[NFBofSC] FW: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, March 2026

[Steve Cook]

Steve Cook

National Association of Guide Dog Users Board Member

President of the Computer Science & Technology Division of the National
Federation of the Blind of SC 

 

From: Brl-monitor <brl-monitor-bounces at nfbcal.org> On Behalf Of Brian Buhrow
Sent: Sunday, March 1, 2026 6:29 PM
To: brl-monitor at nfbcal.org
Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, March 2026

 


The Braille Monitor, March 2026


BRAILLE MONITOR


Vol. 69, No. 3 March 2026

Chris Danielsen, Editor

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

NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

Mark Riccobono, President

telephone: 410-659-9314

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National Federation of the Blind

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

© 2026 by the National Federation of the Blind

Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick or USB
flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a National
Library Service digital player. The NLS machine has two slots—the familiar
book-cartridge slot just above the retractable carrying handle and a second
slot located on the right side near the headphone jack. This smaller slot is
used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective rubber pad covering this
slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in one position. If you
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again, reading should resume at the point you stopped.

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

Vol. 69, No. 3 March 2026


Contents


Convention Bulletin 2026

Cold Weather and Common Sense: The 2026 Washington Seminar

by Chris Danielsen

The Significance of Washington Seminar 2026

by Mark Riccobono

Protecting Education, Employment, and Independent Living Fact Sheet

Access Technology Affordability Act Fact Sheet

Blind Americans Return to Work Act Fact Sheet

Adventure in Annapolis

by Shawn Jacobson

National Federation of the Blind and Blind Entrepreneurs File Federal
Lawsuit Challenging Army-Wide Waiver of Randolph-Sheppard Act

But I Don’t Know How to Dance

by Catherine Horn Randall

Filling in the Gap

by Shawn Callaway

Divorce Me

by Peggy Chong

Blind and Print-Disabled Harris County Voters File Federal Lawsuit Seeking
Accessible Vote-by-Mail Ballots

Monitor Miniatures

[PHOTO/CAPTION: The JW Marriott at dusk.]


Convention Bulletin 2026


The National Federation of the Blind’s National Convention brings together
blind people from across the country and around the globe. We come from all
walks of life. Some of us have been blind all our lives, while others may be
new to blindness. Some are young, some have been around the sun more than a
few times. Some are convention first-timers, while others have been
attending for decades. Our patchwork of individual experiences makes us
stronger together, and it means that our national conventions are a
celebration of our diversity.

Over the course of eighty-five annual conventions, nearly three dozen cities
reflecting similar diversity have played host to the NFB’s biggest event of
the year. Yet, among this broad list of destinations, our convention has
never come to the capital city of Texas to gather and celebrate. This will
change next July when we head to the JW Marriot Austin for our annual
National Convention!

Austin is widely known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” having been
home to the PBS program Austin City Limits for more than fifty years and
host to the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) music and media festival.
Austin also boasts a vibrant arts scene with many public art displays
throughout the city. But Austin isn’t just fueled by creative energy. A
strong technology sector thrives here, with many tech companies establishing
headquarters in the city. Waymo and Tesla are two notable names, as both
companies offer autonomous vehicle rides within Austin. The University of
Texas at Austin, with over 50,000 students, sits just north of downtown.
Visitors will notice an emphasis on local retailers over national chains.
This broad and eclectic diversity perpetuates the popular “Keep Austin
Weird” vibe and makes for a truly unique destination.


Our Convention Hotels


The upscale JW Marriott Austin will serve as our headquarters hotel, while
the recently opened Austin Mariott Downtown, just a short walk away, will
provide overflow space. All convention events will take place in the
headquarters hotel this year. Both hotels offer a number of dining options,
24/7 fitness centers, and rooftop pools with cabana rentals. The hotels are
in the heart of downtown Austin, surrounded by local restaurants and shops.
A few blocks south, walking trails line the section of the Colorado River
known as Lady Bird Lake.

Our 2026 convention hotel rate is $139 per night for singles and doubles.
Triples and quads are available for $155 per night. Sales tax and a tourism
fee total a combined 19 percent.

Beginning on January 1, you may call 800-627-7468 to book a room at either
hotel. Specify our room block code, BL1, to ensure you receive our
convention room rate. For each room you book, the hotel requires a deposit
of the first night’s room rate, taxes, and fees, payable by credit card or a
personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged
immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Sunday, June 1, 2026, half
of the deposit will be returned. Refunds will not be issued after that date.


Convention Schedule


The 2026 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind will be an
exciting and memorable event, with an unparalleled program and renewed
dedication to the goals and work of our movement.

*	A wide range of seminars for parents of blind children, technology
enthusiasts, job seekers, and other groups will kick the week off on Friday,
July 3. Convention registration and registration packet pick-up will also
open on Friday.
*	Breakout sessions continue Saturday, July 4, along with committee
meetings.
*	Sunday, July 5, begins with the annual meeting, open to all, of the
Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind. National
division meetings will follow that afternoon and evening.
*	General convention sessions will begin on Monday, July 6, and
continue through the afternoon of Wednesday, July 8.
*	Convention ends on a high note with the banquet Wednesday evening,
so be sure to pack your fancy clothes. The fall of the gavel at the close of
banquet will signal convention’s adjournment.

Make plans to be a part of it. To ensure yourself a room in the headquarters
hotel at convention rates, you should make reservations early. The hotels
will be ready to take your call beginning January 1.


Request for Door Prizes


Remember that we need door prizes from state affiliates, local chapters, and
individuals. Prizes should be small in size but significant in value. Cash,
of course, is always appropriate and welcome. As a general rule, we ask that
prizes have a value of at least $25 and do not include alcohol. Drawings
take place throughout the convention sessions, and you can anticipate a
grand prize of truly impressive proportions to be drawn at the banquet.

Important note for attendees: You must be registered to win a door prize!
Registration opens in March.


First-Time Attendees


If you or members of your chapter are first-time attendees, please learn
about convention through the First-Timer’s Guide available at
nfb.org/convention <https://nfb.org/convention> .


Countdown to Austin


The best collection of exhibits featuring new technology; meetings of our
special interest groups, committees, and divisions; the most stimulating and
thought-provoking program items of any meeting of the blind in the world;
the chance to renew friendships within our Federation family; and the
unparalleled opportunity to be where the real action is and where decisions
are made—all of these mean you will not want to miss being a part of the
2026 National Convention. To secure yourself a room in the headquarters
hotel at convention rates, make your reservations early. We look forward to
seeing you in Austin in July!

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Chris Danielsen]


Cold Weather and Common Sense: The 2026 Washington Seminar


by Chris Danielsen

In the National Federation of the Blind, we raise expectations because low
expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. Low
expectations, of course, are neither unique to the blind nor do they create
the only obstacles we face, but other obstacles seem to be more evenly
distributed across all of humanity. However, because we are used to facing
artificial barriers created by low expectations and using problem-solving
skills to surmount those barriers, members of the National Federation of the
Blind are unusually resilient and flexible when things go sideways. That is
probably why natural events like the winter storm named Fern did not deter
as many Federationists as it might have from showing up in person in
Washington, DC, to be part of the 2026 Washington Seminar.

Raising expectations does not mean expecting heroics in the face of
dangerous conditions but merely adapting to circumstances as they exist.
Many of us, despite our best efforts, were victims of airline cancellations
and, in the case of your correspondent, frozen railroad switches and signals
up and down Amtrak’s Northeast corridor that made the normally short train
trip from Baltimore to the nation’s capital impossible. For this reason, the
virtual component of the 2026 Washington Seminar was enhanced. By most
estimates over two hundred members of our movement were already ensconced in
the Holiday Inn Capitol National Mall by the time the Washington Seminar
kickoff, known by longstanding tradition as the Great Gathering-In, was
gaveled to order at 5 p.m. on Monday, January 26. These included thirty-two
state presidents who had earlier come to the NFB Jernigan Institute for the
annual Presidents’ Retreat that takes place the weekend before each
Washington Seminar. Their original schedule involved leaving Baltimore on
Monday morning for the short trip to Washington, but when it became clear
that circumstances would likely not permit this, the efficient and
indefatigable logistics team at the NFB Jernigan Institute transported them
all to the hotel on Saturday evening before the snow began to fall. The
retreat continued in the Capitol Ballroom the next day. Those who could not
make it to DC pivoted to making virtual appointments with their
representatives and senators. Prior to the Great Gathering-In, Monday
brought the usual midwinter conclave of the National Association of Blind
Students and a professional development seminar for jobseekers who had
preregistered. These were followed by the usual legislative training
session, during which members of our Advocacy and Policy team went over our
priorities and allowed members to role-play in mock meetings. Then the main
event of the evening arrived. The larger-than-usual crowd of Zoom listeners
got a lively preview of the event from the hosts of our Nation’s Blind
Podcast and others. Both the preview and the full Great Gathering-In
proceedings are still available to watch on our YouTube channel and at
https://nfb.org/washington-seminar.


Common Sense and a Congressional Champion: The Great Gathering-In Begins


After gaveling the session to order, President Riccobono launched into his
annual assessment of the significance of Washington Seminar. This year,
anticipating the celebration of our nation’s 250th birthday, he drew
inspiration from Thomas Paine, the author of Common Sense, the bestselling
and historic 1776 pamphlet widely credited with convincing the majority of
English colonists that a break with the fatherland was not merely advisable
but the logical, even inevitable, result for a people who, practically
speaking, had become accustomed to freedom from paternal control. President
Riccobono drew a parallel between Paine’s arguments and the realization of
blind Americans that we, too, needed to declare freedom from paternalism in
the forms of pity disguised as charity and agency control of our choices. He
characterized our legislative goals not only as common sense in view of our
own quest for individual and collective freedom, but as common sense for
America as well, since these policies will allow our nation to benefit from
our contributions rather than being burdened by our artificial dependency.
Our President’s full remarks follow this article.

The next item on the agenda was a presentation to honor a member of Congress
who, through his long history of working with us and his remarks in
accepting the honor, demonstrated that he well understands the role of our
movement in realizing the promise put forward at our nation’s inception. The
Honorable Steny Hoyer first entered Congress in 1980 having already served
for fifteen years in the Maryland General Assembly. Within the next decade,
he had already made his own mark on American history in many ways, not the
least of which was his fight, along with a bipartisan group of other
colleagues, for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
President Riccobono reviewed some of this history in introducing the
presentation, and fondly reminisced about first meeting the Congressman
during the finale of our 2009 Youth Slam, when participants marched to the
brand-new Capitol Visitors Center from the Lincoln Memorial. At that event,
the Congressman presented us with two of the brand-new Louis Braille
commemorative coins, minted pursuant to legislation we had urged Congress to
pass, that had flown on NASA’s ST-125 space mission.

Like so many others, Congressman Hoyer was unable to attend the Washington
Seminar in person, so we will have to wait to present him his plaque, but
its content was shared with those in the room and on Zoom. It read:

National Federation of the Blind Distinguished Legislative Award

Presented to the Honorable Steny Hoyer

>From your leadership of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990 to your
work on the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act in the
119th Congress, your leadership and dedication to equality for all Americans
with disabilities is unparalleled. We honor you for an enduring and
distinguished legacy of service and your deep belief in blind Americans.
Together with love, hope, and determination, we transform dreams into
reality.

January 26th, 2026

In his remarks graciously and humbly accepting this honor, Representative
Hoyer observed that when he first came to Congress, most of his colleagues
knew of the blind primarily through entertainers like Ray Charles and Stevie
Wonder. Those two outstanding musicians joined their voices to the landmark
“We are the World” charity single a few years later. Similarly, Congressman
Hoyer noted, the Federation and our allies fought to make a better world by
bringing the disabled out of the shadows, just as those entertainers were
trying to make one by alleviating the famine in Africa. The continued
struggle to enhance equality for all is still needed, he reminded us,
because while our rights are self-evident, they are not self-executing.
Although he is now serving his last year as a member of Congress,
Representative Hoyer promised to continue to fight with us for an America
and a world where everyone’s equality is recognized and actualized.

President Riccobono followed Congressman Hoyer’s remarks by recognizing
Federation dignitaries and thanking Waymo, the autonomous vehicle
transportation company which, this year, sponsored our entire Washington
Seminar. Next, your correspondent was introduced to talk about the many ways
in which participants could share their Washington Seminar experiences,
including via email to story at nfb.org <mailto:story at nfb.org>  and by using
the social media hash tag #NFBinDC. Sandy Halverson then took the microphone
to remind all that a bucket was being passed to defray Washington Seminar
costs, including the operation in Room 275, formerly known as the Mercury
Room, which she capably leads each year. Using an impromptu bit of light
verse, Sandy reminded us that Mercury’s functions include providing canes
for cash, collecting business cards received from Hill staffers, and helping
to file meeting reports if needed.


National Movement Updates


Returning to the theme of stories, President Riccobono shared that we are
launching an expanded effort to collect, create, and present them in
innovative ways. These include oral histories, artistic renderings, the
written word, images and video, and much more. The new and expanded effort
is called Blind Unbound, and while it will incorporate our goal of launching
the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement, it will encompass much more,
driven by the ideas of our members. More about the Blind Unbound initiative
is forthcoming in these pages and other Federation communications.

Anil Lewis, Executive Director for Blindness Initiatives, came to the
lectern to creatively tie our legislative advocacy to the many education and
employment programs his department oversees. Woven through his remarks was
the theme that we have moved from being perceived as needing handouts to
requesting a hand up to extending our collective hand for a handshake of
collaboration with educators, employers, and others. Among other things, he
teased that a 2027 Youth Slam to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the
first such event is in the works; thanked the members of the Teachers of
Tomorrow and Kenneth Jernigan Leadership-In-Service cohorts present; and
announced that new summer internships will soon be available at the NFB
Jernigan Institute.

Jonathan Mosen, who has now been our Executive Director for Accessibility
Excellence for over a year, called out its new initiative to employ
dedicated accessibility excellence advocates in specific areas. The first
two of these, Charles Hiser for Education and Employment and Ron Miller for
Home and Independent Living, are already hard at work. Jonathan also
emphasized our continued vigilance with respect to concerning developments
at Vispero, makers of JAWS and other products that are mission-critical to
so many blind people.


Advocacy Updates and the 2026 Washington Seminar Issues


After a brief teaser for our National Convention provided by Norma Crosby,
the president of our Texas affiliate which will host the big event in Austin
this July, President Riccobono introduced John Paré, Executive Director for
Advocacy and Policy, to get down to the real business of the week. John
began by reminding us that advocacy takes place throughout the year, noting
our work on a dozen pieces of legislation, six responses to regulatory
actions in 2025 alone, and the fourteen legislative alerts sent out to
activate members at critical points in the legislative process. He thanked
the affiliates with members on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions Committee whose delegations made an extra trip to Washington this
past fall to protect education and employment programs when draconian cuts
threatened the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (see
the November and December 2025 issues of this magazine for more details).
During that fall fly-in, the Alaska delegation met with both of the state’s
senators and secured through Senator Dan Sullivan the room where our annual
congressional reception would be held the following evening. Senator
Sullivan also immediately signed on as a co-sponsor of the Access Technology
Affordability Act after the meeting. This was just one example of the
effective advocacy that took place.

John introduced Dr. Justin Young, who stepped to the microphone to point out
that the employment and education programs on which the blind rely are still
threatened, and the Randolph-Sheppard program has come under specific attack
from the United States Army Secretary, as reported in these pages last
month. Therefore, in an echo of last year, one of our Washington Seminar
priorities was simply to protect the programs we have. However, our advocacy
focused specifically not only on Randolph-Sheppard but also the education
and employment services and civil-rights enforcement mechanisms supported by
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, funding for the American Printing House for the Blind (which is
currently distributing the groundbreaking Monarch device across our nation
and the world), and the Older Individuals who are Blind (OIB) program.

John took the floor again to speak about the Accessible Technology
Affordability Act (H.R. 1529/S. 1918), which would grant a $2,000 tax credit
over three years for blind people to purchase our own screen readers,
refreshable Braille displays, hardcopy Braille embossers, and more. He
advised members to show off their own access technology in their Capitol
Hill meetings so that lawmakers would better understand the proposed law’s
purpose. He also pointed out that the packets we would hand out contained an
analysis from the respected firm Mathematica showing that, over five years,
the tax credit would save the federal government $315 million, thereby
benefitting all taxpayers and not just those of us who might use the credit.
The fact sheets supporting this legislation and the other advocacy items
mentioned here, which were also part of that packet, appear later in this
issue.

Jesse Shirek, who has just assumed his new role as Director of Advocacy,
addressed the audience with his characteristic eloquence and empathy to
share the importance of the Blind Americans Return to Work Act. For the
first time, Jesse publicly disclosed that he was a victim of the earnings
cliff even as he attended his first Washington Seminar, constantly balancing
trying to grow his accessibility training and website development business
against keeping his income low enough to avoid losing cash and healthcare
benefits for himself and his wife Sherry. It was Sherry who advised him, on
his first day of work for the Federation, “Go out and change our future,”
and he urged all assembled to do the same in the coming days. He armed us
not only with the information about how the bill would work—by implementing
a phase-out to replace the earnings cliff where one dollar of benefits would
be given back for every two dollars earned in excess of the Substantial
Gainful Activity (SGA) limit—but also shared that the Commissioner of the
Social Security Administration had met with the bill’s chief sponsor,
Representative Pete Sessions, and told him that he supported the
legislation. A letter from Congressman Sessions to that effect was also
included in our legislative packet. The letter reads in part:

On December 2, 2025, I met with Social Security Commissioner Frank Bisignano
and his legislative affairs team. The Commissioner gave his full support for
the legislation and affirmed that Social Security Administration would have
no issue with its passage.

John then introduced Kyle Walls, whose talent is prodigious and whose
functions are diverse, to go over more logistics, including explaining the
ratings scale for reporting the success of Capitol Hill meetings. Then it
was time for some presentations about funding our movement. Marilyn Green
energetically promoted the friendly competition among affiliates to get more
members on the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) Plan, also encouraging
members to ask their friends to contribute in this way. Patti Chang shared
another new way for members and others to contribute, which is by creating a
will through our new partner Freewill.com. And throughout all this,
President Riccobono urged everyone to support our students by attending
their auction to take place later that evening, while also engaging in
friendly banter with the other two individuals besides himself who would
serve as auctioneers, Qualik Ford and Everette Bacon, as to who could get
the highest bids.

The final presentation before adjournment was from the aforementioned
Everette Bacon in his capacity as chair of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award
Committee for the purpose of soliciting applications and nominations.


The Congressional Reception


The next evening, as ice and snow continued to coat Capitol Hill, many hardy
blind advocates filled a Senate office building room for the annual
Congressional Reception of the National Federation of the Blind. President
Riccobono, in kicking off the event, observed that there might well have
been more blind people on Capitol Hill than members of Congress. He then
wasted no time in introducing the evening’s first speaker. This was
Maryland’s senior senator, Chris Van Hollen, a longtime friend of the
Federation. He was introduced not only as a consistent ally, but as a recent
visitor to the NFB’s Baltimore headquarters, where he announced his support
for legislation to designate part of the NFB headquarters as the National
Museum of the Blind People’s Movement as reported in the January 2026 issue
of this magazine.

Senator Van Hollen situated the Federation’s work within the broader
American civil rights tradition. He reminded the audience that the movement
for blind equality helped secure the Supplemental Security Income program
and expanded access to education and employment—not only for blind people,
but for all Americans who benefit from a more inclusive society. Progress,
he noted, rests on a fundamental commitment to human dignity, independence,
and justice.

Turning to current priorities, he emphasized the urgent need to fully fund
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). While Congress
originally pledged to cover 40 percent of the cost of special education,
federal funding remains far below that mark. He also reaffirmed his
commitment to ending the subminimum wage, calling it an injustice that still
affects tens of thousands of Americans. Blind and disabled people, he said
plainly, deserve equal pay for equal work.

Finally, he returned to the importance of preserving and telling the history
of the blind people’s movement. Remembering the past, he observed, helps
light the way forward. The proposed National Museum of the Blind People’s
Movement is not merely symbolic; it affirms that the struggle for equality
is part of the American story.

Senator Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire followed, praising the Federation’s
steadfast advocacy and the power of personal testimony, particularly in the
face of what she described as “wicked bad weather.” Legislative progress,
she noted, does not happen through email alone. It happens when people show
up—when they tell their stories and insist that the promise of democracy
belongs to everyone.

Drawing on her own family experience, Senator Hassan reflected on the
transformative impact of IDEA. Though Congress has yet to fulfill its
funding commitment, the law dramatically changed educational opportunity for
millions of students with disabilities, including her own son. The work now,
she said, is to protect and strengthen those gains. She highlighted her
leadership in eliminating subminimum wage in New Hampshire and committed to
continued federal efforts to end the practice nationwide. She also pointed
to legislation we support requiring nonvisual accessibility features in
medical devices such as insulin pumps—a practical but vital measure to
ensure equal access to health technology. (While not one of our top
priorities for the second half of the 119th Congress, the National
Federation of the Blind continues to work toward this legislative goal.) At
a moment when disability rights protections face political headwinds,
Senator Hassan urged vigilance. Progress, she reminded the audience, is
rarely linear. But in a democracy, progress remains possible so long as
citizens continue to raise their voices.

The evening’s third senator, Dan Sullivan, was the aforementioned official
sponsor of the Senate room. He brought greetings from members of the Alaska
Federation of the Blind, many of whom were unable to travel due to weather
but had spoken with him via Zoom earlier that day. With obvious pleasure and
pride, he shared stories of blind Alaskans pursuing careers in music,
psychology, athletics, and public service. Their accomplishments, he said,
reflect talent, perseverance, and ambition—qualities too often overshadowed
by assumptions about disability. He announced his co-sponsorship of the
Access Technology Affordability Act and said that he was seriously
considering serving as Senate lead co-sponsor of the Blind Americans Return
to Work Act. Public policy, he argued, should incentivize work, not penalize
it. Throughout his remarks, he returned to a theme that resonated across the
evening: dignity. Policies that remove unnecessary barriers allow people to
thrive. The Federation’s presence on Capitol Hill, he said, makes a
difference precisely because it brings lived experience into legislative
debate.

The program concluded with remarks from Stefania Yanachkov, Senior Manager,
Federal Policy and Government Affairs for Waymo, the Washington Seminar’s
sponsor and a partner in advancing accessible autonomous vehicle policy.
Waymo has expanded its fully autonomous ride-hail service to numerous cities
and announced additional expansions in the year ahead, including the
Federation’s hometown of Baltimore. The company credited the Federation’s
advocacy for shaping accessibility features in its vehicles and app, from
adaptive navigation tools to distinctive vehicle-identification audio cues.
Equally important is the policy collaboration. Federationists have worked
alongside Waymo to promote federal legislation ensuring that riders in
autonomous vehicles are not required to hold driver’s licenses—a
common-sense reform that reflects the promise of this emerging technology.
This partnership reflects our broader strategy: advancing accessibility not
only through advocacy, but through direct engagement with industry
innovators.


Conclusion


The cold weather did not prevent Federationists from kicking off another
legislative year with energy and success. Before the delegations that were
able to make it in person had left the nation’s capital city, both of
Maine’s senators, Susan Collins and Angus King, had signed on to co-sponsor
the Access Technology Affordability Act. Along with the commitments from
Senator Sullivan of Alaska, the Federation was receiving a lot of good news
before the event even closed, and no doubt more will come in the next weeks
and months. The Braille Monitor will provide regular updates as our
legislative and policy agenda advances.

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[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono]


The Significance of Washington Seminar 2026


by Mark Riccobono

In January of 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense. What made that
pamphlet revolutionary was not simply its call for independence, but the way
it framed that call. Paine did not argue that independence was heroic or
dramatic. He argued that it was obvious. He insisted that paternal rule had
lost its legitimacy and that people long treated as dependents were fully
capable of governing themselves. Reconciliation, he said, was no longer
rational. Independence was simply common sense.

In November of 1940, Jacobus tenBroek made a similar declaration on behalf
of blind Americans. At the time the National Federation of the Blind was
founded, blind people were treated much like the colonies once had
been—spoken for, managed by others, and constrained by low expectations
presented as protection. Decisions about our lives were made without us,
justified by charity rather than equality, by control rather than
self-determination. Our Federation rejected that model outright. We asserted
that blind people are not wards, not clients, and not objects of care, but
independent, self-directing individuals capable of full participation in
society. We insisted that blind people must speak for ourselves and shape
the policies that govern our lives—reflecting the very values upon which
this nation was founded.

Like Paine, Dr. tenBroek and our founding Federationists did not ask for
special status. We claimed normalcy. We claimed agency. We claimed
independence. And just as in 1776, that claim was not radical. It was common
sense.

That is what brings us to our nation’s capital today. Independence does not
sustain itself; it must be claimed, defended, and advanced. Even as our
nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, our laws and policies
continue to be shaped by misconceptions, low expectations, and charity
rather than independence for the blind.

Blind Americans have come to Capitol Hill because we expect to do what
self-governing people must do: speak directly to those who craft the rules
that shape our lives. We do not come asking to be taken care of. We come
insisting on equal access, equal opportunity, and equal responsibility. Our
presence here proves the principle that we advance. Blind people know what
we need. We know how to build solutions. We know how to lead. Our
independence is not a theory or an aspiration—it is self-evident and it is
our daily experience. Advocating for its recognition is not radical. It is
common sense.

Congress needs our advice and guidance because our first branch of
government does not yet include enough blind experience for our solutions to
be obvious. But do not worry, America—the blind are here to move beyond the
nonsense and contribute meaningfully to achieve this nation’s ideals.

For nearly a century, programs in education, employment, and independent
living have been shaped through authentic advocacy by blind people
themselves. These efforts have enabled blind children to receive instruction
and materials in Braille so they could grow into fully contributing,
tax-paying adults across every sector of our economy. These programs have
supported newly blind individuals with meaningful rehabilitation, allowing
them to continue offering their talents to employers rather than being
forced into dependency. Independent living programs—though dramatically
underfunded—have allowed blind seniors to remain in their homes, caring for
grandchildren and living full lives instead of relying on costly custodial
care. Yet, after 250 years, some claim that eliminating these programs
represents progress. We, the blind, respond clearly: encourage our greater
independence, and America will receive far more in return. That is common
sense.

In 2026, technology touches nearly every aspect of life, yet accessibility
has not been built into all the tools of modern progress. If blind people
are given control over purchasing the accessible technology we need, we will
unlock potential that benefits the entire nation. Independence,
self-determination, and equal opportunity are not lofty policy aspirations
for the blind—they are common sense solutions.

Nearly a century ago, our nation established Social Security, and since 1940
blind Americans have played a significant role in making it meaningful. Yet
one policy failure remains glaringly illogical: our nation encourages blind
people to work, but only up to an arbitrary and inadequate earnings
threshold, beyond which independence is punished rather than rewarded. We
offer a better way: a solution that strengthens independence, streamlines
government oversight, increases tax contributions, and encourages
participation in the American dream. The Blind Americans Return to Work Act
is not radical policy. It is common sense.

We come to Congress not as partisans, but as Americans. We are not
Republicans or Democrats first—not Libertarians, Greens, or Independents. We
are citizens who happen to be blind. Our work is not about ideology; it is
about equality. We bring practical solutions grounded in lived experience,
informed by responsibility, and aimed at strengthening the nation we share.
By advocating together—across political lines—we affirm a fundamental
democratic truth: self-governing people solve problems best when they come
as equals, committed not to politics but to the ongoing work of forming a
more perfect union.

This is how blind people come together. This is how independence is claimed,
protected, and advanced. This is how common sense becomes national policy.
We are the National Federation of the Blind. And this is the significance of
our Washington Seminar.

----------


Protecting Education, Employment, and Independent Living Fact Sheet


We urge Congress to protect critical education, employment, and independent
living programs to ensure their continuance now and for future generations.


The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) initially became law
in 1975 as the Education for All Handicapped Children Act. Congress
reauthorized this act in 1990 and officially changed its name to the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA. For fifty years, this
law has ensured that all American students with a disability receive a free
and appropriate public education that is tailored to our individual needs.
Without appropriate funding and administration of IDEA programs, blind
students will be left behind.

The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 strengthened vocational rehabilitation,
prohibited discrimination in federally funded programs, and established the
Rehabilitation Services Administration. Later amendments to the Act also
included mandates for federal information technology accessibility. This
landmark legislation served as a precursor to the Americans with
Disabilities Act in 1990. Without appropriate funding and administration of
Rehab Act programs, blind Americans will not receive the skills training to
make us job ready.

The Randolph-Sheppard Program was signed into law in 1936 to create
employment opportunities for blind entrepreneurs by establishing a priority
for the operation of blind vending facilities on all federal property. For
nearly ninety years, this program has served as a major boon to the
employment of blind Americans, who already suffer from an unemployment and
underemployment rate that is significantly higher than the national average.
Without appropriate administration of the Randolph-Sheppard program, blind
entrepreneurs will lose valuable employment opportunities.

The Older Individuals Who are Blind (OIB) Program is a federal program that
was created by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as part of the Rehabilitation
Services Administration. The goal of OIB is to focus on independent living
for blind and low-vision Americans who are over the age of 55 and may need
help learning how to live with their vision loss. Critical aspects of OIB
include orientation and mobility training, learning Braille, cooking, and
training on access technology. Without appropriate funding and
administration of OIB programs, older blind Americans are at risk of living
sedentary and solitary lives in their golden years.

The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) was founded in Louisville,
Kentucky, in 1858, and is the oldest and largest nonprofit organization
making accessible materials for the blind. The APH first received federal
support in 1879 to become the national producer of Braille textbooks, maps,
and educational aids. Most recently, APH began distributing the Monarch, the
first dynamic tactile and multi-line Braille tablet. Without appropriate
funding, the APH will be unable to produce and distribute Braille textbooks
and education aids for blind students.

Below are a few testimonies from real blind Americans who have greatly
benefitted from each of the above programs.

“I attended public school in Durant, Iowa–a very rural school district. I
was incredibly blessed to begin learning Braille and how to use accessible
technology tools to access a computer at a young age. As a result of my
terrific elementary school education, I thrived in high school and was able
to go to college, where I earned dual degrees in English and Theatre. I am
now employed and can proudly share that I pay both federal and FICA taxes.”
– Elizabeth, from Durant, Iowa

“I was able to go to a training center in Ruston, Louisiana, where I learned
independent living skills and how to be a productive citizen. Because of my
training, I have been a small business owner in the tech sector for more
than thirty years.” – Karl, a blind business owner in Taylorsville, Utah

“For twenty-one years, I have owned and operated a successful dining food
facility and housekeeping service at the US Coast Guard Aviation Training
Center because of the Randolph-Sheppard program. My business employs twenty
employees while providing our Coast Guard personnel with the food and
accommodations they need to defend our nation.” – Barbara, a blind business
owner in Mobile, Alabama

“I lost my sight in my late fifties from glaucoma. The older blind
specialist was by my side at the beginning, thirteen years ago. She taught
me blind skills so I could keep my home and be active in my kids’ and
grandkids’ lives.” – Greg, from West Fargo, North Dakota

“The Monarch has been life-changing for our daughter, Kennedy. As a blind
elementary student, she has always loved reading and writing, but access to
Braille materials was often limited and slow to obtain. With the Monarch,
she can independently read consistent, high-quality, tactile Braille content
and navigate her learning with confidence
 Most importantly, the Monarch has
opened doors that once seemed inaccessible. Through the innovation and
support of the American Printing House for the Blind, she has the tools
needed to thrive both in school and beyond. We are truly grateful.” – Katie,
a parent of a blind child in Porterdale, Georgia

Ensure that these critical programs for blind Americans will be able to
function by committing to support funding to keep the above programs
operating effectively and efficiently.

----------


Access Technology Affordability Act (H.R. 1529/S. 1918)


Issue—The cost of critically needed access technology is out of reach for
most blind Americans.


Access technology enables blind Americans to participate in today’s
workforce. Blindness is well-defined and measurable,1 but affects each
person differently and at different ages. Since individuals’ needs differ,
manufacturers have designed various tools that enable each blind American to
perform tasks that they were once unable to accomplish themselves due to
their blindness. Braille note takers are frequently used in schools, screen
reading software allows workers to check their email in the office, and
screen magnification software can help seniors losing vision learn about
community activities. Access technology equips blind Americans to seek
employment and stay employed. For the 61.9 percent of blind Americans who
are either unemployed or underemployed, it is a vehicle that facilitates the
job seeking process.

The high cost of access technology creates a difficult economic reality.
Most access technology ranges in cost from $1,000 to $6,000. For example, a
leading screen reader is $900, a popular Braille note taker is $5,495, one
model of a refreshable Braille display is $2,795, and a moderately priced
Braille embosser is $3,695. According to the United States Census Bureau,
61.9 percent of working age blind Americans are either unemployed or
underemployed.2 Furthermore, one in four blind Americans live below the
poverty line and therefore likely do not have sufficient financial resources
needed to purchase these items.3 These financial barriers can ultimately
lead to a loss of employment, insufficient education, or even isolation from
community activities.

Medical insurance will not cover the cost of access technology. Current
definitions of “medical care,” “medical necessity,” and “durable medical
equipment” within common insurance policies do not include access
technology. These definitions were adopted in the 1960s “when medical care
was viewed primarily as curative and palliative, with little or no
consideration given to increasing an individual’s functional status.”4 Many
states’ Medicaid programs and individual health insurance plans have adopted
similar definitions and likewise will not cover the cost of access
technology.5


Solution—Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA):


Makes access technology more affordable so that blind Americans can procure
these items for themselves. It establishes a refundable tax credit for blind
Americans in the amount of $2,000 to be used over a three-year period to
offset the cost of qualified access technology. The credit created by ATAA
will sunset after five years and will be indexed for inflation.

Provides flexibility for individuals to obtain access technology based upon
their specific needs. Accessibility requires an individualized assessment of
one’s own skills and needs. Therefore, blind Americans should be given the
opportunity to procure access technology on their own to ensure that they
are receiving the tools that are most useful for them.

Will save the government $315 million through increased federal income and
FICA tax revenue. More blind Americans working means more people paying
federal income taxes. It also means that those blind Americans who obtain
gainful employment through this tax credit will no longer need to draw from
federal programs such as Supplemental Security Income or Social Security
Disability Insurance and will instead be paying into the Social Security
Program through FICA taxes. This was demonstrated by a dynamic score
calculated by Mathematica showing a $315 million cost savings over the
lifetime of this legislation.6

Goal—Improve affordability of critically needed access technology necessary
for employment and independent living.

To cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act in the House (H.R.
1529), contact:

Quinn Ritchie, Legislative Director for Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA-16)
Phone: 202-225-5406 Email: Quinn.Ritchie at mail.house.gov
<mailto:Quinn.Ritchie at mail.house.gov> .

To cosponsor the Access Technology Affordability Act in the Senate (S.
1918), contact:

Kathleen Bochow, Legislative Assistant for Senator John Boozman (R-AR)
Phone: 202-224-4843 Email: Kathleen_Bochow at boozman.senate.gov
<mailto:Kathleen_Bochow at boozman.senate.gov> .

For more information, contact:

Jesse Shirek, Government Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the
Blind

Phone: 410-659-9314, extension 2348, Email: jshirek at nfb.org
<mailto:jshirek at nfb.org> , or visit www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org> 


Footnotes:


1.	26 U.S.C § 63(f)(4).
2.	United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey, “Percentage
of non-institutionalized persons, ages 21-64 years, with visual disability,
in the United States, who were employed full-time/full-year in 2023.”
www.disabilitystatistics.org <http://www.disabilitystatistics.org> .
3.	United States Census Bureau, American Community Survey, “Percentage
of non-institutionalized persons, ages 21-64 years, with visual disability,
in the United States, who were living below the poverty line in 2023.”
www.disabilitystatistics.org <http://www.disabilitystatistics.org> .
4.	National Council on Disability, “Federal Policy Barriers to
Assistive Technology,” (May 31, 2000) 8,
http://www.ncd.gov/rawmedia_repository/c9e48e89_261b_4dda_bc74_203d5915519f.
pdf.
5.	Assistive Technology Industry Associates, “AT Resources Funding
Guide,”
https://www.atia.org/at-resources/what-is-at/resources-funding-guide/ (last
accessed December 10, 2018).
6.	Mathematica, “Dynamic Score of the Access Technology Affordability
Act,” (November 19, 2024) 1.

----------


Blind Americans Return to Work Act (H.R. 1175)


Issue—The Social Security Disability Insurance benefits program contains an
earnings cliff that hinders blind individuals from achieving the American
dream.


The Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program has a built-in
“earnings cliff.”

Title II of the Social Security Act provides that disability benefits paid
to blind beneficiaries are eliminated if the beneficiary exceeds a monthly
earnings limit.1 This earnings limit, often called the “earnings cliff,” is
in effect a penalty imposed on blind Americans when they work or earn too
much. For example, the earnings limit in 2026 for a blind person is $2,830
per month.2 If a blind individual earns more than that threshold, even by
just one dollar, they are engaged in substantial gainful activity (SGA).
Under the current law, any individual engaged in SGA is not entitled to any
SSDI benefits. This means that if a blind person earns just one dollar over
the earnings limit, all benefits are lost. 

The earnings cliff incentivizes blind people to choose to remain unemployed
or underemployed, despite their desire to work. In a 2018 survey, National
Industries for the Blind (NIB) found that 21 percent of respondents from
thirty-four of their non-profit associations had turned down a raise or
promotion to retain their SSDI benefits.3 The survey also found that 37
percent of respondents had turned down additional hours or even asked to
reduce their hours in order to retain their SSDI benefits.4 Blind Americans
who are willing and able to work are intentionally limiting themselves out
of fear of losing the entirety of their SSDI benefits and falling off the
earnings cliff. For example, according to the Social Security
Administration, the average SSDI benefit check in 2025 was $1,582,5 which
equates to $18,984 annually. Under this circumstance, a blind person would
lose $18,984 just by earning an additional $12 in a calendar year. This is a
trade-off no one wants to accept.

The current work incentive in the form of the trial work period is
needlessly complicated and counterintuitive. Under the current SSDI program,
if a blind worker wants to try and earn more money, they will likely trigger
a nine-month trial work period. These nine months do not have to be
consecutive but instead are any nine months during a rolling sixty-month
period in which the worker earned more than a certain amount (for 2026 this
amount is $1,210 per month). When all of those nine months are exhausted,
the worker is once again subject to the earnings cliff if they cross the SGA
threshold. This is supposed to act as an incentive for blind recipients to
determine if they are ready to work, but the complexity of the rules and the
difference between the trial work period amount and the SGA threshold result
in many blind Americans not receiving the benefit the process is intended to
provide.


Solution—Blind Americans Return to Work Act (H.R. 1175) will:


Eliminate the earnings cliff by instituting a ten-year demonstration program
establishing a gradual two-for-one phase-out of SSDI benefits with earnings
over the SGA limit. For every two dollars a blind worker earns above the SGA
threshold, their benefits amount will be reduced by one dollar. This
ten-year program will start in 2027 and conclude in 2036, demonstrating that
blind Americans can and will achieve their highest earning potential.

Create a genuine work incentive for SSDI recipients. With a phase-out model,
blind workers will always be better off striving to earn as much as
possible, which will facilitate the transition of those workers out of the
SSDI system as benefits are gradually reduced. With this model, blind
Americans will never lose by working. As an added benefit, fewer workers
will be earning SSDI benefits and instead be paying into the Social Security
Trust Fund, which means a more balanced Trust Fund in time.

Simplify the SSDI system by eliminating the trial work period and grace
period, making the rules more consistent with the Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) program. Under the proposed system, the SSDI program will
become less complicated. With both the SSI and SSDI programs using similar
rules, there will be less confusion, and the incentive for blind people to
return to work and maximize their earning potential will be consistent and
clear.

Goal—Eliminate the earnings cliff by adopting a solution used in other
Social Security Administration programs.

Cosponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act.

To cosponsor the Blind Americans Return to Work Act in the House (H.R.
1175), contact:

Sloan Hamill, Legislative Correspondent for Representative Pete Sessions
(R-TX-17)

Phone: 202-225-6105 Email: sloan.hamill at mail.house.gov
<mailto:sloan.hamill at mail.house.gov> 

For more information, contact:

Jesse Shirek, Government Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the
Blind

Phone: 410-659-9314, extension 2348, Email: jshirek at nfb.org
<mailto:jshirek at nfb.org>  or visit www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org> 


Footnotes:


1.	42 U.S.C. Sec. 423.
2.	Social Security Administration, “Substantial Gainful Activity”,
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/sga.html.
3.	Commitment to Serve, A presentation given at the 2018 NIB/NAEPB
Training Conference and Expo.
4.	Ibid.
5.	Social Security Administration, “Selected Data From Social
Security’s Disability Program”, Average monthly benefit amounts from
January-September 2025, https://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/dib-g3.html.

----------

[PHOTO/CAPTION: Shawn Jacobson]


Adventure in Annapolis


by Shawn Jacobson

>From the Editor: Shawn Jacobson is a longtime member of, and leader in, the
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland. For years, he served as the
state treasurer. Just as our national organization puts forth a legislative
program each year, many of our affiliates do as well. Here Shawn relates his
experience of how the affiliate kicks off its annual effort in the state
capital of Annapolis when the Maryland General Assembly convenes each winter
for its three-month session. This account is from 2025:

We stand at the entrance to the Lowe Office Building waiting for someone to
open the door. “Please let us in,” we say to a lady entering the building.

We had all awakened early on this chilly Thursday morning to ensure that we
were on time, in my case before 4:30 a.m. My wife and I got to the meeting
place for our group, the Amtrak Lounge at the New Carrollton Metro stop,
just before 6:30 a.m., and the van soon arrived to take us to Annapolis for
a day of talking to legislators about our issues.

For me, preparation had begun three days earlier. On Monday, we had two
conference calls. The first, for team leaders like me, covered team
logistics such as when to take photographs with legislators, who to send
them to, and what hashtag to use. We also discussed how the team report of
our meetings with legislators or their aides should be given.

The meeting for all team members covered the issues we planned to discuss,
as well as things people needed for Annapolis. A photo ID is needed to admit
people to the office buildings of the state capital complex. Also, business
attire is required. I made sure to find my sport coat, tie, tie clip, and
dress shirt. This required some effort since I am retired and do not go into
an office on a daily basis.

One more act of preparation was needed. I needed to bring a small bag of
candy in case someone on my team had an insulin reaction. My experience told
me that such things were a possibility to guard against. With these advance
preparations, I felt ready for the day.

Soon we are admitted, as security personnel agree to process our early group
of advocates. Once we pass through security, we walk the short distance to
the Judiciary Committee hearing room. Being early allows us to pick out
choice seats as we wait for the work of the day to begin.

On the way to Annapolis, those of us who were team leaders got our team
assignments. I will have four team members to lead through the day,
including one member who is our dedicated photographer. Now I seek out my
team as I wait for our bag of folders to leave in each legislative office we
visit. On the right side of the folder is a miscellaneous collection of
items we want to give people who should understand blindness issues. This
includes the Courtesy Rules of Blindness, an application for our affiliate
scholarship program, and one of our Kernel books. The left side contains the
fact sheets for our issues. This year we have six issues. One request is for
an increase in the property tax exemption for blind homeowners. Another is
to pass a bill that will allow the use of autonomous vehicles on Maryland
streets; this will, among other things, solve our issues with discrimination
by rideshare drivers. We also are asking the legislature to continue the
annual grant from the state to our Center for Excellence in Nonvisual
Access, which benefits businesses and governments from Maryland and beyond.
Even though there is a budget deficit that has been much in the news, I’m
hopeful that this will be supported, particularly because legislators
themselves have used this center in the past when they sought Braille
business cards and other accessible materials.

The other three issues involve setting up a commission to study ways to make
voting by mail both accessible and secure, setting up a grant program for
service animal trainers, and providing Braille or tactile flags for veteran
cemeteries. While thinking of the issues, I hear my name called; my bag is
ready.

I wondered what the schedule would be. I wanted to prepare myself for our
travels, the best way to make it through our assigned offices with a minimum
of walking. I look through my bag to see what my schedule is, but I don’t
see one.

“Where is my schedule?” I ask.

“It’s coming,” says Ronza Othman, our state president.

Sure enough, I get a folder with a schedule of the offices I’m supposed to
visit. In previous years, the hour between 9:00 and 10:00 a.m. was the
busiest hour for meetings. But now, the heaviest time for meetings is 11:00
a.m. to noon. My schedule shows that our first meeting is at 9:30 a.m. and
our second is at 10:00 a.m. At the bottom of the list, I see three senators
with a “0” for our meeting time. These are legislators for whom we were not
able to set up a time. Since it is a while before our first scheduled
appointment, I decide to try getting some of these unscheduled appointments
set up. Early and often is my rule for visiting offices with no prescheduled
appointment.

In the next two hours, we are able to have four meetings, but none with the
actual senator. One aide, in an office with a “0” appointment time, barely
listens to us; he seems to want us out the door as soon as possible. The
other three aides we talk to are pleasant enough, but it is hard to know if
that means that the legislator will be supportive. Aides are often
understandably noncommittal.

Our third scheduled meeting takes us from the James Building, where most
senators have offices, to the Miller Building, where committee chairs and
some other senators work. “It’s Miller Time,” I joke as we head to our next
appointment.

We are scheduled to have meetings with three senators and three delegates
(members of the lower house of the Maryland General Assembly) between 10:45
and 11:30 a.m., but we only get to talk to aides. I prompt my fellow team
members to speak about our priorities. I don’t want to talk all the time.
Also, I believe that a good leader involves the whole team if possible. Our
shared presentation results in polite responses from the aides, but, again,
it is hard to know just where their boss will stand on our issues.

We see our first, and only, senator when we return to the James Building for
a noon meeting. Senator Benson has always been one of our great friends, so
we are glad to see her. I judge it worth the wait for her to invite us into
her office. Once we talk, the senator peruses our folder. Then she gets
excited. “I didn’t realize you had a scholarship program,” she exclaims. She
then starts asking us how we fund the program, and we discuss our
fundraisers. “Why haven’t you told us about these fundraisers before?” she
asks. “We should all know about them.” After a lengthy meeting, we get her
support on all our issues.

The next meeting is set for 12:30 p.m. in the Miller Building. By the time
we get to the appointment, we are thirty minutes late, and we miss the
senator, who has to run to a committee meeting. Oh well, we get to talk to
her aide. One more meeting, with an aide, and it is time for lunch.

We get to the Capitol Cantina just before 2:00 p.m., expecting to be behind
the lunch rush. However, we find the place crowded with members of other
teams who also have a lengthy break before their next meeting. I settle in
to get my lunch, grateful that we only have two meetings left, one scheduled
for 4:00 p.m. and one that is yet to be scheduled.

After lunch and rest, we get to our last meetings. The first of these is
with one of the senators with whom we did not have a set time. The senator
will be busy all day, so we settle for talking to an aide. Then we reach the
office where our final appointment is scheduled only to find that the
senator has gone to her daughter’s track meet. And so, we end our day of
advocacy with one more cheerful, but noncommittal, aide. I have our
designated photographer text the rest of the teams that we have finished,
and we head to where an NFB van will take us to supper.

Buddy’s, the restaurant where our evening meal will happen, sits atop a
jewelry store. When we leave the van, we are directed to the door and up the
stairs to our dining area. It provides a view of the harbor, but we don’t
stop to look.

After a good meal of cream of crab soup followed by a cheeseburger for me,
we got down to the real purpose of our group meal. This main purpose is for
each of the team leaders to report on their advocacy.

Because our schedule this year is ambitious (we usually don’t have six
issues), the team reports run long. We are supposed to rank each legislator
from one to five, five being the most favorable rating, on each of the
issues. In the case of stand-alone bills, a rating of five indicates that
the delegate or senator will cosponsor the legislation.

My report feels weak; we only met with one senator. Also, I did not always
get the names of the aides we talked to. I explain that I prioritized
talking about issues over getting the names of aides. Leaders must
prioritize these things, though my prioritization is not always necessarily
the best. Finally, with a great deal of relief, I end my report and thank my
team members. I call my wife to pick me up at the restaurant. Finally,
almost eighteen hours after I got out of bed, we return home. The Annapolis
adventure is over for another year.

Looking back, I think that the day was worthwhile. We did not get to see as
many legislators as I would have hoped, but in each office, we talked to
someone about our issues. What may be even more important is that we showed
people in Annapolis how competent blind folks can work together to put
forward a highly complex program of information on blindness issues. This
may be the most lasting, and most worthwhile, thing we accomplished.

----------


National Federation of the Blind and Blind Entrepreneurs File Federal
Lawsuit Challenging Army-Wide Waiver of Randolph-Sheppard Act


>From the Editor: On January 30, 2026, the National Federation of the Blind
and our affiliate, the National Association of Blind Merchants, filed a
federal lawsuit challenging an action taken by the United States Department
of Education that threatens the Randolph-Sheppard program. We reported this
outrageous development in the February issue of this magazine, which had
gone to print prior to the filing of this lawsuit. Here is the Federation’s
press release announcing the litigation:

Washington, DC—The National Federation of the Blind, the National
Association of Blind Merchants, and several blind entrepreneurs today filed
a federal lawsuit challenging a decision by the United States Department of
Education that purports to eliminate the Randolph-Sheppard Act priority for
blind vendors to operate dining facilities on United States Army
installations nationwide.

The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of
Maryland, asks the court to set aside a December 23, 2025, action by the
Secretary of Education approving what the Department described as a
“limitation” on the Randolph-Sheppard Act as applied to Army dining facility
contracts. Plaintiffs contend that the decision exceeds the Secretary’s
statutory authority, violates required procedures, and is arbitrary and
capricious.

The Randolph-Sheppard Act, passed in 1936 and strengthened by Congress in
1974, requires federal agencies to give priority to blind vendors in the
operation of vending facilities, including cafeterias, on federal property.
For more than thirty years, blind vendors have successfully operated Army
dining facilities across the country, often winning awards from the military
itself. 

“The Randolph-Sheppard Act does not authorize the Secretary of Education to
waive the law for an entire federal agency,” said Mark Riccobono, President
of the National Federation of the Blind. “Congress created and later
enhanced this program to expand economic opportunity for blind
entrepreneurs. The Department of Education cannot erase the work of
America’s lawmakers through a sweeping administrative finding based on
anecdote, speculation, or policy disagreement, and should not exclude blind
people from shaping the future direction of the program. The National
Federation of the Blind stands with the blind business owners who are
providing outstanding and award-winning service to members of our nation’s
armed forces every day, and we are determined to reverse this unlawful,
unwarranted, and unjust action.”

The Department of Education’s action marks the first time the Secretary has
approved any limitation under the Randolph-Sheppard Act and the first time
such a limitation has been applied on a nationwide, categorical basis. The
lawsuit says that the Act authorizes only narrowly tailored limitations on
the placement or operation of specific facilities, not a wholesale
elimination of the priority established by Congress.

In announcing the Army-wide waiver, the Department cited generalized claims
regarding cost, delay, and performance. However, the Department did not
publish any supporting documentation for those claims, despite an express
statutory requirement to do so. According to the lawsuit, the decision rests
on vague and anecdotal assertions that are contradicted by decades of
successful performance by blind vendors operating Army dining facilities.

If allowed to stand, the Department’s action would jeopardize the
livelihoods of blind vendors currently serving on Army installations,
displace hundreds of employees, and undermine state programs that rely on
revenue generated through Randolph-Sheppard contracts to support blind
entrepreneurs nationwide.

The lawsuit follows a previously issued statement by the National Federation
of the Blind expressing grave concern about the Department of Education’s
decision and its implications for blind vendors and the integrity of the
Randolph-Sheppard program. The plaintiffs are represented by the Baltimore
law firm Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLC.

----------


We Need Your Help


Through the Federation, I learned that most of what I was taught to believe
about blindness was untrue. Being blind wasn’t something to be ashamed of.
Using my cane in public wasn’t weird. If I wanted to pick up my cane or my
[guide] dog and walk somewhere, I could just do it because the fears of
other people didn’t have to be my fears too. – Julie

Blind people across the United States are making powerful strides in
education and leadership, but we need to continue helping people like Julie.
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 the gift of literacy through Braille.
*	Mentor young people.
*	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.


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 2025 our supporters helped the NFB:

*	Host career fair and employment mentoring events for over three
hundred and fifty job seekers.

*	Distribute over six thousand free white 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
135,000 subscribers with print disabilities free of charge.

*	Give over six hundred Braille-writing slates and styluses free of
charge to blind users.

*	Mentor 153 blind youth during our Braille Enrichment for Literacy
and Learning® Academy.

*	Distribute over twenty-three thousand Braille books to children and
adult readers alike.

*	Award thirty scholarships each in the amount of $8,000 to blind
students.

Just imagine what we will do in 2026, and, with your help, what can be
accomplished for years to come. Together with love, hope, determination, and
your support, we will continue to transform dreams into reality.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Catherine Horn Randall]

[PHOTO CAPTION: Cathy and Bob dance at their wedding.]


“But I Don’t Know How to Dance”


by Catherine Horn Randall

>From the Editor: Cathy Randall is a longtime leader in the National
Federation of the Blind of Illinois. Not too long ago, she lost her husband
Bob, a partner in all she did including her Federationism. Here is how she
tells their beautiful story:

When I was growing up in Quincy, Illinois, no one ever suggested that I was
blind. People said I “didn’t see very well,” and I wore glasses for reading,
but the B word was never spoken.

Like many other low-vision kids at that time, I attended what they used to
call a “sight-saving class.” Children from kindergarten through eighth grade
were all taught in the same classroom, with the teacher scampering from one
kid to the next. We had some of our classes, such as music, with the
mainstream kids.

Apart from touch typing, which I started in sixth grade, I can’t say I
learned much in the sight-saving classroom. The playground was a different
story! That’s where I learned to fight. Once a boy started teasing me,
calling me Four-Eyes, and I beat the heck out of him. When he begged me to
stop, I told him we could be friends as long as he promised never to tease
me that way again. He promised. After that we became good friends, and he
never broke his word.

I was fully mainstreamed in high school, and that’s when I fell in love with
literature. Shakespeare really opened the door to learning for me. I had
plenty of friends, some I met at school and some who were the children of my
parents’ friends. It was a happy time for me, and when I graduated I was
ready to go away to college.

I enrolled at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois. It was a small
coeducational liberal-arts college founded in 1846. The academic work was
challenging, and I spent a lot of time studying. But I found plenty of time
to have an active social life. One of the fellows I dated occasionally was a
tall, shy guy named Bob Randall, who went to Illinois College, a school
nearby.

During my junior year I went to Bob and told him, “Bob, will you take me to
the Homecoming Dance at McMurray?” He said, “Cathy, I’d love to, but I don’t
know how to dance.” I said, “Fine! I’ll teach you.” So I went over to his
apartment and gave him dancing lessons. As it turned out, we danced together
for the next fifty-five years.

Looking back, I sometimes marvel that Bob had the guts to admit that he
didn’t know how to dance. Even more, I appreciate his complete lack of
concern about my blindness. It was never a problem for him at all, even when
I lost my remaining vision in my thirties. His mother was a different story.
She asked him, “Are you sure you want to get involved with Cathy? That girl
can hardly see.” Bob told her, “I’m sure.” Eventually his mother and I
became good friends.

When Bob and I got married, I still had one more semester of college to go.
My name on my diploma is Catherine Horn Randall. Bob and I lived in an
apartment off campus, and later we bought a house in Jacksonville, where we
spent the next fifty-five years. I taught him about literature, and he
taught me about birds. Together we went on birding expeditions all over the
world. I often think how blessed I have been, that I met a guy with the
courage to admit that he didn’t know how to dance, and the willingness to
let me teach him.

----------

PHOTO CAPTION: Shawn Callaway]


Filling in the Gap


by Shawn Callaway

>From the Editor: Among many other roles, Shawn Callaway is the co-chair of
the Federation’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Since March is
Women’s History Month, he has contributed an article about two outstanding
blind women in his community. Here is what he shares:

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, I would like to recognize the
contributions of Joyce Brooks, Lois Staves, and the Inspirational Three
Foundation (i3s) for their significant contributions to the blind community.
I am extremely honored to express my appreciation in this periodical,
because the i3s was originally founded by Joyce Brooks, Lois Staves, and
Reggie Pratt due to concern about the minimal blind and low-vision services
in Prince George’s County (PG), Maryland. Currently, Joyce and Lois are
carrying on the mission of the i3s and continue to serve as active members
of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) of Maryland’s Prince George’s
County Chapter.

Since becoming members of the NFB, Joyce and Lois have developed a passion
for supporting the blind community in obtaining sufficient behavioral health
services and intensive case management services. Many blind people that
Joyce and Lois have encountered have not received behavioral health
services, have received minimal case management services, are from
underserved populations, and have low income. I humbly believe that the
Division of Rehabilitation Services of Maryland is working diligently to
provide services to the blind residents of PG County, but due to budget
restraints and high caseloads, it is difficult for the agency to fulfill the
demands of independent living skills training services that are required for
blind residents.

Also, Prince George’s County government has provided minimal financial
resources for training services for its blind residents. For example, I
continue to serve as a board member for a nonprofit training center that
provides training services for blind residents of the District of Columbia,
Southern Maryland, and Northern Virginia. I am therefore aware of the
funding to provide independent living services to blind consumers in the
above jurisdictions. In fiscal year 2022 and 2023, the nonprofit received
less than $25,000 to provide services to county residents. On the other
hand, Montgomery County, Maryland, and the District of Columbia governments
allocated substantial funding for their blind residents to receive
independent living skills training services.

Determined to help blind consumers obtain some standard of quality of life,
the i3s provides case management and peer support groups to consumers from
the blind community and continues to be the only organization not receiving
government funding that provides the above services in Prince George’s
County for blind residents. Indeed, Joyce and Lois have provided intensive
case management services to blind county residents on a volunteer basis.
There have been dozens of residents who had no guidance after experiencing
vision loss but were provided with instant direction and resourceful
information from Joyce and Lois. These two dynamic individuals have taken
calls from blind county residents as early as 7:00 a.m. and as late as 10:00
p.m. to ensure that they are given sufficient guidance to receive the
correct services so they can live as independent blind people.

Because of their connections to blind organizations, blind county residents
are quickly engaged in activities provided by the i3s until they receive
independent living skills training. In addition, the i3s have assisted blind
unhoused individuals with locating shelter, food, and clothing. Assistive
technology trainings are held on an as-needed basis. There are many blind
county residents who have not received any assistive technology training
after receiving their equipment from their state agency. However, i3s have
referred individuals to organizations that provide basic JAWS keyboarding
and smartphone training until the consumer receives a call from a state
agency to begin more formal and intensive training. The i3s have called on
the assistance of Federationists Libra Robinson and Tajuan Farmer to conduct
the assistive technology training, which includes their wildly popular Tech
Talk Tuesdays.

Since 2014, the i3s have facilitated weekly support groups for over 550
blind people. These support groups have been impactful in multiple ways.
First, historically after experiencing vision loss, blind consumers are
rarely referred for behavioral health resources by any agency that serves
the blind. However, the i3s have conducted behavioral health discussions and
provided resources to blind consumers who have participated in the support
group. The i3s have collaborated with multiple behavioral health clinicians,
and many of the consumers have acquired assistance to address their
behavioral health needs. Second, there have been blind working-aged
consumers who decided that they had no desire to be employed, or they
thought that obtaining employment was a long shot. After participating in
the daily support groups from the i3s, which included guest speakers from
the employment sector who facilitated discussions on disability employment,
these same county residents became motivated and sought out employment
training services from their state agency. Third, the i3s have provided
support to family members who have loved ones who have lost their vision.

Often, we fail to understand that family members are having a difficult time
accepting that their loved one has lost their eyesight and feel that their
loved one will no longer be independent. The i3s have developed support
group sessions for family members to help them understand that their loved
one who has lost their eyesight can be independent and can live the lives
they want. Fourth, the i3s have been engaged in their local community
events. For example, they have provided support to patrons at the Prince
George’s County chapter resource day and the Reed Temple Mega Church
community day. Lastly, some blind consumers who have participated in the i3s
support groups have become members of the NFB. Many have joined the Prince
George’s County Chapter and Greater Washington, DC, chapters and have made
meaningful contributions to the organization and the blind community.
Support group guests such as Melissa Riccobono, Ever Lee Hairston, Anil
Lewis, and Ron Brown were helpful in encouraging support group members to
consider the Federation. Furthermore, despite personal health challenges,
Joyce and Lois have continued to provide case management services to blind
consumers. It is important to note that both Joyce and Lois are over seventy
years old and work harder than individuals half their age to serve the blind
community.

The i3s have been recognized by multiple community stakeholders. After their
first year of service, the i3s received the 2015 Community Service Outreach
Award from the Prince Georges County Department of Child and Family Service
and Department on Aging, and in 2019 they received the National Federation
of the Blind of the District of Columbia Presidential Award.

In conclusion, the i3s have gone above and beyond in preparing blind PG
County residents to live the lives they want. As I write this article, I am
amazed that i3s continue to be the only non-government-funded organization
in Prince George’s County to provide support groups, case management
services, and referrals for assistive technology training to blind
residents. If the i3s did not exist, it is highly probable that there would
be dozens of blind county residents sitting at home and wondering if it is
truly possible that they can live the lives they want. Therefore, for
Women’s History Month, I tip my cap to Joyce Brooks and Lois Staves for
their unselfish contributions to the blind community and for being a beacon
of hope for blind people who now know that they can lead productive lives.

----------

[PHOTO CAPTION: Peggy Chong]


“Divorce Me”


by Peggy Chong

>From the Editor: Peggy Chong has won the Federation’s Dr. Jacob Bolotin
award twice for her extensive research and writing telling the stories of
blind people. She is known to all as the Blind History Lady and is available
for presentations to affiliates and chapters. Here is an article adapted
from one of her newsletters:

“Divorce me,” said the blind Marine lieutenant, lying in a bed at the base
hospital at Camp Lejeune.

“No,” said his young bride of eleven months.

“Divorce me! I can never be any good to you now. All I’m good for is
standing on a corner with a tin cup,” Thomas Hasbrook repeated.

“No. I am not divorcing you,” Mary Jane answered—for perhaps the hundredth
time.

When Mary Jane was not in the room, Tom’s thoughts returned again and again
to the training exercise he had led two weeks earlier. It had gone wrong. An
explosion had taken his sight. He was haunted by the knowledge that the men
he had expected to ship out with that February of 1944 were overseas without
him.

Neither Mary Jane nor Tom’s mother had much idea what a blind man could do.
What they did know was that Tom could not remain trapped in despair. Mary
Jane brought a typewriter to the hospital and taught him to type. His mother
began learning Braille herself and taught Tom as she progressed. A deck of
cards became an early teaching tool, helping him understand the value of
learning to read and write by touch.

Within weeks, the Veterans Administration transferred Tom to its hospital in
Philadelphia for further treatment and blindness rehabilitation. During one
visit, Tom overheard his father-in-law speaking to Mary Jane outside his
hospital room. He believed divorce would be best. Her friends, he said,
would graduate from college, build careers, and raise families, while she
would be burdened by marriage to a blind man. The words cut deeply, but they
also hardened Tom’s resolve to prove him wrong.

Mary Jane later brought Tom a letter from Eli Lilly, his employer before the
war. The company wanted him back, no matter what. She urged Tom to respond,
but the letter remained untouched in a drawer.

A priest visiting the hospital listened as Tom voiced his fears: Would he
always be dependent on others, even to walk from a car to a doctor’s office?
The priest suggested he explore training with a guide dog. A few weeks after
leaving the VA hospital, Tom was in Morristown, New Jersey, training with
his first guide dog.

When the couple returned to Indianapolis, Eli Lilly made good on its promise
of employment. Tom joined the public relations department as a staff writer,
transcribing documents from Ediphone wax recordings. Accuracy mattered;
before computers, a document riddled with errors had to be retyped in full.
Tom’s precision made him an asset. On his first day back at work, Mary Jane
could not drive him. Snow was falling. From the window, she watched
anxiously as Tom raised his thumb and caught a ride. When he returned home
safely, she began to understand that he could travel independently.

At his father’s urging, Tom visited the local Veterans Affairs office to
inquire about benefits. There he encountered his first direct experience
with discrimination as a blind person.

“You can’t bring that dog in here,” the security guard said. Tom explained
that he needed the dog to reach the second-floor offices. The guard refused.
After several futile exchanges, Tom left. Across the street stood the office
of his state representative. Tom told his story. Together they walked to the
state capital, where Tom addressed other legislators. That morning, a bill
was drafted to guarantee access to public buildings for blind people using a
cane or guide dog. It passed both chambers that afternoon and was signed
into law that evening—an unprecedented legislative feat. The political spark
had been lit.

Tom soon became active in the Blinded Veterans Association and was elected
its national president in 1948. He traveled widely, urging blind veterans to
organize, advocate, and demand meaningful employment opportunities. He
pressed national leaders for stronger laws and better rehabilitation
policies.

Public service followed. Tom served in the Indiana House of Representatives
from 1951 to 1955, then in the Indiana Senate until 1958. In 1960 he was
elected to the Indianapolis City Council. After city-county consolidation,
he became council president from 1970 to 1975 and later served as deputy
mayor. He led the Marion County Hospital Association and continued public
service even after retiring from Eli Lilly in 1983. Years later, a county
health and hospital building would bear his name.

Despite repeated encouragement from the Republican Party to run for
Congress, Tom declined. Mary Jane made her position clear: she would not
take her family away from Indianapolis.

Tom recognized that while politics achieved broad goals, personal service
changed individual lives. He joined the Junior Chamber of Commerce and
received its 1949 National Ten Outstanding Young Men Award. In the 1950s, he
helped found Bosma Enterprises, creating pathways to employment for blind
Hoosiers. The organization continues to honor him through the annual Thomas
C. Hasbrook Award Luncheon.

Family life remained central. Tom and Mary Jane raised six children in a
lively household. Tom swam each morning before work, walked daily with his
guide dog, washed the family car on Saturdays, and even taught his children
how to back a car out of the garage—his hand resting on the hood to gauge
speed and direction.

Mary Jane read to Tom in the early years, later joined by their children.
Reading together became a shared education in ideas, philosophy, and
politics. As the children grew older and drove him to engagements across the
city, they witnessed Tom’s commitment to listening—particularly in Black
neighborhoods that other politicians ignored. He earned trust because he
showed up.

Each of the Hasbrook children attended college, supported by their father.
Tom liked to joke that he had “one doctor, three lawyers, and two teachers”
for children—and that with six kids, he was clearly a good Catholic.

Tom and Mary Jane never divorced. Tom died exactly four months after his
wife who had refused to give up on him fifty-two years earlier.

----------


Blind and Print-Disabled Harris County Voters File Federal Lawsuit Seeking
Accessible Vote-by-Mail Ballots


>From the Editor: The following is the text of a press release issued by the
National Federation of the Blind on February 6, 2026, highlighting our
continued nationwide fight for fully accessible, private, and independent
voting. Here is the release:

Houston, TX—A group of Harris County voters who are blind and who have print
disabilities, together with the National Federation of the Blind of Texas,
filed a proposed class-action lawsuit today against Harris County and County
Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth challenging the county’s failure to provide remote
accessible vote-by-mail (RAVBM) ballots for blind and other voters who
cannot read or complete paper ballots.

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern
District of Texas, alleges violations of Title II of the Americans with
Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 

The individual plaintiffs include Cedric Bryant, Ted Galanos, Louis Maher,
and Michael McCulloch, all registered Harris County voters who are blind
and/or have other disabilities that prevent them from independently holding,
reading, marking, or handling paper ballots.

They are joined by the National Federation of the Blind of Texas (NFB-TX ),
the transformative civil rights organization of blind Texans, which is an
affiliate of the Baltimore-based National Federation of the Blind. The
plaintiffs filed this complaint not just on their own behalf, but on behalf
of all registered Harris County voters with print disabilities and will seek
class certification to represent that entire group in this lawsuit. 

“Voting is a fundamental right essential to full and equal participation in
American society, and that right necessarily includes the ability to cast a
ballot privately and independently, without fear of disclosing our vote to
others or having our ballot tampered with,” said Norma Crosby, president of
the National Federation of the Blind of Texas.

“Harris County already provides electronic ballots to military and overseas
voters and even to astronauts in outer space. There is no lawful or
practical reason to deny the same access to blind and print-disabled voters
here at home. We are merely demanding the secret ballot that other voters
already have and is guaranteed by law.”

“The National Federation of the Blind has fought for, and won, the equal
right to a secret and secure ballot elsewhere in Texas and beyond,” said
Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind.

“We will continue to aggressively defend the right of every blind American
to cast their ballot with complete privacy and independence and to break
down the barriers that needlessly prevent blind people from participating in
our democracy.”

Under Harris County’s current system, vote-by-mail ballots are provided only
in paper form. As a result, voters who are blind or have print disabilities
must rely on sighted assistants to read and mark their ballots, sacrificing
privacy and independence and violating Texas law, which guarantees a secret
ballot. 

Blind and print-disabled voters regularly use access technologies—such as
text-to-speech screen readers, Braille displays, mouth-stick styluses, and
adaptive switches—to independently access digital devices and electronic
documents. If Harris County provided ballots that could be marked and
returned electronically with these technologies, these voters could complete
them without assistance.

The lawsuit also points out that Harris County previously offered a Remote
Accessible Vote-by-Mail (RAVBM) system for military and overseas voters and
has successfully transmitted electronic ballots to astronauts on space
missions, including Butch Wilmore and Sunni Williams, who were stranded for
several months aboard the International Space Station. In addition, Bexar
County, Texas, was ordered by a federal court in 2023 to provide accessible
electronic ballots to blind voters as a result of a similar lawsuit.

Despite repeated requests from Disability Rights Texas and advocates for
blind voters, Harris County has refused to extend its electronic ballot
system to voters with print disabilities. In October 2024, after individual
plaintiff Michael McCulloch requested an accessible ballot as an
accommodation, the County Clerk’s Office denied the request, asserting that
no such ballot existed and that Texas law prohibited electronic ballots for
disabled voters.

“That assertion is simply wrong,” said Eve Hill, one of the attorneys for
the plaintiffs. “Federal disability rights laws require public entities to
provide auxiliary aids and services, including accessible electronic
documents, when necessary to ensure equal access. Accessible electronic
ballots are readily available and already in use in Texas and many other
jurisdictions.”

The plaintiffs are asking the federal court to order Harris County to
implement an accessible electronic vote-by-mail system, declare the current
paper-only system unlawful, and award attorneys’ fees and costs.

The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys from Disability Rights Texas and
the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP.

----------


Monitor Miniatures


News from the Federation Family


[PHOTO/CAPTION: Two young STEM2U Arizona participants work diligently
together on their project.]

[PHOTO/CAPTION: A group of Rhode Island BELL participants and mentors smile
together on a field trip to the Kids Empire.]


2026 NFB Youth Programs: NFB BELL® Academy and STEM2U


The National Federation of the Blind is pleased to announce its 2026 youth
programming through two signature initiatives: the NFB BELL® Academy and NFB
STEM2U.

The NFB BELL® Academy (Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning) is
designed for blind and low-vision children and focuses on building strong
foundational skills in Braille literacy, nonvisual independence, and
confidence. Through hands-on learning and positive blindness philosophy,
students are encouraged to explore, learn, and grow alongside peers.

NFB STEM2U brings hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math
experiences directly to blind and low-vision students. These programs
emphasize accessible experimentation, problem-solving, and exposure to STEM
concepts and careers—demonstrating that blind students belong in STEM
spaces.

Programs will be offered in multiple locations during 2026. Learn more and
find registration details on our website.

https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-bell-academy

https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/nfb-stem2u


Elected


The National Federation of the Blind of Arizona’s East Valley Chapter held
their elections on January 17, 2026, and the following officers were elected
to a one-year term.

President: Megan Homrighausen

First Vice President: Kristopher Crawley

Second Vice President: Joe Sizemore

Secretary: Tony Sohl

Treasurer: Heather Bowes

Board Position 1: Tina Sohl

Board Position 2: Matt Mazak

Congratulations to these new leaders!


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.


Blind Birders Birdathon Goes Global


The second annual Blind Birders Birdathon will be held May 3-4, 2026. Last
year was our first experience of engaging birders from all over the United
States who are blind and low vision. Participants agreed to listen for birds
for at least two hours and turn in their birding lists to be part of an
overall tally. This year we have added a day so that people can choose which
day to bird and therefore have more transportation options. We are also
going global and welcome participants from all over the world. Also, we are
having monthly informational gatherings to help prepare participants for the
adventure.

For more information or to register, you may go to Birdability.org
<http://Birdability.org> . You can also contact Donna Posont, Coordinator:
Birding by Ear and Beyond, Environmental Interpretive Center, University of
Michigan-Dearborn at donnabutterfly50 at gmail.com
<mailto:donnabutterfly50 at gmail.com> . Prizes will be awarded by a random
drawing for those participants in the United States. You will receive notice
of the wrap up meeting after the event once you have registered on the
Birdability website.

Friends and family or interested individuals who are sighted may also
register and volunteer to bird with someone or join with a group of blind
birders. Help us make this year bigger and better and a wonderful
opportunity for all of us to get outside and engage in the natural world.

----------


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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