[Nfbv-announce] The Vigilant: May/June 2019

[Joe Orozco]

Hello all,

 

Below is a link to the latest issue of The Vigilant. Because the website, as
it currently exists, will soon be replaced by a newer model, the URL will
not work indefinitely; therefore, please find the full text after the table
of contents and URL for your reading convenience. You will later be able to
locate these and previous articles, at least the evergreen content, in our
new blog moving forward. Thank you for your ongoing patience as Sarah,
Cathy, and I work to revamp our online presence.

 

In This Issue:

 

1. From the President's Desk

* Virginia Caucus

* Visit the Presidential Suite at National Convention

* Membership Coins

* Fundraising at the Virginia Table

* New Website

* August 17 NFB Board of Directors Meeting in Arlington

 

2. This Month's Words of Inspiration

 

3. Year 2: Reflections on RISE By Kathryn Webster

 

4. Project RISE: From Low Expectations to High Impacts By Lizzy Schoen

 

6. First Annual Amy Barns Scholarship Recipient

 

7. Calling All Blind Parents! By Jessica Reed

 

8. Volunteers Needed for Research Study

 

9. Are You Following Someone Else's Dream? By Joe Orozco

 

10. NFB Pledge

 

The full text is below, or read the entire issue here:

 

http://www.nfbv.org/vigilant-may-june-2019/

 

  _____  

>From the President's Desk

 

Our  <https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention> national convention
is fast approaching and the convention agenda is really impressive. We hope
you are planning to join us at our national family reunion.

Virginia Caucus

 

If you have had the opportunity to glance at the
<https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/agenda> agenda, you know
that we have a packed week planned. However, I want to bring your attention
to an annual event. 

 

Please plan to join us at the Virginia Caucus on Monday, July 8 at 10:00 PM
in Tradewinds D.

Come meet our McDonald Fellowship and Jernigan Scholarship finalists as well
as our National Scholarship finalists. Participate in our banquet exchange.
Learn about the happenings across our various affiliate programs and enjoy
fellowship with other Virginians and guests from across the country

 

Visit the Presidential Suite at National Convention

 

On behalf of President Riccobono, I want everyone to know that they are
welcome and encouraged to visit the Presidential Suite during our national
convention. While the room number is not yet listed, please make certain to
visit the suite where you will find snacks, leaders from across the country
and sometimes president Riccobono. If you would like to schedule a time to
meet with President Riccobono, please contact the suite and request an
appointment. Due to the hotel security, you will need someone to help you
get to the floor where the Presidential Suite is located. There will be
people assigned to work the elevator to help people get to the suite. For
example, I am working the suite on Sunday, July 7 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. I
would be glad to escort you to the suite and help you get a snack. However,
there will be defined team members who will be assisting our members to the
suite throughout convention. Make us work and visit the Presidential Suite.

 

Membership Coins

 

I have just received the Virginia affiliates order of special NFB Member
Coins. We will be holding a special event in Virginia to honor our members
and distribute the coins at our state convention. This decision, made at our
May board meeting, might mean that you might not have a coin if challenged
at national convention. We will have a few coins at the Virginia Caucus to
pass around but we want to make receiving the coins meaningful.

 

Fundraising at the Virginia Table

 

Earl Everett is organizing our Virginia Table in the exhibit hall. The table
is D2. We need your help working at the table and helping to sell our
exciting products.

*       NFB Coin Holders - As I am certain you have heard, all NFB members
will be receiving a new NFB Member Coin in 2019. This year, we will be
selling special coin holders so you can attach your coin to a necklace or
key chain and wear your coin proudly. The coin holders, made of stainless
steel, are custom made and specifically sized for the NFB Member Coin. 

*       Virginia Peanuts 

*       Maxell Ear Buds using a 3.5-millimeter connector 

However, to sell these products, we need people actively selling our
products in the hallways and at the Virginia table. To sign up for a shift,
please contact Earl Everett,  <mailto:everettever23851 at gmail.com>
everettever23851 at gmail.com,, (804) 252-8998.

Earl has asked people to provide your preferred times by June 24.

 

New Website

 

We are working hard to revamp  <http://www.nfbv.org/> www.NFBV.org/ with a
new design a new content. The new site uses a new technology platform which
will allow us to expand our web presence and leverage new tools. We hope to
use the web site for new web forms and more exciting web content. Our goal
is to have a fully built out web site as we start to market our state
convention in August. We will be eager for your feedback and are grateful
for the collaboration between Communication Committee Chair Sarah Patnaude,
Joe Orozco and Cathy Schroeder. Please thank them for this good work and
feel free to share your suggestions.

 

August 17 NFB Board of Directors Meeting in Arlington

 

As agreed at our May 2019 board meeting, our Summer Board of Directors
meeting will be held during the afternoon of Saturday, August 17 in
Arlington. While the meeting will include a focus on planning our state
convention, we will be joined by a national leader. It is important for our
members to connect with our national leadership so we want you to plan to
attend. Concurrent to our board of directors meeting, there will be sessions
next door for the students attending the Southeast Regional Student Seminar.
If people wish to stay overnight, we will have a negotiated room rate with
the hotel. More details to follow shortly.

 

We are quickly approaching the peak season of our work in the Federation.
Please do not feel left out. Reach out and talk to your chapter leadership,
or talk to me. You should always feel welcomed and needed. There is plenty
of work for all.

 

I very much look forward to seeing some of you in Las Vegas. I look forward
to seeing others in Northern Virginia in August. Please know I am very
grateful for what you do. Thank you for working alongside us in building the
Federation.

Sincerely yours,

 

Tracy Soforenko, President
National Federation of the Blind of Virginia

  _____  

This Month's Words of Inspiration

"Let the word go out from this place and this moment that the torch has been
passed to a new generation of blind Americans, a generation born in this
century and fully belonging to it, a generation committed to the belief that
all men (seeing or blind) are capable of independence and self-direction, of
attaining equality and pursuing happiness in their own way, of serving each
other and helping themselves of walking alone and marching
together."-President Kenneth Jernigan, 1968 Banquet: Milestones and
Millstones

  _____  

Year 2: Reflections on RISE
By Kathryn Webster

Our second year of Project RISE was a resounding success! During the
2018-2019 academic year, 32 students from across the Commonwealth joined us
in confidence building, personal and professional development, mentorship,
and constant engagement. We continued the program in Northern Virginia
initiated last year, with monthly Saturday sessions where students led and
participated in activities, including cooking, arts and crafts, independent
travel, and sports. We also executed quarterly weekend sessions, where our
Northern Virginia students were joined by students from Richmond,
Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Charlottesville, and Williamsburg. Even more
exciting, our Virginia RISE participants got a special opportunity to learn
and grow alongside transition-aged students in Mississippi and Nebraska by
way of our National Mentor Program.

>From day 1 to the culmination, we witness our Project RISE students
developing newfound skills and confidence in their comfort with blindness
and career readiness. Moreover, we are thrilled to welcome several of our
students into our local NFB chapters and the Virginia Association of Blind
Students (VABS), and thus our greater movement. In fact, five of our Project
RISE students were elected to the VABS board this year. Our members welcome
the Project RISE students into our Federation family with open arms, and our
state leaders admire their initiative, ambition, and fresh perspective as we
work to build our affiliate.

This year's success would not have been possible without the patience,
dedication to youth, and hard work of our mentors: Joe Orozco, John Bailey,
Evelyn Valdez, Marc Canamaso, Jeremy Grandstaff, Jimmy Morris, and Sarah
Patnaude! We deeply appreciate all of our volunteers across the state, who
offered their time, resources, energy, and assistance during our
programming. Overall, the success is evident and we are enthused to dive
into year 3 as we challenge misconceptions, break down barriers, and
invigorate our youth to make the impossible.possible.

As we gear up for another year of Project RISE, we continue leaning on our
members and leaders for shared resources and knowledge. If you are
interested in mentoring, volunteering, or providing ideas or suggestions to
our programs, please contact us at  <mailto:rise at nfbv.org> rise at nfbv.org.
Mentor applications are open from June 15 to July 15, 2019, with student
applications already being accepted. Let's transform dreams into reality;
and let's start with our Virginia youth!

  _____  

Project RISE: From Low Expectations to High Impacts
By Lizzy Schoen

Resilience, Independence, Self-Advocacy, Employment: that is what the RISE
in Project RISE stands for. Going into the program, I had low expectations;
everything I had done so far had not prepared me for what I got. The power
of Project RISE is not in the curriculum, though it is extremely beneficial,
it is in the people who you meet and the lives the mentors are willing to
share with you and teach you to attain.

>From a young age, a blind person is taught two universal truths that, though
probably not said out loud, are said by actions:

*       Your blindness is something to be ashamed of and 

*       We don't have faith in your ability to succeed. 

These messages were things I latched onto and I still find myself fighting
them. With these messages in my head, I still worked hard. I did my school
work and participated in extracurricular activities and when I was told an
accommodation was unreasonable, it didn't happen whether my grades suffered
or not. I smiled, waved, never showed that I was suffering from the pressure
of being perfect and normal and not blind anything but blind.

That lack of acceptance was growing and becoming more of an issue now that I
wanted to be independent. I wanted to take the bus, but I couldn't see the
bus numbers, and from the times of 8am to 7pm I couldn't travel outside
alone. Then, right when my frustration was beginning to boil to the surface
and my friends got their driver's license: I got my cane.

Well. I got my cane in middle school, but I didn't use it until Project RISE
because when I got there I saw adults who went to school and lived alone and
had office jobs. I learned that Braille might be, something to pursue and I
met some of the most influential people in my life today.

The mentors helped me realize that what I was thinking wasn't productive or
healthy. They helped me realize just because I could see minimally doesn't
mean I could see well, or I should act like I can. It has been almost a year
since I started using my cane and 6 months since I was elected Vice
President of the Virginia Association of Blind Students. I am still
learning, I am still growing and still realizing that not everything is my
fault.

None of this would have happened without the help of my mentors and friends.
People like Kathryn Webster, who has encouraged me and pushed me since day
1. She teaches me that whatever stage you are at you can still pull yourself
up by the bootstraps and make it through, both successfully and resiliently.
Evelyn Valdez encourages me to be myself and not let anyone push me around.
Jeremy Grandstaff and his infectious personality and love of pep-talks that
don't only inflate your ego but help teach problem solving techniques. None
of this would have happened without the support of the NFBV, and with the
support of thousands of blind people I know that my future may not be
certain, but it is bright. 

  _____  

First Annual Amy Barns Scholarship Recipient

The Winchester chapter is pleased to announce that we have awarded the Amy
Barns scholarship in the amount of $600 for a student who is attending Mary
Baldwin university in the Shanadoah valley area.

The scholarship committee interviewed the student and she is majoring in
public health policy. She is going into her senior year and we wished her
well in her future endeavors and to live the life she wants!

Congratulations to the student. She will be joining us at our state
convention in November.

  _____  

Calling All Blind Parents!
By Jessica Reed, Coordinator, NFBV Blind Parents Group

The next blind parents conference call will be held on June 30 at 8:30 PM.
Details follow:

Dial: (218) 339-0926.

Pass Code: 2019#

Recently I came across a meme on Facebook that said "Being a parent is
hearing a noise at 3:00 am and hoping it's an intruder and not your kid
waking up." This quote couldn't be more true! Parenthood can be exhausting,
and mentally and physically draining. It taps into one's reserve they never
knew they had. At times parenting is staring uncertainty and fear in the
face and plowing it over. It is no secret that the pressure on blind parents
is magnified exponentially by both societies assumption that the blind
cannot safely raise children and blind parents believing they can, but just
not knowing how.

Nationally, as well as on the state level, the NFB is making significant
strides in bridging the gap by both educating blind parents with practical
alternative techniques related to blind parenting.
Beginning in February, "The Nation's Blind" podcast has devoted its episodes
to blind parents. Those of us with small children know that we just have no
time to sit and do a google search or research "How does a blind person feed
their child?" A podcast allows for multi-tasking. The most recent episode
addresses the alternative techniques on just this issue. They are short 30
minute podcasts where blind parents can receive a number different
strategies to help with the very specific alternative techniques blind
parents use daily.

On a state level, I highly encourage readers to spread the word in their
chapters about the Virginia blind parenting group, which holds monthly
conference calls to discuss blind parenting issues specific to our state.
This is a brand-new initiative to address and support the blind parents of
Virginia. We are working towards holding "How to" events, brainstorming
ideas for the legislative committee on finally getting past protection of
blind parents in child custody cases, and connecting blind parents with
other blind parents in their area. We invite parents, as well as any
perspective parents and childcare providers and anyone interested in
learning more to join both our Facebook group NFBV BlindParents2, as well as
subscribe to our email list. With this fast paced and rapidly changing world
the NFB is evolving to meet the need of blind parents and getting out the
information that can help in easing the unknown of blind parenting. It is a
travesty that in 2019 blind parents have the very real fear of having their
children taken from them by child protective workers who simply are not
aware of how we as blind parents perform the mundane daily childcare tasks.
The resources above also aim to begin a productive conversation between
blind parents and social workers, who both want nothing more than safe and
loving homes.

Remember, the call is next Sunday, June 30. Dial in using the information
above. Hope to talk to you then!

  _____  

Volunteers Needed for Research Study

Women with Disabilities Needed as Volunteers for
"The Rural Safety and Resilience Study" (The RSRS)

You qualify to participate if: 

*       You are at least 21 years old 

*       You experienced abuse or violence at least one or more years ago
while living outside a major metropolitan area. Abuse includes physical,
sexual, or emotional threats to your personal safety 

*       You had the disability before the experience of violence 

*       Your disability makes a difference in how you see, hear, learn,
understand, or move around 

This study involves an interview to gather information about women with
disabilities who have experienced violence and abuse, while living outside a
major metropolitan community. The goal of this research is to learn more
about how women with disabilities who have experienced violence learn about,
select, and access help when they live outside a major urban area. This
research will also highlight strategies women with disabilities use to keep
going, or build resilience. Information from interviews will help create
awareness of this problem, and will lead to important recommendations for
organizations that provide services to other survivors with disabilities.

You will receive a small payment for your time and participation in this
study.

Please call or text Kimberly Aguillard (Principal Investigator) at (713)
487-7640 or email her at  <mailto:kimberly.a.aguillard at uth.tmc.edu>
kimberly.aguillard at uth.tmc.edu. to learn more. Please write RSRS in the
subject line.

* Note: Kimberly will be available at the phone number above during the
national convention if eligible participants are willing to be interviewed
then.

This research study has the approval of The University of Texas Health
Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) Institutional Review Board.

  _____  

Are You Following Someone Else's Dream?
By Joe Orozco

Too many young people wind up in jobs they hate because they followed
someone else's advice about how to use their talents. You would think that
after a certain age we would be capable of making major choices independent
of the influence of family, friends, or career guides, but too often we
allow someone else's well-intentioned promptings to steer us in directions
we would never have chosen for ourselves.

As a child my father thought I would make a good concert pianist. I love the
piano and will one day master it, because it is equal parts challenging and
relaxing, but playing the piano is fun for me so long as it remains a hobby.

That's the first lesson: Learn to separate your passion from your leisure.
Your passion usually wants to satisfy others, whereas your leisure only has
to satisfy you. I love to write, and one day I hope to publish books to
inform and entertain you. Other people may enjoy writing but are content to
preserve their thoughts in a journal. I also love music, but I would never
want to join a band and tour the world.

Later in my young adult years my friends and teachers thought I would go
into the legal profession. I went to a magnet high school for law
enforcement and legal professions where I began doing well in mock trial
tournaments. At my senior prom I was voted Most Likely to Become an
Attorney, and in college I kept up the momentum by competing in speech and
debate. I love the art of persuasion, but I confess to having felt
intimidated by the sheer volume of lawyers competing for the few positions
that could justify the enormous student debt, especially at the height of
the recession in 2008.

The first advice I would offer from my own experience is that you should not
let the economy rule your passion. Sometimes we can blame circumstances for
taking the first offer that presents itself. A single parent, for example,
would be less likely to quibble about job satisfaction when the survival of
their family depends on their paycheck, but we should never stop setting
goals. While today's excuse for a mediocre job is putting a meal on the
table, tomorrow's excuse may simply be a fear of change. In my case, the
legal competition may be fierce, but in a real competition you cannot
deprive other people of the freedom to reject you.

The second piece of advice I would offer is that you need to take a holistic
view of the career you think you want to enter. My love of debate does not
mean I would love a career in law. There are human beings behind every
argument, and I was never capable of reconciling my feelings on guilt or
innocence after reading Seymour Wishman's Confessions of a Criminal Lawyer.
Anything short of criminal litigation seemed dull to me, but it took many
years for me to realize that the reason I still wanted to be a lawyer was to
please everyone else's expectations of what I should be.

How many college graduates are you aware of who studied one field and are
now working in another"? I know a lady who studied biology as an undergrad
and is now a vocational rehabilitation counselor. I know a guy who studied
music and is now working in the health industry. I myself studied public
policy and spent several years working in nonprofit development. These
inconsistencies speak to a larger question about how we invest our time and
money, but for the purposes of the current discussion, did we stray away
from our original college interests because those interests were uninformed
or because they were never really our interests to start?

Sometimes you can shove your passion into a career path and make it work.
For several years grant writing satisfied my drive for persuasion. After
all, grant writing is nothing more than a fierce competition for winning
money for a cause, but I have long since given up plans to be someone else's
vice-president of development. The point is, managing a store is not the
same as owning it. Playing a video game will not get you closer to designing
one. Anything less than the job you dream is just a wish.

Dr. Daniel Levitin, a neurologist, once wrote that it takes a combined
10,000 hours to master a task. If what he says is true, then it would take
you 250 work weeks to master a task. Do you really want to spend almost five
years practicing to become great at something you're not emotionally
invested in?

Learn to take command of your own future. Just because you enjoyed shooting
hoops in high school does not mean you need to carry the game into
professional sports. Just because a teacher complemented your drawing does
not mean you have to be the next Picasso. You were born with a certain set
of talents to help the world, but when you come home, you need something
else to help recharge your spirit.

Are you pursuing your own passion? If you caught yourself just in time,
where were you previously using your energy, and what made you make the
switch? Whatever else you may take away from this post, remember life is too
short and expensive to harvest someone else's dream. It's never too late to
make a change.

  _____  

NFB Pledge

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

 

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