[Youth-outreach] {Disarmed} JI Newsletter - Hope, Opportunity, and Success

Tue Nov 6 19:06:21 UTC 2012

	IMAGINEERING OUR FUTURE  

	ISSUE 47   

	NOVEMBER 2012  

	IN THIS ISSUE: 

	* 

	* 

	MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR [1]  
	* 

	WHAT’S NEWS AT THE NFB [2]  
	* 

	EDUCATION [3]  
	* 

	BRAILLE INITIATIVE [4]  
	* 

	ADVOCACY [5]  
	* 

	PRODUCT AND ACCESS TECHNOLOGY TALK [6]  
	* 

	FROM THE TENBROEK LIBRARY [7]  
	* 

	NFB CALENDAR [8]  
	* 

	CITATION [9]  

MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

	Dear Friends, 

	As you are well aware, October is the time when the National
Federation of the Blind (NFB) celebrates Meet the Blind Month—an
opportunity for us to bring greater awareness to the public through
creative outreach events across the country. I celebrated by being on
the road to participate in Federation events in Alaska, Massachusetts
(twice), California, and Maine.  

	The blind people in each of those places are as diverse and
interesting as any group of people you would find in each of those
states. Yet, the desire of members of the Federation to be full
contributing members of society, and to compete on terms of equality,
is consistent in every place that I land to talk about the work of the
NFB Jernigan Institute. Similarly, I hear stories where the people
change but the struggles are the same: the difficulties blind people
face in receiving quality rehabilitation training, a lack of adequate
access to education, barriers to access to vital information on the
Internet, fears that an uninformed social services worker might come
along and decide that a baby should be taken away because her parents
are blind, and struggles to find and retain meaningful employment
opportunities.  

	The stories of hope and opportunity are equally abundant and
consistent across meetings of the Federation. I am always inspired to
hear about blind people working together to solve problems for
themselves, individuals taking on new challenges in areas where most
do not think the blind have the capacity to participate, and blind
people teaching and learning from each other and often innovating new
approaches.  

	We need to find new ways to tell these stories and to create
awareness among the general public. Thousands of people receive this
newsletter every month and I often receive comments in reply. I
thought I would take the opportunity this month to ask for ideas. How
can we continue to tell these stories to build awareness and create
support for the work of the NFB? Furthermore, do you have ideas about
how you can help create that awareness? For example, if you have a
story to tell maybe you can make a short video and share it with us
for our YouTube channel.  Or maybe you know of a documentary film
producer that might be interested in helping us tell these powerful
personal stories of our movement. Please send me your thoughts,
suggestions, and ways you might help us in our public outreach and
awareness efforts, and I will share them with my colleagues here at
the NFB Jernigan Institute. There are many terrific and uplifting
stories to be told throughout the Federation, and we need to find new
ways to tell the stories of the people that make up this great
movement.  

	Warmest Regards,

Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director
NFB Jernigan Institute 

	P.S. Many might have been wondering about how the NFB Jernigan
Institute faired through the recent storms that hit the East Coast.
Our building stood strong, and our electronic sign continued to send
our message from the rooftop throughout the storm. We continue to be
concerned for our colleagues in other states where the storm's impact
is still being felt. If you know of blind people who have been
affected, please let us know, and we will do our best to connect them
with resources and people who can help.  

WHAT\\'S NEWS AT THE NFB

	NFB APPLAUDS LANDMARK COURT RULING 

	On October 10, 2012, the U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of New York issued a decision permitting the distribution of
millions of books to blind and print-disabled blind people. The ruling
in Authors Guild, Inc., et al., v. HathiTrust, et al. held that
providing access for students with print disabilities constitutes a
“transformative use” under the fair use provision of the Copyright
Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and that Section 121 of
the Copyright Act (the “Chafee Amendment”) permits university
libraries to digitize their collections for distribution and use by
the blind. The University of Michigan has ten million digitized books,
which will now be permitted to be made available to all blind and
print-disabled Americans.  

	The HathiTrust is a repository of several university libraries'
collections, which had been scanned by Google. In the original
lawsuit, the Authors Guild alleged that the trust and the universities
violated the Copyright Act by digitizing the collections. As these
works represent the largest collection of works accessible to the
blind and print disabled, the NFB intervened by filing motions, with
the HathiTrust, for a summary judgment in the lawsuit.  

	More information can be found on the NFB Web site [10].   

	SUPPORT THE NFB—HOLIDAY CATALOG COMING SOON! 

	Looking for a unique holiday gift that will please the receiver as
much as the giver, and will support the programs of the NFB? Be on the
lookout in late November for our end-of-year holiday catalog full of
opportunities to support the great services and products provided by
the NFB.  

	Help us empower a blind child to discover the joy of reading by
making a donation to support our Braille literacy programs in the name
of a grandchild who is also learning how to read. Give a blind student
the opportunity to learn about science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM) as possible career choices by making a donation to support
our STEM education programs in the name of the teacher who inspired
you to follow your dreams. Celebrate the independence you have
achieved by making a donation in your name to support our Free White
Cane program and give the gift of independence to others.  

	Be sure to look in the December 2012 edition of _Imagineering Our
Future_ for additional information on how to support the services and
programs of the NFB through this exciting holiday gift-giving
opportunity! 

EDUCATION

	BRAILLE SYMPOSIUM 

	In September the NFB Jernigan Institute hosted the NFB Braille
Symposium. The symposium highlighted the most innovative work that is
being done on Braille today. More than seventy people were registered
to attend, some from as far away as Hawaii and Kyrgyzstan. The
participants were also diverse in their connection to Braille. The
group included rehabilitation teachers working with adults, K-12
teachers of the blind, university faculty and staff, Federationists,
librarians, and U.S. Department of Education employees. No two
participants came to the symposium with the same experiences or ideas,
which greatly enhanced the dialogue.  

	The format of the symposium encouraged discussion around each topic
presented. Through the discussion, several points were agreed upon
about the state of Braille education: there are many teachers who are
providing high-quality Braille instruction to both the old and young
students they serve (some of whom were in attendance at the
symposium); there are still blind students who are not receiving the
Braille instruction they deserve; there are some universities that
graduate future teachers who are competent in Braille; and there are
teachers who feel their universities did not train them as well as
they could have. We want all blind children and adults to receive
quality Braille instruction, not just the lucky ones who have
instructors like those who attended the symposium. In order to reach
that goal, we must overcome some long-standing barriers. Throughout
the two-and-a-half-day event, the discussion remained
solutions-focused, and when a barrier was brought up, possible new
solutions were offered.  

	A publication of papers on the topics covered at the symposium, along
with creative solutions that were developed as the result of the
dialogue, will be forthcoming. Check www.nfb.org/brlsym [11] for
details on when and where you can gain access to the publication.  

	NATIONAL READING MEDIA ASSESSMENT (NRMA) - PAVING THE WAY TO LITERACY
FOR BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS 

	The NFB Jernigan Institute and the Professional Development and
Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University are
pleased to announce the launch of the National Reading Media
Assessment (NRMA) for use by teachers of blind and visually impaired
students. The NRMA is the first research-based, standardized
assessment tool designed to determine the appropriate reading
medium/media for students who are blind or visually impaired. It was
developed to ensure that the reading medium is appropriately
identified for both current and future need and to ensure that student
success is facilitated by correct identification of literacy needs. 

	The NRMA is an accurate, easy-to-use tool that will clearly identify
the reading medium or media of blind and visually impaired children.
This tool will determine whether each child who is assessed should be
taught Braille, print, or both. With the NRMA, teachers can evaluate
pre-readers and students in grades K-12 who have an identified visual
impairment and who have enough visual functioning to identify print
letters or shapes by sight. Teachers can complete, save, and print
assessments using the new electronic assessment interface. On this
site, teachers can also access another invaluable
resource-–_Integrating Print and Braille: A Recipe for Literac_y,
edited by Sharon Maneki. For more information and to access the NRMA,
please visit www.nfbnrma.org [12]. Contact us with your questions by
using the feedback form on the Web site, or by calling 410-659-9314,
extension 2529. 

BRAILLE INITIATIVE

BRAILLE CERTIFICATION TRAINING PROGRAM

	Under a contract with the National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped, Library of Congress (NLS), the NFB administers
the courses leading to NLS certification of Braille transcribers and
proofreaders. Successful completion of these rigorous courses requires
a great deal of time and effort on the part of the students. We
congratulate the following individuals who earned certification during
the month of August, 2012: 

	LITERARY BRAILLE TRANSCRIBING 

	California
   Richard Alman Chiamulon, Ventura
   Brian Alfred Felix, Camarillo
   Rolando Rodriguez, Camarillo 

	Delaware
   William David Downes, Wilmington 

	Florida
   Astrid Bormann, Niceville
   Peggy M. Humerickhouse, Stuart
   Jane M. McDougal, Jensen Beach
   Carol Carter Syvrud, Oldsmar
   Linda Florian Wiggins, Stuart 

	Iowa
   Gadet Wiw Kang, Anamosa
   Sara Lee, Louisville 

	Kentucky
   Carrie Elizabeth McCollough, Louisville
   Joshua Wade Ziegler, Louisville 

	Nevada
   Brian Richard Lee, Las Vegas
   Gary Shepard, Las Vegas 

	Michigan
   Nathaniel John Enright, Lincoln Park 

	New Jersey
   Renee Migner, West Caldwell 

	North Carolina
   Ivan Bonneau, Laurinburg
   Richard Michael Guin, Laurinburg
   Warren B. Hinton, Laurinburg 

	South Dakota
   James Joseph Andrews, Sioux Falls 

	Texas
   Rose Ann Bond, Gatesville
   Cherise Renee Hayes, Gatesville
   Sabrina Renee Hodges, Gatesville
   Shellie Dionne Lykins, Gatesville
   Cynthia Darlene Stout, Gatesville 

	Virginia
   Dawn Patricia Cooper, Troy
   Tracy Lynn Reeves, Troy 

	Virginia
   Ana Nezzer, Troy 

	Washington
   Teresa Louise Phillips, Vancouver 

	LITERARY BRAILLE PROOFREADING 

	Kentucky
   Laura Marie Myers, Louisville 

	Nevada
   Amy E. Furman, Sun Valley 

	MATHEMATICS (NEMETH) BRAILLE TRANSCRIBING 

	Massachusetts
   Rachel Juliann Tyler, Sudbury 

	MUSIC BRAILLE TRANSCRIBING 

	Arizona
   Jennifer R Wheeler, Gilbert 

ADVOCACY

	A lawsuit, filed with the assistance of the NFB against the Free
Library of Philadelphia, has been resolved by the parties. The four
blind plaintiffs, Denice Brown, Karen Comorato, Patricia Grebloski,
and Antoinette Whaley, filed the suit because the library was lending
NOOK e-readers to its patrons over fifty years old. The NOOK, which is
completely inaccessible to people that are blind, is manufactured and
sold by Barnes & Noble.  

	Under the terms of the agreement, within four years the library will
use only accessible e-reading devices, and in the meantime will
purchase ten accessible e-readers to supplement the e-readers it
already owns. The library will also include an accessibility
requirement in its procurement contracts.  

	The settlement brings the library in accordance with the American
Library Association resolution, Purchasing of Accessible Electronic
Resources, passed in 2009, as well as into compliance with policy
guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Education. For more
information, view the press release announcing the settlement on the
NFB Web site [13].  

PRODUCT AND ACCESS TECHNOLOGY TALK

	It is fall now, which means that despite the recent weather events
with Sandy, it is both a lovely time to be in Maryland, and cool
enough for us to kick the summer heat and get into gear. On October 4,
the director of access technology, Anne Taylor, presented to the Tata
Interactive Learning Forum 2012 in Washington, D.C. Her speech,
"Making the 21st Century Campus a Model of Accessibility," was
presented to an invitation-only audience of senior HR, training and
learning & development executives. 

	Now that the update to the International Braille and Technology
Center (IBTC) is complete, we want to hear what YOU think! The access
technology team is asking for you to share your experiences of
visiting the IBTC and working with the access technology team. What
impact has the IBTC and the access technology team had on you, either
in person in Baltimore or remotely by phone or e-mail? Please send
your thoughts to Clara Van Gerven at cvangerven at nfb.org [14]. 

	On Friday, November 9, as part of the Maryland state convention, the
team will be presenting two sessions: one on the iPhone and another on
accessible tablets. For more information on the Maryland convention,
visit the Web site at
http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=990&qid=51208 [15].  

FROM THE TENBROEK LIBRARY

	NEW NFB PRESIDENTIAL COLLECTION OPEN FOR RESEARCH 

	The special collections and archives department of the Jacobus
tenBroek Library is pleased to announce the opening of the Kenneth
Jernigan Collection. Spanning the years 1935 to 1998, this collection
documents the life and work of one of the NFB’s most influential
leaders. Dr. Jernigan devoted his life to the organized blind movement
and served the NFB in many ways, most notably as president from 1968
to 1986 and as president emeritus from 1986 until his death in 1998. A
gifted writer and orator known for his empowering speeches, Jernigan
at times appeared larger than life. But it was his passion and
devotion to the mission of the NFB that helped him steer the
organization through many challenges and led to the biggest period of
growth that the Federation had ever seen.  

	The Kenneth Jernigan Collection focuses on his personal life and
professional career, including records from his tenure as director of
the Iowa Commission for the Blind (1958-1978). Dr. Jernigan’s
involvement in organizations outside of his advocacy work is
documented in materials related to his appointment to the Iowa Wine
Advisory Board in 1970, as well as his personal correspondence from
1954 to 1996. Researchers can also explore his formative years from
childhood through college in photos, diplomas, and other related
materials, including one of the real gems of the collection: an
annotated family scrapbook. 

	This is only the beginning for the Kenneth Jernigan Collection, which
is expected to grow as more materials are generously donated by his
wife, long-time Federationist Mary Ellen Jernigan, and unearthed from
storage in the NFB Records Center. One example of a recent addition to
the collection is a set of more than 160 brightly colored paper
airplanes, each bearing a personal message to Dr. Jernigan, which were
made by friends and family during memorial activities following his
funeral on October 15, 1998. Jernigan was known for his love of making
and flying paper airplanes into the audience during NFB annual
conventions and they serve as the perfect example of the impact he
made on the lives of those who knew him. 

	The Kenneth Jernigan Collection is just one of the many resources at
the tenBroek Library that document the history of the organized blind
movement, the achievements of the NFB, and the lives of its leaders.
Records related to Jernigan’s work with the Federation, as well as
with other organizations concerned with the rights and needs of the
blind, are preserved in the NFB Institutional Records with the papers
of NFB founder and library namesake, Jacobus tenBroek. To find out
more about the resources held in the special collections and archives
at the tenBroek Library, please visit our database, The Cane Tip, at
www.nfb.org/thecanetip [16].  

NFB CALENDAR

	UPCOMING EVENTS 

	NFB Holiday Open House - December 8, 2012 

	STATE CONVENTIONS 

	NFB of Kansas State Convention [17] - November 9-11, 2012 

	NFB of Maryland State Convention [18] - November 9-11, 2012 

	NFB of New Jersey State Convention [19] - November 9-11, 2012 

	NFB of New York State Convention [20] - November 9-11, 2012 

	NFB of Texas State Convention [21] - November 9-11, 2012 

	NFB of Puerto Rico State Convention [22] - November 11, 2012 

CITATION

	"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The
important thing is not to stop questioning."  Albert Einstein 

	Thank you for reading the NFB Jernigan Institute’s _Imagineering
Our Future_. 

	Help make a significant difference in the lives of blind people
across the country. 

	MAKE A GIFT TODAY [23] 

	Back to Top [24] 

	MAKE A GIFT TODAY [25] 

	IF THIS ISSUE WAS FORWARDED TO YOU AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO SUBSCRIBE,
PLEASE E-MAIL JERNIGANINSTITUTE at NFB.ORG. [26] 

	Support the Jernigan Institute through the _Imagination Fund_ [27] 

	INTERESTING LINKS: 

	Archive of Straight Talk about Vision Loss videos [28] 

	National Center for Blind Youth in Science [29] 

	Access Technology Tips [30] 

	TeachBlindStudents.org [31] 

	BLOGS: 

	Access Technology [32] 

	  Unsubscribe [33] 
 200 E Wells St
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
United States

Links:
------
[1] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=991&qid=51208
[2] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=992&qid=51208
[3] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=993&qid=51208
[4] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=994&qid=51208
[5] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=995&qid=51208
[6] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=996&qid=51208
[7] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=997&qid=51208
[8] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1000&qid=51208
[9] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1001&qid=51208
[10]
http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=989&qid=51208
[11] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1005&qid=51208
[12] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1006&qid=51208
[13]
http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1012&qid=51208
[14] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1008&qid=51208
[15] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=990&qid=51208
[16] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1009&qid=51208
[17] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=976&qid=51208
[18] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=977&qid=51208
[19] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=978&qid=51208
[20] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=979&qid=51208
[21] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=980&qid=51208
[22] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=981&qid=51208
[23] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=982&qid=51208
[24] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1002&qid=51208
[25] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=982&qid=51208
[26] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1003&qid=51208.
[27] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1004&qid=51208
[28] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1011&qid=51208
[29] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=1013&qid=51208
[30] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=986&qid=51208
[31] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=987&qid=51208
[32] http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=988&qid=51208
[33] http://nfb.org/https://nfb.org/index.php?q=civicrm/mailing/optout&reset=1&jid=278&qid=51208&h=ad14dcab4f887066