[Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, May 2013
Brian Buhrow
buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org
Mon May 6 00:01:23 PDT 2013
BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 56, No. 5 May 2013
Gary Wunder, Editor
Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash drive
(see reverse side) by
THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Marc Maurer, President
telephone: (410) 659-9314
email address: nfb at nfb.org
website address: http://www.nfb.org
NFBnet.org: http://www.nfbnet.org
NFB-NEWSLINE® information: (866) 504-7300
Letters to the president, address changes,
subscription requests, and orders for NFB literature
should be sent to the national office.
Articles for the Monitor and letters to the editor may also
be sent to the national office or may be emailed to gwunder at nfb.org.
Monitor subscriptions cost the Federation about forty dollars per year.
Members are invited, and nonmembers are requested, to cover the
subscription cost. Donations should be made payable to National Federation
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 IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION
SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES.
ISSN 0006-8829
© 2013 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
position. If you encounter resistance, flip the drive over and try again.
(Note: If the cartridge slot is not empty when you insert the thumb drive,
the digital player will ignore the thumb drive.) Once the thumb drive is
inserted, the player buttons will function as usual for reading digital
materials. If you remove the thumb drive to use the player for cartridges,
when you insert it again, reading should resume at the point you stopped.
You can transfer the recording of each issue from the thumb drive to
your computer or preserve it on the thumb drive. However, because thumb
drives can be used hundreds of times, we would appreciate their return in
order to stretch our funding. Please use the return label enclosed with the
drive when you return the device.
Orlando Site of 2013 NFB Convention
The 2013 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take
place in Orlando, Florida, July 1-6, at the Rosen Centre Hotel at 9840
International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Make your room reservation as
soon as possible with the Rosen Centre staff only. Call (800) 204-7234.
The 2013 room rates are singles, doubles, and twins, $79; and triples
and quads, $85. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at
present is 13.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under
seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested.
The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $90-per-room deposit is required
to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be refunded if
notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before May 13,
2013. The other 50 percent is not refundable.
Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Reservations may be made before June 1, 2013, assuming that rooms are still
available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the
convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon.
Guest-room amenities include cable television; in-room safe;
coffeemaker; hairdryer; and, for a fee, high-speed Internet access. Guests
can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-site spa. The Rosen
Centre Hotel offers fine dining at Executive Chef Michael Rumplik's award-
winning Everglades Restaurant. In addition, there is an array of dining
options from sushi to tapas to a 24-hour deli. The hotel has first-rate
amenities and shuttle service to the Orlando airport.
The schedule for the 2013 convention is:
Monday, July 1 Seminar Day
Tuesday, July 2 Registration Day
Wednesday, July 3 Board Meeting and Division Day
Thursday, July 4 Opening Session
Friday, July 5 Business Session
Saturday, July 6 Banquet Day and Adjournment
Requests for Accommodations Based on Disability:
The convention of the National Federation of the Blind is designed
and implemented to be accessible especially to blind people in that
materials are offered in accessible formats and other nonvisual aids are
provided. Therefore special requests for these items are not required. If
you require specific accommodations based on your disability other than the
blindness-related accommodations mentioned above in order to participate
fully and equally in the convention, we urge you to let us know as soon as
possible. Specific accommodations for which requests are required include
requests for deaf or deafblind interpreters.
Due to the size and complexity of this convention, as well as the need
to plan appropriately for additional human and other resources, requests
for specific accommodations must be submitted no later than May 31, 2013.
In order to make a request, please 1) Preregister for the convention by
visiting <http://www.nfb.org/registration>; and 2) send your specific
request for accommodations in writing to the NFB Jernigan Institute by
email at <jerniganinstitute at nfb.org>. Please include your name, the dates
you plan to be at the convention, information on the best way to follow up
with you, and your specific request.
Vol. 56, No. 5 May 2013
Contents
Illustration: NFB Sponsors Family Engineering Day
Section 508 and the Blind: One More Battle in the Fight for Equality in the
Workplace
by Gary Wunder
How Braille Turned Me into a Purse Junkie
by Audrey T. Farnum
My Historic Recollections of the NFB
by Jean Dyon Norris
Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children
from The Zine Line
Calling in the Cars
by Joanne Wilson
My Search for Accessibility
by Robert Kingett
>From the President's Mail Basket
A Blind Senior's Journey to Independence
by Diane McGeorge
Deep Sea Fishing Adventure
by Gordon Chan
No Limits! 2013 National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
Conference
by Carlton Walker
Recipes
Monitor Miniatures
NFB Sponsors Family Engineering Day
On February 16, 2013, the Jernigan Institute Education Department of
the National Federation of the Blind participated in National Engineers
Week by hosting a Family Engineering Day. Its two-fold purpose was to
introduce engineers and would-be majors in science, technology,
engineering, and math to some of the devices of special interest to the
blind and to encourage blind students to pursue careers in these fields. Of
special interest to attendees were the blind-drivable vehicles created for
the Blind Driver Challenge and the interfaces used to communicate
nonvisually those elements in driving that currently come through vision.
The interface was demonstrated to eager children and adults through the
Blind Driver Simulator (BDS). To keep the masses entertained while they
waited their turn for the BDS, the NFB took the opportunity to introduce
the critical tool of Braille to sighted adults and children through sim-
Braille worksheets and crayons, allowing people to write their names or
short messages.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono hands out I love the Blind Driver Challenge
bumper stickers to children waiting in line to try their hand at the BDS.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis helps a pre-teen boy put on the BDS gloves.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: A young girl uses a crayon and a sim-Braille worksheet to
write her name while she waits.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Susie Stanzel discussing Section 508 at the 2013 NFB of
Missouri convention.]
Section 508 and the Blind: One More Battle in the Fight for Equality in the
Workplace
by Gary Wunder
Like many other blind people of my generation, I grew up with a
fascination for radio. Before the days when satellites, fiber optics, and
the Internet made a call across the world as easy as a call across the
street, people were fascinated by distance. The idea that we could listen
to music while driving down the road without one single wire connecting us
to a radio station some twenty miles distant gave the mind pause. We were
amazed that at night a young lad could sneak a handheld radio under his
covers and listen to stations it would take hours or even days to reach by
car.
In looking for far away stations I would sometimes come across
familiar voices-late-night talk show hosts, popular disc jockeys, and
occasionally a blind man with a very professional-sounding voice delivering
a commercial about the National Federation of the Blind. It was inspiring
to hear a pleasant and authoritative voice and to know it came from a blind
man, but equally impressive was his message, heard again and again: "We are
blind, but we are just like you." That line was most certainly intended for
the sighted, and I appreciated its being sent to the nation, but it also
had a special place in my heart because it affirmed for me that I wasn't so
very different from the people who made up the world where I hoped I would
soon be taking my place.
When we think about meaningful statements that sum up who blind
people are and why we have organized for action--"We are blind, but we are
just like you"--doesn't usually make the list of statements that
encapsulate our philosophy. But to me that statement has always been
magical in its ability to communicate in a brief, clear, and memorable
phrase what it is that brings us together and what we hope to help the rest
of the world to understand.
Being just like you says that we have the same needs, desires, and
dreams as everyone else; we want to be loved, respected, and needed. We
want to provide for ourselves and our families, give to our neighbors and
our communities, and be seen first and foremost as human beings with
talents and thoughts and emotions that together make us an asset in the
world.
To become what we want requires some effort on our part and some
effort on the part of the society in which we live. We have to be willing
to dream and to work to make our dreams come true. Society has to
acknowledge that blindness presents some very concrete challenges, but that
meeting them can help make blindness one of many characteristics, rather
than the most predominant; it can help in determining whether in America
blindness will be a tragedy or an inconvenience that can be handled without
much bother.
One challenge facing blind people today is access to the technology
used at home and in the workplace. Government and industry have been slow
to acknowledge the technological challenges the blind are beginning to face
as we perform the routine duties of keeping a house and cooking our meals,
but as early as 1998 the federal government acknowledged the need for
technology usable by the blind in places of employment by adopting Section
508 of the Rehabilitation Act. In a nutshell the law says that anything
built or purchased by the federal government must be accessible to people
with disabilities, including the blind. The law covers everything from
office computers to the copy machine, but the reality of federal compliance
falls far short of the promises so eloquently proclaimed in the statutes of
our land.
Many of us have learned from bitter experience that the government
continues to buy whatever it wants and assumes that some kind of adaptive
technology will be created to work with whatever it purchases. The federal
government buys most items only after an agency issues what is called a
request for proposal (RFP). In theory this document does not specify a
brand or even a specific device but outlines the need that the product or
service must meet. An agency would not ask for a Hoover vacuum cleaner but
would specify that it needed a device capable of removing dirt, lint, and
dust from surfaces. It would then specify: wood, carpet, and tile, to name
a few. Not all of the items the government wants and lists in an RFP carry
equal weight. Some are requirements and are mandatory, some are highly
desirable, and others fall under lesser categories which indicate they
would be nice to have but not essential. A requirement for a vacuum cleaner
might stipulate that any device purchased must remove 98 percent of the
debris from a carpet and must hold that debris in a reusable canister for
later disposal. Other features might be less rigid and reflect desirable
characteristics such as how much dust the device should remove from the
air, how much the machine should weigh, how much noise it could make while
in operation, and how far it could be moved from a power source and still
be operational. I used to write these proposals for the University of
Missouri, and you can see how carried away by abstraction one can get when
using complicated language to avoid saying how long the power cord must be.
When agencies receive responses to their request for proposal
documents, a system for evaluation is employed to determine who will be the
supplier or vendor. Failure to meet anything appearing under the
requirements section is in theory removed from consideration. Then come the
desirables, and each desirable is assigned a point value. Generally,
accessibility is listed in this section, and its point value is often so
low that purchases can be made even when the item sought is clearly not
usable without vision. When accessibility is actually given a weight that
means it might matter in a purchase, bidders may initially claim features
they don't have in the hope that the agency has no intent to evaluate or
way of assessing their statements. Alternatively they may claim that their
current product falls short of the specifications in the RFP, but in their
next release the product they are selling will be fully compliant.
This is my understanding of the way federal agencies procure
inaccessible hardware and software. There are probably variations I'm not
aware of or ones I've heard about but forgotten. It offends my optimistic
point of view to admit that perhaps sometimes it is as simple as the
government deciding beforehand what it wants and then just making the
purchase, but this is a view all-too-often echoed by the section 508
coordinators, one for each agency in the federal government. From
discussions held on Section 508 listservs and other forums, it is clear
that at best coordinators are asked after the fact how to make a purchased
item compliant, more commonly than they wish they are asked how to make it
minimally accessible, and all too frequently they are asked to sign-off on
items they know are not at all usable, their endorsement intended to cover
for higher-ups who want to say that the person responsible for assuring
accessibility signed off on the acquisition.
However the inaccessible technology finds its way into the federal
government, the consequences for the blind person are consistently
negative. At a minimum, blind employees must work harder to accomplish
tasks that have been created to be performed visually, and at worst the
systems the blind are required to use won't work at all with any assistive
technology existing today.
Signing on to government systems may be as simple as entering one's
user identification code and a password of one's choosing or as complicated
as allowing the machine to attempt a retinal scan to determine if one is
authorized to access the system. Recording work activity may be as
straightforward as completing a simple document containing the date, the
hours worked, and the tasks accomplished or as difficult as accessing a
system that provides no auditory or Braille response to presses of the tab
key, arrow keys, or specially assigned screen reader keys created to
extract information and present it to a blind person. Sometimes buttons on
a screen used to initiate functions are clearly labeled, sometimes they
appear without labels but can be identified by their position on the screen
if one can tab or arrow to them, and sometimes they register not at all and
are completely invisible to the blind person and the screen-access program
he or she is using.
In today's work environment it is common to get one's assignments by
signing on to a system containing work lists, current projects, their due
dates, and a place to record progress. These systems also provide for
assigning parts of a project to other work teams, following their progress,
and escalating critical problems to management.
Before the days of the ever-present computer, meetings were scheduled
by conversations in the coffee room, by walking from office to office to
invite meeting participants, or by using the telephone to bring people from
distant locations together. Now scheduling meetings is computerized and
involves looking at the calendars of meeting participants and then
requesting their presence at a time when all of them are available. When
such systems make no provision for alerting a blind employee that he is
adding a participant to a meeting who is already booked for the proposed
time, the result is irritation by all involved because all of their
calendars must be changed to accommodate the now rescheduled gathering.
Though these auxiliary systems are likely not the ones used to do the real
work one has been assigned, cumulatively the inability to use them
interferes substantially with the ability to do the essential functions of
one's job, interrupts the flow of work in the office, and puts the blind
employee in a position of having to ask for help in doing tasks that fellow
employees consider routine.
For the office worker, training is becoming an annual part of the
performance appraisal. Almost everyone in government must take classes
prior to each evaluation on sexual harassment, cultural diversity, and
quality customer service. Training once accomplished by sending workers to
seminars and short courses or by bringing in outside experts is now done
through computer instruction. More often than not this instruction is also
inaccessible. Some systems are so inaccessible that they offer screens
which appear to be blank to screen-reading programs; some programs allow
signing in but do not allow sequential reading of training texts, and still
others allow reading of the text but will not allow the trainee to take the
exam or acknowledge with a push of a button that they have read the
required material.
Not only are computer workstations sometimes inaccessible, devices as
seemingly simple as the telephone can offer functions that exclude the
blind. Some phones in government offices use a flashing light or a special
icon on their screens to indicate a waiting voicemail; the stutter dial
tone commonly found on home voicemail systems is not incorporated into
these business phones. The audible caller ID often found on the least
expensive cordless telephones is similarly absent, and nonvisual ways to
program frequently called numbers to the many onscreen buttons that make up
the business handset simply don't exist. Audible alerts signaling that the
photocopier or printer is out of paper or needs ink or toner are also too
often absent, and the question one must ask in these days when even a
birthday card can talk and sing is why we would waste the potential of
productive employees with disabilities when our technology clearly provides
a way for them to thrive and make significant contributions to America's
economy and her government.
Reasonable accommodation may be made for the blind employee by having
someone take on parts of the job he or she cannot do because of the
shortcomings in purchased technology. This is called job restructuring. The
concept is appealing in theory but is quite difficult to implement in
practice. Occasionally a coworker will be asked to help a blind worker by
filling out a printed time sheet, solving a visual captcha, or pressing a
button that appears on a screen but is not detectable by a screen reader
because the program displaying the button has not followed standard
conventions for displaying this visual item. Occasionally the blind
employee can offer something of equal value to the helpful coworker by
freely giving advice in his or her area of expertise, but the effectiveness
of asking for this help and being able to offer similarly beneficial help
depends on how often one encounters a task that requires vision and for
which no other alternative technique is available.
In the workplace the experience of many blind people and those who
work with them is that the brainpower needed to do the job is abundantly
present, the attitude to perform the job is clearly above average, and the
gratitude for having the job often exceeds that of the coworker who
believes, rightly or wrongly, that there are a hundred other places she
could use her talent if she tires of this job. But though brains, attitude,
persistence, and flexibility are essential, they cannot compensate for
equipment that fails to present needed information in Braille or audio.
When no alternative techniques exist and when the employer will not follow
the law and expects that somehow the blind person will come up with another
solution, discord, tension, and unhappiness are bound to occur on both
sides. When work assignments are given, the blind worker's supervisor must
take into account what part of the job to be done will require access to
equipment the blind employee cannot use. The blind worker who is told about
new and improved software that will help him and his colleagues do their
jobs with less effort and greater efficiency on the one hand is excited at
the possibilities the new systems will bring, and on the other hand almost
immediately wonders whether the features that sound so helpful and
liberating will be accessible or will place yet another obstacle in his
path.
If her job is encumbered only slightly by the need to ask for help and
if she is well liked, fellow employees and her supervisor may be glad to
help and feel good about the kindness they have done. If the requests are
frequent, the assignments that can be given are limited, and the time to
complete them exceeds what is considered reasonable, those good feelings
soon turn to resentment, and the consequences are felt by everyone, most
especially the blind employee.
Not only is Section 508 skirted, ignored, or relegated to relative
insignificance by too many agencies in the federal government, but its
effectiveness is hampered by one other factor. If discussions with
superiors and their management fail to bring about accommodations that will
let the blind employee be the productive worker he or she can be by virtue
of God-given and cultivated talent, the only avenue open to him or her is
to sue the employer for violations of federal law. Consider the stress
caused by filing a lawsuit against people who have been your colleagues for
years and trying to convince them that fighting for the right to do your
job requires that you file a complaint or even sue them. Try sending this
message while striving to keep uppermost in their minds that you are still,
first and foremost, a team player who is dedicated to the goal of making
your team, your office, and your department the best they can be. Consider
the tension this creates between the blind worker, the supervisor, and the
layers of management with whom he must work. People recognize that they may
be defendants in a suit that will call them to testify, not only about any
involvement they have had with this blind employee in the past, but on
every action they take between the time the suit is filed and is settled.
For many blind employees the cost of testing the law and making it
deliver what it was designed to provide in the way of equal treatment and
workplace equality is just too much. The blind worker often decides to
settle for lower evaluations, management settles for less productivity than
it wants and deserves, and all parties consciously or unconsciously start
thinking about the countdown clock ticking toward the time when early
retirement or the choice to take disability is exercised. This is not what
anyone envisioned with the passage of Section 508, and it certainly isn't
the vision that the blind student had when she moved into the work-a-day
world with visions of climbing the ladder of success.
Occasionally circumstance and character intersect, and someone who
has given his or her best concludes that, for the law to mean anything, it
must be enforced. This convergence is the subject of the article you are
reading, and in future articles the Braille Monitor will highlight federal
workers who have given their best and tried to be team players but who have
reluctantly concluded that going along to get along doesn't solve the
problems that stand between giving the most they can to their agencies and
maximizing their productive capacity. Neither does going along to get along
further the promise we have made to future generations, a central one being
that they will find greater opportunities to thrive, live on their own, and
have a better than equal chance of becoming a part of loving and enriching
marriages, making enough money to support their children and sometimes
their grandchildren, and being the role models on which others pattern
their lives and judge their success.
One federal employee seriously contemplating the filing of a complaint
is Susie Stanzel, a blind information technology specialist employed by the
Department of Agriculture, the sixth largest government agency in the
country. She is not by nature a complainer. Her thirty-nine-year career
with the USDA, complete with numerous promotions, raises, and awards, is a
testament to her tenacious work ethic and whatever-it-takes attitude. Never
has she been a forty-hour-a-week clock-watcher. Instead, one of the more
significant stresses in her life has focused on balancing being a wife and
mother of three and working many weekends and holidays to meet department
goals and honor her personal commitment to her coworkers, direct
supervisors, and managers. It would not be an overstatement to say that she
has regarded as false any prioritization between her work and her family,
knowing that without her successful career she could not have given to
those she loves the resources to succeed and the example to follow that
makes them what they are today.
Susie has not encountered all of the technological barriers
elaborated here, but her case is one of several the National Federation of
the Blind may pursue in an effort to make the promises of Section 508 a
reality for blind employees. As events proceed, the Braille Monitor will
have much more to say about this case and others like it in which blind
employees find themselves confronting attitudes and technology that hinder
them as much as help in attempting to fulfill the expectations of their
employers and themselves as highly productive workers. Section 508 must
make real in the federal workplace the promises it boldly proclaims as the
law of the land. Current federal workers must benefit from its protection,
and future employees must know that their education and training can
reasonably be expected to lead to opportunities for success that only
usable technology can ensure. Only one organization has the commitment, the
technical expertise, and the legal knowhow to make this happen. The
National Federation of the Blind championed the rights of blind people long
before the days of digital domination in the workplace, and no matter the
technical or legal complexity, we will stand strong to see that the blind
can work alongside the sighted and share in the opportunity of what it
means to be a citizen of our great land.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Audrey Farnum slipping her Braille display into one of her
many new purses.]
How Braille Turned Me into a Purse Junkie
by Audrey T. Farnum
From the Editor: This delightful article is reprinted from the Winter
2013 issue of the NFB Ok Today, a publication of the NFB of Oklahoma. It,
like Audrey, is a gem. Enjoy:
January 4, 2013, would have been Louis Braille's 204th birthday. As I
read many comments on Twitter and Facebook about the occasion, I started
thinking about how much Braille has revolutionized my life over the past
few years. Although I have been legally blind since birth, I was a very
high partial who was mainstreamed in public schools and got by with reading
print. I occasionally relied on large print, and, as I got older and my
reading load increased, I turned to audio books to help me keep up with my
sighted peers. No one ever suggested that it might be beneficial for me to
learn Braille, and, to be honest, had it ever been suggested to me, I
probably would have fought against it with every fiber of my being. I was
young and insecure and trying to hide my blindness so I could fit in. I
have no doubt that I would have been horrified by the idea of using Braille
at school. Looking back on it, I probably would have received more
acceptance in school had I embraced my blindness. At least then my peers
would have understood the reasons for the behaviors for which I was
frequently ridiculed. Instead I largely kept to myself and clung to a small
group of friends who accepted me without question or need for an
explanation. I always felt awkward, out of place, and ashamed because I was
different, but I survived and made it through school. I went on to college,
then law school. While the pressure to fit in decreased with age, I still
did everything I could to cover up my blindness.
Then, in 1999, the retina in my left eye detached, and I lost all my
vision in that eye. I was twenty-five at the time and fresh out of law
school, looking for my first job as an attorney. When I lost the eye, I
remember thinking that I was probably on borrowed time with my remaining
eye and learning Braille would be wise. But after the initial shock wore
off and I got used to working with my one eye, I reverted to my old ways
and stuck to print and some audio. Finally, February 2006 rolled around,
and I had just had a second vitrectomy on my right eye to try to repair a
detached retina. I went to the doctor the day after surgery to have my
bandage removed and get some post-surgery follow-up. This second vitrectomy
involved putting some silicon oil in my eye to hold the retina in place, so
there was no waiting for a gas bubble to disappear with the hope of my
vision returning to pre-detachment quality. When the patch came off, I knew
that was the best things were going to get. I thought I was ready for it,
but, when I opened my eye for the first time and all I could see was
distorted wavy shapes-light and colors that were all wrong-I came to the
terrifying realization that I was no longer going to be able to glide
through life, acting as if I were sighted. I was blind, and a lot of things
were about to change.
Of all the things that I could no longer do, the thing that was most
upsetting to me was the inability to read. I could no longer read print,
and I had never learned Braille. With all my education and the fancy
degrees hanging on my wall at work, I was functionally illiterate. It was a
soul-crushing development for me. While I knew that the other blindness
skills I was learning in rehabilitation were important and essential to
independence, I needed Braille most of all to restore my sense of self-
worth.
I was scheduled to go to a rehabilitation center for twelve weeks of
training to learn Braille, among other skills. When I went to this center
for a two-week evaluation in June of 2006, I was told all the usual
nonsense about how hard it is to learn Braille as an adult and not to
expect too much from myself. Basically, the vibe I got from this place was
that I should focus on learning to use audio for all my reading needs.
Fortunately, the best way to get me to do something is to tell me it can't
be done. So I went home and resolved to get a head start on Braille. I was
told it would take the whole twelve-week training program to learn
uncontracted (grade 1) Braille. That wasn't good enough for me. If that's
all they wanted to teach me, then I decided I'd learn uncontracted Braille
before I went back to the center in September so that I could force them to
teach me more. I found a Braille teacher in Oklahoma City who got me
started, and in four weeks I was reading uncontracted Braille. I couldn't
read fast, but it was an encouraging start, and it was proof to me that the
rubbish that had been fed to me during my evaluation was wrong.
I went back to the center in September 2006 for my twelve weeks of
training. One of the biggest highlights of the experience for me was
sitting down for my first Braille lesson. I was paired up with another
student who had no Braille experience and a bad attitude to boot. As the
teacher was handing us uncontracted Braille lesson books, I spoke up and
told her that I had learned it over the summer and wanted to move on to
contracted Braille. My declaration was met with stunned silence. After a
few moments passed, she flipped open the book to a lesson at the back and
told me to read it. I oozed arrogance and confidence as I accepted her
challenge and read the passage she indicated. It was all I could do to keep
myself from doing a victory dance on the table. My fellow classmate with
the bad attitude dropped out of the program the next day, and I
conveniently found myself in a one-on-one contracted Braille class. I was
the only client at the center who learned contracted Braille during my time
there.
About ten weeks into the program, my Braille teacher gave me my first
Braille book to read, Horton Hears a Who. She was very excited about my
progress and told me that in her years at the center she had never had the
opportunity to teach contracted Braille to someone. She had done some touch-
up with people who had learned Braille in school but were rusty from
nonuse, but she had never taught a newly blind adult. I was stunned by this
and questioned her more about it. She said that most of her students never
even finished uncontracted Braille because they thought it was too
difficult and preferred relying on speech. I found this revelation
disheartening and depressing, and I couldn't imagine why, barring some
other condition or medical complication, someone would choose not to read
Braille. It seemed to me that the expectations for newly-blind adults were
very low, and that made me sad. Only after a couple of years would I find
the NFB and discover that there were people with higher expectations and
people who truly believed in the capacity of the blind. I left that rehab
center with the false belief that what I had accomplished in my Braille
training was unusual. I later learned from my NFB family that it was not
and that I could do more.
So I learned Braille and read a children's book. Big deal. I couldn't
read very fast, and it was useless to me except for labeling and writing
short notes to myself. It was a start, but not enough. I wasn't using it at
work. I was devouring audio books, but I wasn't really reading Braille. At
my first NFB national convention in 2009, there was a panel discussion
about Braille literacy. Anil Lewis talked about his experience with
learning Braille and how he came to the realization that he needed to learn
it. He read his remarks in Braille and commented that he had been inspired
to learn to read it after stumbling through a speech a year earlier. Much
of what he described sounded eerily familiar to me. Suddenly it dawned on
me that memorizing a code does not make me literate. I couldn't read
Braille enough for it to be useful, and I couldn't write more than a label
or quick note. I was still functionally illiterate, and that center I went
to did me no favors by giving me the false belief that I was somehow
special. I resolved then and there that I would make more of an effort to
read Braille.
I went home and ordered myself a Braille book. I tried to read for at
least an hour a day. Because of working full time and other stuff going on
in my life, I didn't always make that goal, but I kept reading and getting
faster. I finished that book and another one after that, and my speed
gradually improved. Eventually I decided to get a refreshable Braille
display to use with my iPod Touch. I found the experience of reading
refreshable Braille to be more satisfying, since it removed the extra
distraction of trying to keep my place on a page. I turned off the speech
on my Read2Go Bookshare app and read. Later I discovered that reading
newspaper articles with the NFB-NEWSLINE app was a great way to practice
since I could read a short piece and feel like I was accomplishing
something every time I finished an article. I would also read Twitter
updates as a way to make myself read but keep things short so I could
manage my frustration level. My efforts paid off, and I started to feel
comfortable reading. I was reading well enough that I could now go into a
restaurant and read a Braille menu in a reasonable amount of time. This was
encouraging, and I was starting to feel better about my skills.
I was in store for yet another humbling experience when I attended a
leadership seminar at the NFB Jernigan Institute in the fall of 2012. I was
asked to write a brief assignment, and my work could be handwritten or
written in Braille. I have no confidence in my handwriting anymore, so it
was Braille or nothing for me. I had the option to have someone Braille the
assignment for me, but I'm stubborn and decided it would be a good
experience to do it myself. I started out with a slate and stylus, but it
was taking forever, and I knew I'd never get any sleep if I kept that up. I
had used a Perkins Brailler a couple of times during my rehab training, but
I didn't even remember how to load the paper correctly. Fortunately, my NFB
family is a helpful and encouraging bunch, and one of my fellow seminarians
gave me a refresher course on Brailler basics. Then I began the process of
laboriously typing my essay. I discovered that, while I could read
contracted Braille, I apparently had been picking up a lot of what I was
reading from context. When I actually had to type in contracted Braille, I
couldn't remember about half the contractions I needed. I felt like an
idiot. With help from my new friend, who patiently sat with me during the
whole process to tell me contractions I couldn't remember, I finally
finished my six-sentence essay. It's an exaggeration even to call it six
sentences. A third of the way through I gave up and broke my thoughts down
into a list so I wouldn't have to write so much. The whole thing barely
filled half a page. It took about an hour to write that little masterpiece
with the Brailler, and that's not counting the hour and a half I spent
composing my rough draft on my computer and the numerous attempts I made to
write the assignment with a slate. It was embarrassing to observe how
deficient my writing skills were, and I can't imagine the patience it took
for my friend to sit with me while I demonstrated my incompetence.
Shortly after my writing fiasco, the cell phone I had been using for
years finally kicked the bucket, and I ended up with an iPhone. While I was
already a seasoned VoiceOver user with my iPod Touch, I had resisted
getting an iPhone because I preferred the text-entry method on my Nokia N86
and wanted to stick with it as long as possible for texting and Twitter. I
love VoiceOver on the iPhone, but I do find the process of typing with a
touch screen to be tedious at best. After several unsatisfying experiments
with different QWERTY Bluetooth keyboards and with my writing failure fresh
in my mind, I decided it was time to learn how to type with the Braille
keyboard on my Braille display. It was slow going at first. I recall
spending about thirty minutes typing a short status update on Facebook. But
after a week or two I was typing at an acceptable speed with the Braille
keyboard and wondering why I hadn't tried that sooner. I can now type
faster with my Braille display than I could if my iPhone had a physical
keyboard instead of a touch screen. A great side effect of learning to type
with my Braille display was that it helped me to read better and made me
faster with a slate and stylus.
I am now addicted to that Braille display as much as I am to my
iPhone. The two items are inseparable in my opinion, and I don't go
anywhere without them. I felt so strongly about wanting my Braille display
with me at all times that I actually went out and bought a purse
specifically to carry it. Not just any purse, mind you--I ended up with a
three hundred dollar Coach purse. I rationalized this expenditure by
telling myself that my newly treasured Braille display deserved to be
carried around in style. This may not sound like a big deal until you
realize that, in my thirty-nine years of life, I have rarely carried a
purse. I'm a low-maintenance kind of girl, who values comfort and
convenience over fashion and social conventions. I have never felt the need
to lug around a bunch of extra stuff. I was of the opinion that, if I
couldn't fit what I needed in my pockets, I didn't need to take it with me.
I thought women who spent hundreds of dollars on purses were idiots. Now,
because of the Braille display, I not only carry a purse, but I spent a
ridiculous amount of money on a Coach and had a blast doing it. I now have
multiple purses to suit different occasions and carrying needs and can't
resist cruising by the purse department every time I go to the mall.
Everyone who knows me well is shocked by my sudden purse addiction. This
really is a major development in my life, and it is all because Braille has
become an essential part of my daily existence.
Not only is typing on my iPhone now a pleasant experience, but I also
appreciate the Braille display for giving me a way to use my phone in noisy
environments. Sometimes at concerts or noisy sporting events I might as
well not even have a phone because it is too loud to hear VoiceOver through
background noise. With Braille, background noise is no longer a problem.
The first time I made a Facebook post completely with Braille and with no
help from VoiceOver, I honestly got a little teary. I suppose it's silly,
but using Braille at a noisy football game so I could use Twitter and
Facebook during the game made me feel normal. It was ironic to me that,
after spending the majority of my life trying to hide my blindness and feel
normal, I suddenly achieved the feeling of normalcy by using Braille.
After observing how Braille has improved my quality of life and
changed the way that I think about myself and my blindness, I often wonder
how much better my life might have been had I learned Braille as a child.
It was assumed by teachers, my parents, and even me that, since I could
read print, that was the best option for me. But looking back on it, I
think about all the eye strain, the neck and back pain from hunching over
my books, and the extra hours it took me to read because my low vision made
reading slower for me. I also think about the shame and embarrassment I
felt when I had to give presentations and had to hold my notes a few inches
in front of my face. I was always self-conscious about the fact that my
audience was seeing the back of my notes and not my face. I'm not pointing
fingers or placing blame. I do believe that I had enough vision to warrant
learning print, and it was a tool that I needed. But Braille would have
been a nice extra weapon to have in my arsenal of skills. I have no doubt
that, had I started as a child, I would have ended up reading Braille as
fast as my sighted peers read print.
When I think of all the times Braille could have helped me, the first
situation that comes to mind is an experience I had during law school. I
had to do an oral argument in front of a mock appellate court. I spent the
whole semester preparing my case, and the trial would determine my grade
for the class. I showed up to the oral argument in a spiffy new suit
thinking I was prepared and ready to wow the judges with my brilliance. I
thought I had planned ahead to deal with my note-reading issues. I knew I
would be too nervous to rely solely on memory, so I put all my notes in
large print on index cards and was certain I would be able to look down at
the podium to read them. I don't know if it was nerves, different lighting
from my practice runs, or both, but, when I looked down, my notes were a
blur. I didn't want to hold the cards in front of my face, so I tried to go
from memory. Ultimately my oral argument was a complete disaster. I got
trounced by my opponent and looked like a stammering idiot. I got a C minus
in the class, the lowest grade I would receive in law school. It was one of
the three low points of my law school career, all of which had direct ties
to my blindness. It was also the exact moment I decided I did not want to
be a trial attorney. In hindsight I understand how valuable Braille would
have been to me in my oral argument. My Braille notes could have rested
comfortably on the podium while I read them, likely unnoticed by the judges
or anyone else in the courtroom who witnessed my debacle. I would have
appeared more normal by embracing a blindness skill instead of trying to
rely on vision as the only answer, and I know I would have received a
higher grade.
On more than one occasion I have heard statements like "Don't make
that child look blind by forcing him to read Braille. Print is more
normal." My experience is a classic demonstration that this belief is wrong
and harmful. It teaches a blind child to be ashamed of blindness and is a
sure-fire way to cripple confidence. Braille should not be thought of as
something that only totally blind people use. It is not an inferior
alternative to print that should be taught only if there is no other
option. Braille is a tool to attain literacy and independence. We should
teach our blind children to be proud of Braille and see the value of
literacy. Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between
Braille literacy and employment. Blind children have enough obstacles to
deal with as it is. We shouldn't rob them of an additional tool to overcome
educational and employment barriers just because they can read large print
by straining and taking extra rest periods. While a low-vision child is
resting his eyes so he can start reading again, his peers are leaving him
behind.
My journey with Braille is still in its infancy. I have made
tremendous progress over the past couple of years, but I know that I can
still do better. I still find myself regularly falling back to audio
alternatives because I am in a hurry and want to get things done faster.
There are going to be plenty of times when audio is simply more efficient
for me, and it will always be a part of my life. However, I have found ways
to make Braille useful to me by using it in practical situations that are
interesting and meaningful to me. I will likely never be a fast Braille
reader, but I cherish Braille. I am so thankful that it is a daily part of
my life. I still need to practice, but I am glad that I made the choice to
learn and put forth the effort. I am thankful to my NFB family who humbled
me and encouraged me to embrace Braille. And mostly I am thankful to Louis
Braille, who as a teenager created this life-changing code because he
rightly believed that literacy and knowledge were essential to independence
for the blind.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jean Dyon Norris addressing a group in the 1950s]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jean Dyon Norris addressing a group in the 1960s]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jean Dyon Norris in her office in the 1990s]
My Historic Recollections of the NFB
by Jean Dyon Norris
From the Editor: Jean Dyon Norris has been an active volunteer and
supporter of the National Federation of the Blind for more than fifty
years. For decades after she invented and began producing Twin Vision books
for blind and sighted parents and children, she headed the Tarzana office
of the American Brotherhood for the Blind-now the American Action Fund for
Blind Children and Adults. She is a Californian, so a good bit of
Federation history has necessarily flowed around her, and she has a
wonderful collection of stories and memories about the organization and its
early California and national leaders. She recently wrote down a number of
her recollections of Jacobus tenBroek and the NFB. What follows is a
selection of these stories, somewhat edited and reorganized for clarity.
In 1958 I was looking for volunteer work to do. When I was looking
through my newspaper, I saw a notice of a rummage sale to benefit the local
blind organization. I had never known any blind people, but I decided to
gather up some rummage and go help. I discovered a group of normal folks
whose only problem was that they could not see. We had a great time, and
they invited me to their weekly meetings. The main NFB chapter met monthly
about twenty miles away. Tony Mannino was president of that group. I drove
Tim McGinnis, president of the local group, and several club members to the
monthly meetings.
Tim gave me an issue of the Blind American, the forerunner of the
Braille Monitor. The featured story in that issue was by Dr. Jacobus
tenBroek. TenBroek's father immigrated from Holland to Canada during the
first decade of the twentieth century. He built a cabin on the plains of
Alberta. TenBroek's mother arrived in Canada on a bride ship and married
tenBroek senior the day they met. When Jacobus was seven, he and a friend
made themselves bows and arrows. They used a piece of burlap with a hole in
the center as a target. Tragically, Jacobus put his eye to the hole from
behind the target at the very moment that his friend shot an arrow and hit
the bull's eye for the first time that day. Young tenBroek lost that eye
immediately and the other a few years later from sympathetic ophthalmia.
Reading that story moved me so much that I decided to join the organization
that he had founded and was now the president of, the National Federation
of the Blind. I wrote to the Berkeley office to subscribe to the Blind
American and received a warm acknowledgement from Dr. tenBroek's wife
Hazel.
TenBroek's family had moved to California when Jacobus was young
because Canada had no provisions for educating blind children. Jacobus was
enrolled in the California School for the Blind, where Dr. Newel Perry was
a remarkable teacher. Many of my blind friends had been taught by Doctor
when they were students at the school. Muzzy Marcellino recalled that Dr.
Perry carried a ruler around and did not hesitate to whack the hand of any
student who he considered deserved it. Dr. tenBroek reported that, when Dr.
Perry visited his parents, he warned them not to treat Jacobus as if he
were blind. He should be expected to get up, dress, make his bed, and do
any chores assigned to him.
I became an active member of the local chapter and decided to learn
Braille. One day I overheard a member, Audrey Hebner, telling friends that
her children could not understand why she could not read their print
storybooks to them. She wished out loud that someone would put Braille on
the pages so that she could read the books. I went home that day and
duplicated some of my own children's books and placed Braille on the pages.
I gave Audrey the books, and immediately other parents asked me to make
books for them as well.
At that time Dr. tenBroek was president of the American Brotherhood
for the Blind (ABB). The organization had become pretty inactive, but it
still had about $5,000 in its treasury. Some members approached Dr.
tenBroek about my print/Braille books, a project that interested Mrs.
tenBroek. Dr. tenBroek sent Kenneth Jernigan down to interview me. When I
mentioned that Audrey Hebner had given me the idea, he commented that they
had gone to school together at the Tennessee School for the Blind and that
there had been very few Braille books for the children to read. It seems
fitting that decades later our print/Braille library was renamed the
Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children. Jumping forward many years,
one day I answered the phone at the Tarzana office and took down a request
from a grandmother who wanted some Twin Vision books to read to her
grandchildren. She gave her name as Audrey Hebner. I asked excitedly if she
were the Audrey Hebner who had given me the idea for Twin Vision books, and
she was. We talked for a long time, and I gave her the news that Dr.
Jernigan was gravely ill. She called him immediately, and the old friends
talked for an hour.
At any rate, Dr. tenBroek decided that creating print/Braille books
was a worthy project for the ABB to undertake; it just needed a name. My
suggestions were "Dots for Tots," "Double Vision," and "Twin Vision." We
settled on this final name, and it is now trademarked.
During those early years of my involvement with the NFB, I did a lot
of driving for the organization. Efforts were being made to organize up
toward Santa Barbara. Many blind people had just given up, but a few were
interested in changing things. I drove Tim McGinnis, Tony Mannino, and once
even Perry Sundquist to monthly meetings.
One of the people I drove was Ms. Cruz Blackburn. She was a special
friend of Frances Blend, who had founded the Frances Blend School for the
Blind in Los Angeles. The three of us had lunch together one day, and they
told this story: Ms. Blend was researching the addresses of blind children
in Los Angeles. She made an appointment to talk with one mother who did not
want it known that she had a blind daughter. So, knowing the time of the
appointment, the mother put little Cruz under the bed, which was in sight
of the living room. When Ms. Blend asked about a blind child in the
household and began describing how wonderful a school for blind children
would be, suddenly two little arms began waving from under the bed as a
child emerged shouting, "I want to go to school; I want to go to school."
When Jacobus tenBroek died on March 27, 1968, I received a telegram
with the sad news. Because he and the Federation had made a profound
difference in my life, I decided to attend the funeral. Hazel tenBroek's
father, a rabbi, conducted the service. The procession of cars driving to
the cemetery was very long. The grave was at one edge, and no grass was yet
growing on any of that rough ground. I stood at the foot of the casket as
it was lowered into the grave. I looked down and saw a small flat stone on
the ground in front of me as though Dr. tenBroek were standing on it. I
picked the stone up and took it home and kept it on my desk until I
presented it to President Maurer. The sign I made for it to lie on says in
print and Braille, "Built on a rock, the movement stands." When Dr. Maurer
accepted the stone, he told me that he would have it displayed in a safe
place in the tenBroek Library, where I presume it now resides. After the
funeral Mrs. tenBroek invited people to her home for conversation. She
mentioned that their great Dane would stand beside her bed each night with
his head just where Dr. tenBroek's head would have lain. She somehow felt
as if she were being watched over.
At an NFB of California convention sometime later, Mrs. tenBroek
talked to me about her husband's death. She was standing outside his
hospital room waiting to return to his bedside when a nurse came out and
rather abruptly announced, "Mr. tenBroek has expired."
When I marveled at his willingness to trust me when I was so green,
that he even let me make mistakes, she paid me the most meaningful
compliment I have ever received.
She said quietly, "He knew his people."
Because of Dr. tenBroek's foresight and support, my Twin Vision books
have grown into many other things, and as a result this is a better world,
not only for the blind, but for the sighted world in which they live.
----------
Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children
February 28, 2011
from The Zine Line
From the Editor: reproduced here is a notice from The Zine Line, a
newsletter from then Councilman Dennis P. Zine of Los Angeles, California.
At a special gathering last Monday Mrs. Jean Dyon Norris was
recognized for her decades of service and outstanding contributions as
director of the Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children in Tarzana.
Also in attendance and flying in from Baltimore, Maryland, was Dr. Marc
Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind (<www.nfb.org>)
and executive director of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and
Adults (<www.actionfund.org>), who recognized the retiring director for her
exceptional contributions and partnership. Mrs. Norris is credited for
inventing the Twin Vision (print/Braille) format that, according to
incoming Director Ms. Lucille Abbazia, enables a blind parent to read to a
sighted child and also allows a blind child to follow, therefore reducing
barriers in reading lessons.
The Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children provides reading
materials to children and young adults and is run mainly by volunteers who
help in all aspects of the library's operations. The library does not sell
books, nor does it operate like a traditional walk-in library, but
exclusively mails Braille books free of charge to either the reader's home
or school by calling the library at (818) 343-3219. For more information
about this and other services or to volunteer, please visit
<www.actionfund.org>.
Thank you, Mrs. Jean Dyon Norris, for your wonderful contributions,
and we wish incoming Director Ms. Lucille Abbazia the best in her new
position.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Joanne Wilson]
Calling in the Cars
by Joanne Wilson
From the Editor: Joanne Wilson is a longtime Federationist who has
served with distinction in many capacities whenever the organization has
asked or whenever she has seen an unmet need. She went to Louisiana and
transformed our affiliate from a brooding, fighting, and suspicious group
dominated by localitis and an us-and-them mentality into one of our most
dynamic affiliates. She founded the Louisiana Center for the Blind, served
as the head of the Rehabilitation Services Administration under President
George W. Bush, and currently serves as the director of affiliate
development for the National Federation of the Blind. Like the rest of us
she is putting a lot of effort into figuring out how to fund the programs
we operate that are essential in advancing the agenda of blind people. Here
is what she has to say about a new weapon in our fundraising arsenal:
The National Federation of the Blind always steps up to get the job
done. Many affiliates are actively working to assist in finding new
financial support for our national movement, and we have just launched a
new program that should allow each of our affiliates to make a difference.
The National Federation of the Blind has launched a vehicle donation
program which allows us to accept car donations anywhere in the United
States. Our national office and our affiliates have been turning car
donations away because we have not had an effective program for managing
these donations and turning them into cash for the organization. We have
now solved this problem, and we need your help to take advantage of this
opportunity.
After extensive research the Federation has made an agreement with
Vehicles for Charity to process our car donations. Besides cars we also
accept vans, RVs, motorcycles, dirt bikes, boats, trucks, and tractors.
However, it is up to us to capture the donors by promoting the fact that we
can accept vehicle donations and finding creative ways to get the word out.
I am asking you to take some immediate steps to help with this effort:
1. Spread the word in your affiliate that the NFB is now accepting
vehicle donations. Encourage members to send all referrals to the page
on our website <www.nfb.org/vehicledonations> or to our toll-free
vehicle donation number, (855) 659-9314.
2. Consider placing information in your newsletters and other
publications.
3. Promote this in your social media channels.
4. Consider volunteering to help your affiliate president if you are
looking for this kind of opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the
movement. We need Federationists who can find creative ways to get the
word out and who will uncover opportunities to promote this throughout
the country.
5. Share with me ideas you have about how we can get the word out about
this program.
As we move into spring, we will be building this program and providing
you with more details, including supporting materials. We are starting with
the tried and true Federation local outreach to get the word out. As we
build success with this venture, we will have the capacity to consider
other forms of promotion such as advertising. Consider this notion: If
fifty-one of our affiliates (unfortunately we cannot operate the program in
Puerto Rico) generate ten referrals with an average donation value of $500,
we are talking about better than $250,000. This is easily within our
capacity in 2013. Maryland has already generated one donation, and all we
did was answer the phone and have the ability to say, "Yes, we can take
your donation," rather than turning it away. Imagine what we can do with
some Federation creativity and enthusiasm. Let's start calling in the cars!
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Robert Kingett with his trusty laptop]
My Constant Search for Accessibility
by Robert Kingett
From the Editor: Robert Kingett is a film critic, performing arts
critic, and motivational speaker living in Chicago. He has cerebral palsy,
is blind, and is a technology enthusiast. The screen-reading program he
reviews is quite impressive. It is fast and easy to use and comes at no
cost to blind people, although donations are requested for its support. As
a former computer programmer I feel strongly that it is just as important
to compensate intellectual activity as it is physical effort. I also
believe that, when we are asking for specialized software and hardware, our
small numbers will likely require some additional cost to meet our needs.
Nevertheless, I have left in Robert's comments that make it clear he
believes most screen readers are significantly overpriced and beyond the
ability of many blind people and the agencies that serve them to purchase.
Here is what he says:
The constant search for equal access has plagued my life even though I
live in a day and age when technology and digital material are ubiquitous.
I remember the computer classes in high school back in 2006, where I'd
wonder why schools for the blind such as mine didn't have the latest
versions of the screen readers on the market. I understood the reason after
looking at the price of the screen reader my school used called Window-
Eyes, developed by GW Micro. I didn't understand about industry prices, so
I felt what they call sticker shock at the individual price for blind
people to use computers to do our schoolwork. $1,250 was, in many cases,
equal to the cost of the actual computer used to run the screen reader and
far in excess of most other software we were using.
Thinking there must be an alternative, I wondered why my school didn't
turn to Freedom Scientific. With a bit of research on my part, I was sadly
surprised to find that its screen-reading software cost $895, still quite
expensive from my point of view. I couldn't understand why blind people had
to pay such a high price just to look at a screen, something that sighted
people did every day without any money out of their pocket.
I didn't see either of these commercial alternatives as practical, so
I turned to a Google search to seek out a free screen reader. I found one
that I happily use today, the free, open source screen reader developed by
NV Access, called NVDA-Non-visual Desktop Access. NVDA is the most feature-
rich free screen reader that I have found. This software is updated
frequently as evidenced by its publicly available list of changes and
enhancements.
Providing feedback through synthetic speech and Braille, NVDA allows
blind and visually impaired people to access and interact with the Windows
operating system and many third-party applications. I was immediately
hooked and soon began installing NVDA everywhere that I could-on my
school's laptops, on my desktop at home, and even on a USB flash drive in
case I needed to use a computer at the library. Now, for the first time, I
didn't have to worry about computers having JAWS or Window-Eyes. I had
accessibility in my pocket.
One impressive fact about NVDA is its support for multiple languages.
I have a firm belief that it is important that people anywhere in the
world, no matter what language they speak, get equal access to technology.
Besides English, NVDA has been translated into thirty-six languages,
including Afrikaans, Albanian, Arabic, Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian,
Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, Galician, Georgian,
German, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian,
Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovak, Spanish, Swedish,
Tamil, Thai, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Turkish, Ukrainian, and
Vietnamese.
In addition to providing its messages and its interface in many
languages, NVDA also enables users to read content in any language, as long
as they have speech synthesizers that can speak that language. NVDA is
bundled with eSpeak, a free, open-source, multi-lingual speech synthesizer.
Additionally, it can use both SAPI 4 and SAPI 5 speech engines to provide
speech output, and with an add-on NVDA can now speak with the ETI-Eloquence
synthesizer.
Governmental and private rehabilitation agencies for the blind have
traditionally had to purchase expensive screen-access software, but, when I
was asked if I wanted a commercial screen reader, I said no. I believe that
accessibility should be inclusive and not determined by one's financial
status. I've been a user of NVDA for many years, and the one thing that
really attracts me to this screen reader is that it is not driven by
profit, nor is it constrained by a need to follow market trends and
demands. This allows for the freedom to research, experiment with, and
implement new and innovative techniques to improve accessibility for blind
and visually impaired users, as well as enabling features desirable to
minorities within the blind community that aren't met by commercial
offerings.
Since NVDA debuted in 2006, it has blossomed into a fluid and
efficient screen reader, now complete with user-created add-on support
developed both by NV Access and by the community. This means that
contributions to its evolution can come from anyone who knows how to
program. Any blind person with a Windows-based computer can use NVDA
because it runs on both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems starting with
Microsoft Windows XP and continuing through Windows 8. NVDA has no
additional hardware requirements and needs only fifty megabytes of disk
space. Since NVDA doesn't rely on any specially installed display driver to
retrieve information, this gives it an advantage over several of the
traditional screen readers, which install software that sometimes conflicts
with factory-provided software and hardware. When one is using Mozilla
applications, NVDA improves the reading flow. The wide range of screen-
reading settings in the options menu is a nice touch, and so are the easily
accessible menus that don't overburden computer resources. The best news of
all is that, if you use the portable NVDA release on a USB stick, your
voices and settings travel with you, so you can make any computer your own
by simply inserting your flash drive.
When people ask about NVDA, they are often interested in how it
compares to JAWS for Windows. As originally packaged, NVDA possesses fewer
features than JAWS, but a quick search query using "NVDA add-ons" in Google
will present free opportunities to expand NVDA's capabilities. Add-ons give
NVDA the ability to use optical character recognition (OCR), to track
changes in Microsoft Word, to use the popular Team Viewer software for
sharing screens and keyboards with other users, and to track weather around
the world without the difficulty of navigating websites that are not user-
friendly for screen reader users. Two websites that offer add-ons are:
http://stormdragon.us/nvda/ and http://addons.nvda-project.org/.
Using NVDA isn't hard at all. For the most part it uses the JAWS for
Windows desktop keyboard layout. However, in a recent update, support for
laptop keyboards has changed, and those who prefer the traditional desktop
keyboard experience should not use it.
Since NVDA is receiving sponsorship from Mozilla Corporation and Adobe
Systems, NVDA works best using those platforms, but it is quite flexible.
It works just fine with Internet Explorer. The instant messengers that NVDA
works with out of the box are Yahoo! Messenger and Miranda IM, a small,
universal instant messenger client. Microsoft Office compatibility is quite
good, with support for PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and all other suites.
Of course, as with most open-source software, you get what you put
into it. Users who want to have more features included in the next release
should donate to the project and should make known the features they want
to see in the next version. NVDA has traditionally upgraded three times a
year, with over twenty new enhancements and thirty bug fixes in each
release, all heavily detailed in a revision history. While NVDA doesn't
have as many document formatting detection features as the most current
release of JAWS 14, I'm sure that, with programmers and scripters who are
enthusiastic about creating the newest and best, someone will incorporate
these features into the upcoming releases of NVDA.
Obviously NVDA's strength is customization that is community driven,
but it isn't without its faults. If you're a low-vision user like me and
you choose to turn off NVDA while using Internet Explorer, turning it back
on again will cause your session to crash, and you will once again have to
navigate to the Internet site and page you were using.
A few years ago, while I was listening to a podcast about inclusion
and accessibility, I dreamed of a day when we would have universal PC
accessibility. For a while I believed that equal access on a Windows
machine could never happen. I believed that we Windows users would simply
have to envy people who were rich enough to afford Macs. NVDA gives the
Windows user screen access without the need to spend hundreds of dollars on
adaptive software, and shows that the needs of users can actually drive the
development of screen access software.
NVDA isn't the perfect solution for everyone, and it isn't as feature-
rich in functionality as other screen readers on the market today, but it's
my top pick. I am so sold on this program that I have every computer at my
college's computer lab equipped with NVDA. It has saved the school a few
dollars, and it opens up many doors for new blind students who attend
there.
A few years ago equal and affordable access was something I only
dreamed about, but today, thanks to NVDA, I can enjoy the world that has
been opened to me by services such as Bookshare, Learning Ally, and NLS
BARD. If I ever need to remind myself of those long ago days when we had to
beg our state rehabilitation agency for the blind to pay a huge sum of
money just so we could write a college essay, all I have to do is reach
down into my pocket and curl my fingers around a flash drive that, through
the determination of a few developers, harnesses the technology to allow me
to walk up to any Windows PC, even at a library, and show the world what
universal computer accessibility really means.
----------
From the President's Mail Basket
From the Editor: One of the major tasks undertaken by the president
of the National Federation of the Blind is managing the hundreds of letters
and emails that arrive each month and that must be appropriately directed
or responded to personally. Sometimes these letters are routine
acknowledgements, sometimes letters of appreciation, and sometimes letters
clearly articulating NFB policy. The letter reproduced below definitely
falls into the latter category, uses compelling language to argue for
accessibility, and begins to answer the question frequently asked following
our protest at Amazon headquarters: "What's next?"
Marc Maurer, President
National Federation of the Blind
Baltimore, Maryland
Sent via first class mail and email
March 11, 2013
Betsy Landers, President
Eric Hargis, Executive Director
National Parent Teacher Association
Alexandria, Virginia
RE: Amazon's Sponsorship of the National PTA's Family Reading Experience
Program
Dear Ms. Landers and Mr. Hargis:
It has come to my attention that your organization has selected
Amazon as the exclusive sponsor of your new Family Reading Experience
program. While the aspirations of this program are noble, you should know
that the use of Kindle e-books will seriously compromise the education of
children who are blind or have other print disabilities. This is so
because, unlike other e-books, Kindle e-books do not afford children with
print disabilities the same reading and learning experience as their fellow
students. As a result local PTAs that accept donations of Kindle devices or
encourage the use of Kindle e-books in their schools will, as detailed in
this letter, be helping to put those schools in violation of federal law.
In today's world equal opportunity requires equal access to
information. Unlike print, digital information is not inherently visual; it
can be made available visually, aurally, and tactilely all at the same time
and from the same original digital source. Thus digital information can be
the great equalizer, offering mainstream access to all, without regard to
whether the reader has a sensory disability. For decades the blind have
used a variety of technologies to make e-books accessible. To read
electronic texts, blind students use either text-to-speech software that
vocalizes the words, letters, and characters on a page or a refreshable
Braille display that renders the words, letters, and characters into
Braille. Fortunately a number of technology developers and content
providers have designed their products and services to put sighted and
blind users on an equal footing. With the advent of commercial e-books some
developers, including Apple iBooks and Blio books, have made their e-books
and reading applications accessible so that everyone, including blind
students and others with print disabilities, can read and use them
effectively.
Unfortunately Amazon is not such a company. It has made a conscious
decision to exclude the blind from reading and studying with its Kindle e-
books. Among other barriers blind students using Kindle e-books cannot (1)
read character by character and thus learn to spell, punctuate, and
distinguish homophones; (2) navigate usefully through the text of a Kindle
e-book to keep up with the rest of the class; (3) interact with the Kindle
e-book's content through the dictionary, highlighting, search, or note-
taking features; or (4) access any content in Braille through their
refreshable Braille displays. In sum, blind students attempting to use
Kindle e-books are effectively precluded from developing phonological
awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary, which are the
stated goals of your Family Reading Experience program.
To illustrate the barriers Kindle e-books create, I have attached a
chart to this letter showing the various functions that Kindle e-books
offer sighted students and deny blind students. The chart reflects the best
access Amazon offers, using a Kindle Keyboard (also called Kindle 3G) or
using the Kindle for PC with Accessibility Plugin to read Kindle e-books.
All other devices and platforms for reading Kindles are completely
inaccessible. By way of comparison, the attached chart also shows other
reading platforms, such as iBooks, that offer blind students all of the
functions that Amazon reserves for the sighted. For your convenience we
have also tied those features to the Common Core State Standards to
demonstrate specifically how the access barriers of Kindle e-books inhibit
blind students' educational opportunities. [Editor's note: The chart
discussed previously was reproduced in full in the February 2013 issue of
the Monitor.] In short, although blind readers do have some rudimentary
access to Kindle e-books when using platforms that permit that rudimentary
access, it is not nearly enough [access] to use the books for anything but
the most casual reading, much less the intense, challenging reading that
characterizes the academic environment.
Hence the implementation of Kindle e-books proposed by the Family
Reading Experience program will relegate students with print disabilities
to second-class status and unnecessarily exclude them from benefiting from
the program's goals and objectives.
Moreover, the limitations of Kindle e-books will inhibit print-disabled
children from developing those grade-appropriate reading skills that are
set forth by the Common Core State Standards and that are vigorously
advocated by your organization.
Not only does the use of Kindle e-books in the public school
classroom inhibit the educational development of print-disabled students,
it is also a violation of federal law. This is so because use of Kindle e-
books discriminates against students with print disabilities by denying
them equal access to educational programs.
Under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504
of the Rehabilitation Act, public schools must not deny students with
disabilities the benefits of their programs and activities. Therefore
public schools that choose to use Kindle e-books will be violating federal
law, and PTA organizations that encourage the use of Kindle e-books in
their local schools will be assisting those schools in that violation.
In 2009 and 2010, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education
resolved complaints against five postsecondary schools that used the
inaccessible Kindle DX e-reader device in their classrooms with agreements
that required these schools not to purchase any e-reader device for their
classrooms or require use of any device unless or until such electronic
book reader is fully accessible to individuals with visual impairments. An
electronic book reader is fully accessible only if all uses of the device
that are available to individuals without disabilities are available to
individuals with visual impairments in a manner which ensures that its use
in the university setting is equally effective for individuals with visual
impairments as it is for others. In 2010 the Departments of Justice and
Education jointly issued a letter to the postsecondary educational
community, explaining that, when it comes to e-book readers and e-book
content, equal access is the law. In 2011 the Department of Education again
made clear that elementary and secondary schools likewise must refrain from
using technology that will deny students with disabilities equal access.
If we can further assist you in understanding which e-books and e-
book platforms are accessible and compliant with federal and state law, or
provide further information about the deficiencies of Kindle e-books,
please do not hesitate to contact us. The National Federation of the Blind,
whose 50,000 members comprise not only blind people of all ages and
backgrounds but also parents of blind children and others who support equal
opportunity for blind Americans, has as its ultimate goal the complete
integration of the blind into society on an equal basis with our sighted
peers. We are fortunate to live in an age in which that ideal has been
written into law.
Amazon's deliberate choice to scorn that ideal and ignore the needs
of blind readers does not give public schools a free pass to discriminate
on the basis of disability by purchasing and using Kindle e-books in their
classrooms. Nor should your organization be party to such discrimination.
Your position statements emphasize the special needs of underserved
populations including children with disabilities, and you have assumed the
role of being a powerful voice for all children. We look forward to your
cooperation in this matter and are confident you will raise your powerful
voice in support of the rights of our nation's blind and print-disabled
students.
Sincerely,
Marc Maurer, President
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Reuben Hernandez walking confidently with his cane.]
A Blind Senior's Journey to Independence
by Diane McGeorge
From the Editor: Diane McGeorge is a Federationist who probably needs
no introduction. She has been in the Federation since the 1950s, served on
the national board of directors, been a national officer, served as the
president of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, and founded
the Colorado Center for the Blind (CCB). Now she works as a volunteer in
the Center's Senior Program.
One of my volunteer jobs in the Federation is serving as a member of
the board of directors of the CCB. At a recent in-person meeting of the
board I was invited to sit in on a meeting of the Senior Program, where I
heard the story Diane McGeorge recounts here. I was so impressed that I
asked Diane to work with Ruben Hernandez to put it on paper. Here is what
she has written:
At our training centers we are often asked what students do during
training time and what they do in their off hours. The premise of the
question, of course, is that there is distinct school time and off time,
and, although the Colorado Center for the Blind does have training hours,
the division between off and training time is not obvious-learning at the
CCB is always happening, and this is the beauty of a program in which a job
is more than a job and one in which staff and students together are
involved in life-changing experiences.
Ruben Hernandez is an enthusiastic student who participates in the
CCB's senior program. His vision loss started when he was an active member
of the United States Marine Corps, and after about ten pairs of glasses,
each improving for a time what he could see, he was finally discharged.
Following his time in the service he became a general contractor, building
dry cleaning establishments. This meant performing and supervising work
done involving plumbing, electrical wiring, steam fitting, concrete work,
roofing, venting-anything that had to do with constructing buildings he
did. He also trained and hired his sons, nephews, and brothers-in-law, who
all worked for him in the business.
When his sight got so bad he could no longer drive, he hired a driver.
Still he was the boss and made the decisions and assignments, and most of
the people for whom he worked never realized he couldn't see. Occasionally
awkward situations would arise when he would run into a closed door or try
walking through a window, but these he laughed off by letting people think
he had had a bit too much to drink the night before or by convincing them
he was deep in thought working to solve a complicated design problem.
In his mid-sixty's Ruben decided he had lost enough sight that he
needed some help. Six years ago he went to the Western Blind Rehabilitation
Center run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Scheduled there for six
weeks, he left after three because he was told he was suffering from
lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes), that he had about a year to live, and
that he should spend that time with his family. Sadly, the man who gave him
that advice died four years ago; but Ruben is alive and well after two lung
surgeries.
Wanting to learn how to type so he could use a computer, believing he
could use more training to deal with his decreasing vision, and always on
the lookout for activities to stimulate his mind and keep him active, Ruben
signed up for the Seniors' Program at the Colorado Center for the Blind.
Like the programs for younger adults, the Senior Program teaches cane
travel, Braille, and daily living skills. Ruben was an enthusiastic
participant in all of these, and, though he has memorable stories about his
formal training and his interaction with other students, the story I want
to share is about the day after Thanksgiving when Ruben forgot that the
Center would be closed and dutifully reported for class.
Still in the holiday spirit, Ruben starts his Friday morning by
reporting to the CCB for senior training. He is sure there will be some
kind of Thanksgiving celebration, and the good food and fellowship offer
great promise that this will be a memorable day. At this point he has no
idea just how memorable it will turn out to be.
When Ruben arrives at the building, he is surprised to find the main
doors locked. Undeterred, he goes to the doors on the kitchen side and
finds they too are secured, with no evidence of anyone in the building.
Worrying that perhaps he has been wrong in assuming the Center will be open
for business, he makes a search of the parking lot and finds it empty.
Since this is Denver, he has a fresh snow to contend with, and under
it the ever-treacherous ice. Stepping off the curb, Ruben begins sliding
uncontrollably downhill and crashes face-first into a ten-foot snow bank
created by the snowplows that cleaned the street and the parking lot. After
getting up and dusting himself off, he has to find his cane. Where it has
gone is not immediately apparent, but eventually he discovers that the snow
bank that threatened to swallow him has captured it. Once rescued, together
they go in search of more adventure.
Deciding he might as well go back home, Ruben sets off for the light
rail. Public transportation is still new to him, but he prefers it to the
paratransit and other door-to-door services that have left him waiting
while appointment times come and go. He likes the control that taking the
bus and the train give him. They run on schedule, which means he runs on
schedule, and for Ruben punctuality and self-reliance are what it means to
be independent.
As he starts down the steps to the train, he can just make out its
approach. Throwing caution to the wind, he increases his speed, pays less
attention than he should to what his cane is telling him, and trips down
the last two steps leading to the car. This time, when he picks himself up,
he finds he has torn pants, sore knees, and a concerned driver who waits
until Ruben is on board and seated.
But Ruben's problems aren't over simply because he has reached the
relative safety of the train car-it is warm, it is dry, but it soon becomes
apparent to Ruben that it is going in the wrong direction and is not
getting him closer to home. He ends up at Mineral Station. As Ruben sits
there rubbing his knees and looking at his torn pants, the conductor comes
along and announces that this car has reached the end of the line. Deciding
that the train will eventually turn around and take him back in the
direction he needs to go, Ruben waits for the car to move. In a while it
does, but soon he hears the announcement that the train he is riding is
Train C bound for Union Station, not his destination; he needs to go to
Auraria. Getting his bearings, Ruben exits at Englewood and decides to
catch the next train. When it comes by, he asks if it goes up by the
college, is told that it does, boards the train, and again hears a
troublesome announcement: this train is headed for the depot. All of his
questioning and planning have once again gotten him on the C train, so at
Alameda he exits and waits.
When the next car arrives, he asks a fellow passenger if this train
goes to the college, is told that it does, boards the car, drifts off into
thoughts about this most eventful day, and doesn't pay attention to where
he is. Jarred out of his reflections when a fellow passenger tells him he
has arrived at the college, Ruben jumps off the train, looks around, and
soon concludes he is not at Colfax but some place entirely unfamiliar.
Remembering what he has heard about the value of asking questions, Ruben
decides his best source of information will come from inquiring about his
location from passing cars on the street. He approaches stopped vehicles
for information and finds them unwilling to open their windows and engage
in conversation. "This is Denver, and I think they have the idea I want to
attack them," he says. Finally someone cracks a window about an inch, and
he asks where Colfax is. He is told that it is on the other side of the
college and that he must travel through the campus to get where he wants to
go. He knows no landmarks; pedestrian campuses offer fewer of them than
traditional streets, and this is the day after Thanksgiving, so no students
will be there to offer helpful directions. Add to all of this an overcast
sky that means it is getting darker and making it harder for Ruben to use
what little vision he has, and you begin to get a picture of what he refers
to as "quite a little challenge."
With only one alternative open to him, Ruben starts his trek across
campus, realizing that, though he has been proudly carrying his cane, he
has only a few weeks of instruction and that most of the teaching he has
received has come from the VA and the rolling canes they assigned their
students. He now holds an NFB cane, but he is still so new to training that
instruction in its use is still sometime in the future. Eventually he comes
to a major street, sees a light off to his right, proceeds to the end of
the block, and meets a girl on a bicycle asking if he needs help. He tells
her he needs to find the bus stop on Colfax. She tells him he is on Colfax,
that he is close to the bus stop, and that she will be glad to show him
where it is.
Ruben catches the bus; he takes it to Pierce; and, when he gets off,
he now finds it is completely dark-not overcast dark, but night-time dark.
Never has he traveled by himself at night, always making certain that any
night trips occur in the company of someone with sight. But this is not an
option, so he decides that he must see for himself just what this cane can
tell him.
The street he is traveling is not ideal for an introductory cane
travel test. The part he must initially travel has no sidewalk, and fresh
snow is on the ground. If he ventures too far left, he runs the risk of
being hit by traffic, and if he drifts too far to the right, he will slide
down a steep embankment, which at times resembles a cliff. Swinging the
cane to the left to find a walkable path and to the right to ensure he does
not slide down the embankment, Ruben walks until he eventually reaches a
sidewalk. He finds the street crossing he needs, locates the ramp used for
entering his building, takes the elevator, finds his room, and opens his
door. He enters, drops to his knees, kisses the floor, and yells out,
"Darn, I can do this!"
Of his adventure he says, "I learned three things that day: Don't get
in a hurry-that's why I fell; pay attention to what you are doing-that's
why I got on the wrong tram; and, most important, learn to trust what you
get from that cane. I never had that confidence before. Now I'm not one to
brag, but I tell people that, if I can do it, they can do it. What they
need to do is get over their poor-me syndrome. Your eyes aren't going to
get any better, so you might as well take advantage of what time you've
got, and learn what you can. When you finally become totally blind, then
you'll know what to do. I tell people that my life has taught me that you
have to fight what you have to fight, whether it is seeing flashes from a
foxhole and hoping that the blast doesn't get you or taking on the problems
of blindness and learning how to handle them."
What I find so moving about Ruben is not just his story but the man
it reveals and the influence he has on others. He does not preach; he would
not claim to teach. But example is a tremendous teacher, and the words he
uses have meaning because they capture that example and make it come alive
for others. At the CCB we have helped Ruben, but he has been much more than
a student, amplifying what we say and what we teach in ways we could never
hope to do on our own.
One of the things I love about the Senior Program is the gratitude
that is evident in the people we serve. I'm not saying that our younger
students don't appreciate what they get from us; I am saying that they
often take the programs we have for granted, just another in the array of
services they have a right to and can expect. Perhaps this is because of
our emphasis on the strides we have made in creating laws and the services
we pledge to provide; perhaps it is because they have had to fight less to
get what they have needed. I'm no philosopher, so I'll leave it to others
to figure out why our seniors seem to be emotionally moved and spiritually
uplifted by their programs and are so willing to embrace attitudes, tools,
and techniques that give them back freedom they thought was forever lost to
them. Teach a senior he can do a thorough job cleaning his apartment, and
you have given him back the respect that comes from knowing he can invite
anyone at any time to the place he treasures and not be ashamed of how it
looks. Teach the same skill to some of our young folks, and they act like
you have saddled them with yet another unwanted chore.
In my almost sixty years in the Federation, I've been a part of many
a battle to help blind people, but nothing I've done has been more
enriching than the role I'm able to play now in helping our blind seniors.
Some of my feelings about this no doubt come from my husband Ray's love of
our Senior Program and my desire to carry it forward because of him. But
the experience of giving back the independence and self-reliance for men
and women of a generation known for both is difficult to put into words, so
I have left it to Ruben through his story to explain once again why I am
proud to be a Federationist.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: After a successful fishing trip, Gordon Chan stands
victorious on the right, while his friend Alex triumphantly displays the
day's catch in the center, with Captain Mike on the left.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Gordon fights the pull of the tuna on his line.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Gordon reels the tuna in, while Alex holds the net ready to
pull it on deck.]
Deep Sea Fishing Adventure
by Gordon Chan
From the Editor: Gordon Chan is a new Federation member who lives in
California. He has been blind since the age of four but resisted being
around other blind people because he thought he was too busy being a
husband, a father, and a businessman. He joined due to the persistence of a
friend and his own reluctantly acknowledged conviction: "My helping is long
overdue; I have been very fortunate, and it is time for me to give back."
On joining, he warned his chapter that they shouldn't expect too much of
him: "I'm pretty busy. I ski the second weekend of the month, which
conflicts with your chapter meeting, so you'll probably see me no more than
four times a year." That warning notwithstanding, Gordon now has willingly
taken on the chairmanship of the sports and activities committee and the
best in tech committee. He is also one of the most active members of the
membership committee and the fundraising committee. "I guess you could say
I went from zero to sixty pretty fast," he says.
For those of us who aren't familiar with some of the vocabulary,
Gordon has helped with the definition of a few phrases: "awww, fresh one"
means "I have hooked one." "Fish on" and "hook up" mean the same thing.
"Sawed off" means that the friction from another fisherman's line has cut
your line. Now, here is what Gordon has to say about his deep-sea fishing
adventures:
The boat trolls, or pulls tuna feathers, and the anglers wait for the
fishing reels to go off with their clickers screaming out an alarm.
Suddenly, the corner rod goes off, and someone yells "Hook up." All the
fisherman grab their fishing rods, race to the bait tank, and start
throwing out their lines with a sardine pinned to each hook. I am somewhat
slower and at a severe disadvantage in selecting the choicest bait or
finding an open spot in which to cast out. Another angler to my right yells
out "fresh one." My adrenalin starts to increase just being in the fray and
having the opportunity to fish for tuna or yellowtail. I feel my bait begin
to feed out and a slight tap; then my line begins to accelerate rapidly.
This is a critical moment because, if I try to set the hook too soon, I
will pull the hook out of the fish's mouth. I put my reel in gear; feel the
line go tight; lift my rod; and, as it begins to bend, I set the hook hard
and fast. The initial pull of the bluefin bends my rod to its limit. The
drag on my reel screams out an intoxicating whiz and hums as line is peeled
off. I yell out "fish on." My fish pulls me hard to the left, and the deck
hand yells at me to move left and follow my fish. "Go over this guy, over
another, and under the next," he instructs.
My fish then decides to pull me to the right, and this dance will
continue until I get him to the boat or he breaks off. I have been fighting
my fish for about thirty minutes, and my hands are sore and tired. The end
of the rod is jammed against my stomach, which is also beginning to become
extremely sore. Another fisherman who is fighting his own fish tells me he
needs to come under me, and, as I attempt to step back, my fish pulls hard,
and I bump him hard on his back and mutter a quick apology. I feel a
friction on my line and say, "I have a line on me." The deck hand cuts the
other person's line, and I continue to fight the fish. I ask people around
me, "Do you see color?"
Someone says, "You have deep color." I ask the deck hand for the gaff,
and he coaches me to stop reeling and lifts the beast onto the deck where I
hear his tail flapping the deck. "That's a nice one," someone exclaims.
And my friend confirms this by saying, "What a beauty! That's about a
thirty-eight-pound bluefin."
The action continues all around me as I hear another "hook up," and
"awwww, fresh one."
The deck hand says, "You are clear, so grab another bait and get it
out there."
For the next three hours we are in a wide-open bite, and the entire
boat is filled with running feet, flapping tails, and the laughter of happy
anglers. Intermixed with the excitement are some groans of disappointment
and outright cursing. I can tell that some fish are sawed off and others
have broken the anguished angler's line. Tuna fishing is among the most
challenging, and bluefin can be some of the most line shy or finicky when
it comes to bait presentation.
Being totally blind has not stopped me from learning all about deep
sea fishing. I have learned about different hook types and sizes and what
weight of line to match to the hook in relation to the bait. I have
gathered knowledge about the different types, lengths, and composites of
rods; when to fly line; and when to use a sliding weight or a torpedo
weight. Each species of fish requires a different game plan. I have caught
calico bass, barracuda, halibut, white sea bass, yellowtail, dorado, Wahoo
yellowfin tuna, albacore tuna, and bluefin tuna.
The captain steers the nose of the boat out of the harbor. He
increases throttle, and the diesels begin to hum. I feel the sun and the
sea breeze on my face. A slow smile lights up my face as the realization
comes over me that once again I am chasing the tuna. I am deep sea fishing,
and this is a joy I hope my example and this article can bring other blind
people to share.
----------
No Limits!
2013 National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) Conference
for Families and Teachers
by Carlton Walker
From the Editor: One activity that makes our convention unique is the
annual program sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children. No other conference in the world does as much to provide
programming for blind children and their parents. Here is the list of
activities they will enjoy this summer in Orlando:
Shortly after my daughter Anna Catherine turned three, an
ophthalmologist told me that she was legally blind and had central vision
loss. I was surprised, but I was not particularly worried. At that point I
had not noticed any evidence of her visual impairment. Besides, blindness
was nothing compared to what she had already faced.
Anna Catherine's first year of life had been filled with multiple
hospitalizations, endless painful procedures, and tube feeding through a
port in her stomach. Just before her first Christmas, her doctors warned us
that our nine month old might not live another year. They said we would be
lucky if she lived to be five or six years old. Thankfully they were wrong
about her diagnosis, but Anna still had much to overcome. When she was one
year old, she was finally strong enough to begin the physical milestones of
infancy such as rolling over and sitting up. Shortly after her second
birthday a month-long stay at a feeding clinic taught her how to swallow.
She spent the next year trying new foods and liquids, and we went a whole
twelve months without a visit to a hospital emergency room.
Thus, even though I was not expecting the legal-blindness diagnosis,
I was not really worried. Anna acted just like most three-year-olds.
Nevertheless, I began to research what this term "legally blind" meant. I
found out that central vision loss can significantly impair one's ability
to read print. I wondered whether she should start learning Braille. I
wondered what her future would hold.
I soon found, however, that many people thought my ideas about
Braille were simply wrong. Anna's ophthalmologists and optometrists
downplayed my thoughts about her using Braille, "She should be able to read
print, so she won't need Braille." Anna's educators conveyed a certainty
that she would not be a candidate for Braille. They told me that she would
need large print (thirty-six- to forty-eight-point font) and as a result
would be a slower reader. I wondered why these people who said she didn't
need Braille were telling me about what she couldn't do because of her
limited vision. Wouldn't Braille help?
Even in our own family no one seemed eager to admit that Anna's life
would be affected in any way by "her eye issues." My husband retreated from
any talk about Braille or canes, while other family members expressed great
sadness about her vision. One close family member was downright hostile and
even forbade me from saying the "B" word-blind-in front of Anna.
Despite all this, eventually I knew that my little girl needed more
than she was getting. I noticed that Anna was not as independent as her
peers. My fearless toddler was becoming a fearful preschooler. One day,
while walking home from the library, I made Anna let go of her fierce grip
on my hand. None of the other children at the library story hour held their
parents' hands as tightly. Two steps later, Anna walked right into a
telephone pole and ended up with a walnut-sized lump in the middle of her
forehead. I immediately felt terrible and went back to holding her hand all
the time. It seemed that her limited vision was truly going to limit her.
Fortunately, through a series of coincidences, I found out about the
National Federation of the Blind and a conference being held in just a few
weeks. Somehow my husband agreed to take off work to go to this conference
for parents and blind kids-even though he knew that Anna wasn't one.
In May 2005, at that conference in Baltimore, Maryland, everything
changed. We met successful blind adults who showed us that blindness was
not the tragedy we had been led to believe. We heard that blindness skills
could "reduce blindness to the level of a physical nuisance." We learned
that our little girl need not be defined by her visual acuity or her visual
field. Before the conference we had believed that the amount of vision Anna
had would determine how far she would go in life. Instead we began to
understand that having the skills to do the task at hand, not level of
vision, would be the most accurate predictor of future success for our
young daughter.
At that 2005 conference I also came to know the National Organization
of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC). In addition to successful blind
adults we had the support of parents from all over the nation. While each
family has its own story, we remain together in believing that our children
can be as successful and as independent as they would be with full sight.
With the help of successful blind adults, our children are reducing
blindness to the level of a physical nuisance and tearing down the
artificial vision-focused barriers erected by others.
Now, as NOPBC president, I have the great honor and pleasure of
welcoming you to our No Limits conference. No Limits means sharing
information, ideas, and dreams. No Limits means mastering the skills needed
for independence and self-determination. No Limits means the amount of
eyesight our children have will not be the determining factor in how far
they go in life. No Limits!
The thirtieth annual NOPBC conference, No Limits, will take place
from Monday, July 1, to Saturday, July 6, 2013, at the national convention
of the National Federation of the Blind in Orlando, Florida, at the Rosen
Centre Hotel. We look forward to seeing you at our full-day seminar on
Monday and at our many activities, listed below, which continue all week.
Preregister (forms below) or register on-site in Orlando. Hope to see you
there.
No Limits!
2013 NOPBC CONFERENCE
Schedule of Activities for Parents, Teachers, Children, and Youth
Please Note: NOPBC children's activities will take place in NFB child
care throughout the week. Be sure to register your child for child care.
(NFB child care has separate registration and fees-see the article in the
April issue.)
MONDAY, JULY 1: Full-Day Seminar for Parents and Teachers
7:30 AM to 8:45 AM-Registration
9:00 AM to 10:45 AM-General Session
Welcome-Carlton Walker, president, NOPBC
Kid Talk with Dr. Marc Maurer-Kids get a chance to speak to the
president of the National Federation of the Blind about anything on
their minds.
No Limits!-Anil Lewis, director of advocacy and policy, National
Federation of the Blind
Braille Readers Are Leaders Recognition
Life without Limits-Dr. Jessica Ewell, opera singer; Lindsay
Yazzolino, MIT cognitive neuroscience researcher
No Limits for These Kids!-The students speak.
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM-NOPBC Children's Activity Music and Movement with
Conchita Hernandez, special educator (ages 5-12, in NFB child care)
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM-NFB Youth Track Session (ages 11-18)
Sponsored by NFB Jernigan Institute
Children who would like to take part in the Kid Talk with Dr. Maurer
and Youth Track participants will begin the day in the general
session, after which they will be escorted to child care or their
activity.
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM-NOPBC Concurrent Sessions-Parents and Teachers
Access Tech: Apple Products
Come see how the accessibility of iPhone, iPad, iPod products,
accessories, and apps could work for your child/student. Instructor:
Dan Wenzel, manager, youth services, Blind Industries and Services of
Maryland (BISM). Note: This workshop repeats at 2:00 PM.
Early Childhood Language and Play
Learn how to create a stimulating environment for the development of
language and play in the young blind/visually impaired child.
Instructor: Heather Field, special educator
The Inclusive Classroom
How to set up the classroom and what the classroom teacher needs to
know for the student's full participation throughout the day.
Instructors: Denise Mackenstadt, NOMC; Kristen Sims, teacher of blind
students
Making and Understanding Raised-Line Drawings
Participants will use raised-line drawing (RLD) boards to create,
erase, and revise images through free-hand sketching and more formal
manual drawing methods needed for STEM curriculum content. Staff will
share tips for improving student ability to read RLDs by touch and
understand their content. Instructors: E.A.S.Y. LLC Staff
Social Skills for the Teen Years
Looking good, making friends, dating, and other concerns of the teen
years. Instructor: Deja Powell, cane travel teacher. Fashionista:
Garrick Scott, president, NFB of GA, and youth mentor
12:15 PM to 2:00 PM-Lunch on your own
Pick up children ASAP from NFB child care at 12:15.
1:30 to 4:30 PM-NFB Youth Track Sessions (ages 11-18)
2:00 PM-NOPBC Children's Activity Hands-on Art with Ann Cunningham, tactile
artist (ages 5-12, in NFB child care)
2:00 PM to 3:15 PM-NOPBC Concurrent Sessions-Parents and Teachers
Access Tech: Apple Products
Come see how the accessibility of iPhone, iPad, iPod products,
accessories, and apps could work for your child/student. Instructor:
Dan Wenzel, manager, youth services, Blind Industries and Services of
Maryland (BISM) (Repeat of morning session)
What's Available?
What tools and materials are available for my child's use for access
to a full education? Where can my school get them? Instructor: Eric
Guillory, director of youth services, LA Center for the Blind
Movement and Exploration for the Young Blind Child
How can you get your child moving and exploring the world? What if
your child has delays? Would a cane be good for your child? The
session will be appropriate for families with children with or without
additional disabilities. Instructor: Mary Jo Hartle, NOMC, teacher of
blind students
Aiming for Independence
Independent living skills for home, school, and community.
Instructor: Melissa Riccobono, president, NFB of MD, school counselor
The ABCs of Braille
A hands-on workshop for adults that will teach the beginning of
Braille reading and writing. Instructor: TBA
3:30 PM to 4:45 PM-NOPBC Concurrent Sessions-Parents and Teachers
Technology: Where Do I Start?
This session will explore the basics of access technology for blind/VI
children. Instructor: Jack Mendez, director of technology, LA Center
for the Blind
Social Skills for the Younger Years: Interaction and Play
How parents and teachers can facilitate the development of age-
appropriate social skills in the younger blind/VI child. Instructor:
TBA
Out and About: Independent Mobility for Your School-Aged Child
High expectations, real-life goals, and how to achieve them in
independent travel. Instructor: Denise Mackenstadt, NOMC
Self-Advocacy: A Critical Life Skill
We want our children to be able to take charge of their own lives as
adults. This workshop will explore the importance of self-advocacy and
provide suggestions for teaching children to speak up for themselves
effectively. Instructor: Arielle Silverman, doctoral student,
University of Colorado
Persuade, Negotiate, Collaborate
Choosing your battles and resolving conflict at IEP meetings so that
your child can benefit and make the most progress. Instructor: Sharon
Maneki, NFB of MD, advocate
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM-NOPBC Family Hospitality
Relax, chat, meet new families, and connect with old friends. Veteran
parents will be on hand to welcome you and provide information.
TUESDAY, JULY 2
No NFB child care on this day
7:00 AM to 8:45 AM-NOPBC Board Meeting
8:45 AM to 10:30 AM-CANE WALK Session I
11:00 AM to 12:45 PM-CANE WALK Session II
Learn and experience the structured-discovery method of travel at
these special workshops. Parents, teachers, blind children, siblings
welcome. Instructors: Jeff Altman, NOMC, and cane travel instructors
2:45 PM to 4:00 PM-NOPBC Youth Style Show
This is an opportunity for your aspiring model to take a walk down the
runway in a favorite outfit from his or her closet. Contact Kim
Cunningham at (713) 501-9659 or <kim at gulfimagesphoto.com> for more
information and to sign up.
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM-NFB Youth Track Session (ages 11-18)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 3
10:00 AM-NOPBC Children's Activity Astronaut Activities with Noreen Grice,
accessible astronomy educator (ages 6-12, in NFB child care)
11:30 AM to 12:30 PM-NFB Youth Track Session (ages 11-18)
12:45 PM-NOPBC Children's Activity Beep Kickball with Judy Byrd, Beep
Kickball Association (ages 5-12, in NFB child care). You can drop off
your child early at child care on this afternoon so that you can
attend the NOPBC annual meeting.
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM-NOPBC Annual Meeting: Options and Opportunities
Keynote address by the 2013 Distinguished Educator of Blind Children
Award winner, special guest speakers, news from NASA, cutting-edge
information on products and services, summer programs for our kids,
Parent Power, business meeting, elections, and much more
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM-Braille Book Fair
A book lover's dream! Browse tables of new and used Braille and
print/Braille books. Volunteers will box your books, and the post
office will deliver them to your home as Free Matter. Books are free;
donations are encouraged to help support our Braille
programs. Cosponsored by NOPBC and NAPUB. Coordinator: Krystal
Guillory, teacher of blind students, NFBL BELL Coordinator
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM-NFB Youth Track Activity (ages 11-18)
7:30 PM to 9:00 PM-Dads' Night Out
All dads, sighted or blind, are welcome. Call Jim Beyer at (406) 239-
2057 for location.
9:00 PM to 10:00 PM-Convention 101
Facilitated convention experience for tweens and teens. Facilitator:
Carlton Walker, president, NOPBC
THURSDAY, JULY 4
7:00 to 9:00 AM-NOPBC Board Meeting
8:45 to 9:20 AM-Convention 101
Facilitated Convention experience for tweens and teens. Facilitator:
Carlton Walker, president, NOPBC
10:00 AM-NOPBC Children's Activity, Making Raised-Line Drawings with Staff
of E.A.S.Y. LLC (ages 6-12, in NFB child care)
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM-Convention 101
2:00 PM-NOPBC Children's Activity, NASA at Your Fingertips with David Hurd,
NASA scientist (ages 5-12, in NFB child care)
5:10 PM to 5:35 PM-Convention 101
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM-NOPBC Children's Activity Crafts and Games-For children
whose parents are attending NOPBC evening workshops. (ages 5-12)
7:00 PM to 9:45 PM-NOPBC Concurrent Sessions-Parents and Teachers
7:00 PM to 8:15 PM-Homeschooling a Blind/Visually Impaired Child
Come network with other homeschoolers to share information and tips
and discuss the challenges and satisfactions of homeschooling.
Instructor: Heather Field, special educator
7:00 PM to 8:15 PM-IEP Basics for Parents of Blind/VI Students
The sections of the IEP, essential assessments, how assessment
information is used, how to be an active and effective participant.
Instructor: Carlton Walker, attorney, teacher of blind students
8:30 PM to 9:45 PM-IEP Development and Legal Process Overview
Do's and Don't's for the IEP meeting; preparing for possible
mediation, due process, appeal, etc.; overview of the legal process;
how to prepare for a due process hearing so you don't have to have
one. Instructor: Carlton Walker, attorney, teacher of blind students
NFB Youth Track Activity (ages 11-18) -Time TBA
FRIDAY, JULY 5
8:15 AM to 8:50 AM Convention 101
Facilitated Convention experience for tweens and teens. Facilitator:
Carlton Walker, president, NOPBC
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM-Convention 101
5:10 PM to 5:35 PM-Convention 101
SATURDAY, JULY 6
8:15 AM to 8:50 AM-Convention 101
Facilitated Convention experience for tweens and teens. Facilitator:
Carlton Walker, president, NOPBC
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM-Convention 101
5:10 PM to 5:35 PM-Convention 101
NOPBC INSIDER INFORMATION
National convention is a complicated week of events. Here are a few
tips to help you stay organized and take advantage of the many
opportunities that will be available.
Registration Information
. The NOPBC conference takes place within the larger NFB convention. The
NOPBC conference, the NFB convention, and NFB child care all have
separate registrations and fees.
. The NOPBC conference registration form and workshop sign-up form
appear at the end of this document. Register early to save money.
. To receive the special NFB room rates, you must also register for the
NFB convention. Preregister (and save money) before June 1 for the NFB
convention at <www.nfb.org>.
Activities for Children and Youth; Child Care Information
. This year we'll be taking a trip to Gatorland on Sunday afternoon,
June 30, the day before the seminar. Details below.
. NOPBC Children's Activities take place in NFB child care. If you would
like your child to participate in an NOPBC Children's Activity, you
must register your child for child care for that day. NFB Child Care
information, registration forms, and fee info appeared in the April
issue.
. This year's lineup of children's activities includes art and drawing,
music and dance, beep kickball, and space exploration.
. Child care will be provided by the NFB for children 6 weeks to 12
years of age each day except Tuesday, July 2. Child care will also be
available on banquet night, Saturday, July 6.
. The Youth Style Show will take place on Tuesday afternoon, July 2.
. Teen Room (ages 14-18) and Tween Room (ages 11-14) will be available
for chaperoned, informal activities at various times during the week.
Schedule to come.
. On Wed., Thurs., Fri., and Sat., July 3-6, we will feature Convention
101, informal facilitated discussions in which young NFB members learn
about topics being presented on the NFB convention floor. Participants
gather before Convention sessions and sit together in their own
section with the facilitator. Ages 11 to 15 (interested older students
may participate).
Seminar Day Information
. On seminar day (Monday, July 1) adults, children, and youth start the
morning together at the No Limits seminar. At the end of the general
session, children who are preregistered for child care will be
escorted to the child care area, and youth 11-18 will be escorted to
Youth Track activities. At the lunch break pick up your children for
lunch on your own. After lunch there will be concurrent workshops for
adults, a Youth Track activity, and activities for children in the
child care rooms.
Other Activities Going on All Week Long
In addition to the special NOPBC activities for parents, children, and
youth listed in this article, other activities that you and your child may
be interested in attending will be going on all week. Often activities are
going on at the same time, and you and your child will have to make
choices. Here is a sampling:
. NFB convention sessions Thursday, Friday, Saturday
. Karaoke Night, the mock trial, the talent show, a play written and
performed by blind people, open houses of our blindness skills
training centers, technology demos
. Meetings of divisions such as blind students, sports and recreation,
performing arts, writers, blind educators, office professionals,
lawyers, computer science, employment, guide dog users, agriculture
and equestrian, and classic car lovers
. NFB banquet and scholarship presentations
. Our incomparable exhibit hall
NOPBC Family Outing to Gatorland
Gatorland has made it possible for NOPBC families to visit the park
on Sunday, June 30, at a discounted rate. Please note, this is the day
before our full-day seminar. We will meet in the lobby of the Rosen Centre
Hotel at 1:00 PM on Sunday and then carpool or cab-pool to Gatorland, which
is a short distance from the hotel. We can then enjoy the park from 1:30 to
5:00 or 6:00 PM, depending on its closing time that day.
Cost of the discounted tickets will be $17.49 for adults and $10.75
for children 3-12 years. Children under 3 are free. Visit the Gatorland
website at <www.gatorland.com/index.shtml> to see all the fun-filled
activities it offers.
REGISTRATION
NOPBC 2013 CONFERENCE-NO LIMITS!
Make check payable to NOPBC and mail with forms to:
Pat Renfranz, NOPBC Treasurer
397 Middle Oak Lane, Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Save money by preregistering. Preregistration must be postmarked by June
15.
After June 15, please register on-site in Orlando.
| |By June 15 |On-site in Orlando |
|Adult |$30 |$35 |
|Child/Youth (up to 18 |FREE |FREE |
|years) |Children are free, but | |
| |please list names and | |
| |ages below | |
Adult Name ____________________________________________________
[ ] parent [ ] professional [ ] other____________________
Adult Name ____________________________________________________
[ ] parent [ ] professional [ ] other____________________
Please list additional adults on a separate sheet.
Address ______________________________ City _____________________
State _______ Zip _____________ Phone ___________________
Email _______________________________ Alt. phone ________________
Child/Youth 1-Name (first and last), age, brief description of vision and
any additional disabilities: _____________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Child/Youth 2: ___________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Please list additional children/youth on a separate sheet.
How many? Prereg. by June 15 On-site reg.
Adults _____ @ $30 = $______ or @ $35 = $______
Child/Youth _____ FREE = $__00__
Total enclosed: $_________
___ I receive Future Reflections
___ This is my 1st national convention
___ I am a member of my state NFB/POBC
If not, how many national conventions have you attended?
______________
PLEASE NOTE: Preregistrations postmarked after June 15 will be returned.
Also, remember that registrations for the NOPBC conference and NFB child
care are separate and must be mailed to different places.
WORKSHOP and ACTIVITY SIGN-UP
SUNDAY, JUNE 30 (Day before conference begins)
1:00 PM-Trip to Gatorland (Please list how many will attend)
_____ Adults _____ Children 4-12 years _____ Children 3 and under
(Payment is due the day of the trip.)
MONDAY, JULY 1
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM (Please mark how many will attend each session)
_____ Access Tech: Apple Products
_____ Early Childhood
_____ Inclusive Classroom
_____ Raised Line Drawings
_____ Social Skills-Teens
2:00 PM to 3:15 PM (Please mark how many will attend each session)
_____ Access Tech: Apple Products
_____ What's Available?
_____ Movement and Exploration for the Young Blind Child
_____ Aiming for Independence
_____ ABCs of Braille
3:30 PM to 4:45 PM (Please mark how many will attend each session)
_____ Technology: Where Do I Start?
_____ Social Skills-Younger Children
_____ Out and About: Independent Mobility for Your School-Aged Child
_____ Self-Advocacy
_____ Persuade, Negotiate, Collaborate
CHILDREN-You must register your child for NFB child care for the day for
child to participate. Child care has separate registration and fees. (See
article in the April issue.)
Please mark how many children will attend each session
_____ 11 AM to 12:15 PM: Music and Movement (ages 5 - 12)
Name _____________________ Age_______
_____________________ Age_______
_____ 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM: Hands-On Art (ages 5 - 12)
Name _____________________ Age_______
_____________________ Age_______
TUESDAY, JULY 2
8:45 AM to 10:30 AM: Cane Walk Session I
_____ adults _____ children _____ youth
_________ ages _________ ages
11:00 AM to 12:45 PM: Cane Walk Session II
_____ adults _____ children _____ youth
_________ ages _________ ages
2:45 PM to 4:00 PM-Youth Style Show
Name _____________________ Age_______
_____________________ Age_______
WEDNESDAY, JULY 3
CHILDREN- You must register your child for NFB child care for the day for
child to participate (separate registration and fees).
Please mark how many children will attend each session
_____ 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM-Astronaut Activities (ages 6-12;
mature 5-year-olds may attend)
Name _____________________ Age_______
_____________________ Age_______
_____ 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM-Beep Kickball (ages 5-12)
Name _____________________ Age_______
_____________________ Age_______
THURSDAY, JULY 4
CHILDREN-You must register your child for NFB child care for the day for
child to participate (separate registration and fees).
Please mark how many will attend each session.
_____ 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM-Making Raised-Line Drawings (ages 6-12)
Name _____________________ Age_______
_____________________ Age_______
_____ 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM-Space Exploration (ages 5-12)
Name _____________________ Age_______
_____________________ Age_______
ADULTS
7:00 PM to 8:15 PM (Please mark how many will attend each session)
_____ Homeschooling
_____ IEP Basics for Parents of Blind/VI Students
8:30 PM to 9:45 PM (Please mark how many will attend)
_____ IEP Development and Legal Process Overview
CHILDREN (ages 5-12 years)
Please note: Sign your child up for this activity only if you will be
attending NOPBC workshops that evening.
_____ 7 to 10 PM Crafts and Games (Please mark how many will attend)
Name _____________________ Age_______
_____________________ Age_______
NOPBC 2013 CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
Gatorland trip is Sun., June 30. Teen Room and Tween Room schedules to
come.
Monday, July 1
9:00 AM to 10:45 AM No Limits Seminar (Adults, Children, Youth)
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM NOPBC Children's Activity in Child Care
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM Youth Track
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM NOPBC Concurrent Workshop Sessions
1:30 PM to 4:30 PM Youth Track
2:00 PM NOPBC Children's Activity in Child Care
2:00 PM to 3:15 PM NOPBC Concurrent Workshop Sessions
3:30 PM to 4:45 PM NOPBC Concurrent Workshop Sessions
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Family Hospitality
Tuesday, July 2
7:00 AM to 8:45 AM NOPBC Board Meeting
8:45 AM to 10:30 AM Cane Walk Session I (Adults, Children, Youth)
11:00 AM to 12:45 PM Cane Walk Session II (Adults, Children, Youth)
2:45 PM to 4:00 PM Youth Style Show
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM Youth Track
Wednesday, July 3
9:00 AM NOPBC Children's Activity in Child Care
11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Youth Track
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM NOPBC Annual Meeting-Drop kids in child care early
2:00 PM NOPBC Children's Activity in Child Care
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Braille Book Fair
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM Youth Track
7:30 PM to 9:00 PM Dads' Night Out
9:00 PM to 10:00 PM Convention 101
Thursday, July 4
7:00 AM to 9:00 AM NOPBC Board Meeting
8:45 AM to 9:20 AM Convention 101 meets
10:00 AM NOPBC Children's Activity in Child Care
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM Convention 101 meets
2:00 PM NOPBC Children's Activity in Child Care
5:10 PM to 5:35 PM Convention 101 meets
7:00 PM to 9:45 PM NOPBC Concurrent Workshops
7:00 to 10:00 PM Children's Activity for children whose parents are in
the NOPBC workshops
Time TBA Youth Track
Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6
8:15 AM to 8:50 AM Convention 101 meets
12:15 PM to 1:15 PM Convention 101 meets
5:10 PM to 5:35 PM Convention 101 meets
----------
Recipes
This month's recipes are contributed by members of the National Federation
of the Blind of Missouri.
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Dan Flasar]
Sweet and Sour Spinach and Tofu Salad
by Dan Flasar
Dan Flasar is a member of the Lewis and Clark chapter of St. Louis,
Missouri. One of his major contributions to the affiliate is to act as our
official photographer.
Ingredients:
1 8- or 10-ounce package unfermented tofu
1 8- or 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach
1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar or one tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
4 or 5 drops sesame oil
Method: Leave package of frozen spinach to thaw overnight in
refrigerator. Remove tofu from package, drain and rinse. Cut into ½-inch
cubes or smaller if preferred. Remove the thawed spinach from package,
draining excess water, and place in a glass or porcelain (not metal) bowl.
Add tofu cubes to spinach. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar, pour over the
tofu and spinach, then stir to mix. Stir the sesame oil into the mixture,
one drop at a time. Let salad stand covered in the refrigerator. The salad
is ready to eat when the ingredients have blended, at least an hour, but
overnight is best. Makes five three-ounce servings.
Notes: The only item you might have a little problem finding is
sesame oil. You need only a drop or two, a bottle will last a long time,
and it's not expensive. Most large grocery stores stock it in the Chinese
food section. It's also good on ramen noodles and in stews and soups and as
an unusual note in barbecue sauce. It does not need refrigeration if kept
tightly capped. Rice vinegar can also be found in the Chinese or Japanese
food section
----------
Ham and Potato Crockpot Soup
by Rosina Foster
Rosina Foster is the parent of two exceptionally fine children, is
the newly elected president of the Missouri Parents of Blind Children, and
is an energetic and enthusiastic participant in anything she undertakes.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup celery, diced
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup cooked ham, diced
3 1/4 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Method: Combine ham, potatoes, celery, onion, water, bouillon, and
salt and pepper in a Crockpot and set it on low. After the Crockpot has
cooked for seven hours, in a saucepan melt butter and whisk in flour until
smooth and add to Crockpot. After this thickening is mixed in, slowly add
the milk while stirring constantly. Turn off Crockpot and let soup stand
for fifteen minutes. Enjoy. This is a great way to use leftover ham.
----------
Sicilian Casserole
by Dave Hutchins
Dave Hutchins is a member of the Kansas City chapter, holds a board
position, is an automobile enthusiast, and is the president of the CARS
(Classics, Antiques, and Rods) division.
Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni, 1 8-ounce package
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted
water to a boil. Meanwhile brown ground meat, onion, and garlic in heavy
saucepan, stirring to break up meat. Add pepper when meat is almost cooked;
continue to simmer until meat is done. Drain well. Add tomato paste, tomato
sauce, water, and dried Italian seasoning and stir well to blend. Let
simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Meanwhile cook elbow macaroni in
salted water as directed on package. While macaroni is cooking, combine
cream cheese and milk in medium bowl. Cook in microwave on medium power for
two to three minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Remove from
microwave and stir with wire whisk until mixture thickens and blends to
form a smooth sauce. Drain macaroni and add to cream cheese sauce along
with sour cream and half cup Parmesan cheese; stir to combine. In two-quart
casserole dish place all of cream cheese mixture. Top with all of the
ground meat mixture and sprinkle with remaining quarter cup Parmesan
cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty to thirty minutes, until casserole
is bubbly.
Note: To freeze, add 1 tablespoon cornstarch to the cream cheese
sauce. Prepare casserole as directed, but instead of baking, chill in
refrigerator. Wrap well and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw
casserole overnight in refrigerator. Bake covered for twenty-five to thirty-
five minutes, then uncover and bake five to ten minutes longer, until
bubbly.
----------
Chicken Linguini with Ranch Dressing
by Dacia Luck
Dacia Luck has been a member of the National Federation of the Blind
for most of her life, having joined at age six. She is currently the
president of the Columbia Chapter of the NFB of Missouri and serves as the
affiliate's corresponding secretary.
Ingredients:
2 to 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled
or 2 6-ounce packages of Tyson's grilled chicken breast
1 pound linguini, cooked al dente
1 large red or yellow pepper, grilled,
or 1 jar roasted red peppers
1 pound broccoli crowns, cooked for 2 to 3 minutes
1 large bottle ranch dressing
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste
Method: Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.
Meantime grill the chicken and cut into bite-size pieces. Cook the
broccoli. Mix pasta, peppers, chicken, and broccoli together in large
serving bowl and coat with the bottle of ranch dressing. It sounds like a
lot of dressing, but there are a lot of ingredients to cover. Top with
grated Parmesan cheese and serve hot. This dish goes well with garlic
bread.
----------
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Cora Underwood]
Cora's Chocolate Sheet Cake
by Cora Underwood
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 sticks margarine
6 tablespoons real cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Method: Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking soda in large mixing bowl.
In a saucepan melt margarine and add water, stirring to mix well. Add
buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla. Do not let liquid heat far enough to cook
the eggs. Just warm should be fine. Pour liquid over dry ingredients and
mix thoroughly. Pour into a greased and floured cookie sheet with sides.
Bake at 350 degrees for fifteen to twenty minutes. While cake is baking,
make icing.
Icing Ingredients:
1 stick of margarine
4 tablespoons cocoa
5 tablespoons buttermilk
1 pound box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts
Method: Melt margarine in saucepan. Add cocoa powder, buttermilk,
powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and nuts and mix thoroughly. When the cake
comes out of the oven, pour icing over warm cake and spread evenly.
----------
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Debbie Wunder]
Spinach Casserole
by Debbie Wunder
Debbie Wunder is the president of Missouri's Diabetes Action Network,
the vice-president of the Missouri Association of Dog Guide Users, and the
head of Community and Special Projects for the Missouri Affiliate.
Ingredients:
4 9-ounce boxes of frozen chopped spinach
16 to 20 slices American cheese (I prefer Kraft)
2 eggs
1 cup to 1 1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese, drained
1 teaspoon flour
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
Method: Drain spinach in a sieve and squeeze dry, removing all extra
water. Next break up cheese into small pieces and mix thoroughly with
spinach. Beat eggs and add the flour and garlic. Mix all ingredients
together, making the cottage cheese the last ingredient to be added.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish with Pam
and pour mixture into dish. Spread mixture evenly and bake forty to forty-
five minutes. Serves ten. This is a family favorite at Thanksgiving and
Christmas dinners.
----------
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Grace Warn]
Strawberry Bread
by Grace Warn
Despite having been friends with Dacia Luck since they were both six,
Grace joined the NFB only this past December. Coincidentally, this was the
same time she became reader/assistant to the Monitor editor.
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh strawberries
3 1/8 cups flour
2 cups plus a spoonful sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-by-5-inch
loaf pans. Slice strawberries and place in medium bowl, sprinkle lightly
with sugar, and set aside. Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, and baking
soda in large bowl; mix well. Blend oil and eggs with strawberries. Add
strawberry mixture to dry ingredients, blending until dry ingredients are
just moistened. Add pecans, stir, and divide batter evenly between prepared
pans. Bake forty to forty-five minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
when inserted in center of each loaf. Let cool in pans on wire rack for ten
minutes. Loosen edges and turn loaves out to cool completely. For an even
sweeter treat, add chocolate chips before baking.
----------
Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
Braille Book Fair 2013:
Calling all Braille readers, teachers, and parents! It's that time
again: time to sort through all those boxes of Braille books and donate
gently used but no longer needed Braille books to the 2013 Braille Book
Fair sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children.
Our primary goal is to get more Braille books into the hands of children,
youth, and beginning adult readers, so here's what we need most in our
books in good condition: print-Braille picture storybooks, leisure reading
(fiction or nonfiction) books, cookbooks, and books about sports.
Children are so hungry for their very own books that every year,
despite generous donations of books, most of our books for young children
are gone in less than an hour. So begin your search through the boxes in
your basement and spare room and get those books shipped to UPS, Braille
Book Fair, Attention: Milton Bennett, 8901 Atlantic Ave, Orlando, FL 32824.
This year's coordinator is Krystal Guillory. If you have any
questions, contact Krystal Guillory at (318) 245-8955 or <kguillory at lcb-
ruston.com>. This year's event is slated to take place on Wednesday, July
3, 2013, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Please check the convention agenda for
location.
Resolutions for Convention:
Here is a message from Sharon Maneki, who chairs the NFB resolutions
committee:
Do you think we should change a government policy, take a stand
concerning an agency for the blind, or create new regulations? If you do,
consider writing a resolution. At the 2013 national convention the
resolutions committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 2. The
committee will debate and discuss resolutions on a wide variety of
subjects. If passed by the Convention, these resolutions will become the
policy statements of the organization.
To ensure that your resolution will be considered by the committee,
please send it to President Maurer or to me by June 18, two weeks before
the committee meeting. If you send a resolution to me by email and do not
receive a response acknowledging your email in two or three days, please
call or send it again. If you miss the deadline, you must get three members
of the committee to sponsor your resolution and then get it to the chairman
before the meeting begins. I will be pleased to accept resolutions by
email, <nfbmd at earthlink.net>; fax, (410) 715-9597; or snail mail, Sharon
Maneki, 9013 Nelson Way, Columbia, MD 21045.
How to Pay for Your Hotel Stay in Dallas:
Here is some advice about paying for your hotel stay:
Every year at our national convention we have serious trouble with use
of debit cards or cash payments at hotel check-in, and, having worked to
solve these problems for years, I can tell you they can nearly ruin the
convention week for those experiencing them. Planning to attend our
national convention should therefore include thinking seriously about how
to pay the hotel, and I cannot urge you strongly enough to avoid using cash
or a debit card as your payment method. Doing so may seem convenient, but
you should not do so. If you do not have a credit card of your own to use,
prevail upon a close friend or family member to let you use one just for
convention. Here's why:
If you are paying in actual currency, most hotels will want enough
cash up front at check-in to cover your room and tax charges for the entire
stay, plus a one-time advance incidentals deposit to cover meals, telephone
calls, Internet service, and other things you may charge to your room. The
unused portion of the incidentals deposit may be returned at check-out or
by mail after departure. Understand, however, that, if your incidentals
charges exceed the incidentals deposit credited, you are responsible for
payment of the full balance at checkout. The total can end up being a very
large sum indeed.
If you use a debit card, however, you are really at a potentially
painful disadvantage. The hotel will put a hold on money in your bank
account linked to the debit card to cover the estimated balance of your
stay-that is, for the entire week's room and tax charges plus a one-time
incidentals deposit to cover meals, movies, and so on charged to your room.
You should be aware that the hold can therefore be a considerable amount of
money and that you will not have access to that amount for any other
purchases or payments with your card. (Hotels sometimes also put
authorizations on credit cards, by the way, but those are not often a
problem unless they exceed your card's credit limit.)
Holds can remain in effect for three to five days or even a week after
you check out. If you have pre-authorized payments from your bank account,
for example your monthly mortgage payment, or if you try to make a purchase
with your debit card and it's refused, the hold from the hotel can cause
you trouble or result in very large overdraft fees for payments you thought
you had money in your account to cover. I have seen this hit some of our
members in the form of hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees.
This means that, if you use a debit card, you would have to be certain
you have a high enough balance in your checking account when you come to
convention to cover any debit card holds. This is a perilous practice since
charges may exceed your estimate by a considerable amount. (Some frequent
travelers even open a separate checking account used only for debits like
these.) Remember, a hold is going to be placed on your debit card
regardless of how you end up paying the bill, and the hold is not
necessarily released right away, even if you pay with a credit card or cash
when you check out of the hotel.
Planning ahead in this area can ensure an untroubled week at
convention, leaving you free to enjoy fully the world's largest and most
exciting meeting of the blind. See you as usual in the lobby at check-in-
using a credit card, I hope.
Instructor Turns Novelist:
Federationist Jerry Whittle has published two novels, costing $7.99
each, available on Amazon at the Kindle Store and online at Barnes and
Noble. Slingshot, a baseball novel, and Standing with Better Angels, a
novel about a blind minister who works at a homeless shelter in New
Orleans, are the two titles.
Federationist Kenneth Silberman Honored:
Captain Kenneth Silberman of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) earned CAP's
prestigious Charles E. 'Chuck' Yeager Aerospace Education Achievement Award
on March 15, 2013. He earned this award, named after the man who first
broke the sound barrier, after having served as an assistant aerospace
education officer for the Bowie Composite Squadron of the Maryland Wing
since January 14, 2013. The Yeager award recognizes CAP officers who have
demonstrated a thorough knowledge of aerodynamics, navigation, weather, and
the history of both civilian and military aviation.
New Chapter:
We are excited to announce the formation of a new Federation chapter
in Jackson, Michigan. The Jackson Area chapter of the National Federation
of the Blind of Michigan was formed in January of 2013 and currently has
sixteen members. The new officers and board of directors are president,
David Robinson; vice president, Rusty Higgins; secretary, Mary Ann
Robinson; treasurer, Kristen Wilson; and board members, Pat Feldpausch and
Travis Wilson.
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.
NLS Sponsors Braille Summit:
NLS invites you to participate in the NLS Braille Summit at Perkins
School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts, June 19 to 21, 2013, to
help determine the best ways for libraries to promote and support Braille
literacy. The conference will bring together librarians, Braille literacy
professionals, Braille readers, and other stakeholders.
Braille is the only true form of literacy for people who are blind.
It increases access to education, allows for fuller participation in
society, and drastically increases the odds of employment. Yet studies
suggest that fewer than 10 percent of people who are legally blind in the
United States can read Braille, and many children who are blind have no
opportunity to learn it. As leading providers of Braille reading materials,
libraries are poised to play a key role in the fight to reverse this trend.
NLS is committed to increasing Braille literacy as part of its strategic
plan.
The conference will allow participants to gather lessons learned from
across America and around the world; assess the present state of Braille
literacy, technology, and access; and make recommendations that will shape
Braille programs and priorities for the future of the NLS network of
cooperating libraries. The conference will cover five major themes: Braille
Readers, Library Selection and Collection Development, Braille Production,
Braille Technology, and Promoting Braille Literacy and Awareness.
Participants will have the opportunity to listen to expert speakers in each
subject area and then engage in facilitated discussions with their peers,
during which they will identify strategic issues and recommend solutions
for implementation. We hope that you will join us to lend your own
knowledge and experience.
The Crowne Plaza Boston-Newton, selected as the host hotel, is
offering a rate of $159 per night. Attendees are responsible for arranging
and covering their own lodging and transportation expenses. NLS will
provide breakfast and lunch, as well as transportation from the host hotel
to the conference facility.
Registration form and conference information available online:
<https://nlsbard.loc.gov/cgi-
bin/public/nlsbardprod/Braillesummit2013conference.cgi>. Please note that
attendance is limited and registration will be closed when capacity is
reached. For more information contact: Judith Dixon, consumer relations
officer, <jdix at loc.gov>
Braille Pal Wanted:
I am finishing the study of contracted Braille, thinking about trying
grade three, and am contemplating a purchase of a Brailler. It would make
Braille writing a lot easier and faster than using a slate and stylus.
However, the cost of a Brailler did concern me, especially because I could
not think of many reasons why I would have to use it.
Then someone mentioned that I could use it to write letters to others
who are blind, and that led me to another thought: it might be fun to have
Braille pen pals to correspond with. Writing letters with a computer using
a screen reader is ok, but I do want to keep up my Braille skills. If you
are interested in being a Braille pal, you can write to me in Braille, and
I can write back to you. I am a senior but would also enjoy corresponding
with younger people. I suppose we would need someone to address envelopes
for us, but it is good to keep in touch with the sighted community too. My
name and address are Estelle Shukert, 2924 S. Ingalls Way, Denver, CO
80227.
Pen Pal Wanted:
A friend of my father lives in Poland and is legally blind and
retired. He speaks Polish, German, Esperanto, and some English. He would
love to learn the American Braille Code and is looking for a pen pal. He is
very musical and used to tune pianos and guitars. Can someone direct me to
older blind people who would like to communicate with my father's friend?
If anyone can help, please write to Martina Stroup,
<martinastroupe at gmail.com>.
Science Sense Tours at the American Museum of Natural History:
Blind and partially sighted visitors are invited to attend this
program, held monthly in the Museum galleries. Specially trained Museum
tour guides highlight specific themes and exhibition halls, engaging
participants through extensive oral descriptions and touchable objects.
Science Sense is free with Museum admission.
Sunday, May 19, 10:00 AM: Scales of the Universe
Explore the Scales of the Universe, a 400-foot-long walkway that hugs
the glass curtain wall along the Rose Center for Earth and Space, which
introduces visitors to the relative sizes of galaxies, stars, planets, and
atoms through text panels, interactive terminals, and models.
Wednesday, June 12, 2:30 PM: Living Large
Join us on a big expedition throughout the Museum as we discuss and
examine several larger-than-life icons such as the blue whale, the giant
sequoia, dinosaurs, and the 63-foot-long Great Canoe.
Saturday, July 13, 10:00 AM: Ocean Life
Plunge into the ocean to explore aquatic habitat dioramas in the
Milstein Hall of Ocean Life.
Thursday, August 15, 2:30 PM: North American Mammals
Discover the dioramas in the stunningly restored Bernard Family Hall
of North American Mammals, which offers a snapshot of North America's rich
environmental heritage.
Science Sense tours are available to individuals or groups. Space is
limited, and advance registration is required. Programs may be subject to
change. For additional information or to register for a Science Sense tour,
call (212) 313-7565 or email <accessibility at amnh.org>.
Reunion:
If you attended The Ohio State School for the Blind (OSSB) and are
interested in attending the biennial reunion/business meeting, it will be
held at 5220 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio, from June 7 to 9. If you have
not updated your mailing address, phone numbers, and/or email address,
please do so ASAP if you want to attend so we can send out the necessary
invitation to you, your family, and friends.
Please send contact information to <louis.mazzoli at yahoo.com> or call
at (614) 882-8370. You can also call our information line and leave your
contact information there. The telephone number is (206) 279-6833.
Lions World Song Festival for Blind Singers:
Four Lions Clubs in Kraków, Poland, part of LCI District 121, are in
the process of organizing a Lions World Song Festival for the Blind. The
event, called "Sounds from the Heart," will be held in Kraków from November
18 thru 20, 2013. The primary purpose is to give talented vision-impaired
singers a chance to be heard on a world stage. At the same time the
organizing clubs want to raise awareness among the general public about the
needs and difficulties that severely sight-impaired people face. All
proceeds will benefit LCIF's SightFirst programs.
The Festival will take the form of a competition among the
participants. Participation will not only create a bond among the artists
but will also give them a worldwide stage. It also demonstrates to the
world how Lions from all parts of the globe can work together to address
great humanitarian needs and achieve successful outcomes. The Festival will
demonstrate again to the world that the Lions are still fully committed to
the eradication of preventable blindness, to research into the various
causes of severe eye diseases, and to assisting those who are blind in any
manner possible.
The Song Festival initiative was first presented at the European
Lions Forum in September 2012. It was met with great enthusiasm on the part
of the attendees. In October 2012 the National Lions Convention in
Zakopane, Poland, threw its full support behind this initiative of the four
Kraków clubs.
Participation in the festival will involve four steps:
1) initial qualification of applicants to participate, based on submitted
DVD's
2) two-day auditions of invited applicants in Kraków and selection of
finalists
3) finalists' performances with accompaniment by Kraków orchestra
4) announcement of winners
The competition is intended to give talented vocalists who are blind
or sight impaired an opportunity to perform for a large and diverse
audience. Only amateur musicians will be invited, although participation
may lead to a professional career. The venue for the festival will be the
Grand Opera in Kraków, a city selected by the European Commission to
receive the Access City Award 2011 in recognition of its initiatives to
make life easier for the severely handicapped. One of these initiatives is
a special tourist route using three-dimensional maps and GPS technology to
make access to the city's cultural and historical heritage easier for blind
and vision-impaired people.
Lions Clubs from around the world are invited and encouraged to join
the Kraków clubs to participate in this important service project. It will
involve identifying vocally talented people from their geographic area who
are blind or sight impaired, assisting them to create an original song with
the help of local composers and lyrics writers, and sponsoring them to make
a recording in a professional studio.
The Kraków Lions are confident that the idea of promoting young,
talented vision-impaired musicians to become respected and appreciated
artists will be supported by the entire Lions community. A little push from
their Lions friends may be all that's needed to get them on stage. Stevie
Wonder and Andrea Bocelli may not be the exception after all. The Lions of
Kraków will be happy to assist any club willing to participate in this
joint Lions project. Details about the Festival are shown on the website:
<www.lionsfestival.jordan.pl>.
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:
Ann Wasserman has a BrailleNote Empower thirty-two-cell refreshable
display with a Braille keyboard. It is gently used, having been owned for
just over a year. Asking $1,500. She can be reached at (732) 222-3510.
For Sale:
AmbuTech Mobility Aid iGlasses ($80), PowerBraille 81 Braille display
($500), and Juliet Classic Braille Embosser ($500). All prices negotiable
and do not include shipping. All items come with accessories. If
interested, call (519) 669-1456 or email <dvm975 at gmail.com>.
----------
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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