[Nfbwv-talk] Look for Sheri's article in the below Braille Monitor.
Smyth, Charlene R
Charlene.R.Smyth at wv.gov
Mon Dec 3 20:54:12 UTC 2018
Great article and well put, Sheri.
Charlene
BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 61, No. 11 December 2018
Gary Wunder, Editor
Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash
drive, by the
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Mark Riccobono, President
telephone: 410-659-9314
email address: nfb at nfb.org<mailto:nfb at nfb.org>
website address: http://www.nfb.org
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of the Blind and sent to:
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998
THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE
CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE
EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES
BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT;
BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND-IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR
OURSELVES.
ISSN 0006-8829
© 2018 by the National Federation of the Blind
Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick
or USB flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a
National Library Service digital player. The NLS machine has two slots-the
familiar book-cartridge slot just above the retractable carrying handle and
a second slot located on the right side near the headphone jack. This
smaller slot is used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective rubber pad
covering this slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in one
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order to stretch our funding. Please use the return envelope enclosed with
the drive when you return the device.
Vol. 61, No. 11 December 2018
Contents
Illustration: Art of Leadership 2018
Convention Bulletin 2019
Authentically Blind on Stage and Screen: One Blind Actress Transforms
Obstacles into Stepping Stones
by Marilee Talkington
You Help Make Dreams Come True
by Patti Chang
The Federation Center
by Marc Maurer
A Heartfelt Thank You
by a BELL Parent
Jury Duty as a Blind Student
by Vejas Vasiliauskas
Playing Your Hand: A Blind Songwriter Doing What It Takes to Live the Life
He Wants
by JP Williams
Accessible Cardtronics ATMs
by Valerie Yingling
Social Security, SSI, and Medicare Facts for 2019
by John Paré
Helen Keller No More in Texas
by Norma Crosby
My History and My Desire to Serve
by Sheri Koch
Southwest Airlines Works Toward Inclusion for All
by Peggy Chong
When Readers Are Good
by Ed Vaughan
Advancing Opportunities for the World's 253 Million Blind and Partially
Sighted People
by Fredric Schroeder
Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-Review and Congratulations!
by Amy Mason
Mark Noble Dies
by Daniel Frye
The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
by Allen Harris
Recipes
Monitor Miniatures
[PHOTO CAPTION: Five Art of Leadership students from Baltimore cut fruit
while wearing sleepshades.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Chris Danielsen coaxes students and a teacher with Art of
Leadership up-stairs while using canes and wearing sleepshades.
[PHOTO CAPTION: A big thumbs up from Art of Leadership students who have
received tutorials on the Braillewriter from Ellen Ringlein.
Art of Leadership 2018
On October 21, 2018, nineteen tenth- and eleventh-grade students
participating in the Art of Leadership program sponsored by Art with a
Heart, a Baltimore nonprofit, visited the National Federation of the Blind
Jernigan Institute to gain an understanding of the capacities of blind
people to live the life they want and to learn about leadership in the
process. Through the Art of Leadership program, students in the Baltimore
area with diverse backgrounds develop leadership skills and engage in
conversations across socioeconomic and cultural barriers.
During their visit to the Jernigan Institute, the Art of Leadership
students participated in four activities led by Jernigan Institute staff to
introduce them to the skills used by blind people to complete daily living
tasks. While under blindfolds, the students completed a short cane travel
route on the fourth floor of the Jernigan Institute that included going up
and down stairs. The students also learned about Braille and the way blind
people use a computer and access current news through NFB-NEWSLINE®. The
students also prepared a salad and baked cookies under blindfolds for the
dinner that followed. During dinner, the students discussed the activities
they had participated in and asked questions. In response to the question
"What did you learn from this experience?" answers from the students
included: "I shouldn't assume what a person is capable of"; "To accept
myself and put myself in other peoples' shoes"; and "You don't have to be
'perfect' to be a leader." Clearly, the positive philosophy of the National
Federation of the Blind has a powerful influence!
Convention Bulletin 2019
by John Berggren
We are now in the season for office parties, Christmas shopping, and
holiday cheer. While dreams of sugar plums may be dancing in your head,
however, it's not too early to begin thinking about the warmer weather and
the summer months. While July may seem on the distant horizon, it's time to
plan for one of our most exciting events of the year. I'm talking, of
course, about our 2019 National Convention. For the first time in our
history, the largest annual gathering of the organized blind will be in Las
Vegas, Nevada.
We are excited to be hosting our convention at the beautiful Mandalay
Bay Resort and Casino (3950 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119). As
is the case every year, we have once again arranged for exceptional room
rates. Unlike in years past, the same enviable rate of $99 per night
applies to singles and doubles as well as triples and quads. Hotel and
sales taxes are 13.38 percent and 8.25 percent, respectively. The resort
fee (normally $37 a night) will be waived for NFB convention attendees.
However, fees for internet access, local and toll-free calls, and fitness
center access may apply.
To make reservations for the 2019 convention, you can call the hotel
at 877-632-7800 after January 1. The hotel will take a deposit of the first
night's room rate for each room and will require a credit card or a
personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged
against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Friday,
June 1, 2019, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will
not be made.
Situated at the beginning of the world-famous Las Vegas strip,
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino is a short trip from Las Vegas' McCarran
International Airport. The hotel has more than two dozen restaurants for
guests to enjoy. Among its features is an aquatic playground called
Mandalay Bay Beach which has real sand, a wave pool, and a lazy river. The
hotel is also home to an aquarium with more than 2,000 animals including
sharks, green sea turtles, and a Komodo dragon. Plus, it offers top-notch
entertainment including Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil.
The 2019 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will be a
truly exciting and memorable event, with an unparalleled program and
rededication to the goals and work of our movement. Make plans now to be a
part of it. Preconvention seminars for parents of blind children and other
groups and set-up of the exhibit hall will take place on Sunday, July 7,
and adjournment will be Friday, July 12, following the banquet. Convention
registration and registration packet pick-up will begin on Monday, July 8,
and both Monday and Tuesday will be filled with meetings of divisions and
committees, including the Tuesday morning's annual meeting, open to all, of
the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind. General
convention sessions will begin on Wednesday, July 10, and continue through
the banquet on Friday, July 12.
Remember that as usual we need door prizes from state affiliates,
local chapters, and individuals. Once again prizes should be small in size
but large in value. Cash, of course, is always appropriate and welcome. As
a general rule we ask that prizes of all kinds have a value of at least $25
and not include alcohol. Drawings will occur steadily throughout the
convention sessions, and you can anticipate a grand prize of truly
impressive proportions to be drawn at the banquet. You may bring door
prizes with you or send them ahead of time to Terri Rupp, 10587 Santerno
Street, Las Vegas, Nevada 89141.
The best collection of exhibits featuring new technology; meetings of
our special interest groups, committees, and divisions; the most
stimulating and provocative program items of any meeting of the blind in
the world; the chance to renew friendships in our Federation family; and
the unparalleled opportunity to be where the real action is and where
decisions are being made-all of these mean you will not want to miss being
a part of the 2019 National Convention. To assure yourself a room in the
headquarters hotel at convention rates, make your reservations early. We
plan to see you in Las Vegas in July.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Marilee Talkington]
Authentically Blind on Stage and Screen: One Blind Actress Transforms
Obstacles into Stepping Stones
by Marilee Talkington
From the Editor: The last speaker of the morning on Sunday, July 8,
continued the performance theme. The presentation was as moving as anything
I've witnessed, but the transcription is similarly the hardest I've ever
participated in. We have tried to capture the spirit, enthusiasm, and poise
of Marilee, but what she said and the way she said it isn't easily framed
using the rules of written grammar. It is best experienced through audio,
so let this presentation serve to push those who are reading this in
Braille and in print to listen to these remarks as delivered. They can be
heard at
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/2018_convention_highlights/july_8/am/06_aut
hentcally_blind_on_stage_and_screen.mp3.
Here is what Marilee Talkington said:
[Alicia Key's "Girl on Fire" plays as she takes the stage]
I love that; I get a theme song. Now, who decided to put me after JP
Williams? Come on, that's the hardest act to follow; he's amazing! [cheers]
My name is Marilee Talkington; I am a professional actor. I am so, so
excited to be here because the ferocity in this room is stellar. When I
walked in on July fourth, and the number of young people-[in a faux-old-
person voice] the number of you young people, all you young people with
canes-[in her normal voice] I was stunned by how many young people there
are, and it inspired me so deeply because I don't remember having that kind
of community when I was younger. I'm just so deeply honored to be here and
privileged. Let's dive in.
I think one of the things I wanted to talk about was transformation,
this thing that I hear a lot of people talking about is how to turn
obstacles into stepping stones. Just to give a little history: I was born
with rod-cone dystrophy; I'm totally blind centrally. My mom has it-it's
genetic. I have peripheral vision, and it's been degenerating over time.
I'm light blind, which, lovely-these lights are shining right in my eyes-
and I'm photophobic. So I'm light blind, and light causes me pain. For
those of you who have rod-cone or cone-rod and don't have central vision,
you know-you understand-that to see people, you look away from them.
In fifth grade I got what I like to call "The Talk" from my mom. I
have the same thing she does. I want to preface this by saying that I don't
judge her for saying this, she was working with the strategies she had at
the time and with the experience she had at the time. She said, "Now you
have a couple choices-maybe one choice and a couple options. To see people,
you need to look away from their face." Ok. "Or you can look at them and
not see them. If you look away from their face to see what you need to see,
the world that we live in will treat you differently." I was in fifth
grade. "Or you can teach yourself to look people in the face, not see what
you need to see, and move through the world." As a fifth grader I wanted to
move through the world with as much ease as possible, so I chose option
number two, and I trained myself to look people in the eyes; I still do.
[applause]
This can be confusing for many, many people. When they meet me, they
assume that I am fully sighted, which is not the case. But what it has
opened up for me is that I play mostly sighted characters on stage. Ninety-
five percent of the characters that I play are sighted. [applause]
Let's just jump forward. First, acting class: I took my first acting
class at UC San Diego. I was studying psychology and mathematics at the
time. My grade point average was so-so. I needed to raise it, and I was
looking for classes that I could take to raise my grade point average. My
friend said take an acting class, and I was like, "No way, no, not even
close." I couldn't get in any other class, and I was like, "Fine, I'll take
acting."
So I took acting, and something happened. I started telling stories
about other people, stepping into who they were, and it was the most
incredible experience of my life, those first days in acting class. All of
a sudden this enormous imagination of mine had a platform to play on. I'd
always been good at voices and characters, but I'd never really had an
avenue to walk down and express those things. All of a sudden I'm getting
to live other people's lives. All of a sudden my life felt limitless. [her
voice goes slightly higher, a bit more childish] And I started working with
all these different characters, you know, and just like playing, [her voice
goes deeper, sounding more masculine with a New York accent] and then just
like doing something else, right? And we'd talk, and every single character-
it's not just about voices. [Her voice stays deeper, but the accent shifts
to more Russian] But then you take on these completely different
experiences of life. [back to her normal voice] Right?
So I realized that this is what I want to do, and I never thought in
a million years that I couldn't do it because of my eyesight-never-never
crossed my mind.
I graduate UC San Diego, my grade point average lifted because of
that acting class. I stop off in LA-that's a whole 'nother story; we won't
go there right now-but I end up in San Francisco. I go to my first theater
audition, and they had what's called cold sides there; it's a cold read. A
cold read is when they have the script there, and you're supposed to read
it-look it over in fifteen minutes-then you go up. Well, of course I can't
read the script. I ask the director if there is a photocopy machine. This
is back in the day; this was twenty years ago. There's no technology
around, right? I'm like, is there a photocopy machine? He has no idea. So I
go out searching for a photocopy machine, and it takes me two hours. I find
a photocopy machine at a local business (I think it was a real estate
place), and I said, "Can I use it?" They were kind enough to let me. I
enlarged it as much as I could, and I eventually found my way back to the
theater after two hours. The director was still there. I went in. The
script still wasn't large enough, so it was pretty darn close to my face. I
started reading, and the director said, "If you can't read this script, you
don't belong on stage." He excused me from the audition.
This is twenty years ago. I had no mentors. I had no one to talk to
about this. There were no blind actors that I had ever seen or knew of. I
know that a lot of you can relate to this feeling of isolation. This is one
of those pivotal moments where I went home, and I was devastated. The
question I asked myself: "Do you believe him? Do you believe that you do
not belong on stage because you cannot read this?" And the answer that came
back was a resounding, "No I do not believe him!" [applause]
But what I did believe at that point was that I needed training.
Everything is about training: training, training, training. Because in this
business, the acting business, you have to be well-trained. You can dream
to be an actor, but if you don't actually do the work, it's not going to
happen.
I went to school, and this is where I began to advocate for myself. I
had to advocate for myself because I was the first blind, low-vision,
disabled person to walk in to those acting classes.
My first movement acting class was at a studio. It was an Alexander
technique class, which is a movement class that is all about alignment. The
teacher said, "I'm sorry, but I don't think this is going to be the right
class for you. You really need to be able to see what I'm doing."
And I said, "No, that's not right. I'm going to be in the class, and
we're going to figure this out." I had to battle my way into these classes.
I got into the class, and I ended up being the top student.
I say to myself, "What is going on here, people? I have the drive. I
have the willingness to go into the room, so you need to match that." But
this happened over and over and over again. But it developed my muscle to
self-advocate.
I auditioned for grad school, because at this point I've taken
probably ten or twelve studio classes-night classes-Shakespeare, voice,
whatever-but I want to take it to the next level. I want to audition for
grad school. I do that, and I don't get it-not because of my vision-I just
don't get in. Grad school-the one I auditioned for-is one of the top in the
country. It's extremely competitive. But I didn't give up. I trained more
that next year, prepared myself even more, and I auditioned the next year,
and I got in. I got in to ACT [American Conservatory Theater], and I was
the first person with a disability to ever get in to that school. I believe
I'm still the only person with a disability to go to that school, and at
this point there are only two legally-blind actresses in the country with
an MFA in acting. I'm one of them.
I'm sure all of you have heard this before-I remember being taught at
a very young age that you have to work twice as hard just to get to the
baseline as everybody else, all the sighted people. I said, "I don't want
to be at the baseline. I want to be great at what I am doing." So I'm
working three times as hard, four times as hard, and I never took for
granted for one moment when I was in grad school, not one moment.
[applause] I had this experience I want to share. It's less about my vision
physically and more about the vision for myself. We were doing this show
called Master and Margarita, and it was directed by this wonderful [with
accent] Eastern European director named Adria Guirgia. [back to her normal
voice] The role that I was cast in was Abaddon, the Angel of Death, and the
director said, "Okay, I want your big, red, curly hair everywhere."
I said, "No, actually, if I'm the Angel of Death, I think I should be
gender neutral. People shouldn't know if I'm male or female. I should be
everything at all times."
I had no language. I had no lines in the script. I wasn't actually
written into the script. He said, "Okay, fine, you can be gender neutral
whatever that means," because that was fifteen years ago; we didn't even
know what that meant.
I realized that he wasn't calling me to rehearsal. So I thought to
myself, "If I'm the Angel of Death, where would I be?" I said, "I'd be
everywhere!" So I started putting myself into all the scenes. I showed up
to every rehearsal and put myself in every single scene. The director was
like, [in accent] "This is brilliant! I had a brilliant idea. She's in
every scene. I love it."
We go to opening night, and the irony is that, if you ask anybody who
saw the show, "Who's the character you remember?" The answer would be the
Angel of Death.
The director comes up to me afterwards and says, [in accent] "Just to
let you know, I am taking credit for this." [laughter]
I said, "Okay, that's fine, that's fine."
But this whole thing really solidified for me-that moment, that
particular moment-this nugget of wisdom: when the world doesn't have a
vision for you, you must create a vision for yourself. [applause] That is
something that I hold in my heart very deeply.
Long story short: I moved to New York after grad school, and I don't
get that fancy agent. I don't get all those auditions because acting is
really, really competitive. It's so competitive. I go there thinking, "I've
got this great degree; I'm going to do it." And it didn't happen.
So what I did is I took my career in my own hands, and I started
creating my own work, or I should say continued to create my own work
because I was already creating my own work, much to the chagrin of my
professors. I created my solo show Truce. I play twenty-two characters in
that, half of which are blind. And I started creating other work, too-
experiential work-that's what I like to call it-experiential work where I
was writing and directing and acting using site-specific scripts-not just
theaters but sites you walk through and experience. Because even me, an
actor, when I'm an audience member in a theater, loses a lot of it. I can't
see a lot of it. So I was creating theater that you could experience, that
people could walk through, and really getting my confidence that way. I was
not waiting for somebody to choose me; I was choosing myself. [applause]
I was creating work, but I'll tell you moving to New York was tough,
and I actually ended up having a nervous breakdown. I moved back to San
Francisco to heal. I thought, "Oh my God, I failed. I went to New York, and
I failed. I couldn't do it; I couldn't hack it. I'm not strong enough."
I went back to San Francisco, and there was this little whisper of a
voice that said, "No, no, this is exactly as it should be. You're on the
right path. Have faith, have faith, have faith. Take time to heal." So I
stayed with my grandmother, who gave me unconditional love, and I kept
writing. I wrote a play, and I directed that. I started slowly building a
community in the Bay area, and I was healed. I found this new strength
after going through something really, really traumatic. Failing-failing-
moving back, going through something really traumatic, taking the time to
take care of myself, and then picking myself up and taking that next step
forward because I knew-I knew-that I am an artist, that I am supposed to be
an artist.
I know that I'm preaching to the choir here: this game ain't easy.
It's not easy, right? There's pain involved. There's failure involved. The
mark of who we are is what happens after we fail. What do we do? We pick
ourselves up and keep going.
So I'm in the Bay area, and this is where the next level of advocacy
started happening. I had to teach the Bay area community how to work with
me and how to open their doors to more persons with disabilities. I made
the agreement with myself: that "Marilee, you're going to go out and you're
going to stay open and curious and engage in any and all conversations that
come toward you. Because half your job is artist and half your job is
advocate." I walk into that, and I walk into every room carrying both those
banners. Sometimes I don't want to. Sometimes I just want to be an artist.
I do, I really do. But I know that because I'm the first, I have to be an
advocate. It's my responsibility to, because if I don't, no one will.
So I'm getting into those rooms, and I'm getting cast, and my craft
as an actor is getting more and more developed, and my craft as an advocate
is getting more and more developed. I'm figuring out what I need and how to
ask for it. That's a hard thing to do, because things can change,
especially in my business. Not all theaters are the same. Not all directors
are the same. I get new bosses every three months. I have to go into a new
space, assess, and then communicate, and then negotiate. This is kind of a
fun thing: I was in a show, and this was me accommodating for myself,
because most of the time I'm figuring out for myself how to do things. I
was in a show called Salomania, and it was about Salome. I played five
different characters, one of which was a soldier boy. [speaking in a
Cockney accent] A Cockney soldier boy who's a lovely little boy. [in her
normal voice] The opening scene was five of us soldiers-I was the only
woman, by the way-launched ourselves over a ten-foot ledge, with a rifle
and a bayonet attached to it. The first time we rehearsed it the director
said, "Everybody run, jump over this thing, and land on the ground safely."
I'm like, okay, this is-um, all right. Because I'm that person that's like,
"I will figure it out." You tell me I can't, I'll go off and figure out how
to do it and come back, like, "Here you go." Because they're not going to
know, God bless those sighted people, they're not going to know. So he
throws all of us this blocking (blocking is staging)-I forgot to say, we're
in full battle gear and gas masks. He says, "Okay, let's do it." And I
couldn't do it. And he said, "Do we need to change the blocking?" And I
said, "Just give me a sec, Mark."
When I can't do things, the first thing that happens is I feel pain;
I feel frustrated, I feel pain. I often shed a few tears to myself. Then I
grit up. I turned around to him, and I said, "Do what you need to do; I'm
going to talk to the stage manager, and I'm going to rehearse this after
rehearsal is over."
And that's what I did. I got the stage manager, and I went through
and marked every single spot where my foot and my hand needed to go. I did
it over and over and over and over. I did it dozens and dozens and dozens
of times until it was complete muscle memory. I didn't need any eyesight at
all-at all-at all.
On opening night we're all running from backstage up on this ledge.
And the guys come over, and I fly over, and my body is doing what I just
trained it to do because I'd been rehearsing it literally hundreds of times
after rehearsal, over and over again. I fly over. I land on the ground,
bayonet in hand, and I realize: I did it. I just did this. And I didn't
kill anybody! This is awesome!
So that's just one little story-I realize I'm going over time. Two
minutes Mark? Thank you. I want to jump fast fast-fast-fast-forward to this
NCIS experience. [cheers] It was awesome, y'alls. It was awesome. Let me
tell you this: going into the room, I took this job very seriously, not
only as an actor but as an advocate, because I knew this was a big deal. I
knew this was a huge deal for NCIS, for CBS, for me personally, and for the
community. In the audition room, usually casting directors ask, "Do you
have any questions?" I said, "No, do you?" I just opened up the
conversation. After I got cast the executive director and the director
called me and said, "This is so wonderful-you're going to be with us,
wonderful-we-how do we-so we're going to be working-you're blind, so how-
what, um? All right." This is what I said to them: "Don't worry, it's going
to be great. You're going to love it." THEY wanted to know, though. They
were scared. I wasn't; they were.
That night I wrote a cheat sheet on how to work with me. A cheat
sheet! I'd never done that before. I wrote down "This is my disability;
this is how I see; this is how it manifests; these are the identifiers I
like; you can call me blind, legally blind, partially-sighted, partially-
blind; you cannot call me handicapped. I don't go by that. I was just
laying it out: boom, boom, boom, boom. "Director: If you're giving me
direction, I may not look at you, but I am listening. Also, if you could
wear feathers, that would be great." So I'm throwing out a few jokes here
and there.
Well, it turns out that this little cheat sheet I sent them is
circulated through the entire NCIS production team, through CBS-I booked
another show while I was on CBS, flew to Toronto, that cheat sheet had made
it all the way over to Toronto. "We love your cheat sheet; it's really
great; we get you now."
All this to say, and I know that you all understand this, that self-
advocacy is so huge, especially when you are the first, second, third, and
any number through the door. We have to speak up for ourselves. We have to
carry a large vision for ourselves when the world doesn't have that vision
for us.
I want to leave you with one thing. This is a quote that I read and
that I still read over and over and over again. It is by Marianne
Williamson. Perhaps you have heard of this quote; I'm sure you have: "Our
deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are
powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most
frightens us."
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented,
fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?
The intention I want to leave with you, the intention that I have for
myself, and the intention that I have for all of you is: own your
fabulousness. Own it. Own your absolute uniqueness, and own your power to
be the magnificent creators of your destiny and dreams! Thank you.
----------
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Peggy Chang]
You Help Make Dreams Come True
by Patti Chang
From the Editor: What we do takes teamwork, spirit, commitment, and
money. Of the four ingredients necessary for success, money is often the
most overlooked, but without money, we simply don't have the tools to do
what needs doing for blind people. In this article, Patti Chang explains
how you can help. Here is what she says:
Thanks to you, the National Federation of the Blind has a tremendous
impact on the lives of blind people of all ages. We foster high
expectations and mentor each other, teach children to read Braille, and
provide crucial resources to parents of blind children. Nearly every day we
receive notes from long-time Federationists and people new to our
organization to share the impact that the NFB has had on their lives and
their family. We hope that these stories-and your own experience-motivate
you to give back to help us continue to share the gifts of confidence,
literacy, education, independence, and so much more.
We recently received this note from a mother whose daughter attends
the NFB BELL Academy in Indiana:
I am writing to you to express my thanks for what the NFB BELL
Academy has done for my daughter, who became blind from retinoblastoma
when she was just three years old. Having no previous experience with
blindness, my husband and I had no clue on how to raise a blind child.
We saw the potential in our daughter to be a happy and productive
human being even without her eyesight, but would others see the same?
Through the grace of God, we came in contact with the NFB and
other blind adults who have become wonderful mentors and role models.
These people have come alongside her and shown her that anything is
possible if she only believes in herself. This past summer was her
third year at the Indiana BELL Academy, something that she has grown
to look forward to each year. Whether it be reading or writing
Braille, beep ball, field trips, or crafts, she has enjoyed it all.
The NFB Indiana BELL Academy has given our daughter the
confidence to live as a blind child in a sighted world. It has given
her the ability to attend school with her sighted peers, being the
first blind child to do so in our school district. And, in my opinion,
she has been a wonderful example of showing her friends and teachers
exactly what a blind child is capable of. She is not afraid to
try anything, and currently has straight A's in all of her school
subjects.
I truly believe that the NFB BELL Academy, along with her
teachers and role models, has had a direct effect on her confidence
and ability to succeed, not only in the classroom, but throughout
life. As a parent, I can't wait to see what the future holds for her!
Thank you again for the NFB BELL Academy and what it does for our
blind children!
Want to help more families like this one? You can make a difference.
With a $50 donation, the National Federation of the Blind can send a
long white cane-free of charge-to a blind person and give back mobility.
With the same amount the Federation can provide early literacy materials to
help parents and blind children start learning Braille together. With a
larger donation we can train our BELL Academy teachers, show blind students
that they can participate in science and engineering lessons, and so much
more. Be a part of this future and everything the Federation does with
love, hope, and determination.
We can't change lives without you. Please help by making an end-of-
year gift. It's easy to do.
. You can give online at nfb.org/donate2018.
. To mail your donation, simply make out your check to the National
Federation of the Blind, and send it to 200 East Wells Street at
Jernigan Place, Attention: Outreach, Baltimore, MD 21230.
. Set up a Facebook fundraiser for the NFB. It's an easy way to share
our message and expand our network of supports.
We all know that the Federation affects blind people's lives every
day. Please be a part of our movement with an end-of-year donation. It will
be sincerely appreciated.
Please feel free to reach out to Patti Chang at 410-659-9314, extension
2422 or pchang at nfb.org<mailto:pchang at nfb.org> if you have any questions. Thank you so much in
advance for again helping blind people live the lives we want.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Marc Maurer]
The Federation Center
by Marc Maurer
From the Editor: When the Federation began writing and speaking about
the capability of blind people to work and to live as responsible members
in society, members of the rehabilitation community were skeptical. The
professionals rather publicly said, "Let these Federation people try
working in the field, and they'll soon see that their theories will
inevitably collide with reality."
So Dr. Kenneth Jernigan was sent to Iowa, one of the lowest ranked
agencies then in the field of rehabilitation, and his job was to create a
model agency for the blind based on the philosophy of the National
Federation of the Blind. This he did, and when after two decades in Iowa he
left what was then the Iowa Commission for the Blind, the Federation had to
wrestle with the question of what role we would continue to play in
rehabilitation. The reality of Iowa was there for all to see, but it wasn't
enough to have reshaped one or two agencies. In order to remain real to the
public and to the blind people who needed services, the Federation had to
maintain a positive presence in the field. How we would do that began a
debate that would last almost a decade. We would have to provide service
while at the same time not being so tied to service that we ceased to be a
consumer organization and the primary voice for blind people.
In this article, Immediate Past President Maurer discusses the
establishment of our NFB centers, their accomplishments, and what is
required to be a Federation center. Here's what he says:
A persistent question is what is required to constitute an NFB
center. We have created three of these that are now about thirty years old.
The first was in Ruston, Louisiana, where it continues to do business.
Joanne Wilson, who was a student of Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, had urgently
wanted the National Federation of the Blind to start one, and she hoped she
could be a part of the inspiration for it and perhaps one of the teachers.
In 1984 at the national convention an extensive discussion occurred
regarding a proposal that we establish a school for the blind. Nobody was
conducting educational programs of high quality for blind children, and the
shift from schools for the blind to the public school educational setting
had put blind students into places in which adequate materials and trained
teachers were mostly not available. We could run a school, and the quality
would be better than any other system could produce. However, the counter
argument asserted that the special role of the Federation was that of
serving as a check and balance to programs for the blind not the entity
that runs them. We could not adequately challenge our own blunders. Thus,
we should advise and supervise programs for the blind, not be programs for
the blind. The final decision was that we would not create a school for the
blind.
This thought process prevailed as we approached the 1985 convention.
We did not establish a national training center although Dr. Jernigan was
sorely tempted by the idea. Consequently, Joanne Wilson created the
Louisiana Center for the Blind. The creation of this center generated
thoughts by members of the Federation in many other states that centers for
the blind could be established in other places.
Diane McGeorge decided to start the Colorado Center for the Blind.
Colorado had a building which could house the training center. The building
had previously been used for a program that collected discarded Braille
books and sent them to programs for the blind in other parts of the world.
However, a training center was urgently needed, and the imperative would
put the building to a better use.
Joyce Scanlan also decided that a training center was needed in
Minnesota. She thought that the center would be regarded as the blind
center, so she decided to name it, Blindness: Learning in New Dimensions,
BLIND Inc. These then became the NFB training centers. They had been
created under the banner of the Federation and with the energy and
commitment of Federation leaders-all of them women. Discussion at the
national level of the Federation determined that for these centers to be
approved by the Federation and to receive support from the Federation, they
must have a formal relationship with the Federation as a whole. Thus, each
of the centers signed agreements with the Federation in which they
acknowledged that they are subordinate corporations to the Federation and
that policy decisions of the Federation are binding upon them.
All of this happened a long time ago, but the system of management
remains in place. Further, the leadership of the Federation has been and
continues to be a major factor in all of these centers. Beyond these
observations, one more must be made. A director of state programs for the
blind asked me once how we get the results that we do. I responded that I
could explain but the director could not do it. I said, "Do you observe
these people around you here this evening working the tasks for the
gathering this weekend? (It was about six p.m.) The director responded,
"Yes, but how do you get them to do it? I cannot get my staff to work after
five o'clock." We do the work because we want to get it done, not because
it is a job. We love the challenge and the people we serve. We are
responsible to the people who make up the Federation. I who have served as
President know that if I do not do the work that has been given to me,
somebody else will take the position I have once had. However, the thought
of being replaced is not worrisome as much as the thought of disappointing
my colleagues and friends. The Federation centers thrive because we care
about our colleagues, and we have great faith in them. The love we have for
each other and for the challenge of the work keeps us sharp and focused.
Part of the reason for our success is that we not only have tested
methods of teaching, but we also accept the need to experiment with new
techniques. Furthermore, we have a national and an international network of
friends who have connections that give us opportunities that are not bound
by state or national boundaries. Our village is bigger than any state
government program can achieve without the national and international
network that we have built.
A good many programs have claimed to be Federation centers. Are they?
These elements are required for becoming a Federation center. First, it is
necessary to acknowledge that the governing body of the center is the
convention of the National Federation of the Blind and that policy
decisions of the Federation are binding upon such centers. It is necessary
to acknowledge that the corporation running the center is a subordinate
corporation to the Federation. It is necessary that Federation leaders are
a part of the governing daily activities of the center. It is necessary
that the spirit of adventure of the Federation be an integrated element of
the center. It is necessary that love for the participants and love for the
challenges of integrating the blind into society be a vital element of the
centers. That a center adheres to the practices pioneered by the Federation
is not sufficient for membership in this exclusive group. Structured
Discovery is a good thing, but using this method of approach does not a
Federation center make.
More commentary could be made, but I believe this is adequate for
determining whether a center is a Federation entity. Does the center accept
that it is governed by the Federation? Can the Federation change its
practices when it believes that they are not adequate? Can the Federation
reorganize the center if it fails in the purpose the Federation believes it
should follow? If the answer to any of these questions is no, the center is
not a Federation center. Does this mean that the center in question is bad?
No, of course not. The center must be judged on its merits. However, it is
not a Federation center.
----------
A Heartfelt Thank You
by a BELL Parent
From the Editor: What greater gift can we give someone than the
ability to read and to write, those beautifully complimentary skills that
allow people to learn and then to contribute to that learning through
sharing. This is what we do with the BELL Program, and sometimes we are
blessed to receive a note of thanks. In this issue you will find two, both
deeply rooted in the heart and shared with passion and conviction. Enjoy
this thank you from a parent in Maryland:
My son attended the Baltimore BELL Academy this summer. It was his
second experience with BELL Academy, having attended in Arlington last
summer. We are so thankful for this opportunity, and we appreciate
everything that the NFB has done for our son and for our family.
Our relationship with the NFB began four years ago when our spunky
now-kindergartener was still a baby. We lucked into attending the parents'
day of the NFB national conference in Orlando, which was within close
driving distance of our home at the time. Before he had learned to walk, we
met teachers, lawyers, doctors, artists, all of whom were professional,
successful, and blind. At one session, a fellow parent leaned forward and
whispered to me, "Have you considered Braille?" When I shrugged (we had
barely considered potty training at that age), she persisted, "How will he
read his valedictorian speech if the spotlights are in his eyes?" We left
the conference with a sense of peace about the future and a new
understanding of what it means to be blind or visually impaired.
When we got home, we told our son's TVI about our experience, and she
was skeptical. We were told that the NFB was "radical." My family and I are
not the radical type, so we watched closely, ready to bail at the first
mention of anything over the top. Four years later, and I can say with
conviction that we have yet to hear anything "radical" from the National
Federation of the Blind. Indeed, the only thing controversial about them
seems to be their unwavering confidence in the abilities of the blind and
the commitment to high expectations. This confidence is backed by
achievement and success, and we are so grateful that our family has had the
opportunity to immerse our son in this confidence, firsthand.
When our son began preschool, we started to better understand eye
fatigue and other factors that make dual-media the most appropriate
learning media for him. Unfortunately, our local public school district,
which was failing and in the process of being taken over by the state, did
not agree. Without assessments or data, the TVI in Montgomery, Alabama,
told us that he would not teach our son Braille, that he "did not even like
to teach Braille to anyone before the third grade," and that he "could not
believe we would even ask for that when our son has so much vision." They
would not listen to our experiences with eye fatigue and insisted that no
child with low vision should be taught Braille. Unsure of where to turn, we
contacted the NFB. They listened. Our NFB rep attended our next IEP
meeting, advocated for our son, and advised us to request a functional
vision assessment and learning media assessment. The TVI immediately
contracted this assessment out to the state school for the blind (Which
makes us wonder if he knew how to do this basic assessment himself, and if
not, how much Braille did he know himself?). A professional came to our
son's school, conducted a thorough evaluation, and when the report came
back, it recommended dual media instruction in both print and Braille.
Armed with real data, we were able to get Braille instruction written into
our son's IEP, and though we have since moved from that district, he
continues to get Braille instruction that will help him in the future. NFB
reps have been there for us in our new district too, attending IEP meetings
in person and via cross-country phone call in order to ensure that he gets
the equal education that he deserves.
Dual media is not an easy road though, and our son is beginning to
learn that Braille is hard work. Luckily, he has been able to start his
school career with two summers of BELL Academy. At school, he is the only
kid in his grade who is learning Braille. BELL Academy immersed him in an
environment where Braille is normal, and it has taught him that he should
be proud of himself and his abilities. At BELL, he has been surrounded by
blind professionals who are confident and capable. This confidence is
contagious. We have seen our son's confidence soar as a result of BELL.
This happens through planned activities like rock climbing at Arlington
BELL or nonvisual challenges at Baltimore BELL, but more than that, it
happens through all of the intangible little moments that are infused
throughout the camp. I had a chance to overhear a few conversations that my
son never told me about, conversations like "What do you say when someone
asks you about your vision" or "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
and the impact is inspiring. BELL gives our son something that we as fully
sighted parents cannot give him: the opportunity to be led by and
surrounded by blind individuals who are confident, capable role models.
Achievement is not wished for at BELL; it is expected, and we have seen him
rise to the occasion. Following BELL Academy, my son now orders his own
food at restaurants, speaking in a loud, clear, confident voice. While many
parents spent the night before kindergarten worrying about the future, we
spent the evening at a ropes course challenge, watching our son take
reasonable risks at an activity we once imagined might be impossible for
him.
To get to BELL Academy this year, we put our preschooler and toddler
in the car in their pajamas at 6:00 AM. We drove from Virginia to
Baltimore, a cross-DC trek that several times took three hours one way in
the rain. "That's nuts," our family said.
"That's necessary," we said, because we knew it was well worth it,
and it was. Nowhere else can our son get this lifelong gift of confidence
and skills. During his first two weeks at BELL last year, he blew through
three of his annual IEP goals, and we had to have a new IEP meeting to
raise expectations for the year. Before BELL, he got frustrated when
pouring water. Now he does it with ease using the nonvisual skills he
learned at BELL. Before BELL, he wasn't sure what to say when someone asked
him about his vision. Last week, his swim coach told me that he had
confidently and nonchalantly given the class a mini lesson about his
diagnosis. This kind of confidence comes straight from the NFB. We have
always tried to instill confidence in our son, but as fully sighted
parents, we lack both the words and the experience necessary to really
teach him the strategies he needs to be independent.
Thank you for giving our family this gift. Thank you for the passion,
hard work, and professionalism that goes into all of your efforts.
We may not be the best at timely thank yous, but we appreciate all of
you at the National Federation of the Blind on a daily basis. We are so
grateful for your help and look forward to working with you for many years
to come.
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Jury Duty as a Blind Student
by Vejas Vasiliauskas
From the Editor: The name "Vejas Vasiliauskas" may be familiar to
Monitor readers because Dr. Eric Vasiliauskas has worked closely with the
National Federation of the Blind in getting tips and tricks for raising his
two blind children and for giving back to the Federation by offering what
he has experienced and learned through his own keen insights as a person
with significant motivation, intellectual ability, and outstanding
commitment. It is clear that he has imparted these stellar qualities to his
children, and in this article Vejas offers some very mature, conscientious,
and patriotic opinions about what it means to be an American citizen. Here
is what he says:
Every year, adults over eighteen who are registered to vote and have
IDs are potential candidates for jury duty. When US citizens are chosen for
this civic duty, the court system has no prior knowledge of an individual's
disability. Therefore, when I received a jury duty summons at the end of
April this year, I was both intrigued and enthusiastic to learn not only
about the process of being a juror but also the accessibility of serving as
a blind person.
First there was the initial paperwork. Everything I needed to know-
the week I was serving, my juror ID, and my PIN-were only available in
print. I was fortunate that my parents were able to read me the
information, but it is important to be aware of the fact that without a
careful mail organization system, jury duty summonses can easily fall to
the wayside along with other print envelopes.
After registering, I began to investigate. I was rather surprised to
find that in a day and age where we are fighting for equal expectations,
there was very little information about being a blind juror. Few people on
the National Association of Blind Students listserv had any serving
experience, with one actually being sent home by the court due to the
inability to analyze video evidence. I then called the assembly room at my
courthouse to inform them that I was blind but still wanted to serve. Was
there any disability support, and could anyone who worked there guide me to
the various locations throughout the day? I was told no to both questions
and was highly encouraged to have my physician sign me off for an excuse.
To me, this was not an option; I wanted to experience jury service just
like everyone else, at a time when I was off of school for the summer.
Therefore, when I was told by the automated system to report in on
Thursday, I was prepared. As an aside, I found the automated phone system
to be very accessible. The instructions for how to confirm and report for
service were very clearly stated. There is also an online portal that can
be used instead. Unfortunately, I was unable to check its accessibility; by
the time I signed in shortly after reporting, I was told I no longer had
the ability to look through the portal's information.
To prepare for my service, I imagined various scenarios in my mind
and how I would work through them. For example, had I been told that a case
required me to see video evidence, I would have asked if I could be
switched to a case where the evidence was spoken. The fact that there would
be nobody to guide me would not be a problem; I could simply initiate and
ask to walk with the fellow jurors around me.
After a security scan similar to the airport, we were told to go into
the assembly room for our orientation. The orientation was not, as I had
previously thought, a tour of the courthouse, but was an in-depth
introduction of our responsibilities as jurors. We watched a video of
segments of a case in a courtroom, which was described very well. The video
also informed us that there are two types of cases: criminal, in which a
defendant is accused of committing a crime, and civil, in which it is
necessary to settle a dispute between two sides. In a criminal case, jurors
are called by the last digits of their juror ID number, whereas in civil
cases peoples' actual names are used. While every state's policy is likely
to be somewhat different, California's jury service was for a one-day or
one-trial period. This means that if jurors are never called in for the
day, they can leave. However, if they get called in to a trial and do not
get selected, they still have to go back to the assembly room in case they
are called for another trial that day. On my day of service, we were told
that there was only one case that day, but that it was still questionable
whether it would go to trial.
For the next three hours, the jurors were instructed to wait. The
woman who gave our orientation told us that some romantic couples had
actually met in jury duty. There were no couples to be had that day,
though, and everyone kept themselves to themselves. However, I was able to
see my history teacher from my previous semester in school, which was a
huge coincidence.
After a rather long lunch break, and just when we thought we could go
home, it was decided that the case would go to trial after all. A list of
randomly selected names, in no particular order, was read out, and mine was
among one of the many names chosen.
Once we were allowed to enter the courtroom, the judge explained that
the jury selection period is about four hours, and because we started much
later during the day we would probably have to return the following day. He
informed us that the case was of a woman who threatened to assault some
people with a knife. At that point, eighteen juror ID numbers were called
to go up to the juror box to answer some basic questions, including where
they were from, their families' careers, and whether or not people believed
they could serve. After all eighteen answered, the judge spoke with the
lawyers to determine who might be able to stay on the case. Those who were
eliminated could go home, and a few more names were called for the same
questioning. Because we ran out of time, the rest of the jurors, including
myself and my history teacher, had to come back the next day.
On Friday, rather than go to the assembly room again, we could go
straight back for the case. At this point, both the prosecution and defense
lawyers began to question the jurors even more intensely. The jurors were
given hypothetical situations and asked how they would decide who was
innocent and who was guilty. One example involved a custodian and a fifth-
grade student. If the custodian attacked a student and the student hit him
back as a direct result, this would be considered self-defense, but if the
student's retaliation happened later, then that student would also be
considered guilty.
More names were eliminated. Five more juror IDs were chosen, and mine
was one of them. The judge and lawyers explained that they had already
chosen the original twelve jurors, and our numbers were being called so
that we could potentially become alternates. Since I was called to the
sixteenth seat in the juror box, I was referred to as "Juror Sixteen" from
there on out. Coincidentally, my history teacher from the previous semester
at school was juror seventeen. During my first questioning by the judge, I
explained that I knew her because she taught me last semester, to which
many people laughed. We both felt that the fact that we knew one another
would not be a problem, and that neither of us would influence one another
in the decision.
The lawyers then asked more hypothetical situational questions. When it
came time for the lawyers to select their alternates, I was not among one
of the names chosen.
Despite the fact that I could not serve on the case, I was very happy
with my experience. After all, many potential jurors never get to
experience being called for a case, with some never having to report at
all. My fellow jurors were all very accommodating as long as I was able to
articulate what I needed. I feel that I can quite confidently say that my
reason for not being chosen had nothing to do with my blindness, as there
were many, many other sighted people in the same situation.
So, is jury duty for a blind person possible? Yes! By coming together
and sharing our jury duty experiences, both past and future, we
Federationists can work together to give each other guidance and discuss
accommodation issues. However, as long as you have some method of being
able to read your juror information, follow instructions, and can advocate
for yourself, there should be few if any problems.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: JP Williams plays the guitar.]
Playing Your Hand: A Blind Songwriter Doing What It Takes to Live the Life
He Wants
by JP Williams
From the Editor: JP Williams is a singer songwriter and accessibility
technology professional who now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Many of us
know of JP's work in helping to craft "Live the Life You Want" and other
Federation songs. Here is the presentation that JP made on the morning of
July 8, 2018:
So, what's going on, people? How are you feeling? So if you believe
you can live the life you want, let me hear from you. [applause]
What an honor it is to speak this morning. President Riccobono, thank
you for the invitation. I've been excited about this for a long time and
preparing for it, and I'm going to talk about two things this morning that
a lot of people have already touched on, but I'm gonna tell you my take on
it due to my experience and the path that I've taken. That's expectation
and collaboration, and to do that I'm going to back up and start from the
beginning.
I was born with limited vision-only in my left eye, none in my right-
in Clarksville, Indiana. [cheers from Indiana] At the age of four,
fortunately I was introduced to Braille. They knew my vision was fading,
and I would become completely blind. So they introduced me to Braille, and
at the age of six, myself and my family moved to Dallas, Texas. Around that
time, after my second grade year, I was placed into resource classes
because of my blindness. It was determined that I would just go on to
receive a certificate of attendance. I have to show my age. I'm forty-two.
This was the early 80s, and at that time that's where I landed. I had a
single mom, and we didn't know at that time that you could live the life
you want. We didn't know about the National Federation of the Blind. We
didn't know all of those things.
I'm fast forwarding. By the end of my junior year, I was sitting with
my parents and talking about options and realizing, of course, that I
didn't have the credits to go to college. We got together and developed a
plan that I would attend the Tennessee School for the Blind for two years.
There I got four years of credits, and went to college and graduated.
[applause]
So I have to say that I have empathy for the blind students, and I
have empathy for the blind parents. I have to say thank God you are here,
because now you have knowledge, and now you know the truth. [applause]
After college I moved to Atlanta, Georgia (I moved around a lot).
There I was teaching music and playing a lot of different types of
corporate gigs and going on the road as an independent artist. In the midst
of all that, Nashville, Tennessee, would not leave me alone. So I started
taking a Greyhound bus to Nashville-from Atlanta to Nashville once a month.
I call what I did intelligent ignorance because I had no idea what I was up
against. But I did it anyway because I wanted to go and place myself in an
environment where I could succeed or fail, and that's basically how you
define an opportunity-if there is a chance of success, if there's a chance
of failure. The bar is set very high in Nashville; it's the NFL for
songwriters.
I started taking that Greyhound bus and calling publishers, trying to
set up co-writes, getting hotel rooms, and in the year 2006 I took the
plunge. I said I've got to go because I would rather go and get my answer
then spend the rest of my life wondering what if.
I moved in, started a life, met my wife who's with me here today
[applause], and she said a cool thing: she said, "This is a cane-vention."
This is her first time here with me, so this is a cane-vention, baby.
[applause]
I met my wife and just began the messy road of the music business.
Eventually I landed a publishing deal, so for the past seven years I've
been paid to write songs. It's been amazing. When you get into
expectations, through my experience in placing myself in an environment
where the bar is set high, after that you start collaborating. I have to
say that the National Federation of the Blind is one of the best places to
collaborate. [applause] Think about how in 1940 if sixteen people hadn't
gotten together to collaborate, to develop a constitution, to help blind
people, we would not all be here today. They got together, and we are all
here, and it's an amazing thing, and the collaboration continues.
Figuratively this is a beautiful song that has been written and continues
to be written.
People ask me all the time, "What's it like as a blind person being a
songwriter, a professional songwriter." People show up in the room (I call
it creative dating). My publisher will set up co-writes with other
songwriters at other publishing companies. They'll show up in the room, and
a lot of times it's the first time you've ever met. Sometimes it goes well
and you connect, and sometimes it's just, "Let's go to lunch." But one of
the things that I have found, being the only blind person in the room, is
that humor always goes a long way, not taking myself too seriously, but
taking what I do seriously-that goes a long way. The idea is king. If it's
a great idea, it doesn't matter who's blind or sighted in the room. You're
all working toward a common goal: to write the best song, to create the
best product. This is what happens at the NFB every day.
As an example of collaboration, my wife is going to bring me my
guitar [applause], and I'm going to play you a little ditty. I got together
one day with a songwriter by the name of Bobby Cumberland, and Bobby's been
in town a long time and is a very successful songwriter. We started talking
about the roots of country music and how much it means to us. [JP begins to
strum his guitar and play] So we got to talking about the roots of the
music. We love the new stuff, but we hope that the roots of the genre are
never forgotten. And that led us to start talking about the Grand Ole Opry.
In the midst of that, we started thinking, what if the Grand Ole Opry was a
person just sitting in a rocking chair telling you about his/her life? What
would he/she say? This is what we came out with, and I was fortunate enough
actually (this was another dream come true) to sing this on the Grand Ole
Opry last year.
[There is no way to replicate this performance in writing, so those
wishing to hear the song should go to
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/audio/2018_convention_highlights/july_8/am/05_pla
ying_your_hand.mp3.]
Another dream has come true recently. There are three things you
always pray for when you land in Nashville: that you get a publishing deal,
you get to sing on the Grand Ole Opry, and you hear a song that you've
written or co-written on the radio. Well this song is number thirty-eight
on the country charts right now. It was released by an artist named Jimmy
Allen, it's climbing the charts right now, and I'm so grateful to be a part
of it. I got together with Jimmy and another buddy of ours, Josh London,
and we wrote this song. Fortunately he went and recorded it. It's called
"Best Shot." [He plays the song]
As I'm closing today, I'd like to leave you with a quote I heard
recently that really spoke to me. That is, "Diversity is being invited to
the party, and inclusion is being asked to dance." [applause] So let's all
keep dancing. God bless you.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Valerie Yingling]
Accessible Cardtronics ATMs
by Valerie Yingling
From the Editor: Valerie Yingling is our legal program coordinator,
and she has been at this job for six years. No one can come away from the
national convention without remembering the extension 2440 since this
dedicated and highly effective staff member solicits lots of input on a
variety of topics. It is always a pleasure to talk with her, and it is also
a pleasure to read what she writes. Here it is:
This past September, Cardtronics received certification confirming
that its ATM fleet was in compliance with the strict accessibility
standards of the 2014 settlement agreement between the National Federation
of the Blind, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Cardtronics. This is a
noteworthy milestone, and one that nearly concludes years of legal action
and the NFB demanding that Cardtronics ATMs be fully accessible to the
blind.
A Complex History
It was in 2005 that NFB and the Commonwealth first brought action
against Cardtronics, and in 2007 Cardtronics entered into a class-action
settlement, agreeing to make nearly 30,000 ATMs accessible to the blind via
voice guidance. This was a landmark agreement and one that helped set the
standard for ATM accessibility nationwide. Unfortunately, Cardtronics was
unsuccessful in implementing the agreement terms, a subsequent court-
approved remediation plan, and an extension of terms to March 15, 2012,
that included the court providing a Shakespearean warning to Cardtronics to
beware the Ides of March.
In August 2012, after further nonconformance, NFB and the
Commonwealth requested court-supervised monitoring and enforcement. The
court appointed a special master, and Cardtronics established a Center of
Excellence to steer its accessibility efforts and provide industry-leading
voice-guided user experience for Cardtronics-supported ATMs. At long last,
these interventions proved successful. ATM voice-guidance scripts were
developed with the assistance of NFB member and accessibility expert Ron
Gardner, and Cardtronics installed the accessible software and scripts
across its ATM fleet, numbering then close to 100,000 ATMs.
Many of you were instrumental in the NFB's 2017-2018 Cardtronics ATM
testing program. Members tested six hundred ATMs nationwide to assess that
each included Braille instructions and labels, that voice guidance began
when a customer inserted a headset into the headphone jack, that the user
could complete a balance inquiry and cash withdrawal and receive a
transaction summary via voice guidance, and other critical features. This
was not an easy testing program, and its success relied on the commitment
of over two hundred testers.
The test results weren't perfect. Cardtronics took reports of
inaccessibility seriously and investigated all failed tests. Missing
Braille and inoperable machines were addressed swiftly. Substantiated
issues were not related to the voice-guidance scripts themselves. One
recurring problem involved testers' inability to sufficiently hear the
voice guidance. We identified that if testers were using Apple headphones,
they would likely need to insert the headphones only halfway into the
headphone jack for best sound quality.
Moving Forward
We are currently in Phase II of our settlement agreement with
Cardtronics. Over the next seven quarters, Cardtronics is required to
complete one full accessibility inspection cycle of its ATM fleet and
provide quarterly reports to NFB and the Commonwealth.
Now that NFB has completed its ATM testing program and Cardtronics
has received its certificate of conformance, there are specific
troubleshooting and reporting actions that NFB members can take if they
encounter an inaccessible ATM. We recommend the following for Cardtronics
or otherwise-owned ATMs:
If you cannot hear the voice guidance, first remove and reinsert your
headphones. Basic headphones will work best; headphones with microphones
may not work. If you are using Apple headphones, they may need to be
inserted only halfway for best sound quality.
If you experience difficulties with your PIN, card, or incorrect cash
dispenses, you should contact your bank for resolution.
All other barriers can be directed to the ATM's owner/servicer. All
ATMs should have a number on them to call for mechanical difficulties,
access, or suspicious activities. Unfortunately, the phone number might not
be provided on the machine in Braille, and you may need to ask store
personnel to identify the number.
Cardtronics ATM complaints can be directed to 800-786-9666; please
keep in mind that not all ATMs are owned or serviced by Cardtronics.
As President Riccobono has stated, "We appreciate that the leadership
team at Cardtronics recognizes that the blind deserve the same convenient
access to cash and banking services that sighted people enjoy." Indeed,
full and equal access to financial information and resources is critical to
our members living the lives they want. Accessible ATMs remain a matter of
priority for the NFB. We are pleased that it is a priority for Cardtronics
as well.
For additional information, or for copies of the settlement
agreements and press releases, visit www.nfb.org/legal or contact Valerie
Yingling, legal program coordinator, at vyingling at nfb.org or 410-659-9314,
extension 2440.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: John Paré]
Social Security, SSI, and Medicare Facts for 2019
by John Paré
About this time each year we provide you with details regarding
annual adjustments in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI),
Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicare programs. In 2019
approximately 67 million Americans will see a slight cost-of-living (COLA)
increase (2.8 percent) in their benefit amounts. Thus, come January,
monthly checks will be a few dollars higher.
The 2019 amounts appear below along with some concepts which are
always good to know about the Social Security and Medicare programs if you
want to understand your rights. The COLA adjustment (if any) is based upon
the consumer price index (CPI-W), which measures the inflationary rate
against the wages earned by the approximately 173 million workers across
the nation over the previous four quarters starting with the third quarter
of the previous year. Okay, here are the numbers.
Tax Rates
FICA and Self-Employment Tax Rates: If you have a job, you know that
you do not bring home everything you earn. 7.65 percent of your pay, for
example, is deducted to cover your contribution to the Old Age, Survivors,
and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Fund and the Medicare Hospital
Insurance (HI) Trust Fund. Specifically, 6.20 percent covers OASDI, and
1.45 percent is contributed to the HI Trust Fund. Additionally, your
employer is required to match this 7.65 percent for a total of 15.30
percent.
For those who are self-employed, there is no "employer" to match the
7.65 percent. Thus, a self-employed individual pays the entire 15.30
percent of her income. These numbers will not change in 2018 whether an
individual is employed or self-employed. As of January 2013, individuals
with earned income of more than $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples
filing jointly) pay an additional 0.9 percent in Medicare taxes not
including the above amounts.
Maximum Taxable Earnings
For the OASDI Trust Fund, there is a ceiling on taxable earnings,
which was $128,400 per year in 2018 and will jump to $132,900 in 2019.
Thus, for earnings above $132,900, there is no 6.20 percent deducted for
OASDI. As for Medicare, there is no limit on taxable earnings for the HI
Trust Fund.
Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
Quarters of Coverage
I always like to compare the OASDI Trust Fund to an insurance policy.
You have to pay a premium to participate. Therefore, to qualify for
Retirement, Survivors, or Disability Insurance benefits, an individual must
pay a minimum amount of FICA taxes into the OASDI Trust Fund by earning a
sufficient number of calendar quarters to become fully insured for Social
Security benefits.
In 2018 credit for one quarter of coverage was awarded for any
individual who earned at least $1,320 during the year, which means that an
individual would have needed to earn at least $5,280 to be credited with
four quarters of coverage. In 2019 the amount increases to $1,360 for one
calendar quarter or $5,440 to earn four quarters of coverage for the year.
A maximum of four quarters can be awarded for any calendar year, and
it makes no difference when the income is earned during that year.
Basically, the taxes you pay into the OASDI and HI Trust Funds are your
premiums to participate in the Social Security and Medicare programs.
The total number of quarters required to be eligible for benefits
depends on the individual's age. The older the individual, the more
quarters are required. Furthermore, a higher average income during an
individual's lifetime means a higher Social Security or SSDI check when
benefits start. Remember the above quoted numbers for quarters of coverage
to become fully insured are only minimum amounts.
Trial Work Period (TWP)
This concept is often misunderstood. The amount of earnings required
to use a trial work month is based not upon the earnings limit for blind
beneficiaries, but rather upon the national average wage index. In 2018 the
amount required to use a TWP month was only $850, and this amount will
increase to $880 in 2019.
If you are self-employed, you can also use a trial work month if you
work more than eighty hours in your business, and this limitation will not
change unless expressly adjusted.
Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA)
The earnings limit for a blind beneficiary in 2018 was $1,970 per
month and will rise to $2,040 in 2019. Remember this is not the TWP amount.
This is to say that the TWP can be exhausted even if your income is well
below $2,040 per month. See the above information about the TWP.
In 2019 a blind SSDI beneficiary who earns $2,041 or more in a month
(before taxes but after subtracting unincurred business expenses for the
self-employed, subsidized income for the employed, and impairment-related
work expenses) will be deemed to have exceeded SGA and will likely no
longer be eligible for benefits.
Social Security Benefit Amounts
In January of 2019 the average amount of SSDI benefits for a disabled
worker is estimated to rise by about $34 to $1,234. Pursuant to the Social
Security Act, a cost-of-living adjustment occurs automatically when there
is an increase in inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for
Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The CPI-W indicated an
inflationary rate of 2.8 percent between the third quarter of 2017 and the
third quarter of 2018. Thus, there is a corresponding COLA increase in 2019
and an increase in monthly benefit amounts.
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
The federal payment amount for individuals receiving SSI in 2018 was
$750 and will increase to $771 in 2019, and the federal monthly payment
amount of SSI received by couples will rise from $1,125 to $1,157.
Student Earned Income Exclusion
In 2018, the monthly amount was $1,820 and will increase to $1,870 in
2019. The annual amount was $7,350 and will be $7,550 in 2019. The asset
limits under the SSI program will remain unchanged at $2,000 per individual
and $3,000 per couple.
ABLE Act
Signed on December 19, 2014, the ABLE Act will have a significant
impact on resource limits associated with the SSI and Medicaid programs for
those who were blind or disabled by the age of twenty-six. Traditionally,
SSI beneficiaries have been required to adhere to strict resource limits:
such as a maximum of $2,000 in the bank for an individual receiving SSI
benefits. Under the ABLE Act, however, the amount on deposit in an ABLE
Account can be much higher.
ABLE Account contributions must be designated specifically for
purposes such as education, housing (with a cautionary warning to follow),
employment training and support, assistive technology, health, prevention
and wellness, financial management, legal fees, and funeral and burial
expenses. The required implementing regulations are being enacted in most
states. Check with your financial institution of choice for a status of
ABLE Act regulations in a specific state.
As to the warning about ABLE Account contributions for housing, it is
important to note that SSI beneficiaries may still face the traditional
$2,000 resource limit for ABLE Account funds designated for housing. Thus,
SSI beneficiaries should consider the many other purposes not subject to
the traditional resource limits when making ABLE Account contributions.
Because there are also tax advantages associated with ABLE accounts, both
SSDI and SSI beneficiaries should consult a financial advisor about
establishing an ABLE Account.
Medicare
Medicare Deductibles and Coinsurance: Medicare Part A coverage
provides hospital insurance to most Social Security beneficiaries. The
coinsurance amount is the hospital charge to a Medicare beneficiary for any
hospital stay. Medicare then pays the hospital charges above the
beneficiary's coinsurance amount.
The Part A hospital inpatient deductible was $1,340 in 2018 and
increases to $1,364 in 2019. The coinsurance charged for hospital services
within a benefit period of no longer than sixty days will remain at $0, as
it has for the past several years. From the sixty-first day through the
ninetieth day, the daily coinsurance amount was $335 per day in 2018 and
will rise slightly to $341 in 2019. Each Medicare beneficiary has sixty
lifetime reserve days that may be used after a ninety-day benefit period
has ended. Once used, these reserve days are no longer available after any
benefit period. The coinsurance amount paid during each reserve day used in
2018 was $670 and in 2019 will be $682.
Part A of Medicare pays all covered charges for services in a skilled
nursing facility for the first twenty days following a three-day in-
hospital stay within a benefit period. From the twenty-first day through
the one hundredth day in a benefit period, the Part A daily coinsurance
amount for services received in a skilled nursing facility was $167.50 for
2018 and will rise just slightly to $170.50 in 2019.
Most Social Security beneficiaries have no monthly premium charge for
Medicare Part A coverage. Those who become ineligible for SSDI can continue
to receive Medicare Part A coverage premium-free for at least ninety-three
months after the end of a trial work period. After that time the individual
may purchase Part A coverage. The premium rate for this coverage during
2018 was $422 monthly and increases to $437 in 2019.
The annual deductible amount for Medicare Part B (medical insurance)
in 2018 was $183 and will rise to $185 in 2019. The Medicare Part B monthly
premium rate for 2018 was $134 per month and will rise to $135.50 in 2019.
For those receiving Social Security benefits, this premium payment is
deducted from your monthly benefit check. Individuals who remain eligible
for Medicare but are not receiving Social Security benefits due to work
activity must directly pay the Part B premium quarterly-one payment every
three months. Like the Part A premiums mentioned above, Part B is also
available for at least ninety-three months following the trial work period,
assuming an individual wishes to have it and, when not receiving SSDI,
continues to make quarterly premium payments.
Programs That Help with Medicare Deductibles and Premiums: Low-income
Medicare beneficiaries may qualify for assistance through four Medicare
Savings Programs. We will discuss three of them here and leave the fourth
one alone because (to qualify for it each year) you must already be on it,
and you know who you are. Note: the amounts below may change in 2019. We
begin with the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program (QMB) and the
Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary program (SLMB).
To qualify for the QMB program in 2018, an individual's monthly
income could not exceed $1,032, and a married couple's monthly income could
not exceed $1,392. To qualify for the SLMB program in 2018, an individual's
monthly income could not exceed $1,234, and a married couple's monthly
income could not exceed $1,666.
Both the QMB and SLMB programs are administered by the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services in conjunction with the states. The rules
vary from state to state, but the following can be said: As of 2018,
resources (such as bank accounts or stocks) could not exceed $7,560 for one
person or $11,340 per couple.
Under the QMB program, states are required to pay the Medicare Part A
(Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) premiums, deductibles,
and coinsurance expenses for Medicare beneficiaries who meet the program's
income and resource requirements. Under the SLMB program, states pay only
the full Medicare Part B monthly premium. Eligibility for the SLMB program
may be retroactive for up to three calendar months.
The third program, known as the Qualified Disabled and Working
Individuals (QDWI) Program, pays Part A premiums only and has resource
limits of $4,000 for one person and $6,000 for a married couple. As to
these programs, resources are generally things you own. However, not
everything is counted. Examples of things that don't count include the
house you live in, one car, a burial plot (or $1,500 put aside for burial
expenses), and furniture.
If you qualify for assistance under the QMB program, you will not
have to pay the following: Medicare's hospital deductible amount, the daily
coinsurance charges for extended hospital and skilled nursing facility
stays; the Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) premium, the annual Part B
deductible; and the coinsurance for services covered by Medicare Part B,
depending on which doctor you go to (these services include doctor
services, outpatient therapy, and durable medical equipment). If you
qualify for assistance under the SLMB program, you will be responsible for
the payment of all of the items listed above except for the monthly Part B
premium, depending on your circumstances.
If you think you qualify but you have not filed for Medicare Part A,
contact Social Security to find out if you need to file an application.
Further information about filing for Medicare is available from your local
Social Security office or Social Security's toll-free number 800-772-1213.
Remember that only your state can decide if you are eligible for help
from the QMB or SLMB program and also that the income and resource levels
listed here are general guidelines, with some states choosing greater
amounts. Therefore, if you are elderly or disabled, have low income and
very limited assets, and are a Medicare beneficiary, contact your state or
local Medicaid office (referred to in some states as the Public Aid Office
or the Public Assistance Office) to apply. For more information about
either program, call the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
on its toll-free number 800-633-4227, or visit Medicare.gov.
------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Norma Crosby]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Helen Keller]
Helen Keller No More in Texas
by Norma Crosby
From the Editor: Norma Crosby is the dynamic president of the
National Federation of the Blind of Texas. Her long and distinguished
career in helping blind people was most recently exemplified in her work
after hurricane Harvey, and many will remember that she was recognized,
along with husband Glenn, with the Jacobus tenBroek Award in 2017. In
response to a proposal being considered by the state of Texas to remove
Helen Keller from the curriculum, Norma and a number of people from her
state and throughout the nation have expressed their concern. In response,
the board has delayed its decision until November, and there is some reason
to believe the proposal will be amended. Here is what Norma said in an
email which contains her letter to the head of the Texas Board of
Education:
Hello everyone. This morning I have sent a note to the chairwoman of
the Texas State Board of Education regarding the board's recent decision to
omit Helen Keller from the state's required curriculum for elementary
school students. I wanted to share it with you. If others wish to contact
the agency, I will share the appropriate contact information here.
Donna Bahorich, Chairwoman
Texas State Board of Education
donna.bahorich at tea.texas.gov
Here is the text of my letter.
Dear Chairwoman Bahorich:
I understand that the Texas SBOE is currently considering a final
vote regarding the removal of Helen Keller from our state's mandated
curriculum. As the president of an organization that works to ensure that
blind Texans can live the lives we want, I believe it is critical for both
disabled children and those who do not have a disability to learn that
blind and deaf-blind people have the capacity to participate actively in
society and to make a difference in everyday life.
Helen Keller was such a person, and since disabled children have few
role models to learn about in school, I believe it is critical that Helen
Keller remain a part of what children are taught. In fact, I believe there
is room to add other historically important figures who are blind to our
curriculum.
For example, Kenneth Jernigan led the oldest and largest organization
of blind people in the world for many years, and he was a critical thinker
regarding blindness. He understood intuitively that it was necessary for
blind people to learn the nonvisual skills necessary to compete on terms of
equality with their sighted peers. He believed that with proper training
and opportunity, blind people can work and be contributing members of
society. I agree with his assessment, and I believe Helen Keller did as
well.
We want blind and other disabled children to grow up with the
attitude that they can and should work, own a home, raise children, and do
all the other things their sighted peers do. We want sighted children to
understand that blind people can do these things as well, and the inclusion
of Helen Keller as a role model allows for a discussion of how blind and
other disabled people can utilize the important skills necessary to
accomplish our goals in life.
I urge you to consider what I have said here as you make a final
decision regarding this matter, and I hope you will work with our
organization to make sure the curriculum you adopt includes an opportunity
for all children to learn about the important accomplishments of people
with disabilities. I look forward to a respectful dialogue regarding this
issue, and I welcome your response at your earliest convenience.
Sincerely,
Norma Crosby, President
National Federation of the Blind of Texas
----------
My History and My Desire to Serve
by Sheri Koch
From the Editor: one of the blessings of being involved in a growing
and diverse organization is watching the change in leadership that occurs.
Over the last few years we have had a record number of newly elected state
presidents. They have a listserv that makes it easy for them to
communicate, strategize, and get to know one another. Here is a recent post
from that list that is particularly moving and instructive:
Hello NFB Family,
I see from watching the list that new affiliate presidents have been
introducing themselves, so I will follow suit. I'm a wee bit late with
this, having been elected back in September. I am a native West Virginian,
and with the exception of a brief stint in western Florida, I've made my
life here in the Mountain State. With a brief interruption for my senior
year, I was educated at the West Virginia School for the Blind. I graduated
from a large public high school in preparation for transitioning to college
life. My undergraduate work was done in social work, and my master's degree
is in rehabilitation counseling.
For almost thirty years I worked for the West Virginia Division of
Rehabilitation Services in their blindness programs, starting as a teacher
of adult blind, moving on to being a specialty rehabilitation counselor for
the blind, and finally serving as a program specialist of blind services.
Happily, I've been retired for almost six years.
My husband of thirty years and I live with our two lovely Feline-
Americans here in the capitol city of Charleston. We spend time reading,
keeping up with the news, traveling to far-away places such as Ireland,
doing volunteer work with our local Lions Club, and of course, working for
the National Federation of the Blind, an organization that I love dearly
and which has changed my life.
Until age fifty I refused to put a cane in my hand. Somehow, and this
is still a mystery to me, I thought it much cooler to bumble around in my
world rather than taking on the perceived indignity of the long white cane.
I continue to marvel to this day about my crazy perceptions and just how
wrong I was. As part of my professional duties, I was asked to attend NCSAB
[National Council of State Agencies for the Blind], IL-OB [Independent
Living Older Blind], and NFB meetings. It was at these meetings that I met
wonderful blind people who used the long white cane with confidence and
dignity. It wasn't long before I internalized the value and freedom of the
cane. NFB changed my life, and I now live in my world with greater ease,
confidence, and peace.
Thank you NFB!!! I am forever grateful, and I will spend as many
years that are left to me giving back to you! I eagerly await the time when
I have the opportunity to meet each and every one of you.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Peggy Chong]
Southwest Airlines Works Toward Inclusion for All
by Peggy Chong
From the Editor: Peggy Chong is probably best known for her series of
articles that gained her the name, The Blind History Lady. Many of her
beginning articles were first featured in these pages, and now she has a
website which is https://theblindhistorylady.com.
In addition to all of the work she does on history, she also is very
involved in her local chapter and state affiliate. In this article she
tells us about the outreach her chapter has done to Southwest Airlines and
the positive response it has received. Here is what she says:
The Braille Monitor for many years has printed articles regarding air
travel and the blind. Most of them have expounded on our frustrations with
the airlines and their staff. Last summer at our national convention we
heard from Blane Workie from the office of Aviation Enforcement and
Proceedings (see the October Braille Monitor,
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1809/bm180908.htm). She
told us that things are changing for the better for passengers with
disabilities.
Recently, the Albuquerque Chapter of the NFB of New Mexico hosted its
annual White Cane Banquet as part of our Meet the Blind Month activities.
Our speaker was Southwest Airlines Representative Dallas Thomas who spoke
on the policies and practices of Southwest Airlines in regard to its blind
customers. The presentation was received enthusiastically by the crowd. But
there is much more to the story than just a speaker for our White Cane
Banquet.
In early June of 2018, Curtis and I were rushing to catch our
Southwest flight at the Albuquerque airport. We approached the service
counter and got checked in. We said we could not work the kiosks as they
were not accessible. The ticket agent told us that yes, they were
accessible, but she was not sure how they worked. The three of us went to
one of the new kiosks and found the headphone jack. Curtis plugged in his
headphones and started to explore. Unfortunately, as we had already checked
in, we did not want to mess up our reservation by experimenting. Besides,
we had to get to our gate. Before leaving the ticketing area we asked if
there was someone we could call when we got back, who could tell us more.
She gave us a name and phone number, and we were off.
When we returned from our trip, I called the Southwest phone number
and left a message that I would like to know more about the accessible
kiosks and can we come and test one out. The message was passed on to John
Johnston, ABQ Assistant Station Leader, Ground Operations. Mr. Johnston
told me later that his first question to the staff member who gave him the
message was, "Do we have one of those?" When his team member said that they
did, but no one knows how it works, Mr. Johnston said that maybe they
better figure out how it works!
Next, he gave me a call to talk about the kiosks. Not long after our
first contact, I asked if he would like to address our White Cane Banquet
in the fall and promote the new kiosks. He said he would get back to me
about speaking and when our members can come out and test the kiosks. I
thought this would be the end of our communication.
Nope, each Friday he called and gave me an update. Mr. Johnston took
our request seriously and contacted the national Southwest Airlines
headquarters in Texas to learn how the kiosks worked, if there were
instructions on those things, and who would be the best speaker. Dallas
Thomas was assigned to come to Albuquerque and present to our group.
Dallas Thomas did know about the accessibility initiatives of
Southwest, but not the specifics. He too did not know exactly how the
kiosks worked, but he would get back to me. I asked if we could get from
him step-by-step instructions for operating the kiosks at the airport. He
said he would get them to us when he had them.
Mr. Thomas participated in many meetings at the Department of
Transportation on accessibility including the DOT's Access Advisory
Committee where he represented Southwest Airlines. At several of those
meetings, he had a chance to discuss accessibility issues with our own
Parnell Diggs to better understand what blind passengers experienced when
traveling and what we wanted. Thomas said that Southwest wants to not just
meet the standards set by the Department of Transportation, rather it wants
to reach for a goal of total inclusion and take the necessary time to
actively work toward that goal.
My reasons for asking for the step-by-step guide were of course to
understand how the kiosks worked, but more importantly, to find out if
Southwest understood how they worked. Did a blind person have input on the
design of the kiosks? Had a blind person even test driven one of them
before implementation? The next ten weeks proved to be most enlightening
for me.
Dallas Thomas not only got me the step-by-step instructions, but he
also made sure they worked. When Mr. Thomas went to get the instructions,
there were none. When instructions were created and he got a copy, he went
to the testing center where they put up three test kiosks and walked
through the instructions himself. I bet he never spent so much time
preparing for a speaking engagement before.
His presentation on October 20 before seventy-two registrants for our
White Cane Banquet shed further light on why Dallas was willing to find out
how the accessibility functions worked before our event. He told us that in
testing the nonvisual access, the techies turn off the screen. When they
test, they are truly using nonvisual access that you and I would use. What
a concept! It is so simple and common sense, yet very few designers today
think of doing such a simple and time-saving step before implementation.
Dallas explained that Southwest wants inclusion for all, no matter if
one is a customer or employee. No matter if we are blind, deaf, or just an
infrequent flyer. When Southwest began to replace outdated equipment and
software, it knew it had a big job ahead. But Southwest wanted to do it
right the first time and not add on to an old and outdated product. This
meant that the kiosks that had to be accessible had to communicate with the
reservations information that blind customer service reservations operators
would use as well as the software for the rest of the company. Dallas said
that they took longer than they had hoped, but, as they roll out each new
component of their new systems, they have been coming on with very minor
hiccups and with no or little disruption to operations and customer
contacts. Dallas also told us that from this point on, all new kiosks at
Southwest will be accessible and that all kiosks operated by Southwest will
operate the same. We will not have to know if this model has this feature
or not. Everything will be standard. He received much applause for these
comments.
The in-flight entertainment component was also discussed. Many of us
know that on Southwest there are no seatback entertainment options. But,
did you know that Southwest has an accessible entertainment option? Yes, on
the device of your choice-I used my iPhone, but you can use your android
device as well. After turning on airplane mode, I went to settings, Wi-Fi,
and looked for the Southwest network. Not being a big techie expert, it
took a couple of tries to figure it out, but I did. The in-flight
entertainment killed time, but I think I will still bring my Victor Reader
Stream.
Dallas explained that it is much easier for every passenger to access
entertainment on the device they are most familiar with rather than
spending too much of your trip fighting with a new device. Designing a
seatback system that would need to be updated (both hardware and software)
each time new devices become popular could prove to be more expensive. The
audience agreed with his comments. I guess many of us had experienced the
frustration of trying to relax with in-flight entertainment options on an
unfamiliar seatback device.
Another revealing comment on the philosophy of Southwest as a company
came from Mr. Thomas during his presentation when he discussed a Southwest
senior reservations manager who lost his vision a few years ago. Nothing in
Mr. Thomas's comments indicated that Southwest thought the man should
retire early. On the contrary, he spoke about it as if it was natural that
the blinded employee would have to make a few changes in how he carried out
his duties and continue on with the company in the same position. As head
of reservations, the now-blinded Southwest manager is in charge of the
reservations call centers where several blind people are employed and using
speech and Braille output equipment that is compatible with Southwest's new
software. Since the rollout of its new software, according to Mr. Thomas,
more blind reservations agents have been hired by Southwest.
Although not everything is perfect, Southwest has been open and
willing to talk to us about its kiosks and how they work, as well as open
to suggestions. Members and guests attending the White Cane Banquet left
with a warm feeling toward Southwest and an eagerness to try the new
kiosks. Does that mean that we will never have a bad trip? Probably not,
but at least many of us now feel that if it happens on Southwest, our
troubles will not be a result of inaccessibility or indifference on the
part of the company.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Ed Vaughan]
When Readers Are Good
by Ed Vaughan
From the Editor: Dr. C. Edwin Vaughan is professor emeritus at the
University of Missouri in Columbia. He lives in California with his wife
Joanne, but he still manages to write from time to time when he feels that
an issue can benefit from his insight and observations. Here is what he has
to say in the ongoing debate about the value of human readers and
technology:
In the February 2018 Braille Monitor Sabre Ewing writes about the
inadequacies of using human readers for accessible technology. From Ms.
Ewing's perspective when blind people use readers they create diminished
access by "distorting cause and effect relationships in virtual
environments." Using readers also promotes "dependence and distortion
throughout the data analysis process." "Allowing a human reader to control
software for a blind student will hinder that person's learning... Equal
access also means both blind and sighted students should have the same
independence and ease of use. We must therefore demand that, when a school
cannot reasonably switch to accessible software, it must provide
alternative instructional materials to blind students that do not require
the use of a human reader."
Admittedly Ms. Ewing is focused on a fairly narrow range of blind
people using screen reader technology. However, I am writing this to remind
us all that there are many different reasons for accessing different
material in various ways. For at least eighty years many blind people have
pursued careers in higher education, which frequently involves working in
research universities. This means a lighter teaching load to provide time
for creating new knowledge that can be shared with others through peer-
reviewed publications. To be competitive in this environment, a blind
person must be efficient in finding ways to access many different sources
of information.
For example, on several occasions I have conducted research in
archival sources. There is almost no way this could be done without a
reader. However with a well-trained, experienced reader, one can scan
through much material without bogging down in unimportant details.
As another example I sometimes encounter an article citing twenty or
more sources, listed in support of the author's argument. At times I have
wondered if the author was correctly using the many citations. In one case
I reviewed seventeen articles in old and obscure printed journals and found
that most of them had been misquoted and did not support the author's
argument. A well-trained reader can facilitate what might otherwise be in
this instance a very lengthy process (Vaughan & Schroeder 2019).
In a research setting, speed is important. A good reader is more
effective than five less able readers. This is the case in many fields such
as history, political science, anthropology, and literature-to mention only
a few. Any strategy that you find effective should be used until you find a
better one.
Ms. Ewing mentions the cost of using readers. At my research
university I could employ readers using research grants and other
departmental resources such as work-study students. I also paid readers
myself. Was this costly? My work probably cost no more than other
colleagues who required various kinds of specialized equipment for their
research. Also I have used volunteer readers for many decades.
For example, I have had the same volunteer for fourteen years. Not
only is he good, but we have become good friends.
I am a great fan of various new technologies. My only concern is
that, in our zeal to master one approach, we may overlook many different
ways to live the life we want to live.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Fredric Schroeder]
Advancing Opportunities for the World's 253 Million Blind and Partially
Sighted People
by Fredric Schroeder
August 15, 2018
From the Editor: Fredric Schroeder is a person who continues to
astound me with the things he thinks and writes. When he speaks at one of
our conventions, you can hear a pin drop. He always manages to incorporate
interesting pieces from literature, science, or history and make it
relevant to today's experiences for people who are blind. He has long done
this for the National Federation of the Blind, but now he is prominent on
the world stage as the president of the World Blind Union. Here is an
address he delivered on August 15, 2018:
The introduction to a 1902 translation of The Iliad contains the
following words by Theodore Alois Buckley: "... we must set aside old
notions and embrace fresh ones; and, as we learn, we must be daily
unlearning something which it has cost us no small labor and anxiety to
acquire." (Theodore Alois Buckley, introduction to The Iliad of Homer,
trans. Alexander Pope (New York: A. L. Burt, 1902)). These poignant words
remind us that the struggle for progress is a struggle against our own
human nature-the struggle to abandon the security and comfort of the
familiar and step with hope and faith into the unknown. While nearly
everything commonly believed about Homer has been drawn from his poems,
little is truly known about him or even whether he existed at all.
Homer is assumed to have been blind, based on Demodokos, a blind poet
found in The Odyssey. While blind poets were common in the ancient world,
concluding that Homer was himself blind based on a reference to a blind
poet in one of his works is at best tenuous. Yet, Homer remains an enduring
testament to the ability of blind people to find a place in society-a
testament to the ability of blind people, for all of recorded time, to work
and contribute to the welfare of their communities, however difficult and
limited the opportunities were then and however difficult and limited they
remain nearly three millennia later.
Was Homer blind? Who knows? But what is known is that there were
blind poets in Homer's day, and the idea of a blind poet authoring one of
the world's most poignant and enduring works would not have been surprising
in Homer's time, and it is not surprising now. We know that blind people
are a cross-section of society-some exceptional and others less so. Some
ambitious while others not. Some are determined and others are timid. Yet
opportunities then and opportunities now remain the exception for the
blind, and that is why we have the World Blind Union.
The World Blind Union (WBU) advocates on behalf of the world's
estimated 253 million blind and partially sighted children and adults, but
what do we advocate for? Blind people want what everyone wants: we want to
live a productive life; we want to work and marry and raise a family. We
want to live life in all its richness, with all its joys and opportunities,
and we want to live with dignity. So, what stops us?
For the most part, opportunities for blind people are limited by low
expectations, that is, by socially constructed barriers to full inclusion.
For all of recorded time, blind people have been presumed to be helpless,
in need of care. Nevertheless, blind people have shown over and over again
that, given the chance, they can live productive, fulfilling lives.
Can blind children learn? Of course, but they need access to school
books in Braille, and they need teachers who can teach them and who believe
in their ability. Most of all, blind children need society to put aside its
preconceptions and recognize that the age-old beliefs about blind people
are false and must be replaced.
In the area of education, the WBU led the effort to establish an
international treaty that would allow books and other materials produced in
special formats for the blind to be shared between and among participating
countries. The treaty, known as the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access
to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or
Otherwise Print Disabled (www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/marrakesh/), has now
been ratified by forty countries, greatly expanding the availability of
accessible materials for blind people living in those countries.
In our modern age, it is anticipated that the majority of accessible
materials will be shared electronically. Accordingly, the WBU led an effort
to develop a powerful new technology that makes Braille compact, portable,
and affordable. At one time books for the blind were limited to specially-
produced Braille and large print and later, audio recordings. Today, more
and more materials are downloaded electronically and are read by means of
what is known as refreshable Braille. Refreshable Braille devices display
Braille characters with pins that rise and fall, but until recently,
refreshable Braille devices were prohibitively expensive-typically over
$5,000. In response, the WBU led an effort to develop the Orbit Reader, a
refreshable Braille device costing under $500, one tenth the cost of
previous devices.
Can blind adults work? Of course, but they need access to training
and special technology that enables them to read computer screens and
perform other work-related tasks. Most of all, blind adults need society to
put aside its preconceptions and recognize that the age-old beliefs about
blind people are false and must be replaced.
In the area of employment, the WBU helped develop and is now
advocating the ratification of an international treaty, the UN Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, that calls on countries to
adopt a wide range of civil rights protections banning discrimination
against blind people in employment. In addition to advocating for legal
protections, the WBU has developed online resources (Project Aspiro) that
provide information about the types of work blind people are doing and the
training and tools that make high quality employment possible.
Can blind people travel safely and independently? Of course, but they
face barriers brought about by changes to the environment that were made
without considering the impact on blind people. Most of all, blind people
need society to put aside its preconceptions and recognize that the age-old
beliefs about blind people are false and must be replaced.
For example, new electric and hybrid cars are increasingly common.
Cars traveling on electric power are essentially silent, meaning they
present a danger to pedestrians, especially blind pedestrians who rely on
sound to judge when it is safe to cross a road. As a result, the WBU is
working with the UN to develop a worldwide standard that would require
manufacturers to equip electric and hybrid cars with a sound device that
will alert pedestrians, including blind pedestrians, to the presence of
very quiet cars.
Whether it is education, employment, or community life, blind people
have the ability to live as do others. Sometimes what is needed is new
technology or special training, but what is always needed is an
understanding that blind people can participate in the full range of
activities others enjoy. In Buckley's introductory words to The Iliad, "To
be content with what we at present know, is, for the most part, to shut our
ears against conviction; since, from the very gradual character of our
education, we must continually forget, and emancipate ourselves from,
knowledge previously acquired." (Theodore Alois Buckley, introduction to
The Iliad of Homer, trans. Alexander Pope (New York: A. L. Burt, 1902)).
Blindness need not isolate blind people, but low expectations can and often
do.
We ask only the opportunity, the fair opportunity, to live as you
live; to learn and to work; to dream and plan; to hope and aspire; to live
normal lives free from the assumptions of the past. Said another way, we
ask your understanding; we ask your friendship. For, as Homer, in his epic
poem The Odyssey, reminds us, "...a friend with an understanding heart is
worth no less than a brother." (Homer. The Odyssey of Homer (VIII. 585-
586), trans. George Herbert Palmer (Boston: Houghton Mifflin and Company,
1894)).
----------
Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-Review and Congratulations!
by Amy Mason
From the Editor: It is fitting in this end-of-year issue that we
close the first session of our class about using the internet with various
screen readers and web browsers. Amy Mason has put a lot of work into this
class, and this will wrap things up until next year. Amy now works at San
Francisco LightHouse for the Blind, but she promises to keep on writing and
teaching in these pages. Here is her summary of what all of us have learned
so far:
Hey Class, I should have gotten this message to you before the summer
break, but you did it. You have completed the first module of Driving Blind
on the Information Superhighway.
Congratulations are in order. You have already learned the
fundamentals of web-browsing and gotten your hands on many of the tools you
are going to need to explore on your own. So today's class is a celebration
of where we have been, what we have learned, and what we are looking
forward to in the coming months.
Where We Have Been
I want to focus on this first, because I believe firmly in the
saying, "practice makes perfect." I also believe that practice is a lot
less painful if we have our resources and tools at our elbow where we can
reference them again in case we need a booster in either confidence or
command structure. I know I can't keep all this nonsense in my head. I
can't think of a single day I use a computer that I don't reference a
keyboard help document at least once. Therefore, we'll use this as a guide
to where you can find further information in the rest of the series.
Especially relevant links from each piece will also be noted in a resources
section at the end of this article so that you can get at them easily.
It's been a wild ride so far. Our first lesson together "The New and
Improved Rules of the Road" in the January 2018 Braille Monitor was our
foundational lesson. In it we discussed a brief history of the internet and
our access to it. We also looked at common terms we were going to learn
about in future articles and the true meaning of accessibility. We also
learned that we have the power to help ourselves increase the odds that we
will be able to use the web simply by learning to be flexible in the tools
we employ and the strategies we use.
In February we began discussing some of those tools, "Browsers-
Choosing the Right Vehicle for the Journey." We compared and contrasted the
strengths and weaknesses of different options and discussed which would
work best for different users depending on the combination of screen reader
and operating system they were using. This article may or may not have
included a sing-a-long.
I believe that it is important to note that there is an update that
should be made to the information found in the browser article. In the
original piece, I mentioned that there had been a change to how Firefox was
rendering information it passed to a screen reader, and at the time I
recommended that most users should stick with the Extended Release version
of the software. As of the time of this writing, many, many months later,
that advice has changed. Of course, it couldn't be a change to make things
simpler; it had to get more complicated (sigh). So here's the story with
Firefox: If you are using JAWS 2018 and updated in June or later, you
should now use the standard version of Firefox. (Sadly, this is going to
require you to uninstall the Extended version.) If you are using NVDA 18.1
or newer, you can also try the new version of Firefox, though it may or may
not work quite as well as the most recent versions of JAWS. If you are
running an older version of either screen reader, switch to Chrome as your
primary browser until further notice. The changes in Firefox are
fundamental and require major upgrade work for the screen readers, so older
versions will not be supported on the recent release. Unfortunately, the
Extended version is also now updating into problematic territory for older
screen readers, so we really are stuck in this upgrade or leave scenario.
It's a pity, but there is little we can do about it. Unfortunately,
sometimes we get a lemon of a car, and we can only put so much work in
before we have to move on. Although Firefox itself isn't a lemon, it is
wholly incompatible with older screen readers, so those combinations become
lemon-like very quickly.
Long story short-if Firefox has stopped working for you, switch to
Chrome for now. You will be much happier.
Our third article, "Screen Readers: The Interface Between Us and the
Road," published in the April Braille Monitor compares and contrasts the
major desktop screen readers and provides a wealth of information on their
quirks, foibles, and further learning resources. Nothing new and notable to
report here, so we will let the original article speak for itself, and you
can peruse the resources below if you want to be reminded of any of the
items that were linked in the original.
In May we finally got our motors running and headed on the highway.
In "Hitting the Road, and Finding Your Way" we discussed the basics of
finding your way around the web by typing the web address of the site you
want to visit, using a search engine, or browsing from one link to the
next. We also covered the basic reading and navigating of web pages. We
discussed the ability to move by element (heading, link, graphic, etc.),
the art of skimming, reading it all, and using the Find command. In this
article I encouraged you to start exploring sites that are primarily geared
toward reading and gathering information as an opportunity to practice
these different techniques and to decide which works best for you. It was a
lovely day for a drive, and from what I have heard, some of you are still
out there exploring. I'm thrilled to hear it and just want to caution you
to stop for gas, food, and rest at least once in a while.
The fifth article in the series, and the final one offered in the
first semester of class is "Basic Interactions: The Fast Lane to Getting
Stuff Done on the Web" which you can read in the June 2018 Braille Monitor.
In this lesson we discussed all the exciting elements that allow you to do
things and enter information on webpages. We covered forms, tables,
buttons, checkboxes, and radio buttons. We made a literal trip to the
Expedia website to practice booking flights, and a metaphorical trip to
both a hotel and the mall. Finally, at the end of our whirlwind tour, I
offered you a few more websites that we can expect to work in mostly
predictable ways so you could keep practicing.
What Now?
Now, keep practicing. Keep pushing yourself, and keep exploring. You
have your license, and in a very real way that is enough to get started.
Everything we discussed in the past is still true. You will still encounter
problems, but the more you practice, the more you will find your own ways
around them and the more confident you will be when you sign up for the
second semester of Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway. You still
have all of the class notes from the first semester at your disposal, so
take the time to review anything that you aren't quite comfortable with
yet, and keep spreading your wings. Help each other along with homework and
extracurricular activities. You'll be back in the classroom sooner than you
think.
Sneak Preview
Second Verse, Same as the First, a Little Bit Louder, and a Little Bit
Worse
In the upcoming semester, we are going to cover more advanced web-
browsing topics. These will include:
Detours and Mechanics 101: We are going to discuss what you might do
when the highway doesn't quite provide you with the smooth and enjoyable
ride you expect. Common strategies for working around inaccessible
components and some of the most common errors in web design that cause
blind drivers the biggest headaches will be discussed.
Defensive Driving-Protecting Your Car and Yourself: This lesson will
cover some of the scummier and scammier things you'll find on the internet
and give you some good general strategies for protecting your computer,
your personal data, and yourself from the car-jacking hooligans you may
encounter while browsing.
It's Dangerous to Go Alone (or at Least Really Annoying), Take This!:
Remember how we talked about the ways you can customize your browser? Good.
In this article we are going to discuss some browser extensions you might
wish to employ, their advantages, disadvantages, and how you can install
them if you so desire.
A Day at the Carnival-Everyone Deserves a Treat Now and Again: My co-
instructor Karen Anderson and I are going to take you out to enjoy a day at
the social media carnival. Learn about the short but intense Twitter-Go-
Round, or perhaps you are more interested in the Facebook Funhouse. If you
prefer, we can also take a tour of the contests and educational content on
offer in LinkedIn Pavillion.
(Please Note-your professor is a member of the internet generation.
All class names, structure, and order are subject to change without notice.
We will cover the above topics, but as you may have caught from reviewing
the first semester's material, this series has morphed a number of times
from the humble single article it was intended to be more than a year ago,
and I cannot promise that the syllabus for next semester is going to
resemble the above list in any meaningful way except that we are going to
continue talking about web-browsing as a screen reader user using
questionable humor and lots of car and driving metaphors.)
*Pomp and Circumstance begins to play. Students throw mortar boards
in the air. Suddenly, the music changes, and we climb in our cars and rev
our engines with Tom Cochrane's "Life is a Highway" blaring in the
background.*
Class Dismissed! See you next semester!
Resources
Abandon hope all ye who enter here in the audio edition of the
publication. Also, to the narrator, I am truly sorry. This section contains
a lot of links in order to keep them together for ease of reference, and
sadly, that is probably not going to be particularly enjoyable for the
folks who are reading or narrating the human-read edition of the Braille
Monitor.
Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-The New and Improved Rules of
the Road
Article:
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1801/bm180109.htm
Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway Browsers-Choosing the Right
Vehicle for the Journey
Article:
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1802/bm180205.htm
Download the latest Firefox: https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/new/
Download the latest Chrome: https://www.google.com/chrome/
Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-Screen Readers: The Interface
between Us and the Road
Article:
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1804/bm180416.htm
Chrome Vox Article:
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr36/3/fr360308.htm
WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey:
https://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey7/
JAWS developer: www.freedomscientific.com
Surf's UP! Surfing the Web with JAWS and MAGic:
http://www.freedomscientific.com/Training/Surfs-Up/_Surfs_Up_Start_Here.htm
NVDA developer: www.nvaccess.org
NVDA Audio Tutorials:
http://accessibilitycentral.net/nvda%20audio%20tutorials.html
NVAcess Official Help Site: https://nvaccess.org/get-help/
AppleVis: www.applevis.com.
Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway: Basic Navigation-Hitting the
Road, and Finding Your Way
Article:
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1805/bm180512.htm
Google Search Engine: www.google.com
Bing Search Engine: www.Bing.com
National Federation of the Blind Homepage: https://nfb.org
Wikipedia, The World's Online Encyclopedia: www.wikipedia.org
NFB-NEWSLINE Online: www.nfbnewslineonline.org.
YouTube: www.youtube.com
YouDescribe: www.youdescribe.org
Target: www.target.com
Expedia: www.expedia.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com
"42+ Text-Editing Keyboard Shortcuts That Work Almost Anywhere- " How-To
Geek: https://www.howtogeek.com/ 115664/42-text-editing-keyboard-shortcuts-
that-work-almost-everywhere/
Driving Blind on the Information Superhighway-Basic Interactions: The Fast
Lane to Getting Stuff Done on the Web
Article:
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm18/bm1806/bm180609.htm
Bookshare: www.bookshare.org
NLS Bard: https://nlsbard.loc.gov/login//NLS-
Free White Cane Form: https://nfb.org/free-cane-program
----------
Mark Noble Dies
by Daniel Frye
From the Editor: Mark Noble was the president of the National
Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma from 1983 to 1985. I remember him as a
fun-loving and humorous fellow but with a very warm and serious side. I
also remember that he assumed affiliate leadership when Oklahoma really
needed him, and the fact that we have a thriving affiliate there is in no
small part due to his work.
Here are the memories of a dear friend who is no stranger to these
pages. Thank you to Dan for these remembrances:
A world without Mark Noble feels impossible and absurd today. Our
dear friend, partner, mentor, colleague, and activist is no longer among
us, and we're all keenly aware of the void created by his absence. It will
be our obligation to comfort and care for one another as we remember,
mourn, and celebrate the fact that Mark Noble made an impression on all of
us and the world.
When I was ten years old, living in Georgetown, Texas, my mother was
killed in an automobile accident. Through networks and contacts that remain
vague to me, Mark was found while working on his graduate studies in social
work, and he agreed to act as my "big brother." Both of us blind, and Mark
with newly acquired counseling skills, my father and others rightly
concluded that Mark could intervene and play a part in my life that would
make the transition for our entire family easier to handle. As a result of
his generous gesture of time and talent, I managed to navigate the grieving
process, come to understand my potential as a blind person, and more
effectively integrate into the world. This initial mentorship developed
into the foundation for a flourishing friendship that has spanned our
lifetime.
Mostly, Mark would simply visit our family home, and we'd talk about
school, what I wanted to become as I grew up, and how I felt about living
without my mother. Mark managed to offer comfort and care without overtly
seeming to do anything other than being an older influence.
In these early years, I took my first Greyhound visit alone from
Georgetown to Austin, confident that I'd be fine because Mark would be at
the station to meet me. But this brief journey was what gave me the
understanding that I could travel alone. While he lived in Oklahoma, he
invited me to visit him for a week or so in the summer, and he treated me
to a week of humor and hospitality.
As I matured and prepared to enter law school after college, we found
ourselves sharing a more adult relationship in the same city, Seattle. As
adults, I was then able to reciprocate and offer to Mark guidance and
counsel in his life. We shared evenings discussing politics, history, and
public policy. We worked together in the civil rights movement of the blind
as members and leaders alike in the National Federation of the Blind. In
time, we became colleagues for a while at the Social Security
Administration.
When I was lonely, Mark was there; when he needed an ear, mine was
open. In the absence of biological family on my part, Mark became my
beloved and valued older brother, and I hope that I was able to offer him
similar solace once I reached maturity.
In addition to our consequential relationship, Mark was a man of
animated principle. He participated in local, state, and national civic
life. He contributed as a leader to the deliberations of the National
Federation of the Blind, serving as president of the National Federation of
the Blind of Oklahoma and as a member of the board of directors of the
National Federation of the Blind of Washington. His efforts, generally and
on behalf of the blind community, resulted in true reform.
Mark was loyal-to his spouses, his son, his friends, and his family.
Mark was funny, witty, and generally optimistic. Mark was a voracious
reader. Mark was a man who drew comfort and wisdom from his Jewish faith.
Mark lit up a room with his potent personality. Mark was an astute follower
of the news and the events of the world; he did what he was able to do to
make his part of the world a better place. Mark loved and encouraged us
all.
With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Mark always told me to "send
money." Here's my metaphorical checkbook, my friend. I am but one person in
the world to whom you gave yourself, and I'm so incredibly grateful and
fortunate to have known and loved you.
Mark, as you know, I'm a Unitarian, and I don't really know what
happens after we die. But here's hoping that you're happy, healthy, and
surrounded by all the things in life that brought you comfort and joy. And
if you simply cease to exist, know that you made a dynamic difference for
me, your friends, family, and the world.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Allen Harris]
The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
by Allen Harris
>From the Editor: Allen Harris is the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Fund
Committee and was one of the people who came up with the idea of honoring
our former president and longtime leader by establishing a program to
promote attendance at the national convention, where so much inspiration
and learning occur. Here is Allen's announcement about the 2019 Kenneth
Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Program:
Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have
not done so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention
Scholarship Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship
grant. Perhaps this July you too can be in the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las
Vegas, Nevada, enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at
the largest and most important yearly convention of blind people in the
world.
The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an
NFB national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel room
for a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We
attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an
individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't pay
all the costs. Last year most of the sixty grants were in the range of $400
to $500 per individual.
We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention
mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to
share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive
agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the
amazing experience that is convention week.
Who is eligible?
Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an
NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply.
How do I apply for funding assistance?
1. You write a letter giving your contact information and your local NFB
information, the specific amount you are requesting, and then explain
why this is a good investment for the NFB. The points to cover are
listed below.
2. You contact your state president in person or by phone to request his
or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when
to expect your request letter by email, and mention the deadline.
3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your state president.
He or she must add a president's recommendation and then email both
letters directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund
Committee. Your president must forward the two letters no later than
April 15, 2019.
Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points:
. Your full name and all your telephone numbers-label them-cell phone,
home, office, other person (if any);
. Your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address;
. Your state affiliate and state president; your chapter and chapter
president, if you attend a chapter;
. Your personal convention mentor, and provide that person's phone
numbers;
. Your specific request, and explain how much money you need from this
fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you consult with
other members to make a rough budget for yourself.
The body of your letter should answer these questions:
How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want
to attend a national convention? What would you receive; what can you share
or give? You can include in your letter to the committee any special
circumstances you hope they will take into consideration.
When will I be notified that I am a winner?
If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a
letter with convention details that should answer most of your questions.
The committee makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May 15,
but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if you
are chosen:
1. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from
attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for
roommates to reduce the cost.)
2. Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by
May 31.
3. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many
conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and advisor.
4. If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win
a grant this year.
How will I receive my convention scholarship?
At convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded
with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card
will be listed in the letter we send you. The committee is not able to
provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state
affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you
win a scholarship and to pay your treasury back after you receive your
debit or credit card.
What if I have more questions? For additional information email the
chairman, Allen Harris, at kjscholarships at nfb.org or call his Baltimore,
Maryland, office at 410-659-9314, extension 2415.
Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first
convention on the national level and join several thousand active
Federationists in the most important meeting of the blind in the world. We
hope to see you in Las Vegas.
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Recipes
Recipes this month came from the National Federation of the Blind of
Michigan.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Paulette Powell]
Dill Pickle Soup
by Paulette Powell
Paulette Powell is the wife of NFB of Michigan President Michael Powell.
Ingredients:
5-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth (low sodium)
1-3/4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut in medium cubes
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup shredded dill pickles (Vlasic Kosher Dills work great)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one whole stick)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup water
2 cups dill pickle juice*
1-1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh dill weed
Method: In large pot, combine broth, potatoes, carrots and butter.
Bring to boil and cook until the potatoes are tender. Add pickles and
continue to boil. In medium bowl, stir together flour, sour cream and one
cup of broth, use a mixer and mix until completely smooth. Vigorously
whisk sour cream mixture (one cup at a time) into soup. (This will also
break up some of your potatoes which is okay. You might see some initial
little balls of flour form, but between the whisking and boiling all will
disappear. Don't panic.)
Add pickle juice, Old Bay, salt (*see below) pepper and cayenne. Cook
five more minutes and remove from heat. Serve immediately
*All pickle juice is not created equal. Some are saltier than others.
Taste the soup after adding the pickle juice and add salt then. Enjoy.
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Pulled Pork, Chicken, or Beef
by Paulette Powell
Ingredients:
1 2-pound pork loin roast (cut the string off), or
2 double boneless chicken breasts (3 pounds), or
1 2-pound beef roast, any kind
1 medium white onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 small can of diced green chilies (how much heat is up to you)
Chef Paul Prudhomme MAGIC Barbecue Seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Your favorite BBQ Sauce (optional)
Method: Coat meat with barbeque seasoning and sprinkle with salt and
pepper. Put meat in bottom of Crock-Pot, set on low. Cover with chopped
onion, garlic and green chilies. Do not add any liquid. Cook in Crock-Pot
for eight hours on low, do not peek. After eight hours, take meat out of
pot, place on cookie sheet, pull meat apart with two forks, drain liquid
from pot into strainer (discard liquid), return onions and chilies to pot.
Mix meat and everything together with your favorite BBQ sauce. Use your
favorite bread or buns, or this is also good in a soft corn tortilla. Top
with your favorite coleslaw, optional. Enjoy!
----------
Texas Caviar
by Paulette Powell
Dressing Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
1 cup sugar
1 can pinto beans and/or black beans
1 can black eyed peas
1 can white corn (can use a can of mixed yellow and white corn)
1 cup celery, chopped
1 small jar pimentos (will find where condiments are)
1 cup green pepper, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped.
Method: Bring salt, pepper, water, vinegar, oil, and sugar to a boil,
then let cool. Drain (I also rinse) the beans and mix with rest of solid
ingredients. Pour cooled dressing over the veggies. Marinate for twenty-
four hours. Put into serving bowl using a slotted spoon to drain off extra
dressing. Serve with Frito Scoops. The recipe says to make it up twenty-
four hours in advance. This recipe makes a lot, so be prepared for
leftovers.
----------
Quinoa Lasagna
by Sabrina Simmons
Sabrina Simmons is a mother of one and an assistive technology
trainer. Currently she is serving as the Detroit Chapter president and as a
member of the state board of the NFB of Michigan affiliate.
Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa (pronounced keen wah)
2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups tomato sauce or prepared pasta sauce
2 cups no-salt-added, low-fat cottage cheese
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1 tablespoon fresh basil or 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups sliced zucchini squash
2 cups fresh spinach with stems removed or use baby spinach
1-1/2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a nine-by-thirteen-inch
pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine quinoa and water in a sauce pan
and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer, cover and cook for fifteen
minutes or until quinoa is tender. Fluff with a fork and place quinoa in
the bottom of prepared pan or dish. In a saucepan over medium heat cook
onion, garlic, and mushrooms until tender. Add garlic and sauce and mix
until well blended. In separate bowl, mix cottage cheese, egg, parmesan
cheese, oregano and basil. Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the quinoa. Then
layer with all of the zucchini. Add a layer of all the cottage cheese
mixture. Add half of the remaining sauce. Add all the spinach. Finish with
remaining sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top. Note: if there
is not enough sauce, omit the second layer and use it on the top layer.
Bake until hot and cheese is bubbling and slightly brown around the edges,
this should take thirty-five to forty-minutes. Let stand ten minutes before
serving.
----------
Sour Cream Pound Cake
by Sabrina Simmons
Ingredients:
3 cups of cake flour
3 cups of sugar
3 sticks of butter
5 large eggs
3/4 cup of sour cream
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, optional
Method: Combine sugar and butter in a bowl until mixed well. Mix in
the sour cream. Add one cup of flour sifted with baking powder and salt.
Add the last two cups of flour alternating with the eggs until mixed well.
Grease a ten-cup Bundt cake pan. Pour batter into pan. This is a cold
oven cake, do not preheat the oven. Place pan into the cold oven, bake at
350 degrees for one hour and twenty minutes. Stick a knife in the center of
the cake to make sure it is done. Let cool in pan for fifteen minutes and
serve as desired.
----------
Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
Elected:
The following officers and board members were elected at the annual
Treasure State Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of
Montana on September 22, 2018: president, Jim Marks; first vice president,
Joy Breslauer; second vice president, Sheila Leigland; secretary, Robert
Jaquiss; treasurer, Ted Robbins; board members Jeff Haworth and Jim
Aldrich.
Elected:
The following officers were elected at the October meeting of the
National Federation of the Blind of Montana Electric City Chapter (in Great
Falls): president, Sheila Leigland; first vice president, Bruce Breslauer;
and secretary-treasurer, Joy Breslauer.
Elected:
The following people were elected to two-year terms at our recent
convention of the NFB of Washington: president, Marci Carpenter; first vice
president, Kris Colcock; second vice president, Doug Trimble; secretary,
Ben Prows; treasurer, Corey Grandstaff; board position one, Mike Forzano;
board position two, Buna Dahal. Congratulations to all of those elected to
advance our work together.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Walmart Sued by Blind Maryland Residents over Self-Service Checkout Kiosks
National Federation of the Blind and Its Maryland Affiliate Also Plaintiffs
When Cynthia Morales and her boyfriend Linwood Boyd, who are both
blind, made a routine trip to a Walmart in Owings Mills in late July of
2017, they didn't expect to have to get the police involved.
But that was the result of a chain of events that began with Ms.
Morales trying to use one of the self-service checkout kiosks that Walmart
makes available to shoppers as an alternative to waiting in line for a
cashier. Although the kiosks do issue some spoken prompts, those prompts
don't provide enough information for a blind person to use the machines
independently. Ultimately, Ms. Morales asked for help from a Walmart
employee, who completed the checkout transaction but also, unbeknownst to
Ms. Morales and Mr. Boyd, requested forty dollars in cash back, which the
employee pocketed. Because no audio prompt gave Ms. Morales the total of
her transaction, she didn't realize anything was wrong until the machine
audibly prompted the user to take the money. Ms. Morales and Mr. Boyd then
had a bystander outside the store read them the receipt; at that point,
they realized they had been charged an additional forty dollars. The money
was ultimately returned, but Ms. Morales and Mr. Boyd decided to do their
regular shopping at a Walmart Supercenter in Randallstown from then on.
Now they, together with Melissa Sheeder-another blind Marylander; the
National Federation of the Blind (NFB); and the National Federation of the
Blind of Maryland (NFB-MD) are suing Walmart under the Americans with
Disabilities Act. The suit asks the Maryland federal district court to
order the giant retailer to make its self-service checkout kiosks fully
accessible to blind shoppers.
Similar devices, such as ATMs, Amtrak ticket kiosks, and airline
check-in kiosks, as well as some point-of-sale terminals like those in the
back of many taxicabs, can be used independently by blind people. Usually
voice prompts are spoken through headphones, and blind users respond with
tactile keypads or accessible touch screens. The NFB has offered to work
with Walmart to make its kiosks accessible, but Walmart has declined the
offer.
"What happened to Cindy Morales is an extreme example of what can
occur when companies like Walmart deploy inaccessible self-checkout or
point-of-sale technology," said Mark Riccobono, President of the National
Federation of the Blind. "The real problem is that Walmart has decided to
treat blind customers differently from sighted customers. Walmart's refusal
to deploy readily available technology to give blind shoppers the same
choice sighted shoppers have-whether to check ourselves out or visit a
cashier-makes us second-class customers. That is unlawful and
unacceptable."
The plaintiffs are represented by Eve L. Hill, Jessica P. Weber, and
Chelsea J. Crawford of the Baltimore law firm Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP.
In Brief
Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor
readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we
have edited only for space and clarity.
National Braille Press Touch of Genius Award Seeking Nominations:
The National Braille Press's Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is
now accepting entries! Please help us spread the word.
The Touch of Genius Prize was developed to inspire entrepreneurs,
educators, or inventors to continue the promotion of Braille and tactile
literacy for blind and deafblind people worldwide. This prize can be
granted for innovative and accessible computer software, Android
applications, iOS applications, or tactile hardware that promotes Braille
and/or tactile literacy. NBP encourages all applicants to think outside
the box to what can be used to help improve the lives of blind people.
The winner of this prize will receive up to $20,000, which will help
them to continue to innovate in the fields of technology and education for
blind people. Frank Gibney and the Gibney Family Foundation helped fund and
establish this award in 2007, inspiring people to go beyond what was
thought possible.
The deadline to apply is January 11, 2019. Full application details
and more information can be found at
http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/technology/tog/tog_prize. All questions can be
directed to mailto:geniusprize at nbp.org.
Learn Your Favorite Musical Instrument Completely by Ear:
MusicForTheBlind.com has over 1,200 song lessons and over a dozen
beginner courses for piano, guitar, banjo, bass, saxophone, and more! These
lessons use no print, no video, and no Braille. These lessons are
completely all-audio.
See all of the great music resources we have at
www.MusicForTheBlind.com and sign up for our newsletter to receive coupons
and discounts on our easy-to-use music lessons designed just for those with
visual impairments.
Monitor Mart
The notices in this section have been edited for clarity, but we can
pass along only the information we were given. We are not responsible for
the accuracy of the statements made or the quality of the products for
sale.
For Sale:
We have a BrailleNote Apex 32-cell with the following features:
original box; carrying case; power cord and charger; V9.5 of KeySoft loaded
(latest available); optional software Nemeth Tutorial enabled; optional
software Oxford Concise Dictionary and Thesaurus (US Edition) enabled; and
recently serviced, tested and tuned by HumanWare. Asking $1,000, contact
Sheryl Pickering at 830-743-7655.
----------
NFB Pledge
I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National
Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for
the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to
abide by its constitution.
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