vets living in California. Almo was the first dog ever awarded a
medal of honor by the City of Los Angeles after awakening his master,
alerting William to a fire in the hotel they were staying at. Almo was
credited for saving several lives that day.

One of Jack’s most famous students was Geraldine Lawhorn, a Black, deafblind
actress and pianist. Blondie, her dog, received the most public attention
after Senator Thomas Schall’s dog. Yet, there were thousands of owner and
guide partnerships that went unmentioned in the media. MEF did not have a PR
department, advisory board of influential and wealthy contributors, or the
regular support of the blind themselves. A few pictures remain in archives
at the University of Minnesota showing blind men and women, white, Indian,
Black, and Asian. Sadly, no names grace the backs of the pictures.

Jack trained dogs for the blind personally until several months before his
death in 1984. His son continued for a few more years, but the training of
dogs for the blind ceased. The assets of the MEF were purchased by Can Do
Canines, a dog training school focusing on service dogs for the deaf.
Unfortunately, Jack remains an all-but-forgotten contributor to the
independent travel of many blind men and women.

----------


Inspiration, Education, and Where We Fit in Speaking for Blind People


by Gary Wunder

Perhaps it is just me, but I recently observed several points of tension
when it comes to the message we want to send about blind people through the
National Federation of the Blind. Two issues come to mind, and I hope to be
able to spark discussion on both as a result of this article.

The first issue deals with the question of when we think it is acceptable to
recognize something that a blind person is doing and when that crosses the
line to become so-called “inspiration porn.” When most of us listen to the
news, we often find ourselves brought down. Whether it is the stories of
war, school shootings, gang violence, or drug overdoses, we don't usually
find a lot to cheer about in the headlines. Is it any surprise, then, that
we look for things that are good and positive, things that will motivate us,
things that will show us that the world is more than it appears to be?

I know that when I hear all of the bad in the news, I look for the story of
inspiration, the story of odds overcome, the story of the Golden Rule
prevailing over selfishness and greed. I think this tendency for inspiration
is also true for our publications, which range from the Braille Monitor to
the literature we use for public education. Where is the line drawn between
inspiration porn and something being newsworthy because it doesn’t happen
every day? More to the point, how will the blind people whom we have not yet
reached learn of the possibilities they might aim for if these stories are
not told?

Forty-five years ago we got television coverage because we marched in the
American Royal Parade in Kansas City, Missouri. What were we doing? In the
words of the man who was then our state president, we were demonstrating
exceedingly bad judgment by exposing our wingtip shoes to the same street
that one minute ago had been trod by horses. Certainly we were not
demonstrating our best in independent travel by simply following the crowd,
but the event made the news because the public was surprised that blind
people would leave our homes and participate actively in a major community
event.

Not only did we get footage during the parade—something almost every
participant got—but we got way more time on camera, much more glowing
commentary, and even made the six and ten o’clock news. Inspiration porn? We
didn’t think so. We were, rightly or wrongly, quite proud; we were raising
the expectations for blind people and hoping that our small march would make
life better for ourselves and others.

Our website, our convention, and our Braille Monitor are filled by examples
of blind people doing things that we and others have considered noteworthy.
Is it amazing that Brian Buhrow goes to work every morning, brings home a
good salary, goes to concerts of his choosing, and takes one or more major
vacations each year where he explores everything he can get his hands on?
With the right kind of promotion, I bet I could get that into almost any
newspaper in the country and could certainly do so in the local ones. Is he
amazing? When I listen to the plumbing and electrical work he does around
his home, hear his descriptions of the way digital equipment works, observe
how much he is able to detect when feeling things I never think to put my
hands on, I would say yes, my friend is amazing. Was Dick Edlund amazing for
running his own hardware store, closing it to become a civil rights worker
for the blind, and later becoming a member of the Kansas State Legislature?
I would label him amazing. When James Omvig left high school and spent the
next seven years of his life in near seclusion but turned all of that around
when he met Kenneth Jernigan and the Iowa Commission for the Blind, was Jim
amazing? Was Kenneth Jernigan amazing when he moved from poor farm boy with
little opportunity to become the leading civil rights figure for the blind
in the twentieth century? Is the country that made such a rehabilitation
process possible amazing? Perhaps I’ve set the bar too low, but my answer to
all of these is yes.

The second issue is public education. When I joined and for quite a long
time thereafter, we saw it as one of our core missions to educate the
public. Never did we underestimate the mammoth job we were undertaking, but
we considered it as both an obligation and a privilege to take on this task.
Certainly we have all had times when we admitted that we didn’t feel like
educating, when we didn’t do all that we might have, and even times when we
were rude or dismissive because the day had been too long and too hard. But
only recently have I begun to hear a very different proposition that seems
to go something like this: members of the public are ignorant, mostly
because they choose to be, and it isn’t my responsibility to set them
straight. If they want to know more about blindness, let them go to the
library or to the internet. I’m tired of hearing about how amazed they are
that I can go to an airport, catch a plane, visit a new city, go to a hotel
I’ve never stayed at before, and manage to pull down a salary for the
productive work I do that requires all of this. If they don’t give a second
thought to the fact that they can do it, why do they bother to make such a
fuss over me? And why, in the name of good sense, should I be bothered with
their never-ending chatter and amazement?

To many of these questions my only answer is that there is a lot to learn
about the world and the diverse people who make it go round. Sometimes our
lack of information or our ignorance is intentional. We’ve already made up
our mind, and we don’t want it to be more complicated than it already is. We
are comfortable with the stereotype that elevates us above others, that
makes us believe that everything good that happens to us was a matter of
making the right choice and, in keeping with that, everything that happens
that is sad or unfortunate was, at its root, a matter of bad choices. That
kind of ignorance gets us off the hook. But most people who are ignorant—or
to be gentler about it, those who lack information—aren’t even aware that
they don’t know. When they realize they don’t know, they want to learn. If
in ignorance they have held the belief that turns out not to be true, it may
take more persuasion than we like to convince them that they should change.

I think the question we have to ask ourselves is quite simple: If not us,
who? Whether we want or accept the task every minute of every day, to whom
would we entrust the responsibility of educating people about blind folks?
Yes, I am tired of the repetitious questions about other senses that are
heightened, my strong sense of empathy for others, my ability to see through
the obstacles sight offers and to be the visionary who sees the real person
inside. I’m tired of having to constantly make the case for accessibility,
but to whom do I wish to entrust this job?

As members of the National Federation of the Blind, we carry the unique
responsibility to educate the public. While this task is sometimes daunting,
it remains a crucial part of advocating for and representing blind people
accurately and respectfully. It is a part of raising expectations, and just
because it can sometimes be repetitious and time-consuming is no reason to
avoid the challenge and the opportunity it presents. Isn’t it a major tenet
of our philosophy that we are the people who should speak for blind people
as a matter of principle, and don’t we generally believe that we know more
about blindness than others who would presume to speak for us? Is carrying
this load an unwanted burden, or is it part of getting what we have demanded
all along? We have demanded the right to speak for ourselves as the people
most qualified to do so, and to take responsibility for explaining to the
public what it means to be blind and what those of us who are blind can do
as caring, giving, and competent human beings. Is carrying this load an
unwanted burden for part of getting what we have demanded all along: the
right to speak for ourselves as the people most qualified to do so and to
take responsibility for explaining to the public what it means to be blind
and what those of us who are blind can do as caring, giving and competent
human beings? I suggest that among ourselves we growl a bit from time to
time but that we never lose track of how many have tried to speak for us and
how hard fought has been our struggle to be recognized as the experts on
what it is to live Blindfully.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Justin Salisbury]


Community Cultural Wealth and the Empowerment of Blind People through the
National Federation of the Blind


by Justin Salisbury

>From the Editor: One of the things I admire about Justin Salisbury is that
he is constantly trying to incorporate what he learns with what he practices
and knows to be the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind. In
terms of the gap between consumers and professionals, he is constantly
trying to narrow it, and he doesn’t for one moment hide the fact that the
National Federation of the Blind is the key to real progress forward for
blind people. Here is what he has to say about cultural capital and what we
might say to those who ask why they should be concerned about and encourage
their clients to be involved in the National Federation of the Blind.

Science and research have sometimes been harmful to the blind, but there are
indeed forms of science and research that we can use to our advantage. The
theory of community cultural wealth was not specifically developed by the
blind or for the blind, but I believe it is a powerful tool that we can use
to explain a type of strength that we hold as a community.

I am currently in my fifth year of life as a PhD student, and I have
continued to be fascinated by how this important theory in educational
research matches up so well with the kinds of benefits that I have received
from my participation in the National Federation of the Blind. The term
community cultural wealth can be used to explain to many educational
administrators, teachers, researchers, and gatekeepers how blind people of
all ages can benefit from connecting with the National Federation of the
Blind.

Before the framework of community cultural wealth was first published by Dr.
Tara Yosso in 2005, it had been far too normal for education scholars and
administrators to argue that students from marginalized racial groups were
struggling in education and employment because they lacked the cultural
capital required for success in education and employment. It was commonly
argued that white people were the primary holders of this cultural capital,
and if the people of color could just get better at whiteness, they could
succeed. It was a way of blaming the marginalized people for their own
struggles, arguing that the white way of doing things was the right way of
doing things, and justifying an inherent superiority of the dominant group.
Yosso used critical race theory to turn the old theory of cultural capital
on its head and instead focus on the strengths that socially marginalized
groups bring with them into education and employment. Yosso argued that
marginalized groups cultivate and nurture community cultural wealth through
six forms of capital, which I will define and explain soon. (The definitions
are taken from Dr. Yosso’s original article, which is cited at the end of
this one.) These forms of capital are (1) aspirational, (2) linguistic, (3)
familial, (4) social, (5) navigational, and (6) resistant. With the
introduction of this framework, leaders in education had a powerful
framework to talk about the positive ways that marginalized communities were
succeeding in the face of oppression.

For those of us who are blind, we are used to society framing us as having
deficits. We carry a kind of collective trauma from centuries of researchers
assuming that something was wrong with us and trying to figure out what that
was. This continues today, and we should not assume that it is over. There
are ways that we can focus on the strengths of blind people and those things
that help us to succeed the way that we want to succeed. I am not proposing
that I am the first one to do this; in fact, there are researchers who
belong to the National Federation of the Blind who work to uplift those
strengths of the blind community. This theory is another tool for explaining
what we already do, especially if we are talking to people with graduate
degrees in education. When educational administrators want to know why they
should help a blind child connect with the National Federation of the Blind,
an answer in their jargon might be “community cultural wealth.”

Aspirational capital is “the ability to maintain hopes and dreams for the
future, even in the face of real and perceived barriers.” The National
Federation of the Blind helps blind people to hold onto hopes and dreams,
even in the face of structured inequality and societal misperceptions and
low expectations. I had a dream of becoming the first person in my family to
earn a college degree, and I also had a dream to go into the United States
Coast Guard. I had thought that I would do both by attending the United
States Coast Guard Academy, but becoming blind during my sophomore year of
high school put an end to that. Before I met the Federation, I struggled to
hold onto hope that I could really succeed in college. The Federation
provided me role models who helped me to keep dreaming and hoping. I still
hope that blind people can one day serve in the military, and the National
Federation of the Blind is advocating for this change.

Linguistic capital means “the intellectual and social skills attained
through communication experiences in more than one language and/or style.”
Braille is not a language, but thankfully, this definition allows other
options. Braille is a style of communication which supports us to develop
and maintain intellectual and social skills. Braille gives us strength. It
allows us to record important information and share it with each other. When
I give presentations, I use notes in Braille, and I have the uncommon
ability to read while maintaining eye contact with my audience. Some Braille
readers like to have Braille versions of the most difficult things that they
need to read because it can help them to grasp the information more fully.
Using screen readers is also part of our linguistic capital. I catch a lot
of spelling errors that sighted classmates miss because JAWS makes the
awkward words sound noticeably different.

Familial capital means “those cultural knowledges nurtured among familia
(kin) that carry a sense of community history, memory, and cultural
intuition.” The Federation gives us kinfolk who share community history,
memory, and intuition. We teach each other how to sense when something seems
good or bad for us as blind people. We teach each other about histories of
our movement and the blind community, from asylums to working homes to
sheltered workshops to today. We know how hard blind people have fought to
expand and protect Braille literacy. We know that we share a responsibility
to manifest the dreams of our founders. Someone once told me that those who
came before us are our blind ancestors, and I absolutely agree. I inherited
many rights that my blind ancestors created for me. We share our history
intentionally.

Social capital means “networks of people and community resources.” Quite
simply, the Federation gives us social capital because the Federation gives
us networks. Some of us may slip into the trap of thinking that the
Federation is a referral service to send blind people to agencies that will
handle all the learning. I emphasize that the Federation itself is the most
important resource for blind people. When I need to learn something about
the city where I live, I can go to a local chapter meeting of the NFB and
ask. I may need to ask someone how to make a certain argument to advocate
for myself or how to vote accessibly in the federal elections. My social
capital through the Federation helps me to access other kinds of capital.

Navigational capital means “skills of maneuvering through social
institutions.” I am not using navigational capital to describe cane travel
skills. Still to this day, when I navigate through the vocational
rehabilitation process, the knowledge and skills that I have gained through
the National Federation of the Blind have been essential. When I first
needed to learn how to negotiate accommodations in the classroom in higher
education and learn who was responsible for what, the Federation was my key
resource. I still use that knowledge today. We help each other learn to
navigate systems all the time.

Resistant capital is “those knowledges and skills fostered through
oppositional behavior that challenges inequality.” Resistant capital can
show up when blind people advocate for ourselves individually or
collectively. We could be meeting with Senators to pass a bill that
eliminates the legal practice of paying disability-based subminimum wages.
We could be pushing back when a vocational rehabilitation counselor denies
our request to attend an out-of-state training center. We could be marching
to protest service denials from rideshare drivers. We could be attending an
individualized education plan meeting to help ensure that a blind child is
taught Braille.

>From my understanding of community cultural wealth, every socially
marginalized group has its own special flavor of community cultural wealth,
but what is consistent is that we have one. The kinds of resistant capital
that one marginalized group needs may be different from the kinds of
resistant capital that another marginalized group needs because we are
marginalized in different ways. Some of the stereotyping I receive as an
Indigenous person in the United States is different than the stereotyping
that I experience as a blind person, so I need different ways of pushing
back on those stereotypes. If we look at linguistic capital, I have
different phrases or words that I may use in primarily Indigenous spaces
that differ from how I speak in an NFB affiliate board meeting. If I am in
an NFB affiliate board meeting, I may use the term “VR counselor” and feel
no need to explain it because it is part of the linguistic capital of the
blind community.

Marginalized groups often share some kind of identity, and these identities
can be separated into vertical identities and horizontal identities. These
different kinds of identities are outlined in Solomon’s book referenced
below. Vertical identities are identities where most people with that
identity share it with their biological parents. Horizontal identities are
identities where most people with that identity do not share it with their
biological parents. In other words, a horizontal identity is simply a
characteristic that members of a group have in common with others but that
doesn’t come directly through their family or ancestry. Either the identity
most often comes vertically down the family tree, or it most often does not.
Therefore, blindness is a horizontal identity; it can, of course, be
genetically inherited in some cases, but not all blind people acquire it in
that way.

With communities based around horizontal identities, organizations of people
with that identity have a powerful role in defining the community values and
positions, and they also act as a mechanism for transferring community
cultural wealth. Since my sighted parents could not teach me about the
community cultural wealth of the blind community, I needed to go outside the
family and learn our community cultural wealth through the National
Federation of the Blind. With vertical identities, biological parents can
share it with their children, so the community organizations do not play as
heavy a role in that process. The Federation is the primary hub for
community cultural wealth in the blind community in the USA.

For blind children and adults in the education and rehabilitation processes,
learning about and embracing the community cultural wealth of the blind
community helps us to become more successful. When we know how to dream and
aspire, use Braille and other communication styles, navigate complex social
systems, grow and maintain networks of supporters and allies, learn the
knowledge from our blind ancestors, and know how to push back effectively
against discrimination and low expectations, we become better equipped for
success. To all the parents, teachers, special education administrators,
vocational rehabilitation counselors, and college professors: If your blind
student or VR consumer gets connected to the National Federation of the
Blind, we will share our community cultural wealth with them. We will give
them important tools to make them successful. We know our community cultural
wealth better than anybody, and we are eager to share it with everybody.
Sharing it does not deplete it. The more we share it, the stronger our
community becomes, and the more our community cultural wealth grows. Let us
share it with your student. Let us share it with your consumer. Let us share
it with you.


References


Solomon, A. (2012). Far from the tree: Parents, children and the search for
identity. Simon and Schuster.

Yosso, T. J. (2005). “Whose culture has capital? A critical race theory
discussion of community cultural wealth.” Race ethnicity and education,
8(1), 69-91.

----------


South Carolina’s White Cane Awareness Day Proclamation


>From the Associate Editor: Every chapter and affiliate is encouraged to
request that their state or local government issue a proclamation
recognizing White Cane Awareness Day (also known as White Cane Safety Day,
although we prefer the former) on October 15. A template proclamation is
available at https://nfb.org/programs-services/blind-month. Here is what
South Carolina’s governor said in his version of the proclamation for 2024:


State of South Carolina Governor's Proclamation


WHEREAS, the white cane, which every blind citizen of South Carolina has the
right to carry, demonstrates and symbolizes the ability to achieve a full
and independent life and the capacity to work productively in competitive
employment; and

WHEREAS, by allowing every blind person to move freely and safely from place
to place, the white cane makes it possible for the blind to fully
participate in and contribute to our society and to live the lives they
want; and

WHEREAS, every citizen should be aware that the law requires that motorists
and cyclists exercise appropriate caution when approaching a blind person
carrying a white cane; and

WHEREAS, South Carolina state law also calls upon employers, both public and
private, to be aware of and utilize the employment skills of our blind
citizens by recognizing their worth as individuals and their productive
capacities; and

WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina has promoted
independent living, mobility training, Braille literacy rights, and voting
and jury duty rights, not to mention the White Cane Law passed in 1972; and

WHEREAS, the South Carolina Commission for the Blind came into existence in
1966 by the National Federation of the Blind advocating for legislation in
order that this state agency shall assist in implementing vocational,
assistive technology, Braille and computer literacy so the blind may find
competitive employment and the elderly blind may live independently; and

WHEREAS, the South Carolina School for the Deaf and the Blind, celebrating
its 175th year of service this year, prepares this generation of blind
children for their educational goals; and

WHEREAS, with the cooperative assistance of the National Federation of the
Blind of South Carolina, along with the Commission for the Blind and the
School for the Blind, South Carolina can and should facilitate the expansion
of employment opportunities for greater acceptance of blind persons in the
competitive labor market as the General Assembly has done by defeating
subminimum wages for the blind and disabled workers in this state going into
full effect in 2024.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Henry Dargan McMaster, Governor of the great State of
South Carolina, do hereby proclaim October 15, 2024, as WHITE CANE SAFETY
DAY throughout the state and encourage our schools, colleges, and
universities to offer full opportunities for training blind persons,
employers, and the public to utilize the available skills of competent blind
persons, to open new opportunities for the blind in our rapidly changing
society, and encourage all South Carolinians to recognize the white cane as
a tool of independence for blind pedestrians on our streets and highways.

HENRY DARGAN MCMASTER

GOVERNOR

STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA

----------


Monitor Miniatures


News from the Federation Family


American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults Reaches Milestone of
Shipping 100,000 Free White Canes in the US


The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults (Action Fund) has
recently achieved a significant milestone by shipping its one hundred
thousandth free white cane to a blind person in the United States. This
accomplishment marks a pivotal moment in a program that was initiated in
2008 in collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind, the
transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans.

“As we celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of White Cane Awareness Day today,
the Action Fund is proud to support an effort that has enhanced the
independence and mobility of blind people across the nation,” said Barbara
Loos, President of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults.
“For over a century, we have provided the keys to literacy and independence,
including Braille books and white canes, to blind and deafblind Americans.
Our partnership with the National Federation of the Blind has amplified our
reach and helped to make this program an outstanding success.”

“The impact of the free white cane program extends far beyond the physical
tool itself, spreading independence, empowerment, and equality,” said Mark
Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “No blind
person should be without a white cane, regardless of ability to pay, and the
Action Fund has helped us make this a reality. We look forward to the
continued growth of this critical program, which advances the lives of all
blind people in the United States.”

Blind people of all ages in the United States can receive a free fiberglass
white cane as often as every six months through this program. For more
information or to order your cane, visit
https://nfb.org/programs-services/free-white-cane-program.

To learn more about the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
and its other programs and services, visit www.actionfund.org
<http://www.actionfund.org> .

Please consider supporting the Action Fund. You can make a direct
contribution at https://actionfund.org/index.php/donate or call
410-659-9315.


Bringing Fun and Good Cheer to Children


It’s the time of the year when the National Federation of the Blind helps
bring fun and good cheer to children all over the country. Our Santa/Winter
Celebration Braille letter program does just that. Children birth through
age ten can receive a Braille letter from Santa or a Braille Winter
Celebration letter in either English or Spanish. Along with the letters,
children will receive a packet of activities that they can share with their
parents, siblings, and grandparents because all of the items in the packet
are sent in Braille and print. The program doesn’t last long. This year’s
celebration runs from November 11 through December 16, 2024. You can find
more information and request your letter at
https://nfb.org/programs-services/early-childhood-initiatives/santa-letters.
Don’t waste time!!


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.


The Touch of Genius Award


Dear Innovators,

Now that the school year has started, we would like to remind all of you
that the Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is taking applications for the
2025 year! Please continue to help us spread the word with your friends and
colleagues. Applications are due January 10, 2025.

The Touch of Genius Prize was developed to inspire entrepreneurs, educators,
or inventors to continue the promotion of Braille and tactile literacy for
blind and deafblind people worldwide. This prize can be granted for
innovative and accessible computer software applications, tactile hardware,
or curriculum that promotes Braille and/or tactile literacy. NBP (National
Braille Press) encourages all applicants to think outside the box for what
can be used to help improve the lives of blind people. Even if you have
applied in previous years, we encourage you to apply again! The winner of
this prize will receive up to $10,000, which will help them to continue to
innovate in the fields of technology and education for the blind community.
The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is provided by the support of the
Lavelle Fund for the Blind.

Full application details and more information can be found at
www.touchofgeniusprize.org <http://www.touchofgeniusprize.org> . All
questions can be directed to geniusprize at nbp.org
<mailto:geniusprize at nbp.org> .


Monitor Mart


The notices in this section have been edited for clarity, but we can pass
along only the information we were given. We are not responsible for the
accuracy of the statements made or the quality of the products for sale.


Wish to Buy: Tape Tutorials for Older Access Technology


I am interested in buying tape tutorials for access technology from the 80s
and 90s for the purpose of preservation, including but not limited to tapes
for any of the following:

*	JAWS for Windows 3.0 or earlier
*	JAWS for DOS
*	The Phil Scovell "talk me through" tutorials
*	Project Assist tutorials produced by the Iowa Department for the
Blind

If you have any of the above or similar, please email ameer.armaly at gmail.com
<mailto:ameer.armaly at gmail.com> .

----------


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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