[Youth-outreach] What's about to happen in Virginia will be historic

Tue Nov 9 16:17:47 UTC 2010

We'll have a record - at least 22 - number of students coming to our
Student Track at the upcoming NFB of Virginia convention this weekend.
I thought that I'd share the agenda (attached) and press release
(below). We'll be using flying pigs as fun door prizes for the
students as we talk technology, orientation, textbooks, and
philosophy.

Corbb O'Connor

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 8, 2010

CONTACT:
Corbb O'Connor, President
Students Division, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia
(202) 684-6130, corbbo at gmail.com

Virginia Blind Students Gather to Help Their Own

FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Successful blind students will teach other blind
students this weekend how to safely travel independently, use
technology to do well in school, and spread a positive outlook on
blindness at the 52nd annual state convention of the National
Federation of the Blind of Virginia.

According to Coordinator Corbb O'Connor, “Nearly three dozen junior
high, high school, and college students have already registered for
the convention’s Student Track, whose goal is to demonstrate that a
visual impairment does not mean that you have to do badly in school or
be socially isolated.”

Because blindness is a low incidence disability, many visually
impaired students don’t often get the chance to meet others like
themselves. Many of the Student Track activities give high school
students the opportunity to meet with others like themselves so they
can share solutions to common school and social problems, such as
access to textbooks and technology.

On Sunday morning, successful blind students will showcase technology
that blind people can use independently in the classroom, such as
Apple’s laptops, players that read textbooks and articles aloud, and
tools that allow blind people to take notes digitally in Braille.

Carol Lynn Beninca, whose 15-year-old blind son Anthony, said. “For
Anthony, he wants to meet others so he knows he's not alone, and he
wants to explore what devices others use to function better in
school.”

On Saturday, trained professionals in orientation and mobility will
teach students to use long white canes. This training, which not all
blind students receive in their public schools, will allow students to
safely and independently travel. In the afternoon, in partnership with
the Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA/Metro), blind
students will get a hands-on experience using an out-of-service
Metrobus. Students will also learn to use the Metrorail system.

The convention will be held at the Marriott Fairview Park hotel,
located at 3111 Fairview Park Drive in Falls Church. Media are
requested to RSVP to coordinator Corbb O’Connor at corbbo at gmail.com or
(202) 684-6130.

The National Federation of the Blind is the largest organization of
the blind in the country. With over 700 chapters throughout the
country—16 of which in the commonwealth of Virginia—and with over
50,000 national members, the NFB seeks to improve equality,
opportunity, and security for the blind.
-------------- next part --------------
2010 NFBV Student Track
November 12-14, 2010
Marriott Fairview Park
Falls Church, Virginia

Corbbmacc O?Connor, Coordinator
(202) 684-6130, corbbo at gmail.com

Note: To encourage prompt attendance, prizes will be awarded at the beginning of sessions. You never know which one, though, so be on time so you don?t miss out!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2010
5:30pm	30-minute Mentors & Facilitators Meeting
	Corbb?s hotel room (please call Corbb for the location)

7:00-8:30pm	Student Hospitality ? Pizza and Soda
	Students Only, Tickets Lounge (Lobby Level)
Students will meet other blind students from around the Commonwealth, set goals for the weekend, and play a couple of quick games.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2010
9:00am	Opening Ceremony of General Session
	Students & Parents, Salons 4-5 (Lobby Level)

10:30am-12:00pm	Concurrent Sessions
	Students Only, Tickets Lounge

10:35am	Welcome from Corbb O?Connor

	10:40am-11:10am	Round 1
	Group I: ?I Wish that I Could Tell YouÉÓ
	C. J. Fish, Facilitator

	Group II: Orientation & Mobility
	Facilitators: Mandi Bundren, NOMC; Brigid Doherty, COMS; Joanne Laurent, COMS; Maurice Peret, NOMCT; Jennifer Kennedy, NOMC

11:10-11:20am	Re-group & Switch
	Tickets Lounge

11:20am-12:00pm	Round 2
	Group I: Orientation & Mobility

	Group II: ?I Wish that I Could Tell YouÉÓ

12:15pm-1:45pm	Students Division Luncheon
	Tickets Lounge

Special guests: Bruce Hildebrand, Executive Director, The Association of American Publishers; Maurice Peret, NOMCT, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland; Sean Whalen, Second Vice President, National Association of Blind Students

2:00pm-2:30pm	General Session
	Students and Parents, Salons 4-5

2:30pm-4:30pm	An Afternoon on Metro
	Students and Parents, Tickets Lounge and Hotel Parking Lot
	Facilitator: Brigid Doherty, COMS
Instructors: Mandi Bundren, NOMC; Joanne Laurent, COMS; Maurice Peret, NOMC; Jennifer Kennedy, NOMC

We will be outdoors for this activity, regardless of rain, snow, or sun. So please dress accordingly so that you are warm and comfortable. Students, please meet outside general session near the doors that lead to the parking lot; parents, please meet in Tickets Lounge before heading ouside. (Students under the age of 18 must be accompanied by their parent or chaperone.)

4:30pm-5:00pm	General Session
	Students & Parents, Salons 4-5

7:00pm-10:00pm	52nd Annual NFBV Banquet
	Students & Parents, Salons 5-8

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2010
9:00am	General Session
	Students and Parents, Salons 4-5

9:40-10:00am	Students Present at General Session
	Students and Parents, Salons 4-5

10:00am-12:00pm	Student Technology Expo
	Students and Parents, Tickets Lounge
	Facilitator: Tracy Soforenko, Potomac Chapter President

Humanware?s BrailleNote and Victor Stream - Chelsea Cook; Laptops, JAWS, and a Braille display ? Brittany Crone; Podcasts, music, and other fun stuff ? Michael Fish; RFB&D Audio Downloads and Bookshare ? Greg Moffitt; Apple iPhone, iPod, and iPad ? Corbbmacc O?Connor; Ideas on funding your technology and training ? Nikki Jeffords

12:00pm	Adjourn

The NFBV Student Division wishes to thank the facilitators, mentors, and guests whose work, dedication, and time made this event possible. Also thanks to Michael Fish for embossing the Student Track agendas in Braille.
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: LP-2010 Tech Seminar Public Agenda final.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 26112 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/youth-outreach_nfbnet.org/attachments/20101109/ab6bc054/attachment.doc>