[Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, October 2013
Brian Buhrow
buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org
Thu Sep 26 16:40:03 PDT 2013
THE BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 56, No. 9 October 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.
Vol. 56, No. 9 October 2013
Contents
Illustration: 2013 Convention Activities for Parents and Children
The Blind Driver Challenge, the Quest for the Salt, and the Continued
Journey of Innovation and Adventure
by Mark A. Riccobono
Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL): Changing Educational
Expectations for the Blind of America
by Mark A. Riccobono, Sandy Halverson, Kayleigh Joiner, and Raveena Ali
A Teacher in the Movement Who Believed in Blind Children and Taught the
Legislature to Share Her Faith
by Casey Robertson
Another Perspective on KIDS Camp
by Sharon Maneki
Ending Legalized Discrimination in Wage Payments for Disabled Americans
by Gregg Harper
Our Efforts in Washington on Behalf of the Blind
by John Paré, Anil Lewis, Lauren McLarney, and Jesse Hartle
A Commitment to Equality of Opportunity: A Report from the Department of
Justice
by Eve Hill
The Blind at Work in an Unusual and Demanding Profession
by Cassandra McNabb-McKinney
Recipes
Monitor Miniatures
2013 Convention Activities for Parents and Children
[PHOTO CAPTION: President Maurer sits on the floor with children at the
start of the 2013 convention]
On seminar day at each national convention the National Organization
of Parents of Blind Children works overtime to host activities of interest
to blind children and their parents. The day often begins with the children
visiting with President Maurer and asking him questions that range from,
"Do you like animals," to, "Do you really think I need Braille even though
I can see some print?"
[PHOTO CAPTION: Kids playing with maracas]
After this early morning meeting, activities split into presentations
for the parents and entertaining activities for the children. These range
from making their own maracas (much to their parents' delight, we're sure),
to quieter entertainments. A variety of toys was available, including the
stretchy yo-yo that Chloe Darlington is having fun with in the third photo.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Chloe Darlington playing with a stretchy yo-yo]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Mary Jo Hartle holds daughter Kayla]
But at the end of the day, you can't beat a ride with mom back to the
room for a bit of rest before rejoining the unique experience of an NFB
national convention, as Kayla Hartle will agree.
The Blind Driver Challenge, the Quest for the Salt, and the Continued
Journey of Innovation and Adventure
by Mark A. Riccobono
From the Editor: In a world where there is always more need than
resource, an oft-repeated question we must address is how best to use our
limited money and talent to advance the cause of blind people. Some argue
for the bold and suggest we focus on those projects others dare not
attempt; others suggest that, as long as the blind face so much poverty and
unemployment, we should focus our efforts exclusively on improving
education and rehabilitation. Acknowledging the arguments on both sides and
those arguments that fall between, we strive to meet the needs of today
while looking to the future we want to see for the blind.
Mark Riccobono is the first blind person ever to drive a vehicle
without sighted assistance in front of thousands at a public event. Here is
his most recent experience, this time as an observer, as we try
incrementally to tackle one of the most persistent barriers faced by the
blind-transportation:
[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Parker and Mark Riccobono pose with the motorcycle that
made Salt Flats history.]
In 2011 we held the first public demonstration of technologies built
under the Blind Driver Challenge (BDC) of the NFB. It took almost a decade
of dreaming out loud, tolerating friendly nods by individuals who thought
we were out of our minds, and overcoming our own uneasiness before we were
able to secure partners to work with us on the vision for blind drivers
that our president, Marc Maurer, laid out for us. When we finally had the
breakthrough with bright partners who were prepared to go the distance with
us, we knew we needed a place for the first demonstration that fit the
significance of the moment. The famed Daytona International Speedway had
the type of reputation equal to the challenge, and we prepared for a public
demonstration that would help the rest of the world notice our capacity as
blind people. Federationists came from all parts of the country to share
the moment, even though some were still uncertain about the outcome and
whether it was worth the sacrifice of resources that might be used for
other important goals.
As you know, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 29, 2011, I jumped
into our NFB Blind Driver Challenge car, gave a thumbs up, honked the horn,
and drove 1.5 miles of the Daytona road course. People often ask me, "What
was it like to drive at Daytona?" And I still have trouble describing it
exactly. Until this week I never fully understood why. This article is
partially a report on the progress of our Blind Driver Challenge
initiative, partially the story of our second critical milestone in that
effort, and partially an open reflection of why the Daytona question has
been hard to answer.
Since the Daytona demonstration we have continued to present our
vision for the "intersection of innovation," wherein blind people actively
participate in building cutting-edge technologies side by side with the
most creative inventors we can find. Sometimes we have discussed the next
component needed to make blind driving a reality for all. At other times we
have speculated about how our experience and perspective will intersect
with the general direction of driving technology (both in the driverless
car movement and within the traditional model of today's transportation
systems). We have talked with universities, technology companies,
designers, car companies, and hundreds of individuals whose perspective has
been changed as a result of getting to know our blind driver work. Flying
airplanes, riding bikes, and enhancing traditional navigation techniques
are just some of the topics we have explored. While many ideas continue to
get kicked around, some proposals slowly circulate, and an increasing
number of important connections get made every month, there is not an
immediate Daytona-like milestone identified in the immediate future. The
true innovative nature of the Federation is that we are always seeking to
expand the horizons of independence. It is our organizational readiness
that allows us to quickly take advantage of the right strategic partners
when they come.
Enter Dan Parker-a sighted drag racer who hit a wall at 175 MPH on
March 31, 2012, leaving him completely blind, along with other significant
injuries. After eight months of recuperating and lying around not knowing
what he could do as a blind person, Dan made up his mind. He had been
riding motorcycles since he was eight, and he had extensive experience
around, on, and in cars and motorcycles. He had always had a dream of
racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Dan decided that the way to
overcome the fears and limitations he had associated with blindness was to
pursue his quest for the Salt-to build and independently run his own
motorcycle out on the Salt Flats at a sanctioned event.
Dan wrote to me because he wanted to learn more about our Blind
Driver Challenge work. Before I could get back to Dan, he got in touch with
Joanne Wilson. Joanne called me and asked if I would talk to Dan. Knowing
that Joanne is not fooled easily, I said I would call him. Admittedly, the
only thing that stuck in my head was that a guy went blind not long ago,
has had no training as a blind person, and wants to race a motorcycle. I
wondered to myself whether this guy was just trying to avoid the fact that
he was blind or whether he really had a good plan. It did not take long
during my first telephone conversation with Dan to realize that I was
speaking to a guy who is humble, driven, ready to learn, and eager to give
back. Since that first call I have had the opportunity to break bread with
Dan, talk in depth about his quest and his hopes for the future, and
speculate with him about where we might go next. Dan quickly found his
local NFB chapter in Columbus, Georgia, and his spirit, actions, and words
naturally resemble those of longtime Federationists even though he has
known the organization for only a short time.
For true racers "running at the Salt" is a big deal. The Bonneville
Salt Flats is a densely packed salt pan that sits at an elevation of 4,219
feet in northwestern Utah. The area is said to be a remnant of the
Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, and, at forty square miles in size, it is the
largest of many salt flats located west of the Great Salt Lake. The
property is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, and it
was first tested for driving in 1907. The first land speed record was set
at Bonneville in 1914 by Teddy Tetzlaff.
The Bonneville Speedway-as it is commonly known-is frequently
misunderstood to be a space for drag racing. Since the salt is somewhat
slick, maintaining traction is a major concern of every racer. Therefore,
the salt surface is not ideal for the objective of drag racing-rapid
acceleration over a short period of time. The objective for racers at
Bonneville is tremendous speeds achieved over great distances. Cars start
slower than many expect, but they ultimately achieve mind-blowing speeds.
With the tremendous open space at the flats there is plenty of room to get
up to speed and decelerate safely.
Five major land-speed events take place at the Bonneville Salt Flats
(many other club and private events take place during the year). Three of
these events welcome cars, trucks, and motorcycles-Speed Week (mid-August),
World of Speed (September), and World Finals (early October). World records
are contested at the Mike Cook ShootOut in September. The fifth event is
the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials, which is exclusively for motorcycles. A
series of timing associations organize events and certify speed records.
Dan came to the NFB Jernigan Institute to learn more about the
techniques and technologies used in our Blind Driver Challenge vehicle. Dan
shared his quest with Dr. Maurer, including his plan to build his own
customized motorcycle (doing the design and machining himself), equipping
it with a GPS guidance system allowing him to drive the two-mile course
independently, and entering it into the BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials. No
blind person had ever entered the BUB event, and Dan had already
successfully lobbied the organizers of the event to accept his application.
After meeting with Dan extensively and recognizing that his quest fit
within the vision for our NFB Blind Driver Challenge initiative, Dr. Maurer
agreed to the NFB's sponsoring Dan's quest. While Dan had made significant
progress on his own, he credits the NFB sponsorship for giving his quest
the resources it needed to make it the final mile and giving him a support
network and credibility that are unparalleled.
At Dr. Maurer's direction I began working closely with Dan, providing
him with the experience of our previous blind-driver work and receiving
regular updates on his testing. About one week out from the BUB event, we
all agreed that Dan and his machine were ready for prime time. I made my
plans to head to the Salt Flats, along with Ilana Posner from our Jernigan
Institute staff. Despite our advance work we really had no idea what to
expect.
Events at the Salt are different from anything I have ever
encountered. It starts with the drive to the Salt. We took Interstate 80,
exit 4, toward Bonneville/Speedway. We turned left on Leppy Pass Road. Then
we made a slight right onto Bonneville Speedway Road-which stretched out
for five miles, at which point the ground around us was desert-like. The
five-mile trip brought us to a cul-de-sac where we had to secure admission
to the BUB event. At that point we were permitted to enter the Salt, which
started out slightly bumpy but quickly smoothed to a relatively flat, hard
surface. Ilana said she could not see anything in the distance besides the
white salt stretching on for miles. The only objects visible on the surface
were the orange cones that were strategically placed to guide cars to the
pit area. In the middle of nowhere on the salt we found a temporary racing
community.
A pit area stretched on for a mile. The tech area could be found at
the end of the pits. Tech was where motorcycles were reviewed and approved
to run. Beyond tech was the pre-staging area where motorcycles, trailers
carrying motorcycles, chase trucks, and other support vehicles lined up
before going to the final staging before their run. In the far distance a
five-mile and seven-mile straight-line track was set up to accommodate one
racer at a time. A short, ten-foot-high observation tower sat on the side
of the track for race officials. A small food area and even a radio station
booth could also be found in the pit area (event activities were broadcast
on the local 89.7 FM station).
The salt itself is hard packed and gets on everything. Coats of
sunscreen are needed to protect from the sun and the reflection of the sun.
Lots of drinking water is required since just being out there you can taste
the salt on your lips. When the wind picks up with any gusto, you can
imagine what happens. Dan explained to me that, after running his
motorcycle on the flats, he will have to replace all of the bolts because
of the tremendous corrosion caused by the salt.
Dan's first task was to get approval from the tech officials for him
and his motorcycle to run. High speed is what events on the Salt are known
for, and safety is a central issue for all drivers. Having a blind man
wanting to drive independently on the track raised a lot of questions. It
took all of the first day (Sunday) to get the motorcycle ready and tested
before the tech folks were prepared to look at it. One advantage of the
Salt is that there is a lot of open space. The tech officials allowed the
team to set up a temporary quarter-mile track for Dan to practice on and to
demonstrate the motorcycle to the tech officials.
Dan designed the motorcycle in his head based on his experience with
vehicles and after talking to experienced Salt riders. The motorcycle was a
beautiful, red, three-wheel-trike configuration. Dan machined much of the
frame himself. His machine included an Aprilia RS50 engine, a five-speed
transmission, and all Airtech streamlining. A small disc-shaped GPS unit
was mounted on the front of the motorcycle. Sponsor logos, including those
of the NFB and our Blind Driver Challenge, were displayed prominently on
the body of the machine. The bike is driven with the rider lying on his
chest in a racing position. A chest pad supports the weight of the upper
torso, freeing the rider's arms to feel the bike's movements for better
control. Small supports provide comfort to the rider's shins. The seat of
the motorcycle is also red and in Dan's words "is not built for comfort."
[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Parker on his bike]
On Sunday afternoon we observed Dan on his machine for the first
time. Sporting a cool set of protective leathers with the NFB logos,
including Whozit, Dan climbed on his machine and prepared to ride. This
time I was the spectator, and I began reflecting upon all of my own
feelings when learning to master driving with the blind driver
technologies. All of us who were on Dan's team believed in what was
possible, but I wondered whether the officials would have the same faith in
a blind guy. When Dan cranked up and took the quarter mile at a speed
slightly better than thirty miles an hour, I knew that, if the officials
were open-minded, there was a good chance Dan would be permitted to run.
After he took a number of other practice rides, my excitement grew,
anticipating the real event to come.
Late Sunday evening, after the official BUB events were over for the
day, Dan had the opportunity to demonstrate his skill and approach. Now is
the time to pause to say that all of the event staff and officials from the
BUB, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), and the The Fédération
Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM-International Motorcycling Federation)-
who interacted with the Parker team were extremely professional, helpful,
and keenly interested. It was clear that some were not really sure why a
blind person would want to do what Dan was seeking to do. It was equally
clear that some did not know exactly how to deal with this first-ever set
of circumstances. At no time did I sense that any of the race officials
were reluctant to let Dan into the event based on blindness. If Dan could
demonstrate that his approach worked and that adequate safety controls were
in place, they would give him a chance based on a strong code of conduct
among the racing community at the Salt.
Dan's demonstration runs in front of the officials had two distinct
disadvantages. The first was the roughness of the Salt. While the Salt is
relatively flat, it is not well-groomed like the official track area. The
second disadvantage was the wind. As evening draws closer, the winds at the
Salt pick up-most riders try to make their runs early in the morning to
avoid wind interference with their speed-record attempts. Dan would have to
demonstrate his motorcycle at 7 p.m. when a fair amount of crosswind was
blowing. Despite these two disadvantages, Dan showed true Federation
determination and confidence.
After explaining the system, the safety fallbacks, and the machine's
components, Dan mounted for his demonstration ride. Dan's guidance system
is comprised of a GPS unit programmed to keep him on the centerline of his
track. As he veers to the left or right of the centerline, an increasingly
louder frequency sounds in the left or right ear, indicating which side of
the centerline he is on. If Dan drives too far off the centerline, the
motorcycle automatically shuts off. The guidance approach is effectively
the audio equivalent to the drive grip in our BDC car. Since Dan would have
a closed course with no obstacles, his primary job was to drive as straight
as he could to find a groove where he could get the speed up as high as
possible.
Dan nailed the first demonstration run, and the officials asked him
to do it again. On the second run Dan just tripped the outer limit of his
left boundary and the motorcycle automatically shut off. It turned out that
this was useful because the officials wanted to know that this safety
feature worked as the team claimed. On the next run they had the motorcycle
intentionally driven toward the boundary to confirm that it would again
shut down automatically. Then a couple of the officials tested the bike and
Dan's navigation system. The event officials were impressed, and they
quickly approved Dan to make an official pass on Monday.
On Monday the team got to the Salt early. After prepping the
motorcycle and testing all of the components, the team headed to the pre-
staging area. Dan would be followed on the course by a chase truck. The
primary purpose of the chase truck was to deliver the motorcycle to the
starting line and get it off the course as soon as the run was over.
However, the chase truck also allowed the team to monitor the system for
problems and to be close to the action. Dan would have to drive a two-mile-
long stretch. Mile one is to build speed, while the actual speed of the run
is measured based on the start and end times achieved in mile two. Plenty
of room is available after mile two to come to a safe stop. During mile one
the chase truck would be directly behind Dan, but the truck would have to
pull to the side before mile two to avoid tripping the timing devices.
I was honored that Dan offered me a seat in the chase truck, along
with Ronnie, a key team member and the driver of the chase truck; Jennifer,
Dan's girlfriend; Patrick, the engineer who built the guidance system; and
Matthew and Terry, who provided support for the motorcycle. The staging
area was a classic case of "hurry up and wait." Once the line of riders in
front of us began making runs, things started happening very quickly. It
reminded me a lot of waiting and waiting in the pits at Daytona until 10:55
a.m. came and things moved without any time to think. The symbolism was not
lost on me as the clock advanced towards 11 a.m. local time and Dan's turn
approached.
Let me return to Daytona for a moment. People often ask me about the
experience of driving at Daytona. It was truly unparalleled. It was one of
the most intense, yet one of the calmest moments of my life. Maybe it is
hard to describe because the adrenaline was flowing so intensely. Maybe it
is difficult to articulate because I had a job to do, and, while it was
fun, it was also the most pressure-filled assignment Dr. Maurer has ever
given me. Maybe it is hard to capture in words because it just cannot be
adequately described. All of those things are probably true, but, as I sat
in the chase truck, I reflected on how different the world is after
Daytona. People asked me what I was going to say when I got out of the car
at the finish line in Daytona, and I had a stock of great one-liners. When
the real moment came and I hit the brake, put the car in park, and honked
the horn, no words were equal to the demonstration itself.
As I sat with the next person to advance our blind driver work, I
finally understood why I could not adequately answer that question about
Daytona. The reason is that my own thinking about the world transformed in
that 1.5-mile drive around the Daytona road course. When I got out of the
car and met Dr. Maurer, I no longer knew what the limits are for us as
blind people. My perspective on the world changed during that drive. My
understanding of the capacity we have as blind people, the tremendous
imagination and innovation we can harness when we work together in the
Federation, and the faith we share with each other in testing those limits
transformed my whole outlook on where we can go next. In fact, it focused
me on what is next and how we get there. I cannot answer the Daytona
question adequately because Daytona is not the biggest thing we have done.
The biggest thing is yet to come, and, if we spend too much time looking
back, we might miss what is coming next.
As I ran through these reflections in my mind, I pulled my Louis
Braille coin out of my pocket. I reflected that, in the moments before the
drive at Daytona, I was keenly aware that I was the only person that could
screw the whole thing up, but that there could be no greater opportunity
than to be a pioneer. That coin was with me during my drive at Daytona. I
quietly handed Dan my Braille coin and asked him to carry it with him as a
symbol of the bond of faith that we share with each other in the
Federation.
At approximately 11 a.m. mountain time on Monday, August 26, Dan
Parker kicked off from the starting line and headed off on mile one. He
started at a steady pace and, as he approached the beginning of mile two,
he began to find his groove. He was going fast enough that the chase truck
had lost pace and needed to hustle to catch back up. Early in mile one Dan
was, at most, fourteen feet off the centerline. During mile two Dan stayed
within four feet of the centerline, and toward the end he began to "let it
out" and push his bike to go faster. He completed the first historic
independent run by a blind person at Bonneville with an officially recorded
speed of 55.331 MPH.
This blind driver was inspired by what I witnessed on the Salt that
day. Dan handed me my coin back, and I wondered where we might go next. Dan
and I spent some time speculating about creating a Blind Driver Challenge
Racing League out on the Salt, getting a junior dragster equipped with
technology so blind youth could run the Salt, and all sorts of other
wonderful ideas. Dan never did get to make a second run due to time
constraints, and I am certain he would have bettered his speed by at least
ten miles per hour on the second pass. Nevertheless, we had an opportunity
to speculate about what is ahead for us as blind people and how we might
get there. In Dan's words, "We achieved what we came to do, and we can now
begin thinking about what is next."
I did not bother to press Dan on what it felt like to race
Bonneville. In one sense I am certain it was one of the most thrilling
experiences he has ever had in his life. In another sense I am certain that
he will not be able adequately to articulate it. Dan Parker is a member of
the NFB. His spirit, determination, and eagerness to give back radiate from
every conversation. I am quite certain he is focused on what is next. If I
were willing to bet my Louis Braille coin on it, I am certain that the
blind will not be disappointed with the road ahead. Our Federation
continues our journey of innovation and adventure. We can now add high-
speed racing to our suite of blind driver achievements and a new
Federationist ready to put his foot on the accelerator of progress. When
you meet Dan Parker at an upcoming Federation event, remember to welcome
him to the Federation before you press him on what it was like to run the
Salt.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan poses triumphantly with his bike and his long white
cane.]
----------
Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL): Changing Educational
Expectations for the Blind of America
by Mark A. Riccobono, Sandy Halverson, Kayleigh Joiner, and Raveena Ali
From the Editor: Mark Riccobono is the executive director of the
Jernigan Institute, the husband of the president of the National Federation
of the Blind of Maryland, and the father of three children, two of whom are
blind. He was the moderator of the panel on Saturday, July 6, 2013, that
discussed one of the most exciting programs the Federation has devised and
run. Here is what he and other members of his panel said to the convention:
[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono at the 2013 convention]
Mark Riccobono: "It's the possibility of having a dream come true
that makes life interesting." This quote is taken from author Paulo
Coelho's book The Alchemist-a novel that is now described as an eternal
testament to the transformative power of our dreams and the importance of
listening to our hearts. The Alchemist was first released when I was a
rising senior in high school. At that time my vision was not much better
than today-20/1000 on a good day in one eye-but I did not think of myself
as a blind person. I did not read The Alchemist when it first came out
because reading was a painful strain for me. I did not know what my dreams
were because in my heart I did not believe that I had the ability to pursue
them. I did not accept the opportunity to learn Braille because I did not
have any idea why I would want to learn it. That year was the first time a
teacher had ever raised the idea of Braille with me. The expectation was
not that I would learn Braille but simply that they could teach me Braille
if I wanted to learn it. Why would I want to? What would I gain? How would
it help me pursue my dreams? No one presented answers to these mysterious
questions. I was left with a riddle that had no obvious answer.
Three years later I found the National Federation of the Blind, and
instantly I had a circle of blind friends who took the time to teach me
that I had something to offer, that I could pursue my own dreams, and that
there were many great reasons to want to learn Braille. In The Alchemist
Coelho writes, "When we love, we always strive to become better than we
are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us
becomes better too." This sentiment articulates my experience with the love
and faith I found in members of the Federation and their expectations for
me as a blind person. One of the many gifts I will always treasure from
this organization is that my blind friends took the time to teach me why I
would want to learn Braille and then to teach me how to read and write the
code itself. Since learning Braille more than fifteen years ago, I have
joined my blind brothers and sisters in seeking innovative ways to change
the expectations related to Braille instruction for children and adults.
In the journey presented in The Alchemist, we find that, "When you
want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."
This is true of our movement as well-maybe the way to state it is "When you
dream of something, all the Federation conspires in helping you to achieve
it."
Members of our Maryland affiliate were tired of blind children being
refused Braille instruction, and they had a dream of raising the
expectations for these youth. In fact, it was Jackie Anderson, this year's
NFB Distinguished Educator of Blind Children, and another blind mom who
feared the low expectations the school system would have for their children
and dreamt of building a better model for Braille literacy through the
Federation. In the summer of 2008 the first Braille Enrichment for Literacy
and Learning (BELL) program was held in Maryland, and it was immediately
clear that this program had the potential to change expectations for the
education of blind children around the country. BELL is a two-week summer
program to provide young blind and low-vision children with fun, intensive
Braille instruction in an environment of high expectations and positive
attitudes with role models from the National Federation of the Blind.
In The Alchemist we are offered the observation that "Everything that
happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will
surely happen a third time." After witnessing the impact of the first BELL
Program, we brought the model into the Jernigan Institute, added some new
components, hired some quality Braille instructors, and piloted our
approach in Maryland and Georgia during the summer of 2009. Two affiliates
were still not enough. Today we find rising expectations around Braille
with the NFB BELL Program being offered this summer in almost 40 percent of
our affiliates, but we will not have realized the transformative nature of
our dreams until the bell rings for Braille literacy throughout every
affiliate in our Federation.
This morning we offer you different perspectives on the BELL Program
to demonstrate why we all should be proud of our accomplishments and
committed to the progress yet to be made.
Our first presenter represents the long-time committed members of the
Federation who understand the importance of Braille and who want to change
the expectations. For even the most committed, the notion of undertaking
the BELL Program may feel daunting. Here to share her experience, to invite
you to raise your own expectations for what we can do together, and to
confront your fears about leading the way with the NFB BELL Program is the
president of the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille and the
lead coordinator for the NFB of Virginia BELL Programs, Sandy Halverson.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Sandy Halverson at the 2013 convention]
Sandy Halverson: I'm going to tell you how I went from skeptic (which
I'm usually not) to sold on BELL, which I totally am now-how blind kids
benefit and why your state should find ways to become a part of our
National Federation of the Blind BELL ringers.
The NFB of Virginia first began to consider conducting a BELL Program
near the end of 2009. After a conference call to discuss some of our
concerns with the Jernigan Institute education team, we decided that we
simply couldn't afford to participate. So I was thinking we were done with
all that BELL business when our president, Fred Schroeder, said,
"Sandra..."-I knew what was coming because he never calls me Sandra-"I want
a BELL Program in 2010, and I want you to coordinate it."
So I said, "All right," but I was sure he was crazy, and I was certain
it would not work.
Throughout the BELL volunteer coordinator training weekend at our
National Center, we talked about funding-we will never raise that much. We
talked about recruiting five or six students from ages four to eleven for
two weeks-we will never find them; we talked about the supplies, food, and
volunteers that would be needed-not happening.
However, since problem-solving is one of my strengths, and I like the
challenge of a project with lots of detail, I ditched my negative thinking
and decided to act positively. After all, if I could come up with the
hardcopy Braille system we have used since 1980 for tracking Washington
Seminar appointment and report data collection, surely I could whip this
BELL project into shape.
So what does the coordinator do? Identify members in your affiliate,
including your parents of blind children division-people who are passionate
about blind kids; like fundraising; enjoy being out in the community; and
have good Braille, travel, and organizational skills. Someone in that group
is likely to be a member of a church that has school and playground
facilities that meet our needs, and lots of churches do not charge for
their use, though, like the NFB, they appreciate donations. Our members who
manage vending locations will often contribute water, snacks, lunch, or
whatever else they can; ask them. Become very familiar with the curriculum.
You won't be teaching all the classes, but the reading, writing, blindness
skills, cooking, and craft projects will determine the supplies,
transportation, and volunteers you need.
Our funding comes from local Kiwanis and Lions Clubs, our local
chapters, the board of the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision
Impaired, one school district-a first-time occurrence for us-and this year
for the first time a mayor's commission on the disabled has said that they
will cover the participation cost of two children in one of our programs
this summer, a contact made by our scholarship winner, Tasha Hubbard. I
certainly had never thought of that committee, but will from now on.
The coordinator recruits a teacher of blind students and helps find
parents. Before you decide you don't know any teachers of blind students or
parents with blind children, our national office maintains databases of
Braille Pals families, Braille Readers Are Leaders contest participants,
free white cane recipients, Future Reflections readers, and those who
receive American Action Fund Free Braille Books. Your library for the blind
and state rehabilitation agency will often mail to families in targeted zip
codes, but you get only the names of those who choose to register or
contact you directly. Our Jernigan Institute staff will also help with
information about teachers of blind students.
Our first Virginia BELL Program did happen in 2010, and Virginia has
been ringing bells throughout the state ever since. Jackie Otwell, whom
many of you know, was a godsend to Mike Fish and me that year because Mike
was a new teacher of blind students, and I was a first-time coordinator.
Jackie Anderson, Casey Robertson, and Sheena Manuel are honorary Virginians
and phenomenal teachers who are passionate about their work, believe in our
positive philosophy of blindness, and love working with blind children.
So what did we do in our first program? None of our students had been
to a library containing a large collection of children's Braille books, so
we decided to go to the Martin Luther King Library in DC. Our six kids,
ranging in age from four to eleven, and lots of volunteers, one per child,
used our canes to walk the two blocks to the bus stop, boarded a bus, got
off at a Metro station, had lunch at McDonald's, where our bill was so high
I had to run my debit card twice, and rode the Metro. Our students used
canes for the first time on escalators and walked several blocks, only to
learn that we were in the wrong place. I think the adults had more trouble
with the ninety-plus temperature and equally high humidity than the kids
did. But retracing our steps and walking even farther was not a good
option, so I started handing out money like a drug dealer, organized our
crowd in cabs, and off to the library we went. The kids had a great time
and were absolutely worn out by the time their parents took them home at
the end of the day. Our youngest student Hannah said, "I went on a bus, the
Metro, and a cab. I want to ride in an airplane." I told her she'd have to
talk with her mom about that.
One of our kids ate kosher meals and snacks, so her parents packed her
lunch items separately so that she'd have to put her sandwich together like
everyone else. Kosher ingredients were used in our cooking projects as
well. We also went to a museum, a farmers' market, a local chocolate shop,
and a boat ride to learn about Eastern Shore of Virginia water life. One of
our kids was spotted in the grocery store with his mother using the cane he
had resisted at the beginning of our program. The field trips were not
organized by the sighted for us; we did that ourselves. We didn't drive the
bus or other transportation, but we talked about how, as blind people, we
could get the information we needed and how we would transact our business
with the drug store proprietor; McDonald's; and Wal-Mart, where we bought
ingredients for our closing ceremony ice cream social using Braille cards
indicating each student's purchase. We're teaching blind kids how to have
fun and build self-confidence in their home and school lives.
So what's in it for the kids? Karman and Jada, two of our NFB of
Virginia participants, are here attending their first national convention.
They do not attend the same school and never met until last year at BELL.
Now they talk to each other every day, probably more often than their
parents know. They will be participating in our 2013 Virginia Beach BELL
Program.
Recruiting is part of everything we do. Each of us was recruited by
someone to become a part of this organization, so I was pleased to recruit
Diane McGeorge after our first year of BELL and have gone on to talk with
folks from Idaho, Illinois, Missouri, and California, to name a few states.
I cannot commend our Jernigan Institute staff enough for their commitment
to this program--the curriculum and the resources are always available to
us.
Coordinating a successful program takes time-talking with parents on
multiple occasions until their child has been registered, recruiting
volunteers, finding the location, reviewing IEPs and consent forms,
resolving food and transportation concerns, and all the other stuff, but a
good coordinator delegates and follows up, confirming that all tasks have
been completed. You get those guidelines from the curriculum, too. Thank
you, Dr. Maurer, for your support of and commitment to this program to
bring our message of hope to the next generation of young blind children.
Thank you, Fred, for causing me to do something I didn't think would work,
and thank you, John, for not complaining when I have one more call to
return, more BELL supplies are on our front porch, and you'll have to bring
home dinner again. This is why we do what we do, and may there be more of
us next year singing "Ring My Bell!" Thank you.
Mark Riccobono: Our BELL Programs create opportunities to engage with
outstanding Braille instructors who had not known the Federation previously
and provide a means for us to train future teachers whose broader impact on
the educational system will be the change we want to see. Our next
presenter is one of those future teachers who will bring the spirit and
high expectations of the NFB BELL Program to her work in the field. A blind
woman, who herself has had to overcome not receiving early Braille
instruction in the educational system and whose mentoring and passion for
Braille now helps fuel our NFB of Texas BELL Program, here is Kayleigh
Joiner.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Kayleigh Joiner at the 2013 convention]
Kayleigh Joiner: Like many other students in this country, I wasn't
taught Braille because of my limited amount of residual vision. My TVI
deemed me a visual learner, which made me feel like a broken sighted
student. Secretly I began teaching myself Braille, through distance
education courses from the Hadley School for the Blind, when I was thirteen
years old. My TVI chastised me for teaching myself Braille. After a five-
year battle with the school district, I finally received Braille
instruction my senior year of high school. During this battle I realized
that I wanted to become a TVI so that I could make sure that no other blind
students would have to go through the same struggles I did. I know
firsthand the challenges that come with visual learning for blind students.
In the beginning of fourth grade my mom began to doubt whether large
print would be effective for me. She saw me struggle to keep up with my
sighted peers. When she approached the school district about these issues,
she was blamed for these troubles because she wanted me to do the same
amount of work as my sighted peers. The school district wanted to exempt me
from standardized testing and reduce the amount of work as a solution. They
never considered Braille as an option or an equalizer. She was told, "You
don't want her to look different." (As if having my face an inch from the
book didn't make me look different already.) In junior high and high school
it would take me anywhere from four to six hours to complete my homework
every day. The IEP team wanted to blame the time spent on the fact that I
was taking several AP classes, instead of placing the blame where it
belonged: on the choice of reading medium. This is why I am so passionate
about the BELL Program.
I want to help reverse the Braille literacy crisis by teaching Braille
and other blindness skills to all students, including those with residual
vision. I want to ensure that our future generation of blind students is
literate. I want my students to believe in themselves. I want to lead by
example to show that blind people can be independent, productive members of
society.
Even today blind students are being told that Braille is hard to
learn. However, through activities such as Braille Twister, drawing
pictures with your Perkins Brailler, and beach-ball Braille, the students
in the BELL Program realize that Braille is fun and not hard to learn. Some
students may be told that Braille is slow; however, in the BELL Program
students hear competent blind adults reading Braille and realize that
Braille is anything but slow. Through the Captain Whozit skit the students
learn that the long white cane is a symbol of independence. They also learn
about the positive and negative ways that blind people can be portrayed in
books and other media. It is our goal for the students to leave the program
with improved skills and a brighter outlook on their future.
I first got involved with the BELL Program in 2010 and 2011 when I
shadowed Emily Gibbs, our lead teacher of blind students. In 2012 Richie
Flores gave me the opportunity to teach at our three BELL Programs. During
that summer, not only was I teaching blind students Braille, but I was also
learning how to be a better teacher. This program has reinforced my belief
that even students with additional disabilities can still benefit from
learning the alternative skills of blindness. One student that I had last
summer didn't believe that he could successfully pour water wearing
sleepshades due to his cerebral palsy. Because of my belief in him and his
abilities, he was able to accomplish the task with great pride. Another
student who was cutting up fruit for a fruit kabob didn't think that blind
people could be chefs. This student didn't consider that cutting up fruit
was something that a chef would do. I was proud to help broaden her mind
about the jobs that blind people have.
This summer I had the opportunity to teach nonvisual skills in our two
BELL Programs in Texas. During the beginning of the week I noticed that one
student was showing some resistance when it came to wearing sleepshades. He
was on the verge of tears. I explained to him that wearing sleepshades
helps develop our other senses. Lo and behold, by the end of the week
during our sound scavenger hunt this student kept his sleep shades down,
and his confidence in using his cane grew. It brings me such joy to see the
growth in the students from the beginning to the end of the program. Some
students are using their canes more than before, while others have gone
from knowing no Braille letters to learning the first five.
One aspect of the BELL Program that distinguishes it from other
programs is that blind adults are teaching and modeling the skills of
blindness for the BELL students. This program is different from other day
programs for blind children because the staff has high expectations for the
students and they encourage the students to be independent.
The BELL Program is a great opportunity for those who want to pursue a
degree in education. This program allows future teachers to gain experience
in working with young children, implementing classroom management
techniques, and planning curriculum.
Working the BELL Program is one of the highlights of my summer. By
providing these students with a foundation in Braille, we are helping to
ensure that they have a bright future, full of limitless possibilities.
These students are the future of our organization, and I am proud to do my
part in giving them the skills they will need to succeed and live an
independent life.
Mark Riccobono: My wife Melissa became president of our Maryland
affiliate shortly after the first BELL Program, and Braille enrichment has
been a significant part of our summer ever since. We did not know that two
years later we would find an even deeper reason to build the dream of the
NFB BELL Program. Our first daughter Oriana was born in May 2010, and, when
the doctor first mentioned to me that her eyes did not respond as they
expected, I immediately remembered the pain of my own struggle for
literacy. The difference this time was that I already knew why Braille was
important to learn and that the NFB BELL Program had raised the
expectations for early Braille instruction. Our daughter is now three, and
we are beginning to teach her the code. Next summer we expect her to be
ringing the bell in our Baltimore BELL Program. Before I introduce our last
speaker and our reason for building this movement, let me take a moment to
thank my brothers and sisters in the Federation for giving me literacy, and
on behalf of my family I want to publicly thank Jackie Anderson, Sharon
Maneki, and the other members of our Maryland affiliate who have made it
possible for our daughter to ring the BELL someday-you have helped ensure
that my daughter has greater opportunities than I had, and that is why
Melissa and I will not stop until all blind children have the same
opportunity.
Now for our star BELL ringer. A rising second grader at Springdale
Park Elementary School in Atlanta, Georgia, who knows that Braille is
knowledge and knowledge is power. Here to tell us about what the NFB BELL
Program means to her is Raveena Alli.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Raveena Alli speaking at the 2013 convention]
Raveena Alli: Good morning, my Federation family. Hope everyone is
doing well and had a wonderful week so far. I know I did.
My name is Raveena Alli, and I am six years old, but very soon to be
seven; my birthday is on July 22. I am about to enter second grade at
Springdale Park Elementary, which is in Atlanta, Georgia. So in my hand I
am holding a peach: can I hear it for my Georgia family please!
So, first of all, before I get started, I have three jokes to share,
are you ready for this....I can't hear you....Are you ready for this?
Jokes:
Why did the boy bring a ladder to school?
He wanted to go to high school.
Why was 6 afraid of 7?
Because: 7 8 9.
Where do pencils go for vacation?
Pencil-vania.
So today I am here to talk to you about the BELL Program. As you
heard, BELL stands for Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning. Say it
very slowly. The BELL Program teaches and supports Braille literacy among
blind children like me. I attended my first BELL Program two years ago when
I was four, and it was so much fun. The two-week summer program introduced
me to that super heavy piece of machinery called a Braillewriter. The
Braillewriter is now and will always be one of my very best friends because
it has taught me how to write Braille. I also played with muffin tins and
balls to help me learn the Braille cell. That was really cool. It took a
little while for me to learn my alphabet, but now I have moved onto
contracted Braille, and I can even make birthday cards and holiday cards
with my Braillewriter.
I really enjoyed the BELL Program because, in addition to learning
Braille, we did arts and crafts, a Braille dance which I would really like
to show you, but I might fall off the stage, and we wouldn't want that. I
also enjoyed chatting as you can see and meeting new friends, and we talked
a lot at lunchtime, and we went on field trips like to the Children's
Museum. Besides learning to read and write Braille, the teacher and
volunteers taught us about confidence and making sure we use our canes at
all times to get around. They said we have to be independent, independent,
Independent!
At camp we also did a lot of role plays, teaching others to be polite and
courteous, for example, letting people at the grocery store know that it is
ok to talk directly to me. They don't have to talk through my mom to ask
about me or my cane. I can politely answer and speak up for myself. We also
did role plays to teach a sighted person to ask if help is needed and not
just grab my arm; that's not really cool. I might need to take their arm,
not the other way around.
Please stand up and repeat after me:
Braille is cool!
It's a wonderful tool.
I like BELL.
Can't you tell!
A special shout out to my Georgia president--Mr. Garrick Scott. [applause]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Raveena Alli leaving stage]
Mark Riccobono: There you have the journey of the NFB BELL Program. You do
not have to be an alchemist to turn dreams into reality. You need the love,
faith, imagination, and commitment that we find in this convention hall-the
dynamic combination of elements that come together to make up the National
Federation of the Blind. Let the word go out from this day forward that we
will not stop until the bell rings for literacy, freedom, and higher
expectations for the blind in every community in our nation. Let's go for
Braille!
-------------------
Consider a Charitable Gift
Making a charitable gift can be one of the most satisfying
experiences in life. Each year millions of people contribute their time,
talent, and treasure to charitable organizations. When you plan for a gift
to the National Federation of the Blind, you are not just making a
donation; you are leaving a legacy that insures a future for blind people
throughout the country. Special giving programs are available through the
National Federation of the Blind (NFB).
Points to Consider When Making a Gift to the National Federation of the
Blind
. Will my gift serve to advance the mission of the NFB?
. Am I giving the most appropriate asset?
. Have I selected the best way to make my gift?
. Have I considered the tax consequences of my gift?
. Have I sought counsel from a competent advisor?
. Have I talked to the NFB planned giving officer about my gift?
Benefits of Making a Gift to the NFB
. Helping the NFB fulfill its mission
. Receiving income tax savings through a charitable deduction
. Making capital gain tax savings on contribution of some appreciated
gifts
. Providing retained payments for the life of a donor or other
beneficiaries
. Eliminating federal estate tax in certain situations
. Reducing estate settlement cost
Your Gift Will Help Us
. Make the study of science and math a real possibility for blind
children
. Provide hope for seniors losing vision
. Promote state and chapter programs and provide information that will
educate blind people
. Advance technology helpful to the blind
. Create a state-of-the-art library on blindness
. Train and inspire professionals working with the blind
. Provide critical information to parents of blind children
. Mentor blind people trying to find jobs
Your gift makes you a part of the NFB dream!
----------------------
Editor's Note: nineteen affiliates conducted BELL Programs during the
summer of 2013. Those affiliates are California, Colorado, Florida,
Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Mississippi,
North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas,
Utah, and Virginia.
----------
A Teacher in the Movement Who Believed in Blind Children and Taught the
Legislature to Share Her Faith
by Casey Robertson
From the Editor: Casey Robertson is a teacher of the blind who lives
in Mississippi. Active followers of our Internet mailing lists will
remember the updates about the campaign in that state to pass a Braille
bill and about a video generated for the Mississippi Legislature featuring
young children reading Braille. Casey Robertson was a primary mover in that
effort. She was slated to speak later on the convention agenda but, as
happens from time to time, agenda items get moved, and she was called ahead
of time to make her presentation on July 5. Here is what she said to the
2013 convention and the remarks President Maurer made immediately
following:
[PHOTO CAPTION: Casey Robertson speaking at the 2013 convention]
Good morning, Federation family and friends. I am here this morning,
but, if you look at your agenda, you might see you were supposed to hear
about surviving potential disaster. Well I think my story goes right along
with that because, if we do not change the way students in our country are
taught, we are headed for disaster. [applause]
I am Casey Robertson, a teacher of blind students with a master's
degree from Louisiana Tech, [applause] and I am currently a doctoral
student at Walden University.
Last year a dream came true for three women in our affiliate and was
backed by a great state president, Sam Gleese. We wanted to change the way
blind students were taught in Mississippi. We were met with a lot of
opposition. We were told, "We do not believe that blind students learn as
much or as well as their sighted peers." I ask you today, do you believe in
blind students? [scattered cheers] That wasn't strong enough. Do you
believe blind students can learn? [applause] I thought maybe you might've
been taking a drink of your coffee or something, so I was going to check by
asking again.
We approached the legislature and asked them if they would work with
us on a bill. The response was, "Well, we have a state school for the
blind. Don't they meet our blind students' service needs?"
Our answer was, "No, they do not, but, even if they did, what we want
is to improve services for blind students in public schools." So a
legislator, Tom Miles, was gracious enough to meet with us. As we sat down
with him, I realized education began right there. He was not aware that we
had blind students in public education, so we knew we had a challenge from
the beginning. We started teaching legislators about blindness. We did this
through emails, through meetings, through posts, through flyers-we taught
them everything there is to know about blind students and how they learn.
One of our most successful strategies was to let blind students speak
for themselves. [cheers] As a teacher of the blind I can do many things,
but I cannot speak as a blind child speaks. So I gathered blind students,
and we went to the state capitol. We had meetings with legislators. When
they said, "But Braille is slow-your opposition is saying Braille is too
slow for us to invest in," I let my students read for them. [cheers] Some
members of the education committee exclaimed: "I can't read print that
fast." So we killed the myth that Braille is slow, again by letting the
students show their stuff. [applause]
The second argument advanced by the opposition was, "We don't have the
teachers. We can't proclaim that these kids need Braille because we don't
have teachers to serve them."
Our answer was "That's not our problem." That's what we were there to
change. Soon the legislature began to see the wisdom of our beliefs, and I
will never forget the ah-ha moment when one of them called me one night at
home. He said, "Casey, I get it. I finally get it. These kids can learn;
these kids are the same as their sighted peers. What have we been doing?"
[applause]
Suddenly he was a man on a mission. Before our bill hit the floor, it
had twenty-six bipartisan cosponsors. When it passed in the Mississippi
House of Representatives the first time, the vote was a unanimous 100
percent support.
Now many of you are thinking, "Well, we have a Braille bill in our
state; what makes yours so special?" Let me tell you some of the important
parts it contains. Our bill now requires, just as federal law does, that
all students who have 20/200 vision and are legally blind receive Braille
while they're waiting on assessments. [cheers] Our teachers can no longer
just give any type of assessment. They have to give a research-based
assessment for blind and low-vision students. This is important because the
National Federation of the Blind worked with Louisiana Tech and the
Institute on Blindness to develop the very first research-based tool, the
National Reading Media Assessment. I kind of knew ahead of time (but they
didn't know) that we had the only research-based assessment. Now they use
our assessment to decide whether students receive Braille or not.
[applause]
A battle that the National Federation of the Blind has fought for many
years is to guarantee textbooks on time. Our bill says that it is against
the law for students not to have textbooks at the same time (on the first
day of school) as their sighted peers. It's good to talk the talk, but have
they followed through? I can assure you that my students have their
textbooks at their home school right now, and most were delivered before
school was out last year for this coming school year. We had never gotten
workbooks in the state of Mississippi. I have workbooks for my students to
start school with in August. [applause]
One of the greatest battles we had to fight was to require that
teachers show proficiency in Braille. We actually had teachers show up and
fight against the legislation by saying that they did not need to be
proficient in Braille to teach blind students. We asked the teachers and
the legislators, "How can you teach something that you are not proficient
in?" [applause]
I looked at the legislators, many of whom had kids of their own, and I
said, "Would you allow your student to be taught by a teacher who could not
read?" There was absolute consensus that they would not. They expected
their children's teachers to be very competent and efficient in the tasks
that they were teaching, especially something as fundamental as reading and
writing. So from now on, in the state of Mississippi, you cannot become a
TVI (teacher of the visually impaired) unless you have shown proficiency in
Braille literacy. [applause]
Because of surgery, I was unable to be there the day that the bill was
passed on the floor of the house, but I made sure beforehand that our
gallery was filled with blind students and blind adults. When the bill was
passed, we had a standing ovation from the floor, which rarely happens in
the legislature. One legislator asked to address the floor and was given
permission. He looked up to the gallery, turned to the blind people, and
said that, in his thirty-seven years as a representative, these were the
most well-informed advocates he had ever seen, that they made it clear what
they needed and what should be done, and that this was one time when it was
really clear to him how he could vote to improve education. He concluded by
saying that he was grateful for the advocacy, grateful he could help, and
grateful that he could now say that he believes in blind children.
Unlike most bills, ours did not contain a request for money. We gave
the legislature ways that they could provide students with an effective
education with the money they were already spending through the state
school for the blind and the textbooks they were receiving. However,
because our bill was so well constructed and well received, we had members
of the financial committee approach us, and through their initiative they
added to our bill a fifty-thousand-dollar appropriation each year to train
teachers who are in the field but who are not currently proficient in
Braille. [applause]
Now let's look at what has changed for those students who gave me a
reason to believe that blind children could learn: my fifteen-year-old deaf-
blind child who was sitting in a public school and was illiterate because
no one believed she could read-she is now reading Braille; my third grader,
who was hanging in a world between print and Braille and was not literate
in either one, is now proficient in Braille. Because of our bill the two
sixth graders who had never had Nemeth math are now proficient in reading
and are at grade level in their math classes. [applause] Our bill also
requires that the state department of education recognize Braille and
orientation and mobility as subjects in their core curriculum. No longer
can a student be in high school and be denied orientation and mobility or
Braille during the school day based on the argument that it takes away from
core curriculum classes.
Many of our students are helped by the National Reading Media
Assessment. Without this research-based assessment we are neglecting a lot
of students who are in schools and using large print, struggling with large
print, and really need to change their reading medium. The third grader I
spoke of, who is now reading Braille-the school did not know what to do
with her. The National Reading Media Assessment showed that she was a
Braille reader, and, once we changed her reading media, she was able to
become proficient and literate, where she had never been able to read
before. At the time we thought that this was a very small part of our bill-
to ask for a research-based assessment-but it turned out to be huge. The
teachers in our state are now having to go back and retest their students
with low vision and blindness to see where they fall in the reading media
assessment. Our federal quota numbers are coming up because we're finding
more students who were in the wrong medium and struggling, but now we can
allow them to be successful readers.
A team made up of staff from the National Federation of the Blind and
Louisiana Tech will be presenting the National Reading Media Assessment
this July at the National Special Education Conference to teach special
education leaders about how to assess a blind student properly and
incorporate Braille into the curriculum.
I ask you now, do you believe blind children can learn? [loud cheers]
My belief in blind children and blind people came from the National
Federation of the Blind. I look at the adults here, and I see what my
students need to know to be successful blind adults. I want to thank each
and every one of you for being here and helping us change what it means to
be blind in Mississippi and across the nation. [cheers and applause]
I also urge you not to sit still. Natalie told us yesterday about how
sitting still is killing us. Well, sitting still in our affiliates is
killing the chance that you can change your state law. I ask you not to
wait on the National Federation of the Blind at the national level to fight
every battle for us. I want you, as members of your affiliates, to get
together a group to look at your Braille bill, see what needs to be
changed, contact me or the Mississippi affiliate; and we can help you
rewrite your bill and tell you the steps to get it changed. Don't sit and
wait for someone to change what it means to be blind in your state-get
moving, and make that change happen. [applause]
You might say, "As an affiliate we don't have the money to change the
Braille bill." Well I can tell you that, for less than a thousand dollars,
we changed the entire educational system for blind students in Mississippi.
[cheers]
Our bill is not only helping blind students, it's also helping all
students because they're learning more about blind people in their schools.
As the result of our bill, our current school for the blind is being
reorganized. Not only did we affect the public school system, we affected
the state school for the blind and all blind students in Mississippi. I'm
asking you to look at your state education acts as they pertain to blind
people, seek out help if you need it, and make the changes that need to be
made so that your students are getting the best possible instruction in
Braille, large print, or whatever their reading medium is. Make reading a
core curriculum subject.
Thank you today for listening to my story and to my thoughts as to how
you can change what it means to be blind. I often have people ask me, "How
did you learn so much about blindness?" I say, "Well, number one, I watch
blind people, and, number two, I was trained by the best in the country-
Louisiana Tech." I ask you to go out, believe in blind children, and make a
change.
President Maurer concluded this presentation by saying: So here you
are, a teacher of the blind, a parent of a deaf-blind person; you write a
proposed law, and you cause it to be introduced in the legislature. You get
it adopted unanimously, you get it funded, you have a standing ovation on
the floor of one of the legislative bodies-we need you in Washington DC.
And all of this you did because you believe in the people who needed you. I
cannot but admire that kind of courage.
----------
Another Perspective on KIDS Camp
by Sharon Maneki
From the Editor: In June of this year we published an article by
Chris Nusbaum entitled "From Doubt to Dedication: My Journey in the
Federation." Chris's recounting of events that happened to him when he
attended a camp sponsored by Blind Industries and Services of Maryland has
occasioned several responses, some from the staff of BISM, whose perception
of the camp differs greatly from Chris's. Two questions have been
respectfully put to me. One is why I ran such an article without first fact-
checking it. The second is whether running the article means that this is
the Federation's view of the camp and of Blind Industries and Services of
Maryland.
When we run an article in the Monitor that we consider an
investigative piece, we do our best to determine that all of the statements
made are factual. Of course only a small number of articles fall into this
category. Many clearly are opinion pieces-here was my day participating in
a walk to fight leukemia, and here is how it felt as a blind person; here
was my trip through an airport with the reactions of one woman to my
journey.
I published the article by Chris Nusbaum believing it was clear that
this was an opinion piece being told from the perspective of a teenager and
relating his perceptions as a child of six. Had I made this clear in the
headnote, no one would have considered that this might be a Federation
assessment of Blind Industries and Services of Maryland or the camp Chris
attended. I consciously refrained from adding this cautionary note because
my intention was to let Chris's article be read without apology or
distance. Sharon Maneki has written to provide a different perspective
about the camp, and, in the interest of fairness and in an attempt to paint
a clearer picture of the camp, I gladly print it here:
A competent historian tries to get as many perspectives or views as
possible when writing about a particular event. When writing about specific
events in the US Civil War, a historian may not limit himself to describing
the perspectives of Union soldiers, but may also include those of
Confederate soldiers as well as slaves and plantation owners. Although the
article "From Doubt to Dedication: My Journey in the Federation," by Chris
Nusbaum, in the June 2013 issue of the Braille Monitor, was intended as a
personal reflection rather than historical commentary, I would like to
offer another perspective on KIDS Camp (Kids Independence Development
Summer Camp) that differs from Chris's perspective.
KIDS Camp was a one-week, overnight camp sponsored jointly by Blind
Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM) and the Parents Division of the
NFB of Maryland. KIDS Camp began in 1996 and ran consecutively for about
ten years. I believe Chris was enrolled in KIDS Camp in 2004, when he was
six years old. As the president of the Maryland affiliate during the years
when this program was offered, I always visited the camp to work with the
children and to support camp staff. I genuinely enjoyed my time at KIDS
Camp.
I was present on the night that Chris described in his well-written
article. As Chris mentioned, it was the last night of the program. At that
time Chris was a timid traveler, as are many six-year-old children. Chris
would stand and wait for direction and was reluctant to move at all. Camp
staff wanted him to walk out to the campfire on his own. Contrary to his
recollection, he was never left in the building by himself. Loretta White,
the director of the program, was always nearby, waiting for Chris, and
other reluctant souls, to inch their way forward. I observed Loretta
bringing Chris to the campfire. She knew that, even though Chris did not
accomplish the task of independent travel that night, he needed his supper.
She also knew how much Chris enjoyed stories read by Kit Bloom, the
Children's Librarian at the Maryland Library for the Blind and Physically
Handicapped.
Loretta White is an excellent teacher. She is also the mother of
several severely disabled children. Because of her guidance and leadership,
many blind students acquired skills and confidence at an earlier age. Today
her children are remarkably independent adults despite their disabilities.
The BISM staff members who assisted Loretta were top notch.
Differences of opinion about past events as recalled by a young child
and a teacher are not uncommon. Some children respond to a teacher's
guidance immediately, some may remember a teacher's actions and may benefit
from them years later, and some children may never remember a teacher's
influence at all. As I look back on my KIDS Camp experiences, perhaps Chris
simply was not ready for KIDS camp at that time. But we must not give in to
our doubts; we must be willing to expect more from our children than they
sometimes believe they can do.
I am very glad that we were able to have the KIDS Camp in Maryland. I
was sad to see it discontinued. I am grateful that today we have the
Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Programs nationwide and
that BISM offers programs for older blind children. I regret that Chris
feels that he had a bumpy start on his Federation journey. However, I stand
by my earlier prediction that Chris Nusbaum will grow, mature, and become
an effective leader in our movement.
----------
Ending Legalized Discrimination in Wage Payments for Disabled Americans
by Gregg Harper
From the Editor: Congressman Gregg Harper is the lead cosponsor of
the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013. Through the
courageous act of sponsoring this long overdue reform, we see his
commitment; in the presentation he made on the afternoon of July 5, we see
his passion. Here is what he said to the 2013 convention:
[PHOTO CAPTION: Gregg Harper]
Thank you so much, God bless you. Wow, what a great introduction and
what a warm welcome. I'm so glad to be here with you today, and what an
incredible group. I'm telling you-this is amazing. What a great turnout,
and to be here with so many of you-I can't tell you how excited my wife
Sydney and I are to be here. Sydney is seated on the front row just to my
left, and she's the one in our family who always does the heavy lifting.
Looking at your program, my goodness, what a great lineup it is. And to see
friends around the room-this is a special time for me.
Sydney and I left this morning about six o'clock to fly here and be
with you today. I have to say this: that is probably the best reception
that any member of the Congress has gotten in a long time. Now this may
come as a little bit of a surprise to you, but Congress is not real popular
right now. It's true. In fact, I was on a flight home a couple months ago,
and somebody asked what I did, and I told them I was a lawyer.
I know we've got a great group here from Mississippi, and I notice
we've got people from all fifty states here-everybody's here. Is it okay if
I say "ya'll"? Now some of you that don't have the privilege of being from
the Deep South, I'm going to help you just a little bit, okay? If I say
"ya'll," that can be singular or plural. If I say "all ya'll," that's
plural. Now if I say "all ya'lls'," that's plural possessive.
You know I have to say that when I first arrived in Washington, I was
pleasantly surprised to see how many organizations there are that are
devoted to working on disability issues. A few organizations stand out
within the advocacy community-the National Federation of the Blind is one
of those groups. Now in fairness, Rev. Sam Gleese of Mississippi deserves
much of the credit for making your organization's priorities known in my
office. Like many of you, Sam grew up not quite understanding low vision.
In fact as a child he thought that everybody had difficulty seeing. But it
was only after Sam fully lost sight that he comprehended the value of
encouraging others to overcome their struggles through persistence and
devotion. And it is this commitment that has made Sam one of my home
state's most respected and esteemed self-advocates. Ladies and gentlemen,
please give it up for Sam Gleese!
I noticed on the program Ms. Casey Robertson. Is Casey Robertson here
in the audience somewhere, or maybe coming in? You know, that's another
great person we'll hear from from Mississippi, Hamilton, Mississippi, which
is special to me because my PawPaw and MeMaw lived just north of there. My
first time I ever drove as a kid, I drove his pickup truck when I was
fourteen to Hamilton to get his hair cut. So I'm looking forward to that.
I've also been inspired by the selfless advocacy demonstrated by Anil
Lewis; what a great friend. Many of you know Anil's story about how he has
not allowed his own visual impairment to slow his goals and aspirations and
how he tirelessly fights for disability issues on Capitol Hill. But you
should also know that his personality and warmth are unmatched in
Washington. It's quite refreshing to work with someone overflowing with
optimism. Ya'll, I have to say, help me thank Anil for his great
commitment.
Now, if I may, I'd like to share just a little bit about my family's
story. You know there's always something personal that always drives us,
isn't there? As you know, my job as a father has challenged me to help
individuals living with disabilities. My son has inspired my mission as a
lawmaker to promote innovative federal policies. My wife Sydney and I
celebrate thirty-four years of marriage this August. We actually dated five
and a half years before we got married. We would've got married sooner, but
we were afraid to stay by ourselves.
I will have to tell you that we did not want children. We wanted
grandchildren. We are blessed with two children: our son Livingston, who is
twenty-four, and our daughter Maggie. Maggie, age twenty-one, is one of the
most caring and driven individuals that I've ever known. In fact she's so
motivated to begin her career that she recently graduated a year early from
Mississippi State University [cheers from the Mississippi delegation]. I
see we've got some Bulldog fans back there in the Mississippi section. But
she's spending this summer interning at a law firm in Mississippi with
former Governor Haley Barber, and in just a few weeks Sydney and I will put
Maggie on a plane to France, where she'll work with EuroCopter as an intern
for six months. While we're thrilled about this opportunity, like all
parents we're having to adjust to the reality of her being so far away from
Mom and Dad.
Now our son Livingston (twenty-four) lives with a situation called
"fragile X syndrome." It's a genetic abnormality which affects over a
hundred thousand Americans and is the most common inherited cause of
intellectual disabilities. He recently completed his second year at
Mississippi State University in a special program called the Access
Program. This curriculum provides students with intellectual disabilities
on-campus instruction and independent living, employment, and social
skills. This summer Livingston's working two jobs at our local public
library and the parks and recreation department. But during the school year
he's living in the dorm at Mississippi State, eating in the cafeteria,
going to classes-we think-he says he is.
In large part, our life journey of raising a special needs child is
why Sydney and I are here with ya'll here today. As I mentioned, Livingston
has fragile X syndrome. It took my wife and me a long time to accept the
diagnosis, but, once we did, we began to see our son for who he is, for all
of the exceptional qualities he holds as an individual, for the positive
impact and the blessing he is to so many people that he comes in contact
with each day, and for the many lessons that he has taught both of us in
our journey as parents. We're taught that the Lord is no respecter of
persons. I learned that from my son firsthand, because all during school,
during inclusion classes-he treated the superintendent or the principal of
the school the same as he treated the worker in the cafeteria.
We've come a long way-thank goodness-since the days when
institutionalization was the predominant path for citizens with significant
disabilities. But even today, after many advancements, additional public
policy reform is required with respect to working, earning a living wage,
saving for your future needs, and pursuing your own self-directed personal
and professional goals that individuals without disabilities enjoy. Real
transformation of publicly-financed supports for children and for people
with disabilities not only requires a major shift, but it also requires
bold, courageous, and innovative leadership. We must foster leaders at
every level of government who not only share a common-value framework that
believes in the competency and full citizenship of people with disabilities
but also possess the courage to stand up to those entities and individuals
who continue to perpetuate the old model of cyclical poverty and
dependency. This means calling out those entities who continue to push for
the preservation of their own financial self-interest at the expense of
citizens with disabilities. This means making tough choices in the face of
adversity. This means taking risk in order to build a better future for the
next generation of citizens with disabilities. I believe that everyone-
where appropriate, where it makes sense-should have the opportunity to
pursue a post-secondary educational experience. Even more important, they
should have a fair shot at an integrated employment opportunity as an
adult.
This is why I joined the dialog on Capitol Hill about the importance
of creating a comprehensive approach to the investment of public resources
aimed at successfully transitioning youth with significant disabilities
into adulthood. This effort has been initiated by an organization called
the Collaboration to Promote Self-Determination, a coalition of over a
dozen disability groups. And a conversation that has been taking place for
three years-over three years-evolved into three pieces of legislation that
I've filed that are collectively known as the Transition Toward Excellence
in Achievement and Mobility, or the TEAM Act. These three bills, which
separate and propose how to modernize education, employment, and
empowerment, impact these disability laws, collectively seek to promote
transition from secondary school to meaningful post-secondary educational
and employment opportunities with an emphasis on the eventual outcome
leading to sustained full-time employment in an integrated setting at a
livable wage, long-term career development and growth, and inclusion in the
community setting through independent living and social engagement.
Given my strong interest in ensuring that every disabled worker has
the opportunity to earn fair and moral pay, I joined the NFB-led initiative
to eliminate a seventy-five-year-old labor law that allows employers to pay
subminimum wage. This dated waiver program has left some disabled employees
making pennies on the hour. At the same time some of these companies are
paying their executives significant sums. Now I don't have a problem with a
company CEO making an excellent wage, but not on the backs of those who are
getting paid subminimum wage. We cannot allow this confused moral
perspective to continue.
Now you may be thinking, "How is that taking place?" The answer is a
1938 labor law, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, that allows
employers to receive special wage certificates. These US Department of
Labor waivers permit companies to pay disabled workers less than the
federal minimum wage, and in many situations much less than that. Over
three-hundred-thousand-approaching four-hundred-thousand-individuals
perpetually depended and are dependent upon social programs. By authorizing
subminimum wages, the federal government is in essence forcing the disabled
to rely on public benefits.
Some of you have experienced discrimination because of low vision. I
know that Sam Gleese has shared stories with us. Early in his career
employers lost interest in Sam after learning about his medical history.
All Sam wanted to do was to earn a fair salary; like every husband he just
wanted to provide for his wife and his daughter. This discrimination is
backwards. The myth that disabled workers cannot be productive employees is
awful and incorrect. Congress should be encouraging independence, not
forcing disabled workers into an endless cycle of government dependence.
It's simple: Meaningful work deserves fair pay. This dated provision
prohibits workers with disabilities from reaching their full potential, and
it must be repealed!
This effort has evolved into the Fair Wages for Workers with
Disabilities Act of 2013, a bill that I've authored to end subminimum wage
discrimination. We must shift away from the old paradigms of incapacity.
Our public policies should support programs with positive, sustainable
outcomes. Congress must eliminate the silos that exist within our current
laws.
Now don't take my word alone. Anil Lewis, who has become a very dear
friend of mine-and certainly in our office-once wrote brilliantly, "Our
disabilities are neither a curse from God nor a penance for our sins. They
are a manifestation of the life with which God has blessed us. And although
the vessels which contain them are different, we have the same needs,
desires, and abilities as everyone else." Well said, Anil, well said.
It's your needs, your desires, your abilities-for all of your
strengths you deserve equal treatment. And each person in this room, every
disabled worker in America, deserves a fair wage. The political will,
timing, and dynamics seem to be converging in a way that makes action
inevitable. True reform in this case is likely to entail not so much
revolution but evolution, one that may take place over a number of years.
But to fully realize our common goals, we must become and continue to be
passionate advocates, both for ourselves and for our loved ones living with
disabilities. This is why conventions just like this are so important. They
raise our self-awareness, our visibility, and our effectiveness, and it
certainly provides great, great motivation.
But search no further than my own son's experience to see the
potential of individuals living with disabilities. My son's disability
happens to be an intellectual disability. After Sydney and I read books and
looked at all the literature on fragile X, we decided it was way too
depressing, so we threw it away, and we decided that our son would live in
a normal world and do the very best that he could. We've seen Livingston
overcome hurdle after hurdle, and, may I just confess that many times I was
the one guilty of putting a ceiling on our own son? I'll say, my wife
Sydney here is the one that did all the heavy lifting. She's the one who
took him to every speech therapy, every occupational therapy-all the things
that had to be done. And never tell her that our son can't do something. We
went through our struggles when he was little, and we were told that he had
something wrong. It took us a couple of years to find out what it was. For
us, much like what Anil wrote, we always claimed John chapter nine, verse
three, as our promise. If you remember, that's where Jesus was going
through and there was the man that was born blind, and the disciples asked,
why was this man born blind? Was it because he sinned or his parents
sinned? And what did Christ say in verse three? He said, "Neither. It
happened so that, in him, the power of God might be demonstrated in his
life." And we have seen that.
And another thing, too, is we look forward on how we change the
hearts of people in the country as we work on this legislation, but we also
work on how we make it better for each of us. In the last three years or
so, before I came to Congress, our law office was close to the local high
school, just five minutes or so away-we hired students out of the special
ed department to come work part-time in my law office. When I came to DC,
well they have a regular college student intern program, but they had
nothing for students with intellectual disabilities. Three years ago we
started a pilot program with a few offices and a few students from George
Mason University out of the Mason Life Program. Three years later it's a
permanent program; more than twenty House and Senate offices, Republicans
and Democrats, are helping to make those options available to these
students with intellectual disabilities.
I want to share a quick story, if I may. Our son Livingston, who, if
he came in here you'd want to take him home with you, sweetest young man
you'd ever meet-except for about thirty minutes a day--we just give him his
space on that time. Livingston was the only student with special needs who
sang all during junior high and high school choir. We had an incredible
choral music program at our school. Livingston loves music. During his
ninth-grade year of high school, we were actually watching a New York
Yankees/Boston Red Sox playoff game. [Scattered cheers from the crowd] I'm
not sure who was pulling for whom there, but that's a big game. So it's the
seventh inning stretch, and we hear this most incredible voice singing "God
Bless America," and it's Daniel Rodriguez, the singing policeman who became
famous after 9/11, a beautiful tenor, who came to all the memorial services
and sang different songs. We were just mesmerized by what happened. So I
found out Daniel's schedule, and Livingston's surprise present that
Christmas: four tickets to hear Daniel Rodriguez and the Atlanta Symphony
do the Valentine's Day concert.
It was a huge arena, we had tickets on the fourth row, and Daddy found
out who his publicist was and made arrangements for him to meet Daniel
Rodriguez at his hotel before the concert. Guess what, I thought we'd just
go in, get a quick picture, he'd sign an autograph, and we'd be done.
Daniel Rodriguez sat down with Livingston for forty-five minutes, and they
just talked like they'd been friends forever. We went to the concert that
night, and they're two songs into it-beautiful music, as you can imagine-
and Daniel Rodriguez, between songs, says, "I met the most amazing young
man I've ever met today. Life had thrown him a curveball; he could have
been bitter and angry, but he was the sweetest, happiest young man I've
ever met, and he came all the way from Mississippi to hear me sing.
Livingston Harper, where are you?" He had him stand up, and of course
Sydney and I are sitting there crying; there's thirty-five hundred people
in the arena, and everybody claps for my son.
Beautiful concert: We get to the end of the concert, and Daniel says,
after the final standing ovation, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm going to sing
one more song. Orchestra, relax-I don't have any more music, and I know you
don't. But I'm going to sing a cappella because today, when I was talking
to Livingston, he asked me if I was going to sing "God Bless America," and
I told him I would. So I'm going to sing that a cappella as we go." He
walked over to our side of the stage and he said, "Livingston, I want you
to remember what I told your daddy. One day you're going to let me know
when you're doing a concert at Pearl High School in Mississippi, and I'm
going to fly in, and you and I are going to sing together."
Two years later, Livingston's eleventh grade year, Daniel Rodriguez
kept that promise and came to Pearl High School. When Livingston came out,
you would have thought Elvis Presley had walked out on the stage. Fifteen
hundred people in the auditorium-packed-we got to hear my son do a duet
with Daniel Rodriguez, so listen to this: [The recording was played, and
afterwards the convention audience enthusiastically applauded.]
God bless you. We're in this together. You inspire us. God bless each
of you; thank you.
----------
Our Efforts in Washington on Behalf of the Blind
by John Paré, Anil Lewis, Lauren McLarney, and Jesse Hartle
From the Editor: On Friday afternoon, July 5, 2013, John Paré and his
very competent team came to talk about advocacy for the blind and the
efforts of our Advocacy and Policy Department. His presentation immediately
followed the moving remarks of Congressman Gregg Harper. Here is the report
from his team:
[PHOTO CAPTION: John Paré]
John Paré: Good afternoon, fellow Federationists. That was such a
great talk we just heard. If someone could pass me a box of Kleenex that
would probably be good. If we had more members like that Congressman, we'd
have a better country.
I want to tell you a little bit about what we do. The Advocacy and
Policy Department is responsible for NFB-NEWSLINE®, public relations, and
governmental affairs. We have a great team, and I want to thank them for
all of their work.
Let me talk about Newsline. NFB-NEWSLINE is the largest and most
successful audio newspaper service anywhere in the world. It is available
in forty-six states plus the District of Columbia. We have over 100,000
subscribers, 327 newspapers, forty magazines, TV listings, job listings,
advertisements, and English- and Spanish-language content. Publications are
available over the phone, through email, through an iPhone app, and for
download to a variety of devices, including the NLS Digital Talking Book
Player. Since the 2012 convention NFB-NEWSLINE subscribers have enjoyed
over 38 million minutes of news, made over 2 million telephone calls,
received over 2.3 million email messages, and had access to over 6.8
million newspapers.
On August 29, 2012, we announced a collaboration with AccuWeather to
provide emergency weather alerts to NFB-NEWSLINE subscribers. This service
provides emergency alerts on such things as flash floods, hurricanes,
tornadoes, and natural disasters, and I've heard from many of our members
that they relied on this service when Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeast
last fall. On November 20, 2012, a new category was added to NFB-NEWSLINE
called Breaking News Online. There are four publications available: BBC,
CNN, FOXNews, and the Huffington Post.
Earlier this week we released information about new features on
Newsline, including expanded weather information, five more newspapers,
expanded national papers, and expanding breaking news. To find out more
about that, please listen to Newsline, push option number one, and again
option one for the weather information. NFB-NEWSLINE is expanding every
day, and I really appreciate the work that the team does in that area.
I would like to mention several volunteers. We could not do the work
we do without hundreds of volunteers who help us each year; many of these
are in this room right now. There are four volunteers I would like to
highlight at this time for answering hundreds of NFB-NEWSLINE calls and
helping members all across the country. They are David Meyer of Illinois,
Peggy Chong of Iowa and now New Mexico, John Glisson of Kentucky, and
Michael Barber of Iowa. I would also like to thank Lee Martin from Indiana.
When the Indiana legislature said that they were going to reduce the NFB-
NEWSLINE budget from $38,000 to $36,000, we took action. When he was done,
the legislature decided to increase the budget to $100,000 per year.
Our public relations team continues to advance our legislative
initiatives, policies, and programs. The NFB has been mentioned, quoted, or
featured in over 3,350 news stories over the past year; here are a few
examples. On August 25, 2012, the National Federation of the Blind
conducted over ninety informational protests at Goodwill thrift stores
across the country. The protests were very successful and resulted in a
widely disseminated Associated Press article as well as twelve other
articles appearing on websites such as Yahoo, Michigan Live, and CBS
Denver, and in newspapers including the Des Moines Register, and the Albany
Times Herald.
The NFB has long advocated for making the World Wide Web accessible
for blind users. On September 11, 2012, Computerworld magazine, at the
instigation of the National Federation of the Blind, ran an in-depth report
on the current status of the web and beyond. On December 12, 2012, we held
an informational protest regarding the distribution of inaccessible Kindle
e-books to K-12 school districts across the country. The protest occurred
outside the headquarters of Amazon in Seattle, Washington. The protest
included a surprise visit by the Grinch, or should I say Jeff Bezos,
founder and CEO of Amazon. We have a short clip from the protest; let's
play that:
[Those reading the audio edition heard the live feed, but for those
reading using other methods, the playing of the song "You're a Mean One,
Mr. Grinch," was accompanied by the announcement that Jeff Bezos was coming
to meet with us. This was followed by the announcement that it was not Mr.
Bezos but the Grinch.]
I want to thank Mike Freeman for his work there; he was walking in
with one of the most wonderful Grinch costumes and a big sign that said
"Jeff Bezos." It was covered on television, and the folks there did a great
job.
Prior to the protest Education Week ran a story in its publication
regarding our Kindle books initiative. On the day of the protest several
Seattle television stations ran stories with live video from the event, and
the day after the protest the Seattle Times ran an in-depth story about
what we did. We swept the media before, during, and after the protest.
Since the protest Amazon has released two new versions of their iOS app.
What a coincidence! The app is substantially improved, but still has some
deficiencies. President Maurer, I think we might need to go back to
Seattle, Washington.
The public relations team continues to work to strengthen the
National Federation of the Blind's social media's presence and to drive
traffic to our website. Over the past year we have increased our Facebook
fans to 2,887 and our Twitter followers to 3,575. We typically have about
8,000 visitors to our website each week.
Our governmental affairs team tracks all federal legislation that
might affect the lives of blind people. We endorse legislation that will
improve our lives and shut down legislation that will set us back. The
National Federation of the Blind successfully advocated for the passage of
the Pedestrian Enhancement Safety Act, which was signed into law by
President Obama on January 4, 2011. On January 15, 2013, the National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued its proposed regulation to
implement this critically important law, which ensures that hybrid and
electric vehicles make enough sound to be safe. The National Federation of
the Blind commented on these proposed regulations, and our comments were
endorsed by the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in all areas except
the stationary sound and when the sound should be turned off. Now, as you
can imagine, the National Federation of the Blind is advocating for a
stationary sound and for the sound to be turned off no sooner than eighteen
MPH. In two weeks Jesse Hartle and I will be meeting in Washington with
members of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and with
members of the United Nations working on a global technical regulation.
How many people have heard about the NBC Rock Center video?
[Applause] We have here Harold Leigland, and it took a lot of courage for
Harold, who works at Goodwill, to get up and speak-to speak for all of us-
and talk about the unfair and immoral activity that Goodwill is doing.
Here, to introduce the video, please welcome Harold Leigland:
Thank you, my fellow Federationists. Good afternoon. I was quite
surprised to be asked to participate in this; I want to thank Anil, and I
want to thank Anna Schecter and Harry Smith from NBC. They did a marvelous
job on it. The article, if you haven't seen it, is on our website, and you
can sign the petition if you haven't.
In 1980 I participated in the little hubbub we had in Minneapolis [a
protest on behalf of the workers and the lack of representation by blind
people on the governing board of the Minneapolis Society for the Blind]. I
was going to the airport on my way home, and you might remember a fellow
named George Wallace, who ran for president of the United States. He said,
"If you want to know what's going on in America, talk to the taxi drivers."
Well, the taxi driver I had that day said, "Why are you in
Minneapolis?" I explained it to him, and he said, "You know, for six years
I have taken those poor devils to work for the Minneapolis Society for the
Blind, and they act like they own them-own them."
I can tell you that Goodwill Industries has much the same idea. The
basic emphasis since I have been working there has been that, in a city of
60,000 people, Goodwill employees must produce not $8,000 a day, not $9,000
a day, but more than $10,000 a day in product. Goodwill Industries is
competing against at least two other charities. Nevertheless, their
emphasis is not on the meaningfulness of work that their employees get
versus their pay; it's on productivity. So, with this in mind, very
carefully watch the video, with special attention to what Mr. Gibbons has
to say. Thank you.
[The Rock Center piece was shown and can be found at
<http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/>. Following the presentation of the video,
Anil Lewis came to the microphone and said:]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis speaking at the 2013 convention]
There's no better place to be than right here with my Federation
family, especially around this issue. You heard about the legislation from
Congressman Harper; you've heard about this issue in detail; what I need
you to understand is that we don't do this alone. I am proud to be part of
the governmental affairs staff under John's direction and under Dr.
Maurer's leadership and to work with my colleagues, Lauren McLarney and
Jesse Hartle. We work on behalf of every person in this room, every blind
person in our nation, and in fact every person with a disability in this
country. We are proud to do this, but we don't do it alone. This point is
clearly demonstrated in the Rock Center video-you didn't see me in that
video-you saw Harold and Sheila Leigland on that video, and without them
our message would not be as strong.
I'm probably going to make some people upset-that's what I do, but
it's all about relationships. I can't get out and meet everybody, but the
people in this room can. By developing those relationships, we can make
things happen. Sometimes we develop good relationships, and sometimes we
develop bad relationships, but in all of the relationships we make our
conscious efforts at building a coalition to positively change the life
experience for blind people throughout this country. I thank Harold and
Sheila Leigland for being on the front lines, putting their lives into the
living rooms of US citizens so they could understand the true plight of
people who work in sheltered workshops and what they have to deal with.
So I want to talk a little bit about relationship-building. You heard
Pennsylvania mentioned in the Rock Center video. I don't know why Anna
Schechter chose that particular state, because this is pervasive throughout
the country-except for the state of Vermont, which has no special wage
certificates and no subminimum wage payments. Still some people argue that
Vermont is such a small state that they really can't be used as an example
for the rest of the country, as though people with disabilities in Vermont
are not the same as people with disabilities in Arizona, California,
Washington, Georgia, or Florida. So what did we do about it? How did we
effect a change in Pennsylvania? Well, we teamed with our members like
Michelle McManus and Zach Brubaker, who knew that Congressman Thompson in
the last Congress came on our fair wages bill and then got off our fair
wages bill. They knew he had expressed an interest, and someone changed his
mind-probably someone like Jim Gibbons. So we had to change his mind back.
How do you do that? You do it by developing relationships. Michelle and
Zach set up a meeting; I was able to fly in and meet with the Congressman.
We met in front of the Workforce Investment Board, and I want you guys to
get to know your Workforce Investment Boards. None of them were aware of
the 14(c) provision. We convinced them that it was wrong-that wasn't easy-
but we had to do it. By the time we left, they knew it was unfair,
discriminatory, and immoral; the Congressman was in the room, and he signed
on to the bill and Congressman Thompson is on the bill to stay.
We developed relationships in Texas. Tony Jones in Texas, I met him
through José. It turns out that he has a relationship with his Workforce
Board as well. Through his relationship with the Workforce Board, Tony was
able to take a $50 million contract that Goodwill was getting ready to take
advantage of and snatch it from their hands. Tony says they were a little
upset, but I think it's time they started experiencing the anger that we
feel about this exploitive provision. We'll continue to hit them where it
hurts.
I love the irony-it's ironic that these entities who say that they
are doing a good thing take the wages they should be paying people with
disabilities and instead pay lobbyists to come to DC to continue this
exploitative provision. That to me is a sad irony, and I love the fact that
we're engaging in poetic irony, because we're engaging in a thrift store
program that is going to take even more money from Goodwill Industries and
put it into places where it can remove this discriminatory provision for
everyone. They will wake up, and they will understand.
Tony also told me something very interesting in a phone call I had
with him over lunch. It appears that God loves the Federation. The US
Conference of Catholic Bishops is going to be meeting sometime soon. I
don't know how he did it, but this is going to be part of their agenda-
ending subminimum wages has become a part of the Catholic agenda.
So we'll continue to develop relationships, but there are
relationships that are still pending. We don't know if they will be good or
if they will be bad; we are friends with everyone who wants to be friends
with us, so let's see if the members of the US HELP Committee want to be
our friends and develop good relationships or bad relationships. They are
at it again; they are reauthorizing the Workforce Investment Act. They are
putting together Section 511, which we believe is a prescription for rehab
professionals to employ people with disabilities at subminimum wages. We
won't tolerate it; we want to be your friend; we want to develop good
relationships, but we will use the tools that we have to use. We may not
have the money to pay lobbyists in the way Goodwill Industries does, but we
can put our members on your front steps to see that the world knows that
this is wrong. So, here again, they're not going to know me, but we're
going to get them to come to know the Federation.
After enthusiastic applause following Anil's speech, John next
introduced Lauren McLarney. Here is what she said:
[PHOTO CAPTION: Lauren McLarney at the 2013 convention]
Good afternoon, fellow Federationists. I'm really happy to be here,
but let me ask you, are you having fun? As I said on Tuesday in our
legislative seminar, this is a legislative presentation, not a vegetative
presentation, so let's keep the energy up throughout.
Before I get started on TEACH, I wanted to talk a little bit about
missed opportunities. With technology in the classroom we know that blind
students have always faced unnecessary barriers to education and were
segregated from mainstream students, partly because of misconceptions and
low expectations, and partly because the print world is just inherently
different, separate, and inaccessible for blind students.
But now the intersection of technology and education has created this
opportunity to expand the circle of participation and allow universal
access to mainstream products for everybody, for all students, disabled or
not. Curricular content that was once available only in textbooks and
during lectures can be disseminated through electronic books, web content,
digital library databases, advance software, and mobile applications. But,
instead, inaccessible technology has permeated the classroom, segregating
blind students more now than ever before. That opportunity has been missed.
Rather than leveling the playing field, technology has created a
whole slew of challenges to replace the old ones. The mainstream students
use one type of technology, and then the blind student has to go to the
office of disability services to explain that it's inaccessible, and then
that technology is modified or the student is provided with some
accommodation or separate, accessible device. The sad thing is it doesn't
have to be this way. There have been many more opportunities to fix this
oversight, and those opportunities have been missed too.
In 2008 NFB went to Congress and we said we were noticing a problem,
that instructional materials were increasingly digital and that those
materials were inaccessible to blind students. They commissioned the
Advisory Committee on Accessible Instructional Materials for Students with
Disabilities in Postsecondary Education, and that was five years ago. Since
then not much has happened. So that's five years of missed opportunities.
In 2010 the Department of Education and the Department of Justice
sent a Dear Colleague to presidents of institutions of higher education
clarifying their obligation under the law to provide equal access to blind
students. That was three years ago. Since then only a handful of
universities have stepped up to the plate; only a handful are investing in
accessibility. That's three more years of missed opportunities.
In 2011, just to set the record straight, the DOE (Department of
Education) released a follow-up to the Dear Colleague, a Frequently Asked
Questions document, and that was two years ago. Technology has evolved
exponentially in those two years, but we still aren't seeing accessible
technology in the classroom. Two more years of missed opportunities.
In late 2011 the AIM Commission published its report. That report
said blind students face overwhelming barriers to their education across
the board because of inaccessible instructional materials and that
opportunities to succeed in college are undermined and missed because of
inaccessible technology. The burden to fix that falls on the blind student;
it doesn't fall on the institution, not the manufacturer, but the student.
The report also gave recommendations for exactly how to fix the problem.
That report was issued two years ago-two years ago. Nothing has happened.
That's two more years of missed opportunities.
A Supreme Court justice said, "It is doubtful that any child may
reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity
of an education. Such an opportunity...is a right which must be made
available to all on equal terms." He concluded that "in the field of public
education, the doctrine of `separate but equal' has no place." Same
rhetoric as the AIM commission's findings, as the Dear Colleague, as the
FAQ, only the justice's comment was said sixty-five years ago.
Now I ask you, how fast does technology evolve? How many innovative,
revolutionary changes have we seen in the last five, three, two, one, or
sixty-five years? After being presented with this great opportunity and all
this time to take advantage of it, why is the majority of digital
instructional material still inaccessible to blind students?
This is why we drafted the Technology, Education and Accessibility in
College and Higher Education (TEACH) Act, a bill that calls on the Access
Board to develop accessibility guidelines for instructional materials used
in postsecondary education so that those materials are fully accessible to
disabled students. The bill also calls for those guidelines to be adopted
as standards, providing direction for schools on how to meet their legal
obligation to provide equal access under the ADA.
If TEACH passes, 1) Institutions of higher education will no longer
put emphasis on modifying and accommodating for disabled students. Instead
they will have clarity for what mainstream accessibility looks like. Since
all institutions will be following the standards, the availability of
accessible products will increase and the cost will decrease. 2)
Manufacturers will have incentive to embrace accessibility solutions. 3)
The burden will no longer fall on blind students. Students will be able to
use the same materials, the same content, and get the same access as
mainstream students. Blind students are and will be mainstream students.
Since Washington Seminar we have been working hard behind the scenes
to get this bill introduced. First, we have the endorsements of the
Association of American Publishers (who we are partnering with on this
bill, and you'll hear from their CEO tomorrow), AAPD (Association of
American People with Disabilities), the Hearing Loss Association of
America, National Association of the Deaf, NCIL (National Council on
Independent Living), and tons of other groups who have endorsed this bill
before it's even dropped. We are also getting a lot of press, something
very unusual for a bill that hasn't even dropped. There have been two
articles in the online newspaper Inside Higher Education, and I just got an
email before I came up here that USA Today plans to run an article on the
TEACH bill.
As Dr. Maurer said in his presidential report, Congressman Petri will
likely drop the bill in the next month or so, and we are optimistic. We are
working on finalizing language and negotiating with stakeholders. This
critical, yet kind of cringe-worthy task is slow but important. Sometimes
the power of the Federation is loud and pushy, bringing surge to a bill
after it has been dropped. Other times it is subtle and firm, building
relationships (Anil's favorite thing) and closing deals with players behind
the scenes. So we want to drop a bill that has widespread support, that
says exactly what we want it to say, and that we know will pass. That's
what we're working on right now with TEACH.
When talking about this bill, we will always get the same two
questions, and we have two good answers. First, is it even possible to make
that stuff accessible to blind students? I get asked that a lot. Well, I
can ask a two-by-five, eight-ounce robot to find me a restaurant, give me
directions, call the restaurant to make a reservation, tell me what's on
the menu-if phones can give you the weather in Texas while you play Tetris,
it's not that outrageous to expect technology to be accessible to blind
users.
The other question is, why should everybody be denied use of a
product just because the blind student can't use it? I get that one
probably even more. Well, first, it's discrimination. It's morally wrong.
And, second, because it doesn't have to be that way. Blind access and
mainstream use do not have to be mutually exclusive. As a society we have
collectively decided that we philosophically and fundamentally believe that
education is only good when it is fair and equal and that discrimination
because of inaccessible technology just isn't necessary. Most people don't
realize how bad this situation is, and it's prime time we fix it. We have
the data to back this up, we have industry support, we have a thoroughly
developed bill. The tide is turning.
Now let me ask you, are we willing to wait any longer for technology
to be accessible? Now let me ask you, can I count on the full Federation
gusto when TEACH is finally introduced? [strong, affirmative applause]
Dr. TenBroek pointed out that some problems inherent in blindness are
"to some extent increased, to some extent diminished, by the structures and
conditions of modern urban life and activities." Modern urban development
of technology in education is an opportunity to diminish any problems
created by separate but equal education, and this is an opportunity that we
won't miss. Thank you.
Jesse Hartle was next introduced to talk about the Space Available
Act and other legislation that must be passed to ensure that we may live on
terms of equality with the sighted. Here is what he said.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jesse Hartle speaking at the 2013 convention]
Good afternoon. I want to take just a brief moment to recognize the
fifth member of the advocacy and policy team. Last fall Kristian Kuhnke
left the National Center for the Blind to pursue her education at the
University of Maryland, and she left behind some very big shoes. Those
shoes have been filled by Taeler Lottino, who keeps Anil and Lauren and
John and me straight, and I want you to recognize her work. [Applause]
"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution
of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, that I will
bear true faith in the allegiance to the same, and that I will obey the
orders of the president of the United States and the orders of the officers
appointed over me according to regulations and the uniform code of military
justice, so help me God." This is the oath of enlistment for individuals
entering into the military service of the United States of America. It was
taken by those who went to Baghdad, Falluja, and Nasiriya. They took it
before serving in Kamdesh, Mazari Sharif, and Takur Ghar; in the Gulf of
Tonkin, Long Khanh, and Long Tan. On the ground of Inchon, Pusan, and
Seoul. They were at Guadalcanal, Manila, and Omaha Beach to support and
defend the Constitution of the United States of America. Many brave men and
women lost their lives defending our rights, and many more became disabled
doing so. Today I'm going to address the concern raised by the National
Association of Blind Veterans. Last fall Dwight Sayer, the president,
brought to our attention the Space Available program operated by the United
States Air Mobile Command. The Space Available program allows active duty
members, some members of the reserve component, family members, emergency
workers, and retirees to fly on military transport flights if there is
space available. It does not allow currently those individuals who were
disabled in the service of our country. One hundred percent disabled
veterans cannot benefit from this program.
At the Washington Seminar many of you came to me and said, "This is
going to be a slam dunk issue for the Congress. Who can say no to disabled
veterans?" Well, in the 110th Congress the late Senator Inouye of Hawaii
introduced a bill to allow service-disabled veterans to participate in the
space available program. That bill went nowhere. In the 111th Congress the
late Senator Inouye introduced a bill to allow 100 percent service-disabled
veterans to participate in the Space Available program. The bill went
nowhere. In the 112th Congress Senator Daniel Inouye introduced the bill to
allow 100 percent service-disabled veterans to participate in the Space
Available program and he did it early in that Congress. At the end of the
112th Congress, that bill had two cosponsors.
On January 4, 2013, at the very beginning of the 113th Congress,
Congressman Gus Bilirakis of Florida introduced H.R. 164, a bill that would
allow 100 percent service-disabled veterans to participate in the Space
Available program. That bill has the support of 169 members of the House of
Representatives. We have heard from two of them today. On June 13 H.R. 164
was amended into the House version of the National Defense Authorization
Act H.R. 1960, and on June 14 H.R. 1960 was passed by the entire House of
Representatives with the language of H.R. 164 included.
In the United States Senate, Senator Jon Tester of Montana introduced
S. 346 on June 14. This is a companion bill to H.R. 164. Senator Tester's
bill currently has fourteen cosponsors, and Senator Tester has already
agreed to offer an amendment to the Senate version of the National Defense
Authorization Act when it comes to the floor later this year with language
identical to the amendment offered by Congressman Bilirakis in the House
bill.
We must now work to increase support on S. 346 in order to ensure
that the Senate leadership will allow this bill to be offered as an
amendment during Senate consideration. If anyone is wondering what changed
from the last three sessions of Congress to today, look around this room.
The organization that changes what it means to be blind stood up and
pledged to support and defend the rights of blind and otherwise disabled
veterans. Fellow Federationists, this issue has become a slam dunk for
Congress for one reason: the efforts of the National Federation of the
Blind have made it one. The exclusionary policy is going to be changed, and
it's going to be changed soon. One hundred percent service-disabled
veterans will take their seats on Space Available flights because of your
work.
Mary Jo and I had our lives changed on April 7, 2011. At 1:05 in the
afternoon we welcomed Kayla Elizabeth Hartle into our lives. She was 21 1/2
inches long, and she weighed just over nine pounds. This was one of the
greatest days of our lives, and later this year we'll have another of these
life-changing experiences as we will welcome our first son into this world.
While the birth of any child should be a cherished day for the parents of
that child, we know that is not always the case. Today, twenty-two years
after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the United
States of America, the misconceptions about the blind continue to be used
as a weapon to deny blind individuals the right to be parents. We have seen
it in Missouri; we have seen it in Maryland; we've seen it in Texas. Two
thirds of state laws allow for disability to be used as a reason to deny
custody or to terminate parental rights of blind Americans.
Disabled parents often find it difficult or impossible to adopt
because of discriminatory practices of adoption agencies. They tell us we
cannot be competent parents; after all, how would a blind parent know if
his/her child was in danger? How would we know if our child was hungry or a
diaper needed to be changed? They say the blind cannot be competent
parents; I say, tell it to the Carranzas, to the Bureshes, to the Maurers,
to Anil Lewis, to the Riccobonos, Lisa Maria Martinez, to the Fredericks,
Pierces, Diggs, Worleys, Schroeders, Changs, Wunders, Browns, Elders, and
Wilsons. The list of blind parents goes on and on. We in the National
Federation of the Blind know the truth about blindness, and the truth is
that blindness does not prevent a person from being a competent parent. It
is time that we deal with the issue of discrimination against the rights of
blind parents-and we do it now-there is no other organization that can lead
the charge for equal rights for blind parents like the National Federation
of the Blind can.
If a state law needs to be changed, let it be the National Federation
of the Blind that changes it. If the federal law needs to be amended or
passed, then let the National Federation of the Blind march on Capitol Hill
and put that legislation on the president's desk. You can rest assured
that, wherever discrimination appears against the blind, the National
Federation of the Blind will be there, and we will win.
Many individuals seem to think that the blind should just be allowed
to exist in the world. We will not just exist! Fellow Federationists, the
blind have a right to live in the world, to live on equal terms with our
sighted peers, to live with equal pay for equal work performed, to live
with equal access to educational information, to live without the threat of
our parental rights, or any other rights being denied on the grounds of
blindness. This right will be achieved and it will be achieved through the
collective action of the National Federation of the Blind. Our cause is
just; our cause is right; and our cause goes marching on. God bless you.
----------
A Commitment to Equality of Opportunity: A Report from the Department of
Justice
by Eve Hill
From the Editor: Eve Hill is the deputy assistant attorney general in
the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. Federationists
first met Ms. Hill when she worked for Dan Goldstein at the law firm of
Brown, Goldstein, and Levy, and she has addressed our convention several
times. She is a champion for civil rights, and here is what she said to the
2013 convention:
[PHOTO CAPTION: Eve Hill speaking at the 2013 convention]
Thank you all so much for having me here today. That was the first
time my new title has been announced in public, and it sounds good-I like
it. It is really an honor for me to be here today; I'm only disappointed
that my friend, Dan Goldstein, is unable to join us this year, but I think
he's listening, so I want all of you to join me in a shout-out to Dan.
[Applause]
Despite being entitled "A Report from the Department of Justice," I'm
really going to talk about the theme "The Tyranny of Low Expectations." For
many people with disabilities, including people with vision disabilities,
the tyranny of low or no expectations has cut off the opportunity to work,
learn, play, and contribute alongside those without disabilities, and that
tyranny of low expectations is something we in the Civil Rights Division
see every single day: in the assumptions often written into law that tell
people with disabilities what they can't do and that they can't participate
in the world, in the so-called special programs that are described as
opportunities or preparation for full participation, but then become
permanent, segregated prisons, and in the barriers that stand in the way of
allowing all people to maximize the contribution they can make to society.
So we're working very hard to change those expectations, open up full
participation, and break down those barriers that stand in the way of
people with disabilities.
Just this last year, just in FY [fiscal year] 2012, the Disability
Rights Section alone filed twelve lawsuits and twelve amicus briefs and
entered into fourteen consent decrees, forty-nine settlement agreements,
and 162 informal resolutions under the ADA, and we're well on our way to
beating those numbers this year.
The Division's disability rights work is not done just by the
Disability Rights Section. The Special Litigation Section, the Housing and
Civil Enforcement Section, the Voting Section, and the Educational
Opportunity Section also do disability rights work. This crosses all of our
sections more than any other area of our civil rights work. I want to talk
today about a couple of the things the federal government has been doing
recently on behalf of people with vision and other disabilities to combat
the tyranny of low expectations.
I'm following a lot of great technology speakers today, which is a
little intimidating for me-just a lawyer. We know that modern technologies
can pose significant challenges, and we must ensure that those new
technologies don't leave individuals with disabilities in their wake. One
underlying theory of the Americans with Disabilities Act was that we
wouldn't make the existing world accessible all at once, but, as new things
replaced old things, the new things would be accessible, and gradually
everything would become more accessible. New technology is where the rubber
meets the road for that theory [applause].
Technology is revolutionizing our economy and culture, making
communication and getting information, entertainment, education, and goods
easier and more efficient. But many of these technologies from websites to
cell phones, from ticket kiosks to TV set-top devices are either wholly or
partially inaccessible to people with vision impairments. The current
transition from printed materials to digital materials creates incredible
opportunities for people with visual disabilities finally to use the same
products as their peers at the same time and for the same price as everyone
else.
The emergence of electronic book readers holds huge potential to
place students with disabilities on an equal footing with other students.
But our traditional approach to the effective communication obligation
under the ADA has been a one-at-a-time, on-request approach. That one-at-a-
time, on-request approach we're finding isn't working in a number of
contexts; so, if governments don't design our zoning laws or our parking
lots from the beginning with room for people with disabilities, if schools
and restaurants and doctors don't already have a contract with a sign
language interpreter, and, if theaters and stadiums and playgrounds don't
already build in accessible seating and features, then, when a person with
a disability asks for an accommodation, it won't happen, either at all or
on time. This is really true in the area of technology. Providing special
electronic texts or captioning or retrofitting technologies to work with
screen readers takes too long or doesn't happen at all when it's not built
in from the beginning. Even when it does happen, it requires a level of
begging or confrontation that people with disabilities aren't comfortable
with and shouldn't have to go through.
In keeping with the disability community's movement away from charity-
based thinking and towards rights-based thinking, we're seeing more and
more demands to require covered entities to be prepared for people with
disabilities to be their customers, their employees, and their constituents
all the time. Proactive digitization, proactive arrangements to buy
accessible technology are more and more called for in order actually to
achieve the ADA's goal of equally effective communication, and DOJ is
working to make such proactive accessibility the norm [applause].
I think you've heard me talk about websites probably every time I've
been here, and I'm still not sick of talking about it, so I'm going to.
Website accessibility is now a central and standard requirement of our
Project Civic Access investigations and settlement agreements. These are
compliance reviews of local governments that look at a variety of
accessibility needs. For example, just this year, in May 2013, the
department reached a settlement with the city of West Columbia, South
Carolina, that requires the city of West Columbia to make its web content
accessible to people with vision disabilities. That's the third of those
agreements that we've reached in 2013 to require city web content to be
accessible. In fact, since 2008 the Justice Department has reached Project
Civic Access agreements with fifty jurisdictions to remove architectural
barriers and make their online content accessible for people with vision
impairments.
We're still fighting over accessible websites, particularly to online-
only businesses. We recently pursued two statements of interest in National
Association of the Deaf versus Netflix. The National Association of the
Deaf sued Netflix to require captioning on its online watch-instantly
movies, and our brief made clear that Title III of the ADA applies to
online-only businesses and requires their online services to be accessible.
Netflix is responsible for that, and the 21st Century Communications and
Video Accessibility Act doesn't preempt the ADA. The Massachusetts District
Court agreed and held that Title III covers online-only businesses, covers
online services even if they are accessed only from people's homes, that
the copyright law doesn't necessarily preempt Title III, and that the CVAA
doesn't preempt Title III. This case recently settled with an agreement
that Netflix will make 100 percent of its streaming videos accessible by
2014.
Now moving to education: many colleges offer degree programs online,
some schools exist only online, and massive open online courses are
increasingly prevalent. Today colleges rely on the Internet and other
technologies for course assignments, discussion groups, and a variety of
administrative functions. Schools are starting to offer online document
sharing, web conferencing, streaming video, social networks, and even
virtual reality programs-can you imagine the virtual campus? And
accessibility of those technologies to students with disabilities is
essential. We're looking right now at accessibility of those educational
technologies, and you can expect to hear more from us pretty soon.
As you know, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires federal
government technology to be accessible, and I'm not afraid to talk about
our own obligations in the federal government. Despite a requirement that a
survey of federal agency compliance be conducted every two years, that
survey had not been done since 2003. But early last fall the Department of
Justice published the results of the survey, and we're now working with
other agencies to implement cross-agency-consistent practices, as well as
working with other agencies to develop shared tools and best practices to
increase our ability to meet our Section 508 obligations consistently, all
the time.
We're also engaged in rulemaking-I know you've been hearing about
this since 2010-but we really are. There are a variety of technology
rulemakings upcoming. We issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking
(ANPRM) on accessibility standards for websites and expect to publish a
notice of proposed rulemaking this year. We also published an ANPRM for
accessible movie theaters, including both captioning and audio description
at movies, and we expect an ANPRM this fall.
Now my most recent piece was very much responsive to what you
specifically have asked for. You, advocates for people who are blind or
have vision impairments, have demanded an end to the book famine, and,
thanks to the efforts of advocates like your Scott LaBarre and Fred
Schroeder, we're going to do just that. Just last week I was honored,
unbelievably honored, to work with Justin Hughes, Terry Ray, and Sherea
Purlmutter and others from the Patent and Trademark Office, as well as the
Department of State, the copyright office, the Institute of Museum and
Library Services, and the US trade representative to negotiate the Miracle
in Marrakesh. President Obama, in April 2012, expressed the United States'
commitment to a treaty that ensures that copyright is not a barrier to
equal access to information, culture, and education for visually impaired
persons and other persons with print disabilities-and just last week we
made good on that promise. This World Intellectual Property Organization
Treaty, negotiated by over 150 countries-picture 150 countries trying to
negotiate over the word "this" or "that"-this treaty will expand the
availability of accessible works worldwide, while staying true to basic
international copyright norms. Under the treaty, ratifying countries will
ensure that their copyright laws domestically allow the creation and
distribution of accessible books without prior authorization of copyright
holders and will allow cross-border exchange of accessible books without
prior authorization by copyright holders. The treaty will become effective
when twenty countries ratify it, so we've got to get started on that. This
is a real step to ending the book famine for some three hundred and forty
million people across the world who are blind, have vision impairments, or
have other print disabilities, but it's only one step. We get to celebrate,
and Stevie Wonder got to give a concert, which was great. This is an
accomplishment. But it's one step on the road to ensuring that people who
are blind have a chance to get the information and education they need to
live independently and function as full citizens in their communities. In
the US the treaty will go into effect only when the president signs it and
it is ratified by the Senate. So now we know where our efforts are going.
And even then there's more. Even once member states ratify the
treaty, additional authorized entities will have to be established and
build their capacity, and confidence in cross-border exchange of accessible
format copies will have to increase as the new standards set in. People
with print disabilities will have to raise their expectations and demand
access to every book, from See Spot Run to Harry Potter to my book,
Disability Civil Rights Law and Policy (I know you're all running out to
buy that). We are looking forward to working with all of you to accomplish
these next steps. Only then will we have moved closer to a future for
persons with print disabilities in which, as Jacobus tenBroek said: "The
aspirations and achievements of each of us are to be limited only by the
skills, energy, talents, and abilities we bring to our communities."
As you know, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities was not ratified last winter. However, the administration
remains committed to ratifying the convention because it's important. US
ratification will make clear that the United States supports inclusion and
nondiscrimination and that it supports our over fifty million Americans who
have a disability, who want to serve, study, work, travel, or retire
overseas. Right now that kind of living overseas or traveling overseas is
simply not a realistic option because we can't take advantage of those
educational, economic, and cultural opportunities because the accessibility
is not similar to ours or not up to par. Ratification will help ensure that
Americans with disabilities have equal access throughout the world, and
that will change the low expectations of the entire world.
Now you've probably also heard me talk about Olmstead. We are
continuing to work to end the low expectations that result in people with
disabilities being unnecessarily segregated in sheltered workshops and
other institutions. I know you all are doing this work too. In 1999 the
Supreme Court recognized that the ADA creates a right not to be forced to
live in an institution but instead to be integrated into our communities
whenever it's appropriate. It was called the Brown vs. the Board of
Education of the disability rights movement. Three weeks ago we showed once
again that separate is not equal and separate employment services cannot be
the expectation for people with disabilities. We announced a landmark,
first-of-its-kind settlement agreement between the United States, the State
of Rhode Island, and the City of Providence that vindicates the rights of
approximately two hundred people with intellectual or developmental
disabilities. Our investigation found that for too long the state and the
city had allowed their low expectations to create a system that left people
with disabilities no choice but to enter sheltered workshops. As a result
one of the largest employment providers for people with IDD in Rhode
Island, called Training Through Placement [TTP], grew fat from state
payments and the work of about a hundred people with disabilities who were
paid on average $1.57 an hour, and one as low as fourteen cents an hour.
We also discovered a sheltered workshop in a Providence high school
called Birch, where students with IDD worked one to two hours a day, every
day, from age fourteen to age twenty-one. They were paid between zero and
two dollars per hour, regardless of what they were doing or how productive
they were at it. They were doing the same tasks, often even subcontracting
for the adult sheltered workshop. So-no surprise-when they graduated, they
went straight to TTP and stayed there for decades. Under our settlement
agreement both the school and TTP have stopped sheltered workshop
operations, and both will dedicate themselves over the next year to
providing all two hundred people with supported employment placements-real
jobs, at or above minimum wage. Those jobs will average at least twenty
hours a week, and, when they're not working, they'll be in integrated day
activities; no longer playing cards or coloring or talking to their
coworkers with disabilities at the same facility where they worked. The
students at Birch will now receive transition services that are designed to
prepare them for real jobs, including internships and trial work
experiences and placements when they graduate.
We were not alone in this. The Wage and Hour Division at the
Department of Labor is demanding back wages for the workers at TTP for wage
violations under Section 14(c). Meanwhile our investigation of the state-
wide system as a whole is continuing.
Now we'd all like to think that exploitation like this is an anomaly-
just a rare bad apple-but it's not true. The same low expectations,
assumptions, and prejudices that led to the creation and continuance of TTP
and Birch underlie similar sheltered work systems all across the country.
That's why we've also issued a letter of findings and intervened in a
lawsuit in Oregon, challenging its overreliance on sheltered workshops to
provide employment services to individuals with disabilities. I'm
incredibly proud of this work. I'm incredibly proud to be part of this very
powerful disability community. So my expectations are high and keep rising.
I know you have high expectations of me and of DOJ, and we don't plan to
disappoint those expectations. Thank you very much.
----------
The Blind at Work in an Unusual and Demanding Profession
by Cassandra McNabb-McKinney
From the Editor: On Saturday afternoon, July 6, Cassandra McNabb-
McKinney captivated the audience with her remarks. In introducing her,
President Maurer said: "Blind people work in unusual professions. We have
one today who is in just such a profession, which is also a demanding one.
She is a funeral director and embalmer, and she is also president of the
National Federation of the Blind of New Hampshire. Here is Cassandra
McKinney":
[PHOTO CAPTION: Cassandra McNabb-McKinney speaking at the 2013 convention]
Good afternoon, fellow Federationists. I'm glad that you're all here-
alive and breathing-and enjoying this convention. Before I begin my talk
today, I'd like for you to do an activity. It's a hands-on activity. I'd
like for you to take your index finger and place it at the top of your
nose, and then take your thumb and place it under your nose. And then I
would like you to keep your fingers right as they are and move them over to
your ear, and it should be the same length. If it's not, well, nobody's
perfect. I'll be sharing some more interesting facts about landmarks on
your face a little bit later in my presentation.
In order to tell about my unique career, I think it's important that I
tell you two stories. The first story is how I came to the Federation, and
the second story is about the day that changed my life, the day I became an
embalmer.
I came to the Federation in 2003 at eighteen years of age. I had never
been around a group of such enthusiastic, encouraging blind people. It
changed my life. At that time I was trying to figure out what I was going
to do with my life. I started as a chemistry major at a college in
Tennessee, because that's my home state. I soon found out chemistry was not
for me because calculus was just not my friend. I decided to attend
mortuary school and to pursue a career in something I felt strongly in my
heart. It wasn't about being a part of something that was unique as a
career, but it was about following my calling.
The journey through mortuary school was difficult. It was full of
challenge because I was the first legally blind student to attend John A.
Gupton College of Mortuary Science. I remember the first day of embalming
class; my professor and I were having a conversation about adaptation, and
I asked him, "How close am I going to be able to get to these people that
I'm going to be embalming?" I wanted to make sure I'd be able to get close.
His response shocked me. He said, "Well, Cassie, you can get as close as
you can handle." I learned in my first day of clinicals how close that was.
It wasn't as close as I originally thought.
I went on to graduate second in my class, and, following graduation,
the real work started. Where does a young woman in a career that is not
really open to women, who is also blind, find a job? My pursuits led me to
a friend who owned a corporation of funeral homes. I sent my resume to him,
and he offered assistance. He said, "Are you willing to relocate?"
I said, "Sure." A week later I received a call from Mr. Robert Di
Luzio in Keene, New Hampshire. I didn't even know where New Hampshire was.
I grew up in west Tennessee; it was hard enough to figure out where
Nashville was, much less another state. So I got on an airplane, and I
flew, for the first time, to New Hampshire. I started working there two
weeks later, and I've been there for six and a half years.
Now I guess I should get back to the Federation part of this story. In
2009 I had been an apprentice for two-and-a-half years. Apprenticeship is a
difficult challenge; every funeral director must serve an apprenticeship
before being licensed to serve families. It had been two-and-a-half years
of tears and struggle.
There were accomplishments along the way. That summer, in July, I got
up early. We were going to march in Detroit. We marched for independence
that day. For me it wasn't just a march for independence; it was a march
for self-knowledge. During the march I received a bell; I have it with me
today. I don't think there were very many of these bells made, so I count
it as a very special symbol. When I returned home to New Hampshire, I
placed the bell on my desk, and many people would ask what it stood for. I
said that it stands for independence. My boss, Mr. Di Luzio, heard this so
many times he was starting to tell people this story. When I would have a
bad day, when the struggle of the apprenticeship would get too much, I
would go to my desk and pick up the bell and ring it. I could remember the
sound of them ringing that hot July day. The work that we were doing in the
Federation, the inspiration of the people who had come before me--it helped
me go on.
Now the second story: it was January 29, 2010. This is a special day
for two reasons: first, it was my birthday; and second, it was the day I
became an embalmer. In the state of New Hampshire you have to perform a
practical exam in front of a board member for the New Hampshire Board of
Funeral Directors and Embalmers, and they examine every process that you do
in embalming a body-no pressure. So I got up in the morning, and I knew
that this was the day: I knew that it was going to be a day that would
change my life. I arrived at work, I made all the proper phone calls to
notify the board member that I had the gentleman to embalm, and she
informed me that I should go ahead and do the first steps of the process. I
want to explain to you, very briefly, what those processes are. [nervous
laughter] This is what you've all been waiting for, right-and right after
lunch.
Okay, so, nonvisual techniques of embalming: here we go. I had never
shaved a man before I became an apprentice embalmer. And so I thought, Oh
my goodness, sharp object, a person that everybody's going to see; this
could be interesting. I learned that gentle strokes are best, and I also
learned that, after you've finished, if you gently run your hand across
someone's face, you can tell if you missed anything. This is what I do to
this day-I do it this way. So I did this portion: I closed the person's
eyes and mouth (I won't tell you how we do that-many of you probably don't
want to know). This is all part of the beginning processes to make them
appear as they did.
Then comes the surgical portion. Now, I'm only going to tell you a
little bit because it's important. When doing the surgical portion, there
are two main vessels that you have to locate: the carotid artery and the
jugular vein. They are identifiable by touch. For those of you who have
never felt an artery, it feels like a large rubber band, and the only way I
can describe how you know where the vein is to say that it is colder than
anywhere else that you're touching. See, that wasn't too bad, right?
So the board member watched. I remember that, as I was doing the exam,
we were talking about how to make chicken and dumplings. I explained that
my mom owned a restaurant. Most of you might not know my mom, but some of
you do-her name is Sharon Treadway. She is a Randolph-Sheppard vendor and
also a member of the board of directors for the National Merchants
Division. So she taught me how to make chicken and dumplings.
At the end of the exam I thought it went very well. At the end of the
exam the board member doesn't tell you if you passed. You either get a
"you've passed," or "we'll see you in six weeks." So she had Mr. Di Luzio
come down and they walked out-didn't say anything.
People always ask me, "Do you ever talk to the people?" And that day I
did. I remember saying, "I think we did pretty good."
So Mr. Di Luzio came back. He had been working with me for three
years. He walked across the room, and he gave me a hug. I was crying, of
course, overwhelmed. And he said, "You passed." I got even more overwhelmed
then.
After I collected myself I looked at him and I said, "You know we just
made history, right?"
And he said, "We did."
It wasn't that I was doing something extraordinary; it was that I was
doing something as a pioneer, that there weren't other embalmers in New
Hampshire who were legally blind. Now this knowledge of being a pioneer-I
think of it as a responsibility. I have a responsibility to the generations
after me to show them that anything is possible, that you might not become
an embalmer, but you can do anything that you can imagine.
I also want to speak for just a moment to the parents who are here. I
am blessed with parents who supported me, who never told me that my dreams
were impossible. The fact that you are here for your children shows that
you believe that their dreams are possible. My father is sighted. He knew
when I was born that the world would be different for me. But he didn't let
that stop his dreams and his aspirations for his little girl. I have one
short story that deals with my dad, and then I'll conclude.
When I was three, we lived in west Tennessee, and in our backyard was
a swamp. There were these turtles that would come up, and my father thought
it would be awesome if his little girl could see what these turtles look
like. So he caught one one morning, put it in an old swimming pool, and
charged my mom with the job of making sure it didn't leave the pool. Then
he got me up-it was probably like eight o'clock in the morning-he got me up
and he brought me outside to the pool. He was so proud. And he showed me
the turtle. I was able to see what it looked like; I was able to touch it,
and I still remember what it looked like.
My father didn't know about the Federation until almost twenty years
later, but he had the philosophy-both of my parents did-and I don't think
that I would be the young professional that I am today if it hadn't been
for my parents.
I promised you that there'd be some more landmarks. In the geography
of your face your face is five of your eyes wide if you measure from left
to right, and you are exactly six-and-a-half heads tall. That's just
Jeopardy information for you.
I am honored that Dr. Maurer has asked me to speak to you today. It is
an honor to stand here and be able to tell you my story. I hope that it is
a positive influence; I hope that it inspires you to pursue your dreams, to
go out and do whatever it is that you would like to do with your life.
Dream big, work hard, and someday maybe you can say that you've made
history. Thank you.
----------
Recipes
This month's recipes come from members of the NFB of Nebraska.
Peach Salsa
by Nancy Oltman
Nancy Oltman currently serves as second vice president of the Nebraska
affiliate. She also sits on the board of commissioners for the Nebraska
Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She is an award-winning
cook and baker, and her cakes bring high-dollar during our annual auction
at state convention.
She says, "Since I am working with home-grown peaches this week, I
will submit one of my favorite peach recipes. I do tend to use only two
jalapeno peppers and increase the honey to 1/4 cup."
Ingredients:
6 cups (3 pounds or 12 medium) peaches, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 1/4 cups red onion, chopped
4 jalapeno peppers (or less) to taste
1 red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup loosely packed, finely chopped, fresh cilantro
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons honey (or more) to taste
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Method: Blanch, peel, pit, and chop peaches. Measure six cups fruit and
combine with onion, peppers, cilantro, vinegar, honey, garlic, and cumin in
a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil,
stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Boil, gently stirring frequently
for five minutes. Cool and chill in the refrigerator. Great with tortilla
chips or as an accompaniment to grilled chicken. Salsa can be cold packed
about twenty minutes for pint jars or ten minutes for half-pint jars.
----------
Runza Casserole
by Glenn Ervin
Glenn Ervin is a longtime member who submits a family favorite. He works as
an orientation counselor and home teacher at the Nebraska Commission for
the Blind and Visually Impaired. This is a recipe he often uses with
clients.
Ingredients:
2 pounds hamburger
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cups shredded cabbage or bag of coleslaw mix
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tubes of refrigerator crescent rolls
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 pound Monterey jack cheese, shredded
Method: Brown hamburger and onion; drain. Place cabbage on top of meat and
cover pan with lid to steam for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper. Using
one tube crescent roll dough, arrange dough pieces over the bottom of a 9-
by-13-inch pan, pressing edges of rolls together to make a solid sheet.
Spread the hamburger and cabbage mixture over the crescent rolls. Add a
layer of cheese. Using the other tube of crescent rolls, form a top crust
over the cheese, using the same method. Bake in 350-degree oven for thirty-
five to forty minutes, covering with foil the last ten minutes to soften
the crust.
----------
Apple Crisp
by Audra Kramer
Audra Kramer is the treasurer of the Lincoln chapter. She enjoys
fundraising and is employed at the Department of Labor.
Ingredients:
3 cups Jonathan apples, peeled and sliced
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup quick oats
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Method: Mix apples, sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, 1/3 teaspoon salt, and 1
teaspoon cinnamon, and put in a 9-by-9-inch baking dish. Mix remaining
ingredients until crumbly, and pat over apples. Bake for 40 minutes at 350
degrees. Double ingredients for a 9-by-13-inch pan.
----------
Peppermint Marshmallows
by Karen Anderson
Karen Anderson is the president of the Nebraska Association of Blind
Students and vice president of the National Association of Blind Students.
Karen enjoys baking in her spare time. Here's a yummy fall/winter treat.
If there are images in this attachment, they will not be displayed.
Download the original attachment
Ingredients:
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice-cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon peppermint extract, to taste
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
Butter for coating baking dish
Method: Place a half cup very cold water in the bowl of an electric stand
mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Sprinkle gelatin over the surface;
don't mix yet; allow gelatin to soften while you prepare sugar syrup.
In a small saucepan combine remaining 1/2 cup water, granulated sugar,
corn syrup, and salt. Cover saucepan with lid and heat mixture over medium
heat for three to four minutes. Uncover saucepan and cook mixture, without
stirring, until mixture reaches exactly 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Once mixture reaches 240 degrees, immediately remove from heat.
Turn stand mixer on low speed, and, with mixer running, slowly and
carefully pour the hot sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl into
the gelatin mixture. Once all the syrup has been added, increase mixer to
high speed (I set mine on level 8 of the KitchenAid stand mixer) and whip
mixture until it is lukewarm, very fluffy, and very thick, about twelve to
fifteen minutes.
Add the peppermint extract during the last minute of mixing. While the
mixture is blending, in a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar and
cornstarch, then run a stick of butter along the bottom and edges of an 11-
by-7-inch baking dish (making sure you coat all areas, including corners,
to prevent sticking). Sprinkle a few tablespoons of the powdered
sugar/cornstarch mixture over the buttered baking dish and tip dish back
and forth to coat evenly, then shake off excess.
Coat a rubber spatula with butter, then pour whipped mixture into
prepared baking dish using the coated spatula to scrape mixture out. Spread
mixture into an even layer in baking dish using butter-coated spatula.
Sprinkle top lightly and evenly with powdered sugar mixture, reserving
remaining sugar mixture. Allow marshmallows to rest uncovered at least four
hours or up to overnight.
Turn the set marshmallows out onto a cutting board (you will likely
have to run something around the edges and slightly along the bottom to
help the marshmallows drop), and cut marshmallows into squares using a
pizza wheel dusted with powdered sugar mixture (I cut mine into eight rows
then each row into four because I wanted them tall for dipping, but you
could cut them smaller if you wish). Place cut marshmallows in powdered
sugar mixture and turn to coat all sticky sides, dusting off excess (dust
them off well if dipping/spreading with chocolate, or it won't stick well).
Store in an airtight container for up to three weeks.
If you are making marshmallows to dip into hot cocoa, I would
recommend the full 1 teaspoon peppermint extract; if you are making them
just to eat on their own, I suggest using 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract.
You can add 1/2 teaspoon first, then taste a bit, and, if you want a
stronger peppermint flavor, add another 1/2 teaspoon.
----------
Peppermint Bark Marshmallows
by Karen Anderson
Ingredients:
12 ounces chopped chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate chips or almond bark
3/4 cup crushed candy canes
1 recipe peppermint marshmallows, earlier (store-bought marshmallows would
work fine too)
lollipop sticks or straws
Method: Spread a sheet of wax or parchment paper on counter (this is where
dipped marshmallows will set). Melt chocolate in microwave on 50 percent
power in thirty-second bursts, stirring after each interval until melted
and smooth. Spread a layer of melted chocolate over bottom half of
marshmallow, then dip chocolate-coated portion in crushed peppermint.
(Alternately, you can dip the marshmallows in the melted chocolate. I found
spreading it on worked better for me. It seemed too thick and messy, so I
just used an icing spatula to spread it on instead. Almond bark may work
better for dipping because it is thinner.) Then place each coated
marshmallow, chocolate-coated side down on wax paper. If desired, insert a
lollipop stick through the top center of each marshmallow. Then let rest at
room temperature until chocolate has set, about one hour. Store in an
airtight container.
----------
Stephanie's Get Lucky Beef Jerky
by Stephanie Wagle
Stephanie Wagle is a college student attending the University of
Nebraska, Lincoln. She serves on the board of the Lincoln chapter and the
board of the Nebraska Association of Blind Students.
Ingredients:
5 pounds top round, trimmed of fat and sliced by the butcher (You can
choose a higher grade beef, but this works fine.)
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 teaspoons cumin
3 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Method:If there are images in this attachment, they will not be displayed.
Download the original attachment
Buy a dehydrator. I have a Ronco brand dehydrator that I purchased at Wal-
Mart. It is important to follow the manual for your brand of dehydrator,
but I don't see why my recipe shouldn't work or couldn't be altered
slightly to work using any dehydrator. But I'm not a dehydrator maker, so
please read your manual. This recipe will make a one-gallon Ziploc bag of
jerky. You can substitute raw roast beef instead of top round, but keep in
mind that it is more expensive. I slice each slice into strips. Combine all
marinade ingredients and meat into a large covered bowl and refrigerate for
twenty-four to forty-eight hours. I recommend forty-eight hours, but, if
you are pressed for time as I was the first time I made jerky, twenty-four
hours makes tasty jerky.
When the marinade stage is complete, sprinkle cracked black pepper evenly
over each side of jerky and drizzle honey evenly over both sides as well,
before placing strips onto the trays.
What makes my jerky so lucky? After the meat has marinated for forty-
eight hours, I twist two pieces of beef together before putting them on the
trays, and they dry out in tight little curly q's. These are my two lucky
pieces. Whoever gets either of these twisted pieces will be lucky all day
long. If you get both pieces, you have two whole days of good luck.
Arrange strips on the trays of the dehydrator, not letting the strips
touch each other. Dehydrate for twenty-four to forty-eight hours, rotating
trays every one to two hours as consistently as possible. The tray closest
to the bottom will receive the most heat, so rotate the trays to distribute
the heat evenly. I leave my dehydrator on overnight, obviously not rotating
the trays in my sleep, so, when I am home during my waking hours, I turn
the trays every two hours or as needed, checking the meat and rotating more
often nearer to the end of the drying time.
----------
Italian Love Cake
by Jeff Altman
Jeff Altman is the first vice president of the Nebraska affiliate. He
is NOMC-certified and employed as the cane travel instructor at the
Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
Ingredients:
1 package chocolate cake mix
2 pounds ricotta cheese
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cups sugar
Topping Ingredients:
1 (4 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding
1 cup cold milk
1 container whipped dessert topping
Method: Prepare cake mix according to package directions and pour into
greased 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Mix cheese, eggs, vanilla, and
sugar; pour on top of cake batter. Do not mix into batter. Bake at 325
degrees for one hour, checking frequently near the end to be sure that it
does not overbake. Cool and refrigerate; best overnight. Prepare pudding
according to package directions and mix all topping ingredients together
before frosting cooled cake.
----------
White Chocolate Cherry Banana Cupcakes
by Bridgit Pollpeter
Bridgit Pollpeter is a member of the Omaha chapter and an accomplished
writer. She has her own blog at
<http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/>.
Ingredients:
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas
1/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups flour
1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
Method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease or line a twelve-cup
standard muffin tin with muffin papers. In a large, heavy saucepan melt the
butter over medium heat and remove from heat. Add the sugar, vanilla, and
bananas, and mix together, mashing the bananas with the back of a fork
until mostly incorporated. Stir in the sour cream and eggs. Add the baking
soda and baking powder in pinches, breaking up any lumps with your fingers.
Stir in thoroughly. Stir in the flour, just until blended. Stir in the
chopped cherries and the chips. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups,
filling each cup almost full.
Bake for fifteen to eighteen minutes, or until the cupcakes are springy
when gently pressed and fully puffed. Cool on a rack for five minutes. Lift
out the cupcakes and cool on the rack for at least ten minutes more.
Note: If you're feeling especially decadent, top these with white chocolate
cream cheese icing.
----------
Five Minute Cranberry Walnut Cobbler
by Barbara Loos
Barbara Loos is a longtime leader in the NFB. She has been president of our
affiliate and now serves as president of the American Action Fund for Blind
Children and Adults.
Ingredients:
2 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup plus 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a nine-inch pie pan combine
cranberries, walnuts and 1/2 cup sugar; toss until coated. In a medium
bowl, whisk eggs, melted butter, remaining sugar, and almond extract until
blended. Fold in flour and salt until combined. Pour the batter over the
cranberry mixture. Bake for forty minutes, until crust is golden and fruit
bubbles. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Serves six to eight.
----------
Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
First Annual Bid for Equality Online Auction:
It is time to get ready to celebrate the holidays and reflect on your
accomplishments over the past year. This year you can enjoy the holidays
and continue to contribute to the National Federation of the Blind's (NFB)
powerful cause by joining us in our first annual Bid for Equality online
auction. This exciting new online auction features several unique packages
from our extremely dedicated affiliates. The items range from paintings and
gift baskets with unique state-specific items to helicopter tours, airline
tickets, and weekend get-aways. What a great way to show the special people
in your life that you care, while supporting the NFB at the same time! Get
excited, the auction will begin on Black Friday, November 29, 2013, and
conclude on Giving Tuesday, December 3, 2013.
The future is in your bid. We appreciate your support.
Please contact Ilana Posner at the National Office at (410) 659-9314,
extension 2283, for more information about the Bid for Equality online
auction or with any questions.
Another Kernel Book in the Works:
Starting in 1991, the NFB began producing paperbacks of less than one
hundred pages relating the experiences of blind people in their own words.
The goal was to create something small enough that people would carry it
and interesting enough that they would read it. We have published thirty of
these, and, to commemorate our upcoming seventy-fifth anniversary, we are
going to publish another.
So what is a Kernel book? As Dr. Jernigan said in the first one: "We
wanted to go to the very heart of blindness, trying to show our readers
what it's really like; and, for that matter, what it isn't like." He went
on to explain that many times we are asked about our lives as blind people,
but, in the short conversations we have on the bus or while boarding an
airplane, we usually can't do a very good job of explaining it. The Kernel
Book gives us this opportunity. To understand the Kernel Book series, look
at the thirty we have at <https://nfb.org/kernel-books>. Then think about
your story, think about the part the NFB has played in your life, and think
about writing your story or an anecdote about how the Federation has shaped
your outlook for our seventy-fifth anniversary Kernel Book.
Submissions should be sent to Gary Wunder at 3910 Tropical Lane,
Columbia, MO 65202 or sent by email to <gwunder at nfb.org>. This is a
wonderful opportunity to explain what it means to be blind, the challenges
we face each day, and the way we overcome them. Be a part of history, and
tell us about your life.
Where the Blind Work:
The Jernigan Institute, the Employment Committee, and the Writers'
Division have a joint project, and we need your help. We are building an
employment resource of job descriptions and how the blind compete within
them. Where the Blind Work is a great informational resource to assist
youth to plan for future employment and for adults hoping to change jobs or
careers. We would be happy to accept a description of your present job, one
you had recently, or both.
The collection of descriptions is divided into twelve categories:
Administrative and Office Careers; Business/Entrepreneurial Careers;
Computer Specialists; Customer Service; Education Careers; Financial
Careers; Government Careers; Human Services; Law Enforcement and Legal
Careers; Media, Marketing, and Public Relations; Medical Careers; and
Vocational Jobs.
Your description must be fewer than 1,000 words and must follow the
five-question format below. When completed, please email them to
<newmanrl at cox.net>:
(* indicates a required field.)
1. Personal information:
*Name
*Industry in which you work (example: financial services)
*Job title
Employer
Your street address (work or home)
City, state, zip code
Phone number (work, home, or cell)
Email (work or home)
*2. Please explain what any worker would do on this job. (Specialized
blindness alternatives will appear in the next question.)
*3. To what extent are you blind, and what special adaptations do you use
on the job? (Give the medical term for your blindness and extent of
limitation; list the type and name of any special low- or high-technology
equipment or procedure you use to perform your job duties, describing where
and how you use it.)
*4. Please let us know of any required special training, education,
certificates, or experience needed for this job.
*5. Please tell us about anyone or anything that aided you to be
successful.
Note: To aid in the construction of your description, read several of
the earlier postings from the Where the Blind Work page:
<https://nfb.org/wtbw-main>.
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.
Maps of Kansas Available:
The Princeton Braillists have recently completed a volume of maps of
Kansas. This single volume includes an overview of the state, followed by
individual maps showing cities, rivers, counties, highways, farm and
mineral products, and yearly precipitation. A more detailed map shows the
vicinity of Kansas City.
The package comprises eleven maps, forty-two pages total. The price
is six dollars, and we use shipping by free mail where eligible. To order,
please send check or purchase order to the Princeton Braillists, 76
Leabrook Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540. For further information contact Ruth
Bogia, (215) 357-7715, or Nancy Amick, (609) 924-5207.
Former NLS Librarians Nussbaum and Lewis Receive ASCLA Awards:
Ruth J. Nussbaum, retired reference librarian, National Library
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of
Congress, and Jill Lewis, retired director of the Maryland Library for the
Blind and Physically Handicapped (MDLBPH), an NLS network regional library,
are recipients of two Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library
Agencies (ASCLA) awards.
ASCLA, a division of the American Library Association, selected
Nussbaum for the 2013 Cathleen Bourdon Service Award and Lewis for the 2013
Francis Joseph Campbell Award, which recognizes a person or institution
that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of library
service for the blind and physically handicapped.
The Cathleen Bourdon Service Award, formerly the ASCLA Service Award,
was renamed in 2007 in honor of the departing ASCLA executive director
Cathleen Bourdon. It is presented to an ASCLA individual member for
exceptional service and sustained leadership to the division. This includes
participation in activities that have enhanced the stature, reputation, and
overall strength of ASCLA and have also cultivated the division's
relationship with other appropriate organizations, institutions, or
government agencies.
Nussbaum worked as a reference librarian at NLS from 1987 to 2012. An
ASCLA member since 1990, she has been chair of the Librarians Serving
Special Populations Section of ASCLA, a member of the Century Scholarship
committee, a representative to the ASCLA Board of Directors, chair of the
Francis Joseph Campbell Award Committee, a member of the ASCLA Awards
Committee, and representative to the ASCLA board. Nussbaum also served as
an ALA councilor-at-large from 2004 to 2007 and has long been involved in
the American Indian Library Association. She has made significant
contributions to professional documents and guidelines, including
accessibility policies for both ALA and ASCLA, fact sheets, bibliographies,
and other publications addressing library services for people with
disabilities.
The Francis Joseph Campbell Award was named after Campbell (1832 to
1914), an American who lost his sight at the age of five. He was the music
director at the Wisconsin School for the Blind and the Perkins Institution
for the Blind and was also instrumental in the founding of the Royal
National College for the Blind.
The award, which consists of a citation and medal, is presented to a
library or person who has made an outstanding contribution to the
advancement of library service for the blind and physically handicapped.
This contribution may take the form of an imaginative and constructive
program in a particular library; a recognized contribution to the national
library program for blind persons; creative participation in library
associations or organizations that advance reading for the blind; a
significant publication or writing in the field; imaginative contribution
to library administration, reference, circulation, selection, acquisitions,
or technical services; or any activity of recognized importance.
Lewis served as the director of the MDLBPH from 2003 to 2012. Under
her leadership the library developed partnerships that provided a community
center for library users with print disabilities. The center includes
adaptive technology, cultural programs, and an interactive children's
reading center. She previously worked as a reference librarian for NLS,
where she conducted a study of educational reading services for individuals
with print disabilities and prepared publications for the Reference
Section. In 2012 Lewis was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland and presented with a
Governor's Citation for Outstanding Service. She has been active within ALA
and ASCLA since the 1990s and serves on the board of the Montgomery County
Public Library in Maryland.
Both women were presented their awards during the ALA 2013 Conference
at the ASCLA/COSLA reception on Saturday, June 29, at the Hyatt Regency
McCormick Place in Chicago.
NLS administers the Braille and Talking-Book Program, a free library
service available to US residents and American citizens living abroad whose
low vision, blindness, or disability makes reading a regular printed page
difficult. Through its national network of regional libraries, NLS mails
books and magazines in digital audio and Braille formats, as well as
digital audio equipment, directly to enrollees at no cost. Selected
materials are also available online for download, and music instructional
materials are available in large print, Braille, and recorded formats. For
more information visit <http://www.loc.gov/nls/> or call 1-888-NLS-READ (1-
888-657-7323).
Tape Discussion List Available:
Cassette tapes may have been invented in the 1960s, but people still
use them, even today, especially the blind and visually impaired. Though
Braille is very useful and popular among the blind, audio books are also
prevalent and useful. Though the Digital Talking Books program exists,
there is still an audience among blind audio book listeners for cassette
tapes. Did you tape fans ever want a discussion list to talk about tapes
with other tape users, especially blind ones? Well, that's Prosomawi
Media's latest endeavor: TapeVille.
So what is TapeVille? Simply put, it is a blind-accessible forum
where people who like tapes chat with other people who like tapes. All
cassette-related topics are allowed, including the conversion of cassettes
into digital format. Send an email to <tape-request at freelists.org> with the
word "subscribe" in either the subject or the body of the email. If you
ever decide to leave TapeVille, do the same, just replace the word
"subscribe" with "unsubscribe," though we really hope you don't.
When you're ready to introduce yourself, post a tape question, tape
information, tape news, etc., send an email to <tape at freelists.org> with
your message.
HAI Describe-Live Audio Description in NYC:
If you like Broadway and Off Broadway shows, but have crossed them
off the list because of a visual impairment, you're going to love this.
Check out Describe from the Healing Arts Initiative.
The Healing Arts Initiative (HAI) is a New York City non-profit
committed to making art and culture accessible to blind and visually
impaired residents and visitors. Describe is a service offered by HAI that
provides live professional description services to blind theater-goers.
Trained describers speak live through a small ear-piece and offer blow-by-
blow description of stage settings, live action, costumes and scenery.
Anyone interested in getting more information on HAI's Live Describe
program can call or email to be added to our mailing list and learn about
upcoming performances. If you would like to learn more or be added to our
mailing list, please send an email with your contact information to
<rcross at hainyc.org> or call (212) 575-7660 and ask about our Describe
program. You can also visit us on the web at <www.hainyc.org>, like us on
Facebook at <www.facebook.com/hospitalaudiences>, or follow us on Twitter
<@hai_nyc>.
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:
I have a Permobil C300 model power wheelchair for sale. The seat
depth is seventeen inches, back to front; the seat is fourteen inches wide.
The seat can be raised or lowered. The system has a caretaker control box
on the back, with the same control on the front left side, plus a joy
stick. It also has a laser locator that sounds an alarm when it detects
obstacles in front of or behind the chair.
The chair is about five years old, but has been used only about ten
times, all inside the house. It is in excellent condition, and the gel
battery has been replaced once. I am asking $1,500 or best offer, and
transportation of the chair must be covered by the new owner. For more
details call Carol (610) 734-1037, or email <crucker at rcn.com>
For Sale:
I am selling a HIMS Braille Sense Plus qwerty notetaker. It is rarely
used and comes with original packing materials, manuals, and a leather
carrying case. The unit is in like-new condition and comes with the latest
version 8.0 firmware and a 32 gig flash drive already installed. I am
asking $2,000. Contact John by phone at (903) 285-2519.
----------
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.
More information about the Brl-monitor
mailing list