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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hi Federation Family & Friends! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Below is the Braille Monitor for April 2021! Also, the editor of the Braille Monitor Gary Wunder will be the special speaker at the Columbia Chapter meeting of the National Federation of the Blind of SC on Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 6:15 PM eastern. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h1 style='line-height:normal'>BRAILLE MONITOR<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal>Vol. 64, No. 4 April 2021<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><i>Gary Wunder, Editor<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash drive, by the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Mark Riccobono, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> telephone: 410-659-9314<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> email address: <a href="mailto:nfb@nfb.org"><span style='color:black'>nfb@nfb.org</span></a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> website address: <a href="http://www.nfb.org"><span style='color:black'>http://www.nfb.org</span></a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> NFBnet.org: <a href="http://www.nfbnet.org"><span style='color:black'>http://www.nfbnet.org</span></a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> NFB-NEWSLINE® information: 866-504-7300<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Watch and share our videos: <a href="http://YouTube.com/NationsBlind"><span style='color:black'>YouTube.com/NationsBlind</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, and orders for NFB literature should be sent to the national office. Articles for the <i>Monitor</i> and letters to the editor may also be sent to the national office or may be emailed to <a href="mailto:gwunder@nfb.org"><span style='color:black'>gwunder@nfb.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><span style='mso-ignore:vglayout;position:absolute;z-index:-1895825408;margin-left:216px;margin-top:0px;width:192px;height:1px'><img width=192 height=1 style='width:2.0in;height:.0104in' src="cid:image003.png@01D7260D.02237EF0" v:shapes="Rectangle_x0020_1"></span><![endif]><span style='letter-spacing:-.1pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><i><span style='letter-spacing:-.1pt'>Monitor</span></i><span style='letter-spacing:-.1pt'> subscriptions cost the Federation about forty dollars per year. Members are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to cover the subscription cost. Donations should be made payable to <b>National Federation of the Blind</b> and sent to:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 200 East Wells Street <i>at Jernigan Place</i><br> Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>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.</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><i>ISSN 0006-8829<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class=MsoNormal>© 2021 by the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></p><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:always'></span><p class=MsoNormal> Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick or USB flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a National Library Service digital player. The NLS machine has two slots—the familiar book-cartridge slot just above the retractable carrying handle and a second slot located on the right side near the headphone jack. This smaller slot is used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective rubber pad covering this slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in one position. If you encounter resistance, flip the drive over and try again. (Note: If the cartridge slot is not empty when you insert the thumb drive, the digital player will ignore the thumb drive.) Once the thumb drive is inserted, the player buttons will function as usual for reading digital materials. If you remove the thumb drive to use the player for cartridges, when you insert it again, reading should resume at the point you stopped. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> You can transfer the recording of each issue from the thumb drive to your computer or preserve it on the thumb drive. However, because thumb drives can be used hundreds of times, we would appreciate their return in order to stretch our funding. Please use the return envelope enclosed with the drive when you return the device.<o:p></o:p></p><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:always'></span><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'>Vol. 64, No.4 April 2021<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Contents<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The 2021 Convention is at Hand............................................................................................................ <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by John Berggren<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Visit the Presidential Suite at the 2021 Convention................................................................................ <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Melissa Riccobono<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Inclusion in the Theatre: Embrace Your Passion for Performance........................................................... <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Elizabeth Rouse<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Will He Still Be Here at Nightfall?.......................................................................................................... <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Anonymous<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Protecting Your Family.......................................................................................................................... <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Carlton Walker<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Two Milestones Crossed at AIM Conference on Automated Nemeth Braille Translation........................... <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Al Maneki<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Getting into “Good Trouble”................................................................................................................. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Deanna O’Brien<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Raising Expectations: That’s What We Do in the National Federation of the Blind.................................... <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Curtis Chong<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A Letter of Reflection and Thanks.......................................................................................................... <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Lashawna Fant<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Independence Market Corner.............................................................................................................. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Ellen Ringlein<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Reconsidering Our Resistance to the Idea of Blind Culture...................................................................... <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Justin Salisbury<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Introducing the COVID Vaccine Promo.................................................................................................. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Structured Discovery Cane Travel in Context: Arguments for Its Continued Practice in Our Current Environment <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>by Ryan Carsey<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Recipes................................................................................................................................................ <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><i>Monitor</i> Miniatures.............................................................................................................................. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US'><br clear=all style='page-break-before:always'></span><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt'>[PHOTO CAPTION: John Berggren]<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>The 2021 Convention is at Hand<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by John Berggren<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-left:.25in;text-align:center'><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt'><b>From the Editor: John Berggren is the head of our Convention Organization and Activities effort, and annually he provides readers with convention information that points the way to registering, gives convention dates, and starts the excitement. He does so again in what follows:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt'>About this time last year, we made the difficult decision to hold our National Federation of the Blind National Convention as a virtual event, the first time in our eighty years of existence we did not gather together in person. When President Riccobono announced during his December “Presidential Release—Live” that we would again be meeting anywhere and everywhere for our 2021 annual event, Federationists knew that, while perhaps not our first choice, the largest gathering of blind people anywhere in the world would once again be an outstanding, not-to-be-missed event.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt'>Last year we registered more than twice as many attendees as our largest in-person convention and President Riccobono’s banquet address was heard by more than 10,000 listeners. As we prepare for this July, we know that this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever. We intend and expect to register more attendees than last year and introduce the Federation family to thousands of first-timers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt'>Make sure that you are a part of history. Register for convention online at <a href="https://nfb.org/registration"><span style='color:black'>https://nfb.org/registration</span></a>. You can also indicate your interest in participating in the NOPBC annual conference and the NFB career fair. There is always more information about all that will be happening this year at <a href="https://nfb.org/convention"><span style='color:black'>https://nfb.org/convention</span></a> with updates throughout the spring. Participants can engage with us about convention on social media using the hashtag #NFB21—start now by posting that you are registered for the NFB 2021 National Convention! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt'>As with last year, attendees will be able to join in whether using Zoom on your desktop computer, your mobile device, or by calling on your phone. In the coming months, we will be sharing information about the CrowdCompass platform which allows users to customize a personal agenda and access convention sessions with a single click. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt'>Mark your calendar for the following schedule this July:<br><br><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Tuesday, July 6: Seminars & Specialized Meetings<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Wednesday, July 7: Board Meeting & Resolutions<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Thursday, July 8: Division Meetings & Opening Ceremony<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Friday, July 9: Presidential Report & General Session<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l3 level1 lfo1'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Saturday, July 10: Business Session & Banquet<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt'>New attendees should plan to attend the Rookie Roundup scheduled for Tuesday, July 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET. Also, check out our convention First-Timer’s Guide. Please plan to stop by the Presidential Suite to say hello during convention. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt'>The convention of the National Federation of the Blind is the supreme authority of the organization. Active members who register for the convention by May 31, 2021, and provide a valid telephone number to be used for voting will be eligible to participate in votes during the business meetings of the convention. Further details about the voting process as well as opportunities to practice the voting process will be made available in the future. If you have questions about the voting process, please send an email to <a href="mailto:votingsupport@nfb.org"><span style='color:black'>votingsupport@nfb.org</span></a>.<br><br>The NFB is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, integrity, and respect. Throughout the week, you will have amazing opportunities to network with thousands of blind role models and leaders, attend presentations on a wide variety of empowering topics, and view the latest in technology. To allow all attendees the chance to benefit from all aspects of the convention, we must provide a harassment-free environment for everyone. We appreciate your assistance in cultivating an atmosphere in which participants from diverse backgrounds can learn, network, and share with each other in a spirit of mutual respect. Thank you for doing your part to contribute to our community and the high expectations we strive to maintain.<br><br>There may not be a physical entrance to general session, but you can still expect door prizes to be awarded throughout the week. We are now accepting door prizes for this year’s convention, and that’s where you come in. Cash donations make great prizes and are easy to distribute. Please make your checks payable to National Federation of the Blind and write “Door Prizes” in the memo. You should mail the check to National Federation of the Blind, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, Attention: Fiscal Services - DP. You can also send an email to <a href="mailto:prize@nfb.org"><span style='color:black'>prize@nfb.org</span></a> to let us know you are sending a door prize and the full name of the organization making the contribution.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:10.0pt'>We may not be able to greet people with a friendly handshake this July, but there will still be plenty of opportunities to connect with old friends as well as chances to make new ones. Join us to learn the latest in access technology; participate in meetings of our special interest groups, committees, and divisions; experience the most stimulating and provocative program items of any meeting of the blind in the world. Do not miss being a part of the 2021 National Convention. Register now. We’ll see you in July everywhere and anywhere.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:10.0pt;margin-left:.25in;text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[PHOTO CAPTION: Melissa Riccobonoh]<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Visit the Presidential Suite at the 2021 Convention<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Melissa Riccobono<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>From the Editor: One of my favorite places to visit is always the Presidential Suite. Cool people gravitate there. Snacks are there as well as coffee and sometimes NFB Tea. How can it get any better? How we will make our suite a remarkable place this year is the subject of this article, and here is what our First Lady says:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Presidential Suite has long been a favorite of President Riccobono and me. We greatly enjoyed being able to open a suite to all convention attendees—a place they can come to meet and talk with others, have questions answered, and even eat a few cherries, M&Ms, or popcorn! Last year we decided very late in the convention planning process that we should and could host a virtual Presidential Suite. Those who visited seemed to enjoy themselves, but we are sure many convention attendees did not take advantage of the Presidential Suite because they had no idea what it was or what to expect.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This year, since we are beginning the process of planning a virtual convention much earlier, it is important to him and me to do a more thorough job of communicating the purpose of the Presidential Suite, how it will be run virtually, what to expect, and how you can help make the Presidential Suite a welcoming and safe place for all!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Presidential Suite should definitely be on your agenda at this year’s convention. It is a place to talk with other convention attendees about a variety of topics. It is a place you can go in order to get questions answered. President Riccobono and I drop into the Presidential Suite when we can, and President Riccobono also holds private meetings with as many people who request appointments as possible. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This year the Presidential Suite will be open at the following times: Tuesday, July 6, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Wednesday, July 7, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.; Thursday, July 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m.; Friday, July 9, from 8:00 to 9:45 a.m.; and Saturday, July 10, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Everyone who enters the Presidential Suite will be muted. This is to allow conversations which may be taking place to continue without interruption. An NFB staff member will greet and welcome you. If you want to be unmuted for any reason, feel free to raise your hand, and someone will call on you. Otherwise, if you’re just visiting the suite in order to talk with others, you will be randomly assigned to a breakout room. You will receive an invitation to the breakout room on your smartphone or computer. This you will need to accept in order to be moved. If you are calling in on a landline phone, you will be automatically transferred to the breakout room. Please be patient because, depending on how busy the suite is at any given time, it may take a few minutes for a staff member to be able to call on you or even assign you to a breakout room.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Each breakout room will feature a leader in the National Federation of the Blind. These leaders are volunteering their time in order to make visitors to each breakout room feel welcome. They will answer questions about the convention, the National Federation of the Blind, and other blindness resources. They will also gladly participate in any other discussions which might occur. These breakout rooms are meant to be friendly, safe, informational, yet informal. They are meant to be places where convention attendees from around the country and world can interact and connect with one another. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We did hear from some convention attendees last year that they enjoyed participating in breakout rooms where discussions of specific topics were taking place. As a result of this feedback, this year we are also hoping to have breakout rooms which will offer specific discussion topics at specific times—please stay tuned for more information! If you have a discussion topic you would like to suggest, please email Melissa Riccobono at <a href="mailto:melissa@actionfund.org"><span style='color:black'>melissa@actionfund.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As a visitor to the Presidential Suite, please do your part to keep this a friendly, welcoming, and safe place for all. As is true in all convention events, the Code of Conduct will need to be followed in the Presidential Suite. Please keep conversations respectful to all participants. Don’t be afraid to chime into a conversation. You have a lot to offer, even if you may be new to the convention and feel as if you have a lot to learn. You have still had experiences in your life which may be extremely relevant to a conversation and very helpful to others. At the same time, please be mindful that we want all people in the breakout room to have a chance to be heard, so feel free to ask if someone has anything to add, particularly if you know there is someone in the breakout room who hasn’t said anything for a while.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you have any concerns about your experience in the Presidential Suite, please leave the breakout room immediately. Then log back into the main Presidential Suite link, raise your hand, and let the staff member who calls on you know you have a concern you need to share. The staff member will work with you to come up with the best way to share your concern privately and quickly.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As stated above, the Presidential Suite is also a place where President Riccobono meets with individuals and groups who request appointments. If you would like to request an appointment to meet with him privately or in a group, please email Beth Braun at <a href="mailto:bbraun@nfb.org"><span style='color:black'>bbraun@nfb.org</span></a>. Make sure to put “Presidential Suite” in the subject line of your message. In your email, please give Beth your name, the state you are from, your telephone number, and a brief reason for the purpose of your appointment. Beth will begin accepting appointment requests on June 1. She will not begin to respond to requests until July 1 or a bit later, since she will need to make sure of President Riccobono’s schedule in order to give you a good date and time for your appointment. If you want to schedule an appointment but do not have access to email, please call Beth at 410-659-9314, Extension 2369 beginning on June 1. If you cannot reach Beth, please leave her a message, and she will get back to you. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you have other questions about the Presidential Suite, please send an email to <a href="mailto:melissa@actionfund.org"><span style='color:black'>melissa@actionfund.org</span></a>, or call 410-659-9314, extension 2466. President Riccobono and I look forward to your participation in the Presidential Suite this year. We hope to speak with you in the suite, and we also hope we will be in person next year so we can offer you refreshments as well as fellowship.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[PHOTO CAPTION: Elizabeth Rouse]<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Inclusion in the Theatre: Embrace Your Passion for Performance<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Elizabeth Rouse<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'><b><span style='color:black'>From the Editor: Elizabeth is originally from the Midwest, where she graduated from Central College, a Division Three school located in Pella, Iowa, in May of 2020. There she earned degrees in English and Theatre. While college is where Elizabeth embraced her love for the stage in all its forms, serving as an actor, director, light/sound designer, set constructor, and stage manager for various productions, she has been an avid theatre goer for her entire life, having seen over thirty Broadway, regional, and amateur productions to date. While the COVID-19 pandemic has taken away some of her opportunities to interact with the arts, she is looking forward to sitting in an audience and working backstage again soon.</span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'><b><span style='color:black'>Elizabeth is currently a student at the Louisiana Center for the Blind and serves as the president of the Iowa Association of Blind Students and treasurer of the National Association of Blind Students. Here is her article:</span></b><b><span style='font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Go up to the board and draw an image from last night’s reading assignment.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The professor’s instruction seemed simple enough, but I felt my palms start to sweat as I stood from my chair. As the only freshman in an upper-level theatre history course, I wasn’t yet confident in my understanding of the material, let alone my artistic abilities to recreate it in front of my peers. Nevertheless, I walked to the board, picked up a piece of chalk, and began drawing out an image from my favorite scene of the Greek myths I’d barely finished reading. I paid little attention to my peers as they completed the same task, figuring I wouldn’t be able to see their drawings anyway. When I finished, I returned to my seat to wait. Before my knees so much as bent an inch, my professor stopped me in my tracks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“Now, I’d like each of you to gather around one another’s work and describe, in detail, the images you drew so that we all understand how you saw the scenes unfolding.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>She didn’t target me or call me out for being blind. She simply took an assignment and incorporated visual descriptions into her curriculum. With one simple statement she changed the trajectory of my college career. From that day on, theatre became a part of me.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>During my four years of study at Central College, I played many roles (pun intended) in the theatre department. I was tasked with stage managing, lighting and sound design, and even directing among other things. But one of the most memorable adventures for me was venturing onto the stage as an actor. I was fortunate enough to be cast in four main-stage productions, the first of which took place during my sophomore year and the latter three during my senior year. Through trial and error, I learned valuable lessons about how to access my scripts in Braille, how to navigate the stage with and without my cane, and how to make my interactions and gestures authentic when performing. While each of these lessons took time to learn, I’d like to share the most valuable takeaways that affect the actor and the spectator alike.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>First, don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty! My first step when familiarizing myself with a set was to go in and explore. I’d contact my school’s technical director and find a time where he and I could venture onto the set so that I knew where steps, doors, and scenery were located. After we finished our walk-through, he’d answer any questions I still had. Then, when things were added or modified in any way, we’d do it again. In this instance, communication was the key to obtaining information. The same rule can apply for backstage participators and spectators; you’ll never know what sensory options are available to you until you ask.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Next, learn to laugh at yourself! Theatre is filled with not-so-comfortable conversations. I can’t count the number of times I had to ask if my facial expression was appropriate for a given scene or admit that I needed an extra hand getting off the stage when the lights went dark. The more comfortable you are with the situation, the better you can convey your needs to those around you.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Additionally, don’t be afraid to wholeheartedly devote yourself to the experience! As a member of the audience, I find myself laughing uproariously and bawling into my hands without a care in the world about what those around me are thinking about me because theatre affects us each uniquely. If a friend and I see a show together, I may find it hilarious while my friend finds the plot depressingly sad. It’s okay to form your own thoughts and opinions about what you interpret from a certain script or performance. The people onstage live for audience reactions, and you may just be the one person in the audience who picks up on a subtle joke or pop culture reference they’ve been dying to convey.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Finally, understand that theatre is a means of give-and-take! Actors don’t parade around a stage for their own benefit. They love the art so much that they practice day in and day out to put on a performance that means something to them. If you find yourself passionate about theatre, find a way to become involved. Audition for your dream role. Take tickets at your local theatre. Write a play. Make art mean something to you in whatever way you know how.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Simon McBurney once said, “Theatre is the art form of the present: it exists only in the present, and then it’s gone.” I invite you to meet me onstage and not let this beautiful art pass you by.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Will He Still Be Here at Nightfall?<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Anonymous<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>From the Editor: The following piece appears without a byline. This is because the author does not want her child to be the target of retaliation, nor does she want to be on the receiving end of an agency’s anger. Often the problem with anonymous submissions is credibility, but I and a number of other Federationists know this family, can vouch for their truthfulness and integrity, and are happy to call them friends and colleagues in the movement. We readily acknowledge that children with autism often manifest behaviors that confuse and frustrate parents, educators, and outside observers. As a consequence, they are more likely to be subject to both physical abuse in all settings and harsh disciplinary tactics such as restraint and seclusion at school. At the same time, their behaviors also frequently lead to misguided or uninformed reports to child protective services by observers who do not understand that they are observing symptoms of the child’s disability or who question strategies developed over time by families and their teams of doctors and therapists. This combination of greater appropriate and inappropriate reporting of families whose children have autism emphasizes the critical need for additional training in the clinical features of disabilities and disability civil rights and protections within the child welfare system.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>All of this being said, other things must be said as well. We are not opposed to the function of government oversight when it comes to protecting vulnerable populations. We also know the risk in giving any agency or worker within an agency the power to remove a child from his or her parents. With both of these issues in mind, here is what a family recently visited by Children’s Protective Services has to say: </b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“My name is Casey. I’m from child protective services. I’m at your house in response to a concern about your kiddo.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The adrenaline rush is instantaneous. Your mind starts racing. What is this about? Who called them? Why?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You won’t get the answers to the last two questions. You will get some information about the nature of the complaint, but the visit or call will be a surprise. They want to catch you off guard so they can see what’s really going on. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There is a red-haired lady at the house in her car on the phone. Is she taking a call about someone else? Is she doing a background check on you? Why is she here? Do you have to let her into your house? What if you don’t? What will they do next? Is she here to take your child? Why?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>She finally gets out of the car. She explains that they got a call expressing concern for your child’s welfare. There is concern for his hygiene, his hair, and his teeth. He is blind, and the house is so cluttered he can’t safely get around. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Now it dawns on you. The new babysitter called in this morning by text. She said she had a personal issue and couldn’t make it today. She called. You say so. The CPS caseworker is smooth about this. “I can’t say, but families can usually figure it out.” <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>She had only been with you for two weeks and yesterday didn’t go well. She decided to help your son brush his teeth. You don’t know how much toothpaste she used, but, after he gagged, the toothpaste stain on his shirt was the size of an adult’s hand. Then he threw up his breakfast. He had cheese and toast. She directed him to the bathroom sink, then tried to wash it down the drain. That didn’t go well either. The drain clogged, and one of you had to go out and get some drain cleaner.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The day got better, but not by much. Virtual first grade is not for the faint of heart. Going to school on Microsoft Teams when you are legally blind is…pointless. Maybe high school or college students can navigate the platform. Maybe the school can provide the materials in large print or Braille. But they don’t. You’ve been pushing for a more appropriate educational approach to pandemic schooling for your legally blind child since September.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Actually, now you wonder. Was it the school? You are on the verge of filing state or federal civil rights complaints for violations of the special education law guaranteeing all children a free and appropriate public education. You’ve been trying desperately to avoid having to file a formal legal complaint, because you know that these often take years to resolve, and if the complaint is that your first grader is not learning to read, justice delayed is justice denied. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The red-haired lady is in your living room. She’s got lots of questions. Invasive questions. Who lives here? Where do you eat dinner? Where do you sleep?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You let the seven-year-old give the house tour. He can get around the house fine. He shows her. There are books and papers around. You’ve been doing virtual school and work from home for nearly a year. But there is a difference between cluttered and unhygienic, between stacks of schoolbooks and papers and a fire hazard. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You explain about the hair and teeth, though you feel exposed—not naked, more like skinned alive. Every nerve in your body feels like it might explode. She wouldn’t take him over this, would she? Why did she call?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>He has autism, you explain. Yes, he hates having baths, having his hair brushed, his teeth brushed, his fingernails clipped. All of it. These are textbook symptoms. You have worked with his doctors and his therapists for years on this. You do the best you can. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>He gets therapy every day: applied behavioral analysis, occupational therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, music therapy, and social skills classes. Surely you explained all this to the new babysitter. Even if you didn’t, some of the therapies are on Zoom. She was there. Did she not wonder why he was doing them?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Why did she do this? You have a theory about this. She was frustrated. She had been a nanny for years, and your kid didn’t respond to her usual bag of tricks. You had warned her about that. He has autism. You offered to have his therapists give her some strategies, but she declined. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Most days he will cooperate, but virtual school is tough when you are seven—two to six hours a day of Zoom or Teams meetings—actually it seems inhumane. Many workplaces have rules against this for adults.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The cleaning lady has another theory: The job was more work than she expected. “I think she just thought her job was to make sure the house doesn’t burn down.” She wanted to quit but wanted the referral agency to give her another assignment, something easier. She had been bringing her homework with her and hadn’t had a chance to get anything done. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Once the CPS lady is in your house, she wants to see everything: the kitchen, the stove, the fridge, the bathroom. She is monitoring your housekeeping. She wants to know when bedtime is. How do you get him to sleep? What does the morning routine look like? Is he attending virtual school regularly?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Your skin is crawling. But you know that the fastest way to get her out of your life is to answer her questions. You don’t want your kid to see that you’re scared or angry or confused. Actually, you hope he can’t figure out why she’s here at all. Unless this goes horribly wrong, you are never going to tell him that she was here to decide whether to take him away.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[PHOTO CAPTION: Carlton Walker]<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Protecting Your Family<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Carlton Walker<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>From the Editor: Carlton Walker is an advocate, teacher, mother of a blind child, and an attorney. Here is a list of recommendations she offers for those being visited by a worker from children’s protective services. Please note her disclaimer at the end. </b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Offices charged with child protection have a lot of discretion in investigations. They have a lower legal threshold for proof than other legal processes. But there are a few things you can do if an official from child protection comes to speak to you about your child or children:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Stay calm, and try not to get defensive. This is much easier said than done.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Ask the official what the concern or concerns are, and listen carefully to the answers. It is fine to ask the official to repeat the answers so that you can fully understand what is being said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Ask for reasonable accommodations, such as written materials in Braille, accessible electronic form, or enlarged print. Don’t feel pressured into proceeding without them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Breathe. Breathe again.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>You will likely feel a range of emotions. Give yourself permission to feel what you feel.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You do not need to allow child protection officials into your home unless they have a warrant to enter. Ask them to produce the warrant before allowing them into your home. If you cannot read the document, ask for reasonable accommodations (such as a third-party you can trust) to read the documents and share with you what is written. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ask the official what complaints have been made against you. If the person is vague, push for details.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Don’t be in a rush. While it is very stressful to be in this situation, rushing can hurt you. Give yourself permission to take the time to figure out what you want to do and what you don’t want to do. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You do not need to answer any questions without an attorney. Consider not answering any questions until you have consulted an attorney (which can be court-appointed, based on your state’s rules and your income and resources). <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Don’t hesitate to seek legal help. Things happen quickly, and the stakes are very high. Take the time you need to get the help you and your family deserve.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you want to speak without consulting a lawyer, consider what you can share. If you choose to answer questions, do so as calmly as you can. Try to answer only what is asked and try not to elaborate. It is natural to want to explain your experiences, but accurate, short answers can be better. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If needed, find supportive documentation from your child’s teachers, doctors, and therapists.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Disclaimer:</b> This message is not intended or offered as legal advice. These materials have been prepared for educational and information purposes only. They are not legal advice or legal opinions on any specific matters. Transmission of the information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, a lawyer-client relationship between this site, the author(s), or the publisher, and you, or any other user. Internet subscribers and online readers should not act, or fail to act, upon this information without seeking professional counsel. No person should act or fail to act on any legal matter based on the contents of this site. Unless expressly stated otherwise, no document herein should be assumed to be produced by an attorney licensed in your state.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>[PHOTO CAPTION: Al Maneki]<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Two Milestones Crossed at AIM Conference on Automated Nemeth Braille Translation<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Al Maneki<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:yellow;background:white'>From the Editor: Al Maneki is a tireless advocate for blind people who want to work in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. He knows that it takes a good deal of initiative and desire to excel in these fields, and he also knows it takes good textual materials, ones that come as close to giving the blind reader what his or her colleague using print gets. Dr. Maneki isn’t content simply to observe that the problem of converting complicated mathematics into Braille is difficult. He is determined to do something about it, and he knows the work cannot be done alone. So part of his work as a pioneer in this field of using digital technology to bring meaningful mathematical reading materials to the blind has been to gather smart, committed colleagues to work with him and the organized blind movement of the National Federation of the Blind. Here is what Al has to say about the latest workshop and progress made on creating a system to automatically convert mathematics represented in print into Braille:</span></b><b><span style='background:white'><o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><u><span style='background:white'><o:p><span style='text-decoration:none'> </span></o:p></span></u></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='color:yellow;background:white'>Author’s note:</span></b><span style='color:yellow;background:white'> I want to begin this article by acknowledging the valuable assistance of fellow team member Karen Herstein, who verified most of the facts and citations given here. I want to thank all of the participants of the AIM workshop on Automated Nemeth Braille Translation for reviewing the first draft and making suggestions and corrections. In writing this article, I relied heavily on the workshop summary that was prepared by Alexei Kolesnikov. As the author of this article, I assume full responsibility for any errors, misrepresentations, and oversights. Readers who wish to contact me may do so by email at </span><a href="mailto:apmaneki@gmail.com"><span style='background:white'>apmaneki@gmail.com</span></a><span style='color:yellow;background:white'>. – Al Maneki</span><span style='background:white'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Introduction<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>In 2019 the Automated Nemeth Translation Team (ANTT) applied to hold a workshop at the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM). AIM hosts workshops in all areas of mathematics, including topics in mathematics education and accessibility in mathematics. AIM, one of six institutes sponsored by the National Science Foundation, fully funds all costs associated with the workshop. The goal of our team’s workshop was to bring together software developers, mathematicians, and blind consumers to advance our expertise in automated Nemeth translation of mathematics text. Workshop proposals were evaluated by an external advisory committee and are funded on a competitive basis. Fortunately, our proposal was selected based on merit and the qualifications of our team members. This workshop was held from August 3-August 7, 2020. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The purpose of the workshop was to extend the availability of mathematics textbooks in Braille to students and professionals who are visually impaired. The goal was to produce mathematical texts accurately, inexpensively, and in a timely manner by developing a user-friendly software workflow using open-source software to automatically, or nearly automatically, translate mathematical texts ready for embossing. Volker Sorge further suggests that, “An important goal of our work is also to provide the means of translating content into Nemeth to blind users directly, which will give them greater independence from publishers or transcribers. It will also empower blind students and researchers to get real time access to material given to them by their professors and peers.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This was the first AIM workshop to run virtually after the closure necessitated by COVID-19. The organizers are grateful to AIM staff for thinking through the logistics of such meetings. Due to difference in time zones (the participants on the West Coast of the United States were separated by nine time zones from the participants in Europe), the daily meeting period of the workshop was somewhat reduced compared to the usual AIM workshop.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The workshop participants were selected from a list of respondents to our open invitation that was included in the public announcement of the selection of our workshop proposal. They came from various parts of the US and Europe and brought a wide variety of skills, backgrounds, and insights to the solution of this problem. What was most important was that none of us held particular biases about the difficulties and challenges of this problem. We came to the workshop with open minds and positive attitudes. Although this workshop did not completely solve the problem of automated Nemeth translation, we can cite two major accomplishments: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='margin-bottom:0in;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>The development of a framework and methodology for producing automated properly scaled tactile graphics with properly placed Braille labels.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:0in;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l6 level1 lfo3'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>The identification of shortcomings in the Nemeth Braille code. Some symbols and conventions currently used in mathematics do not have Nemeth equivalents. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>A gentle warning: As you read this article please do not be discouraged or turned off by unfamiliar terms such as: LaTeX, TikZ, SVG and MathML. A familiarity with these terms is not critical to grasp the significance of this work. I have included these terms here to convey the level of technical details that were needed to solve the problems of automated Nemeth translation. Frankly, many of the technical details involved here are also beyond my comprehension. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The support and commitment we have received from the general mathematics community is unprecedented. No other assistive technology efforts to aid blind people have had this degree of external support. At the same time, let us not forget that we, the blind community, were able to harness and use this support to our advantage because we were ready when the opportunity presented itself. For a long time, we have been articulating the need for automated Nemeth translation. We laid the groundwork for external cooperative efforts when this help was forthcoming. In short, our preparation could not have taken place without the leadership and direction of the National Federation of the Blind and the Jernigan Institute. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Before reviewing these two milestones, we need to introduce everyone to the participants and to review the subject matter of the workshop itself. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>The Participants<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>A total of seventeen persons took part in this workshop. Six participants were the members of the original ANTT. They were Rob Beezer, Karen Herstein, Alexei Kolesnikov, Al Maneki, Martha Siegel and Volker Sorge. These team members were introduced to you in my article which appeared in the May 2020 issue of this magazine. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="about:blank"><span style='color:black'>https://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm20/bm2005/bm200507.htm</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Brief educational and professional backgrounds of the remaining participants are listed below:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Michael Cantino</b>, accessibility specialist, Portland Community College, Portland, Oregon (BS in Liberal Studies from Portland State University): "I've been transcribing Braille for about 8 years. In 2014, I received certification in literary Braille transcription through the Library of Congress. I began transcribing Nemeth regularly in 2014 under the guidance of a large staff of Teachers of the Visually Impaired. I eventually enrolled in and completed NFB's Nemeth certification course. I was stopped short of completing the final Nemeth certification manuscript when I was presented with an exciting opportunity; I was asked to join an NSF research project studying the use of interactive 3D printed models for visually impaired learners. This project merged 3D printed graphics with an augmented reality app to provide audio and Braille annotations. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am passionate about the creation and use of tactile graphics. I began creating tactile graphics around 2013 and soon began leveraging existing technologies to make complex graphics that are clear and engaging. I regularly produce traditional embossed graphics, but I've also done quite a bit of work with 3D printers, vinyl cutters, laser cutters, and other advanced production methods. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I've been transcribing in the UEB literary code since 2015. I started my Braille transcription journey with music Braille, and I spent several years teaching Braille music basics and supporting students in interpreting their scores.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Davide Cervone,</b> professor of mathematics, Union College, Schenectady, NY (PhD in Mathematics from Brown University): “My interest is through my work on MathJax, for which I am the primary author. MathJax has always had math accessibility as an important priority, and when Volker Sorge joined the MathJax project, that allowed us to realize that priority in a significant way. So my interest in the subject is through that avenue.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background:white'><b><span style='color:yellow'>John Gardner,</span></b><span style='color:yellow'> formerly professor of physics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon (PhD, Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign): He became totally blind after an eye operation in 1988. He continues to teach; however, he could no longer evaluate the data from experiments. This difficulty prompted him to establish a university team to research methods for better accessibility to graphical information. In 1996 his team developed a new high resolution embossing technology and patented it. He was unable to persuade any Braille embosser manufacturer to license this technology. They told him that there was no need for blind people to access graphics. He did not believe them, so he and his wife founded ViewPlus to produce embossers. In the year 2000 the first product reached the market, the ViewPlus Tiger Advantage embosser, built on a dot matrix printer.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;background:white'><b><span style='color:yellow'>Chris Hughes</span></b><span style='color:yellow'>, staff tutor, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, Open University, Milton Keynes, England (PhD in Applied Math from University of Reading, UK): </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>“I was interested in the workshop in my role as accessibility lead for maths & stats at The Open University. My reasons for participating were to gain and develop understanding on converting mathematical content into Braille.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Alex Jordan</b>, professor of mathematics, Portland Community College, Portland, Oregon (Ph.D. in Mathematics from University of Oregon): He is a mathematics instructor at Portland Community College, 2009 to present. He is a contributor to PreTeXt development. He is an author/coauthor/editor for several PreTeXt books. He brings an eye for accessibility issues to several projects, including PreTeXt, WeBWorK (an open online homework platform), and miscellaneous issues as they arise in his department.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Mitch Keller</b>, assistant professor of mathematics, Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa (PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology): He began writing the open-source text <i>Applied Combinatorics</i> with his PhD advisor, William T. Trotter. <i>Applied Combinatorics</i> has been a PreTeXt book since August 2016. Keller is also an editor for three other mathematics texts written in PreTeXt and the co-author of a chapter of another PreTeXt mathematics text. “My interest in the AIM workshop stems from a desire to further enhance the quality of open-source math textbooks, particularly those authored in PreTeXt. The PreTeXt HTML is already designed to be accessible to screenreader users, but we know that Braille and tactile graphics can provide a better reading and learning experience for blind readers.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Dr. Peter Krautzberger</b> is a mathematician by training working as an independent consultant and developer in Bonn, Germany, working primarily to help academic publishers improve their content conversion workflows for STEM content (<span style='color:yellow;background:white'>Ph.D. [Dr. rer. nat.]) in Mathematics, Freie Universität Berlin)</span>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>After leaving mathematical research, Peter managed the MathJax Consortium from 2012 to 2017, and he currently leads the work on the American Mathematical Society's HTML platform, including "MathViewer" for journal articles and EPUB production for textbooks and monographs.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Peter is also an invited expert with the W3C Accessible Rich Internet Applications Working Group (ARIA WG).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Oscar Levin,</b> associate professor of mathematics, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado (PhD in Mathematics from the University of Connecticut): “My interests in the workshop came from being an author of an open source textbook in PreTeXt (<i>Discrete Mathematics: An Open Introduction</i>) and as an occasional contributor to PreTeXt development.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Michael Reynolds</b>, associate professor of mathematics, Indian River State College, Stuart, FL. (PhD in Mathematics Education from University of Central Florida): “I was one of the new folks to this project, so I did not have very much to contribute to the sessions. But I was enthralled the whole time and am eager to get more involved in these efforts. I do not know much about PreTeXt, MathML, TikZ Liblious, and many of the other technical computer processes discussed in the workshop, but I am very interested in the process of making all mathematics materials accessible to all learners and all readers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>My research areas are the history of mathematics, mathematics education (particularly math anxiety), and graph theory. I've had no particular experience with Braille or blind learners that led me to participate in the AIM workshop. I just found it fascinating, both because of the complexity of the processes involved and because of the important issues of equity and accessibility.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Richard Scalzo</span></b><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>, US government, retired (PhD in Applied Mathematics, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois): He was very active in reading mathematics textbooks and research papers to blind students in the mid 60’s at Illinois Institute of Technology. He has spent his entire career working for the US government and nonprofit defense institutions, working in the area of software development and systems acquisitions. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Richard’s interest in automated Nemeth translation and the production of automated tactile graphics was further stimulated in 2010 when he and Al Maneki began to read and discuss <i>Foundations of Geometry </i>by Gerard Venema. To get around the problem of presenting Venema’s diagrams to Al, Karen Herstein was asked to reproduce the diagrams in Venema’s book in tactile form. She first traced the diagrams with a needlepoint tracing wheel. These diagrams had to be constructed in “reverse order” since the raised lines appear on the reverse side of the paper. Braille labels were then affixed in their proper positions. This “exercise” brought back all the painful memories of comprehending very complex mathematical diagrams, to which Richard and Al groaned in agony—there must be a better way! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>As we were planning this workshop, Martha Siegel encouraged us to invite persons who did not necessarily have relevant backgrounds or expertise in Nemeth translation but who could view these problems with fresh insights and contribute with truly original solutions. “We don’t want to be talking to ourselves in this workshop,” Siegel cautioned. Considering the backgrounds of these ten individuals, we have successfully met Siegel’s advice. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>It is worth noting that none of the workshop participants were intimidated by Braille. They did not view Braille as a mysterious system of writing that was difficult to learn and inconvenient to use, criticisms that we have often heard from many professionals in work with the blind. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Ignoring the need for sensitizing the fingers to recognize Braille characters, they took Braille for what it really is, just another “programming language” with its well-defined rules for constructing meaningful sequences of six dot characters. <o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Workshop Activities<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>AIM workshops generally consist of lectures to the entire group to provide relevant background information and smaller breakout sessions in which participants may focus on specific problem areas. Martha Siegel advised the lecturers to start with the most basic information since most of the participants were not familiar with PreTeXt or automated Nemeth translation. We will summarize the general lectures and the work of the breakout sessions:<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p align=center style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><i><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Background Lectures<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Rob Beezer introduced us to his PreTeXt authoring tool and pointed out its advantages over the many versions of LaTeX currently in use. PreTeXt is ideally suited for Braille translation when used in combination with Liblouis and Volker Sorge’s Speech Rule Engine (SRE). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>John Gardner stressed the importance of audio tactile graphics since very few blind people are competent Braille readers. His company, ViewPlus, has developed IVEO, audio-tactile graphics software in which enriched SVG files can be embossed, then placed on a touchscreen. After simple calibrations, the associated text is read by a screen reader as the user touches the various graphic elements.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Volker Sorge presented an overview of his SRE that was initially built to produce spoken math output through a screen reader. The input to SRE is the math content of MathJax, an open-source JavaScript display engine for use with LaTeX, MathML, and AsciiMath notations. Instead of writing a separate rule engine for Nemeth output, Sorge decided to incorporate Nemeth output into his SRE.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Alexei Kolesnikov spoke to us about his work on automatically scaling print diagrams to fit on an individual Braille page. Proportional scaling of an entire diagram may be sufficient to provide the blind reader with comprehensible tactile graphics in the simpler cases. This turned out to be true for the embossed diagrams I examined before and during the workshop. However, for more complex diagrams, more sophisticated scaling and positioning of the labels will be needed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Susan Osterhaus, a statewide mathematics consultant, and a long-time math teacher at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, was a guest lecturer. She serves on the Braille Authority of North America’s (BANA) Nemeth Code Technical Committee and Tactile Graphics Technical Committee. She spoke to us about forthcoming updates to the Nemeth Braille code that BANA plans to make. She invited us to submit our recommendations to BANA. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Jonathan Godfrey, an invited lecturer, received his PhD in Statistics from Massey University, New Zealand. He created and maintains the Braille R statistical package. The R package is a complete and powerful set of general statistical routines that can be used in many applications. His discussion served as the basis for developing navigation-enriched diagrams for files produced by other scientific software.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='margin-bottom:15.6pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><i><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Breakout Sessions<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our breakout sessions did not focus only on tactile graphics and Nemeth translation. There was considerable interest in producing audio-described graphics as proposed by John Gardner and providing advice to authors on creating easily enlargeable print graphic images into tactile form. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tactile Graphics: Producing raised versions of print graphs and diagrams is a difficult problem because tactile legibility is different from the visual one. A way to automatically convert diagrams written in the LaTeX package TikZ (pronounced tik-zee) to a PDF file with Braille labels was known before the workshop began. However, due to the shortcomings found in this conversion and the inherent limitations of the PDF file format, we knew that we needed to turn to a different file structure. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The participants outlined a way to convert to a more versatile SVG file format with Braille labels from a TikZ file. A sample SVG file was tested on an embosser, and its output was satisfactory. However, shortcomings were also identified for the conversion of other SVG files. This group continues its work on SVG file conversion. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Audio Description of Graphics:</b> The capability to produce an SVG file with Braille labels from a TikZ file was further enhanced during this workshop when we developed the ability to “navigate” through an SVG file with a screen reader. The navigation can allow a user interacting with an image on a computer screen to move between different components of the image. This technology can further be integrated with audio-tactile graphics software, IVEO.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Chemistry Diagram Demonstration:</b> Accessible chemistry diagrams developed by Progressive Accessibility Solutions were demonstrated in another breakout session. Enriched SVG files allow the user to navigate around the skeletal formulas of molecules, from group level to individual atoms and bonds between them. Similar technology is available for navigating complex mathematics formulas.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Advice for Authors:</b> A group of participants met to discuss the advice that could be given to authors to design graphics that would be more comprehensible to blind readers upon initial translation. Conceivably properly designed graphics should have a simpler appearance and be more appealing and comprehensible to the sighted reader as well. This group has also compiled a list of previously developed documents (including those produced by Benetech and BANA) containing graphics guidelines. The advice for mathematical graphics includes both general design principles, as well as specifics, such as spacing guidelines for graphics elements. An understanding of these guidelines should help us to develop more effective programming rules to produce more comprehensible tactile graphics.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Nemeth Braille Code:</b> On our work with the SRE we found that there are no Nemeth equivalents for some symbols in common use today. For example, there are no Nemeth code representations for blackboard-bold and calligraphic fonts, or the equals sign with vertical bar on left, the hyphen with vertical bar on left, and the letter x with vertical bar on right. There are commonly used mathematical symbols today that simply did not exist in 1972, the last time revisions were made to the Nemeth Braille code. Nemeth rules describe how to transcribe complicated fractions and large matrices. Similar guidelines are needed for other 2-dimensional mathematical expressions that frequently occur in undergraduate texts: commutative diagrams and logical inference rules. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Workshop Perspectives<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>There is much cause for joy when we reflect on the many accomplishments of this workshop. Primarily, we got away from the mindset that automated Nemeth Braille translation and producing comprehensible tactile diagrams were the most difficult problems. This idea has been so ingrained in our thinking that it simply stymied us from making any progress at all. However, among the new participants, there was never the thought that these problems were unsolvable. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>From my years of academic and government problem solving, I have learned that solutions are difficult to come by if we first decide that a problem is “hard.” When examining a problem, it is always best to take a first step toward a solution to see if a fresh perspective or further insights can be gained. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>During our first session, as we introduced ourselves, both Martha Siegel and Alexei Kolesnikov admitted that Braille translation turned out to be more difficult than they originally thought. Siegel and Kolesnikov are experienced researchers in their own right, and they never let negativity creep into their modes of thinking. All of the workshop participants followed their lead of thinking positively.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We did not solve all of the problems related to automated translation. However, the two milestones mentioned in the introduction deserve further elaboration:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='margin-bottom:0in;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>1.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>We developed a framework and methodology for producing comprehensible tactile graphics. The ability to produce enlarged graphics with Braille labels will soon be solved. But this ability alone is not sufficient for producing comprehensible tactile graphics for more complicated print diagrams. What is needed is an enlargement in which more space is allotted to the most critical portions of a diagram, i.e., “spreading out” the more intricate parts to increase comprehensibility. In some cases, this may mean that some portions of a diagram may have to be “discarded” to simplify it. Then these elements may be reintroduced in a later diagram. How this is to be automated is not yet completely understood. Perhaps with experience, and by examining the guidelines of the Benetech and BANA documents, we may be able to develop program coding rules to accomplish these tasks. Karen Herstein suggested that one possibility is to consider the strategy employed in designing street maps in which the more detailed sections are enlarged to show the complex street patterns more clearly. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:0in;mso-add-space:auto;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>In his review of the first draft of this article, Richard Scalzo makes a further suggestion: “Even with fully automated translation from text formats there will be maintenance issues. These issues include incorporating new text and graphics formats and extending Nemeth Braille to include new symbols. The question of automating the labeling of graphics with Braille is one of the long-term issues. Enabling the automated labeling of graphics files may require modification of standards for graphics file formats. So, at some point in the future the project should investigate gaining support for enabling the automated labeling of graphics files.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:0in;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo4'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>2.<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>We were presented with a list of all of the symbols and notations used in the abstract algebra textbook by Thomas Judson and in the calculus textbook, which is being used at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. From these two lists, we identified the symbols which have no Nemeth equivalents. These have already been submitted to BANA for inclusion in the forthcoming revisions to the Nemeth code.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our work of automatically translating the Judson textbook remains largely unfinished. I am hopeful that we will soon be able to make considerable progress on it because of the progress that the workshop has made on tactile graphics and because of the enhancements to the Nemeth Braille code. Rob Beezer will also be writing an article for this publication on PreTeXt in which he will describe the success he has had in producing a Braille Calculus textbook for a college student in Nebraska.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Although this workshop did not necessarily have audio tactile graphics under its purview, it seemed rather natural for us to take it up. We must accept the fact that we live in a multi-media world, and we should seize every advantage that multi-media offers us. At this time, however, I should point out that in so many mathematical instances, there is no substitute for Braille. Often in a mathematical diagram, points are labeled with letters or numbers. The best an audio description can give you is the label for that point; however, what is important about a diagram may be the paths and connections between points. The reader examines these possible paths and, for whatever reason, decides which paths are most significant. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There is a classic example in high school geometry. Starting from an arbitrary triangle, one constructs a set of line segments relating to this triangle. In this way, we define a set of nine points. By examining these nine points, i.e., running one’s fingers from one point to the next, one may conclude that these nine points lie on a circle. In my case, lacking sufficient geometric intuition, the circularity of these nine points was explained to me. The circle formed by these points is known as the Feuerbach nine-point circle. For a description, see the article <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/nine-point_circle"><span style='color:black'>https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/nine-point_circle</span></a><span class=MsoHyperlink>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We did not investigate the use of 3D printers to construct tactile diagrams. There simply was not sufficient time for this. I believe that the advantage of using 3D printers is their ability to produce solid raised lines as well as dotted ones. Also, they offer a greater variety of textured surfaces.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>With regard to automated Nemeth translation, where do we stand today? I think that in the very near future, given a textbook written in PreTeXt, it will be possible to produce separate BRF files for the text itself and SVG files for the diagrams. These diagrams may be of limited use because they will not be “smartly” scaled. Having these diagrams in tactile form may be better than having no diagrams at all. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Conclusion<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am intrigued by Volker Sorge’s suggestion that our automated Nemeth translation software should provide blind persons with the means of translating their own content into Nemeth. This means that blind users will have to acquire the additional skill of writing PreTeXt code. This is not an unreasonable demand. It also suggests the possible need for a reverse Nemeth to PreTeXt translator. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The automated translation to Nemeth Braille, including tactile diagrams, is a huge problem. While we have made a start at this workshop, this work is by no means complete. I think that once we have arrived at a solution, we will find certain aspects of that solution to be unsatisfactory. This will cause us to make improvements and refinements, leading to better solutions. The persons involved in this work will not be limited to those who took part in this workshop. There is still enormous opportunity and need for others to help in this effort. Anyone who is interested may contact me at <u><a href="mailto:apmaneki@gmail.com">apmaneki@gmail.com</a>.</u> We can make all of the workshop documents available to you. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Additional help needed! If you are:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='margin-bottom:0in;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo5'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>A blind college student planning to take a math course,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='margin-bottom:0in;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l4 level1 lfo5'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>A college-level math instructor anticipating a blind student in one of your courses, or<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'>• A staff member of a disabled students services office assisting a blind student with a math course.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please contact me at <a href="about:blank"><span style='color:black'>apmaneki@gmail.com</span></a>. While we might not currently be able to render all of the assistance you need, we would like to discuss your situation in order to understand future needs for our Nemeth translation software.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For learning and studying mathematics and the other STEM subjects, the future has never been brighter. My modest accomplishments to the mathematical sciences will pale in comparison to what future blind scholars and scientists may achieve. So be it!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Getting into “Good Trouble”<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Deanna O’Brien<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'><b>From the Editor: This presentation was presented at the convention of the 2020 National Federation of the Blind of New Hampshire state convention. Its author is now the president of the affiliate. She and her husband have two grown children, and talking with her is a real delight. Here is what she said to the convention:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:10.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span style='color:yellow'>"Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble." —John Lewis, a tweet from June 2018.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:10.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span style='color:yellow'>Good afternoon! It is my great privilege to have this opportunity to address the 2020 New Hampshire state convention of the National Federation of the Blind. I have been asked to speak about getting into some “good trouble.” This phrase can be attributed to the late John Lewis, Democratic Representative from Georgia. He was a civil rights icon for decades and was considered the “conscience of the Congress.” He worked tirelessly advocating for the civil rights of all.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:10.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span style='color:yellow'>“I appeal to all of you to get into this great revolution that is sweeping this nation. Get in and stay in the streets of every city, every village and hamlet of this nation until true freedom comes, until the revolution of 1776 is complete." This was also from John Lewis at the 1963 March on Washington.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:10.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span style='color:yellow'>John Lewis passed away on July 17, 2020, during the national convention of the NFB. When I zoomed in to the Saturday morning session, what a great surprise! The NFB had put together a video using archival footage of John Lewis addressing its members. I was transfixed by his message. He spoke of “getting into trouble, good trouble, necessary trouble.” Never before had someone put into words what I have felt all my life. This was a defining moment for me at this convention, which, by the way, was my first national convention. The fire was kindled, and it burned red hot. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:10.5pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:10.5pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span style='color:yellow'>What can I do with this newfound energy? How can I best serve the blind community and promote the central principles of the NFB—equality, security, and opportunity? Where did I truly begin to advocate for myself? What was the spark in my life? I believe it can be traced in part to this event I'm about to describe.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>I can remember this day most vividly. It was fifty-seven years ago, almost to the month. I was twelve years old. It was a Thanksgiving afternoon, and a group of us decided to go the neighborhood school to play on the playground. We made it to the school, but an unfenced construction site beckoned us in. The building would eventually become the new cafeteria but, for now, it was an enticing place to play.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>We began to explore and, of course, found a way to climb up into the building. Up and up we went, climbing onto scaffolding and pulling ourselves up using beams and poles. All of the sighted kids made it to the top and, with much effort, so did I. It must be noted that I am totally blind, but I was totally not going to miss this experience.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>I arrived at the top, and it was AWESOME! Kids were running around everywhere. Chaos reigned supreme! I could hear the openness and feel the cool air. My brother advised me not to walk around without assistance because there were wide gaps between the planks, and it was a long way down.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>Now kids were jumping from the building into some sand below. Soon I was left alone on the top of the building. My heart began to race with fear, but my brain said “You know you are going to jump.” I could hear kids below, and my brother said to step forward to the edge. I did so. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>As I stood there, it was getting colder, and I could feel the sun setting low on my face. It got quiet, and I knew I had to make a decision. My brother Steve said, “Deanna, listen!” He scraped his shoe on the ground below. “Do you hear that? That is gravel. Don’t jump there.” Then he moved and said “Do you hear this?” I heard nothing. “This is sand. Jump here. Jump to my voice!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>"You are a light. You are the light. Never let anyone—any person or any force—dampen, dim or diminish your light. Study the path of others to make your way easier and more abundant." —John Lewis, from his 2017 memoir, "<i>Across That Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America.</i>"<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>I knew what I was going to do, and my feet left the platform. I fell through the cool late afternoon air. It was exhilarating! It was magnificent! Then I landed softly in the sand to the cheers of all my friends. I stood up for myself. I was a part of, rather than apart from. I was included, not excluded. What a day!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>The struggle is real. Many challenges can be found. I, too, have faced my share of disappointments and setbacks. When I was a small child, a youngster’s father removed me from a piece of play equipment; he said I must go home because I was blind, and he might be sued if I got hurt. When I was thirteen, a mother told my mother that children like me should be “locked in the backyard where they can’t be seen.” A professor at Arizona State University ended my elementary education degree because I could not teach handwriting on the chalkboard. A vocational rehabilitation counsellor tormented me unrelentingly during final exams by asking for detailed information about the fiery crash which took my mother’s life. I can think of so many more examples of prejudice, blatant cruelty, and disrespect.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>But there is a way. “We have been too quiet for too long. There comes a time when you have to say something. You have to make a little noise. You have to move your feet. This is the time.” —John Lewis, at a 2016 House sit-in following the Pulse shooting in Orlando. I did get my degree from Arizona State University, not in teaching but, rather, in Latin American History, where I graduated Phi Beta Kappa. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>Someone else is making some noise and getting into “good trouble” in New Hampshire. Jody Ianuzzi has taken on the problem in Keene where some cab drivers are not allowing the blind to travel with their guide dogs. “When you see something that is not right, not just, not fair, you have a moral obligation to say something. To do something. Our children and their children will ask us, ‘What did you do? What did you say?’…” —John Lewis, December 2019 remarks in the House on impeachment of President Donald Trump.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:8.0pt'>We at this convention know that much work lies ahead. The NFB fights the fight every day, advocating for equality, security and opportunity for all blind people. Apathy is an impediment to progress. I am asking all of the blind across this great state to get involved. Please become part of the work that needs to be done. I ask this convention to make some noise, some necessary noise. It is time to step forward and get in some “good trouble,” creating better opportunities so that all blind people everywhere can live their best lives. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." —Maya Angelou. Me too!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[PHOTO CAPTION: Curtis Chong]<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Raising Expectations: That’s What We Do in the National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Curtis Chong<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>From the Editor: Curtis Chong is a man blessed with many talents. He is most known for his technical knowledge, but those who dig deeper understand that he runs on principles, philosophy, and striking the right balance between taking and giving back. In this article, the man we turn to for tech shows that there is an art in giving and an art in receiving and being grateful to participate in both. Here is what he says:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>In the National Federation of the Blind, we say that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. We say that every day we raise the expectations of blind people and that low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. This notion is featured on the home page of the National Federation of the Blind, and, as I see it, the idea of raising expectations which inspire blind people to do more than what the general society expects of them is central to what we do in the Federation. We raise expectations when we help a newly-blind person to gain confidence while learning to travel independently. We raise expectations when we help someone with alternative nonvisual techniques used to mark an oven or a stove. We raise expectations when we teach something new about technology which increases one’s ability to get at online sources of information. We raise expectations when we demonstrate the power of collective action we gain by working together in the National Federation of the Blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I have been active in the Federation since I was a teenager in high school and have worked with hundreds of blind people in different states to raise their expectations about themselves and help them to understand that their ability to live and thrive does not have to be hampered because they happen to be blind. More often than not, I am the person who is encouraging somebody else to expect more from life. Oftentimes, I am the person who pushes individuals to learn more about how to use the computer or smartphone they have by building their confidence in their ability to learn to use something new. But recently, the tables were turned, and somebody else in the Federation raised my own personal expectations about what I could do with a new piece of technology I had just acquired.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A few weeks ago, the demons of technology possessed me, and I decided to buy myself an iPhone 12 mini. Yes, I know that the iPhone SE 2020 would have been a far less expensive road to travel, but I had this idea that I wanted to learn how to operate an iPhone with Face ID and no Home button—hoping that I would have an opportunity to use my practical experience to pass this knowledge on to other people. Hence, I chose the iPhone 12 mini (since the larger screen is of little value to me, a totally blind person).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When the iPhone 10 was released in the fall of 2017, Apple implemented two major design changes. The Home Button (easily located by touch) was removed, and facial recognition (Face ID) replaced Touch ID (fingerprint recognition). Through podcasts, blogs, and a little personal experience, I knew intellectually that there were gestures that would take you to the Home Screen or invoke the App Switcher; and I understood that the Face ID feature would work for blind users. But on the first day I received the iPhone, when I started working with Face ID, I was (more often than not) not recognized and thus forced to enter my pass code instead. Figuring this to be a no-win situation, I simply turned the Face ID feature off.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Now comes the part about raising expectations—in this case, mine. While conversing with one of my Federation friends over the phone, I casually mentioned that I had just acquired a new iPhone, and I expressed some frustration that I could not get the Face ID feature to work.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that this Federation friend is a person I have known for more than twenty years, and while he is adept with technology, he sometimes calls me (and others) for help when his technology does not behave as he wants it to.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>After I finished recounting my problems with Face ID, this Federation friend of mine said that he had been using this feature for a few years and that, at the beginning, he had experienced the same challenges as I had. He advised me to keep working at it and not to give up. He said that after a while, my use of Face ID would become automatic and that my muscle memory would do the trick. Honestly, I felt both chastised and inspired. I felt chastised because I, a person who should know better, have often advised new iPhone users to keep trying a difficult operation until it works; I should have listened to my own advice. I felt inspired because I figured that if my friend had beaten Face ID, I should certainly be able to. I was truly grateful that my friend felt confident enough in his own abilities to offer the advice and encouragement I needed to keep plugging away at Face ID.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Each and every one of us in the National Federation of the Blind has the power and the ability to help somebody else to expect more of him or herself. In fact, I believe that it is essential for all of us to inspire our fellow Federationists to expect more than what society generally expects of the blind. As a rule, people in our society with whom we come into contact think of the blind as either exceptionally amazing or more than a little incompetent. Rarely are we perceived as what we are: ordinary average human beings—neither exceptionally blessed nor exceptionally cursed—who, just like everybody else, are trying to live the best lives we can. We who have chosen to give of our time, energy, and resources to help the organized blind movement to succeed through the National Federation of the Blind are, through what we do, raising expectations every day—in ourselves, in other blind people, and in our society.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=Body style='margin-bottom:0in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>[PHOTO CAPTION: Lashawna Fant]<o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>A Letter of Reflection and Thanks<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=Body align=center style='margin-bottom:0in;text-align:center;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>by Lashawna Fant<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>April 1, 2021<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>Dear National Federation of the Blind,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>You are strong! You are resilient! You have a purpose for being an organization. NFB, you still must continue to change what it means to be blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>Yes, you have seen hard times and faced countless challenges. Yes, you have made mistakes. Yes, you have been stretched for growth to sprout. However, you will continue to adapt and be a healing refuge of hope for blind people.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>NFB, just as a reminder, I joined you in 2011. For over six years, people asked me to join, but it was something I did not want to do. Finally, in the fall of 2011, I became a member. My goal was to see what I could do to help blind people. One way to explain this journey is to say, “It has been an interesting ride!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>Since becoming a member, I have noticed tremendous growth within myself. I am a more confident blind person. I am blessed to have met numerous blind people from across the world. On the strength of you, I have learned about various resources and opportunities. What’s more, is that I know that blindness is not what defines me or my future. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>NFB, continue to shine and flex your strength in the years and decades to come. Every now and then, pause to glance back at the individuals who have benefited and the advancements which have occurred. NFB, when you fall, get back up, make the appropriate adjustments, and keep marching forward. Your reason for existing will continue to benefit blind people from across this globe.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>Your Federation family member,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>Lashawna Fant, Mississippi<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>---------- <o:p></o:p></span></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>You Can Make a Difference<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Blind children, students, and adults are making powerful strides in education and leadership every day across the United States. For more than eighty years, the National Federation of the Blind has worked to transform the dreams of hundreds of thousands of blind people into reality. With support from individuals like you, we continue to provide powerful programs and critical resources for decades to come. We sincerely hope you will plan to be a part of our enduring movement by including the National Federation of the Blind in your charitable giving and in your estate planning. It is easier than you think.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>With your help, the NFB will continue to:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo6'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Give blind children the gift of literacy through Braille.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo6'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Promote independent travel by providing free, long white canes to blind people in need.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo6'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Develop dynamic educational projects and programs to show blind youth that science and math careers are within their reach.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo6'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Deliver hundreds of accessible newspapers and magazines to provide blind people the essential information necessary to be actively involved in their communities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l5 level1 lfo6'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Offer aids and appliances that help seniors losing vision maintain their independence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Plan to Leave a Legacy<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>The National Federation of the Blind legacy society, our Dream Makers Circle, honors and recognizes the generosity and vision of members and special friends of the National Federation of the Blind who have chosen to leave a legacy through a will or other planned giving option. You can join the Dream Makers Circle in a myriad of ways. <o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Fixed Sum of Assets<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal>You can specify that a fixed sum of your assets or property goes to the National Federation of the Blind in your will, trust, pension, IRA, life insurance policy, brokerage account, or other accounts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Percentage of Assets<o:p></o:p></h3><p style='margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>You can specify that a percentage of your assets or property goes to the National Federation of the Blind in your will, trust, pension, IRA, life insurance policy, brokerage account, or other accounts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Payable on Death (POD) Account<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:yellow;background:white'>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.</span><span style='background:white'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='background:white'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Will or Trust<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>If you do decide to create or revise your will, consider the National Federation of the Blind as a partial beneficiary. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>Visit </span><a href="https://nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving">https://nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving</a><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422, for more information. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=Body style='line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'>Together with love, hope, determination, and your support, we will continue to transform dreams into reality.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:windowtext'><o:p></o:p></span></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Ways to Contribute Now <o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Since the start of 2019, the NFB:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo7'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Distributed over eight thousand canes to blind people across the United States, empowering them to travel safely and independently throughout their communities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo7'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Delivered audio newspaper and magazine services to 124,022 subscribers, providing free access to over five hundred local, national, and international publications.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo7'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Gave over 900 Braille-writing slates and styluses free of charge to blind users.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-add-space:auto;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l7 level1 lfo7'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Transformed our Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning® Academies into in-home editions offered to blind youth throughout the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Just imagine what we’ll do next year, and, with your help, what can be accomplished for years to come. Below are just a few of the many diverse, tax-deductible ways you can lend your support to the National Federation of the Blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Vehicle Donation Program<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The NFB accepts donated vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles, or recreational vehicles. Just call 855-659-9314 toll-free, and a representative can make arrangements to pick up your donation. We can also answer any questions you have.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>General Donation<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>General donations help support the ongoing programs of the NFB and the work to help blind people live the lives they want. You can call 410-659-9314 and elect option 4 to donate by phone. Donate online with a credit card or through the mail with check or money order. Visit <a href="https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give"><span style='color:black'>https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give</span></a> for more information. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3 style='line-height:normal'>Pre-Authorized Contribution<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Through the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) program, supporters sustain the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind by making recurring monthly donations by direct withdrawal of funds from a checking account or a charge to a credit card. To enroll, call 410-659-9314, extension 2213, or got to <a href="https://www.nfb.org/pac"><span style='color:black'>https://www.nfb.org/pac</span></a> and fill out our PAC Donation Form online.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you have questions about giving, please send an email to <a href="mailto:outreach@nfb.org"><span style='color:black'>outreach@nfb.org</span></a> or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[PHOTO CAPTION: Ellen Ringlein]<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Independence Market Corner<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Ellen Ringlein<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>As a service to our members and the general public, the National Federation of the Blind operates a blindness products store known as the Independence Market, which sells mostly low-tech items, designed to enhance the every-day independence of blind individuals. We will be offering products for sale along with our Product of the Month on a monthly basis. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Product of the Month<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Kenneth Jernigan Map of the United States: <br></b>This colorful take-apart topographical puzzle map makes it fun and interesting to learn about various geographical features of the United States. Each state is a puzzle piece. The major rivers, mountain chains, state capitals, and latitude and longitude lines are all indicated tactilely. Underneath the puzzle pieces the map shows the boundaries of all fifty states with Braille state abbreviations. The map measures 32-1/2 × 18 inches and includes a Braille and a print reference guide which give facts about each state. This is a great teaching tool for kids, and those of you who appreciate tactile maps will enjoy exploring the United States. The map costs $250.00 plus shipping and handling. (Our map is significantly less expensive than a similar one from another source.)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>The following items are on close-out specials:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Writing guides offer a low-tech solution to keeping your lines straight when writing on paper. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Plastic Letter Writing Guide: $1.00 <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>Use this template to write on 8-1/2 × 11-inch paper. The guide features cutouts to write on thirteen lines. For best results secure the guide to your sheet with paper clips at each corner to prevent slippage. You can also keep track of the line you are writing on by marking it with a paper clip.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Plastic Envelope Writing Guide: $1.00 <br></b>Use this template to address your envelopes. It features three cutouts in the top left corner for the "from" address and three cutouts toward the bottom right for the "to" address. The guide measures 4-1/4 × 7-3/4 inches. When using the guide with a business-size envelope, line it up with the top left corner of the envelope for the “from” address and with the bottom right corner for the “to” address.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>2x Illuminated Magnifier With 6x Insert and Folding Handle: $5.00 <br></b>This magnifier offers two levels of magnification. The rectangular 2x lens measures 2 × 4 inches, while the round 6x insert is 7/8 inch in diameter. The sliding light switch is at the top of the 4-inch-long folding handle, where it attaches to the magnifier. When folded up the magnifier measures 3 × 5 inches. It uses two AAA batteries (included).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>More Products:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our NFB rigid carbon fiber long white cane is still on sale for $15.00. Originally this cane was available in sizes ranging from 49 to 69 inches. Please call for availability of specific sizes and styles. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We also still have the SOLITAIRE AND FOX & GEESE two-game combo for $10.00. Solitaire begins with thirty-two orange (ten-sided) pegs, occupying the holes in the cross-shaped play area. The object is to have one game piece left in the middle, after having borne off the other pieces by hopping over them. Fox and Geese (for two players) is played with fifteen orange pegs as the geese and one brown (six-sided) peg as the fox. The geese try to corner the fox, while the fox must capture the geese. Braille and print directions are included.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For more information about the products available from the Independence Market, contact us by email at <a href="mailto:independencemarket@nfb.org"><span style='color:black'>independencemarket@nfb.org</span></a> or by phone at 410-659-9314, extension 2216, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Our staff will be happy to assist.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[PHOTO CAPTION: Justin Salisbury]<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Reconsidering Our Resistance to the Idea of Blind Culture<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Justin Salisbury<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>From the Editor: Some folks can be counted on to deliver the article that makes readers say, “What is he saying? How do I feel about that?” If we gave an award to the author who most frequently writes this kind of piece, no doubt it would be Justin. Sometimes his articles generate letters of affirmation. Sometimes they generate letters and even articles saying, “I don’t think that’s the way it is. Let me explain it to you.” So here is another article that should make us think about our concept of ourselves, our movement, and the blind people who have not yet joined with us. After you’ve read and thought about what he says, please write us and let’s continue the discussion:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In our movement, we have often resisted the idea that there is such a thing as blind culture. I am certain that there will be people reading this article to whom I personally have parroted the talking points about how there is no such thing as blind culture. I am now challenging my own views on this topic and am doing it publicly in order to invite others to do it with me. Some of you who read this article will come up with ways to build upon what I have said, and I want that. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In “<i>The Nature of Independence</i>,” Dr. Jernigan said, “Unless you make advances over what we have done, you will, in a very real sense, fail to keep faith with those who have gone before you and those who will follow. In this context I would expect and hope that some of you will become better travelers (and, perhaps, better philosophers and teachers) than I, and if you do, I will take joy in it.” By questioning our prevailing stance on blind culture and its consequences for some of our movement’s goals in our contemporary landscape, I am attempting to keep the faith. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Most of the talking points that we have come to use in the Federation have been based on the lived experiences of blind white heterosexual cisgender Christian men with no additional disabilities rather than the lived experiences of all blind people. In other words, we’ve gotten good at explaining what it’s like to be white heterosexual cisgender Christian men whose only disability is blindness, but we are now starting to pay more attention to explain what it’s like to be blind and belong to some other minority. This may have influenced our resistance to the term “blind culture” over the years. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I am a mixed-race person, but I can pass for white in many situations. This occasionally lands me in conversations where white people think they are talking to a purely white audience, so I get the opportunity and burden of hearing some pretty candid renditions of white fear and white fragility. Please allow me to explain the following idea before reacting to it: Many White Americans have developed a discomfort with the notion of culture. I am not accusing anyone who has learned this discomfort with the idea of culture to mean that someone is intentionally racist, misogynist, or anything else, but I do believe that there are threads of prejudice that have snuck into the fabric of the outlook of people from privileged majorities. The same is true for oppressed minorities, but the effects are somewhat different. Everyone who has contact with other human beings is vulnerable to prejudice, but we all have to do our best to introspect, reflect, and address the ways that prejudice affects our emotions, thoughts, words, and actions. Sometimes I believe that White Americans feel left out in cultural discussions, as if White Americans do not have a culture, even though they absolutely do. Sometimes there might be a feeling of being left out when members of a minority gather together temporarily or form a more permanent kind of enclave. Sometimes, because White Americans are aware of how they often feel discomfort when they encounter cultures other than their own, they might be afraid to apply the term “culture” to the blind because they do not want to create that discomfort for the sighted. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I don’t know that blind culture contains a robust set of norms or traditions that make us unadaptable to a society dominated by sighted people, but I do know that there are some sighted people who hold the misperception that we are unadaptable to a society dominated by sighted people. I am also extremely aware of how other majority groups often decide that other minority groups are unadaptable to a society dominated by that majority. We all know that there are a lot of White Americans who spread propaganda to frame people of color as lazy beings who would much rather sit home on welfare programs than go out and work for a living. I want to emphasize how the instinctual pullback that many White Americans feel at the mention of “culture” may be obstructing our ability in the organized blind movement to participate as effectively as possible in the broader diversity and inclusion discussion. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Before I discuss prior positions of a few of our leaders from over the years, I want to start by saying that I hold high regard for each of them. I believe that each of them was speaking with the most innovative and cutting-edge collective perspective of the organized blind at the time. Today is a different day, and I think there may be opportunities created for us if we tweak our messaging to make it blend in with the contemporary dialogue. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Some of our leaders have previously contended that blindness is simply a characteristic which does not alter an entire pattern of thought and behavior. I agree that blindness is a characteristic, but our membership in the blind community is also a minority group membership. In fact, before I was born, Dr. Jernigan taught us that the blind were an oppressed minority. Within our minority group, we may have ways in which our patterns of thought and behavior differ from those of the broader society. I wonder if implicit bias and stereotyping toward other oppressed minority groups has informed the feeling that these other minorities had such extremely different patterns of thought and behavior that the blind should not belong in the same conversation. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If we want disability to be included in diversity and inclusion discussions, I think it helps a lot for us to have a clearly defined concept of blind culture. If we don’t do it, someone else will do it for us. In the past, I believe that sighted people’s articulations of blind culture have produced visceral reactions, and we have rejected the concept of blind culture altogether. Some of us may be afraid that blindisms, such as rocking or pressing on our eyes, will be lumped into the concept of blind culture so that society will have one more way to conclude that we cannot blend in. I think there is a middle road where we can discuss the concept without accepting all of the inaccurate articulations of it. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As we are starting to collectively agree through many of our own diversity and inclusion discussions, people have multiple identities, and we live in the intersection of them. This is also true in reverse, with the blind offering a cultural identity to the other identities to which we belong. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In 2019 I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at a professional conference involving the United States Access Board, which was held literally right behind my apartment in Honolulu, Hawaii. The keynote speaker was a fascinating professor from Gallaudet University, and some of his presentation techniques will stick with me for a while. His keynote presentation discussed the idea of deaf space and deaf culture, with the idea that the built environment could be different if it is actually built for people with disabilities. He believes there are actual architectural features that can be associated with deaf space and thus deaf culture. I cannot remember anything specific from his presentation, but I loved his answer to my question when it came time for the Q&A. I laid out for him the idea that some disability communities contend that there is no culture for them, like the blind community, but then the deaf community is proud to have deaf culture. I asked if he thought culture relied on a linguistic identity, like that associated with American Sign Language, or if there was some other way that he could define culture. He paused, and then he told me that he thought culture was a matter of a group having control over a set of norms that could be practiced in that group. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We do have certain community norms that are specific to the blind community. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the entire country shut down in-person gatherings and switched to conference calls, then to Zoom or similar videoconferencing platforms. When it came to conference calls, in my opinion, many sighted people struggled tremendously to figure out how to take turns speaking on the calls. Blind people were already well-adapted to communicating without visual cues because we do it all the time. We have a custom that works well for us. One person is running the meeting, and people who want the proverbial floor or microphone will say their name. This is like our version of raising a hand to signal a desire to speak. When the moderator or chair of the discussion decides that it is time to acknowledge us, they will, by repeating our name or perhaps giving us a simple “yes” in order to show that they are allowing us to speak. This is a communication norm that comes from blind culture. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I believe that there are sighted people who have adapted to the norms of blind culture so that they can blend in perfectly well. Many of us have had the experience of being shocked when we realize that someone involved in the blind community is actually sighted instead of blind. This feeling of shock was made possible because they had blended into blind culture so well. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I also wonder how much we adjust our speech based on what is most efficient in the Braille code. For example, the word “cannot” is shorter in Braille than the contraction “can’t.” I wonder if Braille readers choose to use the word “cannot” as opposed to “can’t” more often than the average American English speaker does it. I suspect that we do. Braille readership is associated with positive disability identity in the blind community, so Braille readership is associated with blind culture. Using “cannot” as opposed to “can’t” more often than the general public may be a part of blind culture. I do not believe that someone must be a Braille reader in order to fit in with blind culture, but I do believe that blind culture holds a special appreciation for Braille readership.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As with any situation in which we attempt to put our finger on a new concept, I am sure that there will be evolution in my own thoughts on this issue. I wonder if we should find a way to welcome the concept of blind culture for the simple reason that it will help us to get our disability identity included in the broader social emphasis on diversity and inclusion. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I get the vibe that there is a fear that acknowledging a blind culture will lead to us being segregated for it, but I think the answer is not to deny blind culture. I think the answer is to acknowledge that there is a blind culture and then work to ensure that no minority, including the blind, is segregated based on culture. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I don’t currently feel like blind culture is a robust set of different norms, but I think they do exist, and they do matter. I wonder: if we came to accept the idea that there is a blind culture, if we might start to notice more things about it because we are then more open to it. I do not know for sure if I believe that there is a blind culture, but I’m opening myself up to it as a possibility. If more of us do the same, maybe we will come to conclude that blind culture exists, and we can use this concept to help ensure greater inclusion of the blind into society. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Introducing the COVID Vaccine Promo<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>As COVID-19 vaccination efforts expand, it has become clear that many websites and processes to register, set appointments, and navigate spaces for the vaccine are not fully accessible to those in the blind and low-vision community. While it is the responsibility of government and healthcare entities to comply with the law and ensure that their platforms and processes are accessible, and while the community will continue its advocacy efforts, we cannot wait to get the vaccine. Therefore, we are introducing the COVID promo to assist the Explorer community in obtaining these crucial vaccines. For up to thirty minutes per day, Explorers may use Aira free for vaccine-related tasks.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>To help our advocacy efforts, we would ask that you use the hashtag #CovidBLV in any and all social media postings and share some of the gaps and barriers you encountered. Also consider mentioning @Airaio and our partners the National Federation of the Blind (@NFB_Voice) in your posts. You can also help advocate by completing this survey Access to COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Survey (<a href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/access-covid-19-vaccine-and-testing-survey" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC;background:white'>https://nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/access-covid-19-vaccine-and-testing-survey</span></a>) that has been created by the National Federation of the Blind. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our goal is to ensure that entities understand their obligation to make their websites and processes as accessible as possible. As they work to do so, we can assist people in the following ways regarding their COVID vaccinations:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo8'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Researching if Explorer qualifies and determining places to register and receive vaccinations<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo8'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Assisting with registering for and scheduling vaccination appointments using TeamViewer on the computer or TeamViewer Quick Support on the smartphone<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo8'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Navigating locations where vaccines are provided, such as healthcare centers, public health facilities, mass vaccination locations, and drive-up sites<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo8'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Assisting in scheduling second vaccination appointments<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l2 level1 lfo8'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Taking post-vaccination selfies<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This promo does not cover:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo9'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Non-vaccine-related COVID research<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo9'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Transportation to and from the vaccination site<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l8 level1 lfo9'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><span style='font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Registering others outside of the immediate family for vaccinations or COVID testing<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In order to provide this promotion, we will be limiting our Job Seeker promo to one thirty-minute call per day through May.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The staff and agents here at Aira wish you and yours the best of health.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>[PHOTO CAPTION: Ryan Carsey]<o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Structured Discovery Cane Travel in Context: <o:p></o:p></h2><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Arguments for Its Continued Practice in Our Current Environment<span class=DefaultParagraphFont1><span style='font-weight:normal'><o:p></o:p></span></span></h2><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Ryan Carsey</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>From the Editor: Ryan Carsey is a member of the National Federation of the Blind from the state of Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Louisiana Center for the Blind in 2012. He was taught and mentored by the late Arlene Hill, who strongly supported his desire to teach cane travel. He studied psychology and philosophy at Northampton Community College and Moravian College. He eagerly accepted an opportunity to teach cane travel to blind adolescents at Blind Industries and Services of Maryland in the Summers of 2017 and 2018. He currently has a similar position in the Colorado Center's Summer program. He also taught assistive technology to clients within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 2018-2019. Within the past year, Ryan discovered his fascination with urban design and the built environment which will probably be evident in his writing. He specifically has an interest in what factors make places more walkable as well as the principles that guide the development of great public transit systems. Brian has loved running since the age of 16 and more recently has incorporated bodyweight strength-training exercises into his training.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>When I attended the Louisiana Center for the Blind in 2011-2012, I remained at the Center for my training, only returning home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This "immersion" training is foundational to the training methods used by our training centers, since we believe that proper training and opportunities lead to more independence. It is much harder to achieve proficiency and confidence in a practical skill without immersion on a daily basis, especially skills related to cane travel. However, for the first time since the National Federation of the Blind began using immersion training in its three training centers, we face a serious and sweeping dilemma because of the novel Coronavirus pandemic. To give one example of the impact, the Colorado Center for the Blind had to make the difficult decision to suspend training and send their residential students home until further notice. Since it is impossible to know how long the virus will continue to be a threat to public health, they will also have to make another difficult decision about their summer youth program, of which I am a part. Immersion will always be an essential element of our training that simply cannot be replaced. However, even more important right now is the continuation of training through the duration of this pandemic until we can safely begin immersion training. This is possible because of our Structured Discovery model of teaching. I will briefly go over what Structured Discovery is and add a unique perspective about it which I have observed. I will show how Structured Discovery is advantageous specifically during this time compared to the traditional method of teaching orientation and mobility. Finally, I will mention some specific strategies and areas of cane travel to focus on and point out the areas that will be most challenging in the absence of immersion. Hopefully this will give instructors some ideas, but even more importantly, I hope it will encourage students and travelers alike to keep progressing and learning despite our current state.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There is already a considerably large collection of literature out there about what Structured Discovery is, why it works, and how to use it. Without going into too much detail and repeating what has already been said, I'd like to talk a little bit about two broad elements underlying Structured Discovery that are relevant to this discussion. The first thing to understand is Structured Discovery learning is focused on the student, and the goal is to shift the role of the decision-maker from the instructor to the student. The goal of cane travel under the Structured Discovery model is to get each student to the point of making decisions as soon as they can. In the beginning of training, the instructor will be more involved as the student is just beginning to learn concepts such as cane techniques and cardinal directions. But, unlike the traditional method, this teaching method, along with its emphasis on nonvisual techniques through the use of sleepshades and the long white cane, will gradually shift autonomy to the student as he or she becomes a more proficient and confident cane traveler. For example, suppose a blind student in training is going to participate in a lesson involving a bus route. Using the Structured Discovery model, an instructor will give the student a destination to go to. Assuming the student had some prior experience with public transit and depending on the student's confidence level, the instructor may either ask the student how he or she will get there and which bus they will take, or the instructor may simply say, "Take me there." If the student is pretty advanced and confident, the student may even be taken to an unfamiliar place and asked to meet the instructor somewhere. Using the traditional model, the instructor will accompany the student to a bus stop or station that they are more than likely going to use regularly. The instructor will describe the layout and explain where certain buses stop within a station. The student will be told which bus goes where and encouraged to focus on one bus route, perhaps a bus route that will be used frequently to travel to work or a medical office. It is so important to notice the difference between these two teaching methods. Structured Discovery gives more autonomy to the student, while the traditional model does less so.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The second element of Structured Discovery is closely related to the element of student-focused learning, and in my experience it is not a part of the traditional model. The second element of Structured Discovery is an extensive examination of attitudes about blindness. We who teach using Structured Discovery believe that public attitudes about blindness are the biggest barrier that blind people face, and we strongly believe that it is important to have regular group discussions about these attitudes. The reason why is simple: despite these attitudes and misconceptions, blind people are normal people just like everyone else. The belief about blindness being a normal part of life, along with my curiosity about walkable cities and my enjoyment of teaching cane travel sparked an observation which I would like to share. First let me briefly explain some important concepts about walkability.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>There is an excellent book written by Jeff Speck called <i>Walkable City Rules</i>. He lists and describes 101 rules that communities should adopt in order to be more walkable. These rules are grounded in what Speck calls the "general theory of walkability." His theory states that a town or city will only encourage people to walk if it provides all four of these elements in its design: a useful walk, a safe walk, a comfortable walk, and an interesting walk. The useful and safe walk have to do with physical aspects of the environment which include things like mixed-use buildings, places to walk to and a specific "network of walkability" between them, proper widths of lanes to discourage speeding, and reliable public transit. The comfortable and interesting walk are more psychological, as they focus on what comforts pedestrians as they walk and what they find interesting. Things that fall into this category include eliminating front parking lots of businesses, constructing buildings that are proportional to the width of the street or taller, planting street trees and restriping streets to include parking lanes beside sidewalks, and showing a presence of other people by installing things like benches and windows along building fronts. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In studying Speck's theory of walkability and reflecting on its relevance to orientation and mobility, I realize these are very similar concepts. Since blind people are normal people who are driven by the same motivations as everyone else, it is not unreasonable to say blind people have the same motivations to travel as sighted people do. Structured Discovery cane travel enables those who use nonvisual techniques to experience all four elements of the ideal walking experience. Structured Discovery seeks to give the student a reason to travel, primarily in the beginning as the teacher teaches the student proper cane techniques, the use of cardinal directions, and a basic understanding of intersections and traffic patterns. It enables the experience of a safe walk by encouraging them to focus more on nonvisual techniques to interpret their environment and make rational decisions based on what they expect will happen. This is in contrast to relying on someone else to do that for them or being reliant on their limited vision. It encourages the student to be interested in traveling and less fearful of the unknown, as oftentimes things can change throughout the travel lesson and in life in general. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Structured Discovery helps the student feel more comfortable as a traveler and with blindness in the long run. Just as the enclosure of buildings, parked cars, and trees along the sides of sidewalks give pedestrians a sense of comfort and security, cane travel taught using the Structured Discovery model helps blind students develop comfort and self-confidence in any number of familiar and unfamiliar situations, and it encourages them to be more accepting of their blindness. Excluding discussions of attitudes about blindness would be like telling a pedestrian to walk along a sidewalk that had a parking lot on one side and a six-lane road on the other, with nothing between the curb and the nearest lane of traffic. You could do both, but both lead to discomfort and discouragement.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>With an understanding of two elements of Structured Discovery, is it possible for someone to improve in cane travel during this time among the orders to stay at home except for essential needs? As I said, nothing can fully replace the immersion experience that you get from training. Cane travel is best learned by traveling through the built environment and responding to events in real time. Learning on a conceptual level is not the same. However, learning on a conceptual level is better than learning nothing at all. A big advantage with the Structured Discovery model is it is very conceptual, and now is a great time for instructors and students alike to focus on cane travel concepts. Cane techniques and when to use them, cardinal directions, address systems, and public transit systems are a few examples of things to work on mastering. Cardinal directions in particular are challenging to many people, but with many of us having so much extra time on our hands at home, it shouldn't take long to master with consistent practice. Other things that are better learned through experience but can still be taught on a conceptual level include proper cane grip and arc; walking in-step; parallel and perpendicular traffic; various types of intersections and when it is safe to cross them; navigating crowds, malls and shopping centers; and using public transit. These concepts are certainly better learned while you are working directly with an instructor since the instructor can observe an arc that is too wide or narrow, just to give an example. And, due to the current parameters for social distancing, it is not advisable to work in any crowded area. However, it is possible for an instructor to teach these underlying concepts. With concepts such as cane grip, arc, and walking in-step, the instructor will have to be very detailed and specific as to how to hold the cane, how wide the student's arc should be, and what it means to walk in-step. Although nothing works as well at demonstrating these concepts as experiencing them in the real world, it is still very important to learn and understand them. Pairing the comprehension of these skills with regular philosophical discussions about blindness is the ideal strategy during this time of social distancing, keeping in mind the value of immersion.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'>Recipes<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Recipes this month were contributed by members of the National Federation of the Blind of Rhode Island.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>French Meat Pie<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Jo-Ann Craig<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Jo-Ann is a new member of the Greater Providence Chapter. She attended our virtual state convention in October and decided to join our organization. She has been an active participant ever since. <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>2 pounds ground pork<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 pound ground beef<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 cup water<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1/4 teaspoon each: pepper, nutmeg, allspice<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1/2 cup chopped onion<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2 cups breadcrumbs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>One pie crust (top and bottom)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Method:</b> In stainless steel pot, heat ground pork, ground beef, water, salt, and spices and chopped onions for 30 minutes over medium heat, stirring often to prevent sticking! Remove from heat and add breadcrumbs. Mix well. Let cool. Line deep dish pie pan with pie crust; fill with meat mixture. Cover with other crust. Make slits to vent. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until crust is well browned. I cover edges with foil for 15 minutes or so to prevent burning.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>Broccoli Puff<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Jo-Ann Craig<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Ingredients: <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>2 packs frozen chopped broccoli or one 16-ounce bag<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 cup Bisquick<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2 eggs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 cup milk <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1/2 teaspoon salt <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 cup shredded cheddar cheese<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Method:</b> Cook broccoli per package instructions. Mix together Bisquick, milk, eggs, and salt. Stir in broccoli and cheese. Pour into greased 1.5-quart casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour until knife inserted into middle half-way comes out clean.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>Italian Hot Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, and Cannellini Beans Over Pasta—so good!!!<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Janice Musco<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Janice is a longtime member of our affiliate. She is a successful adaptive fisherwoman and has won several fishing tournaments. She is also a member of the RI Visually Impaired Lions International Club. <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>3 cloves garlic; sliced thin<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; (optional)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1/2 pound spicy hot Italian sausage, removed from casing; break into bite-sized pieces<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 bunch broccoli rabe; cut in 2-inch pieces<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>8 ounces chicken or vegetable stock<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 19-oz can cannellini beans, drained<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1/2 pound dried pasta such as ziti<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1/3 cup grated Locatelli romano or parmesan cheese<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Method:</b> To prepare broccoli rabe for cooking, cut leafy portions into two-inch pieces. Peel the stems and cut to two-inch pieces. Rinse well. Steam for 10-15 minutes. In large deep skillet sauté garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) for an additional 2 minutes. Add steamed broccoli rabe. Sauté an additional 5-10 minutes. Set aside. Using same skillet, sauté sausage until lightly browned. Return garlic and broccoli rabe, add stock. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Add beans and stir until thoroughly mixed and heated.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cook pasta according to directions for desired doneness; when draining pasta, reserve 1-cup pasta cooking water. Plate pasta with sauce, using reserved water if more moisture is needed and top with grated cheese.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>Crockpot Chili<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Grace Pires<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b>To my family’s relief, after much experimenting, I finally came up with a recipe which I am satisfied with.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Ingredients: <o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 pound of ground beef<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2 15-oz cans of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2 15-oz cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 can of beef broth<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 can of diced tomatoes<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 8-oz can of tomato sauce<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1/2 bag of frozen chopped onions and peppers or to taste.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 packet of chili mix<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>2 tablespoons of chili powder<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Method:</b> Brown the ground beef and drain the fat. Mix all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Enjoy.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>--------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;text-align:center'><b>Uncle Ernest Soup<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Richard Moreau<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Richard has been a member of our organization for several years. Here are two of his all-time favorite recipes.<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 pound of hamburger<b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>6 medium-sized potatoes<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 large can of regular corn<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 small can of tomato sauce<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 teaspoon of celery salt<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pinch of salt<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Method:</b> Fry hamburger and then drain out the grease. Peel and cut potatoes into cubes. Place potatoes and hamburger into a 6-quart pan. Fill with water. Add celery salt, salt, and tomato sauce to water. Place on medium-high heat until potatoes are soft. Add can of corn to pot. Stir in ingredients.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>Ice Box Cake<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>by Richard Moreau<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><o:p> </o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Ingredients:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 box of regular graham crackers<b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 gallon of regular milk<b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 container of Cool Whip<b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cherries <i>(optional)</i><b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>2 large boxes of chocolate pudding and 2 small boxes of chocolate pudding—Do not use instant pudding<b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>1 large box and 1 small box of vanilla pudding—Do not use instant pudding <b><o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b>Method:</b> Follow the directions given on each box of pudding. Use one large and one small box of pudding for each layer. You will now make layers using a 9 x 13 x 2” pan. Place a layer of graham crackers, then top it with chocolate pudding. Next layer it with graham crackers and top it with vanilla pudding. Finally, last layer of graham crackers and top it off with chocolate pudding. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Cut into individual pieces and top with Cool Whip along with a cherry (optional).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><h2 style='line-height:normal'><i>Monitor</i> Miniatures <o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b> News from the Federation Family</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Convention Concert at #NFB21:</b><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We are excited to announce that there will be a fabulous virtual concert held this year at National Convention on the evening of July 6, 2021, anywhere and everywhere! The evening will be full of great talent and will raise money for the National Federation of the Blind and its Performing Arts Division.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This is where you come in! We welcome anyone to submit a selection by May 15th to be considered by our panel. We will be choosing artists to be featured during the virtual concert, as well as at other points throughout the convention. All the information will be forthcoming at <a href="http://www.nfb-pad.org"><span style='color:black'>www.nfb-pad.org</span></a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Let’s go build the National Federation of the Blind, because we are truly stronger together!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Elected:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Greater Portland Chapter in Maine held its elections, and these women and men were elected: Leslie Landry, president; Gerard Landry, vice president; Randy Bellavance, treasurer; Kyle Miller, secretary; Sarah Bellavance, board position one; Courtney Straffin, board position two. Congratulations to all of those who have committed to build the National Federation of the Blind and to make a difference especially for those living in Portland.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-indent:.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b>Elected:<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Johnson/Wyandotte County chapter of the NFB of Kansas held its elections on December 11, 2020. The following officers were elected: Tom Anderson, president; Randy J. Phifer, vice president; Jody Mulik, secretary; Don Mulik, treasurer. Congratulations to the new officers.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>---------- <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b>NFB Pledge<o:p></o:p></b></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Do you have a smart phone, tablet ETC! How would you like to be able to look at your calendar on your phone for upcoming events for the NFB of SC? Are if you are at your desk and wondering do I have any events scheduled today for the NFB of SC? Well, we have something that you will really like! Below is a link to the NFB of SC Google Calendar that you can subscribe to for upcoming events without having to visit our fabulous NFB of SC website to check the Events Calendar. Below is the link in which you will need to subscribe to the Events Calendar on your smart phone or computer. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/nfbsouthcarolina%40gmail.com/private-4df60c862f41a1d9bf2e25ed4a6af1f2/basic.ics"><span style='color:blue'>https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/nfbsouthcarolina%40gmail.com/private-4df60c862f41a1d9bf2e25ed4a6af1f2/basic.ics</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>