From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Wed Jan 1 00:33:34 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2014 00:33:34 -0800 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, January 2014 Message-ID: <201401010833.s018XYSJ002563@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 57, No. 1 January 2014 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. [PHOTO CAPTION: Palm-lined drive leading to the front entrance to the Rosen Centre Hotel] Orlando Site of 2014 NFB Convention The 2014 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take place in Orlando, Florida, July 1-6, at the Rosen Centre Hotel at 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Make your room reservation as soon as possible with the Rosen Centre staff only. Call (800) 204-7234. The 2014 room rates are singles, doubles, and twins, $82; and triples and quads, $88. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 13.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested. The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $95-per-room deposit is required to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before May 28, 2014. The other 50 percent is not refundable. Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis until our block is filled or until May 28, whichever comes first. After our block is filled and/or after May 28, the hotel has no obligation to accept any further reservations, but may do so if it has rooms available. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon. Guest-room amenities include cable television; in-room safe; coffeemaker; hairdryer; and, for a fee, high-speed Internet access. Guests can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-site spa. The Rosen Centre Hotel offers fine dining at Executive Chef Michael Rumplik's award- winning Everglades Restaurant. In addition, there is an array of dining options from sushi to tapas to a 24-hour deli. The hotel has first-rate amenities and shuttle service to the Orlando airport. The schedule for the 2014 convention is: Tuesday, July 1 Seminar Day Wednesday, July 2 Registration Day Thursday, July 3 Board Meeting and Division Day Friday, July 4 Opening Session Saturday, July 5 Business Session Sunday, July 6 Banquet Day and Adjournment Vol. 57, No. 1 January 2014 Contents Illustration: The BELLs Will Ring Again in 2014 Dr. Adrienne Asch Dies by Marc Maurer Remembering Adrienne Asch by Fredric Schroeder More Remembrances of Adrienne Asch by Gary Wunder Oh My, Dr. Asch was Right by Patty Estes Seventy-Five Years of the Fair Labor Standards Act and People with Disabilities Have No Reason to Celebrate by Anil Lewis How Disability Simulations Promote Damaging Stereotypes by Toby Olson Resolutions and the Way Policies are Made in the National Federation of the Blind by Gary Wunder Shawn Mayo Leaves BLIND, Inc. by Dick Davis Our Rights and Their Responsibilities: Access to Prescription Label Information by Mike Freeman The AccessaMed Digital Audio Label: the Accessible Prescription Drug Labeling of Choice by Les Fitzpatrick University Says No to Google by Sean Whalen New Air Regulations Announced Skies are Still Unfriendly for the Blind by Marc Maurer Intuitive Eating: Enjoy Your Food, Respect Your Body by Linda Bacon and Judith Matz The Gun Debate, Why it Matters by Greg Trapp Blind Guy versus the Rhododendron by Chris Kuell A Moment in Time Carol Castellano Inducted into the Douglass Society How Daring to Believe Changed My Life and How It Can Change Yours by Mary Fernandez The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund by Allen Harris Recipes Monitor Miniatures The BELLs Will Again Ring in 2014 [PHOTO CAPTION: PA BELL Program group photo.] How does the NFB go about solving a problem? First we determine its priority, and then we attack it on multiple fronts. Too many children are not learning to read and write Braille; the school systems they attend are supposed to provide this teaching. So we press the schools; work for legislation to remedy the problem; and, in the meantime, take responsibility for doing what we can to provide direct service to these children. That is the reason the NFB created the Braille Enrichment through Literacy and Learning (BELL) Program. And in 2013 the BELL rang loud and proud in nineteen states, and Monitor readers may remember the articles in November's issue about "The Other BELL in Philadelphia." This month we have some photos from that amazing first ringing of the BELL in Pennsylvania. [PHOTO CAPTION: Six participants using Perkins Braillers in a journaling session] [PHOTO CAPTION: Denise, Chloe, and Devon play Twister.] To ensure that the students practice the Braille they learned in the program, they had daily journaling sessions using the Perkins Brailler. But it wasn't all hard work; there was plenty of time for fun and games, like Twister. [PHOTO CAPTION: Outdoor mobility practice with Michelle and Vincent, Toni and Lacy] Michelle McManus said that a valuable part of the program is covering things that they wouldn't learn in school, the little daily practicalities like passing things at the lunch table or navigating on their own. The outdoor mobility lessons were a key part of that, encouraging the kids to explore the city in ways they might not have on their own. That's why the NFB is working hard not only to keep the BELLs ringing in the affiliates that have already held the program, but to improve it. 2013 was a great year, but 2014 is going to be bigger and better, with the likelihood that half of our affiliates will be sponsoring BELL Programs. [PHOTO CAPTION: Adrienne Asch, September 17, 1946, to November 19, 2013] Dr. Adrienne Asch Dies by Marc Maurer I do not remember when I first met Adrienne Asch, but it must have been in the 1970s. She has been a member of the National Federation of the blind for many decades. Although she was not prominent in the leadership of the organization, she was a dramatically strong supporter of the Federation and a significant factor in its work. Those who knew Adrienne were aware that she was a professor, a bioethicist, a singer, and a joyful advocate for recognition of the value of human dignity. She was a champion of the rights of the blind and otherwise disabled, and she wrote and lectured extensively about ethical questions pertaining to disability. On occasion she appeared in public debates against those who espoused philosophical points of view that denigrated certain individuals because of their physical disabilities or other characteristics sometimes thought to be badges of inferiority. It is now possible to examine a human fetus before birth to determine whether it is likely that the developing child will have disabilities. Some doctors recommend aborting such children if they are likely to have disabling conditions. Such arguments encourage the notion that those thought to be imperfect should be eliminated from the human race. Killing the so-called deformed because those without disabilities regard such differences as badges of inferiority struck Dr. Asch as a gruesome procedure not to be tolerated by civilized, moral people. An early adopter of access technology for the blind, Adrienne learned about all of the tools manufactured to help blind people gain access to information. With technology and the assistance of human readers, she read extensively about the subjects that she taught and wrote about. Because she used every kind of access technology, she could evaluate a product being offered to the blind. Once she called me to say she was working on a major presentation, that she had turned her display upside down, and that some of its pins had fallen out. She asked if I could help her with a replacement unit while hers was being repaired, and this I was glad to do. She urged manufacturers to incorporate features that would make Braille devices more useful to academics. For all that they offer in the way of quick and convenient Braille, most notetakers cannot handle footnotes, the generation of a table of contents, or a number of other features generally found in state-of-the-art word processors. Although Adrienne achieved national and international recognition for her work as a bioethicist, those who knew her well were aware that she felt her life was incomplete. She yearned to find a partner with whom she could share her life, but the bliss that can come with a marriage and family never worked out for her. This was probably her greatest regret. I met with Adrienne a couple of times a year. She came to the national conventions of the Federation, and she bought a hundred Jernigan Fund tickets each year. I kept expecting her to win the raffle at the banquet, but somehow none of her one hundred tickets was ever drawn for the prize. I am quite certain that this did not trouble Dr. Asch. Each year in the fall she attended a board meeting of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults. She served as the ethics officer for the corporation. One year she gave me a recording of Christmas carols that she had made with a choir in New York. She loved the Christmas season, and she knew that I shared this love. Although she was Jewish, she knew all the Christmas music and took great joy in performing it. Regardless of the time of year that the board meeting took place, after we learned of Adrienne's magnificent vocal abilities, we sang Christmas carols. Dr. Asch did enormously effective serious work in philosophy, ethics, and medicine. But I will remember her most for the joy and zest for living that were part of her. ---------- Remembering Adrienne Asch by Fredric Schroeder I first met Adrienne in the mid-1980s. Everyone who knew Adrienne knew she was brilliant, but my earliest memories of her were less about her intellect and more about her innate kindness. She was smart--scary smart-- but she was more than smart; she used her intellectual gift to make a difference in the lives of blind people and others with disabilities. She brought a penetrating perspective and an unrivaled power of academic thought to bear on the real problems that blind people face-the reasons behind the social isolation and lack of opportunity that plague our lives. She had the ability to unravel complex, interrelated biases and socially constructed limitations and show them for what they are-prejudice. But she gave much more than understanding; she went beyond simply explaining the sources of our collective disenfranchisement. Through her work and through the way she led her life, she demonstrated that blind people need not live in dependency and poverty, but, given a reasonable chance, we can fulfill our innate talents and drive. This was more liberating than it might first appear. Adrienne's message, crafted through research, keen observation, and life experience, helped me and countless others truly believe in our own right to live free from society's low expectations. In other words, she made me proud of who and what I am and showed me that, no matter the barriers placed in our paths, we need not be remarkable or excessively courageous, but need only believe in ourselves to have a full and productive life. And still she was not aloof, living on a higher intellectual plain, residing on the top of Mount Olympus swathed in academic draperies, separate and apart; she was my friend, she believed in me and cared for me, and I will miss her-miss her deeply. Although Adrienne is gone, the difference she made in my life lives on. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Adrienne Asch at 2011 convention] More Remembrances of Adrienne Asch by Gary Wunder Adrienne Asch was my friend. Because I believe in life after this one, I do not just say she was my friend, but that she is my friend and will always be so. I clearly remember the first time we met because I earned myself a lecture. Adrienne had asked Federationists to complete some kind of survey. When I heard her introduce herself at an elevator, I introduced myself and proudly said, "I completed your survey." "No, you didn't complete my survey," she said. "I know the names of all those who took the time to complete it, and you didn't." Well, that elevator certainly seemed confining, and I was glad when I reached my floor. The truth is that, as I thought about it, I clearly remembered being asked to do the survey, but less clearly did I remember completing it or returning it. I concluded she was right, looked her up, asked if having my participation would still be helpful, and promised to be more careful about completing such requests. "It's too late for the survey," she said, "But I'd be glad to talk with you." Figuring that our friendship was already off on the wrong foot and fearing that I'd probably mess up again, I nevertheless agreed that we'd visit, and that visit led to our becoming fast friends. One of the benefits of belonging to the National Federation of the Blind is coming to know many accomplished people who find time in their busy lives to help in our work and who make it their own. How often do we find the very successful turning a deaf ear when asked to help others who are blind: their musical careers will not allow them to participate; their business consumes too much of their time to allow for volunteer participation; they have done it all on their own and have no more in common with other blind people than they have with those who visit the dentist who cleans their teeth. While maintaining a schedule every bit as rigorous and demanding as any musician or business person, Adrienne Asch found time for us. She did not regularly attend chapter meetings and seldom made it to state conventions. Nevertheless, her participation was to represent us in places where only she could go: conferences of scientists, philosophers, and bioethicists concerned with matters of life and death, quality of life, and determining when a newly formed being had rights that should be protected by the state. One thing I admired about Adrienne was how deeply she believed in the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind and how determined she was to live it. She was quick to admit that mobility was a challenge, even in places as familiar as the National Center for the Blind, which she visited at least twice each year. This did not dampen her resolve to go anywhere she needed to go, and to do so independently. When her job required her to go to Europe or Africa, go she did. When it required her to go to unknown hotels and travel on unfamiliar public transit systems, she did. When she found that the academic work that she needed to do required her to read material that had yet to be transcribed, she hired people to scan it, used her Kurzweil product to convert it into a computer-readable document, and transferred it to her Braille display. The materials she had to digest to discuss biology, genetics, philosophy, and the law competently were voluminous, but she appreciated the blessing of being busy and was glad to be so engaged. For her a challenge and a barrier were not at all the same, and her forthright and honest way of acknowledging her challenges and then conquering them should be a lesson to us all. Adrienne thought and wrote about things we often consider too uncomfortable to think much about, and she tried to do so in a way that did not reflect only one religious perspective or cultural belief. Her positions could not be easily stated in a sentence. If a woman wanted a child, Adrienne supported her right to choose, but she believed that a choice to keep or abort a disabled child should be based on good information about what living with that disability was actually likely to be. What she believed helped to shape the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act, sponsored by Edward Kennedy and Sam Brownback. This legislation, adopted into law in 2008, said that a choice to abort based on disability should be made only after good information about life with that disability had been provided to the soon-to-be parents. Regulations implementing this legislation have yet to be created, but the challenge given to doctors, genetic counselors, and those of us who have disabilities is enormously important. Adrienne pleaded with us to decide how we would play a part in shaping how the public comes to feel about people with disabilities, explaining to them that we have lives well worth living and affirming through our words and actions that we have something positive to contribute to the world. This passionate belief in the ability of all human beings to bring something to the world is what I most admire about the life of my dear friend and what causes me to look harder every day to find the contributions others can bring into my life and the life of the human family. The thing I most treasure is that she allowed me to share in her life, valued my intellect enough to care about my opinions, and trusted me enough to talk with me about things that really mattered to her-the state of our world, the state of our organization, and the state of her personal life, with all of its joys and sorrows. This was the privilege of knowing the soul who lived in the body of Adrienne Asch and who will continue to live in all of us who heard her message; who felt her love; and who, because of her, will dare to expose the better angels of our natures. ---------- Oh My, Dr. Asch Was Right by Patty Estes >From the Editor: Patty Estes is a long-time member from the state of Maine. She has acted as the affiliate's chief organizer, has served as its president, and has long been its guiding force and spiritual leader when it comes to matters of blindness and the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind. One of her frustrations is that she has multiple sclerosis, and this sometimes limits her participation in the work she deeply enjoys. Patty listened to Dr. Adrienne Asch at our 2013 convention in Orlando and was shocked to hear that our access to medical care and treatment when resources might be scarce was being discussed in the context of our quality of life. More shocking was the realization that participants in the discussion were people who often have no idea what it is like to be blind and who believe that they can judge our lives through the lens of moral philosophy rather than through observing us and asking us what value we place on our existence. Here is a note never intended to be an article, but so introspective and thought-provoking is it that I thought Monitor readers would benefit from Patty's experiences and observations. It was written just before the convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Maine, where I was pleased to serve as our national representative. Here is Patty's letter: Oh my, Gary-Dr. Asch was right! I have been interviewed or cross- examined by one of those moral ethicists. I tell you, it is lots more chilling than just thinking about it. I had an appointment with a neuropsychologist a couple of weeks ago for some limited testing. At the end of our time together, he asked me, "So, what do you do all day?" I must have looked like a deer in the headlights, so he repeated his question: Dr.: "So, what do you do? I mean, what do you do with your day?" Me: (I was reluctant to answer because his demeanor had shifted) "Okay, well, I do some housework...." Dr.: (interrupting me) "No, really . . . what do you do? Do you just veg?" Me: (This was stunning. Ok, he was a chauvinist and could not grasp the concept of keeping a home as a worthwhile activity.) "No, I do not veg all day." Dr.: (Apparently I still hadn't given him enough information.) "I mean- what is it that you do all day?" Me: (Okay, so he specializes in MS-maybe he's asking about that.) "Well, sometimes I need to rest when I don't want to." Dr.: "So, you do sit and vegetate all day!" Me: (I really, really didn't want to play this game) "No, I do not `Just vegetate all day.'" The doctor kept sputtering and blurting out the same question and his stupid conclusion, but I just sat and looked in his general direction. I was now done and wanted to go home. I can tell you, Gary, that I could have spit nickels for several days. I was very, very upset. I had come to the conclusion that he was a chauvinist and had a disregard for the lifestyles (that's really too glamorous a word for my daily activities) of his MS patients or he was one of those bioethicists Dr. Asch spoke about at this past convention. Probably all of the above, but that last one was the kicker. That's it! He wanted me to account for my productivity. He kept pushing me to offer a reason why I should take up space. Wow, words can't express how judgmental that is, how demeaning, and how furious it made me feel for days. Then I decided he wasn't worth the energy I was giving him or the turmoil his question was causing in my life. Well, it finally occurred to me that perhaps he had just been quizzing me to see if I had strength and purpose. Perhaps this was a part of his testing protocol or his way of making me tough. I just couldn't know. I mean, he was so insistent and fidgety and loud, whereas, before he had been measured and kind. Well, I had a follow-up to go over the results. I would just ask him if that was part of my test, instead of automatically assuming the worst of him. That follow-up appointment was yesterday. In the waning minutes of the visit, I referred to those questions he had asked me at the end of the previous session and directly asked him if they were a part of his test. Dr.: "No, it wasn't part of the test. I was curious about what you do all day. Just sitting and vegetating is something we worry about with disabled people." Me: "Oh really? Well, I don't do that." We left, and I have been stewing since then. On the basis of my very limited cooperation, he could easily have concluded that I might be one of those that "we" worry about. It is easy to see how then I would be one of those who wouldn't really require medical attention, given my MS, and then there is the blindness, and on top of that I am sixty! I can foresee my healthcare being severely rationed within a year or two-not sometime in the distant future-and all by people who haven't a clue about how I feel and one whit of interest in giving me enough credibility to listen seriously to my side of the story. Gary, the article you asked me to write about, "The Right to Live in the World," appeared in the Monitor one year ago. I focused on our rights and the template Dr. tenBroek and Dr. Jernigan built a movement upon. Apparently this other way of looking at the title of the treatise, "The Right to Live in the World" had already gotten its footing within academia. The literal reading with the emphasis on "live" rather than "right" has troubled me greatly. I could not have conceived of such a disgusting twist on this topic or our feeling its effects in our enlightened generation, and now having to rally on this new barricade! Except, it isn't really new. Only the titles of the actors have changed. We will once again be taking on those who know much more than we do about our relationship to our blindness. We have no hope of ever scoring points in this debate, since they just "know," and their presumed knowledge once again comes from professional titles-and this time academic degrees- that show they are very smart and accomplished but which convey nothing about their understanding of who we are, how we feel, and what we have to contribute. Gary, Dr. Adrienne Asch is so very right, and she is also correct to call upon the NFB to get prepared for this battle. Thank you for running her talk in the convention Monitor. Her delivery was wonderful-and chilling. Thank you for reading to this point and for listening, Gary. I am looking forward to our convention and to seeing you. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis] Seventy-five Years of the Fair Labor Standards Act and People with Disabilities Have No Reason to Celebrate by Anil Lewis >From the Editor: Employment for and wages paid to the blind have been a priority issue for the National Federation of the Blind, and changing this practice has consumed an enormous amount of time for Anil Lewis, Director of Advocacy and Policy for the National Federation of the Blind. He posted a blog about the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act and the work still ahead of us to fix the problems its outdated notions of disability cause. With his permission we are reprinting the blog here: Today the US Department of Labor will be celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) with an all-day program. There will be a host of presentations on various wage and workplace achievements. However, a significant topic will not be discussed: Section 14(c) of the FLSA. In 1938, the year Section 14(c) of the FLSA was enacted, the federal minimum wage was twenty-five cents per hour. At that time Section 14(c) provided workers with disabilities a wage floor of 75 percent of the federal minimum wage. In 1966 this wage floor was reduced to 50 percent of the federal minimum wage. Then in 1986 the wage floor was entirely eliminated. Today, seventy-five years after Section 14(c) was enacted, there are workers with disabilities being paid less than the federal minimum wage of twenty-five cents that was guaranteed to non-disabled workers in 1938. You may ask why this provision was ever integrated into the FLSA. The belief was that people with disabilities could not be productive employees. The social experiment, established under a misguided assumption, was that, if you create environments where people with disabilities are provided an opportunity to engage in work-like activities in segregated environments that provide the tangible and intangible benefits of work, they will be better off. Today approximately three thousand subminimum-wage employers or "incubators" exist, creating over 400,000 social beneficiaries with disabilities being paid less than the federal minimum wage. Data show that fewer than 5 percent of people with disabilities working in these subminimum wage jobs ever secure competitive integrated employment. I think it is safe to say that this seventy-five-year-old social experiment of low expectations, segregation, and subminimum wages has failed. Fortunately, due to the creativity, innovation, and dedication of entities committed to helping individuals with significant disabilities to reach their full vocational potential, a parallel experiment is taking place. This perspective begins with the belief that all people can work, and that, when provided the proper training, support, and opportunities, individuals with significant disabilities can acquire an employable job skill worthy of being paid at least the federal minimum wage. The Employment First movement, expanding the use of supported employment and customized employment strategies, is creating a paradigm shift in the belief in the capacity of workers with disabilities. Individuals with significant disabilities are receiving training from experts, making it possible for them to take advantage of a variety of competitive integrated jobs, where they earn at least the federal minimum wage. The assertion of subminimum-wage employers that workers with disabilities cannot be productive employees is being proven false, and subminimum-wage employers must acknowledge that they do not have the expertise they claim to possess. We must discard the failed approach of segregated subminimum-wage workshops and embrace the innovative strategies of competitive integrated training and employment that have proven to cost less and produce better employment outcomes. To those in attendance: enjoy the celebration. The National Federation of the Blind, along with sixty-five other organizations, will be busy working to repeal this discriminatory provision. The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013, H.R. 831, will phase out the use of Section 14(c) Special Wage Certificates over a three-year period; it is our hope for a better future. I pray that it will not take another seventy-five years to see the error of this discriminatory policy. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Toby Olson] How Disability Simulations Promote Damaging Stereotypes by Toby Olson >From the Editor: Toby Olson is the executive secretary of the Washington state Governor's Committee on Disability Issues and Employment, where he also directed the Northwest Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center. He is the chair of the National Fire Protection Association Disability Access Review Advisory Committee and was the chair of the International Code Council Disability Advisory Committee and vice chair of the American Public Transportation Association Access Standard Oversight Committee. He has a neurological disorder that limits his ability to interpret visual and auditory information. Here's his concern about what people take away from quick disability simulation exercises: October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and Disability History Month here in Washington state. Disability awareness events held in October often include disability simulation exercises in which participants who don't have a disability will spend some time using a wheelchair or wearing a blindfold. More sophisticated exercises might also include headphones with white noise generators to simulate a hearing loss or boxes in which participants can attempt to perform tasks while watching their hands reflected by a series of mirrors to provide a sense of the effects of a specific learning disability. While these exercises are popular and can help the participants to become more aware of some of the environmental barriers people with disabilities encounter, many people with disabilities and disability organizations are concerned that they create an inaccurate perception of the experience of living with a disability. The fear is that simulations actually reinforce the inaccurate negative stereotypes that often limit opportunities for people with disabilities in education and employment. If you participate in a simulation, what you experience will not be at all like a slice from the life of a person who has lived with that disability for any time. The difference will not be because you'll know that you'll be taking off the blindfold or walking away from the wheelchair at the end. The difference will be because, without any of the coping skills and techniques people with disabilities create and master throughout their lives, the best you will be able to manage will be to emulate the experience of being the single most hapless, incompetent individual with that particular disability on the face of the planet. Participants in disability simulations experience their adopted disabilities as a series of discoveries of things they can't do. They can leave the exercise imagining an unbroken string of those discoveries stretching out for a lifetime. Those of us who have had a disability all our lives haven't experienced our disabilities that way. For those who have acquired a disability, that experience is usually a relatively brief transition phase. The long-term experience of living with a disability is more aptly characterized as adapting, adjusting, and developing new ways to do things when the usual ways don't work. It is more commonly the active pursuit of an expanding life, not mourning for a contracting one. I have heard simulations compared to putting on blackface, but disability simulations have nothing to do with the contempt and ridicule that were the essence of the minstrel shows. Most people in the disability community appreciate that simulations represent a sincere interest in improving understanding and a willingness to put time and effort toward that goal. Still we cannot help being concerned that participants who leave a simulation, imagining life with a disability as an endlessly shrinking spiral of frustration and loss, might be even less comfortable associating with people who have disabilities than they were before. Those who take away from the exercise frustration at the inability to complete simple daily activities could, as a result, be less able to recognize the substantive contributions a job applicant with a disability is ready to make to their organization's bottom line. If there is one thing about the experience of disability that everyone needs to understand, it is that the chronic unemployment and resulting poverty that are far too common among working-age people with disabilities are not natural consequences of disability. The best exercise for improving awareness on that issue is the one where we all recruit, hire, and work alongside people who have disabilities. That exercise has the added benefit of allowing us to discover what people who have so much experience devising innovative, practical solutions to unusual problems can add to our organizations' strengths. ---------- Resolutions and the Way Policies are Made in the National Federation of the Blind by Gary Wunder In the August-September issue Sharon Maneki, the chairman of the Resolutions Committee, wrote an article discussing the policy statements the convention had adopted in July of 2013. Following that article are copies of each resolution as passed. Not long after this issue reached Monitor readers, I began receiving suggestions about how we should talk about the importance of resolutions, how and why they should be drafted, and what happens to them once they are passed. This is a tall order, but let's at least start to answer these questions. A resolution is divided into two parts. In the first part a case is made that certain events have taken place that require action. The events are described in short statements that begin with the word WHEREAS, and they may speak to some wrong that must be righted or to some good deed that should be acknowledged. These statements should clearly set forth the reason a resolution is being written, without being so detailed that they make the reader wish the resolution had never happened. The second part of a resolution explains what will or should be done based on the argument laid out in the first section. Resolves are used to say what the NFB will do or what we will try to persuade others to do. Again this may be to condemn and deplore actions we find objectionable or to applaud actions we find meritorious. These, too, should be brief and to the point: long enough that they are not ambiguous and concise enough that they avoid repeating what has already been said. At the end of this article, when you've been convinced how important resolutions are and that you may want to write one yourself, we'll drop in a few guidelines prepared by Barbara Pierce, using her many years of experience in editing the final version of our policy statements. Who writes resolutions? The simple answer is that resolutions are written by anyone who believes that the National Federation of the Blind should take a position on something and who wishes us to make this position public. Resolutions may come from members of our Advocacy and Policy Department, from our national board of directors, from divisions or committees of the Federation, or from members who feel passionately enough about an issue to take up their device of choice and write. Resolutions are submitted to the chairman of the Resolutions Committee or to the president of the National Federation of the Blind at least two weeks before the meeting of the Resolutions Committee. They are reviewed to determine, as best we can, that they are factually and grammatically correct and are then presented to the Resolutions Committee on what is sometimes called Registration or Resolutions Day. If they are passed by the Resolutions Committee, they are then considered on the afternoon of the second day of the convention and, if approved, become official Federation policy. Like every system devised by man, this one has its problems. People who do not attend the meeting of the committee hear the resolutions for the first time that afternoon and are then asked to vote in favor of or in opposition to something they have had little time to consider. We have limited time for questions and discussion, and sometimes the volume of resolutions has meant we have had to read the resolve clause and have omitted the part of the resolution explaining the need for it. At the most recent meeting of the board of directors, a decision was made to post resolutions passed by the committee on our website, clearly labeling them as resolutions being considered by the convention. In this way those with devices capable of reading information from the web can see what is being proposed for consideration by the membership, can decide how they think and feel about the resolutions, can get to the right people to ask their questions, and can be in a better position to vote when the resolutions are considered. So what happens to resolutions once they are passed by the convention? To start with, all of them appear on our website and are available to those wanting to know if the Federation has a position on a given topic. They are published in the August-September issue of the Braille Monitor, along with an article explaining who introduced them and why they were introduced and describing similar resolutions passed in the current or previous years. As for implementation, some resolutions are sent to divisions of the Federation for action and follow-up. Others are sent by the president or his designee to the businesses and agencies they affect. Most are assigned to the director of policy and advocacy for action. Do the resolutions passed really make a difference? The answer is most assuredly yes. Our resolution on quiet cars culminated in legislation, and that legislation will someday soon be incorporated into binding regulations that will make travel safer for the blind and all pedestrians and cyclists. Our resolution about the continuing inaccessibility of the Kindle resulted in a protest at the headquarters of Amazon in December of 2012 and subsequent improvements in the software Amazon produces. Our resolution on the payment of subminimum wages caused the introduction of H.R. 831 by Congressman Gregg Harper of Mississippi and the publicity we have received on the NBC television network and other media outlets. Now that you know why we draft, discuss, and pass resolutions and what happens to them once they become Federation policy, here are some guidelines to use in creating them: Guidelines for Resolution Writing Writing resolutions is a specialized skill. The resolution is one very long sentence directing the organization to take a stand or engage in some action. It can also commend or take exception to actions of other entities. It cannot provide direct instructions to any group other than the NFB or its president and board of directors. However, it does call upon those entities to make changes. The actions or other recommendations are contained in the RESOLVED clauses at the close of the resolution. The argument for taking the action is laid out in a series of WHEREASes. Ideally each argument, and only one argument, should be placed in a single WHEREAS. These should be arranged in the most logical order. The most efficient way to write a resolution is to make a simple outline or list of premises which you will turn into the WHEREAS clauses and a similar simple list of phrases for the RESOLVED clauses. In fact, you should begin by determining what your RESOLVED clauses are, that is, how many there should be and what their basic thrust is. You will know how many by the number of entities we need to address or the number of problems we need to fix. After you decide specifically how you want the problem fixed, determine the smallest number of concepts you need to explain to a person unfamiliar with the problem that there is a problem. The best resolutions can be picked up by a person unfamiliar with the issue and hold that person's attention (in other words, they are as short as possible) while still actually explaining the problem and the solution or solutions. This method, deciding the ending first and then crafting the arguments to reach it, will result in the simplest and clearest resolution. Then, when you actually write the formal resolution, you can focus on the writing and the style, having already done the planning part. Here are the punctuation and layout rules for writing resolutions: 1. Each argument begins with the word WHEREAS, indented and all caps. BE IT RESOLVED and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, which introduce the RESOLVED sections, are also indented and written in all caps. Note that WHEREAS is followed by a comma, but the two versions of BE IT RESOLVED are not. 2. Each WHEREAS before the final one ends with a semicolon and the word "and." This is true of the word "RESOLVED" as well. 3. The final WHEREAS ends with a colon, the words "Now, therefore," and a hard return. Please note that "Now" is capitalized. 4. The final RESOLVED ends with a period. This reflects the fact that the entire resolution is a single sentence. Sometimes one is taxed to refrain from writing sentences within WHEREASes, but inserting a complete sentence is not playing the game fairly. 5. A blank line separates the elements of the resolution. 6. In the beginning of the first RESOLVED, surround the year and the state with commas. The formula looks like this: "BE IT RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this eighth day of July, 2000, in the city of Atlanta, Georgia," Note also that the c in city is not capitalized. Remember that the resolves are couched in the subjunctive mood, which is rarely used in English. This means that the third person singular verbs look like plurals when they are actually singular: the organization urge, the NFB condemn and deplore, etc. The rather strained form of the resolution makes it sound unnatural and formal. Do not attempt to add to this effect by indulging in jargon and verbosity. Even though resolutions are frequently long, brevity is a virtue. Each argument should be made concisely but clearly. Jargon never helps this process. Substituting "utilize" for the short, vigorous word "use" and always referring to people as "persons" or "individuals" are good examples of counterproductive inflation of the pomposity quotient. On the other hand, because resolutions are formal statements of a policy position, you should avoid slang or informal words like "exams" instead of "examinations" or "quotes" for "quotations." Verb forms like "hunker down" or "get going" are also a bit too casual for use in resolutions. You will remember that the NFB is on record as opposing people-first language, except as it happens for some reason to sound euphonious. Despite this fact, we are increasingly saddled with awkward people-first language in our resolutions that serves no function but to lengthen the argument, sound pompous, and contradict our own policy. Remember that there is nothing wrong with the terms "blind people" or "blindness field." Yet increasingly our resolutions are cluttered with "persons who are blind" or "individuals with blindness or visual impairment." Capitalization should be consistent. Do not capitalize words for emphasis. Quotation marks should not be used for this purpose either. "Federal" is not capitalized unless it is part of an actual title or is the first word of a sentence. Since WHEREASes begin with capital letters, federal is almost never capitalized in resolutions. "Congress," on the other hand, is, as are "House of Representatives" and "Senate." Names of departments and organizations are capitalized, but terms like "departments of education" or "vocational rehabilitation agencies" are generic and should not be. Resolutions often pile up nouns as adjectives. When this happens, the terms should be hyphenated: access-program producers. Bill numbers are written H.R. 0000 or S. 0000. There you have Barbara Pierce's sage advice about the content and format of resolutions. So now you know why we have resolutions, the process we go through to consider and pass them, what happens once they are passed, and the way you can author one. When resolutions are being considered in 2014, make sure you are a part of the process, and be sure to meet the deadlines. ---------- [PHOTO/ CAPTION: Dick Davis] Shawn Mayo Leaves BLIND, Inc. by Dick Davis >From the Editor: Dick Davis started his work with blind people in 1971 at the Iowa Commission for the Blind when it was led by Dr. Kenneth Jernigan. Dick has served with distinction in many roles in Iowa, New Mexico, and Minnesota. He currently serves as the assistant director for employment programs at BLIND, Inc. and here is what he has to say about his boss and his friend, Shawn Mayo: For the past ten years Shawn Mayo has been the executive director of BLIND, Incorporated, but I'm sad to say she'll be leaving at the end of December. I started working with her thirteen years ago in 2000, and she's become one of my closest friends since that time. Joyce Scanlan, BLIND, Inc.'s founding executive director, recruited Shawn as her successor because of her moral strength, intelligence, and vast network of friends, a network she had developed as president of the National Association of Blind Students (NABS). At the time Shawn came to work at BLIND, she was completing her NABS presidency, and, although I'd known her only briefly when she was a BLIND, Inc. student and afterward, it was obvious she was the real thing. Her charisma was such that one student, who kept asking her to marry him, said, "I don't know her at all, but I really like her!" As executive director of BLIND, Inc. she carried these strengths with her-she ran meetings well, was strong without being overbearing, and had the respect and love of the students. Before becoming executive director, Shawn worked for BLIND, Inc. for several years as assistant director for outreach and marketing, life skills instructor, and summer programs coordinator. She knew BLIND, Inc. both from a student and a staff perspective. Under Joyce's mentorship, she continued to grow. I also helped shape her. Shawn is a quick learner, and her strengths continued to emerge: a deep-seated compassion toward others, the highest personal integrity, an intuitive grasp of problems and ability to solve them, an analytical nature that went to the core of things, the charisma mentioned above, and a sense of humor that everyone came to love. She showed herself to be strong too, and, if she made up her mind to do (or not do) something, incredibly stubborn. She demonstrated excellent money management skills-fiscally conservative when necessary and generous the rest of the time. In fact, she more than tripled the income of BLIND, Inc. and built a cash reserve while simultaneously raising funds to make repairs to the historic Charles S. Pillsbury Mansion that is our home for classes. Shawn accomplished many other things from 2003, when Joyce retired and she became executive director, to the present. She successfully addressed a breakdown in Minnesota student referrals by bringing in more students from other states and getting the department commissioner to take corrective action. When a state shutdown threatened funding for student training, she testified in court alongside the Minnesota Attorney General, who was impressed by her case, and convinced the judge to continue funding for BLIND, Inc. Under her leadership BLIND, Inc. developed the country's only fully integrated English language learner (ELL)/adjustment to blindness training program for blind immigrants and refugees, gained BLIND, Inc.'s first federal contract, and oversaw the creation of the Code Master, the most modern Braille learning system in the country and recipient of the 2013 Bolotin Award and the 2012 Touch of Genius Award. In fact, BLIND, Inc. has been part of receiving not one but two Bolotin Awards since she's been director. Most important, she has worked to build a team of committed Federationists. We have all taken the belief Shawn has in blind people and given our love and commitment to them as she has taught and shown us to do through her example. Countless students have followed her lead and joined the National Federation of the Blind and become involved at all levels of the organization throughout the country. As one does at our NFB centers, she had the students to her house, where the kids in our summer programs learned to light a grill and the adult students, after walking nearly six miles to her home under sleepshades, were welcomed with friendship and a steak dinner. There's a lot more I could say about her accomplishments, but her record speaks for itself. BLIND, Inc. today is a nationally and internationally recognized training center, known for its family culture, its innovation, and its overall excellence. It is now in the best financial and programmatic shape it has ever been in. If there's a good time for her to move on, it's now, and she has good reasons to do so. [PHOTO /CAPTION: Shawn Mayo] Shawn lost her eyesight at age 17 because of leukemia. The drugs that saved her life gave her arthritis, which she's had for years. Let me say here that she's one of the toughest and most upbeat people I know. She's thought for some time that, while still loving her work at BLIND, Inc. and still loving the Federation, a climate a little less severe than Minnesota's would be more comfortable for her. This fall Shawn's partner, Emily Wharton, developer of the Code Master Braille System, was offered and accepted the director of technology position at the Iowa Department for the Blind (IDB). Emily is from Iowa and is a graduate of the IDB Orientation Center. She began her new job at the end of October, and Shawn will join her around the turn of the year. This will eventually give Shawn the opportunity to have a house with enough land to own a horse again, one of her lifetime goals. She'll also be much closer to her and Emily's families. I came to BLIND, Inc. in 2000 from State Services for the Blind (SSB), where I'd been assistant commissioner (director) for over seven years. I lost my job because of my resistance and that of the NFB of Minnesota to two department attempts to merge SSB with the general rehabilitation agency. It was such a miserable experience that, by the time I left that job, Minnesota was the last place I wanted to be. However, I agreed to stay until the last of our kids had graduated from high school. Joyce Scanlan created the position of assistant director for employment programs in order to encourage me to stay in Minnesota, but it was Shawn who ultimately convinced me. I came to like her so much that I decided to spend the remainder of my career helping to make hers a success. One thing each of us in the second generation of the NFB needs to do is pave the way for an orderly transition to younger leadership. Along the way I became very attached to BLIND, Inc. It's a wonderful place to work, with a devoted staff and great students. When Shawn told me finally that she'd decided to move, I'd already invested thirteen years of my life helping her be a successful executive director. It was a hard blow for me to take. But nothing good is ever lost, and I knew that what I'd taught her, and my efforts on behalf of BLIND, Inc., would both continue. When she asked if I'd be interim director until a permanent one could be found, I of course agreed. She had the hard task of breaking the news to our board, staff, and students. Those were painful discussions, with tears all around. Shawn recommended me to the BLIND, Inc. board of directors as her choice for interim director, and the board agreed. I'll lead BLIND, Inc., assist in the search and interviewing process for a permanent director, and train that individual. Even though she'll be in another state, Shawn has agreed to advise me and the new director. [PHOTO/CAPTION: Dick Davis and Shawn Mayo shake hands in front of the elaborate Victorian fireplace in the Pillsbury Mansion.] Executive director of an NFB training center is a significant position within the Federation, and therefore we cannot just hire someone off the street. The director must be an individual with leadership experience in the NFB, a deep understanding of blindness and blind people, and administrative experience sufficient to run a nationally acknowledged training program. So we have been looking carefully, working through Dr. Maurer and our network of Federation friends. I'm happy to announce that Dan Wenzel, formerly of Colorado, then Wisconsin, and most recently Maryland, has just accepted the position. More about him in a later article. Like all our new hires, Dan will go through our regular staff training program, and I'll work with him until he's thoroughly learned how BLIND, Inc. operates. We won't have the three years that Joyce was able to devote to Shawn's training, but the training period will be sufficient. At that point I'll return to my old position and continue to support Dan until I'm ready to retire. It'll be a big job, but I love challenges and am looking forward to it. While we're all very sad to see Shawn leave BLIND, Inc., we know she's ready for her new life. Expect more great things from her in the future. As far as BLIND, Inc. goes, she'll always love us and be there for us, as we will for her. She'll always be part of the Federation and will pass her knowledge and love of it along to others, wherever she lives or works. If you would like to keep in contact with her, her personal email is . ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Mike Freeman] Our Rights and Their Responsibilities Access to Prescription Label Information by Mike Freeman >From the Editor: Labeling items has always been a challenge for the blind, since the printed labels affixed to objects give us little in the way of usable information if we can't read them. Of all the items we label, none poses more of a challenge than medication. Sometimes labeling is easy if the number of medications one takes is small. But, when the number grows and the instructions are more complex, the rubber band, Braille label, or dot of glue doesn't provide enough information. To provide blind people with all the information that appears on a drug label, several competing systems have emerged. In this issue we will discuss two systems, and we will print the articles in the order they were received. One article has been edited by Mike Freeman, the president of the Diabetes Action Network, the other by our former affiliate president in Oklahoma, Les Fitzpatrick. Les works as an employee of AccessaMed. Our request of Envision America and of AccessaMed was that they make what they wrote both interesting and informative and that they be more than simple advertisements for their products. I believe each has made a genuine effort to comply with our request. Of course both companies need and want to publicize what they have, and each needs to capture market share, so in these two articles you will find some general information and some straightforward advertising. We hope this is helpful to all concerned. "Take two aspirin and call me in the morning." Ah, if only it were that easy! For most of us, though, managing our prescription medication regimens presents numerous issues and roadblocks. Trying to decipher pill shapes, bottle sizes, and multiple instructions can be more than just frustrating. It can also be hazardous to your health. I'm sure we have all heard stories about medication errors. Not being able to easily read the label data can lead to a myriad of issues: taking the wrong medication or the wrong dosage, taking expired medication, taking medication differently than prescribed, mixing up medications, not knowing warnings or interaction notices, or having generic drugs changed without notice. Isolated incidents? Think again. Prescription medication errors are more common than you might think and more frightening than you might imagine. It's not just the medication name and dosage to which we need access. More information appears on the label that is vital to our safety and health. If you take only one prescription and the dosage never changes, you are probably doing okay on your own without accessible accommodations. However, many of us regularly take multiple medications. The more we take, the harder it is to remember information and to keep everything controlled and organized, and the easier it is to get things mixed up. In the past the only option was relying on systems such as rubber band reminders, keeping medications in a specific order on the counter, refilling old specially labeled bottles with new medicine, or having to ask another person to read the label for us. While these are still useful systems, many may find them inadequate. Much has been said in the news lately about the technological advances in helping blind and visually impaired people manage prescription medications. Legislative and regulatory advances have been made as well, resulting in updated laws and requirements for pharmacies in providing access to prescription label information. This mountain of information can be confusing and overwhelming, enough to bring on a migraine, for which you might need to take a prescription, which means you need to access the label information . . . well, you get the idea. When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was amended in 2010, it included more detail and clarified instructions on how public accommodations-specifically citing pharmacies-must provide auxiliary aids and services to blind or low-vision customers in order to provide effective communication. The new language goes on specifically to list large-print materials, Braille materials, and accessible electronic and information technology as recommended solutions. While the original rules and regulations have been in effect for more than twenty years and the updates for three, many pharmacies are still refusing to provide needed public accommodations that would make it possible for the blind and visually impaired to access prescription label information safely and privately. Whether this is due to ignorance of the law and available technology or claiming financial burden, such excuses have worn out their welcome. It is time for the pharmacies to be educated and time for them to implement solutions. To answer the excuse of ignorance, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act was passed in 2012. As part of this act the US Access Board was authorized to assemble a working group, with representation from members of both pharmacies and consumer advocates representing the blind, deaf-blind, visually impaired, and more. Their task was to develop a list of best practices or recommendations for pharmacies to implement and follow. This would ensure that their blind and visually impaired patients would have safe, private, independent, reliable, and consistent access to prescription label information. After multiple meetings members of this working group devised a list of best practices in providing accessible prescription labels. They included detailed advisory criteria for producing large print, audible, and Braille labels. They were clear that a one-size-fits-all package would not work. This reflects the updated language of the ADA, which now obligates the pharmacy to consult with the individual and find out what aid is needed to ensure the effective communication of critical information. One item of note that seems to confuse many is the statement that the best practices established by the working group "are not mandatory." It reads, "They [best practices] are not to be construed as accessibility guidelines or standards of the Access Board, nor do they confer any rights or impose any obligations on working group participants or other persons. The law makes it clear that nothing...is to be construed to limit or condition any right, obligation, or remedy available under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990...requiring effective communication, barrier removal, or nondiscrimination on the basis of disability." Wait! What does that mean? The best practices have no influence? The pharmacies don't have to implement anything? The ADA doesn't have to be enforced? Actually, it means just the opposite. The FDA Safety and Innovation Act was intended to nullify any excuses that remained for pharmacies in denying access to label information. By outlining and detailing how to provide multiple solutions for effective communication to their blind customers, pharmacies would no longer have the defense of not knowing how to help or what services were available. The Safety and Innovation Act is a study guide to the ADA. ADA outlines what pharmacies are required to provide for their patients, and the Safety and Innovation Act outlines how they can do it. It gives support to the individual to say, "These are my rights. Here are your options. This is what I need. Now please do it." As stated in the ADA, "In order to be effective, auxiliary aids and services must be provided in accessible formats, in a timely manner, and in such a way as to protect the privacy and independence of the individual with a disability." So what is the next step? It's clear that we must raise our voices loudly and insist that pharmacies provide the services granted to us under the ADA. It is important that we speak up, both as individuals and as communities and advocacy groups. We need to make sure that the pharmacies understand that we know our rights and that we will not take no for an answer. Because of a "negotiated legal settlement," one major pharmacy chain is beginning to offer accessible prescription labels. Over the last year or two Walmart has been providing the ScripTalk Talking Labels to patients at about three dozen pharmacies across the country, as well as through its mail order facility. That's great, and it's totally free. In conformance with the requirements of the ADA, pharmacies can't charge for accessibility. The ScripTalk Station patient reader is free to the individual by calling the company at (800) 890-1180. So, if you don't happen to have a local Walmart that is supplying ScripTalk labels, it is imperative that you ask your Walmart pharmacist for the service. Tell him or her that you want it. Demand that Walmart provide it. In addition to Walmart, CVS is also providing the talking labels through its mail order service. There are another hundred or so pharmacies across the country that are currently offering ScripTalk to their customers. Many of these pharmacies offer large print and Braille labels too. For those pharmacies that continue to deny accessibility, we can't lose hope. Again, we must speak up and speak out, and keep doing so until we get what we need. Ask to talk with your pharmacy's district supervisor, or call its national customer service line. Request to speak with an ADA compliance specialist, explain the situation, and state your rights and requests. Let him or her know that an ADA lawsuit is not out of the question. The point here is that the squeaky wheel gets oiled. Let's not play Russian roulette with our medications anymore. We live in a time in which technology is continually advancing. We just need to make sure that the laws and their enforcement are advancing as well. Not only can we make our own lives safer and more independent, we can make a change and a difference for everyone if we take action and continue to push this forward. The ADA is in place. The US Access Board's best practices for prescription labels are in place. The technology is in place. Accessibility is within reach. Let's grab it! ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Les Fitzpatrick using a Digital Audio Label on a bottle of medication.] The AccessaMed Digital Audio Label The Accessible Prescription Drug Labeling of Choice by Les Fitzpatrick >From the Editor: Les Fitzpatrick is employed by AccessaMed and is adamant in saying that he is also a supporter and a customer. He uses the product he enthusiastically promotes to help him identify medications to control his diabetes and high blood pressure. Les has been a state president in Oklahoma and a chapter president in the state of Washington, where he now resides. Here is what he has to say about the Digital Audio Label: Chad has been blind since he was five, a tragic accident with a lead pencil and a toy dart gun. As a child he learned Braille, and, as he got older, he learned to use advanced assistive technologies like computers with screen-reading programs and Braille notetakers. Yet, with all of this technology, he continually struggled to take his prescribed medications safely and independently. Chad tried numerous ways to differentiate his prescription bottles, including a homemade labeling system in which he put rubber bands on each bottle to help identify its medication. One rubber band for this medication, two rubber bands for that medication-now imagine trying this with eight or more medications. As Chad got older, it was also difficult for him to rely on his teenage children to successfully pronounce medications like hydrochlorothiazide and gemfibrozil. He even tried to remember the different shapes and sizes associated with his medications, but that proved even more dangerous since shape and size change from one manufacturer to another or from one dose to another. The idea of Braille on a label was appealing to Chad at first, but, due to the amount of space Braille takes up, having more than four lines of it was impractical, and it was impossible to include all the print label information. At one time Chad used foam pieces cut out in the shapes of the sun for morning medications and a crescent moon for evening medications. This was not particularly effective since the foam pieces would degrade and fall off, leaving Chad once again asking his children for help. Chad has been fortunate to have taken the wrong medication only once. He took an allergy pill rather than a sleeping pill before bed. Fortunately the only issue for Chad was that he did not sleep that night. Had this been a more serious mix-up, it could have resulted in consequences far more serious: an illness, an ER visit, or even death. This is a scary reality for those who are blind, and it is unconscionable that this country has not mandated that accessible labeling methods be developed and implemented in order for the visually impaired to be able to take their medications completely safely and independently. [PHOTO CAPTION: Prescription bottle with Digital Audio Label attached.] These experiences prompted Chad and his business partners to join forces to create AccessaMed and find a solution that not only works but is the best product on the market. In 2011 AccessaMed created the Digital Audio Label to allow users accurately and independently to know what medication they are taking and the prescription details, all without daily assistance. The Digital Audio Label does not require expensive or complicated reading systems for users. It is a two-inch tall by one-inch wide device that permanently adheres to prescription bottles or packages. When you press the button on the label, the embedded speaker provides a clear and robust verbal description of the prescription details as prepared by the pharmacist, repeatable up to four hundred times. The Digital Audio Label does not replace the pharmacist's printed label applied to the prescription. It is affixed in addition to that label. So, you may be asking, why does AccessaMed claim to be the best on the market? To start, AccessaMed understands that blind people have multiple devices and don't need more to carry around. With smartphones, talking watches, Braille notetakers and Braille displays, digital/cassette recorders, and digital Talking Book players, the last thing they need is one more device to carry. The Digital Audio Label provides immediate access to prescription information and is completely portable. In addition to fulfilling the customer's need, the AccessaMed Digital Audio Label satisfies the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Safety and Innovation Act, which requires pharmacies to provide accessible prescription drug labeling for the blind, those with low vision, and seniors. In developing best practices, the Access Board confirmed the use of Braille, auditory means, and enhanced visual means. Research has shown that an ever-increasing number of blind and low-vision seniors do not read Braille, do not want huge folded labels with large print, and do not want expensive and complicated devices. They need a simple answer: push a button and have the prescription spoken clearly and concisely. They want the AccessaMed solution. For more information about AccessaMed, we encourage you to visit or contact us at (360) 696-5955 or . ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Sean Whalen] University Says No to Google by Sean Whalen >From the Editor: Sean Whalen is the president of the National Association of Blind Students, is a first year master in public policy student at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and will be pursuing a law degree in a concurrent program. Here is a note he has written to encourage students to advocate for accessible software at colleges and universities around the country: We have a wonderful opportunity to use our status as students to help further the work of the NFB. Dr. Maurer called me yesterday afternoon and advised me that we are in continued conversations with Google regarding the accessibility of Google Apps, which are frequently used by schools and universities. Unfortunately, Google Apps have many features that are inaccessible. We need to change this, and this effort is building momentum. The Provost of the University of Michigan has recently circulated the two communications that appear below to faculty and students at U of M. As you can read after this message, Michigan will not be requiring, and is in fact discouraging, the use of Google Apps for coursework, class projects, or communication between students until Google Apps are accessible and fully useable by disabled students, including the blind. This is a strong message, but we need to increase the pressure on Google. They need to hear this message from other colleges and universities, and they need to hear it now. Does your school use Google Apps or is it considering it? Show your administration the principled and courageous stand that the University of Michigan has taken, and urge them to do the same. Educate your school's administration about how Google Apps leave blind students out, how they detract from our full participation in the classroom, and how they degrade our educational experience. I personally have run across inaccessible Google products here at HKS and will certainly be sharing the message below with my dean. I urge each of you to do the same. This is one of those instances in which we as students can step up to make a difference for all blind students and shape the future. Please take a few minutes to communicate the importance of accessibility in all aspects of education, and show your school that it is possible to take a stand. Technology can either open doors for the blind or seal them shut. I know which I prefer. So, please, take a moment and help show Google that accessibility matters by getting your school to communicate its commitment to accessibility. Please call or write if you have any questions, and share this with anybody committed to equal access in education for the blind. Many thanks. Below is the letter from the University of Michigan. Dear Colleagues, As you know, the University of Michigan has transitioned to Google Apps for Education for email, calendar, and collaboration tools. The university has been in regular contact with Google over the past year about the accessibility of their products, and we have conducted numerous tests to measure their progress. While Google has demonstrated definite improvements, much work remains to make the experience acceptable and equitable for individuals who have disabilities. Because Google Docs and Drive, Chat, Sites, and other collaborative technologies in the Google suite do not work well with standard assistive technologies, you should not require students to use them in coursework. In other words, you should not assign work where the only option to complete the work involves use of these tools, and, even if their use is optional, you should be extremely sensitive and avoid situations in which students who have disabilities may be disadvantaged if the Google suite is the preferred alternative. I am also writing to our students to ask them to be cautious in their informal use of this suite of applications, avoiding them whenever their use may disadvantage students who have disabilities. Google email and Calendar are accessible with standard assistive technologies when used with the client interface for Outlook or Mac Mail. Students, faculty, or staff may call 4-HELP for assistance in setting up the client interface, or they may visit the Knox Center Adaptive Technology Computing Site on the first floor of the Shapiro Library. Generally, if you need assistance in making your courses or technology accessible to students who have disabilities, don't hesitate to work with the Knox Center or the Services for Students with Disabilities. We will continue to work with Google to address the accessibility issues in their software systems, and we expect that changes will be made so that they meet the needs of all our students. The university is committed to equal opportunity and equal access, and we are continually working harder to find ways to make the tools we use, facilities we access, and methods we apply accessible to our entire community. Please visit the sites below to learn more about how to support our community members with disabilities. ---------- New Air Regulations Announced >From the Editor: We recently received this announcement from the United States Department of Transportation. As you would expect, the times outlined here demonstrate significant inattention to the immediate needs of the blind, and President Maurer makes this clear in the article following this one. Here is what the Department of Transportation says: Disabled travelers should find it easier to access airline websites under a new set of rules the government issued on Monday. Airline website pages that have core travel information and services must be accessible to the disabled within two years, the Department of Transportation said, and all pages on airline websites must within three years be readily available to people with disabilities. The new regulations also require airline ticket agents to disclose-and offer-web-based discount fares to customers unable to use their sites due to a disability. Airlines are already required to provide equivalent service for consumers who are unable to use inaccessible websites. Airlines and airports will also have to make accessible to the disabled automated kiosks providing boarding passes and baggage tags as they purchase new equipment. If no kiosks are installed, 25 percent of the kiosks currently at each airport location must be accessible within ten years. Another new rule gives airlines more flexibility in how they transport manual, folding wheelchairs onboard, making it possible for them to carry up to two wheelchairs in the cabin, the department said. In addition to being able to stow a wheelchair in a closet, airlines will also be allowed to strap a second chair across a row of seats. Closets must also have signs saying wheelchairs have priority over other baggage. At the same time the department announced that it has fined US Airways $1.2 million for failing to provide adequate wheelchair access to passengers in Philadelphia and Charlotte, NC. It's one of the largest penalties of its kind ever assessed by the agency in a disability case. Under the department's rules, airlines are required to provide free, prompt wheelchair assistance, upon request, to passengers with disabilities. The department said this includes helping passengers to move between gates and make connections to other flights. The department said that US Airways use of a combination of electric carts and wheelchairs to transport passengers between gates required frequent transfers and led to long delays. It said that some passengers missed connections because of the delays or were left unattended for long periods of time. The department examined some three hundred complaints that passengers filed with US Airways and the government relating to alleged hardship incidents in 2011 and 2012 at Philadelphia International Airport and at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. That was only a sample of the total number of complaints. The department said US Airways may allocate up to $500,000 of the fine for improvements that go beyond the DOT's requirements. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Marc Maurer] Skies are Still Unfriendly for the Blind by Marc Maurer From the Editor: A version of this article appeared in The Hill on Wednesday, November 18, 2013. This opinion piece was introduced as follows: "Maurer is president of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). With 50,000 members the NFB is the largest and oldest nationwide organization of blind people." Here is what President Maurer said: The Wednesday before Thanksgiving is usually the busiest travel day of the year, so most planning to fly home for the holidays are prepared for high fares, long lines, and potentially substandard service. Thankfully, passengers have ways to prepare for the complications-compare fares online to get the lowest rate, monitor flight delays using mobile apps, print boarding passes ahead of time, and check bags using the kiosk-but the blind and other disabled passengers are denied access to these services. And after years of the blind being relegated to a second-class travel experience, the Obama administration has released a rule that will allow this inequality to continue for years to come. No one would tolerate the nightmare of holiday travel for every flying experience. Why should the blind? According to the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA), we do not have to. The ACAA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in air travel and requires air carriers to accommodate passengers with disabilities. Although the ability to make technology accessible to people with disabilities has existed for many years, most air carrier and travel websites are completely inaccessible to people with disabilities, and so are the kiosks available as an alternative to long lines at the curb and ticket counters. In 2008 the Obama administration acknowledged this inequality as a violation of the ACAA, and blind Americans have been waiting for five years for a solution. The much-anticipated final rule was released last week, and we are profoundly disappointed. The rule takes only a fraction of the measures that were initially proposed and establishes a timeline so liberal (read: slack) that the technology will likely be obsolete when carriers are finished making changes. The Obama administration waited far too long to take action and then released a meaningless rule. It would have been better for the administration to do nothing-this weak rule sets a bad precedent that will drive future disability regulations throughout the federal government. This is a terrible setback for disabled Americans. Technology offers more than just convenience: it can create opportunities to expand the circle of participation. For example, consider how airlines display departure and arrival information. First the information was on tablets displayed behind the ticket counter. Later digital screens provided a streamlined and frequently updated presentation of information on multiple flights across multiple airlines. Now live information is instantly available online and on your phone. The first two ways of disseminating information are inherently inaccessible to those who cannot read print, but disseminating information electronically over websites or mobile apps allows blind people to have the same instant access to flight data as everyone else. This opportunity is missed when airlines refuse to make their websites and apps accessible to users with disabilities, despite readily available solutions. Guidelines to make websites accessible have been available since the 1990s, and the most up-to-date set of criteria, known as "WCAG 2.0 AA," has been around since 2008. The WCAG 2.0 AA guidelines are flexible prescriptions for web designers to make content accessible, but most airlines have resisted following them. The same organization of experts that created these guidelines released best practices for mobile apps, but those have also been widely ignored. The rule requires airlines to make websites WCAG 2.0 AA compliant, but gives them two years to make only web pages with "core travel services" accessible. The rule allows an extra year for airlines to fix the rest of their sites. Why offer three years for airlines to incorporate five-year-old solutions? Even more puzzling, the rule excludes apps, mobile websites, and travel agent sites. The rule also gives airlines an appalling ten years to make only 25 percent of kiosks at each location accessible. This means disabled passengers have to wait an entire decade for only a quarter of kiosks to be usable. Technology changes so fast that, by the time the government mandates accessibility, the technology in question has evolved into a new product or been replaced with a new innovation. When airlines finally update their web pages in three years, most passengers will be using mobile apps. When airlines finally update their self-service machines in ten years, kiosks may be obsolete. Maybe then the federal government will take action on mobile apps, and the cycle of delayed "access" will continue. Those flying this Thanksgiving will do a lot of waiting: at the security line, at the gate, and on the tarmac. Disabled passengers have spent years waiting for access to the same services as non-disabled passengers, and now the Obama administration is telling us to wait longer. We are tired of waiting. The government must end this discrimination by amending this rule so the timeline makes sense and the access is not partial, spotty, or incomplete, but fully available to all. Until then, the only thing I will be giving thanks for is the option to take a train. ---------- Intuitive Eating: Enjoy Your Food, Respect Your Body by Linda Bacon, PhD, and Judith Matz, LCSW >From the Editor: Linda Bacon is a nutrition professor, researcher, and author of Health at Every Size: The Surprising Truth About Your Weight. Her personal website is . Judith Matz is director of the Chicago Center for Overcoming Overeating, Inc., has a private practice in Skokie, Illinois, and is coauthor of The Diet Survivor's Handbook: 60 Lessons in Eating, Acceptance and Self-Care. Her website is . This article is reprinted with permission from Diabetes Self-Management, November/December 2010. ?2010 R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc. For subscription information please call (800) 234-0923. Or for a free trial issue visit us on the web at . Here is what these two experts have to say about handling diabetes, food, and balancing the two: Jenna, a new client, was explaining what she wanted to get out of her counseling sessions. She said, "I want to love food again. I want to pop a juicy strawberry into my mouth and not think about my blood sugar. I want to enjoy a slice of gooey cake at my son's birthday party, guilt-free. I want to go to a dinner party and feel free to eat whatever my friend prepares." And what stopped her from enjoying eating? "I have diabetes," she said. This was followed by a pause, as if that sentence explained it all- that a diagnosis of diabetes means that food and eating can no longer be enjoyed. Jenna's concerns aren't surprising, given the advice most people with diabetes receive about food choices and meal planning. When you're asked to consider the carbohydrate content, fat content, glycemic load, and potential impact on your weight of everything you eat, it can be extremely difficult to maintain a healthy relationship with food, to truly enjoy eating, and to allow food to nourish you. It doesn't help when doctors, dietitians, friends, and family members all seem to have something to add to the topic of how to eat with diabetes. If the prospect of choosing foods strikes fear in you or if you've tried several "diabetic diets" and none of them worked for you in the long run, we've got some great news: there's no need to see food as your enemy or to carefully restrict your eating. In fact the opposite is true. The secret to managing your diabetes lies in learning to celebrate food and its amazing ability to nourish you. Ending the Blame Game Chances are you've been prescribed a food regimen to help control your blood glucose levels. If you're like most people, you find it hard to stick with a rigid plan, and, if your meal plan excludes certain foods that you like, you mourn the loss of those foods. Perhaps you've tried to follow your meal plan, only to find yourself eating the very foods you were told to avoid. Perhaps you were told you needed to lose weight, and, even though you shed some pounds, a few months later they returned. You may wonder why you can't just get your act together and take better care of yourself. In fact, if you have Type 2 diabetes, you may think that if you'd done a better job monitoring your food intake and weight before your diagnosis, you wouldn't be in this predicament now. So here's our first piece of advice: don't blame yourself! Genes play a large role in the development of diabetes. We're all born with challenges in our genetic code-as well as in our life circumstances-and this is one of the challenges you were dealt. Your body was vulnerable to difficulty with glucose regulation, and some combination of factors triggered that genetic propensity. However, now that a diagnosis of diabetes has made you aware of your body's trouble regulating glucose, you're in the driver's seat. You can learn how to manage your blood glucose and nourish yourself better. To get there, you may need to let go of certain beliefs that harm rather than help you. Intuitive eating means eating what feels right to you, when it feels right. Changing the "Diet" Mentality In the care and treatment of Type 2 diabetes, the value of achieving and maintaining weight loss has long been an unchallenged tenet. So you may be surprised to learn that there is limited evidence to support this emphasis. In fact, evidence suggests that the pursuit of weight loss-which more often results in fluctuating weight than permanent weight loss-can actually be harmful, both physically and emotionally. It also tends to distract a person from the behaviors and attitudes that really can improve one's health, such as eating well, being physically active, and cultivating a positive sense of self. It's true that the majority of people with Type 2 diabetes fall into the body-mass index (BMI) categories of "overweight" or "obese." But it's also true that insulin resistance, one of the main underlying problems in Type 2 diabetes, encourages weight gain. In fact, weight gain may actually be an early symptom-rather than a primary cause-of the path toward Type 2 diabetes. A short explanation of the science behind diabetes may help explain how this weight gain happens. Insulin is a hormone responsible for guiding nutrients-both glucose and fat-out of your bloodstream and into your cells. If you have diabetes, your pancreas can't make sufficient insulin and/or your cells are resistant to insulin, meaning they don't respond effectively to insulin's message. In either case you may have difficulty getting glucose into the cells that need it for energy. Instead, the excess glucose remains in your bloodstream, a situation that is believed to contribute to many of the complications associated with diabetes. In people with Type 1 diabetes prolonged high blood glucose typically leads to weight loss as the glucose exits the body in the urine and the body begins to break down fat tissue for energy. In people with Type 2 diabetes (or prediabetes) whose pancreases still make insulin, the body's response to high blood glucose is to make and release more insulin, resulting in hyperinsulinemia, or higher-than-normal blood insulin levels. Hyperinsulinemia may promote weight gain in three ways: by causing increased storage of glucose as fat; by interfering with the action of the hormone leptin, which normally signals the brain that the body has had enough to eat; and by increasing the pleasure derived from food, even when the body does not need more calories. Given these mechanisms, it's not surprising that many people gain weight when they have Type 2 diabetes. Without a doubt weight loss is very effective at improving blood glucose control in the short term. But this doesn't mean that your health will be better off in the long run. A review of controlled weight loss studies involving people with Type 2 diabetes showed that initial improvements in glucose control were followed by a return to starting levels of control within six to eighteen months, even in the few cases where weight loss was maintained. What can have lasting positive results, however, is developing sustainable behaviors. A wealth of evidence shows that people of all sizes can substantially improve their blood glucose control and their general health and well-being through healthy behaviors- even in the absence of weight loss. Health at Every Size A new approach to diabetes management that emphasizes wellness rather than weight is called Health at Every Size (HAES). HAES encourages people to trust their body to guide them in making nourishing food choices and attaining a natural weight. The HAES program includes three guiding concepts: . Size and self-acceptance-respect and appreciation for the diversity of body shapes and sizes, rather than pursuit of an idealized weight or shape . Joy of movement-participation in physical activity for pleasure and health benefits, rather than primarily for the purpose of weight loss . The pleasure of eating well-"intuitive eating" based on physical cues rather than on external food plans or diets Becoming an Intuitive Eater Many people who have diabetes feel betrayed by their body and find it difficult to trust that their body can actually support them in eating well. However, research shows that you can learn to read your body's signals and respond to them in a loving, nourishing way. Intuitive eating means eating what feels right to you, when it feels right. This approach helps you to reclaim the pleasure in eating and at the same time allows your body to help you manage your diabetes. The first step in becoming an intuitive eater is to shift away from external rules about when you should eat and to learn to listen to your body's internal cues. We were all born with the ability to know when we are physically hungry, and you can reconnect with this natural signal. To identify your physical hunger, pay attention to signals such as an empty or gnawing feeling in your stomach, a feeling of low energy or lethargy, a headache, difficulty concentrating, irritability, or persistent thoughts of food. Each person experiences hunger a little differently, and your job is to learn what hunger feels like to you. Checking your blood glucose level when you feel these sensations can provide you with valuable information. If it is low, the feeling you are experiencing is indeed physical hunger. If your blood glucose is high, your impulse to eat may be coming from an emotional rather than a physical trigger, but that's not always the case. If for some reason your body doesn't have enough insulin available to move the glucose in your bloodstream into the cells that need it, you may be experiencing real hunger. Insufficient insulin can result from not enough being injected (in those who inject insulin) or from a pancreas that simply can't put out enough to handle the level of glucose in the blood. And while food is the best known contributor to glucose in the bloodstream, high blood glucose can also occur after intense exercise, as a consequence of an infection (even one that you're not aware of having), and as a side effect of certain drugs. Having high blood glucose when you're feeling hungry, therefore, is an opportunity to think about what's going on for you at that moment and to ask yourself whether your urge to eat is coming from a physical trigger or an emotional one. As you become an intuitive eater, you can experiment with different amounts and combinations of foods and get feedback through assessing how you feel and checking your blood glucose level. If you take insulin, you can also experiment with the dose and timing. You'll find that responding to true hunger is one way to put the pleasure back in eating; food actually tastes better when you are hungry. To ensure that you can eat what you want when you are hungry, it's a good strategy to always carry a bag of food with you that includes a wide range of options. If you find that you are frequently turning to food before you are physically hungry, ask yourself, "Can I wait?" Remind yourself that as soon as you are hungry, you will eat. The more you practice listening to your body's signals and responding to them, the less you will feel the drive to eat when you're not really hungry. However, if you continue to turn to food for emotional reasons in spite of this work, consider doing some further reading or seeking counseling to learn how to manage your feelings without reaching for food. Choosing What to Eat Just as it's important to move away from external rules about when to eat, it's also important to let go of the rules about what you "should" or "shouldn't" eat. Instead, think about what food(s) would feel truly nourishing in your body. By choosing foods you like that will also keep your body feeling well, you can end the feelings of deprivation you may have surrounding food. When you eat, pay attention to how various foods affect you. Note how you feel physically and mentally before and after eating. Check your blood glucose level before and two hours after eating for additional feedback on the foods you chose. The more you do this, the more you will feel in charge of your eating and your diabetes care, rather than feeling controlled by them. Here are some examples of how people with diabetes are using intuitive eating in their everyday lives: Kara experimented with different types of food as she moved toward intuitive eating. For lunch one day she made a burrito filled with beans, vegetables, brown rice, and cheese. She felt nourished by this meal, and her energy level felt great. Her blood glucose check two hours after the start of this meal confirmed that she was in an acceptable range. Kara's positive eating experience resulted, in part, from the fact that her meal was high in fiber from the beans, vegetables, and brown rice. The fiber both filled her up and slowed the rate of glucose entering her bloodstream, keeping it at a healthy level. Kara was careful to concentrate on how foods felt in her body, which guided her to make choices that supported her wellness. Jesse loved to eat fried chicken. However, when he checked his blood glucose level two hours after eating a fried chicken meal, it was over 300 mg/dl-well above the preferred range of less than 180 mg/dl two hours after a meal. Jesse recognized that he had also eaten mashed potatoes, gravy, and creamed corn because they were included with the meal, not because he really wanted them. He decided that in the future he would tune in to what he really wanted, not just eat what was offered. The next time he ate fried chicken, he chose green beans and a baked potato as side dishes. His blood glucose level following this meal was 164 mg/dl. Through this process Jesse learned how his body reacts to various foods. He was able to continue eating the foods he loves while successfully managing his diabetes. In the future, if Jesse wanted to eat the mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn with his fried chicken, he could experiment with eating a smaller quantity of each to keep his blood glucose level down. Chris loved to eat bread. When she checked her blood glucose level a couple of hours after eating several slices from a freshly baked loaf, it was too high. She started to pair the bread with some peanut butter, which helped keep her blood glucose below 180 mg/dl, since fat helps slow the rate at which glucose gets into the blood. Knowing that a high-fat snack or meal can cause a delayed rise in blood glucose after eating, Chris also checked her blood glucose level three to four hours after her snack to receive additional feedback. Remember the gooey cake that Jenna wished she could eat without guilt at her son's birthday party? After several months of practicing intuitive eating, Jenna realized that on days when she sat around the house, eating a piece of cake would send her blood glucose level too high, leaving her feeling tired. But when she was physically active, she felt better, and her blood glucose level tended to stay in a healthy range. So after a wonderful celebration of her son's fifth birthday, she took her dog for a long walk. Her goal is to walk more regularly. For now, though, she is glad to know that walking helps get glucose out of her blood and into her cells without requiring more insulin. This motivates her to be more active and also enables her to enjoy her cake. Becoming an intuitive eater and learning how to feed yourself in a way that gives you pleasure takes some experimentation. The payoff is the feeling of sustained energy that comes from matching your hunger with pleasurable, nourishing food choices. Stopping When Full When you are hungry and eat exactly what you are hungry for, it feels very satisfying. As you eat, there's a point when you've had enough, and the food no longer tastes as good. By paying attention to this internal cue, you can stop eating when you are full so that your body feels satisfied and comfortable. But keep in mind that, if there is no physical hunger signal to start eating, there will be no internal signal to stop. One thought that may make it easier for you to put down your fork or spoon when you've had enough is that, when you are hungry again, you will eat again-the same food as you are eating now, or something else if you prefer. There may be times when you suddenly feel hungry again even though you recently finished eating. This may be because your insulin-resistant cells have not yet received the energy from the meal. Try making your meals smaller in this case and eating more frequently. Smaller meals will require your pancreas to release less insulin, so you may have a better match between the amount of glucose from the meal and the amount of available insulin. You will learn in time, based on the way your body feels, how much food is right for you at a particular moment. Craving food after a filling meal may also mean that your food choices didn't entirely satisfy your needs. Hillary found that when she ate salmon, a plain baked potato, and vegetables for dinner, she would over-eat cookies later in the evening even though she wasn't hungry. Upon reflection she realized that while she loved the foods she chose, something was missing. In her effort to reduce her fat intake so that she might lose weight, she never felt completely satisfied after a meal. She tried having some cheese and crackers before dinner and found that at the end of the meal she felt comfortably full- eliminating the nighttime overeating of cookies that she didn't really want. On the evenings when she did want something sweet after dinner, she had some cookies or fruit-depending on what she felt like eating at the time-and stopped when she felt satisfied. Hillary recently saw her doctor for a checkup and was pleased by her test results, which are a measure of blood glucose control over the past two to four months. Starting Your Journey As you become an intuitive eater, honoring your internal cues and reclaiming the pleasure in eating, you will be in a much stronger position to make decisions about your health. The transition from a focus on dietary control and weight loss to the HAES mindset, with an emphasis on wellness, will put you in charge of managing your diabetes and altering your choices as necessary. After six months of learning to become an intuitive eater, Jenna reported: "The best part is that the internal guidance of my body's cues is reliable. I don't feel bad about 'cheating' anymore because there's no such thing-it's just eating! I've loved getting back in touch with my real stomach hunger and enjoying what I eat, instead of rushing through and eating as much as I can since, as a large person, I'm 'not supposed' to eat. I find that I feel better and have more energy when I eat healthful foods. I certainly don't deprive myself, but I do try to pay attention to enjoying really good food, prepared with love and eaten slowly. My blood sugar readings have improved significantly, and I'm nicer, too!" As mentioned earlier, it takes time and practice to develop the skills of intuitive eating. Fortunately, there is a large HAES community and an abundance of resources that can support and inform your journey. For more information about the Health at Every Size philosophy and about resources that can help you reshape your relationships to food, weight, and body image, here are two resources: . HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE: . This site gives visitors the opportunity to become part of a community committed to honoring HAES values and lists organizations, websites, blogs, books, and other media that support HAES. . ASSOCIATION FOR SIZE DIVERSITY AND HEALTH: , or by phone at (877) 576-1102. The ASDAH is a membership organization of health professionals and laypersons who promote HAES through their employment or volunteer work. The website has a "find an expert" feature as well as general information about weight and health. We wish you well on the journey to a healthy, positive, and pleasurable relationship with food! ---------- The Gun Debate, Why It Matters for the Blind by Greg Trapp >From the Editor: From time to time someone in the press does a story on blind people who own or use guns. Regardless of how the story is slanted, it always provokes debate. No matter how one feels about the interpretation of the Second Amendment, in the debate concerning the blind the issue is always whether we can safely use a gun or benefit from having one. It isn't just the judgment of blind people that is called into question but whether we have the physical senses and the experience to use them in safely aiming a weapon. I think most of us who are blind proved to our friends and enemies alike that we have the skills in early childhood when we experimented with the water gun, the rubber band shooter, or the paper wad propelled by the rubber band. I remember getting stung by those paper wads and finally deciding that I would no longer be passive about the matter. I learned to roll the paper tightly, got myself a stash of rubber bands, and, after having been shot during the course of a high school history lecture, I aimed my paper wad and prepared to shoot. Blindness posed no problem with my aim, but it did make it harder for me to observe the teacher who, when he was talking, had his back to me, but who had turned around while I was aiming and said, "Gary, if you want that shot to do any good, aim a bit lower. Hitting him in the back of the head is a waste of paper; hitting him on the back of his neck just above the shirt collar may get his attention." Greg Trapp is the executive director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind, a position he has held since 1999. Prior to becoming commission director, he was a senior staff attorney with Disability Rights New Mexico. He has taught disability law as an adjunct professor, and he is a past president of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind (NCSAB). He currently serves on the NCSAB Executive Committee and is vice president of the New Mexico Navy League Council. He is also a longtime member of the National Federation of the Blind. Here are his personal thoughts about the issue of blind people and guns: The issue of guns is one of the most divisive topics in modern American politics. Some see gun ownership as a cherished right and tradition that should be protected and expanded, while others see it as a risk to public safety that should be more tightly controlled and regulated. The issue of blind people owning and using guns has recently factored into the contentious debate. After the tragic school shooting in Newtown, Stevie Wonder called for additional gun control, saying that current gun laws were "ridiculous." Seeking to underscore his point, he said, "Imagine me with a gun. It's just crazy." In New Jersey a blind person was recently arrested for carrying ammunition on an airplane and for having an undeclared handgun in his luggage. New Jersey has also been the location of the long-running case of Steve Hopler, in which the state sought to take away Hopler's guns. Most recently it was Iowa, where National Federation of the Blind state president Mike Barber garnered international attention when he spoke out on the rights of the blind to buy a gun or obtain a permit to carry a concealed handgun. Regardless of one's position on the overarching issue of guns and gun control, the outcome of this debate has the potential either to constrict or to expand the rights and opportunities available to the blind, and it is a matter that should concern us all. Responding to the recent spate of stories regarding blind people and guns, on September 12, 2013, the National Federation of the Blind issued the following statement on gun ownership by blind individuals: In recent days there has been much discussion about whether blind individuals should be permitted to own and/or carry firearms. The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans, understands that guns are dangerous weapons and that anyone who owns, carries, or uses them must therefore exercise great care and sound judgment in doing so. Blindness has no adverse impact on a person's ability to exercise due care and good judgment. State firearms laws must be applied in a nondiscriminatory manner to blind individuals. Recognizing that laws and regulations regarding the granting of permits to own and/or carry firearms vary throughout our country, our single position on firearms regulation is that a permit to own and/or carry a gun should not be denied to any individual solely on the basis of blindness. It is indeed true that "blindness has no adverse impact on a person's ability to exercise due care and good judgment." Those who reflexively say that blind people should not possess guns are likely doing so under the mistaken belief that blind people are intrinsically unable to exercise good judgment or due care when deciding whether to own or discharge a firearm. That belief assumes that a blind person is incapable of being anything other than careless and that a blind person will haphazardly fire without any awareness or regard where the bullet may strike. Such a belief is based on a lack of understanding of blindness and of the capabilities of people who are blind. It assumes that blind people lack the ability to reason and exercise common sense. Those who contend that a blind person should not be allowed to possess a gun would add us to the list of people who are prohibited by federal law from purchasing or owning a firearm. The prohibited list includes felons, fugitives, people convicted of misdemeanors involving domestic violence, people subject to a domestic abuse restraining order, people who are unlawfully using or addicted to controlled substances, people dishonorably discharged from the US armed forces, people adjudicated to be "mental defectives," and people "committed to mental institutions." Proponents of stricter gun control laws contend that the list should be expanded to include people that have been shown by studies to be at higher risk of gun- related crimes, such as people convicted of certain misdemeanors or who are "dangerously mentally ill." Some states have adopted laws to restrict gun ownership on the basis of such studies. What is lacking from the current debate is any comparable study showing that there is a problem with blind people owning guns or, even more implausibly, that blind people are somehow more likely to commit gun-related crimes. Instead, people who are blind are simply assumed to lack capacity or constitute a danger. In the language of the Gun Control Act of 1968, those who want to exclude the blind from being able to purchase a gun are placing the blind in the same status as those people adjudicated to be mentally "defective" or "committed to mental institutions." In reality blind people are far from unique in terms of being unable to see the target. There are countless circumstances when a sighted person cannot see what he or she might shoot. For instance a .30-06 hunting rifle has a maximum range of over three miles and can easily fire through multiple walls. A 9mm pistol is also capable of firing through more than one wall and has a maximum range of over a mile. Even the diminutive .22 rimfire can penetrate walls and fire out to a range of more than a mile. Because a bullet can be fired over great distances and through objects, a sighted shooter's view of where a bullet could impact will potentially be blocked by walls, floors, ceilings, fences, buildings, signs, hills, bushes, trees, and a myriad of other items. A gun can also be fired in the pitch black of night, in a darkened room, in thick smoke, or in a dense fog. Bullets can also ricochet in unpredictable directions. In other words a sighted gun owner has the potential to shoot people he cannot see. This is exactly the same argument made against people who are blind. The only difference is that a blind person is presumed to be inherently incapable of exercising good judgment, whereas a sighted person is presumed to be capable of using good judgment. Conversely, the presence of sight does not bestow good judgment or infallible decision-making. Even highly trained law enforcement officers with perfect vision can misinterpret what they see and make a tragic error, such as the case of a child with a toy gun being mistaken for a criminal with a real firearm. The issue of blind people firing guns is far from new. One of the most famous incidents took place during the World War II battle of Guadalcanal. On August 21, 1942, the First Marine Division was positioned to defend against Japanese attacks at the Ilu River. Private Al Schmid, Private John Rivers, and Corporal Leroy Diamond were deployed on the west bank of the river. The three Marines were manning an M1917 .30 caliber machine gun. The Japanese attack began at 3:00 AM. Schmid, Rivers, and Diamond responded by firing their machine gun against the attacking Japanese troops, who were yelling and shouting at the American forces. Schmid took over the machine gun after Rivers was killed and Diamond was wounded in the arm. "Tell me which way they're coming from and I'll get them," Schmid told Diamond. Diamond spotted targets in the dark, and pointed in the direction Schmid was to fire. After battling this way for several hours, Schmid was seriously wounded in the face and arm by an exploding hand grenade. "They got me in the eyes," Schmid told Diamond. Schmid reached for his .45 automatic pistol, and Diamond said, "Don't do it, Schmitty, don't shoot yourself." Schmid replied, "I'm going to get the first Jap that tries to come in here." "But you can't see," Diamond told him. "Just tell me which way he's coming from and I'll get him," Schmid said. At this point it was beginning to get light, and their position was starting to come under more accurate and intense enemy fire. Although seriously wounded and blinded, Schmid reassumed his position at the machine gun and began firing with Diamond yelling directions. When the battle was over and the Japanese forces were defeated, Schmid was credited with killing over 200 Japanese soldiers. Schmid, Rivers, and Diamond were each awarded the Navy Cross for their extraordinary heroism and conspicuous devotion to duty, with Rivers' medal being awarded posthumously. The story of Schmid's combat action and subsequent life as a blinded veteran was the basis of the movie, Pride of the Marines. There are several lessens that can be derived from the heroic story of Al Schmid. Most of the battle took place at night and at a time when Schmid was unable to see the target at which he was shooting. The Japanese forces were yelling taunts at their American opponents, and Schmid was using the noise of their taunts to adjust his aim. Diamond was also directing Schmid's fire, a technique that is commonly employed by blind shooters. While it is normal for the members of a machine gun team to help spot targets, Diamond was probably also spotting because Schmid was directly behind the machine gun, and the bright muzzle flash would have hindered his vision of the target. Once Schmid was blinded, and even though it was starting to get light, Diamond still continued to spot for Schmid. For his actions, Schmid was awarded the Navy's second highest honor. The only higher award Schmid could have received would have been the Congressional Medal of Honor. In essence the Navy recognized that Schmid was exercising "good judgment" as well as valor in his decision to fire his machine gun against enemy forces and to ready his .45 pistol to defend his position. The concept of a person handling a gun without seeing the target would have been very familiar to the United States Navy. For instance, the crews that fired the massive guns on American battleships relied on spotters and fire control systems to direct the guns, the largest of which could fire more than 23 miles. The military even taught its servicemen to assemble and disassemble their weapons while blindfolded. Al Schmid was newly blinded, but despite his serious injuries and the intense stress of combat, his Marine training helped him to know that he possessed the ability to exercise good judgment in either the use of his .45 pistol or in his .30 caliber machine gun. A blind person is of course capable of exercising poor judgment, just like any other man or woman. However, a blind person who exercises poor judgment should be treated like any other individual in the same circumstances and not be held to a different standard merely on account of blindness. The long-running New Jersey case of Steve Hopler illustrates this point. Hopler lost his vision due to diabetes in 1991. Three years after he lost his vision, the police learned of Hopler's blindness and revoked his permit to purchase guns, relying on a state law that said a gun permit should be denied to "any person who suffers from a physical defect or a disease which would make the owner unsafe to handle firearms." Hopler challenged the decision in court and won a ruling that allowed him to retain his permit and fire his guns in the presence of an adult trained in the use of firearms. In 2004 the police sought to revoke Hopler's handgun permit because Hopler had been arrested for being drunk and unruly the year before. Hopler again challenged the decision and again prevailed. Had Hopler been convicted of a felony or of a disqualifying misdemeanor, he would have lost his right to own a firearm. Four years later Hopler accidentally shot himself in the leg while cleaning his .357 magnum handgun. While he recovered in the hospital, twelve of Hopler's guns were stolen from his apartment, one of which was later used in a suicide. The investigating police found several more firearms in Hopler's apartment. One of the guns was loaded and hidden in an oven mitt, and another loaded gun was hidden under a sofa. The police again decided to seek the forfeiture of Hopler's guns. The same person who stole Hopler's guns testified that Hopler drank alcohol to excess. Relying on this questionable testimony, the Morris County Prosecutor revoked Hopler's gun permit and seized the rest of Hopler's guns. In 2012 Hopler again won the right to have his guns returned after a ruling by a Morris County Superior Court that said his disability should not take away his Constitutional right to bear arms. Another high-profile example of a blind gun owner who has received extensive media attention is Carey McWilliams. In contrast to Steve Hopler, McWilliams emphasizes his extensive firearms training and marksmanship skills. He has even written a book titled Guide Dogs and Guns: America's First Blind Marksman Fires Back. McWilliams obtained widespread media coverage in 2001 when he obtained a permit as the first totally blind person authorized to carry a concealed handgun. In 2007 he obtained a second concealed carry permit from Utah. Because of reciprocity agreements, McWilliams is allowed to carry a concealed handgun in more than half of the nation's states. McWilliams has been called the "single largest threat to the Second Amendment," has been the target of jokes in a segment of the Colbert Report, was interviewed on The Early Show with Bryant Gumbel, and was shown in the documentary Bowling for Columbine. He has promoted himself as an active hunter, using a variety of guns to bag game that has included an antelope, a bear, and an alligator. He has even downed ducks and pheasants in flight. According to McWilliams, "brains are more important than sight for safe carrying." There are certainly many Americans who sincerely and strongly believe that gun laws need to be reformed and that tighter gun controls need to be put in place. Stevie Wonder doubtless falls into the category of people who seek additional gun control. However, the debate over gun control is a matter of overarching public policy and should be distinct from the issue of whether blind people ought to be allowed to own or purchase guns. There are also many Americans who sincerely and strongly believe that gun ownership is a right that needs to be protected and expanded. It is likely that at least some of these Second Amendment supporters might be uncomfortable with the thought that blind people are able to own or purchase firearms. However, they may be even more uncomfortable with the potential consequences of prohibiting gun ownership on the basis of blindness, which is why Carey McWilliams has been labeled the "single largest threat to the Second Amendment." What makes McWilliams a threat to the Second Amendment is that expanding the prohibited list to include blindness might create a slippery slope leading to other medical or disability-related restrictions. For instance, if gun ownership could be prohibited on the basis of blindness, it might be argued with equal reason that a deaf or hard of hearing person might not hear a range master's instruction to cease shooting, hear a family member identify himself in the dark, hear an undercover police officer identify herself as a law enforcement official, or hear a business manager say that concealed handguns are not allowed on the premises. Similar arguments might be applied to people who have other disabilities or medical conditions, including people who have depression or who take any kind of psychotropic medication; people with dementia and seniors at risk of dementia; people who might suffer a loss or alteration of consciousness due to conditions such as diabetes or seizure disorders; and even any people who have night blindness or who have less than perfect vision. When Congress drafted the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), it recognized that irrational fear of harm or injury had long been used to justify discrimination against people with disabilities. Accordingly, Congress imposed very strict limitations on the ability of covered entities to exclude people with disabilities on the basis of an alleged threat to health or safety. Under the ADA people can be excluded only if they present a "direct threat" of a "significant risk to the health or safety of others that cannot be eliminated by a modification of policies, practices or procedures, or by the provision of auxiliary aids or services." The risk also cannot be "speculative" or "remote." These provisions enable people who are blind to engage in activities that range from the mundane to the exotic. Without the protections that allow blind people to own or purchase a firearm, they might be prohibited from engaging in a wide variety of other pursuits on the pretext that some element of risk is involved. In other words, blind people could be excluded not only from more adventuresome activities such as horseback riding, whitewater rafting, mountain climbing, and skydiving, but even from such routine activities as taking a cooking class, exercising at the local gym, going on an amusement park ride, or enjoying a vacation on a cruise ship. The rights of all Americans, including rights protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, are frequently preserved in ways that create the greatest societal discomfort. One of the most poignant examples of this is the 1977 case of National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie. The case involved the request of a group of neo-Nazis to march through the Illinois community of Skokie and to wear Nazi uniforms and display swastikas. The request was calculated to create outrage because a majority of the 70,000 residents of Skokie were Jewish, and about 5,000 were actually survivors of the Holocaust. The unpopular cause of the marchers was taken up by the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued that restrictions on the marchers violated the First Amendment's free speech protections. The United States Supreme Court upheld the right of the marchers, affirming the importance of the First Amendment and the right to free speech. Although very few Americans would consider the opinions of the neo-Nazis to be anything other than reprehensible, to have denied them the right to express their opinions would have greatly restricted the free speech rights of all Americans. Although a large portion of the public, including some who are blind, may also be uncomfortable with the concept of blind people purchasing or owning guns, to restrict them solely on the basis of blindness would diminish the rights of people who are blind and ultimately of all Americans. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Chris Kuell] Blind Guy versus the Rhododendron by Chris Kuell >From the Editor: Chris Kuell is president of the Danbury Chapter of the NFB of Connecticut and the father of two children. His daughter is a senior in high school and plans to attend the University of Connecticut to major in psychology. His son, a senior at the same university, plans to get a graduate degree and become an English teacher. The article we are reprinting appeared in the Fall 2013 issue of the Minnesota Bulletin and relates an interesting incident that occurred when Chris was walking his elementary-school-aged children to school every day. Here is what he says: One of the better aspects of losing my job along with my sight is that I get to spend more time with my kids. Every morning I walk them the half mile to school, and I return in the afternoon to accompany them home. During our walks they tell me about their days, who got in trouble, who likes whom, and how a kid named Brian always cheats at kickball. We live in an old neighborhood, and along my route are a dozen homes with bushes planted near the sidewalk. While there are several varieties, they all inevitably grow outwards, eager for the opportunity to snag an unobservant pedestrian. At the beginning of every school year I bring a pair of clippers with me as I drop the kids off, and on my way home I help those who are too busy to trim their bushes. One house has a huge rhododendron bush, which must be decades old. Tall and thick, branches hang over the sidewalk like a canopy. When it's blooming, the fragrance is unmistakable, and I'm sure it's quite beautiful. I'm about five foot eleven, and I could feel the presence of one close branch as I passed underneath. Following a heavy rain, the branch got heavier, hung lower, and whacked me in the head. After the third or fourth such incident with the wayward branch, I asked around and found out the name of the homeowner. I called and left a message stating that I was the neighborhood blind guy and that their shrubbery had assaulted me and asking if they would please do something about it. Several weeks went by and no action was taken, so I followed up with another, stronger phone message. When winter came, the aggressive branch adopted a regular five-foot nine stance. Most days I was able to duck and miss it. But every now and then I'd wind up with another hunk of flesh donated to the rhododendron god and five more points on my blood pressure reading. I sent a letter asking the homeowner please to take care of the bush. I even volunteered to help tie the branch up higher if they needed assistance. Nobody did anything. One morning we all got up late because the power had gone out and the alarm clock hadn't worked. Everybody scrambled to get ready on time. During the frenzy I knocked a box of cat food on the floor, accidentally poured orange juice on my cereal, and misplaced my left shoe, so I wasn't feeling particularly loving or charitable. The kids had warned me to duck on the way to school, but the battering bush got me on my return trip. As Popeye used to say, "That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more!" At home I stuck a wad of toilet paper on the gash in my forehead and grabbed my tree saw. I tapped back down the street, with one arm raised protectively in front of me, and located the assailant. At first I started trimming small branches to take weight off the thick bough overhanging the sidewalk, but this was time-consuming and had little effect. So I went to the major branch, one evil nub still sticky with my blood, and started to saw. About this time I heard a car pull into the driveway and stop, not five feet from me. This was a little awkward. While I'm no lawyer, I figured that cutting down a neighbor's bush was probably illegal. But the car just sat there idling. I imagine the driver, presumably the homeowner, was frightened by the sight of the angry blind guy, a wad of bloody toilet paper stuck to his forehead, waving a saw around like the villain in a bad horror movie. I did a quick mental calculation and figured that, if the driver had called the cops on a cell phone, I was already in trouble, so I might as well finish the job. I found where I'd been cutting, completed the amputation, and dragged the limb to the edge of the property. Still no activity from the vehicle, so I picked up my cane, gave them my best Jack Nicholson smile, wished them a good day, and returned home. I don't expect to be invited over any time soon for a barbeque, but at least my forehead and hairline will stay intact. Now, if I could only do something about the guy who refuses to shovel his sidewalk. ---------- 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 ensures 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 and training 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! ---------- A Moment in Time by Anna Kresmer >From the Editor: The following is another in our series of historical documents in the Jacobus tenBroek Library. Because of reductions in our staff, this column appears with less regularity than it did several years ago, but it is always a treat to read what Anna has prepared. Here is what she says: Many members of the Federation may be aware of the Jacobus tenBroek Library's ongoing project to digitize and make available online all legacy issues of the Braille Monitor from 1957 to 1984. To achieve this goal, the tenBroek Library partnered with the Internet Archive in 2010 to scan this invaluable resource, which documents the history, struggles, and accomplishments of the early Federation. As with any text scanning project, complicated by the age of the materials and the mass-production style scanning setup at the Internet Archive, quite a few typos have had to be resolved before these digital versions are ready for release. As a result various members of the staff here at the Jernigan Institute have worked diligently over the last three years to make these digitized issues clear and fully accessible to all readers. And we are pleased to inform the membership that all issues from 1957 to 1968 are now available on the NFB website at . Recently, while continuing work on this important project, library staff discovered a newsflash from October 1968 that presents a glimpse into another time. A seemingly unimportant change of location notice for the NFB's Washington office offers us a unique view of the state of both the Federation and our nation's capital in the late 1960s. Who knows what long- range effect the presentation of a more professional office with better- equipped personnel may have had on the legislative projects of the NFB. If the federal government had decided not to begin construction on the Washington Metro subway system that year, how might the gains enjoyed by blind people today have been affected? We can only conjecture. Here is what Dr. Jernigan reported to Monitor readers in October of 1968: FLASH As the Monitor is going to press, President Jernigan reports that he has just returned from Washington, where he completed arrangements for the relocation of the Federation's office. Because of the proposed construction of a Washington subway system (see Letter to State Presidents in this issue), it was necessary for the Federation to find new quarters. President Jernigan reports as follows: Our new Washington address is Suite 212, Dupont Circle Building, 1346 Connecticut Avenue, N. W., Washington D. C. 20036. John Nagle and I spent a good part of Tuesday, September 10, working with decorators, office furnishers, and the building management to get things in shape. Our new quarters are really first-rate. We have three spacious rooms on the second floor of one of Washington's finest buildings. Most of our old office furniture was dilapidated beyond belief. All of it was over ten years old, and some of it was in pretty sad shape when we got it. In making the move, I arranged for a complete set of new office furniture. The contrast between our old quarters and the new is considerable. We now have offices which are in a location and furnished in a manner which can bring pride to us all. I hope it will be possible for many of you to visit our Washington office during the coming months. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Carol Castellano appears on stage to receive her award, and with her are Douglass Dean; Jacquelyn Litt; the 2013 Douglass Society honorees Phuti Mahanyele; Lois Weisman; Tina Gordon, associate alumnae of Douglass College board president; and Valerie Anderson, AADC executive director.] [PHOTO/CAPTION: Carol Castellano holds her Douglass Society award as she stands with her husband, Bill Cucco, and their daughter, Serena Cucco.] Carol Castellano Inducted into the Douglass Society Author, Advocate, Teacher and Co-founder of Parents of Blind Children-New Jersey Receives College's Top Honor >From the Editor: Carol Castellano is a past president of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, a leader in the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey, and the author of several books on the education of blind children. We gladly reprint this acknowledgement of a well-deserved award: Carol Castellano, Douglass College class of '73, is the director of programs for the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children and is an author, advocate, and president emerita of Parents of Blind Children-NJ, an organization she co-founded. As a tireless advocate, she has been integral to state and national efforts to eliminate discrimination and prejudice against the blind and to help achieve security, equality, and opportunity for blind people. Carol writes frequently on the education and development of blind children. Her articles and books explore helping blind children progress from early literacy experiences to full participation in the classroom, as well as teaching children the skills needed for an independent life. Born and raised in New Jersey, Carol graduated from Douglass College with high honors in English literature. Her early career in publishing in New York City led to teaching in a Manhattan private school before her first child was born, a daughter named Serena. Arriving four months early and weighing less than a pound and a half, Serena spent nearly eight months in the neonatal intensive care unit. When Carol and her husband, Bill Cucco, Rutgers College Class of '75, brought their newborn home, she was blind and far behind in her development. It was during this time that the new parents were introduced to the National Federation of the Blind and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. Carol felt an immediate affinity to the organizations because they advocated the idea that blind children have a right to a full and satisfying life. Serena's premature birth proved to be a turning point in Carol's career. She began researching and writing articles on the prevention of premature birth and was invited to join a select group of parents, physicians, and ethicists to discuss the difficult issues of decision- making in neonatal intensive care. The proceedings of this conference resulted in a landmark article, the first ever to be authored by both physicians and parents, in the medical journal Pediatrics. Soon Carol began publishing pieces about raising a blind baby and, later, about her daughter's school years. Carol's advocacy secured the way for Serena to attend public school in New Jersey. Serena graduated from college and recently earned a master's degree at Rutgers. Carol raised awareness about threats to education resources as a member of the Statewide Consumer Advisory Board of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and advocated for better services through the creation of the New Jersey chapter of Parents of Blind Children more than 20 years ago. On a national level Carol served as vice president and then president of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, before becoming the director of programs in 2011. She was also the first sighted person to serve on the National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Committee. Carol is the author of four books: The Bridge to Braille: Reading and School Success for the Young Blind Child, Because Books Matter: Reading Braille Books with Young Blind Children, Making It Work: Educating the Blind/Visually Impaired Student in the Regular School, and Getting Ready for College Begins in Third Grade: Working Toward an Independent Future for Your Young Blind Child. For more than two decades Carol has co-edited In Touch, POBC-NJ's newsletter, and conducted parent seminars and educator training in states across the country. After several years of service on the advisory committee, Carol served for two years as Outreach and Recruitment Coordinator for the College of New Jersey's Teacher of the Blind/Visually Impaired Program, where she developed curriculum and co- taught courses. Carol has served on the State Human Services Advisory Council and the State Rehabilitation Council and has collaborated on many projects with the New Jersey Commission for the Blind. She is the recipient of the Diana Cuthbertson Parent-Professional Collaboration Award from the Statewide Parents Advocacy Network, the New Jersey Commission for the Blind Mary O'Donnell Advocacy Award, and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children Twig Award. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Mary Fernandez at the Diamond Head Crater Monument] How Daring to Believe Changed My Life and How It Can Change Yours by Mary Fernandez >From the Editor: Mary Fernandez was a winner of a National Federation of the Blind scholarship in 2010, graduated from Emory University in 2012 with undergraduate degrees in psychology and music, and is currently working as a paralegal at the law firm of Brown, Goldstein, and Levy. What follows is a slightly revised version of a speech she gave at the annual meeting of the National Association of Blind Students, which was held in Orlando, Florida, in July of 2013. Here is what Mary has to say about the pressures of being a blind student, learning to feel comfortable in her own skin, and extending the hope and optimism she now feels to others: I moved around the kitchen, using a measuring cup for the first time to make ice cream. I argued with my peers about why we needed to put some caramel in our chocolate ice cream. In a sly move I sneaked up to the ice cream maker and poured in some caramel. When they all tasted it, they said, "Someone put caramel in here," and unknowingly proclaimed my brilliance by repeatedly complimenting the texture of the ice cream. Since we were all under sleep shades during the cooking activity, no one had solid proof that I had been the miscreant who dared put caramel in the ice cream. That same weekend I got to use a chainsaw, in heels of course, and for the first time listen to blind adults talk about their lives, their dreams and aspirations, and the ways they had made those dreams and aspirations come true. That was the first weekend I visited the National Federation of the Blind headquarters, and, from that weekend forward, I have never looked back. I walked away having seen three things I did not associate with blindness: belief, hope, and passion. I was born in Colombia, South America, and lived there with my grandmother until the age of seven. My mother left to come to the United States when I was two years old. A year later I became totally blind from glaucoma. As a three-year-old I thought everything in my world was still fine, but then my older brother started going to school. In Colombia parents pay for children to attend school, so, since my brother was sighted and I wasn't, he had priority. I remember that I went to school for about a week, but, since the teachers didn't really know how to teach a blind child, I was declared unteachable. In the meantime I was taken to what seemed to be every eye doctor in the country. I despised eye doctors, because all they kept saying was, "This girl is blind. She needs to sit around all day. You shouldn't be running around, little girl; you're blind." Then to my grandmother they would explain how I wasn't a normal child because of my blindness. I didn't know how to verbalize to these adults that that wasn't right: that I couldn't see but that I wanted to know things. I wanted to explore the world around me, and why did my brother get to do those things, and I didn't? What made me so different from other children? Finally, when I was seven years old, my mother came back to Colombia to bring us to the US. When I came to America, I knew no English, had had very little interaction with children my age, had very poor social skills with people outside my family, had never attended school for longer than a week, and had the unhealthiest and most negative attitudes about blindness. When I first started school, I was terrified; I did not know how to act with children my age. And, to top it all off, some old man came by and put a cane in my hand and told me I had to walk around with it. I was like, "Sure, in your dreams, Dude," and promptly dropped the cane on the floor. After repeated prodding and questioning, I told my O&M instructor that canes were for old people, and I was seven, not an old lady. He tried to tell me blind people used canes to help them travel. I knew better, and, while I would use it when he was around, I would do anything possible not to use it otherwise. It didn't help that the school had given me an aide who would let me travel sighted guide with her all the time. Once my mother got wind of this, she wasn't having it. She told me that, if it was the last thing she did, she would have me using that cane and learning how to use it properly. Now, remember I hadn't had a mother since the age of two, but I quickly learned that this woman's word was the law. So sulkily, ungracefully, and with the poutiest face in the world, I used that stupid cane. Though using a cane was awful, I did find Braille to be really cool. I loved my Braille teacher, but, even after I had been here a year, I refused to speak English to her. In a show of my defiant nature, I got it into my head that no one would get a word of English out of me until I could speak it without an accent. Though I liked Braille, for some reason I didn't want to practice it at home, and even my mom's threats didn't work until the day she had enough. She gave me a Braille book, Freckle Juice, by Judy Blume, and, with me kicking and screaming, she shut me in my room, and said I would not be coming out until I read that book. For about half an hour I cried and sobbed and went on and on. But finally I settled down and started reading. When I was done, I very sweetly asked her if we had more books at home, and, in a very nonchalant voice, she replied that we did. Though I had acquired passable blindness skills and did well academically, I was still very socially awkward. All of the schools I attended insisted that I have an aide with me every place I went. Though my mom did the best she could, she unfortunately did not know about the Federation's parents of blind children division and didn't speak enough English to be able to research resources beyond what the schools provided. So I was stuck with an aide. I was also very self-conscious about my blindness and felt ungainly. I started feeling like such a freak of nature that, in my freshman year of high school, I would come home and start crying for no reason. My mother kept asking me what was wrong, and I didn't know how to explain to her that I hated being blind, that all the other kids thought I was weird, and that I didn't like having an adult with me all the time because I felt that this was why nobody wanted to talk to me. All of this changed in April of my freshman year. I went to the National Center for the Blind for a weekend trip with other blind students my age. All of a sudden I talked and laughed and felt comfortable. I learned that there were differing levels of sight, but I realized that I felt better when everyone was under sleepshades. That weekend planted a seed that grew into an idea that would become an essential trait of my personality: to be confident, to believe in my abilities, and to believe in myself. I went home happy, but of course things didn't change just because a little attitude change had occurred inside me. That summer I participated in the Rocket On Program, which at the time was the STEM summer program at the Jernigan Institute. We got to work with NASA to build and launch a rocket. That in itself was cool, but aside from that I got a whole week of being around blind people and sighted people who didn't care that I was blind. I felt good enough about myself that I was using my straight cane, got a crush on a boy, and even flirted-a characteristic that would become an essential part of my character. I determined that things were going to change at home. So, when I had my IEP meeting for the next school year, I walked in with my straight cane and said, "I don't want an aide with me at all times." I might as well have said that I wanted to bring my pet duck to school, judging by their shocked reactions. Reluctantly, the school told the teachers that I wouldn't have an aide in class. The head of the English department was alarmed and apparently told my aide that she had to be in the classroom: what if I fell out of my chair? The principal of the school then got involved and said that he felt uncomfortable with me not having an aide. I told my mom, "Well, too bad for him." She agreed. The battle lasted a full semester, but finally I started walking to class by myself just fine and didn't even fall out of any of their chairs. As the years went by and I became more deeply involved with the NFB and understanding and incorporating its philosophy, I sadly realized that the way the administrators at my school reacted wasn't unusual. No, I wasn't in Colombia anymore, and yes, I was allowed to go to school, but the world viewed me as far less than an equal. Expectations were so low that people were surprised that I could walk and talk at the same time. As I stand before you today, I have hope. I have hope because each and every one of you has now been introduced to the NFB in a big way. There are thousands of blind people living in this world who have jobs, families, and a good measure of perseverance and stubbornness. I am hopeful because you have been introduced to the concept of self-advocacy. You now know that we all believe in you and that we are not only willing to fight for you anywhere you may need us, from your school to the halls of Congress, but that we want you to join the fight. There is a moment in every life when the belief that others have in us is the thread that keeps that fragile, silken fabric of hope from falling apart. It is that hope which feeds our dreams and allows us to go on. And I am hopeful because you now know of the passion and love we pour into this organization. Everyone here today, be he or she a lawyer or a scientist, believes in you and shares the hope that one day we will be first class citizens and have the passion to pursue that dream. The great children's writer Shell Silverstein said: Listen to the MUSTN'TS, child, Listen to the DON'TS Listen to the SHOULDN'TS The IMPOSSIBLES, and the WON'TS Listen to the never haves Then listen close to me-- Anything can happen, child, ANYTHING can be. I was told, "You mustn't run and be a child." But, with the help of my mother, I did. I was told, "Don't advocate for your right as a student to walk from class to class on your own." But I did. I was told by the director of a study abroad program in college, "You cannot go to Paris with us; the program moves too fast; it's impossible." But I did. We were told, "A blind person has never driven a car." But we did. So listen close. We tell you tonight, tomorrow, this whole week-that, as long as the NFB is an organization, anything can be. As long as you believe in yourself, and even when you don't, blindness will not stop you. Because anything could be. Listen close, because anything you want can happen, and anything you dream can be. Thank you. ---------- The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund by Allen Harris >From the Editor: Allen Harris is the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Fund Committee and was one of the people who came up with the idea of honoring our former president and longtime leader by establishing a program to promote attendance at the national convention, where so much inspiration and learning occur. Here is Allen's announcement about the 2014 Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Program: Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have not done so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship grant. Perhaps this July you too can be in the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida, enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at the largest and most important yearly convention of blind people in the world. The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an NFB national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel room for a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't pay all the costs. Last year most of the sixty grants were in the range of $400 to $500 per individual. We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the amazing experience that is convention week. Who is eligible? Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply. How do I apply for funding assistance? 1. You write a letter giving your contact information, and your local NFB information, your specific amount requested, and then explain why this is a good investment for the NFB. The points to cover are listed below. 2. You contact your state president in person or by phone to request his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when to expect your request letter by email, and mention the deadline. 3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your state president. He or she must add a president's recommendation and then email both letters directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee. Your president must forward the two letters no later than April 15, 2014. Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points: . Your full name, and all your telephone numbers and label them--cell phone, home, office, other person (if any). . Your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address. . Your state affiliate and state president; your chapter and chapter president, if you attend a chapter. . Your personal convention mentor and provide that person's phone number. Your specific request: Explain how much money you need from this fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you consult with other members to make a rough budget for yourself. The body of your letter should answer these questions: How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want to attend a national convention? What would you receive; what can you share or give? You can include in your letter to the committee any special circumstances you hope they will take into consideration. When will I be notified that I am a winner? If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter with convention details which should answer most of your questions. The committee makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May 15, but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen. 1. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for roommates of your own to reduce the cost.) 2. Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by May 31. 3. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and advisor. 4. If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win a grant this year. How will I receive my convention scholarship? At convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card will be listed in the letter we sent you. The committee is not able to provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you win a scholarship and to pay your treasury back after you receive your debit or credit card. What if I have more questions? For additional information email the chairman, Allen Harris, at or call his Baltimore, Maryland, office at (410) 659-9314, x2415. Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first convention on the national level and join several thousand active Federationists in the most important meeting of the blind in the world. We hope to see you in Orlando. ---------- Recipes This month's recipes have been provided by members of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey. [PHOTO CAPTION: Carol Castellano] Shrimp Oreganato by Carol Castellano Carol Castellano is a long-time member and former president of Parents of Blind Children of New Jersey and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. This recipe is from her grandmother. Unfortunately Grandma did not specify amounts, so Carol is estimating. Ingredients: 12 jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined (or comparable weight of smaller shrimp) Bread crumbs, Italian flavored (about 1/3 cup, to taste) Dried oregano (to taste) Capers to taste, optional 1 tablespoon dried basil 1 tablespoon dried parsley 1 tablespoon minced garlic or garlic powder 1/4 cup olive oil Method: Set oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle olive oil in bottom of small baking pan. Arrange shrimp in pan. Shrimp can be tightly fit into pan. In separate bowl make breadcrumb mixture by combining breadcrumbs, spices, and capers. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over shrimp. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake in oven for fifteen to twenty minutes. (Ten minutes may be sufficient if using small shrimp.) Raise oven to broil, and broil shrimp for two minutes. Enjoy with a salad and a loaf of crusty Italian bread. ---------- Pumpkin Cheese Cake by Mary Jo Partyka Mary Jo Partyka is the second vice president of the New Jersey affiliate, president of the Braille Division, president of the Capital Chapter, and coeditor of the Sounding Board. Ingredients: 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs 3/4 cup pumpkin 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 9-inch graham cracker pie shell Method: Mix cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in electric mixer set on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs and mix until blended. In another bowl mix pumpkin, cinnamon, and 1 cup of the cream cheese mixture. Spread remaining cream cheese mixture on the bottom of the pie shell and top with pumpkin layer. Smooth until level on top. Bake at 350 degrees between thirty-five and forty minutes, until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Refrigerate three hours or cool overnight. Makes 8 servings. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Brian Mackey] Tasty Chili--LCB by Brian Mackey Brian Mackey currently serves as secretary of the New Jersey affiliate and the NFB-NJ At-Large Chapter. He is a board member of the Garden State Chapter and producer of ThruOurEyes with Joe Ruffalo. Brian is a 2007 graduate of the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) and a 2006 graduate of the LEAD (Leadership Education Advocacy Determination) Program. He brought this recipe back from LCB. Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1/2 onion, diced 1 can diced tomatoes 1 envelope chili mix (any kind) Water as directed on chili mix 1 can baked beans (any kind) Shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese Method: In large skillet brown ground beef with diced onion until done. Drain excess grease and rinse with hot water if needed. Drain tomatoes, reserving liquid to use as part of the water called for on chili mix envelope. Add tomatoes, chili mix, and water to the beef and allow to reduce in volume for about five minutes. Add beans and continue to cook until beans are heated through. Sprinkle individual servings with cheese, and serve with crackers or cornbread. Serves four to six. ---------- Cornbread-LCB by Brian Mackey Ingredients: 2 cups white or yellow cornmeal 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 teaspoons baking powder 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups milk or buttermilk If using buttermilk, 1/3 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons mayonnaise Method: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together with your fingers in medium bowl. In a separate bowl beat the two eggs well. Then add the mayo and mix well. Then add milk or buttermilk. Mix liquid ingredients together well. Pour liquid into the dry ingredients. Mix them together until smooth. In a cast iron skillet or cake pan heat the oil. When the oil is very hot, quickly pour it into the batter. Stir it into the batter. Quickly pour batter into the hot pan. Put it into the oven for 20 minutes. To check if it's done, use a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the cornbread is done. You can also touch it lightly in the center. If it feels dry and firm, it is done. If it's not done, bake for a further five minutes. ---------- Hot Chicken Salad by Brian Mackey Ingredients: 4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced 1 rib celery, chopped 1 onion, diced 3/4 cup almonds or any other nuts 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 cups croutons 2 to 3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded Method: Cook chicken breasts. You can use the microwave, cooking two at a time in a covered dish. Cook four to five minutes on a side. When they are done, dice the meat and place in a bowl. While cooking chicken, dice celery and onion and add to chicken. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer chicken mixture to greased 13- by-9-inch baking dish. Sometimes I put a little extra cheese on top of the salad. Bake for thirty to forty-five minutes covered loosely with aluminum foil. Salad is done when it is heated through and bubbly. ----------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Jerilyn Higgins] Cherry Chocolate Bundt Cake by Jerilyn Higgins Jerilyn Higgins serves as the New Jersey affiliate first vice president, chapter president, scholarship chairperson, and coeditor of the Sounding Board. Jerilyn was Northern Region mentor in the LEAD Program and has taught activities of daily living for many years. In her spare time Jerilyn loves to cook for her family. Ingredients: 1 18.25-ounce box chocolate cake mix 1 21-ounce can cherry pie filling 2 large eggs, beaten Method: In a bowl combine the cake mix, pie filling, and eggs, mixing well. Lightly spray a microwave-proof Bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter into pan. Microwave on high for four minutes. Turn pan a quarter and microwave four minutes longer. Turn pan a quarter further and microwave for one minute longer, or until cake tester comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely. Yields twelve slices. ---------- Healthy Granola Bars by Jerilyn Higgins Ingredients: Non-stick cooking spray 2 cups Quaker instant oatmeal 3/4 cups dried cranberries 3/4 cups walnuts, chopped 3/4 cups toasted wheat germ 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup vegetable or coconut oil 2 large eggs Method: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Line the pan with foil, extending it two inches over the short ends of the pan. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray. In a glass pie plate spread oats and cook in microwave for four minutes in one-minute bursts. In a large bowl combine cranberries, walnuts, oats, wheat germ, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and then stir in honey, oil, and eggs. Mix until well blended. Transfer to the prepared pan and with very clean wet hands press down until evenly packed into the dish. Bake for thirty-five minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, and, when cooled, cut into twenty-four bars. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family Blindmath Gems: Al Maneki writes as follows: For almost ten years the NFB has maintained the Blindmath listserv, a lively exchange of worldwide postings on all topics mathematical. The Blindmath archives are now ginormous. Finding anything of substance in them can be a daunting task except for the most database-savvy users. Therefore, in cooperation with the NFB Jernigan Institute, I have spent the last three years combing through the Blindmath archives looking for and compiling the most interesting and relevant postings. We have put this compilation on the NFB's Blindscience.org website. Postings have been placed in different categories that simplify user searches. Currently I have finished searching the archives through 2011. What has happened too often before is that, rather than searching the archives first, people in need of math-related information have simply posted their questions on Blindmath. This has resulted in repetitive queries with sometimes tired, old answers. Now, before posting your question, please go to . If you don't find what you are looking for there, feel free to post your question to Blindmath. It's possible that your question has already been answered, and I simply failed to select your query. Let me apologize here in advance for any failure or shortcoming on my part in my selection of postings. If you have comments or questions about Blindmath Gems, please contact me at . This is a special email address I have created for Blindmath questions. For all other communications with me, please use . Elected: At its fall convention the NFB of the District of Columbia conducted elections with the following results: president, Shawn Callaway; first vice president, Libra Robinson; second vice president, Margaret Williams; secretary, Gail Snider; treasurer, Lamont Wright; and at-large board members, Robert Ashe and Eric Smith. Shawn Callaway has appointed Oliver Washington to fill Gail Snider's unexpired board position. The affiliate also established a new Community Services Division, the first in the nation. Officers are president, Libra Robinson; first vice president, Oliver Washington; second vice president, Conrad Perry; secretary, Gail Snider; treasurer, Jason Manchester; and board members, Dana Hinnant and Shirley Jordan. Elected: The Snake River Valley Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Idaho recently had its elections and the results are as follows: president, Vickie Bateman; first vice president, Sandy Streeter; second vice president, Lynn Kneip; secretary, Carla Teczon; treasurer, Kevin Pirnie; and board members Jason Bernert and Katy Pirnie. Elected: At our state convention the following persons were elected to the board of the NFB of Pennsylvania: president, Jim Antonacci; first vice president, Lynn Heitz; second vice president, Connie Schwarzfeld; secretary, Harriet Go; treasurer, Antoinette Whaley; and board members, Emily Angelcyk, Denice Brown and Thomas Brown. Those continuing to serve as directors from last year are James Baxter, Kirk Hunger, and Michelle McManus. National Center for Blind Youth in Science Recently Funded by a Grant from the National Science Foundation: The NFB recently received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop, implement, and evaluate the National Center for Blind Youth in Science (NCBYS), a three-year, full-scale development project to increase informal learning opportunities for blind youth in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).The NFB will collaborate with six science centers from across the country and the affiliates in which those science centers reside to conduct two-day, multi-age, regional STEM programs for blind youth, parents of blind children, and teachers. Additionally, the NFB and museum personnel will collaborate to improve the accessibility of exhibits and programming at each of the museum sites so that blind patrons may be afforded the same learning opportunities as sighted patrons. We are excited about this opportunity to expand our work in informal STEM education to include the museum and science center settings. Talented professionals from across the country will come together to facilitate the programming that comprises the NCBYS initiative. Senior team members include Mark Riccobono, principal investigator; Christine Reich, co- principal investigator; Natalie Shaheen, project director; Dr. Tiffany Wild, researcher; and Dr. Joe Heimlich, evaluator. It will undoubtedly be an exciting three years of growth in learning opportunities for the blind in STEM. To learn more about the project and to stay up to date, visit the project webpage at and follow <@NFBScience> on Twitter. The 2013 Meet the Blind Month Report: This year's Meet the Blind Month events ranged from a fundraiser bus trip to Utah/Las Vegas, a read-a-thon, and a statewide Girl Scout event (which taught girls about diversity) to signing the White Cane Proclamation, hosting information tables, and using Who's Whozit presentations to educate students. Not only were there a variety of events this year, but with the assistance of eleven affiliates, we also raised a total of $9,780.01. It is great to see that our members are actively engaging the local community. We can't wait to see how we expand upon Meet the Blind Month next year. As always we value your feedback. If you have any suggestions for next year, please contact Ilana Posner at (410) 659-9314, extension 2283, or at . Milt Taylor Elected Second Vice District Governor: Milt Taylor, the father of seven children and seventeen grandchildren, has been a member of the National Federation of the Blind since 1971 and has served in many leadership positions, including affiliate president. Milt has also been a member of Lions International since 1979. He has also served in leadership roles in local clubs, including president. His service and leadership opportunities are taking him to new horizons. Taylor has been serving as zone chair in district 28T of Lions International and this past November was elected as second vice district governor. In 2015 he will become the district governor. He will also be on the board of trustees of the Utah Lions Foundation. Taylor considers it a real honor to serve in the largest global service club in the world. There are over 1,350,000 members and 46,000+ Lions Clubs in 208 countries. "It is my belief that I will be able to provide service for the NFB in ways that I would not have been able to do in the past. In this position I will be able to set an example for Lions that blind people can function in society and in leadership roles as well as the sighted. I look forward to making a difference by helping to change attitudes about blindness in this country and throughout the world. Odin Mobile Partnership: The NFB is excited to announce that we have formed a partnership with Odin Mobile, a wireless provider that is 100 percent dedicated to providing cellular service to people who are blind and visually impaired. This partnership will bring you additional choice as you look to fulfill your mobile communications needs. Odin Mobile offers a variety of cellular phones, including basic mobile phones with built-in accessibility features that allow blind people to text message, access contacts, and perform other basic tasks, as well as smartphones such as the Nexus 4 from Google that offer the latest in Android accessibility. With monthly airtime rates as low as $10 per month, Odin Mobile has plans to fit various budgets and needs. Perhaps best of all, when you mention that you are an NFB member, you will receive a special 5 percent discount on Odin Mobile talk and text plans. The NFB will receive a percentage of the revenue that Odin Mobile generates from NFB members, so you help the NFB as well. Odin Mobile is committed to supporting NFB members and their mobile communications needs. So the next time you need to buy a new cell phone or subscribe to a new service provider, be sure to check out Odin Mobile at , or call them at (855) 217-9459. Provide Feedback Regarding Your Travel Experience: The NFB is committed to removing barriers and promoting equality for blind travelers. In light of the Department of Transportation's recent and insufficient application of the Air Carrier Access Act to self-service kiosks and airline websites, the need for advocacy amid the travel industry is increasingly apparent. Member feedback regarding individual travel experiences is central to this effort. The NFB, therefore, encourages all members to complete a brief online travel survey at . Your feedback provides the NFB with essential accessibility data that help drive collective advocacy efforts and guide the engagement of travel industry leaders. In order to provide a truly accurate picture of accessibility at travel centers across the nation, we ask that members complete the survey each time they travel. Please take time to share your travel experiences, both positive and negative, using the survey. For additional information please contact Valerie Yingling, paralegal at the NFB, at , or by phone at (410) 659-9314, extension 2440. 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. Call and Sign Up to Learn More about Non-24 and Vanda Will Donate to the NFB: Our friends at Vanda Pharmaceuticals are running a campaign to raise awareness of non-24 hour disorder and raise funds for the National Federation of the Blind at the same time. Non-24-hour disorder (Non-24) is a serious circadian rhythm disorder that causes significant nighttime sleep problems and a wide range of daytime difficulties, including an overwhelming urge to sleep during the day. According to Vanda, non-24 affects nearly 70 percent of people who are totally blind. Sign up to learn more about non-24-hour disorder by calling (855) 856-2424, and a portion of $24, divided among several other blindness organizations, will be donated to the NFB. Even better, every time you share the program with someone you know and he or she signs up, Vanda will make another $24 donation. Sign up and spread the word. Disability Employment PSA Discussion Guide Now Available: The Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) recently announced the availability of a discussion guide to accompany the "Because" public service announcement (PSA) distributed earlier this year. The "Because" PSA has a simple but significant message-that youth with disabilities, like all youth, should grow up expecting to work and succeed, and parents, educators and other adults of influence in their lives should reinforce this expectation at every turn. The new discussion guide-which comes with a DVD containing the PSA-can be used to facilitate a conversation about this important topic among adults or youth in a variety of settings. Free of charge, it is available in both English and Spanish. The CDE is funded by the US Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). To order a "Because" discussion guide, as well as associated posters and other materials, visit ODEP's publications order webpage at . To learn more about the CDE, visit the CDE website. Unity Literature Available from Message of Hope: Message of Hope is a Unity outreach program. Funded solely by donations, Message of Hope shares the assurance of God's love and grace by providing free spiritual materials to those in need. Unity extends support to individuals in various care settings and to those experiencing hardship. Message of Hope also serves persons with blindness or visual impairments, offering free spiritual resources in Braille, on CD, in digital format, and through an online Braille library. Chaplains, administrators, and volunteers often contact Unity to request spiritual materials that will inspire hope and encouragement in those they serve. After an application process, Message of Hope offers nondenominational spiritual materials, at no cost, in English and Spanish. Unity's Message of Hope ministry serving the blind and visually impaired has the following products and services available free of charge: Daily Word in Braille, bimonthly; Daily Word on CD, bimonthly; a virtual library of downloadable Braille (.brf file) Unity publications, available free of charge to anyone with access to a computer, Braille notetaker or digital talking book player at and link to the online Braille library; an audiobook lending library which contains Unity publications on audiocassette and CD; and a hardcopy Braille book lending library (Unity publications in Braille). For more information, call (866) 421-3066 or send email to . Visit the Message of Hope Facebook page at to stay updated on new books and other materials. Visit the Message of Hope website at . 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 or Trade: I have four Braille displays for sale or trade. All four of these displays are in excellent condition. Prices include shipping to Canada and the US, and all come with AC adapters. I will entertain offers to trade for a BrailleNote Apex or Braille Sense U2 having a QWERTY or Perkins keyboard. The first display is a Braille Edge 40, about eight months old, and used very little. I'm including a carrying case from Executive Products Inc., and I'm asking $1,800. The second display is an Alva BC640 with carrying case, and I'm asking $1,575. The third display is an Alva Satellite 44, along with the foam pads for a keyboard to rest on. I'm asking $475. The fourth display is a PowerBraille 81, for which I'm asking $250. I accept PayPal payments, money orders, or cashier's checks, and I will accept non-certified checks, which must clear before I will ship. I can be reached at or (519) 669-1456. ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Wed Mar 12 00:01:33 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 00:01:33 -0700 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, February 2014 Message-ID: <201403120701.s2C71X5F018220@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> The Braille Monitor, Februaryy 2014 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[(R)] 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. 2057400000 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 (C) 2014 by the National Federation of the Blind Information about the Audio Edition 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. [PHOTO CAPTION: Palm-lined drive leading to front entrance to Rosen Centre Hotel] Orlando Site of 2014 NFB Convention The 2014 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take place in Orlando, Florida, July 1-6, at the Rosen Centre Hotel at 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Make your room reservation as soon as possible with the Rosen Centre staff only. Call (800) 204-7234. The 2014 room rates are singles, doubles, and twins, $82; and triples and quads, $88. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 13.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested. The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $95-per-room deposit is required to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before May 28, 2014. The other 50 percent is not refundable. Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations may be made before June 1, 2014, assuming that rooms are still available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon. Guest-room amenities include cable television; in-room safe; coffeemaker; hairdryer; and, for a fee, high-speed Internet access. Guests can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-site spa. The Rosen Centre Hotel offers fine dining at Executive Chef Michael Rumplik's award-winning Everglades Restaurant. In addition, there is an array of dining options from sushi to tapas to a 24-hour deli. The hotel has first-rate amenities and shuttle service to the Orlando airport. The schedule for the 2014 convention is: Tuesday, July 1 Seminar Day Wednesday, July 2 Registration Day Thursday, July 3 Board Meeting and Division Day Friday, July 4 Opening Session Saturday, July 5 Business Session Sunday, July 6 Banquet Day and Adjournment Vol. 57, No. 2 February 2014 Contents Illustration: If These Walls Could Talk The National Federation of the Blind Board Members at Work by Gary Wunder Who Are the Blind Who Lead the Blind? The Glass is Half Full: Investing in the Capacity of Workers with Disabilities by Anil Lewis Yet another Federationist Speaks Out About Subminimum Wages by Michael Barber D??j?? Vu All Over Again The Secret to Winning a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship by Patti S. Gregory-Chang Recipes Monitor Miniatures [PHOTO/CAPTION: The United States Capitol building] [PHOTO/CAPTION: The Supreme Court] [PHOTO/CAPTION: The White House] If These Walls Could Talk As this issue goes in the mail, many of us are returning from the Washington Seminar. At this time of the year we not only talk with Congress about matters of concern to the blind but reflect on the good fortune we have to live in this country, to participate in its representative democracy, and to visit the buildings where the business of the people is conducted. Visiting the Capitol is an annual event, visits to the White House happen with less regularity, and arguments before the Supreme Court happen with even less frequency, but all branches of government know that the National Federation of the Blind is the foremost authority on blindness and, unlike the hundreds of agencies for the blind, we are the blind, speaking for ourselves. The National Federation of the Blind Board of Directors at Work by Gary Wunder In the January issue we talked about the role of resolutions in policymaking. The convention hears and acts on proposed resolutions, and it does this in its role as the supreme authority of the Federation. Because the national convention is an annual event, the board of directors of the Federation is charged with handling the affairs of the organization between conventions. At least two in-person meetings are held annually. The one most familiar to convention attendees is held on the day before the opening session. The second is the fall meeting, which is held at the NFB Jernigan Institute. This year the board convened over the Thanksgiving weekend, with board members, spouses, and family members arriving on Wednesday to prepare for and celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday prior to the commencement of official business on Friday morning, November 29, 2013. Let's look at the agenda and decisions made at this meeting. The board began its work promptly at 8 AM by reviewing the minutes of board meetings which had occurred in the past twelve months. This review is key because it sets the stage for talking about our ongoing activities and provides important information that can be used as the board charts the future direction of the programs and activities of the organization. At the fall meeting the board of directors spends a significant amount of time reviewing the finances of the Federation. It is clear that our financial picture is better than it was last year, but it is equally clear that we must figure out a way to raise more money if we are to meet the many challenges we face. Fundraising through the mail is becoming ever more difficult, and the same is true for telephone solicitations. Although these programs continue to bring in some money, it is clear that we must take seriously the task of finding new and innovative ways to get our message to the public and to invite its support. To further this goal, we have established a new program with GreenDrop, an organization which collects donated items and makes them available for sale through local thrift stores. Currently we are working with this organization on the East Coast and hope soon to expand our operation to include other parts of the United States. Another program with much promise is the Vehicle Donation Program that allows donors to give their used vehicles to the National Federation of the Blind. All that is required of us is that we publicize the program and figure out how to advertise it widely to the general public. This we can do using social media and special fliers we can take to places where we do business. The Preauthorized Contribution Plan (also called the PAC Plan) is unquestionably the most successful fundraising program that we have for accepting contributions from our members. This year marked an all-time high in giving, testifying to the commitment of our membership to achieve the ambitious goals we have set for ourselves and the realization that adequate financing is a key to meeting them. In addition to giving what we can from our own wallets, we must find a way to increase public support, and one of the programs designed to do this is the Imagination Fund. This effort is being chaired by Anil Lewis, and our emphasis will be on increasing the number of Imaginators -- members who ask for contributions from family, friends, and those with whom we do business. Since our effort in the 1960s to create the International Federation of the Blind, now the World Blind Union (WBU), we have had an abiding interest in helping people around the world create the kind of member-run organization we have here in the United States and to help them build the programs this self organization promotes. The World Blind Union General Assembly meets every four years and, like the Olympics, it entertains proposals from countries wishing to host it. One question considered by the board of directors was whether the National Federation of the Blind would be interested in hosting the assembly on behalf of the North America/Caribbean Region in the United States. This meeting would occur in 2016 and would represent significant work, but the potential to show the blind of the world what we have achieved in the United States through our own self-organization convinced the board this was a worthwhile activity to undertake. Therefore, we will begin the work necessary to prepare a bid to host the WBU in Baltimore. John Par?? discussed with the board our ongoing efforts to see that the regulations implementing the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act address the concerns that caused the National Federation of the Blind to press for this legislation. The process is taking longer than we would like, a major sticking point being whether cars which are stopped should make some kind of sound to indicate that they are at a street crossing. The position of the NFB is that this is an absolutely crucial piece of information to have as we decide whether or not to proceed. There is every reason to believe that the final regulations will require the emission of sound anytime a vehicle is in use. The board discussed the upcoming seventy-fifth anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind. Fred Schroeder is coordinating the activities that will celebrate this momentous anniversary, and these will occur not only at our seventy-fifth convention but throughout our seventy-fifth year. Mark Riccobono is the executive director of the Jernigan Institute, who is currently celebrating his tenth anniversary as an employee of the National Federation of the Blind. In his report to the board he discussed the Braille Enhancement for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Program, future programs to encourage work in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math, and a $1.5 million grant to fund a program that will allow us to work with young people from six states to encourage their participation in the study of science. On the subject of access to technology, we continue to work with Google, Microsoft, and other software developers to convince them that accessibility should be a part of their initial design and should not be considered an optional feature to be added at some later time. Work is ongoing as we see to the full implementation of the Help America Vote Act. A number of states wish to return to paper ballots but realize they need accessibility and therefore accessibility consultants. Efforts are also ongoing to allow voting using mobile devices, and one of the issues we have been asked to address is how we will meet the needs of the deaf-blind. A review of the legal cases in which we are involved took a good part of one afternoon, but the list clearly demonstrates our commitment to see that blind people receive equal treatment in society, whether we are seeking to use the technology now required to pay for a taxi ride or work as a trained chiropractor. The last matter of business to come before the board was a discussion by President Maurer about the leadership of the organization and specifically about the presidency. He has been our president since 1986 and has been the longest-serving president in our history. When he was elected, Dr. Jernigan was still in good health and was able for more than a decade to assist him in taking on the awesome responsibilities involved in leading the National Federation of the Blind. While he is still in good health and has the mental and physical energy to lead, President Maurer wants to offer to his successor the same mentoring he was blessed to receive and to be an active part of the transition of power from one generation to the next. Fred Schroeder, the first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind and the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia, wrote to his affiliate members to tell them what was discussed on Saturday afternoon. This is what he said: As you know, Dr. Marc Maurer has been our national president since 1986. He has served as president longer than any of our previous presidents and has guided us through a period of unprecedented growth and change. It was under Dr. Maurer's leadership that we established the Jernigan Institute and all of the programs that have been so successful in demonstrating the truth of our assertion that, given proper opportunity and training, blind people can live and work as others do. In particular we have developed many programs designed to provide blind children and youth with the skills and confidence they need to compete fully in their education and to develop their life ambitions. We have conducted Youth Slam, the Science Academy, and more recently the BELL programs. In the area of technology, under Dr. Maurer's leadership we developed the KNFB Reader Mobile, allowing blind people to have immediate access to print with nothing more than a cell phone and special software. And then there was the Blind Driver Challenge(TM). There is no question that lack of access to reliable transportation remains a major barrier for blind people. Yet, the Blind Driver Challenge showed that we could develop the technology to enable a blind person to drive a car, not simply sit passively in a car that drives itself. These are the expressions of Dr. Maurer's leadership. Yet at the heart of his leadership is his spirit and his belief in every blind person. He has inspired and encouraged us, faced the most difficult challenges with resolution and strength, and has kept us together, never letting us waiver in our belief in our own right to live normal, productive lives. On Saturday afternoon Dr. Maurer told the board that it is his intention not to seek reelection to the presidency next summer at our national convention. He feels the time is right to transition to the next president, the next individual who can lead us for a quarter century or more. Dr. Maurer is in good health and believes that it is important that he step down from the presidency while he is able to assist with the transition. Dr. Maurer told the board that he plans to support Mr. Mark Riccobono as the next president of the National Federation of the Blind. Mr. Riccobono presently serves as the executive director of the Jernigan Institute. He is an accomplished individual with the strength and wisdom to assume the serious responsibility of leading our movement. He has brought to his work the imagination and competency we demand from our president. We are truly fortunate that within the Federation we have individuals who are able and willing to give all they have to furthering our move toward true equality. The demands of the NFB presidency are unimaginable. We require our leader to give all of his time, all of his imagination, and all of his personal reserve of judgment to leading our organization. This is what Dr. Maurer has done for the past twenty-seven and a half years, and it is what Mark Riccobono will do during his presidency. This transition brings to an end one chapter in our history and what a glorious chapter it has been. We cannot face the loss of Dr. Maurer's leadership without a sense of sadness; but the transition to a new president is not just the absence of what we had before. The transition heralds a new chapter in our history and, with it, new opportunities -- the chance to take all that has come before and build something bigger and more powerful than we have ever known. Please join me in thanking Dr. Maurer for his leadership, his friendship, and his faithful devotion to our cause; and please join me in wishing Mark Riccobono the very best as he seeks to take the foundation that is all that has come before and build upon it the next great chapter in our history. This is what Fred Schroeder wrote, and it eloquently articulates many of the accomplishments of our president and our hopes for his successor. The discussion that concluded the board meeting was more personal, with members trying to convey what our president has meant in their lives and in their development as leaders. The heartfelt remembrances reflected both the sadness that comes with the closing of an era and the tremendous possibility that comes with the beginning of another. This meeting will live in my memory as one of the most significant board meetings of the Federation I've ever been blessed to attend. I found myself grateful to have watched as President Maurer received the accolades for his hard work and visionary leadership and to observe the commitment shown to Mark Riccobono because of our belief in his ability to maintain the most treasured traditions of the Federation while leading us in the evolving challenges of the twenty-first century. Like the transition begun in 1986, this one will generate many questions and a good deal of discussion about what will change and what will remain the same. But, through it all, the bedrock principles of the Federation will keep us on course, and those we elect will ensure that our organization will continue to be the most vibrant, energetic, and positive force for change in the lives of blind people both here and abroad. ---------- Who Are the Blind Who Lead the Blind? From the Editor: Though brief profiles of the members of the current board of directors can be found on our website at any time, we periodically revise and reprint in the Braille Monitor a compilation we have used for years. It includes profiles of Dr. tenBroek, Dr. Jernigan, and members of the current NFB board of directors. It is high time to provide it again, so here it is: Introduction The National Federation of the Blind has become by far the most significant force in the affairs of the blind today, and its actions have had an impact on many other groups and programs. The Federation's president, Marc Maurer, radiates confidence and persuasiveness. He says, "If I can find twenty people who care about a thing, then we can get it done. And if there are two hundred, two thousand, or twenty thousand, that's even better." The National Federation of the Blind is a civil rights movement with all that the term implies. President Maurer says, "You can't expect to obtain freedom by having somebody else hand it to you. You have to do the job yourself. The French could not have won the American Revolution for us. That would merely have shifted the governing authority from one colonial power to another. So too we the blind are the only ones who can win freedom for the blind, which is both frightening and reassuring. If we don't get out and do what we must, we have no one to blame but ourselves. We have control of the essential elements." Although many organizations and agencies for the blind exist in the United States today, there is only one National Federation of the Blind. This organization was established in 1940 when the blind of seven states -- California, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin -- sent delegates to its first convention at Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Since that time progress has been rapid and steady. The Federation is recognized by blind men and women throughout the entire country as their primary means of joint expression; and today -- with active affiliates in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico -- it is the primary voice of the nation's blind. To explain this spectacular growth, three questions must be asked and answered: (1) What are the conditions in the general environment of the blind which have impelled them to organize? (2) What are the purpose, belief, and philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind? (3) Who are its leaders, and what are their qualifications to understand and solve the problems of blindness? Even a brief answer to these questions is instructive. When the Federation came into being in 1940, the outlook for the blind was anything but bright. The nation's welfare system was so discouraging to individual initiative that those forced to accept public assistance had little hope of ever achieving self-support again, and those who sought competitive employment in regular industry or the professions found most of the doors barred against them. The universal goodwill expressed toward the blind was not the wholesome goodwill of respect felt toward equals; it was the misguided goodwill of pity felt toward inferiors. In effect the system said to the blind, "Sit on the sidelines of life. This game is not for you. If you have creative talents, we are sorry, but we cannot use them." The Federation came into being to combat these expressions of discrimination and to promote new ways of thought concerning blindness. Although great progress has been made toward the achievement of these goals, much still remains to be done. The Federation believes that blind people are essentially normal and that blindness in itself is not a mental or psychological handicap. It can be reduced to the level of a mere physical nuisance. Legal, economic, and social discrimination based upon the false assumption that the blind are somehow different from the sighted must be abolished, and equal opportunity must be made available to blind people. Because of their personal experience with blindness, the blind themselves are best qualified to lead the way in solving their own problems, but the general public should be invited to participate in finding solutions. Upon these fundamentals the National Federation of the Blind predicates its philosophy. As for the leadership of the organization, all of the officers and members of the board of directors are blind, and all give generously of their time and resources in promoting the work of the Federation. The board consists of seventeen elected members, five of whom are the constitutional officers of the organization. These members of the board of directors represent a wide cross-section of the blind population of the United States. Their backgrounds are different, and their experiences vary widely; but they are drawn together by the common bond of having met blindness individually and successfully in their own lives and by their united desire to see other blind people have the opportunity to do likewise. A profile of the leadership of the organization shows why it is so effective and demonstrates the progress made by blind people during the past half-century and more--for in the story of the lives of these leaders can be found the greatest testimonial to the soundness of the Federation's philosophy. The cumulative record of their individual achievements is an overwhelming proof, leading to an inescapable conclusion. [PHOTO CAPTION: Jacobus tenBroek] Jacobus tenBroek Founder of the National Federation of the Blind and First President Author, Jurist, Professor The moving force in the founding of the National Federation of the Blind, and its spiritual and intellectual father, was Jacobus tenBroek. Born in 1911, young tenBroek (the son of prairie homesteaders in Canada) lost the sight of one eye as the result of a bow-and-arrow accident at the age of seven. His remaining eyesight deteriorated until at the age of fourteen he was totally blind. Shortly afterward he and his family traveled to Berkeley so that he could attend the California School for the Blind. Within three years he was an active part of the local organization of the blind. By 1934 he had joined Dr. Newel Perry and others to form the California Council of the Blind, which later became the National Federation of the Blind of California. This organization was a prototype for the nationwide federation that tenBroek would form six years later. The same year the Federation was founded (1940), Jacobus tenBroek received his doctorate in jurisprudence from the University of California, completed a year as Brandeis Research Fellow at Harvard Law School, and was appointed to the faculty of the University of Chicago Law School. Two years later he began teaching at the University of California at Berkeley, becoming a full professor in 1953, chairman of the department of speech in 1955, and professor of political science in 1963. During this period Professor tenBroek published several books and more than fifty articles and monographs in the fields of welfare, government, and law--establishing a reputation as one of the nation's foremost scholars on matters of constitutional law. One of his books, Prejudice, War, and the Constitution, won the Woodrow Wilson Award of the American Political Science Association in 1955 as the best book of the year on government and democracy. Other books are California's Dual System of Family Law (1964), Hope Deferred: Public Welfare and the Blind (1959), The Antislavery Origins of the Fourteenth Amendment (1951)--revised and republished in 1965 as Equal Under Law, and The Law of the Poor (edited in 1966). In the course of his academic career Professor tenBroek was a fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Palo Alto and was twice the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation. In 1947 he earned the degree of S.J.D. from Harvard Law School. In addition he was awarded honorary degrees by two institutions of higher learning. Dr. tenBroek's lifelong companion was his devoted wife Hazel. Together they raised three children and worked inseparably on research, writing, and academic and Federation projects. Until her declining health prevented travel, Mrs. tenBroek continued as an active member of the organized blind movement. She died October 7, 2005. In 1950 Dr. tenBroek was made a member of the California State Board of Social Welfare by Governor Earl Warren. Later reappointed to the board three times, he was elected its chairman in 1960 and served in that capacity until 1963. The brilliance of Jacobus tenBroek's career led some skeptics to suggest that his achievements were beyond the reach of what they called the "ordinary blind person." What tenBroek recognized in himself was not that he was exceptional, but that he was normal--that his blindness had nothing to do with whether he could be a successful husband and father, do scholarly research, write a book, make a speech, guide students engaged in social action, or otherwise lead a productive life. Jacobus tenBroek died of cancer at the age of fifty-six in 1968. His successor, Kenneth Jernigan, in a memorial address, said truly of him: "The relationship of this man to the organized blind movement, which he brought into being in the United States and around the world, was such that it would be equally accurate to say that the man was the embodiment of the movement or that the movement was the expression of the man. "For tens of thousands of blind Americans over more than a quarter of a century, he was leader, mentor, spokesman, and philosopher. He gave to the organized blind movement the force of his intellect and the shape of his dreams. He made it the symbol of a cause barely imagined before his coming: the cause of self-expression, self-direction, and self-sufficiency on the part of blind people. Step by step, year by year, action by action, he made that cause succeed." [PHOTO CAPTION: Kenneth Jernigan] Kenneth Jernigan President Emeritus Teacher, Writer, Administrator Kenneth Jernigan was a leader in the National Federation of the Blind for more than forty-six years. He was president (with one brief interruption) from 1968 until July of 1986. Even after Jernigan ceased to be president of the Federation, he continued as one of its principal leaders until his death on October 12, 1998. He was loved and respected by tens of thousands -- members and nonmembers of the Federation, both blind and sighted. Born in 1926, Kenneth Jernigan grew up on a farm in central Tennessee. He received his elementary and secondary education at the school for the blind in Nashville. After high school Jernigan managed a furniture shop in Beech Grove, Tennessee, making all the furniture and operating the business. In the fall of 1945 Jernigan matriculated at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville. Active in campus affairs from the outset, he was soon elected to office in his class and to important positions in other student organizations. Jernigan graduated with honors in 1948 with a BS degree in social science. In 1949 he received a master's degree in English from Peabody College in Nashville, where he subsequently completed additional graduate study. While at Peabody he was a staff writer for the school newspaper, co-founder of an independent literary magazine, and member of the Writers' Club. In 1949 he received the Captain Charles W. Browne Award, at that time presented annually by the American Foundation for the Blind to the nation's outstanding blind student. Jernigan then spent four years as a teacher of English at the Tennessee School for the Blind. During this period he became active in the Tennessee Association of the Blind (now the National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee). He was elected to the vice presidency of the organization in 1950 and to the presidency in 1951. In that position he planned the 1952 annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind, which was held in Nashville, and he then planned every NFB national convention through 1998. In 1952 Jernigan was first elected to the NFB board of directors, and in 1953 he was appointed to the faculty of the California Orientation Center for the Blind in Oakland, where he played a major role in developing the best program of its kind then in existence. From 1958 until 1978 he served as director of the Iowa State Commission for the Blind. In this capacity he was responsible for administering state rehabilitation programs, home teaching, home industries, an orientation and adjustment center, and library services for the blind and physically handicapped. The improvements made in services to the blind of Iowa under the Jernigan administration have never before or since been equaled anywhere in the country. In 1960 the Federation presented Jernigan with its Newel Perry Award for outstanding accomplishment in services for the blind. In 1968 he was given a special citation by the president of the United States. Harold Russell, the chairman of the President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, came to Des Moines to present the award. He said: "If a person must be blind, it is better to be blind in Iowa than anywhere else in the nation or in the world. This statement," the citation went on to say, "sums up the story of the Iowa Commission for the Blind during the Jernigan years and more pertinently of its director, Kenneth Jernigan. That narrative is much more than a success story. It is the story of high aspiration magnificently accomplished--of an impossible dream become reality." Jernigan received too many honors and awards to enumerate individually, including honorary doctorates from four institutions of higher education. He was also asked to serve as a special consultant to or member of numerous boards and advisory bodies. The most notable among these are member of the National Advisory Committee on Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (appointed in 1972 by the secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare); special consultant on services for the blind (appointed in 1975 by the federal commissioner of rehabilitation); advisor on museum programs for blind visitors to the Smithsonian Institution (appointed in 1975); special advisor to the White House Conference on Library and Information Services (appointed in 1977 by President Gerald Ford). In July of 1990 Jernigan received an award for distinguished service from the president of the United States. To date he has been the only person ever to be invited to deliver keynote addresses to the primary gatherings of the two worldwide blindness organizations in a single year: the fourth quadrennial meeting of the World Blind Union in August 1996 and the annual meeting of the International Council for the Education of the Visually Impaired in spring 1997. In 1998 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind, the first ever International Leadership Award from the American Foundation for the Blind, and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind's Winston Gordon Award for his leadership in establishing Newsline for the Blind[(R)]. Kenneth Jernigan's writings and speeches on blindness are better known and have touched the lives of more blind people than those of any other person writing today. From 1991 until his death he edited the NFB's immensely popular series of paperbacks known as the Kernel Books. On July 23, 1975, he spoke before the National Press Club in Washington, DC, and his address was broadcast live throughout the nation on National Public Radio. Through the years he appeared repeatedly on network radio and television interview programs. In 1978 Jernigan moved to Baltimore to become executive director of the American Brotherhood for the Blind (now the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults) and director of the National Center for the Blind. As president of the National Federation of the Blind at that time, he led the organization through the most impressive period of growth in its history to date. The creation and development of the National Center for the Blind and the NFB's expansion into its position today as the most influential voice and force in the affairs of the blind stand as the culmination of Kenneth Jernigan's lifework and a tribute to his brilliance and commitment to the blind of this nation. From 1987 to 1997 he played an active role internationally as president of the North America/Caribbean region of the World Blind Union. He traveled widely and spoke frequently before international groups about blindness and the NFB's positive philosophy that changes lives and society. Jernigan's dynamic wife Mary Ellen remains an active member of the Federation. She works with dedication in the movement and is known and loved by thousands of Federationists throughout the country. Speaking at a convention of the National Federation of the Blind, Jernigan said of the organization and its philosophy (and also of his own philosophy): "As we look ahead, the world holds more hope than gloom for us--and, best of all, the future is in our own hands. For the first time in history we can be our own masters and do with our lives what we will; and the sighted (as they learn who we are and what we are) can and will work with us as equals and partners. In other words we are capable of full membership in society, and the sighted are capable of accepting us as such -- and, for the most part, they want to. "We want no Uncle Toms -- no sellouts, no apologists, no rationalizers; but we also want no militant hell-raisers or unbudging radicals. One will hurt our cause as much as the other. We must win true equality in society, but we must not dehumanize ourselves in the process; and we must not forget the graces and amenities, the compassions and courtesies which comprise civilization itself and distinguish people from animals and life from existence. "Let people call us what they will and say what they please about our motives and our movement. There is only one way for the blind to achieve first-class citizenship and true equality. It must be done through collective action and concerted effort; and that means the National Federation of the Blind. There is no other way, and those who say otherwise are either uninformed or unwilling to face the facts. "We are the strongest force in the affairs of the blind today, and we must also recognize the responsibilities of power and the fact that we must build a world that is worth living in when the war is over--and, for that matter, while we are fighting it. In short, we must use both love and a club, and we must have sense enough to know when to do which--long on compassion, short on hatred; and, above all, not using our philosophy as a cop-out for cowardice or inaction or rationalization. We know who we are and what we must do--and we will never go back. The public is not against us. Our determination proclaims it; our gains confirm it; our humanity demands it." [PHOTO CAPTION: Marc Maurer] Marc Maurer President Attorney and Executive Born in 1951, Marc Maurer was the second in a family of six children. His blindness was caused by overexposure to oxygen after his premature birth, but he and his parents were determined that this should not prevent him from living a full and normal life. He began his education at the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School, where he became an avid Braille reader. In the fifth grade he returned home to Boone, Iowa, where he attended parochial schools. During high school (having taken all the courses in the curriculum), he simultaneously took classes at the junior college. Maurer ran three different businesses before finishing high school: a paper route, a lawn care business, and an enterprise producing and marketing maternity garter belts designed by his mother. This last venture was so successful that his younger brother took over the business when Maurer left home. In the summer of 1969, after graduating from high school, Maurer enrolled as a student at the Orientation and Adjustment Center of the Iowa Commission for the Blind and attended his first convention of the NFB. He was delighted to discover in both places that blind people and what they thought mattered. This was a new phenomenon in his experience, and it changed his life. Kenneth Jernigan was director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind at the time, and Maurer soon grew to admire and respect him. When Maurer expressed an interest in overhauling a car engine, the Commission for the Blind purchased the necessary equipment. Maurer completed that project and actually worked for a time as an automobile mechanic. He believes today that mastering engine repair played an important part in changing his attitudes about blindness. Maurer graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 1974. As an undergraduate he took an active part in campus life, including election to the Honor Society. Then he enrolled at the University of Indiana School of Law, where he received his Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1977. Maurer was elected president of the Student Division of the National Federation of the Blind in 1971 and reelected in 1973 and 1975. Also in 1971 at the age of twenty he was elected vice president of the National Federation of the Blind of Indiana. He was elected president in 1973 and reelected in 1975. During law school Maurer worked summers for the office of the secretary of state of Indiana. After graduation he moved to Toledo, Ohio, to accept a position as the director of the Senior Legal Assistance Project operated by ABLE (Advocates for Basic Legal Equality). In 1978 Maurer moved to Washington, DC, to become an attorney with the Rates and Routes Division in the office of the general counsel of the Civil Aeronautics Board. Initially he worked on rates cases but soon advanced to dealing with international matters and then to doing research and writing opinions on constitutional issues and board action. He wrote opinions for the chairman and made appearances before the full board to discuss those opinions. In 1981 he went into private practice in Baltimore, Maryland, where he specialized in civil litigation and property matters. But increasingly he concentrated on representing blind individuals and groups in the courts. He has now become one of the most experienced and knowledgeable attorneys in the country regarding the laws, precedents, and administrative rulings concerning civil rights and discrimination against the blind. He is a member of the Bar in Indiana, Ohio, Iowa, and Maryland and a member of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the United States. Maurer has always been active in civic and political affairs, having run for the state legislature from Baltimore. Through the years he has also served on the board of directors of his apartment complex's tenants association, the board of his community association, and the school board of his children's school. In 1981 Maurer was elected president of the National Association of Blind Lawyers and served in that office until 1985. From 1984 until 1986 he served as president of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland. An important companion in Maurer's activities and a leader in her own right is his wife Patricia. The Maurers were married in 1973, and they have two children--David Patrick, born March 10, 1984, and Dianna Marie, born July 12, 1987. At the 1985 convention in Louisville, Kentucky, Kenneth Jernigan announced that he would not stand for re-election as president of the National Federation of the Blind the following year, and he recommended Marc Maurer as his successor. In Kansas City in 1986 the Convention elected Maurer by resounding acclamation, and he has served as president ever since. From 1997 to 2000 he also served as president of the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union, and he chaired the WBU Committee on the Restoration of the Louis Braille Birthplace in Coupvray, France. In 2004 he became vice president of the World Blind Union North America/Caribbean Region, and in 2006 reassumed the presidency. Maurer was honored with the Maryland Black Caucus's Leadership Award in 1985, the United States Presidential Medal for Leadership in 1990, the 1990 Heritage Award from the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, and the Baltimore Business Journal's 1999 Innovation Award for Excellence in Workplace Technology. Recent honors include the 2002 VME Robert Dole Award and the Daily Record's 2002 Innovator of the Year award. He joined President George W. Bush in the Oval Office in July of 2001 to celebrate the success of the NFB Everest Expedition and once again when President Bush signed into law the Help America Vote Act of 2002. He received honorary degrees from California's Menlo College in 1998 and the University of Louisville in 1999. In 1987 he delivered an address at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and in 2000 he was invited to deliver addresses on civil rights at Oxford University and Birmingham University in the United Kingdom. As president of the National Federation of the Blind, Maurer has boldly led the organization into a new test of its resolve, beginning with the visionary expansion of the National Center for the Blind--the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, which was completed in the spring of 2004. The facility, located on the grounds of the National Center, has added more than 170,000 square feet to the NFB's headquarters. The Institute, which is the first of its kind, conceived and built by the blind for the blind, is developing innovative education, technologies, products, and services that support independence for the world's blind. One of the early products of the Institute was the Kurzweil - National Federation of the Blind handheld reading machine, produced in conjunction with the noted futurist and inventor, Raymond Kurzweil. Maurer's unswerving determination to succeed and his absolute conviction that the organized blind are the best-equipped people to solve the problems facing them have set the tone and are guiding the organization into this exciting new period of growth and accomplishment. [PHOTO CAPTION: Fredric Schroeder] Fredric Schroeder First Vice President NFB of Virginia President Research Professor, Orientation and Mobility Leader Dr. Fredric K. Schroeder was born in Lima, Peru, in 1957. He and his brother Steve were adopted and moved to the United States when he was nineteen months old. Born with normal vision, Dr. Schroeder became blind at the age of seven after suffering a severe allergic reaction known as Stephens-Johnson's Syndrome. As a result, his vision deteriorated over a nine-year period, leaving him totally blind at the age of sixteen. He attended public school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but received no special education instruction in Braille or any alternative techniques that would have allowed him to function competitively. Although raised in New Mexico, Dr. Schroeder spent much time in San Francisco receiving medical treatment in an effort to save his vision. As a result, he was living in California when he became totally blind. For this reason, following graduation from high school, Dr. Schroeder attended the Orientation Center for the Blind in Albany, California. There he found the Federation, and his involvement in the organization has been central to his life and work ever since. Through the Federation he met blind people from all walks of life who encouraged him, eventually convincing him that he could live a normal, productive life. Dr. Schroeder attended San Francisco State University, earning a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology in 1977 and a master's degree in Special Education in 1978. After completing his university studies, he went to work teaching cane travel in the Nebraska Services for the Visually Impaired's orientation center in Lincoln. For the next two years he returned each summer to California to complete postgraduate studies in orientation and mobility to become eligible for national certification as a cane travel teacher. This was revolutionary at the time. He was the first blind person ever to be admitted to a university program in orientation and mobility. Although he graduated with distinction, he was denied certification solely on the basis of blindness. Nevertheless, that did not stop him from continuing with his career or education. He earned a PhD in Education Administration from the University of New Mexico in May 1994. His professional achievements are impressive. In 1980 Dr. Schroeder returned to New Mexico to work as a teacher of blind children for the Albuquerque Public Schools. Knowing how important the Federation had been in his own life, he immediately began integrating Federation philosophy into his work. In a year he was running the program for blind children across the district. The results were dramatic and the program so effective that in the early 1980s the district's program for blind children was featured on the Today Show. Although New Mexico programs for blind children were the finest in the nation, services for blind adults were among the poorest. As president of the New Mexico affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind, Dr. Schroeder was deeply troubled by the lack of employment opportunities for blind people in the state. In 1986 after a long, bitter legislative fight, the Federation succeeded in establishing the New Mexico Commission for the Blind. Dr. Schroeder was appointed the commission's first executive director, giving him the opportunity to bring Federation philosophy into the work of the newly founded agency. In a short time the program was transformed, and soon the New Mexico Commission for the Blind stood out as the most progressive and successful rehabilitation agency in the country. Under Dr. Schroeder's leadership blind people in New Mexico were prepared to go to work in good jobs -- in fact, jobs paying so well that they had higher average earnings than blind people anywhere else in the nation. Dr. Schroeder's accomplishments did not go unnoticed. In 1994 President Bill Clinton appointed Schroeder to serve as the ninth commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) within the US Department of Education. As RSA commissioner he administered a $2.5 billion dollar program providing services to more than one million people with disabilities each year. He focused on high-quality employment -- better jobs, jobs with a future, jobs enabling people to achieve a good and equitable standard of living. His crowning achievement as RSA commissioner was ending the shameful practice of having state vocational rehabilitation agencies place blind people in sheltered workshops, often at subminimum wages. Following his service as RSA commissioner, he joined the faculty of the Interwork Institute at San Diego State University. He now works as a research professor specializing in leadership and public policy in vocational rehabilitation. His involvement in the National Federation of the Blind continues. On July 5, 2006, Dr. Schroeder was unanimously elected first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind. In addition to his service on the Federation's board of directors, he serves as the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia and often represents the Federation at national and international meetings and conferences. Dr. Schroeder has held a number of leadership positions internationally. He was the founding president of the International Council on English Braille and presently serves as the first vice president of the World Blind Union. In his role with the World Blind Union, Dr. Schroeder participated in the drafting of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and on the development of an international treaty to allow books for the blind to be shared internationally. As World Blind Union first vice president he is the lead negotiator in developing a global technical regulation that will establish a minimum sound standard for electric and hybrid-electric cars. Dr. Schroeder is married to Cathy Nusser Schroeder. They have two children, Carrie, born in 1981, and Matthew, born in 1983. Dr. Schroeder is the first to admit that it is the Federation that has made the difference in his life, enabling him to achieve professionally and to live a normal, productive life. In his own words, "We still have much work to do. Far too many blind people still face discrimination, still live in isolation and poverty, still lack access to the encouragement and training they need to live productive, integrated lives. In spite of all that remains to be done, because of the National Federation of the Blind, opportunities are better for blind people today than at any time in history. The change we have made cannot be turned back, cannot be taken away. We have changed forever what it means to be blind, and we and society are better off as a result." [PHOTO CAPTION: Ron Brown] Ron Brown NFB of Indiana President Businessman, Advocate Ron Brown was born in Gary, Indiana, the first of eight children, to Marzette and Myra Brown on May 15, 1956. When he was a senior in high school, he became blind after he was shot on his way home from a basketball game. At the time he knew nothing about blindness and was overwhelmed by the feeling that his entire life had been radically changed in an instant. One of the first painful lessons he learned was that many of his friends could not deal with his blindness and stayed away from him. Luckily he began to make new friends, members of the National Federation of the Blind. They became inspiring role models for Ron, teaching him that it was respectable to be blind and that he could continue to strive for the goals he had set for himself. Armed with this newfound freedom, Ron graduated from Ball State University with a bachelor of science degree in health science. He then went to work at Tradewinds Rehabilitation Center in Indiana, where he met his wife Jean, who was on the staff. Eventually he was offered a job in the Business Enterprise Program. He had always wanted to own his own business, and this gave him the opportunity to do so. He has now been in business for himself for thirty years. Recently Ron returned to school and earned a master's degree in educational psychology with a certification in orientation and mobility from Louisiana Tech University. He now owns a second business, Cane and Able Orientation and Mobility, teaching cane travel to blind people in the state of Indiana. As Ron Brown has developed and matured in his personal life, his commitment to and service in the National Federation of the Blind have deepened as well. In the early years he was a chapter president and was then elected to the NFB of Indiana's board of directors. He was first elected president of the affiliate in 1996 and has been reelected every two years since. In 2001 he was elected to serve on the NFB board of directors. Looking back, Ron Brown says, "Becoming a member of the national board is the fulfillment of a life dream. I have been an advocate for blind people for more than twenty-five years, and with every passing year my commitment to serving the blind of this nation increases. My life indeed changed the night I became blind, but with the perspective I now have, I must say that it was for the better." [PHOTO CAPTION: James Gashel] James R. Gashel Secretary Advocate, Ambassador, Executive Jim Gashel was born in 1946 and grew up in Iowa. After his early introduction to the National Federation of the Blind as Kenneth Jernigan's student at the Iowa Commission for the Blind during the 1960s, he has been devoted to serving the blind community in various capacities. A 1969 graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with work toward a master's degree in Public Administration at the University of Iowa, Jim started his career teaching speech and English for one year in Pipestone, Minnesota. He then accepted a position as assistant director at the Iowa Commission for the Blind in Des Moines. With that move he found his calling is working with the blind and finding ways of solving the problems that face them as individuals and as a minority. On January 1, 1974, Jim joined the staff of the National Federation of the Blind as chief of the Washington office, where he became one of the best known advocates for the blind of the United States, combining his commitment to blind people with his interest in the political process. As the Federation's scope and influence evolved, so did his roles and responsibilities. In his professional career of almost thirty-four years with the Federation, he held the positions of chief of the Washington office, director of governmental affairs, and executive director for strategic initiatives. Jim's Federation work has led to significant changes in virtually every law directly affecting blind Americans: the Social Security Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Randolph-Sheppard Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Copyright Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Help America Vote Act. In addition to championing these causes, Jim has won the love and respect of the thousands of blind men and women across America who have directly benefited from his informed and effective personal advocacy. No matter what his position, through his drive and devotion to Federationism, Jim has earned the informal title of the organization's non-lawyer lawyer. With his first wife Arlene, Jim is the father of three adult children and the grandfather of six. His daughter Andrea Beasley has four children, and his son Eric and his daughter Valerie each have two children. During Jim's service at the NFB, he received the Commissioner's Award for Outstanding Leadership in Rehabilitation Services to the Disabled, the highest honor presented by the commissioner of the United States Rehabilitation Services Administration. He is also a recipient of the secretary of labor's Outstanding American Award. In 2001 Jim and his second wife, Dr. Betsy Zaborowski, jointly received the NFB's highest honor, the Jacobus tenBroek Award, honoring them for their achievements through decades of leadership in work with the blind. In November, 2007, Jim and Betsy moved from Baltimore to Denver, Colorado, but Betsy soon died after a recurrence of the condition -- retinal blastoma -- which had caused her blindness from childhood. In September, 2012, Jim married Susan Kern, now Susan Gashel. Their marriage occurred a few months after Susan had returned from Colorado after retiring as an assistant attorney general in the state of Hawaii. Beyond continuing Jim's active work on behalf of the blind through involvement in the Federation, and Susan's work to uphold the rights and promote opportunities for blind Randolph-Sheppard vendors, Jim and Susan are passionate about downhill skiing and all the Rocky Mountains have to offer near where they live in the Vail valley of Colorado. Beyond his volunteer activities, Jim serves as vice president of business development at K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc., formed in 2005 as a joint venture of Kurzweil Technologies and the National Federation of the Blind. While serving as the Federation's executive director for strategic initiatives, he led the public introduction and launch of the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader, the world's first truly portable text-to-speech reading device for the blind. As part of this effort he raised and administered the funds necessary to support pre-release beta testing, product announcement, and public promotional efforts to bring the product to market in 2006. Jim's employment with K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc., brings him full circle in his career since, after first meeting Ray Kurzweil in April 1975, he also organized and raised the funds necessary to test and launch the original Kurzweil Reading Machine, released in 1977 as the world's first text-to-speech reading system for the blind. Jim was elected to the NFB's national board of directors in 2008 to fill an unexpired term and was reelected in 2009. Then he was subsequently elected to the position of national secretary, a position he has held since 2010. Serving in each of these capacities, he brings to the board both expertise and contacts in the blindness field and an abiding commitment to the work of the NFB. In accepting his 2001 Jacobus tenBroek Award, Jim offered comments that remain relevant today and reflect his approach to our mission. "All I would ask is that all of you remember that it's all of our responsibilities to go out and work for the movement. We can't all go out and climb a mountain like Erik [Weihenmayer] did, and we can't all do the wonderful things that every one of you do all the time, or raise five or six million dollars like Betsy did, but we can all work for this movement. We all have a place in it." Jim's place is absolutely unique. [PHOTO CAPTION: Pam Allen] Pam Allen Treasurer NFB of Louisiana President Nonprofit Agency Administrator, Advocate, Community Leader Pam Dubel was born in 1970 and grew up in Lancaster, New York. She became blind when she was approximately two years old as a result of retinal blastoma, a type of cancer. Although her parents were shocked by her loss of sight, they fortunately realized that she was still the same child except that she could no longer see. Through love and high expectations, they instilled in Pam a sense of pride and confidence in her ability to succeed. They constantly taught her that her blindness was not a limitation to achieving her goals and dreams. Growing up as the youngest of six children also helped her learn to be independent. Since she was the youngest, nobody, especially the brother a year older than she, let her get away with anything. Pam attended a private Catholic school, where she was the only blind student. Her itinerant teacher provided a sound foundation in Braille, which helped her excel in academics. Her parents expected her to do her best and to engage in activities that would make her a confident and well-rounded person. She participated in horseback riding, skiing, and cheerleading during elementary school. During high school her interests shifted to performing in chorus, doing community service, and having fun with her friends. While growing up, Pam had limited contact with other blind people her age. In general she had no desire to associate with other blind people. She understood that every high school senior experiences some trepidation about the transition to adulthood and independence. However, as high school graduation approached, she began to grapple with questions that her sighted peers couldn't answer. She planned to attend college, and she hoped that she would eventually find a job, but she secretly wondered if she would truly be able to obtain employment. After all, she had had difficulty finding part-time work during high school. Her loving family and friends encouraged her, but she had questions that went unanswered. Although she entered college with some apprehension, she was determined to achieve her best. Her small liberal arts college provided an exciting environment in which to learn and grow. But those unanswered questions continued to nag at her. If people were amazed that she could accomplish the most insignificant tasks, would they ever treat her as an equal? She realized that she had to meet other blind people with more experience than she who could serve as role models. Her search exposed her to a wide variety of groups and organizations of and for the blind. However, not until she attended a student seminar hosted by the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio did she begin to find the answers for which she had been searching. Although she didn't realize it at the time, that seminar marked the beginning of a new chapter of her life. She met Barbara Pierce, president of the NFB of Ohio, who told Pam about the Louisiana Center for the Blind. More than that, she spoke with Joanne Wilson, its director, who arranged for Pam to complete an internship at the center the following May. As soon as that was completed, Joanne invited her to work as a counselor in the children's summer program that year. Pam was a 1991 National Federation of the Blind scholarship winner when she was a senior at Denison University, where she majored in psychology and minored in women's studies. She served as vice president of the Ohio Association of Blind Students and as secretary of the National Association of Blind Students, and throughout college she worked summers for Joanne Wilson at the Louisiana Center for the Blind with the Children's Program. After graduation from college Pam decided to become a student at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. She recognized that she still needed to gain some confidence in her skills and in her ability to be a successful blind person. Since 2001 Pam Allen has served as the director of the Louisiana Center for the Blind, one of three NFB adult rehabilitation centers. Prior to becoming the director, she served as the director of youth services, working with blind infants and toddlers and their parents, supervising the training of classroom aides to teach Braille throughout Louisiana, coordinating summer camps, and developing innovative programs for blind children and teenagers. People often ask her what makes the Louisiana Center for the Blind such a special place. She responds, "What sets our alumni apart from those of other kinds of rehabilitation facilities? The answer is that, by attending our center and the other centers conducted by Federationists, students are exposed to the National Federation of the Blind and its philosophy. The NFB is more than an organization; it is a loving family. Regardless of where you are, you can find members of the NFB who can give you support and encouragement when you need it. The NFB also provides a constant supply of mentors and role models who challenge you to set goals for yourself. Lives are positively changed every day at the Center because of the philosophy of the NFB." Allen recalls that she used to believe that she did not need other blind people. She thought that being independent meant succeeding without the help of others. Her involvement with the National Federation of the Blind has taught her that this is not true. She has learned that she needs reinforcement from her blind colleagues and friends. Pam lives in Ruston, Louisiana, with her husband Roland Allen, a dedicated Federation leader and a gifted orientation and mobility instructor at the center. She is currently the president of the NFB of Louisiana and secretary of the National Association of Blind Rehabilitation Professionals. In July of 2002 she was elected to the National Federation of the Blind board of directors. Four years later, in 2006, she was elected to serve as treasurer of the National Federation of the Blind. In 2012, Pam and Roland received the prestigious Jacobus tenBroek Award in recognition of their distinguished service in the Federation. Allen is also involved in a variety of community and professional organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce and as a gubernatorial appointee to the Louisiana Rehabilitation Council. She says, "Being elected to the national board has allowed me to give back and to spread the message of our movement. It is an incredible honor and privilege to serve!" [PHOTO CAPTION: Amy Buresh] Amy Buresh NFB of Nebraska President Rehabilitation Counselor, Advocate, and Mother Today Amy Rut Buresh says, "My blindness is simply another of my characteristics like my auburn hair." She didn't always feel that way. Amy Rut was born prematurely June 4, 1974, in Fairbury, Nebraska, and has been blind since then from retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). When she was five, her family moved from their farm to Nebraska City so that she could attend the Nebraska School for the Visually Handicapped (NSVH). Her parents made the difficult decision to relocate to a new community far away from family, friends, and all they knew so that Amy could continue to live at home during her school years rather than in a dormitory. Young Amy received a solid education and had a normal family life, complete with two pesky little brothers, family campouts, picnics, dress-up, and backyard sports. Amy has said her family's sacrifice was crucial to her peace of mind in her formative years, and she has always been grateful her parents made the choice they did. While a student at NSVH, Amy received training in many blindness skills, the most critical of which was Braille, which helped her to excel academically. She participated in countless musicals, the track team, cheerleading, and speech competition. In her freshman year Amy began taking classes at the public school in Nebraska City. Although she was active in extra-curricular activities, including service as president of her school's chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Amy found it hard to make friends. She recalls that throughout her public school years she sat through many lonely lunches. With an outgoing personality Amy easily made acquaintances, but no one invited her to parties or asked her to go to the movies. Amy took piano lessons from kindergarten through her sophomore year and voice lessons from her freshman to her senior year. She still sings at churches, banquets, and karaoke as often as she can. She taught summer enrichment courses on the basics of Braille to school children in her hometown. Through the Nebraska Human Resources Department at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, Amy also participated in a Big-Sister-style program, in which she was paired with a blind elementary school student whom she continued to mentor well after the program's conclusion. Growing up, Amy had few positive blind role models and limited contact with her blind peers. During her teenage years she first participated in youth programs sponsored by the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NCBVI), where she gained many valuable skills and met her future husband. For several summers Amy worked as a volunteer counselor at the Summer Kids Independence Program (SKIP) Camp, a program for children ages five to twelve, sponsored by NCBVI. She wanted to share with other blind youth the things she had learned during her high school journey: which plans had worked for her, and which hadn't. She believed then and believes more absolutely today that mentoring is important in improving one's attitude toward blindness and a great way to learn how to handle being different in our society. Whether at home or at school, participating in music, academics, or athletics, Amy was successfully working and competing with her sighted peers. She was even named second runner-up in the 1990 Nebraska City Miss Applejack Pageant. Yet in addition she had to face another, deeply personal aspect of life. As a senior in high school she began wrestling with life questions that neither her family and teachers nor her sighted peers could answer. Could she really be successful as an independent blind adult? Would she ever marry and have a family? What about employment? Could she get a job and do it well? Following graduation, Amy began conquering her fears and seeking answers to these nagging questions by attending the Orientation Training Center of the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Lincoln. There she was first introduced to the underpinning philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind and, equally important, to kind and inspirational Federationists. Armed with newfound confidence and skills, Amy enrolled in Peru State College, graduating with a BS in psychology, sociology, and criminal justice. Throughout her time on campus she was active as a peer mentor, in student senate, and in residence hall government. She also soloed and toured with the concert choir. She helped found and held several offices in the Association for Challenged and Enabled Students (ACES), a group dedicated to breaking down stereotypes and eliminating discrimination against those with disabilities. ACES sought to educate the non-disabled public about the challenges people with disabilities face. During the years at Peru State College Amy began working with women and children who experience domestic violence, a field to which she still devotes time when she can. She served as a volunteer counselor for a nonprofit in Southeast Nebraska and other agencies. She has worked tirelessly as an advocate, role model, and leader for both women and the blind. She attributes her success with blind people to her discovery of and involvement in the National Federation of the Blind. In 1993 the NFB of Nebraska established a scholarship program, and Amy won that first scholarship. With this award she faced a turning point in the evolution of her personal philosophy and in her affiliation with the National Federation of the Blind. Growing up, she had been warned that the NFB was an organization of militants whom she should avoid. Thanks to the scholarship program, Amy attended her first state convention in the fall of 1993, discovered the warmth of the members of the NFB and the important work we are doing, and hasn't looked back since. In fact, the very next year, in October of 1994, Amy and a handful of other concerned blind Nebraska students were granted the charter for the Nebraska Association of Blind Students within the Nebraska affiliate. She was elected president of the student division, an office she held for two years. Since those early days in the Federation, Amy has held a number of chapter and affiliate positions in Nebraska. In 2003 she was elected to serve as affiliate president, and in the summer of 2006 she was elected by the national convention to the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind. Amy and her husband Shane (a leader and dedicated Federationist in his own right) live in Lincoln with their son Noah (born May 2, 2006). She is employed as a rehabilitation counselor with the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. [PHOTO CAPTION: Patti Gregory-Chang] Patti Gregory-Chang NFB of Illinois President Attorney, Advocate, Mother Patti Gregory-Chang was born in May of 1963. She never had vision in her right eye and has been blind since the age of twelve, when the sight in her left eye began failing as a result of microthalmia. For Patti, however, her blindness is no more interesting or important than any of her other characteristics, such as being a woman or an attorney. Growing up in Harbor Springs, Michigan, Patti lived a normal life, learning early that blindness was not a tragedy. "We lived in town. My younger brother Gerry and I hung out. I did winter sports and worked a little in the summer. My parents (Eve Lauer and Donald Gregory) did a good job of treating me like anyone else. They had high expectations," she said. After graduating from Harbor Springs High School in 1981, Patti planned to attend school with hopes of becoming a teacher of the visually impaired. After earning her teaching certificate at Michigan State University, she discovered a passion for law and enrolled at the University of Chicago Law School. Patti graduated from law school in 1988 and has worked in the City of Chicago Law Department ever since. She began her tenure there in the Traffic Division and then worked her way up to assistant corporation counsel. In this position she prosecuted housing court matters in the Circuit Court of Cook County and handled collection matters for the Building and Land Use Litigation Division of the City of Chicago Law Department. In 1998 Patti became senior assistant corporation counsel for the City of Chicago Law Department. In this role she prosecutes cases, supervises attorneys prosecuting cases, coordinates law clerks and externs, and serves on various committees and task forces. She belongs to several professional associations and is active in the Municipal Administrative Law arena in Illinois. Patti first joined the National Federation of the Blind in 1981 in Michigan. She moved to Illinois in 1985 and has been increasingly active ever since. She served as Chicago chapter president and as first vice president of the Illinois affiliate before becoming president in 2006. She was elected to the National Federation of the Blind board of directors in 2008, and was appointed by President Maurer to chair the National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Committee in 2011. "The NFB is huge. When I found the NFB, I realized that its philosophy was the same as the one I had fortunately grown up with: 'blind people are able to live full and productive lives just like any sighted person. We want the same chances to succeed as everyone else. With the right techniques, blindness can be reduced to an inconvenience, rather than being a tragedy.' " The NFB's monthly publication, the Braille Monitor, has featured several articles by Patti on a variety of blindness topics: Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and the Illinois affiliate of which she is president. She is also a frequent contributor to the ISBA Administrative Law Section newsletter. Patti and her husband Francisco Chang have raised two children. Francisco is an RN with several national certifications. They were married in 1984. "I love to brag about my kids, John, a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana, and Julia, who attends the University of Illinois at Urbana now. They both excel and care about people. They are really special," she said. Patti and Francisco work to strike a balance among the priorities in their lives: work, family, philanthropy, and play. Francisco has tricitizenship because he is of Chinese descent and was raised in Belize. As a result of her husband's experiences, Patti administered practice exams and review sessions for permanent residents trying to obtain US citizenship at the Pui Tak Center in Chicago from 2002 to 2006. "When we find time in our busy schedules, one of our favorite things to do is travel," Patti said. "We have traveled extensively in Central America, and Mexico." Wherever the Changs go, they illustrate the NFB's core belief that blind people are normal people who cannot see, and their lives and contributions can be as rich and valuable as those of anyone else. [PHOTO CAPTION: Parnell Diggs] Parnell Diggs NFB of South Carolina President Attorney, Musician, Family Man Parnell Diggs was among the initial generation of Braille-reading students to enter first grade in the public schools of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was 1975, and the president of the United States had just signed into law what is known today as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), guaranteeing disabled students the right to a public education. Diggs had been born blind because of detached retinas. School officials were reluctant to admit him into a classroom with sighted students; but they had no choice if the school system was to qualify for federal funding, and Bill and Nancy Diggs refused to accept the limitations for their son that society ordinarily placed on blind children. Young Diggs unequivocally demonstrated that he could acquire an education alongside his sighted peers. But he always looked forward to the end of the school day. In the yards, woods, and streets of his childhood, he climbed trees, rode bikes, and played quarterback on the neighborhood Pop Warner football team after his family relocated to Columbia, South Carolina. He taught his younger brother Holland how to play baseball and how to wrestle. Holland was sighted, and he taught "Parnelli," (a family nickname), the things most children learn by watching others, such as how to dance, shrug his shoulders, and give the thumbs-up sign. They remained close until Holland's untimely death in 2005. In high school Diggs participated on the varsity wrestling team and made the South Carolina Honors All-State Chorus, and, while his friends were earning spending cash bagging groceries, he was earning good money singing and playing the guitar in Columbia area restaurants. In 1989 Diggs met Kenneth Jernigan and Donald Capps, two leaders who had dedicated their lives to helping their blind brothers and sisters. They shared a message of promise and achievement for the blind and talked about how the blind could accomplish more through collective action. Diggs quickly embraced their reasoning and passion. Before long Diggs recognized that the full integration of blind people into society would be his life's work; and though he was busy double majoring in political science and religious studies, working, and maintaining a social calendar, he believed that the best way to help himself as a blind person was to become a member of the National Federation of the Blind. In 1991 Diggs participated in an NFB leadership seminar, where he received intensive instruction from NFB President Marc Maurer, whose leadership style has strongly influenced Diggs to this day. That year, he attended his first NFB national convention. Before arriving in New Orleans that summer, he had read Dr. Floyd Matson's eleven-hundred-page history of the first fifty years of the National Federation of the Blind, Walking Alone and Marching Together, in its entirety, as well as other NFB literature. By the summer of 1992 Diggs had completed his first year of law school and was working as a law clerk at the South Carolina Office of Appellate Defense, the state agency responsible for handling criminal appeals for indigent defendants. There he acquired the skills of legal research and oral argument and learned to interact with clients in the facilities of the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Diggs accepted a position as a law clerk in a private firm in 1993 and continued to hold this position after he was hired as a page in the South Carolina Senate. At one point in 1994, Diggs, a newlywed, was juggling his final semester of law school with two part-time jobs. He had married Kimberly Dawn Gossett (his high school sweetheart) on May 22, 1993. The couple relocated to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 1995 when he accepted a full-time position with the South Carolina Commission for the Blind administering rehabilitation programs in a four-county area. In 1997 he opened a private law practice in Myrtle Beach, where he remains in practice today. Diggs was first elected to the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina board of directors in 1992, and he has been reelected every two years since. He was appointed by Governor Jim Hodges to the governing board of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind in 1999 and again in 2002 and was twice confirmed by the state Senate. This appointment made him the only person ever to have been a client, an employee, and a member of the governing board of the South Carolina Commission for the Blind. In 2000 Donald Capps announced that he would not seek reelection as president of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina and recommended that Diggs be elected in his stead. Diggs was elected unanimously and has held the presidency ever since. In 2007 the nation's blind elected him unanimously to the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind. As a private practitioner Diggs has argued before the United States Court of Appeals in the 4th and 8th Circuits and has represented some three hundred clients in federal administrative proceedings. Music continues to be an important part of his life. Diggs sang first tenor and soloed with the Carolina Master Chorale in Europe in June of 2012 and performs regularly as a singer and guitarist as a member of Surfside United Methodist Church. The Diggses have one son, Jordan, born on January 12, 2000. As he pondered his son's future, Diggs made the following observation, "Jordan will be told that he is less fortunate than other children are because his dad is blind, but thanks to the National Federation of the Blind, he won't believe it. Blindness is not a tragedy. I am determined that this is the message about blindness that my son will hear most." [PHOTO CAPTION: Michael Freeman] Michael Freeman NFB of Washington President Computer Systems Programmer, Activist, Musician Michael Freeman was born more than two months prematurely on October 30, 1948, in Vancouver, Washington. He spent his early childhood just across the Columbia River in Portland, Oregon, beginning his education in the Portland public schools. Later he attended the Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB) in Vancouver and ultimately graduated from the city's Columbia River High School, where he was a member of the National Honor Society, played trumpet in the band, and sang in the choir. In the fall of 1966 Mike matriculated at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, receiving commendation by vote of the faculty for outstanding academic achievement at the end of his freshman year. He graduated from Reed with a BA in physics. He briefly ventured away from the Pacific Northwest to earn his MS in physics from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. For over thirty years Michael was a computer systems programmer at the Bonneville Power Administration, an agency of the US Department of Energy; he retired at the end of July, 2013. He provided mainstream information technology support to a large and technically diverse staff. While he believes that his blindness definitely kept him from finding employment as a physicist, he good-naturedly admits that in the middle 1970s physicists were a dime a dozen and that many of his colleagues also found careers in complex computer systems programming. He says, "I've had fun here. I've found my work at the BPA to be a rewarding and intellectually stimulating experience." Michael's talents are reflected as much by his personal interests and accomplishments as they are in his professional achievements. He speaks fluent German, and he is able to converse competently in French and Spanish. He plays several musical instruments, most notably piano. Michael recalls the honor of playing George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra in 1971 at twenty-three. An amateur radio operator since 1962, he now holds an Amateur Extra Class License. He is a voracious reader, particularly interested in military and political history, foreign affairs, economics, fire science, the natural sciences, music, and medicine. "I became aware of the National Federation of the Blind shortly after graduating from high school when I began applying for college scholarships. I received an NFB Howard Brown Rickard Scholarship in the late 1960s. Bennett Prows, a longtime Federationist, introduced me to the writings of Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, the NFB's founder. Dr. tenBroek's erudite style and message that blindness need not be a tragedy and could be reduced to a physical nuisance -- a message of common sense and hope -- expressed my thinking exactly. Being a skeptic, it took me several years to join the NFB, but it was the best decision I have ever made." Michael returned to Vancouver in 1978 and helped establish the Clark County Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington in early 1983. He began serving as first vice president of the Washington affiliate in 1984, becoming its president for a term in 1996. He has served as affiliate president continuously since 2003. In 2005 he became diabetic. In 2008 he was elected president of the Diabetes Action Network, the NFB division for diabetics. Michael's work as an activist in the Federation is most evident in his success as the Washington State affiliate's legislative chair for the last thirty years. He has led campaigns to pass strong Braille literacy legislation (1996); first-in-the-nation consumer guide dog protections (1988); and progressive reforms strengthening the Washington State School for the Blind, making it a stand-alone agency of state government (1985). In the same year that the affiliate realized the WSSB victory, Michael also orchestrated early landmark nondiscrimination legislation making it unlawful to deem a parent or guardian of a minor neglectful or abusive solely by virtue of his or her blindness. He is the proud father of Shanthi Anne Freeman, his adopted multiply-disabled daughter from India; she was born in November 1989. "The NFB has offered me the chance to do my part to educate society that it is respectable to be blind, to make life better for the blind, and to promote the integration of the blind into society. I am grateful for the opportunity that the NFB has given me to pay the debt I owe to those who have made possible the civil rights and the chance to succeed that I enjoy. In working for the goals of the NFB, I have helped myself too, for I have proved to myself that it is respectable to be blind." [PHOTO CAPTION: John Fritz] John Fritz NFB of Wisconsin President Business Owner, Advocate, and Father John Fritz was born in September of 1966. He was raised on a family dairy farm in southwest Wisconsin. He is the oldest of five children. He was lucky enough to have parents who made him learn the value of hard work early on. "We were a farm family, and I was the oldest son. I was expected to help with the chores and work outside with my dad." He was born legally blind but had some sight. This diminished to light perception by the age of three. He believed at an early age that sight was not a requirement to be successful. John attended the Wisconsin School for the Blind from kindergarten through the seventh grade, primarily because the public school didn't believe a blind child could be served in his hometown. In seventh grade he was able to persuade the school counselor to allow him to transfer back to his local public school. He remembers this being a very difficult adjustment. Having lived at the school for the blind for seven years and being away from his siblings, he found it hard to return and take his place again. Everyone had to get to know each other again. "I realized how much I was missing out on at home," he said. John graduated from Fennimore High School with honors in 1985. Before and after school he was responsible for milking cows and helping with general farm work during high school. He earned his letter in wrestling and played trumpet in pep band, marching band, and concert band. His most significant accomplishments came in Future Farmers of America (FFA). He was involved in an extemporaneous-speaking competition, the Creed Speaking Contest; dairy judging; and parliamentary procedure. He placed fourth in the nation in computers in agriculture and achieved the American Farmer Degree. He also served as president of his FFA chapter for two years. John attended the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where he graduated with honors in 1989 with a major in animal science, emphasizing dairy management, nutrition, and reproduction. He also earned a minor in computer science. While in college he participated in the academic decathlon in agriculture and in seven academic clubs and organizations. In these years John got his first dose of the low expectations many professionals have for blind students. When he told his Department for Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) counselor that he wanted to be a veterinarian, his counselor informed him that, if he pursued that career, DVR wouldn't fund him. The counselor announced that a blind person wouldn't be able to be a veterinarian. So John told the DVR counselor to leave. That day he learned quickly that, if he wanted to pursue his goals, he needed to find a way to pay for college himself. He found part-time jobs, work-study assignments, and scholarships to pay his way. "The most significant event of my life occurred the summer of my sophomore year at a national convention when I won a National Federation of the Blind scholarship in Phoenix, Arizona," John said. This was his first exposure to the NFB. He was relieved to find peers doing similar things and blind people with the same philosophy. He realized during that convention that he had finally found the biggest and most reliable source of information any blind college student could ever have -- other blind people. While attending college, he continued to work on the farm on weekends. College provided him the opportunity to advocate for himself and become a self-sufficient person. John started working on the family dairy farm right after graduating from college. By this time he had decided that the dairy farm was the immediate need, and veterinary school would have to wait. He was responsible for the day-to-day operations and management of the farm, where he milked sixty-five registered Brown Swiss cows. In 1991 he started working part-time for a local computer store as a computer technician. His main responsibility was repairing computers. The next year he became store manager, where his responsibilities included the day-to-day operation of the store, sales, and service. He left the farm and moved to town. He continued at this job for six years. In 1995 he married Heather Ross. They met during the 1992 NFB convention in Charlotte and started dating after running into each other again during the Dallas convention in 1993. In 1997 he accepted a job with the Louisiana Center for the Blind as the computer instructor. He describes it as a very rewarding experience because it provided the opportunity for him to fully absorb and live the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind each day. While in Louisiana, John and Heather Fritz started their family. Lindsey was born in 1998, Christina was born in 1999, Mark was sponsored from Korea in 2001, and Andrew was born in 2002. In 2003 John made the difficult decision to leave his job and friends at the center and return home to Wisconsin with Heather's parents, who had just retired to Wisconsin from California, to begin his own vending business with the Business Enterprise program. This is what he continues to do today. In 2005 the Fritzes adopted their daughter Katie from China at the age of six. In 2006 John and Heather built their dream home for their growing family on fifteen acres in Kendall, Wisconsin. He also built a warehouse for his business, J&H Vending, Inc. John says that he was honored to be elected president of the NFB of Wisconsin in 2006. He has enjoyed working with the affiliate, divisions, and the blind of Wisconsin. In 2008 he was elected to the National Federation of the Blind board of directors. He remains very busy with the state affiliate, along with being a member of Lions Club, the local Ham Radio Club, and various other clubs and organizations. He also likes to do woodworking, grilling, fishing, and hunting large game with his kids. As busy as he is, and as many activities as he pursues, nothing is more important to John than spending time watching his children grow -- all seven of them! Child number six, a four-year-old boy from India they named Jacob, was adopted in May of 2009. The Fritz family has also been joined by a seventeen-year-old daughter named Anna, who was originally adopted from China by another family when she was nine years old, but became part of the Fritz clan in the summer of 2009. Reflecting on his life and work, John says, "The National Federation of the Blind doesn't prescribe what a blind person should do or even what he or she can do. It merely invites every blind person to dream and work to achieve those dreams. Its members blaze trails for one another and cheer each other along the way." [PHOTO CAPTION: Sam Gleese] Sam Gleese NFB of Mississippi President Businessman and Ordained Minister In 1947 Vicksburg, Mississippi, was not an ideal place for a black child to be born with congenital cataracts. For years no one even noticed that little Sam Gleese had difficulty seeing, least of all Sam himself. He simply assumed that everyone else saw things with the hazy imprecision that he did. One day when he was in the second grade, the teacher in the segregated school he attended sent a note home asking his mother to come to school for a conference. To the Gleese family's astonishment she told them that Sam had significant difficulty seeing to read and do board work. By the fourth grade the bouts of surgery had begun. Glasses (which Sam hated and forgot to wear most of the time) were prescribed. But none of this effort enabled young Sam to make out much of what his friends could see. Then in 1962, when he was fifteen, Gleese underwent surgery that gave him enough vision to show him by comparison just how little he had seen until that time. He graduated from high school in 1966 and enrolled that fall at Jackson State College, where he majored in business administration. Looking back, Gleese is sure that he was legally blind throughout these years, but he never considered that he might have anything in common with the blind students he saw on campus. His struggle was always to see, and that made him sighted. Occasionally he was forced to deal with his difficulty in reading, particularly when a fellow student or teacher pointed out what he seemed to be missing, but for the most part he denied his situation and resented those who tried to make him face his problem. After graduation in 1970, Gleese joined a management training program conducted by K-Mart. Everyone agreed that he was excellent on the floor and dealing with employees, but, though he did not realize it, he was extremely unreliable in doing paperwork. He consistently put information on the wrong line. His supervisor confronted him with the problem and told him he had vision trouble. He hotly denied it, but within the year he was out of the program. During the following years Gleese applied repeatedly for jobs that would use his business training. When he supplied information about his medical history and his vision, would-be employers lost interest. Finally in late 1972 he got a job as assistant night stock clerk with a grocery chain. He had a wife to support--he and Vanessa Smith had married in August of 1970--and he needed whatever job he could find. Gradually he worked his way up to assistant frozen food manager in the chain, though it wasn't easy. Then in 1979 his retinas detached, and within a few weeks late in the year he had become almost totally blind. For a month or two he was profoundly depressed. His wife, however, refused to give up on him or his situation. Gradually Gleese began to realize that she was right. He could still provide for his family and find meaningful work to do. He just had to master the alternative methods used by blind people. Early in 1980 he enrolled in an adult training center in Jackson, where he learned Braille, cane travel, and daily living skills. He is still remembered in the program for the speed with which he completed his training. By the following summer he was working as a volunteer counselor at the center, and in the fall, with the help of the state vocational rehabilitation agency, he and his wife Vanessa were working in their own tax preparation business. It was difficult, however, to maintain a sufficient income year round, and the Gleeses had a daughter, Nicole, born in 1976, to think about. In 1983 he decided to try taking a job making mops in the area sheltered workshop for the blind. He worked there for two years until a staff member pointed out that he could do better for himself in the state's Randolph-Sheppard vending program, which had finally been opened to African Americans in 1980-81. In January of 1985 Gleese was assigned the worst vending stand in the state of Mississippi. Because of his degree in business administration, his phenomenal record in personal rehabilitation, and his work history in the grocery business, officials decided that he needed no training but could learn the program in his own location. He spent two years in that facility, mastering the business and improving his techniques. Then during the next several years he had somewhat better locations. But in 1992 he bid on an excellent facility and then appealed the decision that awarded it to another vendor. Though the appeal decision, which eventually came down, did not give him personal redress, it did correct unfair practices that had plagued many vendors in Mississippi for years. In April of 1994 Sam, with the help of his wife Vanessa, became the manager of one of the largest food service operations in the state vending program. Gleese has always been active in the Missionary Baptist Church. From 1973 to 1990 he taught the adult Sunday school class in his own church, and in 1980 he became a deacon. He was ordained to the ministry in November of 1992 and is now senior associate minister at the College Hill Baptist Church. He headed the scouting and the taping ministry. Currently he heads the members' ministry and works with several other ministries. Gleese first heard about the National Federation of the Blind in the early 1980s and attended his first national convention in 1983. He reports that from that moment he has been a committed Federationist. Vanessa has worked steadily beside him through the years as he has struggled to improve the lives of Mississippi's blind citizens. He became president of one of the state's local chapters in 1985, and the following year he was elected state president. He has continued to serve in that office ever since. Under his leadership the number of chapters in the Mississippi affiliate has nearly tripled. In 1992 Gleese was first elected to the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind, where he continues to serve with distinction. He has dedicated his life to educating the public, blind and sighted alike, about the abilities of blind people. According to him, too many people in Mississippi believe--as he did for many years--that blind people can do nothing and belong in rocking chairs and back rooms. Sam Gleese is making a difference everywhere he puts his hand. In May of 1999 the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, chose Sam to serve as chairperson of the newly formed Mayor's Advisory Committee on Disabilities. In September of that year he was appointed and confirmed by the city council of Jackson as the first blind person to serve on the Jackson-Hinds Library administrative board. This board oversees the services of public libraries in each of the seven towns in the Hinds County area. In August of 2000 Gleese retired from the vending program for health reasons. He served one year in the AmeriCorps volunteer program. The project with which he was associated encourages and enables people with disabilities to become fully involved in the community. The program is the only one of its kind in Mississippi and is staffed by disabled people. Sam explains that other AmeriCorps programs are designed to assist in education--tutoring and the like--but this program allowed him to increase his outreach to blind people and the general disability community. It provided yet one more way of living his Federationism and ministering to the people he has been called to serve. In August of 2001 Gleese accepted a position as an independent living specialist with LIFE (Living Independence for Everyone) of central Mississippi. This position provided opportunities to work with adolescents with special health care needs between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one in Mississippi. The project, called Healthy Futures, was funded by a four-year grant through the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the US Department of Health and Human Services. In January of 2002 Gleese became the statewide project director for the Healthy Futures grant. This position enhanced his opportunity to serve all adolescents with special health care needs, including blind people. On October 1, 2007, Sam was employed by the City of Jackson as its ADA compliance coordinator. In considering the position with the city, Sam saw an opportunity to have an even greater opportunity to positively influence the lives of the blind and other people with disabilities in Jackson. "I believe that the energy and commitment I bring to this job will set a benchmark for other cities to strive for and meet." Sam Gleese makes it clear by word and action that each advancement he has made through the years has been in large measure the result of the hope and determination the NFB has instilled in its members, and he makes it clear that he will do what he can to see that others enjoy a quality of life as good as or better than the one he has been privileged to live. [PHOTO CAPTION: Ever Lee Hairston] Ever Lee Hairston Mentor, Advocate, Motivational Speaker Ever Lee Hairston was unanimously elected to the Board of Directors at the 2010 National Federation of the Blind (NFB) convention on July 6, 2010, in Dallas, Texas. She brings considerable experience to this position, having served in various capacities with the NFB over the years -- including nineteen consecutive years of service on the NFB Scholarship Committee and a fourteen-year stint as first vice president of the NFB of New Jersey. Ever Lee founded and served as the president of the Garden State Chapter of the NFB of New Jersey from 1991 until 2005, and for many years she was the coordinator of the LEAD Program, a mentoring program for blind and visually impaired teenagers. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Louisiana Center for the Blind and as first vice president of the NFB of California. Born to Arizona and Clarence Hairston on the Coolemee plantation in Mocksville, North Carolina, Ever Lee is the third of seven children. She grew up and attended schools in the segregated South. "I felt like a second-class citizen, using hand-me-down books in school; and, due to unexplained vision problems, I had to struggle to read from the bulletin board," Ever Lee noted. In spite of the challenges of growing up in the segregated South and continuing visual problems, Ever Lee had a strong desire to become a nurse. Ever Lee's parents simply could not afford to send her to college; so after high school, Ever Lee went to New York City to earn money for college by working as a live-in maid. She returned to North Carolina at the end of the summer anxious to pursue a nursing career. However, she failed the required eye examination and was told that she would not be suitable for admission to Duke University Nursing School. "I was heartbroken but refused to be defeated," she said. She was accepted at North Carolina Central University, where she earned a teaching degree. After graduating from North Carolina Central, Ever Lee taught high school business courses in New Jersey. While working as a high school teacher in New Jersey, Ever Lee's eyesight continued to deteriorate. She finally sought answers and medical care. Ever Lee, along with three siblings, were diagnosed with a genetic eye disease, retinitis pigmentosa (RP). And, four years after starting a challenging teaching career, Ever Lee was forced to resign from her position because of her impending blindness. At the age of twenty-nine, facing total blindness, with a failed marriage, a child to raise alone, and uncertainty about future employment, Ever Lee admitted to being devastated and feeling sorry for herself. However, she held on to the hope that a better way of life was in store for her. Ever Lee admits to believing in the old adage that "When God closes a door, He opens a window." She began looking for the window. After inventorying her strengths, she stepped through a window of opportunity at New Jersey's Rutgers University, where she took graduate courses in counseling. In 1983 she landed a Counselor Trainee position with the Camden County Department of Health and Human Services. But, as Ever Lee explains it, "With no blindness skills, I was faking my way through." She notes that she relied heavily on sighted people to read to her and to act as guides. In 1987 Ever Lee received a call from Jackie Billie inviting her to a NFB convention in Phoenix, Arizona. At first she made excuses because she was afraid of requesting the time off from her job. Jackie was persistent, and Ever Lee finally agreed to attend the convention. Ever Lee describes arriving at the hotel in Phoenix, Arizona, to the unfamiliar sound of canes tapping and the unsettling feeling of dogs licking her legs. The most profound experience, as Ever Lee explains it, came when she started through the registration line. She remembers being asked, "Would you like a Braille or print agenda?" She could no longer read print and did not know Braille. It was then, according to Ever Lee, that a light bulb went off. "I am illiterate," she thought. She talked to as many people as she could at that convention in Phoenix, Arizona, and learned about the NFB centers. From then until 1990 she continued to function without blindness skills but worked on a plan with Joanne Wilson to get to Louisiana where she could be trained. Ever Lee attended the Louisiana Center for the Blind from October 1990 until April 1991. She learned to read Braille, mastered cane travel and independent living skills, and learned to utilize adaptive technology. She returned to New Jersey, after the Freedom Bell rang for her at the Louisiana Center, with a confidence she never had before, integrating blindness skills into her everyday life. Ever Lee credits her training at the Louisiana Center for the Blind with enabling her to succeed at her chosen career. After twenty-six years holding many successive positions with the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Program in New Jersey, Ever Lee retired from the position of program director in 2006. In July of 2006 she moved to California. She continues to devote tireless hours mentoring and advocating for the blind, as well as delivering inspiring speeches to blind and visually impaired audiences and educating the sighted public about blindness. Ever Lee is blessed with one son, Victor; a wonderful daughter-in-law, Brenda; and three energetic grandchildren: Briana, Kendall, and Jasmine. She enjoys traveling, reading a good novel, and spending time with family and friends. [PHOTO CAPTION: Cathy Jackson] Cathy Jackson NFB of Kentucky President Advocate, Braille Specialist, and Mother Mary Catherine Brothers (Cathy) was born on October 25, 1949, in Louisville, Kentucky, to Charles and Catherine Brothers. She is the third of nine children, four girls and five boys. Cathy was born with congenital cataracts. In 1949 few resources were available to parents of blind children. The National Federation of the Blind was only nine years old, and the Kentucky affiliate was only two years old. The Brothers family had not heard of either. Her parents had never known any other blind people and couldn't imagine what the future might hold for their daughter. However, they decided that a common-sense approach was their best avenue. Luckily for Cathy, they never considered any approach to raising their blind daughter other than the methods they were using to raise their two older boys. After several eye surgeries Cathy gained some usable vision in her right eye. At age five she was enrolled in a Roman Catholic school. Her parents chose this educational setting since the school offered a sight-saving class, where she would have access to large-print books and other materials that would make classroom work easier. Then in the fall of 1960 Cathy was enrolled at the Kentucky School for the Blind, where she remained until graduating from high school in 1967. Her parents and teachers decided that it would be more beneficial for her to attend school where she would have access to all of her textbooks in large print and, perhaps more important, where she could learn Braille. This was Cathy's first exposure to totally blind peers and adults. Although she had been around other visually impaired students at her elementary school, the majority of them could see considerably better than she. She and her parents soon learned that blindness was simply a physical condition, certainly not one that would keep her from achieving whatever goals she set for herself. During these seven years while attending the Kentucky School for the Blind, she began to learn not to be ashamed of her blindness. She learned to advocate for herself and others. Being student council president during her junior and senior years launched her political career. During the summer of 1967 Cathy attended the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind. An ill-advised rehabilitation counselor thought this training would be the crowning touch to prepare her for college in the fall. That summer school Lighthouse class of 1967 was comprised of very bright, outgoing, normal young adults, who turned the tables on the Lighthouse staff and teachers. As Cathy remembers the experience, the adults were the ones to get the education when the students refused to be bound by the low expectations and negative attitudes of the staff. At this point in her life she still had not heard about the National Federation of the Blind but was already preaching and practicing NFB philosophy. Upon graduation from high school Cathy attended Spalding University, formerly Catherine Spalding College in Louisville, Kentucky. She majored in psychology, minored in sociology, and took an active part in academic, student government, and social organizations. The blindness skills and attitudes she had learned at the Kentucky School for the Blind and even the negative attitudes she had been exposed to at the Lighthouse the summer before college were beginning to pay dividends. Cathy was growing into an adult with increasingly resolute convictions and positive attitudes. In 1972 Cathy met Betty Niceley, the longtime leader of the Kentucky affiliate and for many years a member of the NFB board of directors. The rest is history. This friendship began her formal Federation education. Although Cathy was slow to join the Federation, Betty never gave up on recruiting her. In 1975 Cathy became a member of the Louisville Association of the Blind, the former name of the local NFB chapter. Through the years Cathy eventually served as secretary, vice president, and president of the National Federation of the Blind of Greater Louisville. She was also treasurer of the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille of Kentucky. In the Kentucky affiliate she has served as board member, treasurer, first vice president, and now president. At the 2002 annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind held in Louisville, she was elected to the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind. Cathy has held a variety of jobs through the years. During college she was employed at the Kentucky Industries for the Blind (now LC Industries for the Blind) to do seasonal contract work. For a short time after college Cathy worked for the state of Kentucky as a social worker in the Food Stamp Office. After staying home to raise her daughter, Cathy has worked successively as the program coordinator for the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky Braille Service Center, a clerical support staff member in a law office, and the Braille clerk for the Jefferson County school system. But her favorite job of all was stay-at-home mom to her daughter Dana Nicole. She volunteered as a classroom aide, did substitute teaching, and worked as a secretary in the principal's office. She served as president of the school Parent Teacher Association, secretary of the athletic club, and member of the parish council. In addition she coached both the peewee basketball team and the cheerleading squad. In June of 2010 Cathy joined the ranks of the retired. She is enjoying retirement to the fullest. She says it affords her more time to concentrate on her NFB obligations. She is also enjoying spending precious time with her family, especially her two granddaughters, Hana and Haley. Cathy has received a number of awards for academic and athletic achievement, but the awards she cherishes most are the Susan B. Rarick, Harold L. Reagan and T. V. Cranmer awards presented to her by the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky. Cathy commented that her roots and commitment to the NFB go deep and that the past thirty-eight years are just the beginning. [PHOTO CAPTION: Carl Jacobsen] Carl Jacobsen NFB of New York President Businessman, Community Activist, Teacher Carl Jacobsen was born on December 22, 1946, and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where his father had immigrated from Norway and his mother from Scotland. When he was sixteen, he lost his sight over a four-month period due to Lieber's Syndrome. Although it would be some time before he found the NFB, Carl says he employed Federation philosophy in his approach to his blindness from the day he learned his diagnosis. He transferred from Brooklyn Tech to Erasmus Hall High School because that's where the resource room was located. At Erasmus he met two adults who would have a positive influence on his life: his resource teacher, Sam Ellis, and his orientation and mobility instructor, Ed Towns. Carl tells the story of how Towns, now a former member of Congress, gave him a dry cleaning claim ticket and some cash and told him to pick up his suit. When Carl asked where the dry cleaner was located, Towns responded that, since he was such a wise guy, he could figure it out for himself. While at Erasmus, Carl also met Sally Rupp, one of the volunteer readers in the resource room, whom he would later marry. After graduation from high school Carl attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, for two years while Sally attended nursing school in Brooklyn. They decided the separation was too stressful, however, so Carl left school to marry Sally. Soon he and Sally began their family with son Bradley and daughter Christine, born in their first five years of marriage. Later, in 1991, they adopted their son Andrew from Korea. While the older children were growing up, Carl returned to school and finished his bachelor's degree at Hunter College in New York City. He also attended Union Seminary for three years but decided not to seek ordination. Carl attended his first NFB national convention in 1989 and has missed only one since, the year his wife Sally was critically ill. In the fall of 1989 he was elected second vice president of the New York affiliate. In 1991 he was elected president of the New York City Chapter, an office he held until 2005. Later that year he was elected first vice president of the state affiliate and subsequently elected affiliate president in 1997, a position he continues to hold. Carl also served on the board of directors of the National Association of Blind Merchants until July of 2006. Throughout his life Carl has pursued various careers, including factory management and business enterprise management. He says his favorite work is teaching. Though he has never taught school, in addition to training entrants into the Randolph-Sheppard Program, he worked with blind children and teens on cane travel and other blindness skills as well as on attitudes about blindness. He also gives presentations to parents and educators of blind children on the truth about blindness the Federation way. Throughout the 1970s and 80s Carl was instrumental in establishing several programs for preschool children through local churches. Carl was elected to the NFB board of directors in 2004. His daughter Christine presented him with twin grandchildren, Jason and Caitlin. His wife Sally died in February 2002. His son Brad and daughter-in-law Maggy presented him with another grandson, Gunnar Albizu, who was born in February of 2013. On May 20, 2006, Carl married Cantor Dr. Mindy Fliegelman. Together they continue to work for the independence of blind people in New York and across the country. While he has received many awards and rewards, Carl says the greatest of them all is the victories both large and small which he and others achieve through the Federation. As long as the Lord gives them strength and breath, Carl and Mindy will work to advance the cause of the NFB. [PHOTO CAPTION: Jeannie Massay] Jeannie Massay NFB of Oklahoma President Counselor, Advocate, and Leader Jeannie Massay was born in 1968 in Oklahoma City, the youngest of three children and the only girl. She said she was blessed to be a daddy's girl, with brothers who did whatever she told them to do. "They always had my back and were loving and supportive," she said. Jeannie had good vision for the first thirty-seven years of her life, though she did suffer from severe astigmatism and wore strong glasses to compensate for it. She attended Windsor Hills Elementary School because her mother was a teacher there. "I have been an avid reader all of my life, and because my mom was a reading specialist who worked with sixth-graders, after school I went to her classroom to learn about Pompeii, the pyramids, and all kinds of things younger children didn't normally get to read about." In junior high she attended Leo C. Mayfield. As a student she was involved in competing in intermural basketball and softball. She was also involved in the Pep Club and Student Council. In ninth grade Jeannie had unexplained weight loss and severe abdominal cramping, but soon the symptoms went away. They would return every couple months, and initially she was diagnosed with hyperglycemia. When she was sixteen the cramping, weight loss, and lethargy caused the doctor to do a blood glucose tolerance test, revealing a blood sugar level as high as 900. A normal blood sugar is considered to be around one hundred, and one is considered to be a diabetic if blood sugar levels exceed 140. She was hospitalized for a week to learn to manage her diabetes. Jeannie attended Putnam City West High School, where she played competitive softball and performed in the band for three years. She was on the debate team and managed to get A's and B's, which kept her on the honor roll. "Although I didn't do badly, I wish I had done better. I was pretty social and liked to talk to people. I was a pretty well-rounded kid, but it was tough being a diabetic and wanting to eat like a teenager. Since I wanted to fit in and do what I thought was normal, at times I went to the pizza parlor and the hamburger joints." After high school Jeannie attended the University of Central Oklahoma, living at home until her senior year. She thought she wanted to be a political scientist until her first class and then decided this was not what she was meant to do. Instead, she began studying psychology, and in 1990, during a two-week period, she graduated, got married, and watched her husband leave for active military service. Jeannie got a job selling cosmetics in a department store. When her husband Mark was transferred from Fort Knox to San Antonio to go through medical training to be a dietitian, she moved to be near him. After his training was completed, Mark was stationed at Landstuhl General Hospital in Germany, the largest military hospital in the European Theatre. When Jeannie was eventually able to go to Germany, she loved it: the people, the food, and the opportunity for travel. She taught at a department of defense dependent school, providing instruction in reading, math, and language arts. She also worked with a behavioral management specialist, which led her to think at the time that she did not want to work with children -- all the funnier because she eventually came to realize this was her calling and now her job is counseling children and teenagers. Jeannie and her husband were in Germany just over three years during the Bosnian conflict. When the military began downsizing, Mark was offered early contract closure and both returned to the States. Jeannie went back to selling cosmetics, working at Est??e Lauder. She started by working behind the counter, then became counter manager, and then assumed the job of account coordinator, managing seven counters around Oklahoma. When Mark received a promotion, both moved to Alexandria, Virginia, where he managed Marriott contracts for Georgetown University. Jeannie was able to continue her work with Est??e Lauder but now she was back to working on the counter. Soon that counter was bringing in $1 million a year. Yet another promotion for Mark found the couple moving to Jackson, Mississippi. Est??e Lauder helped Jeannie find another job, this time managing multiple counters. The couple was in Jackson for two years, but a merger sent Mark to St. Louis, where he ran the food and conference center for Boeing. Jeannie went to work for a subsidiary of Est??e Lauder, Origins, where she worked as the coordinator for eight stores in Missouri and Indiana. While in St. Louis the couple lived in an old Jewish Temple which had been renovated into an apartment. This she loved. Soon she was given the opportunity to interview as an account executive for Origins, flew to New York for the interview, talked with Mark, and was gratified to learn that his reaction to making a move that would further her career was unequivocal: "You have followed me around for ten years, so now I will gladly follow you." The couple moved to Memphis, and Jeannie was responsible for the states of Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. In this position she managed eighteen counters for Dillard's stores and for other retail establishments. She supervised eighty people and loved the job. Even the jobs we love the most come with significant drawbacks. Jeannie was traveling more than three weeks each month, and this was tough on her marriage and tough on her physically. "Sometimes I would work so hard that I would forget to eat. I got really skinny and sickly. So, after close to four years of this kind of life, Mark and I agreed that something had to change." She chose to resign her position with Est??e Lauder because she could not keep up with the demands of the job without continuing to damage her body. They decided to move back to Oklahoma to be closer to family and friends, drastically improving their quality of life. Her next job was with the Oklahoma Blood Institute doing public relations and helping to run blood drives. She realized she liked working in this nonprofit organization because she believed in its mission, liked helping people, and felt she was doing something good for society. She worked there for two years before she had a hemorrhage in her eye. When she woke on a Friday morning and found that everything she saw was pink, she thought she was having a problem with allergies, because it had happened before. When the problem had not improved on Monday, she went to the doctor and on that day received 1,000 laser shots in both eyes. Problems with her vision would consume the next year of her life. Every two weeks she was having eye surgeries, procedures, and experimental injections. The frequent laser treatments on both of her eyes meant that she missed a lot of work, and the director of public relations called her in to ask why. No doubt feeling the need to expose her repressed inner doctor, the supervisor suggested Jeannie "get an eye transplant." In the quest to save her vision, she could not assure her supervisor that her attendance would improve, so she resigned. Four times during that year of struggle to save her sight, she lost all of her vision. Each time it would return, there would be less of it. Emotionally she tells the story of traveling to a 7 AM Rotary Club meeting and finding that, on that day, she had so little vision that her usual ten-minute trip took forty-five minutes. "I freely gave up driving because I was terrified that I was going to hurt someone else." "I went through the next six months of surgeries and injections and finally came to the realization that I was mostly blind and it was going to stay that way. I couldn't see to read or to sew, and at that point I had difficulty figuring out anything I could really do. Part of my self-concept is that I am a strong-willed person, but I couldn't see how that strong will was going to save me." Mark was initially terrified by the onset of her blindness and for a time was very overprotective. Neither of the Massays knew a blind person, and the only thing Jeannie knew was that blind people carried long white canes. The rehabilitation agency had not offered her one, she had no idea where a cane for the blind could be had, so she began using a three-foot carved walking stick her father had used. "Mark and I moved in with my mom because I was familiar with the layout of her house. I started receiving library services for the blind but was on so much medication that I really couldn't read or enjoy the books they sent. I signed up for rehabilitation services and tried to learn something about assistive technology, but only once did a rehabilitation teacher come to my house for fifteen minutes. Not knowing what else to do, I went to the Library for the Blind in Oklahoma City and spent hours there. They offered no formal training there, but I observed other people, listened to what they were doing, and came to understand a bit about the assistive technology used by blind people. "The one thing I got from the rehabilitation agency that did seem to help was orientation and mobility services. I appreciated my instructor because she showed up for appointments and was the first person I could clearly see who wanted to give me back my independence." When Jeannie decided that she would need more training than she could get from an occasional home visit by the Oklahoma agency, she looked at residential rehabilitation centers. She considered attending the Colorado Center for the Blind and was given a long white cane, but the information she had heard about the National Federation of the Blind and the rigor of CCB training, along with biased information and the opinions of her counselor, convinced her that she should attend the Carroll Center for the Blind. She was at the center about six months, and in addition to personal adjustment to blindness training, she also went through an office skills program so that she could learn enough assistive technology to go back to school and get her master's degree. As she gained confidence and a working set of blindness skills, Mark once again saw in Jeannie the fiercely independent woman he'd married. After her time at the Carroll Center, Jeannie went back to school to become a therapist. Working in the cosmetics industry had always been lucrative, but it'd never been her passion. Mark also made the decision to go back to school, and both graduated with their master's degrees at the same time. After graduating in May of 2011, Jeannie set out to begin the supervision process, part of the requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Oklahoma. The requirement consists of working for a minimum of three thousand hours under a counselor who is already licensed. Jeannie encountered discrimination when seeking a job to complete the supervision required for her to pursue licensure. "Although I was equally qualified and had a high GPA, many people saw my cane and assumed that I wouldn't be able to do the job," she said. After going on lots of interviews, Jeannie finally found a job in October of 2011. She began counseling children, adolescents, and their families, who deal with ADHD, depression and anxiety disorders. Jeannie completed the state and national exams in November of 2013 after having had issues gaining her appropriate and desired accommodations. She passed both examinations and will soon receive her Oklahoma state license as a licensed professional counselor. Jeannie's first association with an organization of the blind came when she joined the Oklahoma Council of the Blind, the state affiliate of the American Council of the Blind. Although she liked some of the people in the organization, she became concerned with how much time they spent complaining about this radical and militant organization known as the National Federation of the Blind. She did just enough research to realize that the NFB gave state and national scholarships, decided that she was as competent and capable as anyone else, and even decided that crazy, militant money was still spendable. She did not win a national scholarship but was invited to attend the 2008 state convention in Oklahoma. There were fourteen people at that convention and, to her surprise, Steve Shelton nominated her for a board position. During the luncheon speech presented by the national representative from the Federation, Jeannie was touched by the idea of finding something larger than oneself and reaching out to help others. Although the Oklahoma affiliate did not award her a scholarship in 2008, it did provide resources she could use to attend the national convention. "I was a bit overwhelmed by the three thousand blind people in the Hilton Anatole," she said, "but once I heard the gavel drop, I knew we had to bring this kind of enthusiasm and the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind home to Oklahoma. I felt a duty and an obligation to organize a chapter in Edmund, so Steve Shelton, Dick Morris, Selena Crawford, and Dan Frye worked to make the first meeting possible. We had four people attend, and I thought this was great! I told myself we would have an awesome chapter, but at our first regular meeting only the officers showed up. I was disappointed but resolved. The chapter kept growing and pretty soon it came to have twenty and then thirty people on average. We kept at it, and at the same time we worked on developing the affiliate." Jeannie won a national scholarship in 2009, was invited by President Maurer to attend a leadership seminar, and at that time she told President Maurer that, when she graduated with her master's degree, she would run to be the state president in Oklahoma. A third chapter of the affiliate was organized in Ardmore, Oklahoma, in 2010. Two more chapters were chartered in 2012, one in Clinton, the West Central chapter, and the other in Tulsa, the Brady District Chapter. The affiliate has organized a student division and hopes to organize a Parents of Blind Children Division in 2014. In 2011 the Oklahoma affiliate had ten people at the national convention held in Orlando. In 2012 thirty-eight people sat in the affiliate's delegation, since the convention was just across the Red River in Dallas, Texas. In 2013, once again in Orlando, the number of attendees from the state rose from ten to seventeen. Jeannie says she has never had problems believing in the teachings of the National Federation of the Blind regarding the need to learn blindness skills. She says that, after her initial loss of vision, what she can see has varied so much that she has never been tempted to put down her cane. "My vision isn't what I use to live -- it is helpful and icing on the cake, but it cannot meet my daily needs for travel and other activities." Jeannie Massey was elected to the national board of directors in July 2013. "When I was growing up, and to this day, my mother used to ask me `What are you?' She taught me to respond in the following way, 'I am intelligent, capable, beautiful, and lots of fun to be with.' This was our way of affirming who I wanted to be and who I could become, and blindness hasn't changed any of it. This is the message I want to share with blind people: that our hopes, dreams, goals, and aspirations are no less real simply because we do not see." [PHOTO CAPTION: Alpidio Rol??n] Alpidio Rol??n NFB of Puerto Rico President Veteran and Advocate The needs of the blind of Puerto Rico are legion. With the support of the membership of the National Federation of the Blind of Puerto Rico, this board member has made it his personal mission to lead his affiliate to work for improved and modernized opportunities for education, employment, and daily life for all blind people in this somewhat isolated part of the United States. Now on the national board, he is expanding his work to include improved opportunities for all blind people nationwide. Alpidio Rol??n, the only child of Marcela Garc??a and Alpidio Rol??n, was born on June 20, 1949, in New York City. Seven years later his family moved back to Puerto Rico, where he has lived since 1956. He volunteered for service in the US Army in July 1969, completed basic and advanced infantry training, then was sent to Vietnam in January of 1970. A rifle-propelled grenade that blew up in front of him blinded him on April 7, 1970. Three weeks later young Rol??n was sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, where he learned basic orientation and mobility skills and was treated for perforated eardrums caused by the exploding grenade. He later spent six months at the Central Blind Rehabilitation Center of the Hines Veterans Administration Hospital in Chicago. There he learned the blindness skills that would permit him to live independently. Rol??n graduated magna cum laude from the University of Puerto Rico in 1976, obtaining a bachelor's degree in liberal arts with an Hispanic studies major. Continuing his interest in Hispanic studies at the master's level, he completed both courses and comprehensive test requirements. At the University of Puerto Rico be began advocating for the rights of blind people. Although he had belonged to other blind consumer organizations, he says that it wasn't until 1991 -- when he became part of the NFB of Puerto Rico organizing committee -- that he began to believe that he could really do something worthwhile to help the blind, that joining the National Federation of the Blind was like coming home. Rol??n was first elected as treasurer of the NFB of Puerto Rico in 1992 and has served as its president since 1996. He was elected to the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind in July of 2006. Rol??n has combined his love of Spanish and his commitment to the National Federation of the Blind by translating NFB materials into Spanish. He was first motivated to do so when he heard Dr. Kenneth Jernigan's speech "On the Nature of Independence" at the NFB national convention in 1993, in Dallas, Texas. He has since translated other speeches and Braille Monitor articles, served as a real-time translator of banquet speeches at national conventions, and edited inspirational personal stories written by members of the National Federation of the Blind of Puerto Rico of the kind that appear in the NFB Kernel Books. Alpidio Rol??n is the president of the Society of Friends of the Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of Puerto Rico. In that capacity he has guided the Society into producing Braille and recorded books in Spanish for blind children in Puerto Rico. To further his goal of improving educational and job opportunities for blind children and adults, he serves as president of the Advisory Council of the Puerto Rico Assistive Technology Program. [PHOTO CAPTION: Joseph Ruffalo, Jr.] Joseph Ruffalo Jr. NFB of New Jersey President Mentor, Community Leader, Activist, and Family Man Born July 6, 1949, in Montclair and raised in Bloomfield, New Jersey, Joseph Ruffalo, Jr., had already graduated from Bloomfield High School, attended Montclair State College, and served America in Vietnam, where he earned a Bronze Star, before he learned in 1976 that retinitis pigmentosa would slowly claim his vision. For six years he continued his work as a manager in a Thom McAn shoe store, but by 1983 he began looking for guidance about how to achieve greater proficiency and control over his life as a blind adult. The staff at the Joseph Kohn Rehabilitation Center (JKRC), then located in Newark, told him he should not learn to use a cane, read Braille, or master any adaptive devices because he still had enough vision to do without them. Though eager to obtain the necessary skills, at the time Joe believed he had no recourse but to adhere to the advice of the only professionals he knew. Not until 1986 did he learn to use a cane, and he accomplished that by teaching himself. While at JKRC, Joe discovered a talent for baking, which led to a successful nine-year career as the owner of a pastry business. In 1988 Joe tentatively attended his first NFB chapter meeting in Newark. He reports that after ten minutes he knew that his life was about to change dramatically. Realizing that the NFB was a place of fraternity and empowerment, empathy and accomplishment, Joe says, "I saw blind people doing things I wanted to do. They were holding jobs, volunteering, and achieving in every pursuit." This was the beginning of Joe's own growth and achievement. In 1990 he became second vice president of the New Jersey affiliate; two years later he was first vice president; and by 1993 he was president of the NFB of New Jersey, a position he maintains to this day. "It is a tremendous honor and responsibility to promote positive attitudes about blindness and the abilities of blind people," Joe comments. But Joe's community involvement has not been limited to the National Federation of the Blind. He has been a leader in the Lions Club for over twenty-five years, serving as president for three. He has also held positions as zone/regent chair and serves on the District 16-E cabinet. In over twenty-four years with the Knights of Columbus, Joe has held the positions of guard, warden, and deputy grand knight, and was an active member of the Boy Scouts of America for over fourteen years. As past president of the Special Education Parent and Professional Organization for thirteen years and past chairman of the board of trustees of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, he has further worked to assure the full integration of people with disabilities into society. Joe attended the Therapeutic Massage Center to obtain certification in massage therapy and from 1998 to 2000 provided massage for staff, patients, and visitors at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, before moving his practice to a private office. He has served as a consultant to the Somerset School of Massage, making recommendations to staff and students and answering questions about training methods for blind students. Joe also worked to smooth others' transitions from dependence to independence as a leader in two programs sponsored by the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. He was previously employed by the First Occupational Center of New Jersey as a program specialist in the Senior Community Independent Living Services (SCILS) program, which identifies people over age fifty-five in Essex and Ocean counties who have experienced vision loss, with the goal of teaching independence skills so that these seniors can remain active in the community and independent in their homes. As state program director and northern region coordinator of the Leadership, Education, Advocacy, and Determination (LEAD) program, administered in partnership with Heightened Independence and Progress, Joe provided mentoring activities for blind teenagers and their families. Unfortunately, the LEAD program was terminated as of October 1, 2013. Joe's many contributions to the community were recognized in November 2000 when he was honored with the Partnership for Progress Award at the New Jersey Commission's Believe and Achieve ninetieth anniversary celebration. In July 2001 his leadership in the blindness community was again acknowledged when he was elected to the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind. In October of 2002 the State of New Jersey honored Joe by presenting him with the New Jersey Vietnam Service Medal. Joe has always been encouraged and supported by his wife of thirty-six years, Judy, and his two sons, Joseph and James. In his spare time Joe likes sports of all kinds, especially baseball and basketball, and enjoys hosting Thru Our Eyes, an Internet radio program that highlights blindness issues, discusses technology, and promotes positive attitudes about blindness. Joe's life and work express his commitment to the blind and their struggle for equality in society. His achievements stand as an example for others, like those of the Federationists who deeply impressed him at his first chapter meeting. He achieves and grows, facing every challenge with energy, enthusiasm, and common sense. In so doing, he exemplifies his belief that "one of the most important things for members of the blind community to do is to teach the public that blindness is only a characteristic. With the proper training, skills, attitude, and techniques, blindness can be reduced to a physical nuisance." ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis] The Glass is Half Full: Investing in the Capacity of Workers with Disabilities by Anil Lewis >From the Editor: Anil Lewis is the most visible member of our organization working with Congress to repeal Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the section which allows the payment of less than the federal minimum wage to blind people and others with disabilities. In this article he addresses questions some have about the consequences of repealing this section, explores the faulty assumptions that argue for its preservation, and demonstrates his belief in the innate ability of the human spirit to overcome obstacles too many of us think insurmountable. As we consider his arguments, it is instructive to remember that Anil was initially diagnosed as a person with a developmental disability, and only through his mother's perseverance and belief in him was he able to attend public school, graduate, and go on to earn a master's degree in public administration. Here is what he says: Members of the National Federation of the Blind believe that, given the proper training, support, and opportunity, people with disabilities can live the lives we want. Although some specialized public services may be required for our full participation, those provisions that exclude us from the same rights and protections as everyone else limit us to a lesser existence. Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is an unfair, immoral, discriminatory provision that allows entities to obtain a Special Wage Certificate from the US Department of Labor permitting them to pay workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. These entities are almost always sheltered workshops, segregated workplaces that employ workers with various disabilities -- including sensory, physical, and cognitive or developmental disabilities -- at subminimum wages that are sometimes pennies per hour. This has been considered by some to be an essential tool for workers with disabilities. There are so many rationalizations touting the value and purpose of this provision. Some state that it is employment; others state that it is a training program; still others state that it is both training and employment. The last group states that it simply provides something for people with disabilities to do during the day. Regardless of which of these excuses is used to attempt to justify the existence of this provision, they all promote the misconception that people with disabilities are less capable and less productive than those without disabilities. The truth is that most, if not all, people with disabilities, when they receive specialized rehabilitation and training, can acquire a job skill that allows them to be competitive with nondisabled workers and to earn the federal minimum wage or higher. Most people are unaware of the rehabilitation and training strategies that make this possible and therefore believe that it is impossible. The fundamental question is whether we should, out of ignorance, support programs that believe the glass is half empty or whether we should, as an enlightened society, invest in programs that realize the glass is half full. We must start with the facts. As a result of the antiquated Section 14(c) model, there are over four hundred thousand people with disabilities currently working for wages less than the federal minimum wage. Approximately two hundred thousand of these people are paid less than half of it, and approximately one hundred thousand are paid less than one dollar per hour. 33 percent of students with significant disabilities are being prepared for segregated subminimum-wage employment rather than competitive integrated work. The demonstrated outcome is that fewer than 5 percent of these people will transition into competitive integrated employment (work in a non-segregated environment at the federal minimum wage or higher). Therefore, 95 percent of these people will spend their entire working lives in a segregated subminimum-wage environment performing tedious, sometimes disgusting tasks promoted as work. The segregated subminimum-wage employers peddle their programs as the solution, when they are really the problem. These employers reference the 70 percent unemployment rate of people with disabilities and assert that the existence of subminimum-wage payments is an essential tool to keep this statistic from getting worse. These "employers" have had over seventy years to use this "essential tool" to effect a positive change in the employment of people with disabilities and their strategy has failed miserably. It should be no surprise that a strategy founded on the belief that a person cannot be a productive employee results in nonproductive employees. The pseudo-work environments that pay individuals pennies per hour for performing mundane tasks are no better than the day habilitation environments they profess to replace. These shelters of low expectations rob individuals with disabilities of their real self-worth and the opportunity to achieve a better life. It is past time for us to invest our time and energy in the development of new models that result in more positive outcomes. Under the Employment First paradigm, proven models exist that help people with significant disabilities acquire practical job skills and competitive integrated employment. These strategies have been proven successful for people who were previously trapped in segregated subminimum-wage work environments, where they were told every day by the so-called experts that this is the best they can achieve. Customized employment and supported employment strategies are being used to successfully transition people with significant disabilities into competitive integrated work environments after years of institutionalization. We should abandon the archaic segregated subminimum-wage model and embrace the proven Employment First model that recognizes the true value of workers with disabilities, costs less, and produces better outcomes. We know that it can be done because, as a result of our advocacy, it is being done. Many organizations formerly using Special Wage Certificates have converted to a competitive integrated model in which every employee is paid at least the federal minimum wage. All but one of the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) affiliated agencies pay the federal minimum wage or higher to all of their workers with disabilities employed under the AbilityOne program, a special program created by the federal government and formerly known as the Committee for People Who are Blind or Severely Disabled. Already, 101 Goodwill affiliates operate successfully without paying subminimum wages. These affiliates work with similar populations of people with disabilities as the sixty-four Goodwill affiliates that assert that the Special Wage Certificate is an essential tool. When challenged with this fact, Goodwill representatives state that the difference between these two operational philosophies comes down to a local choice. The sixty-four subminimum-wage Goodwill affiliates are permitted to choose to use the Special Wage Certificate and Goodwill International refuses to adopt a policy that prohibits them from making this choice. Thankfully our advocacy efforts have driven Goodwill affiliates and other segregated subminimum-wage employers to begin to adopt similar non-discriminatory business models. We could just cling to the hope that once our efforts have resulted in an increased number of Goodwill affiliates making the successful transition to this proven business model, Goodwill International would finally adopt a policy that prohibits the use of this immoral discriminatory provision, and all segregated subminimum-wage entities would transition to this proven business model. Unfortunately, as long as it is legal, entities will continue to choose to pay workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage -- business will always cut labor costs when the economy or the law allow it. In order to effect real systemic change, this ineffective provision must be eliminated. The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013, HR 831, will responsibly phase out and eventually repeal Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. As a result, people with the most significant disabilities will no longer be trapped in segregated subminimum-wage workshops. Entities will no longer be able to choose to employ workers with disabilities at subminimum wages. For-profit entities will have one year, public and governmental entities will have two years, and nonprofit entities will have three years to transition to a proven competitive integrated training and employment business model that helps people with significant disabilities to obtain real jobs at real wages. We cannot guarantee that every individual currently employed at subminimum wages will be employed at the federal minimum wage or higher at the end of this three-year period. However, these people will be on a path toward competitive integrated employment, rather than being condemned to a lifetime of segregated subminimum-wage pseudo-work. The legislation does not require an employer currently paying an individual with a disability twenty-two cents per hour to immediately pay this individual $7.25 per hour. Therefore, it places no financial hardship on existing employers in the form of increased labor costs. The goal is not to subsidize wages; the goal is for workers with disabilities to acquire a job skill that will allow them to earn at least the federal minimum wage. If an entity is unable to provide proper training and support to assist an individual in obtaining competitive integrated employment, why should we continue to allow people with disabilities to suffer because of the inadequacy of the service provider? HR 831 eliminates the ability for an entity to be considered a successful employer by paying people subminimum wages rather than providing real work at real wages. As with any mainstream training or employment program, the entity must adopt a business model that provides quality training leading to the acquisition of a marketable job skill and competitive integrated employment for the majority of its students in order to continue to operate. The largest obstacle to our achieving this necessary systemic change is the ignorance and prejudice that has stunted the progression toward equal status of minority groups in our society time and time again. As a society we believe that those who are different are inferior. We feel that if we were faced with blindness, deafness, cerebral palsy, or another physical or developmental disability, we would not be able to succeed. Society asks representatives of entities that profit from this misconception for their opinion and we are told that these environments are necessary. These entities allow us to observe people with disabilities who, having received poor training and minimal support, are unable to effectively perform tasks in pseudo-work environments, and our beliefs of incapacity are reinforced. As a society we do not question the quality of the training or the qualifications of the professionals. We do not attempt to understand whether the assigned job task meets the individual's unique skills, interests, and abilities. What job skill can you acquire sorting hangers all day? How competitive an employee can you become by screwing caps on pens for a living? Although we know this environment would not be appropriate for us, we, with no knowledge of appropriate strategies or interventions, acquiesce and agree that this is an appropriate and even essential environment for others. How many of us would continue to send our children to schools that openly state that they cannot teach our children? How many of us would attend a vocational training program that would not teach us an employable skill? How many of us would choose to work at a job that pays less than the federal minimum wage? None of us, but it seems acceptable to have different answers to these questions when we are referring to people with disabilities. Even many of us with disabilities make this assumption about others with disabilities that we perceive to be more significant than our own. We simply assume that these "other people with disabilities" cannot learn a competitive job skill and that they should therefore be pleased to work at subminimum wages to get the so-called "tangible and intangible benefits of work." Segregated subminimum-wage workshop representatives ask, "Would you pay a full wage to a person who only works at 30 percent of normal productivity?" This is the wrong question. We should ask why the workshop, with its purported expertise in the training and employment of people with disabilities, is only able to assist the individual to reach 30 percent productivity when other entities are assisting similar people to acquire competitive job skills. No one challenges the competence or qualifications of the entities that represent themselves as quality training and employment programs for people with disabilities. Despite the fact that there are countless examples of people faced with significant disabilities who are successfully working in a variety of jobs, society believes that these people have no potential for competitive integrated employment because the program directors tell us so. We continue to support these programs even though they do not teach self-confidence, self-worth, alternative techniques, or any skills that would empower people with disabilities to secure employment and leave the rolls of poverty and public assistance. In any other instance it would be pure foolishness to use public funds to pay for schools where students do not learn, to pay for vocational programs that do not teach a marketable skill, or to provide public support for jobs that pay less than the federal minimum wage. Phasing out the use of segregated subminimum-wage training environments is supported by research, countless case studies, and cost benefit analysis. So why is it so difficult to gain support for the long overdue repeal of Section 14(c) of the FLSA as outlined in HR 831, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act? The simple fact is that it is easier to place people with significant disabilities in segregated environments to keep them away from the rest of society. We even cloud this outrageous act of discrimination by masking it as a demonstration of compassion for those less fortunate by placing them in safe sheltered environments for their own protection. We yield to those who profit from their false assertions of incapacity rather than fight for the rights of those being exploited. It takes courage to confront discrimination. It takes time and energy to invest in strategies and programs that work. We can take the easy way out and prepare the next generation of workers with disabilities for the segregated subminimum-wage workshops, or we can phase out the use of Section 14(c) and invest in the true capacity of workers with disabilities. The employment statistics for workers with disabilities are far from ideal, but this is not a reason to accept the glass-half-empty logic of allowing workers with disabilities to work in useless jobs that pay them less than the federal minimum wage. The glass is in fact half-full, because strategies exist that allow workers with disabilities to obtain competitive, integrated employment. As a society we must invest time and resources in expanding the use of these strategies. This approach will ultimately create a more positive future for all Americans with disabilities. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Michael Barber] Yet Another Federationist Speaks Out on Subminimum Wages by Michael Barber From the Editor: The following article is reprinted from the Opinion page in the December 21, 2013, issue of the Des Moines Register with their kind permission. It is written by Michael D. Barber, the president of the Iowa affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind, and he can be contacted by email at . Here is what he has to say: Iowa View: Harkin's Antiquated Stand on Disabled Wages As a blind person who leads a statewide organization of blind people, I am often asked: "What is the greatest challenge blind people face?" My answer usually surprises people: For the blind, as for all people with disabilities, our biggest problem is other people's attitudes about our disabilities and about how we should be treated. Everyone wants to help us, but the kind of help they want to give isn't always the kind of help we need. When we try to explain this, we are told that we are being unreasonable or, worse, ungrateful. Why can't we accept the things that society is willing to give us and believes to be best for us? The answer is simple: Like all other Americans, we demand freedom, not the care of supposedly benevolent custodians. US Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Ia., has been the political champion of people with disabilities for many years and was a key proponent of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the civil rights act for people with disabilities. The adulation he has justifiably received for his advocacy has, however, given him the impression that he can speak for us. Sen. Harkin has mistaken our appreciation of his past service for permission to advance a public policy that will set us back in our struggle for equality. He is endorsing an antiquated and immoral practice that allows workers with disabilities to be paid less than the minimum wage. Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act allows certain employers to pay less than the federal minimum wage -- usually "sheltered workshops," the term for segregated factories set up specifically for workers with disabilities. Some of these workshops not only pay their workers mere pennies per hour, but they have them working in abhorrent conditions where the workers are physically and psychologically abused. The Des Moines Register reported extensively on such a case, that of Henry's Turkey Service, which paid workers at an Iowa turkey processing plant forty-one cents per hour and housed them in a roach-infested, unheated building. In a recent bill known as the Workforce Investment Act, reauthorization was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which Sen. Harkin chairs. Language was included in Title V, Section 511, that purports to reduce the number of youth with disabilities placed in a sheltered workshop. Although the intent is laudable, the policy endorses segregated subminimum-wage environments as viable training and employment options for workers with disabilities. There is a better way to stop young people from becoming victims of subminimum-wage employment: Responsibly phase out the use of this practice over a three-year period, allowing existing entities to convert to a proven business model that leads to competitive integrated employment of people with disabilities. That's what another bill, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act, would do. Rep. Gregg Harper, R-Miss., introduced this legislation, and it currently has nearly 50 co-sponsors and is supported by the National Federation of the Blind and over 60 other organizations of people with disabilities. Americans with disabilities have tried to convince members of the US Senate to support a responsible phase-out of subminimum wages, like that introduced by Rep. Harper, rather than the ineffective, half measure proposed in Sen. Harkin's bill. We have offered objective policy analysis, historical data, case studies, and descriptions of alternative best practices. We have provided data demonstrating that the archaic sheltered segregated model costs more and produces poorer outcomes for workers with disabilities. We have informed senators about alternatives for competitive, integrated employment that assist even those with significant disabilities in acquiring job skills that allow them to earn at least the federal minimum wage. But rather than considering the merits of our arguments, most respond with this insulting question: "How does Sen. Harkin feel about this?" With all due respect to Sen. Harkin, he is not a person with a disability and cannot speak for us. His reputation as a champion of the rights of people with disabilities came about because, in the past, he listened to us and put forward legislation in response to what he heard. When he rejects our advice, as he is doing by putting forward Section 511, he is no longer a champion but a custodian, seeking to substitute his own idea of what is best for us. Sen. Harkin helped Americans with disabilities achieve important milestones on our road to freedom. But freedom cannot be achieved while Section 14(c) remains in force and its grinding, soul-crushing machinery is merely tinkered with. If Sen. Harkin wants to secure his legacy as a champion of Americans with disabilities, he should amend the Workforce Investment Act to remove Section 511 and introduce a Senate companion to the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. These are the legitimate demands that millions of Americans with disabilities, speaking for ourselves, have put forward. Sen. Harkin and his colleagues must recognize and act upon them. ---------- D??j?? Vu All Over Again From the Editor: Since the introduction of Section 511 to the Workforce Investment Act and the focus it has returned to Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, I have been approached by members to ask how we have arrived at our new position on the right of the blind to earn at least the minimum wage. I tell them that this position is not new, and that any war will require the shifting of emphasis from battle to battle. Recently Dan Burke ran across several articles from The Blind American, a publication of the American Brotherhood for the Blind, which was distributed by them when the National Federation of the Blind had temporarily discontinued the publication of the Braille Monitor because of shortfalls in our funding. As Dan says about these articles, "The history of our opposition alone is compelling, the arguments then as cogent and as crucial as ours today, and the interim half-century of continued exploitation of workers with disabilities and the powerful defense of vested `helper' interests every bit as execrable." Keep in mind that these articles are from The Blind American, April 1964, Volume IV, No. 2, and take note of exactly how little the debate has changed: Congress Hears Sheltered Shop Wage Bills Bills which would extend the minimum wage provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act to cover disabled workers in sheltered workshops -- many of whom are blind persons -- were given a significant public hearing on April 6 by a subcommittee of the House of Representatives. Testifying in favor of the minimum-wage proposals was John F. Nagle, chief of the Washington Office of the National Federation of the Blind, who presented an oral statement and participated in subsequent discussion. A joint written statement favoring the legislation was submitted by Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, president of the American Brotherhood for the Blind, and James McGinnis, president of the California Council of the Blind. Appearing in opposition to the wage bills were Peter J. Salmon, head of Brooklyn's Industrial Home for the Blind, and Tony Suazo, executive director of the National Association of Sheltered Workshops and Homebound Industries. The two identical measures under consideration are H.R. 9904 and H.R. 9928, introduced by Congressmen John Dent and Dominick Daniels, both of whom are members of the General Subcommittee on Labor of the House Education and Labor Committee, which conducted the hearings. In addition to Congressman Dent two members of the subcommittee were present: Roman Pucinski, Illinois, and Alonzo Bell, California. (Other members are listed below.) The measures call for a series of progressive wage increases for sheltered shop workers, requiring that they be paid not less than 50 percent of the prevailing national minimum (now $1.25 per hour) by January 1965, not less than 75 percent by the following year, and that, by January 1967, the sheltered workers must receive not less than the prevailing hourly minimum wage. Salmon and Suazo, speaking against the bills on behalf of sheltered shop management, were subjected to sharp questioning and comments by Congressmen Dent and Pucinski. For example, when Salmon presented figures on costs and income for his Brooklyn workshop, Congressman Dent noted that the labor costs represented only about 16 percent of gross sales revenue and asserted that he had never before heard of any business with such low labor costs in relation to income. Again, when the Brooklyn workshop executive sought to justify his low wage rates by lamenting the allegedly poor productive capacities of blind shop workers, the NFB's John Nagle intervened to point out that the great majority of blind and handicapped workers in sheltered workshops have sufficient capacity to compete on an equal basis in competitive employment if they are provided with proper training and adjustment services along with skilled help in securing employment. In his oral testimony before the House subcommittee, Nagle urged the legislators "to recognize that disabled workers have the same problems as other workers, and share in common the same needs. We ask you to recognize and remedy the sorry plight of these workers -- for their plight is a sorry one," he said. The National Federation of the Blind official pointed out that "not only are these men and women in sheltered workshops not protected by the minimum wage provisions...but they are specifically denied this protection by the very provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act." Nagle noted that in 1963 "nearly half of the sheltered workshops investigated were paying some of their disabled workers less than the very low wage rates presently permitted by law -- and the number of such violations discovered shows a threefold increase over the previous year." tenBroek-McGinnis Statement California Council President McGinnis joined Dr. tenBroek, head of the American Brotherhood, in a detailed statement documenting the grievances of blind sheltered shop workers throughout the country with respect to wages and general working conditions. The two blind leaders asserted that "the tragic fact is that no consistent and generally agreed-upon" definition has yet been achieved as to the character and function of sheltered workshops and the status of the handicapped workers. "Until a clear, acceptable and just definition can be devised, the identity of these disabled workers must remain in jeopardy and at issue -- with resultant waste, confusion, conflict and failure on all sides," they said. The joint Brotherhood-Council statement noted that in most of the public and official discussion on workshops, "one voice is rarely heard. That is the voice of the disabled worker himself, characteristically a blind person, whose concern in the matter is at once the most direct and vital of all." Pointing out that "no outside groups or interests can in truth speak for the disabled worker in the sheltered shop," their statement continued: "Only the worker himself can do that -- both directly, on the rare occasions when his individual voice may be heard, and indirectly through his own democratic voluntary organizations. "During the past few years the voice of the shop worker has in fact been heard with increasing force and clarity," tenBroek and McGinnis said. "Blind workers in particular have made use of their own voluntary state associations, united in the National Federation of the Blind, to give organized expression to their demand for an adequate definition of their status and a reasonable reward for their labor. "At the same time they have been systematically beginning to organize as an employee group, seeking union affiliation and recognition, and collective bargaining rights, through negotiation where possible and through strike action where necessary," the statement observed. Citing a long series of militant activities by sheltered shop workers in various parts of the country -- notably in Cleveland, Dallas, St. Louis, San Diego, and Berkeley -- the tenBroek-McGinnis statement focused upon "three main points of grievance" commonly raised by the handicapped workers in their organized protests: "First, low wages consistently below the national minimum, coupled with discrimination and inequities in job classifications which have the effect of barring blind workers from normal advancement opportunities open to all others; "Second, poor management, in terms both of simple ineptness and of irrational prejudice against the workers -- the former expressed in terms of unnecessary delays, layoffs, low-quality production, and excessive operating costs -- the latter in terms of contemptuous attitudes and outright bullying directed against the blind workers; and "Third, inadequate training methods, carried out by unqualified instructors, performed on obsolete and poorly maintained equipment, and reflecting stereotyped convictions of the inability of blind persons to master any trades other than the most elementary and menial. "The protest which is embodied in this wave of militant activity on the part of blind and disabled sheltered workers is unmistakable. It is a protest against an employment situation intolerable in its inequities and injustice; and it is a demand for recognition of the minimum rights of shop workers both as free citizens and as employees," the blind leaders said. Letters supporting the two progressive wage bills for sheltered shop workers -- H.R. 9904 and H.R. 9928 -- should be sent to the Hon. James Roosevelt, Chairman, General Subcommittee on Labor, Committee on Education and Labor, US House of Representatives, Washington 25, DC. Letters should also be sent to any subcommittee members who are from your state. The other members are: John Dent, PA; Roman Pucinski, IL; Dominick Daniels, NJ; Thomas Gill, Hawaii; Augustus Hawkins, Calif. These are the Democratic members of the Subcommittee. The Republicans are: William H. Ayres, Ohio; Charles E. Goddell, NY; Dave Martin, Neb.; Alonzo Bell, Calif. California's Blind Workers Show Vision by Bud Aronson (Editor's note: Mr. Aronson is secretary-treasurer of the Union of State Employees, Local 411, AFL-CIO, the union responsible for the successful organization of blind workers in California Industries for the Blind workshops. A former intern with the Coro Foundation, Mr. Aronson prepared his article for publication in the March 1964 issue of the Foundation's bulletin.) The wondrous joy flowing from the visual perception of a multitude of daily sights is not the only benefit denied blind workers in the State of California. Hundreds of sightless men and women employed in the State's sheltered workshops, known as California Industries for the Blind, are also deprived of many basic forms of protection accorded to their sighted counterparts in both private and public employment. Most important of the missing benefits is protection under the State's minimum wage law. Also noticeably lacking is a guaranteed work week. Consequently, it is perfectly legal to pay these workers as little as 50, 60 or 70 cents per hour, and it is equally legal to send them home after they report to work or to instruct them not to come to work for one or a number of days. Of course, abundant explanations are readily available as to why blind workers are not treated just like any other workers. The usual argument advanced by government sources is that the blind in the sheltered workshops are primarily trainees rather than employees, that the chief objective of the workshop is to provide them with the vocational and personal rehabilitation necessary to equip them for a successful, gainful life on the outside. According to this theory, their stay in the workshop should be as brief as is possible, and as soon as the rehabilitation process has been completed, they should be placed on remunerative, outside jobs. The only trouble with this argument is that few workers ever graduate from workshops to outside employment. The great majority are destined to remain at their same old stand making brooms and mattresses, or sewing and folding linen for the remainder of their productive lives. Perhaps someday when society is more understanding and cooperative, or when the workshops teach more meaningful and adaptable skills, workshops may indeed become the mere stopping-off places they are intended to be, but, in the meantime, there is not the slightest indication that their present role is about to change. In this context, it was not particularly surprising that in early 1963 the overwhelming majority of the 80 workers at the Berkeley GIB plant should see fit to become members of the Union of State Employees, Local 411, AFL-CIO. After all, their grievances were numerous and important, and years of dissatisfaction gave no rise to hope of their solution. What was surprising, at least to many observers, was the tenacious militancy they would exhibit, a militancy which was to prove once and for always that sightlessness had not deprived them of the ability to recognize their own self-interest. Early in May a number of broom makers engaged in a brief work-stoppage when their demands for improvements were not met. Acquiescence by management resulted in a speedy resumption of production. However, workshop officials then retaliated by laying off forty workers -- one half of the entire work force. Management's contention that the layoff was forced by a surplus of unsold brooms piled up in the workshop was belied by Local 411's discovery that a large order for 800 dozen brooms had been placed by the State with a Texas organization. It was at this point that the workers had to choose between insuring their jobs and returning to the old frustrating existence, or to take a calculated risk by remaining with the Union and "voting with their feet." Their decision was virtually unanimous: to go out on strike. Fully sanctioned by the Alameda Central Labor Council and supported by all organized labor, the entire work force -- with four lone exceptions -- left their jobs and set up a picket line around the plant. Another delegation of strikers was sent to Sacramento, where picket lines were established outside the State Capitol, while the Legislature was in session, and the building of the Department of Education, which at that time administered the blind workshops. Legislators and State officials were equally surprised and apparently disturbed to see blind pickets, some of them accompanied by seeing-eye dogs, marching in orderly fashion around their buildings. Two days of strike action, aided by generous publicity in all the communications media, led to a successful conclusion of the first authentic strike of blind workers in California history. Terms of the settlement included immediate rehiring of all workers -- including the forty whose layoff precipitated the work stoppage -- and management's agreement to negotiate on all outstanding issues. Although the story is far from finished, this new chapter augurs well for the future of blind workers in the State. That they will no longer stand for the exploitive practices of the past has been demonstrated in unmistakable terms. Better wages, improved working conditions, and, above all else, attainment of the same dignity and recognition sought by all mankind since the beginning of time -- these are the goals of California's blind workers. ---------- 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 and training 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! ---------- The Secret to Winning a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship by Patti S. Gregory-Chang From the Editor: Patti Chang is the chairman of one of the most important committees of the National Federation of the Blind. She and her committee are charged with advertising our scholarship program and choosing thirty students who evidence academic success, leadership, and a demonstrated commitment to helping others. Here is Patti's announcement about the 2014 scholarship program: Each July at our national convention the National Federation of the Blind gives a broad array of scholarships to recognize achievement by blind scholars. We offer thirty scholarships, and all are substantial and prestigious enough to warrant any student's time to complete and compete. Our $12,000 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship is the largest. The NFB Scholarship Program is our investment in the future of blind people who demonstrate scholastic aptitude, leadership, and service. I encourage every blind college student to apply. I am sometimes asked what the secret is to winning an NFB scholarship. I am going to tell you the secret. First of all, applicants must meet the eligibility requirements to receive a scholarship. All applicants for these scholarships must be legally blind; must reside in one of our fifty states, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico; must be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time postsecondary course of study in a degree program at an accredited United States institution in the fall academic year; and, if chosen, must participate in the entire NFB national convention and in all scheduled scholarship activities. Many think the key to becoming a winner is a high grade point average. Others believe it is based on participation in extracurricular activities. Still others think it is one's level of commitment to the NFB. While grade point average is important because it demonstrates the ability to learn and be successful academically, it is not the only attribute that influences the scholarship committee. Participation in extracurricular activities is important in portraying oneself as a well-rounded person; it is not sufficient in itself to justify a scholarship award. Committed members of the organization recognize the attributes that are important to committee members when determining who wins a scholarship. The scholarship program is a tremendous tool for us to develop future leaders of the National Federation of the Blind, but scholarship awards are not restricted to members of the organization. The National Federation of the Blind is an organization dedicated to creating opportunity for all blind people. Recipients of NFB scholarships need not be members of the National Federation of the Blind. Many of our past winners were not even aware of the NFB before they applied for our scholarships. When you check the lists of past winners, you will see that students of all ages and in widely differing fields have won over the years. The class of 2013 included students entering their freshman year, as well as older students who were nearly ready to write their PhD dissertations. Past winners are working toward credentials for employment in diverse fields. There is truly only one way to win an NFB scholarship: that is to apply. Each November the new, updated scholarship application forms are posted on the Web at , along with important information about the contest, links to information on past winners, and a page of frequently asked questions. The application form for 2014 is already online. It will remain up until March 31, 2014. The process can be initiated with an online application, which we prefer, or students can ask for a print application by contacting our scholarship office at or by calling (410) 659-9314, ext. 2415. A complete application consists of the official application form and a student essay, plus these supporting documents: student transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and proof of legal blindness. The student must also complete an interview with the president of the applicant's state of residence or the state where he or she will be attending school. High school seniors must also include a copy of the results of their ACT, SAT, or other college entrance exams. Unfortunately, some applications are incomplete, so the committee is unable to consider them fairly. Applicants must ensure that all of the required information and supporting documentation has been received by our scholarship office either online by midnight EST, March 31, 2014, or by mail postmarked by March 31, 2014. Students should carefully consider who can do the best job of writing their letters of reference. Letters should support the application by being full of facts and observations that will help the members of the committee see the applicant as a smart, active student and citizen. Students can write their essays using word processing software. They should remember to use the spell checker (or a human proofreader) before uploading, printing, or copying and pasting it into the online application form. In an effective essay the applicant will talk about his or her life in a way that gives the committee insight into him or her. The essay should cover the ways in which one lives successfully as a blind person and describe one's personal goals for the future. Information about positions of leadership is especially helpful. Committee members give the essay a great deal of attention. The NFB scholarship committee is comprised of dedicated, successful blind people who will review all applications and select the top thirty applicants who will become the scholarship class of 2014. Note that students submit just one application to the program; the scholarship committee will choose the thirty winners from all applications received. These thirty scholarship winners will be notified of their selection by telephone no later than June 1. Finally, during the annual convention held July 1 through July 6, 2014, in Orlando, Florida, the scholarship committee will decide which award will be presented to each winner. Attending the entire NFB national convention is one of the requirements to become an NFB scholarship winner. Of course, attending the convention is also a significant part of the prize. The National Federation of the Blind's national convention is the largest gathering of blind people to occur anywhere in the world each year, with 2,500 or more people registered. Those chosen as scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to network with other blind students, to exchange information and ideas, and to meet and talk with hundreds of blind people who are successfully functioning in many occupations and professions. Our past winners often comment that the money was quickly spent, but the contacts they made and the information they gathered at convention have continued to make their lives richer than they ever imagined. Often students apply more than one year before winning a scholarship, so applicants are encouraged to reapply. The NFB may award three or more scholarships to men and women who have already received one Federation scholarship in the past if their scholarship and leadership merit another award. Individuals receiving a second NFB national scholarship are recognized as tenBroek Fellows. The secret, if there is one, to winning an NFB scholarship is to read carefully the application on our website, and then provide all of the required information and supporting documentation before the deadline of March 31, 2014. However, I actually maintain that there is no secret. The only way to win an NFB scholarship is to apply. The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund by Allen Harris >From the Editor: Allen Harris is the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Fund Committee and was one of the people who came up with the idea of honoring our former president and longtime leader by establishing a program to promote attendance at the national convention, where so much inspiration and learning occur. Here is Allen's announcement about the 2014 Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Program: Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have not done so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship grant. Perhaps this July you too can be in the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida, enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at the largest and most important yearly convention of blind people in the world. The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an NFB national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel room for a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't pay all the costs. Last year most of the sixty grants were in the range of $400 to $500 per individual. We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the amazing experience that is convention week. Who is eligible? Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply. How do I apply for funding assistance?1. You write a letter giving your contact information, and your local NFB information, your specific amount requested, and then explain why this is a good investment for the NFB. The points to cover are listed below. 2. You contact your state president in person or by phone to request his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when to expect your request letter by email, and mention the deadline. 3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your state president. He or she must add a president's recommendation and then email both letters directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee. Your president must forward the two letters no later than April 15, 2014. Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points: * Your full name, and all your telephone numbers and label them--cell phone, home, office, other person (if any). * Your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address. * Your state affiliate and state president; your chapter and chapter president, if you attend a chapter. * Your personal convention mentor and provide that person's phone number. * Your specific request: Explain how much money you need from this fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you consult with other members to make a rough budget for yourself. The body of your letter should answer these questions: How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want to attend a national convention? What would you receive; what can you share or give? You can include in your letter to the committee any special circumstances you hope they will take into consideration. When will I be notified that I am a winner? If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter with convention details which should answer most of your questions. The committee makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May 15, but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen. 1. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for roommates of your own to reduce the cost.) 2. Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by May 31. 3. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and advisor. 4. If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win a grant this year. How will I receive my convention scholarship?At convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card will be listed in the letter we sent you. The committee is not able to provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you win a scholarship and to pay your treasury back after you receive your debit or credit card. What if I have more questions? For additional information email the chairman, Allen Harris, at or call his Baltimore, Maryland, office at (410) 659-9314, x2415. Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first convention on the national level and join several thousand active Federationists in the most important meeting of the blind in the world. We hope to see you in Orlando. ---------- Recipes This month's recipes come from members of the NFB of New Mexico. Cranberry Salsa by Don Burns Don Burns retired in 2006 and now enjoys gardening. He refers to himself as a part-time chili farmer. Ingredients: 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup fresh lime juice 1/4 cup chopped cilantro 3 green onions, thinly sliced 2 jalapenos, finely chopped Method: Put berries into boiling water for one minute. Drain and place in cold water. Chop all remaining ingredients and mix with drained cranberries. Serve with tortilla chips. ---------- Creole Okra with Shrimp by Daphne Mitchell Daphne Mitchell is a fairly recent transport to the Land of Enchantment but has quickly made herself busy in the affiliate. She serves as second vice president of New Mexico, president of the Albuquerque Chapter, and state coordinator for New Mexico's BELL Program. Recipes like the following keep her a Louisianan at heart: Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 medium onion, chopped 2 stalks celery, chopped 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 14- to 16-ounce package cooked andouille or smoked sausage, cut into quarters 1 16-ounce package frozen cut okra, thawed 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning, or to taste 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper 2 pounds peeled and deveined medium shrimp 2 cups water 1 cup uncooked long grain rice Method: Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the celery, bell pepper, and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about five minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer for ten minutes, then add the okra, sausage, Cajun seasoning, and pepper. Cover and cook for thirty minutes. Place the rice and water in another pot, and cook according to package directions. Add the shrimp to the okra mixture and cook, stirring, until they are bright pink on the outside and the meat is no longer transparent in the center, about eight to twelve minutes. Serve okra mixture over cooked rice. ---------- Sausage Balls by Peggy Chong Peggy Chong is a new member of the NFB of New Mexico, but she is a longtime member of the Federation, an amateur historian, and a cook. Ingredients: 12 ounces Jimmy Dean Sausage 1 1/2 cups Bisquick 12 ounces shredded cheddar cheese Method: Combine all ingredients. Mix with hands. Form into balls. Bake at 350 on greased cookie sheets for 25 minutes. ---------- Red Chili Sauce by Veronica Smith Veronica Smith is the president of the West Mesa Chapter in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the chair of the membership committee, and a board member of the NFB of New Mexico. She is married, has a fourteen-year-old daughter, and was recently hired at Zia Elementary School as an educational aid in the VI program. Ingredients: 20 dried chili pods 1/4 cup water 6 garlic cloves Salt Pinch Mexican oregano 1 pound diced pork (optional) Method: Remove the stems and seeds of the chili pods. Soak the pods in water or simmer on stove for about ten minutes. Place chili and garlic in a blender with 1/4 cup water and puree until smooth. (Blend six to eight pods of chili and two cloves of garlic at a time, which will make the puree smoother and easier to work with.) Add more water as needed to get a medium consistency. In a saucepan, combine pureed chili with Mexican oregano and salt to taste. Bring to a slow boil, and then simmer for twenty minutes. Pork can be browned and added to sauce while simmering. Yield: 3 cups. ---------- Sopapillas by Veronica Smith There is nothing in this world better than biting into a warm sopapilla while visiting New Mexico. Traditionally they are served alongside any New Mexican meal, which might be something like enchiladas, chile rellenos, or a bowl of posole. Most people love to slather the inside of them with honey. But be very careful when you pop open the corner: hot steam will pour out. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon shortening Warm water, enough to make a soft dough, but not sticky Method: Combine all ingredients to form dough. Knead the dough for a couple of minutes, making sure that all ingredients have been combined. Divide the dough into ten to twelve balls. Roll the balls into circles an eighth inch thick, then cut into medium wedges; you decide how big you want them to be. Fry in about one inch of oil until browned on each side and puffed up. Some people use a Fry Baby so they can immerse the wedges all at once. When done frying, throw into paper sack with some paper towels to drain. Serve warm. ---------- Mexican Coffee with Chocolate and Cinnamon by Nancy Burns Nancy Burns served as president of the NFB of California. She and Don moved to Albuquerque in 2006 and enjoy entertaining. The following is one of her favorite desserts. Ingredients: 6 cups water 1/2 cup ground dark roast coffee 2 cinnamon sticks 1 cup half and half 1/3 cup chocolate syrup 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Tequila (optional) Sweetened whipped cream Method: Place water in coffee maker; place coffee and cinnamon sticks in coffee filter. Combine half and half, chocolate syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla in coffee pot. Brew coffee; coffee will drip into the cream mixture. If desired, serve with one shot tequila in bottom of cup, pour in coffee, and top with whipped cream. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family NFB Bid for Equality: Thank you to everyone who supported our Bid for Equality online auction. We are grateful for our members who helped with this effort, including those who spread the word about the auction. And we especially appreciate those who made a "bid for equality." The package with the highest leading bid was Texas's two music badges to the South by Southwest Music Festival, including hotel accommodations, which was followed by Indiana's pearl necklace and earring set and New York's weekend getaway. We are excited to report that we received more than $10,000 in bids to support our programs. We are already looking forward to next year's auction. Elected: The Blackhawk Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois held elections with the following results: president, Jay Blanchard; vice president, Patrick Olson; secretary, Jean Rauschenbach; treasurer, Lois Montgomery; and board members, Mark Clayburne Jr., Leah Slightom, and Donna Miles. Elected: The National Federation of the Blind of Rhode Island held its forty-third convention on October 26. The following individuals were elected: treasurer, Daniel Kendig; and board members, Angelina Stabile and Donna Elliott. Congratulations to Angelina, Donna, and Daniel. Elected: The Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the NFB of Pennsylvania held its election on Saturday, October 26th. The following people were elected: president, Denice Brown; first vice president, Stanley Ingram; second vice president, Joyce McEntyre; treasurer, Eugenio D'Oliveira; and board members, Stacy Shomo, Sherry Gaskins, Michelle Owens, and Ruth Chambers. Elected: At the business meeting of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington, held during the 2013 convention in Everett, the following members of the NFBW board of directors were elected: treasurer, Cynthia Bennett; board members, Gary Mackenstadt and Betty Watson; delegate to the 2014 NFB national convention, Michael Freeman; first alternate delegate, Doug Johnson; second alternate delegate, Kaye Kipp. Congratulations to those elected, and a hearty "thank you" to those who have ably served before them. TEACH Act Collaboration: The National Association of Blind Students (NABS) is collaborating with the NFB's advocacy and policy department in their efforts to advocate for the Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACH) Act. They are collecting stories about blind students' experiences with higher education, with a goal of collecting stories from constituents living in every congressional district in the United States. They need stories from current and recent students who are, and have been, affected by the lack of accessibility in the classroom, whether it was through inaccessible instructional materials or a lack of, late, or inadequate accessible materials. Instructional materials could be any form of curricular content from digital books to web content, to PDF, to online digital databases. If you have information to share, compose your paragraph-long story and send it to Cindy Bennett at . Be sure to include a sentence about how accessibility guidelines would have prevented or solved your problem. Please include the school you attend or attended and any congressional districts that you live in. For example, if your permanent address is in a different congressional district from the district in which you go to school, list both. If you do not know this information, you can use your ZIP code to look it up at . The second way that you can help is by reinforcing the appointments the NFB has with Congress. If someone has an appointment with your congressperson, Cindy will contact you with the date of the appointment, and you can call your congressperson's office and tell your story. This will show your congressperson that one of his or her constituents is directly affected by inadequate accessibility and needs the TEACH Act. This part is very important since members of Congress work for their constituents. If you have any questions, contact Cindy Bennett at or Lauren McLarney at . For more information about the TEACH Act, please read the fact sheet found at . Blind Access Training: At Blind Access Training we pride ourselves on our ability to provide customized, individualized training to fit the unique needs of our clients. Our trainers work with clients to establish reasonable, achievable technology goals. Our aim is to empower our clients to use the devices and software they have been trained on with proficiency and confidence to achieve greater independence. We provide training using the telephone, Skype, and our Talking Communities classroom to allow clients the freedom and flexibility to choose the venue that best fits their skills and comfort. We provide the following training options: Windows Operating Systems (XP and higher), Mac OSX, iDevices (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, and iPad Mini, iOS 4.0 and higher), Outlook, Windows Live Mail, Microsoft Office Suite (2007 and higher), JAWS (all versions), Window-Eyes (all versions), System Access, SAMNet, and DocuScan Plus, Nonvisual Desktop Access, VoiceOver, ZoomText (all versions), OpenBook (all versions), Kurzweil 1000 (11.0 and higher), various Braille displays and notetakers (ask for details), and web design (HTML, CSS, PHP, and JAVA Script). For more information please contact us by phone at (877) 774-7670 and press 1, or by email at . You can also visit us on the web at to view our complete listing of services. You can also find helpful blogs, a sample tutorial, and a resource list there. Second Annual Fundraiser Bus Trip for the NFB Travel and Tourism Division: After the success of our first fundraiser for our division trip to Utah, we decided to offer another great trip. This time it is to Country Music USA, Nashville, TN, on October 6 through 10, 2014. This is during Meet the Blind Month, and, for those worried this might interfere with your state convention, the trip starts on Monday and ends on Friday, so you can either fly in from your state convention or fly to your state convention from this trip. What's included: four nights lodging, eight meals (four breakfasts and four dinners), two great shows (the Grand Ole Opry and Nashville Nightlife Theater), an exclusive dinner party with entertainment, guided tours of Nashville and Belle Meade Plantation, admission to the Country Music Hall of Fame, admission to the Grand Ole Opry Backstage Tour, transportation in Nashville to and from the airport on a video and restroom equipped motorcoach, tips for driver and tour guide, and much more! The trip will cost $568 per person based on double occupancy. Deposits of $75 are due no later than May 15, 2014, and final payment is due by July 15. Payment plans can be arranged once deposits are made. Travel insurance will be offered. For those wanting hotel rooms on October 5, prior to the start of the trip, please contact us so we know how many rooms to hold. These will be at an additional cost. The itinerary can change, depending on weather and traffic, but this is what is offered: Day 1: After you land at the Nashville International Airport, you'll depart in the comfort of a luxury, video and restroom equipped motorcoach as you head for lots of excitement in Nashville. On this evening you'll enjoy dinner and check into your Nashville area hotel for a four-night stay. (Not sure which hotel yet, but the tour operator uses hotels such as Holiday Inn or similar, you will be notified prior to the trip.) Day 2: After enjoying a continental breakfast, you'll take a guided tour of Nashville, including a stop at the Parthenon. The Parthenon is the world's only full-scale reproduction of the famous Greek Temple. After this you will enjoy a ride on the Delta Flatboat inside the Opryland Hotel. This evening you will enjoy dinner before going to see a show at the famous Grand Ole Opry. Day 3: After a continental breakfast, you'll depart for a guided tour of beautiful Belle Meade Plantation. Marvel at its antebellum architecture, and learn about its unique Southern history. Belle Meade's illustrious past has spanned from its prosperity as a thoroughbred breeding establishment, to its perilous location at the Civil War's Battle of Nashville, to its current restoration as a historically accurate Victorian home. A visit to Belle Meade also provides an important insight into the struggles of African Americans before the Civil War. Next, you'll have an opportunity to explore historic downtown Nashville. During the evening, enjoy dinner and a show at the fabulous Nashville Nightlife Dinner Theater. Day 4: Enjoy a continental breakfast, before departing for the Grand Ole Opry Backstage Tour. There's nothing like a backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry House -- it's a must-see for everyone in Music City. Walk in the footsteps of country music's superstars, and get an exclusive look at what happens behind the scenes of the show that made country music famous. On this afternoon, you'll head to the Country Music Hall of Fame. This is a state-of-the-art cultural landmark and an architectural crown jewel of the Nashville skyline. Be amazed by its incredible array of rare costumes, instruments, and historical mementos. When evening arrives, enjoy an exclusive group dinner party with entertainment. Day 5: After enjoying a continental breakfast, you will depart for home. It is a perfect time to chat with your friends about all the fun things you've done, the great sights you've seen, and where your next group trip will take you! To book, contact Cheryl Echevarria, president of the Travel and Tourism Division. Echevarria Travel will be hosting this trip for the NFB Travel and Tourism Division. Call (631) 456-5394 or email . A New Addition to NFB-NEWSLINE[(R)]: We are pleased to announce the addition of The Verge to our Breaking News Online publications. The Verge was founded in 2011 in partnership with Vox Media and covers the intersection of technology, science, art, and culture. Its mission is to offer in-depth reporting and long-form feature stories, breaking news coverage, product information, and community content in a unified and cohesive manner. The Verge won five Webby Awards for the year 2012, including awards for Best Writing (Editorial), Best Podcast for The Vergecast, Best Visual Design, Best Consumer Electronics Site, and the Best Mobile News App. This publication is now available using NFB-NEWSLINE on the telephone, on Web News On Demand, and on the iPhone app. For telephone users, The Verge is available as a Breaking News Publication. To access this you should select option number 5 from the main menu, labeled For Newspapers in a Different State. Then select the option for Breaking News Online, which is option number 1. From there select the option for The Verge. For iPhone users, first navigate to the Publication Options. From there select Publication Groups. Finally, you can find The Verge as a newspaper under the Breaking News Online group. For those using Web News on Demand, The Verge will be available either from an alphabetical listing or, if you prefer, you can access Publications Organized by State. Then select Breaking News Online. We hope you enjoy this new addition to the service. Stay tuned for more additions over the next few weeks. Happy Reading from the NFB-NEWSLINE Team! Community Service Group Seeks AmeriCorps Alum: Fellow Federationists, are you an AmeriCorps alum? Would you be interested in sharing some of your AmeriCorps experiences with other service-minded Federationists? Then the Community Service Group is looking for you! To celebrate the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps, the Community Service Group is looking for AmeriCorps alumni to speak at our annual seminar at the 2014 national convention in Orlando, Florida. If you would be interested in speaking and sharing your experiences, please contact Chris Parsons at . We look forward to hearing from you and hearing your stories! 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. International consultant and state agency leader to head up services for the blind in Oklahoma: Douglas C. Boone, a consultant and state agency leader from Kalamazoo, Michigan, with thirty years' experience in serving people who are blind, will soon lead Visual Services staff for the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services. "I am excited about coming to Oklahoma, and I look forward to working with the staff at the Division for Visual Services and Oklahoma DRS," Boone said. "I believe that we can most effectively fulfill our mission, which is really a joint venture between the federal Vocational Rehabilitation system and the state of Oklahoma, by developing a partnership between the hardworking professionals within the agency and the customers who are eligible to receive vocational rehabilitation and independent living services. Together we will work as a team that can implement the strategies needed to enable blind Oklahomans to reach their full potential," he said. As president of D. Boone Consultants since 1993, he offered customized consultation to agencies, educational institutions, businesses, and organizations serving people who are blind. The company served more than one thousand staff in nineteen states and Europe with programs targeting vocational rehabilitation, independent living, program review and evaluation, strategic planning, reasonable accommodations, employer outreach, orientation and mobility, industrial education, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance. As state director of the Pennsylvania Bureau of Blindness and Visual Services, Boone was responsible for vocational rehabilitation, employment, independent living, and specialized services for blind adults and children. He also administered a program that provided opportunities for people who are blind to own and operate food service businesses on government property under provisions of the federal Randolph-Sheppard Act. His career included employment as director of human resources staff development for the New Mexico Commission for the Blind, rehabilitation counselor and rehabilitation teacher at the Oregon Commission for the Blind, and as an orientation and mobility instructor and industrial arts instructor for visually impaired adults and youth. Boone, who has an orthopedic disability, benefited from rehabilitation services as a client of Nebraska Rehabilitation Services. Douglas Boone jokes about inheriting a strong desire to travel from his forefather Squire Boone Jr., an American pioneer and the brother of Daniel Boone. The brothers lived in many states. "The brothers were always looking for a better place and always trying to improve the places where they were," he said. Boone earned a bachelor of education degree from Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. He participated in three segments of the National Executive Leadership Institute sponsored by the Rehabilitation Services Administration. He is a member of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired and the National Federation of the Blind. Boone's wife Christine is an attorney. Their son Edward is serving in the US Army in Afghanistan. Daughter Kate works as a groundwater geologist for the state of Nebraska. DRS annually serves nearly 85,000 Oklahomans with disabilities through employment, vocational rehabilitation, education, and independent living programs, and the determination of medical eligibility for disability benefits. For more information, phone (800) 845-8476 or visit . 2013 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest Winners: The Onkyo Braille Literacy Essay Contest is administered in the US by the NFB on behalf of the North American/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union. The essay contest, which is sponsored by the Onkyo Corporation and the Braille Mainichi, was created to promote Braille literacy and to encourage the sharing of social and cultural information among blind and visually impaired persons. The essays were required to be written in Braille and to pertain either to how the individual gains knowledge or independence through Braille or to an individual concept about world peace from the viewpoint of persons with disabilities. There were two groups of competitors: a junior category for persons up to age twenty-five and a senior category for persons over age twenty-six. Each winner received a substantial cash prize, a plaque, and other gifts from the Onkyo Corporation. The seven winners from the North America/Caribbean Region were as follows: Ootsuki Prize, Jerry McKee, Alabama; Excellent Work Award, Senior, Lynn Spittle, South Carolina; Excellent Work Award, Junior, Anna Avramenko, Kansas; Fine Work Award, Senior, Jeremiah Rogers, North Carolina, Carolyn Fish, Virginia; Fine Work Award, Junior, Aspen Poole, New York, Tamer Zaid, Texas. New Partnership Between Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and American Printing House for the Blind: The American Printing House for the Blind (APH) and the Dollywood Foundation began an exciting partnership in the summer of 2011 that expands Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL) program to provide young blind and visually impaired children with accessible books in audio and print/Braille formats. Thanks to the APH/Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Partnership and the support of Penguin Group USA, the Accessible Books website was established at APH. It offers a growing collection of audio files of Imagination Library books available as free downloads. Now, selected Imagination Library Books are also available, free-of-charge, in print/Braille format. By enrolling in the Partners Print/Braille Book Program, a child may receive five free print/Braille books each year until reaching his/her sixth birthday. APH selects the titles from the current year's DPIL booklist, those most appropriate for a child with a visual impairment. Print/Braille versions are mailed directly to the child's family. Is your child a potential Braille reader under six years of age? If yes, apply now for the Partners Print/Braille Book Program! Books are limited and enrollment is on a first come/first serve basis. Complete and submit our application form here, . This free service is made possible by generous donors from across the country. APH welcomes contributions to help defray initial costs and expand the program so that all blind and visually impaired children will benefit from this wonderful service. Donate Now! APH President Tuck Tinsley: "We're excited! What an honor it is to partner with someone like Dolly, who is as passionate about literacy as we are. This relationship between the Imagination Library and the American Printing House for the Blind means that blind and visually impaired preschoolers can now be more involved in the experience of reading with their parents." Ms. Parton: "Any credit I get is really due to the hard work and fine reputation of all of those who partner with us to bring the love of reading to so many kids. I am just thrilled we can work together to bring this same joy to all children who may have trouble seeing but have no trouble in believing that all of their dreams can come true." About Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a part of the Dollywood Foundation, partners with local sponsors in 1,300 communities in three countries to provide a quality, age-appropriate book each month to preschool children enrolled in the program. For more information, visit or the official Facebook page. About the American Printing House for the Blind American Printing House for the Blind (APH), founded in 1858, is the world's largest nonprofit organization creating educational, workplace, and independent living products for people who are blind and visually impaired. In addition, the Louis database currently contains approximately 398,796 titles in accessible formats . GrabPak Offers Emergency Preparedness Kit for Blind: When disaster strikes, community emergency services and government agencies may not be able to respond promptly to your needs. Their buildings, equipment, personnel, communications, and mobility may be severely hampered by the event. At a minimum they will be overwhelmed. The US Department of Homeland Security and state emergency management agencies strongly recommend all Americans prepare to be on their own for a minimum of three days after a disaster. One of the most important elements of preparedness is the seventy-two-hour emergency kit for your home or office. The GrabPak custom-built backpack kit for the blind and vision-impaired includes the necessary supplies to comfort and assist those with limited or no vision during an evacuation or times of emergency. Our blind and vision-impaired backpack comes equipped with a Braille identification tag and all items in the backpack are labeled in Braille and large print. Contents include: List of contents in Braille, extended-shelf-life high-calorie food bars, extended-shelf-life water pouches, crank-powered mobile phone charger with USB connection cord, crank-powered LED Flashlight, first aid kit, LED illuminated pocket magnifier, compact folding white cane, rescue whistle, Mylar solar blanket, hooded rain poncho, twelve-hour light stick, AM/FM radio with batteries, and hygiene kit. Note: Supplies for guide dogs, including extended-shelf-life dog food and water, collapsible bowl, and waste disposal bags, are also available. For more information, please visit us at or call David Fisher at (800) 620-4199. Developers of Tactile Graphics Guidelines and Standards Honored with BANA's Braille Excellence Award: The international committee that developed the landmark publication Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics, 2010 was recently honored with the Braille Excellence Award from the Braille Authority of North America (BANA). CBA-BANA Joint Tactile Graphics Committee, which was co-sponsored by the Canadian Braille Authority (CBA) and BANA, received the award on December 5 in Providence, Rhode Island, in a showcase session at the 2013 Getting in Touch with Literacy Conference. The volunteer members of this collaborative CBA-BANA ad hoc committee donated their time and talents for nearly a decade, meeting by phone almost weekly year round. Together, they defined, refined, and established in writing a comprehensive, user-friendly set of research-based guidelines and standards for the design and production of tactile graphics for Braille users. The members of the CBA-BANA Joint Committee on Tactile Graphics honored with BANA's Braille Excellence Award are: Lucia Hasty, Colorado, USA; John McConnell, New Brunswick, Canada; Janet Milbury, Nova Scotia, Canada; Irene Miller, Alberta, Canada; Allison O'Day, Minnesota, USA; Aquinas Pather, Ontario, Canada; and Diane Spence, Texas, USA. The publication of Guidelines and Standards for Tactile Graphics, 2010, which includes a manual and an accompanying supplement that contains hardcopy examples, was approved by BANA in the fall of 2010. The manual is available free of charge on the BANA website at . Hardcopy editions of the manual and the supplement can be purchased from the American Printing House for the Blind . The BANA Braille Excellence Award was established in 2009 to commemorate the bicentenary of Louis Braille's birth by recognizing individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to Braille. It was presented to Dr. Abraham Nemeth in 2009 and to Mr. Joseph Sullivan in 2011. The extraordinary commitment and contribution of the CBA-BANA Joint Tactile Graphics Committee will have an immeasurable impact for Braille readers. Their work and dedication are truly representative of the accomplishments that BANA's Braille Excellence Award was designed to recognize. For additional resource information, visit . New Crossword App for iPhone and iPad: Four Down is a crossword app for iPhone and iPad that uses VoiceOver to make it fully accessible to blind and visually impaired users. With VoiceOver enabled you can easily navigate around the crossword grid and the clues. As you do so, Four Down reads the clues aloud, telling you the clue itself, how many letters the answer has, and describing any letters in the answer that are already known. For example, it may say "Eight down. Male duck. 5 letters. D, three blanks, E." When you're ready to answer a clue, you simply double-tap and use the keyboard to enter the answer. In addition to being able to enter the answers into the crossword grid, you can also use VoiceOver to find out how you're getting on by checking individual letters, a whole answer, or the entire puzzle. Four Down will announce whether or not any mistakes were found and, if there were, it will describe their locations on the grid so that you can easily find and correct them. If you get stuck, Four Down can lend a helping hand by filling in an individual letter or a whole answer. If you get really desperate, you can even fill in the entire puzzle. Four Down is a universal app, meaning the same app works on both iPhone and iPad and costs $0.99 in the App Store . If you try Four Down, the developers would love to hear from you. You can email them at or find them on Twitter <@deftmethods>. New Electronic Magazine to Connect Pen Pals: I am starting an electronic magazine for people who would like to become or find new pen pals. If you would like to receive it regularly or would like to submit a pen pal ad for yourself or someone else, feel free to do so at: . Suggestions for what to include in your ad are your name, age, location, and hobbies or interests. 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 six-year-old PAC Mate BX400, which was upgraded to a PAC Mate Omni. It is in excellent condition and comes with a forty-cell Braille display, flash memory card, network card, cables, related documentation, and a carrying case. The price is $1,500 plus shipping costs. Method of payment: Check or money transfer (I would prefer the latter). Please contact Maryse Glaude-Beaulieu at . For Sale: I have a Romeo Attach?? Pro Braille embosser for sale and am asking $1,000 or best offer. Enabling Technologies replaced the main board six months ago. It is compatible with Windows XP and with Windows 7. Please contact Debra Baker at . ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Wed Mar 12 00:02:13 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 00:02:13 -0700 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, March 2014 Message-ID: <201403120702.s2C72DxT027438@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 57, No. 3 March 2014 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 ? 2014 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. [PHOTO CAPTION: Palm-lined drive leading to front entrance to Rosen Centre Hotel] Orlando Site of 2014 NFB Convention The 2014 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take place in Orlando, Florida, July 1-6, at the Rosen Centre Hotel at 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Make your room reservation as soon as possible with the Rosen Centre staff only. Call (800) 204-7234. The 2014 room rates are singles, doubles, and twins, $82; and triples and quads, $88. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 13.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested. The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $95-per-room deposit is required to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before May 28, 2014. The other 50 percent is not refundable. Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations may be made before June 1, 2014, assuming that rooms are still available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon. Guest-room amenities include cable television; in-room safe; coffeemaker; hairdryer; and, for a fee, high-speed Internet access. Guests can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-site spa. The Rosen Centre Hotel offers fine dining at Executive Chef Michael Rumplik's award- winning Everglades Restaurant. In addition, there is an array of dining options from sushi to tapas to a 24-hour deli. The hotel has first-rate amenities and shuttle service to the Orlando airport. The schedule for the 2014 convention is: Tuesday, July 1 Seminar Day Wednesday, July 2 Registration Day Thursday, July 3 Board Meeting and Division Day Friday, July 4 Opening Session Saturday, July 5 Business Session Sunday, July 6 Banquet Day and Adjournment NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND 2014 National Convention Preregistration Form Please register online at or use this mail-in form. Print legibly, provide all requested information, and mail form and payment to: National Federation of the Blind Attn: Convention Registration 200 East Wells Street Baltimore, MD 21230 Please register only one person per registration form; however, one check or money order may cover multiple registrations. Check or money order (sorry, no credit cards) must be enclosed with registration(s). Registrant Name ______________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________ City ______________________ State _____________ Zip ___________ Phone ____________ Email ____________________________________ ___ I will pick up my registration packet at convention. or ___ The following person will pick up my registration packet: Pickup Name ______________________________________ Number of preregistrations x $25 = ____________ Number of pre-purchased banquet tickets x $55 = ____________ Total = ____________ PLEASE NOTE: 1. Preconvention registration and banquet sales are final (no refunds). 2. All preregistration mail-in forms must be postmarked by May 31. Vol. 57, No. 3 March 2014 Contents Illustration: Yesterday and Today The 2014 Washington Seminar in Review by Gary Wunder Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans: Priorities for the 113th Congress, Second Session The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013 (HR 831) Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act (TEACH Act) HR 3505 Air Carrier Technology Accessibility Act The State of Our Union Grows Stronger College Bound by Meg Dowell Blind in Wild Nature by Geerat J. Vermeij Standing on Their Shoulders by Peggy Chong As Seen on TV by Grace Warn Imagine a Future Full of Opportunities for the Blind by Anil Lewis Perspectives from a Student Musician by Julie McGinnity The Life of a Convention Chairman or Disneyland Visited by Kenneth Jernigan Bid for Equality by Kevan Worley The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund by Allen Harris Another Gifted Writer Recipes Monitor Miniatures [PHOTO CAPTION: Tom Stevens and Marc Maurer at 1987 Washington Seminar] [PHOTO CAPTION: President Marc Maurer brings the gavel down, opening the 2014 Washington Seminar.] Yesterday and Today President Maurer was elected in July of 1986, meaning that he first presided over the Washington Seminar in 1987. Since he does not intend to stand for reelection in 2014, the just concluded Washington Seminar is the last one at which he will likely preside. In 1987 the issues we took to Congress were "The Three Freedoms- Freedom to Travel, Freedom to Work, and Freedom to Learn." Though the legislation we were supporting in 1987 urged different actions from the Congress than the proposals in 2014, the consistency of our message both then and now is intriguing. Twenty-seven years ago we asked Congress to make the airlines stop their discrimination against the blind, improve the chances for the advancement of blind workers in the sheltered workshop system, and give blind people a better shot at education through expanded choice. The philosophical underpinnings and guiding principles are evident in both legislative agendas, and so too is the steady, firm, and consistent leadership which has characterized the tenure of Marc Maurer's presidency. [PHOTO CAPTION: Members of the NFB of Arizona pose with Congressman Salmon in his office.] The 2014 Washington Seminar in Review by Gary Wunder The holidays are over, January finds everyone learning to write the new year, and soon NFB listservs begin to buzz about what the issues will be for the 2014 Washington Seminar. The pattern is familiar, and the arrival of more than five hundred people is now a tradition. Many Washington Seminar veterans are expected; no one is surprised to see Ron Brown, a legislative activist in his state, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Indiana, and the second vice president of the National Federation of the Blind. He, like Diane McGeorge, President Maurer, and John Par?, are fixtures at this event, but for some it is new and represents a challenge the likes of which they have never faced before. Rosina Foster is a parent and a farm wife, who never envisioned herself going to Washington and becoming an advocate. But, like the crops on her farm, for her the secret is to blossom where one is planted. With two blind children who have the drive and ability to succeed, Rosina knows that, beyond motivation and intelligence, they will need opportunity, and doing what she can to ensure they have it is what has brought her to the nation's capital. Mike Abel never expected to find himself in Washington DC in the midst of the nation's second polar vortex. A year ago he was a passive, overweight blind man, whose days consisted of little more than watching television. When power to his home was interrupted, he realized that there must be more to life than the daytime TV schedule that occupied his time and that he wanted to change the course of his destiny. Accordingly, he grabbed his cane, went out on the street, and did what he could to get back in the game. Now he travels to Congress, a man on a mission-a big man, a proud man, but a man who has shed 170 pounds, has spent the past twelve months learning new skills by tapping into the support of his Federation family, and now comes to speak to the Congress about what life for blind people can be if we believe and are given a fighting chance. On Saturday, January 25, legislative directors from throughout the country began arriving at the Jernigan Institute for two days of instruction. They reviewed our legislative accomplishments, learned about the history of the Washington Seminar, learned how to track legislation using publicly available tools, and learned to use social media both to contact the Congress and to tell their friends and families about the issues that are important to the blind. Seminarians participated in an in- depth discussion of the three issues we would take to Congress, got experience through role-playing, learned how to come up with arguments to unexpected questions in debates, and discussed strategies that had been successful or unproductive in their state legislatures. The most important things they learned, however, were not the tools and techniques of advocacy. The big takeaway was realizing that their participation makes a difference and coming to understand the imperative to share this message with our members who would join them in DC and the members who would be working with us from home. While the legislative directors were learning how to be more effective, fellow Federationists at the Capitol Holiday Inn in DC were busy hosting a parents' seminar, a students' seminar, a job fair, and yet another legislative training for those who would soon be traveling to Capitol Hill. Even as all of this was happening, a meeting of the national board of directors was being conducted. At five o'clock the Columbia and Discovery Rooms were filled with Federationists ready for the Great Gathering In meeting. When the gavel fell, both rooms erupted in cheers and the meeting was underway. President Maurer began by saying: "About twenty-eight years ago at the Washington Seminar, we got a law adopted by the United States Congress which said that there shall be no discrimination in air travel. Now, twenty-eight years later, the Department of Transportation has seen fit to write up some regulations. The writers of these regulations say they agree with the law- which is a good thing because they don't have any choice about it-they say there should be no discrimination in air travel, and in the regulations they say that the airlines have to make their kiosks-well, not all of their kiosks, only 25 percent of them-accessible to blind travelers in ten years. Ten years! So we are back once again to ask the Congress to declare that what it said twenty-eight years ago it still means today. We come to these seminars, you and I, and we bring our minds, our experience, our energy, and our hearts, to tell the Congress what our lives are like and that we know what we need in order to make them the beautiful lives we want them to be. This message is the one we will deliver articulately and enthusiastically to every member of the House and the Senate before we go home." He went on to say that, in addition to teaching the Congress about who blind people are and what we need, we must also reach the general public. Since many people now use smartphones to retrieve much of their information, the National Federation of the Blind is going to develop an app for iOS and Android. What it will do and how it will work is up to our members to suggest. What do we want it to do for the public, and what do we want it to give those of us who are blind? Suggestions should be sent to Corbb O'Connor by writing to him at . The monthly presidential release is now available as a podcast and can be retrieved by subscribing from iTunes by searching for "presidential release." This will mean that subscribers will automatically have this important message downloaded as soon as it becomes available and will not need to check the web or wait for email reminders. The presidential release is also available using the telephone by dialing (443) 341-4234. This should be especially useful for making President Maurer's remarks a part of our member-at-large chapter calls, and the system has been created and is being tested by Tony Olivero. For some time now the National Federation of the Blind has been giving away a free white cane to blind people who ask for one. At the direction of the national board of directors, we are expanding this program and are giving away an aluminum, twenty-eight cell, four-line slate and stylus. To take advantage of this opportunity, write to the National Federation of the Blind, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. In your letter of request please include your name, address, telephone number, and the fact that you would like one of these slates. [PHOTO CAPTION: Mehgan Sidhu] President Maurer announced that we have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Transportation because regulations to implement the law saying there shall be no discrimination against the blind in air travel should not allow air carriers to take up to ten years to make 25 percent of their kiosks accessible. President Maurer next introduced Mehgan Sidhu, who is general counsel for the National Federation of the Blind. She is coordinating legal activity for this suit and several others we have filed this year. To help bring about equality in educational testing, we are suing PARCC, the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers. This service has contracted with the United States Department of Education to offer tests for K-12 students in eighteen states but has no intention of making these tests available in a format the blind can take. Rather than developing and implementing accommodations during their field testing, they plan to exclude the blind from these and to worry about accommodations only when these tests are being used in the states. We know what happens when we are told we must patiently wait and that in good time our needs will be addressed. We believe the failure to address accessibility is a violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act and are asking for a preliminary injunction to stop field testing until provisions are made for blind test takers. We have several online surveys to gather information from blind people who are having problems with educational accommodations or with taking pre- employment tests. Participation in these surveys will give us invaluable information as we work to remove the barriers that stand between blind people seeking an education and employment. Valerie Yingling, who works as part of the Federation's legal team, has written a piece requesting participation in our surveys that appears elsewhere in this issue. [PHOTO CAPTION: Nicky Gacos] To recognize the commitment of the National Federation of the Blind to increase business opportunities and the commitment of the National Association of Blind Merchants to the full integration of the blind that is supported by every program we undertake, Nicky Gacos presented President Maurer with a check for $25,000 and promised two more to come. The assembled expressed their appreciation for the financial support of this division and the bond it represents. Warmly greeted when he was introduced by President Maurer was Congressman Gregg Harper of Mississippi, the sponsor of the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act, HR 831. In his greeting Congressman Harper built on the grammar of the South lesson he gave us last July. In addition to reviewing the singular, plural, and plural possessive of the word "y'all," the Congressman taught us how to pronounce "Mississippi" correctly, which any self-respecting Southerner will pronounce Miss Sippy. After this comedic introduction Congressman Harper said: "I can't think of a group that inspires me more than you do, and I just want to say thank you for what you mean to me and to my family. Those of you who were there in Orlando know that I talked about my son, Livingston, who has Fragile X syndrome. See, what you do to stand up, not only helps you, but it helps everybody who has a struggle out there, whether they've got Fragile X, Down's syndrome, autism, or mobility issues. We all have things we have to work through-struggles of various kinds-but, here's the deal: we're all in this together, okay! I want to say to you that the work we have been able to do on HR 831, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act, will finally put an end to Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. "So what do we know? We know that meaningful work deserves fair pay, and we know we're not going to settle for less than that. Now I've had my share of indirect threats, with people saying to me, `Well, you know that you're going to wind up putting people out of work-they're not going to be able to keep their jobs.' Now you can't tell me that somebody like Goodwill that's making the money they're making and only has eight thousand people who are paid under the wage certificate-you can't tell me that they can't make it right!... There are some great people at Goodwill-you and I know that-but we want to help the folks at Goodwill create some good will. They need to be leading the way on this-this is an easy step for them ... Thank you so much for your kindness, and may God bless each one of you. Thank you." The ovation following these remarks was a testament to the congressman's sincerity and our joint commitment to helping the disabled earn at least the minimum wage. [PHOTO/CAPTION: Congressman Gregg Harper receives the National Federation of the Blind Presidential Award for Congressional Courage from President Maurer.] President Maurer thanked Congressman Harper for his remarks and said: "When you come to one of the houses of the Congress and you make a suggestion for change, and when that change will alter a system that has been in place for three-quarters of a century, this demands courage. Consequently, Congressman Gregg Harper, the National Federation of the Blind Presidential Award for Congressional Courage is hereby awarded to you." After holding up his award, Congressman Harper said thank you in a soft and gentle voice that communicated how moved he was by the recognition of the Federation. Next introduced was the representative from the Sixth District of Wisconsin, who is serving his eighteenth term in the United States House of Representatives, Congressman Tom Petri. Representative Petri is the sponsor of the Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act, HR 3505. He began by acknowledging how moved he is when he sees groups like the National Federation of the Blind who are dedicated to making the needs and abilities of their members known in the halls of Congress. Because of our work and the relationships we build, he understands the need that the blind have for access to information in order to compete. For this reason he has worked hard to create a bill that can be supported by educators, publishers, and those who manufacture the electronic devices through which information is made available. The challenge is to get decision-makers in these industries to realize that they need not sacrifice innovation and competiveness in order to include people who need Braille or audio information from their products. By adopting clear guidelines that can be applied nationally, both publishers and manufacturers of electronic devices will benefit, and so too will the blind. [PHOTO CAPTION: Congressman Tom Petri receives the National Federation of the Blind Presidential Award for Congressional Courage from President Maurer.] At the conclusion of Congressman Petri's remarks, President Maurer presented to him the National Federation of the Blind Presidential Award for Congressional Courage, and the audience expressed its affection for the congressman and its excitement at the recognition bestowed on him. [PHOTO CAPTION: Jennifer Dunnam] Jennifer Dunnam, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, presented President Maurer with a check for $25,000 which has come from a bequest made by Jane Raademacher, a longtime supporter, who learned about the NFB when we were working to reform the Minneapolis Society for the Blind. The smartphone has brought about many changes in the way Americans do business, and one of these involves transportation. Hailing a taxi and calling for a cab are being replaced by ride-sharing apps. Using one of these, a person who wants a ride makes a request by pressing a button, and the system gets the location for the pickup, finds the closest car, sends a message to that car, and tells the person requesting the ride how far away the car is and when it is expected to arrive. Getting the companies who operate these services to make their apps work with access software is one of our priorities. Sidecar, a nationwide service, has worked cooperatively with us to improve the usability of its service, and during the Washington Seminar it provided each person who signed up with them a twenty dollar credit for transportation in DC. Tim Elder, Kyle Shachmut, and Mika Pyyhkala deserve much of the credit for developing this relationship, persuading the company to act, and giving counsel as the company sought to improve its service to the blind. [PHOTO CAPTION: Michael Yudin] At our urging, last June the Department of Education sent a letter to all school districts reaffirming the policy that, if a student or parent wants Braille, it should be provided. The person responsible for crafting the language and distributing that letter was Michael Yudin, the assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. He was accompanied by Janet LaBreck, the commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration. He said: "In this knowledge-based economy we need to do everything we can to make sure that individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to compete and be successful...Thirty years of research tells us that kids with disabilities do better when they are held to high standards and have access to the general curriculum. So everything we do flows from that-inclusion, equity, and opportunity...Our kids cannot learn the content if they don't have access to the content." [PHOTO CAPTION: Janet LaBreck] Following on this theme, Commissioner LaBreck emphasized the importance of a good education in the rehabilitation process and the necessity for education to focus on getting and holding jobs. She said that, in 2012, 66 percent of clients who are blind or visually impaired obtained employment and that 80 percent of these now earn a wage equal to or exceeding the minimum wage. The average wage earned by people who are legally blind was $13.79 per hour, and this exceeds by more than two dollars an hour the wage of individuals with other disabilities. She said that this is significant but that we can do better. President Maurer thanked the secretary and the commissioner for their remarks and said that we oppose the proposal to move the Rehabilitation Services Administration from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor and that we will do what we can to convince members of the Senate that this is not a good idea. He further asked for the help of the secretary in getting those who are contracted to provide common core testing to make their tests accessible. Though their contract says they must, we see little effort by the government to require accessibility, and we would like the department to join us in making these tests available to the blind. The secretary responded by saying that, since the second matter raised was in litigation, he would refrain from commenting except to say he appreciated our efforts. He characterized the proposal to move rehabilitation services to another department as a challenge, but emphasized that the job of the department was to continue to build and strengthen the ties that will improve services to those needing rehabilitation leading to employment. Mark Riccobono addressed the crowd and said that the theme that unifies all of what we do can be summed up in the phrase, "With love, hope, and determination we transform dreams into reality." He reminded us that on Thursday, January 30, the Jernigan Institute would celebrate its tenth anniversary. He gave a brief review of the programs conducted in those ten years, with special emphasis on those that are ongoing. There will be twenty-six BELL programs this summer, and how wonderful it would be if soon we will have at least one in every state. Our focus on educating and involving young people has led to the creation of a new program that will bring four people to the Jernigan Institute for a summer internship, and those interested in being part of it should apply by going to . [PHOTO CAPTION: Jim Gashel] Jim Gashel addressed the gathering by reminding us that the first Washington Seminar was held in 1973 and briefly reviewed many of the issues that have brought us to the nation's capital for more than forty years. He was the face of the Federation to the nation's legislators for several decades, but now he occupies a different role in his work with KNFB Reading Technologies and as a volunteer in other arenas. Much of his focus is now on bringing access to new and improved technology, and he said that we will soon see the KNFB Reader on the iPhone. Because of our work with the Transforming Braille initiative and the money we have put into that organization, Jim fervently believes we will see the introduction of technology that will reduce the cost of a Braille cell from eighty dollars to twelve dollars. This will drastically reduce the cost of the Braille displays we purchase and use to gain access to information for education, work, and pleasure. Jim concluded his remarks by talking about the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards that will be presented in Orlando this summer. The awards are to recognize individuals and organizations who have made and continue to make significant contributions to the advancement of the blind. Applications must be received by March 31, and the form is available at . The Monday evening meeting concluded with each member of our legislative team talking about the issues we would take to Capitol Hill. These are covered in detail immediately following this article. After a recap of our Preauthorized Contribution Program, Vehicle Donation Program, and our thrift store effort with GreenDrop, the meeting was adjourned, and those who filled the Columbia and Discovery Rooms at the Holiday Inn Capitol took our dogs, our canes, our message, and our stories to the leaders of our nation. We gained support in both the House of Representatives and the Senate and, as you will see in another article in this issue, helped to persuade the executive branch of government to embrace one of our initiatives. Changing how people think about blindness has been at the core of our mission since our founding in 1940. We know that it takes time and energy to alter the direction of programs and policies, but we who are blind have as much or as little time as the rest of humanity, and our supply of energy and commitment is limited only by the distance our dreams can take us, which means that it is close to infinite. The beauty of what we do is judged not only by the outcomes we see but by the transformative power that love and shared commitment plant in our souls and in the souls of those who observe us. ---------- Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans: Priorities for the 113th Congress, SECOND Session The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind people. As the voice of the nation's blind, we represent the collective views of the 1.3 million blind people throughout the United States. All of our leaders and the vast majority of our members are blind, but anyone can participate in our movement. The NFB's three legislative initiatives for 2014 are: . The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (HR 831) Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to pay workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage because of the false assumption that they are less productive than nondisabled workers. This antiquated provision breeds low expectations and discourages disabled Americans from reaching their full potential. HR 831 responsibly phases out the use of the 14(c) Special Wage Certificates, ending the era of segregated, subminimum wage work. . The Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act (TEACH) (HR 3505) Electronic instructional materials have replaced traditional methods of learning in postsecondary education, but the overwhelming majority of e- books, courseware, web content, and other technology are inaccessible to students with print disabilities. The law mandates equal access in the classroom but fails to provide a prescription to schools for how that applies to technology. The TEACH Act creates accessibility guidelines for electronic instructional materials that will guide the market, give clarity to schools, and protect blind students' rights to critical course material. . The Air Carrier Technology Accessibility Act (ACTA) Passenger interaction with technology is a central component of air travel. The Air Carrier Access Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by airlines, but it was written before the emergence of websites, kiosks, and mobile apps. These tools are all inaccessible to blind travelers despite readily-available solutions, resulting in segregation and substandard service. ACTA calls for all technology-based air travel services to be accessible to blind passengers. The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight; it is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exist. Given the proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a physical nuisance. Americans have a strong philosophy of equality, but there are profound flaws in the application of our doctrine as it applies to people with disabilities. These bills help close the gaps. We urge Congress to protect our rights in the workplace, classroom, and air travel by supporting these legislative initiatives. ---------- The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013 (HR 831) Current labor laws unjustly prohibit workers with disabilities from reaching their full vocational and socioeconomic potential. Written in 1938, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) discriminates against people with disabilities. The provision allows the Secretary of Labor to grant Special Wage Certificates to employers, permitting them to pay workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage. This is based on the false assumption that disabled workers are less productive than nondisabled workers, but successful employment models have emerged in the last seventy-five years to assist people with significant disabilities in acquiring the job skills needed for competitive work. Section 14(c) sustains segregated subminimum wage workshops that exploit disabled workers, paying some only pennies an hour for mundane, repetitive tasks. This discriminatory policy is not necessary for the successful operation of a disability-training program. In reality the overwhelming majority of Goodwill Industries affiliates and all but one of the National Industries for the Blind (NIB) affiliates operates successfully without paying subminimum wages. Countless entities have successfully transitioned their subminimum wage business model of low expectations to an innovative model of competitive integrated training and employment, meeting the growing needs of mainstream employers with the proven talents of employees with disabilities. Only outdated workshops argue that they will be unable to manage worthwhile programs without the use of the Special Wage Certificate. The subminimum wage model fails to provide adequate training or employment to disabled workers. Data show that fewer than 5 percent of the 400,000 workers with disabilities in segregated subminimum wage workshops will transition into competitive integrated work. Moreover, research shows that the subminimum wage model costs more but actually produces less! In fact, workers must unlearn the useless skills they acquire in order to obtain meaningful employment. It is poor policy to reward such failed programs with wage exemptions, preferential federal contracts, and public and charitable contributions. After seventy-five years of demonstrated failure, it is time to invest in proven, effective models for employment. This discriminatory model sustains the same segregated subminimum wage environments that existed in 1938. Section 14(c) has proven to be extremely ineffective and offers no incentive for mainstream employers to hire people with disabilities. The Employment First Movement promotes new concepts such as "supported" or "customized" employment that are successful at producing competitive integrated employment outcomes for individuals with significant disabilities who were previously thought to be unemployable. The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2013: Discontinues the issuance of new Special Wage Certificates. The secretary of labor will no longer issue Special Wage Certificates to new applicants. Phases out the use of Special Wage Certificates over a three-year period. Using the following schedule, entities will be able to transition to the proven model of competitive integrated employment: . Private for-profit entities will have one year to transition . Public or governmental entities will have two years to transition . Nonprofit entities will have three years to transition. (These entities make up 95 percent of the Special Wage Certificate holders.) Repeals Section 14(c) of the FLSA. Three years after the law is enacted, this practice of paying disabled workers subminimum wages will be officially abolished. This will result in *the elimination of segregated, subminimum wage workshops and in *the development of integrated environments that encourage people with disabilities to reach their full vocational and socioeconomic potential. PROTECT EQUALITY IN THE WORKPLACE. Cosponsor HR 831: Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. For more information contact: National Federation of the Blind Anil Lewis, Director of Advocacy and Policy Phone: (410) 659-9314, Extension 2374. Email: alewis at nfb.org Rose Sloan, Government Affairs Specialist Phone: (410) 659-9314, Extension 2441. Email: rsloan at nfb.org To cosponsor, contact: Scot Malvaney, Legislative Director Congressman Gregg Harper (R-MS) Phone: (202)-225-5031. Email: scot.malvaney at mail.house.gov HR 831 is supported by over sixty organizations of people with disabilities and employers of workers with disabilities. For more information visit: ---------- Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act (TEACH Act) HR 3505 Colleges and universities need an education about accessibility. Students with disabilities need accessibility to get an education. Technology has fundamentally changed the education system. The scope of instructional materials used to facilitate the teaching and learning process at institutions of higher education has expanded. Curricular content comes in the form of digital books, PDFs, webpages, etc.; and most of this content is delivered through digital databases, learning management systems, and applications. Traditional print materials are inherently inaccessible to disabled students, but technology creates opportunities to expand the circle of participation. These opportunities are missed when the majority of these materials are inaccessible to students with disabilities. The use of inaccessible technology by institutions of higher education is a violation of law. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability, but these laws were written before technology permeated the classroom. In 2010 the U.S. Departments of Justice and Education issued guidance to institutions of higher education clarifying that the use of inaccessible technology is a form of discrimination. In the four years since, several of the country's leading institutions have faced legal action for continuing to use inaccessible technology. Accessibility solutions are widely available, but schools and manufacturers are resisting. A 2009 congressionally authorized study found that, despite innovations in text-to-speech, refreshable Braille, and other accessibility features that create promise for equal access, there is still persistent unmet need. Developers claim there is not enough demand to justify making accessible products, and schools claim to have limited options and a lack of knowledge about accessibility to properly guide procurement. Because of this blame game, developers are moving too slowly and schools are openly violating the law. Guidelines are sorely needed to guide the market and lift burdens off disabled students. While schools and manufacturers are waiting for the other to take action, blind students are facing insurmountable barriers to their education. No student can be expected to succeed in college if he or she is denied access to course material, yet the solutions available to remedy this discrimination are ignored! Universally-accepted accessibility guidelines will give direction to manufacturers, clarity to schools about how to meet their legal obligations regarding technology, and long-overdue equal access for disabled students. Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act: Develops accessibility guidelines for instructional materials and related information technology. The Access Board will consult experts and stakeholders to develop functional performance criteria for electronic instructional materials and related information technologies so that those materials are usable by individuals with disabilities. The guidelines will serve as a flexible prescription for accessibility for both developers and institutions of higher education. Provides incentive for institutions of higher education to follow the guidelines. Institutions of higher education that use technology that conforms with the guidelines will be deemed in compliance with the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act that pertain to schools' use of technology. Establishes a minimum usability standard for all technology in the classroom. Institutions of higher education may use materials that do not conform to the guidelines only if that material allows disabled students to enjoy the same educational benefits in an equally integrated and equally effective manner, with ease of use substantially equivalent to that of nondisabled students. PROTECT EQUALITY IN THE CLASSROOM. Cosponsor the Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act (TEACH Act) HR 3505. For more information contact: Lauren McLarney, Government Affairs Specialist, National Federation of the Blind Phone: (410) 659-9314, Extension 2207. Email: To cosponsor, contact: Kevin James, Legislative Assistant, Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI) Phone: (202) 225-2476. Email: The TEACH Act is the result of collaboration between the NFB and the Association of American Publishers, the leading trade association of the U.S. publishing industry. ---------- >From the Editor: Here is the third fact sheet taken to Congress in 2014. Unlike the others it requires some comment. After its writing the National Federation of the Blind discovered that Senate Bill 556 had been introduced by Senator Harkin of Iowa. While it does not go as far as the proposal for legislation in this fact sheet, it does acknowledge the problem the Federation intends to address with a Senate bill, offers the chance of adding friendly amendments, and shows potential sponsors in the House that this issue has been acknowledged as important by the other chamber. Our message then was this: Here is Senate Bill 556, a good bill, and a good start on what we need in air travel. Here too is our fact sheet, a model for what we would like to see in a House bill and for what we hope Senator Harkin will fold into S 556. Here is the fact sheet: Air Carrier Technology Accessibility Act To allow blind and low vision individuals equal access to technology used in all phases of air travel. Despite anti-discrimination laws airlines continue to deny access to blind passengers. In 1986 Congress passed the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) to prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability during all phases of air travel, including purchasing a ticket, checking in, boarding and deplaning, receiving in-flight services, and assistance getting around the airport. Air travel has changed significantly since 1986, and most services now require interaction with technology; however, airlines have failed to honor the ACAA by ensuring that those services are usable by blind travelers. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) also prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in public transportation, but because of unique security issues in air travel, airlines were explicitly excluded from the law, compounding the problems facing blind air travelers. Technology creates opportunity to expand the circle of participation, so the law needs to be updated to capture the prospect and ensure equal access. Passenger interaction with technology is a fundamental requirement of air travel. Passengers have multiple options of accessing flight information that replace endless phone calls and check-in lines. For booking and accessing boarding passes, fliers use websites, mobile apps, or kiosks. Mobile apps provide real-time updates on departure and arrival information and even make it possible to scan a digital boarding pass at security check points. On board, passengers can make in-flight purchases of movies, drinks, or Wi-Fi by using consoles on the seatback in front of them. Technology enhances the flying experience, and who knows what innovative tools might emerge in the future? Blind passengers pay the same price to fly the friendly skies as everyone else, yet cannot use any of these services. Airlines should stop this discrimination by embracing readily available solutions. Technical criteria for accessible web content and best practices for mobile apps were released back in 2008, and accessibility standards for ATMs and usable kiosks have been on the market for years. Rather than utilize these options and deploy accessible technology, airlines "meet the needs" of their disabled passengers by offering internet rates over the phone to those who self-identify as blind and giving priority access to blind fliers in line. Technology can meet the unfulfilled promise of equal access, yet airlines choose to use an ineffective method of access that relegates blind passengers to antiquated methods of service. The Air Carrier Technology Accessibility Act: Provides equal access throughout the air travel process by requiring that all methods of booking flights, checking in, obtaining boarding passes, and making in-flight purchases are accessible to blind passengers. All newly created or purchased web content, airport kiosks, mobile apps, and other technology-based services operated by air carriers will be usable by the blind. Establishes a complaint mechanism to resolve issues of noncompliance with the Air Carrier Technology Accessibility Act. PROTECT EQUALITY IN AIR TRAVEL. Sponsor the Air Carrier Technology Accessibility Act. For more information contact: Jesse Hartle Government Affairs Specialist National Federation of the Blind Phone: (410) 659-9314, Extension 2233. Email: ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis] The State of Our Union Grows Stronger by Anil Lewis From the Editor: February 12 was Abraham Lincoln's birthday, and it is special for blind people for yet another reason, which Anil Lewis will explain. Anil wears many hats in the National Federation of the Blind, but none of them is more important to him than the one he puts on each day as he crusades for the elimination of the subminimum wage provisions found in Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Here is what he says: In his State of the Union Address, President Obama told the Congress that he would be issuing an Executive Order to set a wage floor of $10.10 per hour for all federal contract employees. "To every mayor, governor, state legislator in America, I say, you don't have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will support you if you take this on. And, as a chief executive, I intend to lead by example. Profitable corporations like Costco see higher wages as the smart way to boost productivity and reduce turnover. We should too. In the coming weeks I will issue an Executive Order requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour because if you cook-(cheers, applause)-our troops' meals or wash their dishes, you should not have to live in poverty. (sustained applause) Of course, to reach millions more, Congress does need to get on board." The president's address did not make it clear whether workers with disabilities would be covered in the proposed Executive Order. We received our answer on a subsequent telephone conference with Vice President Biden and Department of Labor Secretary Perez the following day. It was reported in an article in the Disability Scoop on January 30: Workers With Disabilities Left Out Of Obama Wage Plan by Michelle Diament In a call this week with US Secretary of Labor Tom Perez and Vice President Joe Biden, disability advocates say they were told that the Executive Order would not alter the ability of approved federal contractors to continue paying people with disabilities less than minimum wage, though such workers could see a slight uptick in pay. That's because subminimum wage is often calculated as a percentage of the pay that a typical worker would earn for the same job. We recognized this as the administration's assertion that Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act would prohibit workers with disabilities under federal contracts from receiving the same wage protections being offered to those without disabilities. The article goes on to say, "White House officials declined to offer specifics about the Executive Order Obama will issue, but said that any changes to the current subminimum wage laws would require action from Congress. Further details about the Executive Order will be released `in the near future,' an administration spokesman said." Unwilling to wait on further details, members of the NFB and other organizations of people with disabilities mounted a letter-writing, email, and social media campaign urging that the Executive Order include workers with disabilities. The following letter was sent by President Maurer pressing for the inclusion of disabled workers and also urging the President to announce that he will sign the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act, HR 831, when it reaches his desk. The reference to Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg, who is a wounded warrior highlighted by the president during the State of the Union address, is part of our continuing effort to demonstrate that it is not the disability but the perception of incapacity that presents the greatest challenge for workers with disabilities to obtain competitive, integrated employment. Here is President Maurer's letter: February 3, 2014 President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President: In your January 28th State of the Union Address, and via a conference call with Vice President Biden and Secretary of Labor Perez on January 29th, it was announced that all contractors would be required by Executive Order to pay their federally funded workers at least $10.10 an hour under any new contracts. The National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans, urges you to include workers with disabilities in this Executive Order, affirmatively and explicitly. We further urge you to announce that you will sign the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (HR 831) if and when that legislation reaches your desk. With a Republican sponsor and substantial Democratic cosponsorship, this nonpartisan piece of legislation will responsibly phase out the discriminatory practice of paying workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage. Our respect and prayers go out to Americans like Sergeant First Class Cory Remsburg, who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom and equality we seek to enjoy as American citizens. We are thankful that Sergeant Remsburg is recovering from the wounds he suffered in service to this great nation. But we must point out that his value to our society is not a function of the restoration of his eyesight and ability to walk, but of the simple fact that he is a human being with determination, belief in himself, love for the United States, and aspirations for his future. There are millions of others who actively seek to serve this nation we love with our unique talents and strengths, whether or not we can benefit from technology or medical intervention that will mitigate or eliminate our disabilities. Some of us may be blind in both eyes; others may not be able to hear; some may be unable to walk; some may have developmental disabilities that require innovative interventions; and still others may have other disabilities that require them to perform everyday tasks a little differently. We seek to have our different characteristics embraced as respected contributions to our nation's diversity, not as badges of inferiority that condemn us to a life of low wages and low expectations. We are no less valuable, we are no less capable, and we are no less American than any other citizen. We wholeheartedly agree with you when you say, "The America we want for our kids--a rising America where honest work is plentiful and communities are strong; where prosperity is widely shared and opportunity for all lets us go as far as our dreams and toil will take us--none of it is easy. But if we work together; if we summon what is best in us, the way Cory summoned what is best in him, with our feet planted firmly in today but our eyes cast towards tomorrow--I know it's within our reach." We believe that this America includes people with disabilities, and we ask you to demonstrate that you believe it as well. Sincerely, Marc Maurer, President NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND cc: Vice President Joseph R. Biden The Honorable Thomas E. Perez As a result of our discussion with the Obama Administration and the work of other organizations representing the disabled, the following press release came from the White House on February 12, 2014: Opportunity for All: Rewarding Hard Work Raising the Minimum Wage through Executive Order to $10.10 for Federal Contract Workers And Calling on Congress to Finish the Job for All Workers by Passing the Harkin-Miller Bill White House Press Release February 12, 2014 Today, continuing to fulfill his promise to make 2014 a year of action, the President will sign an Executive Order to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 for federal contract workers. The Executive Order the President will sign today will benefit hundreds of thousands of people working under contracts with the federal government who are making less than $10.10 an hour. It will also improve the value that taxpayers are getting from the federal government's investment. Studies show that boosting low wages will reduce turnover and absenteeism, while also boosting morale and improving the incentives for workers, leading to higher productivity overall. These gains improve the quality and efficiency of services provided to the government. In his State of the Union Address, President Obama pledged both to take executive action wherever he can and to work with Congress to increase opportunity for all Americans. Consistent with that pledge, the President will continue to work with Congress to finish the job to raise the minimum wage for all Americans and pass the Harkin-Miller bill so that all workers can be paid at least a $10.10 minimum wage. Details of the Executive Order The Executive Order will raise the minimum wage to $10.10 effective for new contracts beginning January 1, 2015. The higher wage will apply to new contracts and replacements for expiring contracts. Boosting wages will lower turnover and absenteeism and increase morale and productivity overall. Raising wages for those at the bottom will improve the quality and efficiency of services provided to the government. Benefits hundreds of thousands of hardworking Americans. There are hundreds of thousands of people working under contracts with the federal government to provide services or construction who are currently making less than $10.10 an hour. Some examples of the hardworking people who would see their wages go up under this Executive Order include nursing assistants providing care to our veterans at nursing homes, concessions workers in National Parks, people serving food to our troops, and individuals with disabilities working to maintain the grounds on military bases. Includes an increase in the tipped minimum wage. This Executive Order also includes provisions to make sure that tipped workers earn at least $10.10 overall, through a combination of tips and an employer contribution. Employers are currently required to pay a minimum base wage of $2.13 per hour, a base that has remained unchanged for over twenty years, and, if a worker's tips do not add up to the minimum wage, the employer must make up the difference. Under the Executive Order employers are required to ensure that tipped workers earn at least $10.10 an hour. The Executive Order requires that employers pay a minimum base wage of $4.90 for new contracts and replacements for expiring contracts put out for bid after January 1, 2015. That amount increases by 95 cents per year until it reaches 70 percent of the regular minimum wage, and, if a worker's tips do not add up to at least $10.10, the employer will be required to pay the difference. Covers individuals with disabilities. Under current law workers whose productivity is affected because of their disabilities may be paid less than the wage paid to others doing the same job under certain specialized certificate programs. Under this Executive Order, all individuals working under service or concessions contracts with the federal government will be covered by the same $10.10 per hour minimum wage protections. Improves value for the federal government and taxpayers. One study showed that, when Maryland passed its living wage law for companies contracting with the state, there was an increase in the number of contractors bidding, and higher competition can help ensure better quality. The increase will take effect for new contracts and replacements for expiring contracts put out for bid after the effective date of the order, so contractors will have time to prepare and price their bids accordingly. Continuing to Work With Congress, States and Localities to Help All Workers The President is using his executive authority to lead by example and will continue to work with Congress to raise the minimum wage for all Americans by passing the Harkin-Miller bill. The bill would raise the federal minimum wage for working Americans in stages to $10.10 and index it to inflation thereafter, while also raising the minimum wage for tipped workers for the first time in over twenty years. The President will also continue to support and encourage state, local, and private-sector efforts to increase wages and help more working families. Businesses like Costco have supported past increases to the minimum wage because it helps build a strong workforce and profitability over the long run. Low wages are also bad for business, since paying low wages lowers employee morale, encourages low productivity, and leads to frequent employee turnover-all of which impose costs. Across the country Americans are saying it's time to raise the minimum wage. The President believes that it's time for action, and people across the country agree. Since the President called for an increase in the minimum wage in last year's State of the Union, five states have passed laws increasing their minimum wage. And many businesses, from small businesses to large corporations, see higher wages as the right way to boost productivity and reduce turnover and therefore boost their profitability. Raising the minimum wage is good for government and good for business and workers and key to a stronger economy. A range of economic studies show that modestly raising the minimum wage increases earnings and reduces poverty without jeopardizing employment. Higher wages can also boost productivity, increase morale, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. Raising the minimum wage will make sure no family of four with a full- time worker has to raise its children in poverty. It has been seven years since Congress last acted to increase the minimum wage, and, adjusted for inflation, today the real value of minimum wage is roughly the same as what it was in the 1950s, despite the fact that the typical American family's income has doubled since then. And right now a full-time minimum wage worker makes $14,500 a year, which leaves too many families struggling to make ends meet. Even after accounting for programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit, a family of four supported by a minimum-wage worker still ends up living below the poverty line. Indexing the minimum wage to inflation would help lower-income workers keep up in the future. Since it was first established in 1938, the minimum wage has been increased twenty-two times, but was eroded substantially over several prolonged periods between increases because of inflation. Indexing would prevent a repeat of the 34 percent decline in the real value of the minimum wage from 1978 to 1989 and the 19 percent decline in real value from 1998 to 2006, as well as the 40 percent decline in the real value of the base wage for tipped workers since it was last raised in 1991. Last year alone workers earning the minimum wage basically got the equivalent of a $200 pay cut because the minimum wage stayed the same while the cost of living went up. Democrats and Republicans agree that indexing the minimum wage to inflation would ensure that working families can keep up with expenses. Unfortunately, those families will continue to suffer if Congress continues not to act. Helping parents make ends meet. Around 60 percent of workers who would benefit from a higher minimum wage are women. Less than 20 percent are teenagers. Also those workers who would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage brought home 46 percent of their household's total wage and salary income in 2011. Raising the minimum wage directly helps parents make ends meet and support their families. Here is the press release that the National Federation of the Blind circulated as soon as possible following receipt of the release from the White House: National Federation of the Blind Commends President Obama for Executive Order on Wages Order Ensures Economic Mobility for Federal Contract Employees with Disabilities The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) commented today on President Obama's Executive Order requiring a wage floor of $10.10 for individuals employed under all new federal contracts, including workers with disabilities who are currently excluded from minimum wage protections under special certificate programs. Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "President Obama's courageous action today is a tremendous victory for federal contract workers with disabilities, and we wholeheartedly applaud the spectacular step forward that this new Executive Order represents. The National Federation of the Blind commends President Obama for recognizing the value of workers with disabilities and ensuring that these workers can take advantage of the same opportunity for economic mobility as their nondisabled co-workers. We urge Congress to finish the work that President Obama has begun by passing the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (HR 831) to ensure that all workers with disabilities, not just those working under federal contracts, will no longer be subjected to the antiquated and discriminatory practice of being paid less than the federal minimum wage." We thank and applaud the president for having the courage to make the right decision to include workers with disabilities in his Executive Order. However, we realize this is only one battle in our ongoing war to repeal the unfair, discriminatory, and immoral subminimum wage practice made legal by Section 14(c). At the time of this writing the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act, HR 831, sponsored by Congressman Gregg Harper of Mississippi, has sixty-five cosponsors, with the recent addition of Congressman George Miller of California, who is the ranking member of the Education and Workforce Committee, to which HR 831 has been assigned. The state of our union grows stronger as we are afforded the opportunity to participate fully. We will celebrate yet another victory on our path toward full inclusion, but we must systematically plan our next steps. As I told President Maurer on our way back to Baltimore following the signing of the Executive Order at the White House, "Days like today make for difficult tomorrows. It just doesn't get any better." ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Meg Dowell] College Bound by Meg Dowell From the Editor: This article is reprinted from the Fall 2013 edition of the Braille Examiner. In it Meg Dowell demonstrates that she has grasped at an early age what it takes many of us decades to understand about being blind and coming to regard it as an important but by no means the most significant of our many characteristics. Here is what she says: At eighteen I did not want to go to college. I wanted the education, the friends, the life experience-but I didn't feel ready to leave home. Not even a semester at a community college seemed enough to prepare me for moving away to start my education at a four-year university. I had been accepted at my dream college, and I would have the chance to pursue the major I'd picked out in high school. I should have been ecstatic. Accommodations weren't the problem. I knew how to advocate for myself. In fact, some college professors are more willing than high school teachers to accommodate a student with a visual impairment. I wasn't worried about making friends either. From the first day I could tell my roommate and I were going to hit it off. So everything should have been fine. I was enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The campus isn't far from my home, and I had been there many times as I was growing up. I was an Olivetian, born and raised. Surely I could figure out college life. "Mom!" I pressed the phone to my ear and looked around. "I think I'm lost." Well, maybe not. Mom verbally guided me back to my dorm (and no tears were shed during that particular incident, thank you very much). It didn't take long for me to figure out the relatively simple layout of my campus. Once I found where all my classes were located, I stopped feeling like such a lost sheep. The campus wasn't the source of my problems. What took me a long time was coming to terms with my blindness. I've been legally blind since birth, and I'd long ago made peace with my blindness in a physical sense. But I still had some distance to go toward a deeper acceptance. College is the place where you're supposed to find yourself, and, by the time I approached my freshman year, I was growing tired of letting my disability define me. Even though I insisted on calling it my "visual dilemma," it had a major say in how I lived my life-and I wasn't okay with that. Until I attended my first NFBI convention, I'd met only one other visually impaired person in my life. I didn't know what I was stumbling into that first convention weekend, but once I made it through, I knew I would never be the same. Everyone I met taught me to embrace my physical challenge and turn it into a massive strength. Though I'd never made my blindness a weakness, I still let it speak for me-and that's not what being blind is all about. It's about accepting every part of yourself, even the parts that don't work the way they're supposed to. For the longest time I had shied away from the thing I wanted the most- to study dietetics. I kept my longing a secret; I thought no one would support me if I decided to pursue a major so unsuitable for a blind girl. Worse still, I'd somehow talked myself into believing I couldn't do it even if I tried. But that same stubborn determination that convinced me to give college a try finally won out. I was done letting my self-doubt run the show. I took a chance and ignited a dream, and I haven't looked back since. As I remember my first week living on my own, I realize I have nearly an unlimited number of people to thank. They taught me that it's not about being brave but about having faith. The fact that you can't see well doesn't mean you have to wander around aimlessly or call Mom for help (even though she's always there, just in case). Being a college student with a disability has taught me never to let my limitations stand in my way. People may not always understand our needs, but that doesn't mean they're not willing to help. People may not always accept us, but that doesn't mean they'll disrespect us. And, if they do, well, that's their loss. If you ever do get lost and aren't sure where to go next, the NFBI has your back (and a handy set of directions, too). If you're about to go off to college for the first time, don't ever forget what you're leaving behind- a past that will eventually shape your future. If you let that past become an obstacle, there won't be a future. Face your fears. Discover who you are and love every piece of who you will become. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Geerat Vermeij on a rocky beach with seaweeds and seagrasses at Misaki Marine Biological Station in Japan.] Blind in Wild Nature by Geerat J. Vermeij From the Editor: Geerat Vermeij is distinguished professor of earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Davis. As an evolutionary biologist/paleobiologist, he has published more than 255 scientific papers and is the author of six books including, most recently, The Evolutionary World: how Adaptation Explains Everything from Seashells to Civilizations. Offering a view that runs counter to several items we have printed recently about blind people and independent exploration, Dr. Vermeij reminds us that some information can be perceived only with sight and explains how he has managed to get this information and build mutually enriching relationships in the process. The professor is a frequent contributor to the Braille Monitor, but he warned me that this article might be controversial. I differ with him about this, considering it yet another variant on the theme so popularly captured and remembered in the 1993 speech by Dr. Kenneth Jernigan on "The Nature of Independence." There is more than one way to skin a cat (feline lovers forgive me), and Dr. Vermeij reminds us of this in these thought-provoking remarks. He can be reached at , and here is what he has to say: One of the many enriching dimensions of my life is the frequent exposure to truly wild places away from the bustle of cities and the familiarity of home and work. As a scientist I rely on these experiences for inspiration and for clues about how nature works. As a naturalist I crave the esthetics that total sensory immersion in the world's remaining remote habitats permits. As a blind person I have been privileged to work and share my enjoyment with colleagues and loved ones in spectacular settings ranging from tropical rain forests in Panama, the coastal meadows and redwood forests of California, the dunes and beaches of the Wadden Islands in the Netherlands, the seaweed-choked rocky shores of Iceland and New Zealand, the incomparable coral reefs of Palau, the mucky mangroves of northwestern Madagascar and Ecuador, the truly barren deserts of the Sinai Peninsula, and the alpine tundra of Colorado, to the razor-sharp limestone cliffs of Jamaica. In all these wonderful places and many others, I have learned that no amount of reading or armchair travel beats careful observation with the brain in gear. Sadly, such experiences have been closed to the vast majority of blind people. Some time ago I was approached by a blind student who asked me a simple question: how does someone who is blind do field work or, more broadly, become a dedicated naturalist who goes off the beaten track? This article is my perspective on this question. Because of an all-consuming curiosity about and love for all things nature has to offer, I have worked to create opportunities to go places. In this pursuit I have relied on one overriding principle that on first blush will seem contradictory to the aims of an independent blind person: I am in the company of a like-minded sighted person, and I leave my cane at home. Let me explain. First, anyone engaging with wild nature should go with another person. Modern people have a romantic concept of nature as a harmonious, benevolent refuge; but the reality is that, despite its obvious appeal and beauty, unkempt nature is full of unpredictable dangers and challenges, and accidents happen. It is therefore always better to be with a partner. Second, a sighted companion is essential for orienting a blind person to what is inevitably a highly complex, unfamiliar environment, and for efficiently guiding and directing a blind person's movements. Vision has the extraordinary advantage that an effective route can be scanned from afar and that hidden crevices, drop-offs, and other dangers can be evaluated and avoided efficiently. I cannot imagine how I could have found my way to remote areas without public transportation, much less walk with reasonable speed from shore to the reef edge in Guam or safely negotiate a narrow, cobble-strewn path alongside a precipitous canyon in remote Baja California without sighted companions. If I were to do these things using a cane, I would spend all my time painstakingly deciding where to take the next step. With one hand clutching a cane, the ability to stay low and crawl on all fours would be severely compromised. Besides, where would I leave the cane when my hands are busily engaged under water, beneath ledges, or delving into the undergrowth? In short, reliance on a cane would require me to devote all my time and energy to the mechanics of locomotion rather than to the tasks of observing and collecting. A cane is therefore an impediment, a hindrance, and indeed a limitation in such circumstances, rather than a key to independence. Once at an interesting location, the blind naturalist can perfectly well be left to observe and to move unaccompanied, as long as a companion is within shouting distance. At this point, unencumbered by a cane, one's full attention can be devoted to listening, smelling, feeling, tasting, and thinking, all the while being aware of potential threats. Just as important, a blind observer can contribute meaningfully to an enhanced experience for his or her partner. Under the best circumstances-and in my experience these are the rule rather than the exception-the outing is a mutually beneficial event, in which the participants bring their own diverse skills of observation to the enterprise. There is a third, perhaps more intangible, benefit to this arrangement. A shared interest in natural history cements friendships and, for the blind partner, promotes integration into the world of the sighted. In my student years I frequently went on field trips with sighted peers, either as part of a course or, equally often, as impromptu excursions. Willing colleagues would often arrange for complete strangers to accompany me, invariably with good results. On a UNESCO-sponsored trip to Fiji, for example, while everyone else in the visiting party went diving, the village chief engaged a very capable fourteen-year-old boy to take me to shore sites around the island of Dravuni. Early in our courtship, my wife Edith and I explored volcanoes and rocky seashores in the eastern Caribbean, the formal excuse being that I needed more data on the body temperatures of snails in order to complete my PhD thesis. On a scientific cruise aboard a research ship to the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, I went ashore by small boat on eleven islands with my trusted colleague, A. Richard Palmer, then (and still) at the University of Alberta. On yet another expedition, this time to the recently erupted volcanic island of Pagan in the Northern Marianas, I had to launch myself from a small boat to a slippery boulder shore the moment that one of my companions, a seasoned Vietnam veteran with extensive field experience, gave me the go-ahead to jump. In all these escapades and many more, I clearly benefited from the expertise and competence of sighted companions. Meanwhile, my partners gained a new appreciation for the capabilities of a blind naturalist and scientist. Obviously, this kind of intense field exposure entails risks. Over the years I have been stung by bees and sea urchins, bitten by crabs and moray eels, impaled by sting rays, thrown off balance by incoming waves, nearly tossed overboard on small boats, scraped by coral, and assaulted by poison oak. These are the common experiences of everyone who ventures into the wild. They come with the territory, and, although we do what we can to be prudent, the benefits of learning first-hand about undomesticated nature cannot be had without accepting some risks. To some readers my perspective may seem to fly in the face of our goal as blind people to be as independent as possible. I would argue, however, that instead of conflicting with this goal, reliance on sighted companions in the field substantially broadens our range of experience and thus places us at a more equal footing with our sighted peers. There is an apt analogy between our situation and that of any self-sufficient individual in society. Many things can be done most effectively by individuals acting alone, but there are other functions-education, food production and distribution, and the provision of all manner of public services-that are best done collectively, with the aid of others. Independence, it turns out, is a desired state arising both from one's own actions and from the cooperative efforts of others. By finding the right balance, we can gain as individuals in our own capacities and experiences while at the same time engage with the larger world-natural as well as human-around us. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Peggy Chong] Standing on Their Shoulders by Peggy Chong From the Editor: Peggy Chong is an amateur historian who loves digging through boxes of old records and bringing to life the men and women whose challenges and accomplishments have shaped and built the society we have inherited. What you will read here has involved countless hours of study, thought, and perseverance, and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed editing it. Here is a bit of Peggy's story, but, more important, here are the stories of countless men and women who have helped create the opportunities we have today. I became involved with the National Federation of the Blind in Minnesota at the age of fourteen. I was young and naive and felt that I could change the world. By the time I reached thirty I felt that changing even my own family's views on blindness was an impossible task. About this time the NFB of Minnesota's offices were being remodeled, and we needed to clean house and rid ourselves of some of the old stuff. I was put in charge of this project. I went through old files and boxes, tossing old records and such, but occasionally I stopped to read a few items. Some of these I found myself reluctant to discard and returned them to the files. When the NFB of Minnesota was beginning to think of what to do to celebrate the organization's seventy-fifth anniversary in 1995, I thought I would go through the records again and write a few articles about our long and uninterrupted history as an organization of and for the blind. Over a three-and-a-half year period many of the blind leaders from the past, who died long before I was born, came to life for me through our records. They gave me a different perspective on my views of blindness and the impact of the organized blind. These men and women, through what they left behind, showed me what a difference they had made in my life. With much less than we have today, they lived lives that created so much for me, for my fellow Minnesotans, and, in fact, for all blind Americans. They had no financial assistance from the government, they had little education, they did not have white canes or dogs when they traveled by themselves. Yet some of Minnesota's blind men and women of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries lived successful lives by any reasonable standard. Since my courtship with those original records, I have made it my special project to educate blind people about our rich history so that we can learn and continue to build on the successes of earlier generations. Because of the founders of the NFB of Minnesota, I have gained a new outlook and have found new energy to work on issues affecting the blind of our country. As the seventy-fifth anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind approaches, I stop to remember how far we have come and reverently remember those who helped to start the organization we love and value today. I also offer to them a silent prayer of thanks, for I know they have made possible some of the wonderful opportunities I enjoy and all too often take for granted. One of the seven organizations that made up the newly-formed National Federation of the Blind in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in November of 1940 was the Minnesota State Organization of the Blind, MSOB. Each of the representatives at that meeting was there by design, since each established organization represented there had already made a difference in their home state. Minnesota had already established itself as a hard-working organization of the blind, with much progress to show on behalf of people in its state. The Minnesota State Organization of the Blind was born in December, 1919, with several blind businessmen who met in the back of Charles T. Gleason's music store. By 1940 the MSOB had built a home and center where blind people could live by themselves without restrictions. They had passed welfare laws securing a minimal income for the blind in the state. The MSOB was responsible for legislation that established the state agency for the blind and statewide home teaching services. White cane ordinances had already been passed in many communities, recognizing the right of blind people to travel freely in the places where they lived. The blind men and women in 1920 who created the MSOB were piano tuners, weavers, and salesmen. They reached out to the many small groups of the blind across the state, asking that they join in making life better for the blind statewide. Unfortunately none of these small groups wanted to band together to work on issues outside their social club or small communities. Most of these groups were led by sighted people, but the MSOB resolved that it was going to be led by the blind themselves. Unlike many other states, by 1920 Minnesota had already elected a blind man, Thomas Schall, to the US House of Representatives and would later elect him to the US Senate. Senator Schall was the first blind person in the state to use a dog as a travel tool. Blind children such as Evangeline Larson were being taught in the St. Paul public school system. The state legislature had already set money aside for scholarship funds for blind college students if they studied law or music. Public libraries in three of the larger cities had Braille collections. Adult rehabilitation classes for older blind people started in 1907 and were being taught during the summer at the school for the blind in Faribault. Those classes often had thirty-five students, both men and women, attending. Many of those who took the lead in the MSOB in the beginning were graduates from the school for the blind, either as young people just starting out or from the summer adult programs. But much still needed to be done. Limited yet progressive efforts for the blind were happening in Hennepin, Ramsey, and St. Louis counties, but nothing was coordinated or consistent, nor did these efforts spread from city to city or county to county. Many communities had rules that forbade a blind person from living or traveling alone. If they could rent an apartment, it had to be on the first floor of a building. Banks would not give a home or business loan to a blind person, since bankers assumed that a blind person would be unable to succeed at business and pay it back. Land and building owners would not rent business space to a blind person, the purported concern being they might burn down the building through their ineptitude. Employers felt they had no jobs that a blind person could do for a regular wage. Interestingly, however, they would hire blind people to canvas neighborhoods and businesses, walking by themselves, carrying and selling their pre-paid products on commission. Families who had blind people were held financially responsible for them. Those blind people whose families could not or would not help support them found themselves cut off from family and friends and placed in county poor farms, where they were often the victims of many crimes and scams. In many ways adult blind men and women at the beginning of the twentieth century had fewer rights than a sighted child in the family. With so much to do to improve living conditions for the blind, the MSOB created a long-term strategic plan. Their first priority was to build the Industrial Home and Center for the Blind. Their second was to introduce and support legislation that would improve the lives of blind people in their own and future generations. Their third priority was to establish a loan program for blind people who wanted to start their own businesses. The Industrial Home for the Blind was opened in 1929. It provided affordable living space and a workshop for blind people in the metro area. It was located at 1605 Eustis Street in St. Paul. The sound fiscal management of the property and organization allowed it to announce to its members in 1935 that it was debt free. The addition of a building to provide more living space, an auditorium, and more was completed in 1949. The Building Committee was established at the first meeting of the MSOB and began its work immediately. At the 1920 Minnesota State Fair the MSOB members distributed fliers explaining the organization and the need for a place where blind people could live and work. The fliers asked for financial support to start the fund to purchase land and build the Industrial Home and Center for the Blind. In 1920 Frank Hall, the first chairman of the Welfare Committee, began a nationwide investigation of legislation affecting the blind. His committee also contacted the blind of every state where statutes had been passed, to discuss how well the laws served their needs. Were these laws practical and effective, or did they limit the options of those they were meant to serve? Learning from others, they adopted a statewide legislative strategy that they hoped would advance the cause of the blind without repeating the mistakes that had been made in other states. As mentioned earlier, a loan committee was quickly established with funds being provided by blind members of the organization. Money was given to Frank Jordan, who established his rug and mat-making business. Frank hired many blind people. William Schmidt also received money from the organization to start a business. The contract did not specify a monthly amount to be paid but obligated him to pay a percentage of his gross sales. His idea to put vending machines in more than office buildings was such a success that he contributed many times the amount loaned to him by the organization. When we look at the people who made up the Minnesota State Organization of the Blind, it is easy to see why they were eager to build a national organization of the blind and how much they contributed to it. Here are some brief snapshots of the pioneers from Minnesota who helped build the organization we have today: Charles Gleason (1866-1932), known as C. T. Gleason, was a blind chiropractor, piano tuner, and business owner. C. T. lost his wife of eleven years in 1919 and was forced to give up custody of his children to his in-laws. He became the organization's first vice president at the first convention of the MSOB on May 27, 1920. Piano tuning was a very profitable profession for him. Around 1914 C. T. got a contract with the school for the blind in Faribault to work with its graduates and adults who became blind later in life. His job was to train them to be successful piano tuners. Gleason, a successful blind piano tuner himself, had established a successful enough business to have his own store on University Avenue in the Midway area of the city. He was so well known in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area that, when people learned of a person who had gone blind, they would reach out to Mr. Gleason to help the newly blinded person. His contacts with students from Faribault gave him a unique look at the plight of the blind across the state. Charles felt that the blind themselves were much more likely to address the real issues of blindness than the well- meaning sighted people leading the mutual aid societies and service- providing agencies across the state. By 1919 he had found many other successful blind businessmen who felt as he did. They, too, had experienced the discrimination and stigmas facing the blind of Minnesota. He proposed an organization of the blind, providing it office space and all of his contacts for the first decade of its existence, laying the foundation for the MSOB. Frank Finsterbach (1854-1937) was the first president of the MSOB. A father of three children, none of whom made it past their seventh birthday, he and his wife Anna had the necessary time to devote to the new organization. He was the driving force behind the building of the Industrial Center and was central to making it a residence as well. Blind from his early childhood, in 1880 Frank was teaching music at a school in Red Wing. He married Anna Smith, an artist with her own shop on Portland Avenue in Minneapolis. After they married, the couple moved to Minneapolis, and by 1886 he began teaching music from their home. Frank was an accomplished musician and would play organ or piano for private parties and in eateries around town. Frank was also a published poet. Besides his interest in building the Industrial Home, Frank worked hard on a national effort to bring the Robins bill to a vote. If passed, it would set up a bureau to oversee vending stands and snack bars for blind people. Carl A. Ianora (1886-1943) was an immigrant from Italy. He earned money as a musician. In the mid-1920s he got a job as a door-to-door envelope salesman for the Northern States Envelope Company. Carl was at the first meetings of the MSOB. He and his wife Mary had an apartment at the Piedmont in St. Paul for many years. Not only did he sell envelopes, but he also tuned pianos on the side. While Carl was not prominent as an organizational leader, his involvement is evidenced by his service on many committees and by the investment of his own money nurturing the fledgling organization. Frank Hall (1888-1971) was elected to the MSOB board of directors in 1920. He too was a successful piano tuner. After marrying in 1913, he was able to buy a home on Xerxes Avenue South in Minneapolis, where they raised their three children-quite an accomplishment at that time. He led a protest at the State Capitol in 1939, where over sixty blind people waved placards protesting the cut in welfare payments to the needy blind of the state, a young program that the MSOB helped to start. He had a comfortable life and could have stayed at home raising his family, but he and his sighted wife both knew that their success was not based on Frank's efforts alone. They felt that it was their duty not only to be an inspiration to other blind people, but also to use his position to educate the public and the social workers about the abilities of the blind when given an opportunity. At the 1940 founding meeting of the National Federation of the Blind, Frank was the delegate from the MSOB. Otto Gray (1868-1950) was born in Germany and blinded later in life. He became a broom salesman in Minneapolis and was another of the founding members of the MSOB in 1919. He and his wife Mary owned a modest home on Blaisdell Avenue in Minneapolis. He was president of the MSOB in the 1930s and held other offices in the organization over the decades. In 1935 he had the new Talking Books and the record player demonstrated to the state convention and at several meetings of the MSOB. He felt the members should know about this new way of reading but felt strongly that it was just a fad and would die off soon. Torger Lien (1899-1988) graduated from the school for the blind in 1917. He and his brother Peder, although not members until the late 1920s, held offices and served on many committees in the MSOB. After high school Torger went to the Twin Cities and worked as a peddler or salesman for many years. After his years of selling and traveling independently, Torger went back to the school for the blind during the 1930s and taught the students how to travel independently. As an independent traveler he served as a positive role model for the students. Torger, who had been traveling with a cane before there were professional travel teachers, instructed students in the art of crossing the street with the cane down on the ground, while the professionals were telling their blind clients that they should hold the cane straight out in front of them to let drivers know they were blind. Torger had no certification, but he was one of the first blind people to teach travel to blind students, a concept some still find controversial today. One of Torger's favorite pastimes was the identification of birds, and he taught many blind children how to listen and identify the calls of the many birds that live in Minnesota. Walter E. Maine (1892-1956) had been adopted by a distant family member as a very small child. He was educated at the school for the blind and began his piano-tuning days under the tutelage of C. T. Gleason at his piano store. Walter was at the first meeting to form the MSOB. He went on to be elected to the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind in 1950, but from 1941 on he was active on the national level, attending almost every national convention, bringing back information and new ideas to better the blind in Minnesota. Walter Maine was traveling alone by bus to San Francisco, California, in June of 1956 on his way to the national convention when he became ill. He made it only as far as Salt Lake City, Utah, where he was hospitalized and died ten days later. Lillian Frendin (1892-1954) was the daughter of Swedish immigrants who divorced when she was a baby. Her mother, who was a hairdresser, made a comfortable living for the family that included Lillian's grandmother. By the time she was in her early twenties, Lillian's mother and grandmother had passed away, and Lillian was on her own. She worked as a masseuse for over thirty years. At the time of her death she left over $2,000 to the MSOB. She was the first woman elected to the board of directors in 1924 and was president from 1928 to 1930. In other states white canes were being used to allow blind people to travel on the streets without sighted guides. In 1926 Lillian brought one of these canes to the board of directors. They were all so impressed with the device and technique that she spearheaded the crafting of language to create the white cane ordinances in Minnesota. She promoted the use of the much-longer white cane (extending to the sternum) among the members of the MSOB. Travel was important to Lillian. For years she would gather groups of blind members and travel on the busses and trains to many communities across Minnesota to raise funds and promote the organization. When a bill was introduced nationally that would allow a blind person to travel with the assistance of a sighted person for the cost of one fare, she spoke out against supporting such a bill, since she felt that this would lead to blind people being refused travel if they did not have a sighted person accompanying them. Whatever short-term financial benefit there might have been to this well-intentioned legislation, her concerns were proven correct. Future generations would find themselves fighting for the right to ride by themselves, with bus drivers and station attendants declaring they must be accompanied by a sighted person. Theodore Hohs (1887-1956) grew up in Minnesota. By age seventeen he was out on his own, working as a machinist. In 1905 he was a barber. He married Clara Hagel and the couple started housekeeping and had a daughter in 1914. Not long after Theo became blind, he lost his business, his home, and his wife. He reached out to C. T. Gleason, who helped him transition from the sighted world to the blind world. Theo moved just down the street from the Gleason music store and began work as a door-to-door salesman for any place that would give him the opportunity. He was one of the founding members of the MSOB who wanted to improve the opportunities for those blinded later in life. Sadly, he was never able to recover financially after becoming blind, and was barely able to support himself on his own. He worked through the 1940s as a canvasser or salesman, selling brooms and other items made by the workshop at the Minneapolis Society for the Blind. He also sold products made by the blind at the Industrial Home for the Blind. This made him enough money to afford to rent a room in someone's home. Edwin Anderson (1902-1951) was an older graduate from the school for the blind in Faribault, who owned and operated a furniture repair shop in his hometown of Alexandria, Minnesota. This was a skill he learned while attending the school. Edwin was not an official leader in the MSOB per se, but frequently when blind people came to the MSOB saying they didn't know how to handle keeping accounts, they were sent to work with Edwin at his store. Eleanor Bentzine Harrison (1897-1984) served on the national board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind from 1955 to 1959. Born blind and educated at the school for the blind in Wisconsin, she was the wife of MSOB founding member Paul Harrison (1892-1982), a successful piano tuner. Paul and Eleanor lived a comfortable life, owning their own home on Washburn Avenue South in Minneapolis. They could have been content to sit back and enjoy their success, yet for more than four decades, they served on committees, held many offices, and did the work that needed to be done in the organization. The couple retired to Wisconsin. Christopher Easton (1878-1958) was born in Persia to a New York missionary and graduated from Princeton College with honors and a degree in sociology. He was a sighted man with drive. He was employed as the director of the New York Metropolitan Hospital's Tuberculosis Infirmary on Blackwell's Island. He was well known and successful in his field, honored for his research and the programs he introduced for the containment and elimination of tuberculosis in the United States. He was the superintendent at Randall's Island Sanitarium in Pittsburgh and then became the director of tuberculosis education work in Minnesota by 1908, overseeing its growth and influence. Christopher was appointed to the Federal Board of Vocational Rehabilitation. He had offices at the state capitol in order to have close contact and influence with lawmakers who would determine the funding priorities and legislation for those afflicted with TB. In 1927 Christopher lost his sight and some of his hearing in an accident. Almost immediately he lost his job, his prestige, and his usefulness in the eyes of his friends, employers, and those colleagues he had worked with over the past thirty years. Now he found himself treated like the tuberculosis patients he had once served. This was a major change in his life. His wife, a nurse, was now the breadwinner for him and their two children. Christopher joined the MSOB soon after the onset of blindness and was elected to the board of directors. He brought his expertise in public health laws and policies to the organization. For several years he wrote letters for the organization to state officials and participated in state conventions, helping to direct the resolutions of the organization and the crafting of language in its legislative proposals. He secured the privilege of using Free Matter for the Blind when shipping materials in Braille, and this was a tremendous benefit for the MSOB and its home for the blind. He was appointed to the Washington County Welfare Board in the summer of 1937 as a representative of the MSOB. When the Minnesota welfare legislation was declared invalid by Social Security in 1938, Chris, as part of the legislative committee that worked hard on the welfare legislation, took it personally. He wrote lengthy letters that were printed in the Minnesota Bulletin of the MSOB to defend the work that had been done by the legislative committee. These are some of the historic figures who have provided me with a model for how to live my life and who have given me inspiration. I write this to show my gratitude and to say a word of thanks to these and so many others who brought wisdom, energy, talent, and foresight in forming the Minnesota State Organization of the Blind and the National Federation of the Blind. ---------- 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 and training 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! ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Grace Warn] As Seen on TV by Grace Warn From the Editor: Grace Warn works with me as an assistant in preparing each issue of the Braille Monitor. She is an English major who is using this job and several others to make a living while she looks for the job of her dreams. She has more than a little interest in the subject of blindness, for one of her best friends is the chapter president of the National Federation of the Blind of Columbia, Missouri. Grace is a television aficionado. She also likes to do research. Here are some interesting observations about television shows featuring blind people over the last forty years. While her review is certainly not exhaustive, it does represent the gamut of how blind people are portrayed on television. Here is what she says: The National Federation of the Blind's philosophy is that "the problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exist." These days one of the greatest sources of misinformation is television. Ask any cop or person working in a hospital, and they will agree. Shows like CSI, House, or Grey's Anatomy take extreme liberty with the realities of policy and procedure in the name of drama and ratings. As a result there are millions of people who believe a murder investigation is finished within days, that as long as the patient does not outright die or suffer long-term effects, malpractice is not a concern, and other such blatantly untrue myths. Where I'm going with all this is that, to know what kind of misinformation and stereotypes the NFB will be fighting today, in 2014, you have to look at the blind characters the sighted public know, especially if they've never personally met a blind person. You have to look at what TV teaches about blindness and blind people. On TV there are two forms of blindness and blind characters: Temporary Blindness and the Blind Character. Temporary Blindness is a plot device, more often used in an action or drama series but occasionally in comedies. This blindness affects a main character, but the cause of the blindness is usually cured by the end of the episode. In the comedies the writers are going for the opportunities for humorously mistaken identities and physical comedy bits, but dramas go a different direction with the plot device. In dramas the writers use temporary blindness to show how a beloved character, usually a character known for his physical abilities and general invincibility, handles being physically compromised. Deafness has been used instead several times, but deafness does not portray itself as easily in the visual medium of television. If blindness is used, you change how the character walks into a room, how he or she interacts with friends and strangers, etc. Temporary blindness has been used on a number of shows in multiple genres, including but not limited to M*A*S*H; Hawaii 5-0 (the original series); The Untouchables; The Simpsons; Dynasty; Melrose Place; Futurama; Star Trek (original series); Happy Days; The Incredible Hulk; Family Guy; Walker, Texas Ranger; and King of the Hill. Bombs tend to be involved in causing temporary blindness, either flash burns that must be allowed to heal before the characters know if the retinas were badly damaged or blunt force trauma, causing the character to lose his vision. In all cases the character afflicted must wait a few weeks to find out if he'll be permanently blind. The audience watches as these strong, independent men struggle a bit with performing a few basic tasks without vision, but our hero is undaunted. And, while the hero is blinded and supposedly an easy target, the villain decides to do him in. Of course, the hero manages to fight the villain off despite being blinded, without taking grievous injury in the process. Then the bandages come off, and he can see again-cue happy tears from the hero's love interest and/or best friend; tune in next week for more adventures. It's the little things that add up to everything wrong in these scenarios. Sudden loss of vision would be hard to cope with, and learning nonvisual skills takes time. Orientation and mobility skills, even in the smaller and more familiar setting of a person's own home, would likely take more time than the TV shows imply, considering that, at most, these characters are blinded for a matter of two or three weeks tops. Believability is further eroded when these characters are shown being acclimated enough to their blindness to do things such as fight off criminals attempting to finish them off while they are handicapped. But showing that these characters are still capable is good, right? It shows people that losing vision doesn't mean losing life as you know it, right? I'd say no, not really-because it gives false expectations about the transition from navigating the world using sight to using nonvisual techniques. Coming to terms with losing vision, much less getting training organized and begun, is not something that happens overnight. Seeing a character adjust so quickly gives a false impression about the reality of such a transition. The blind character who is not miraculously cured is a completely different matter. Some of these characters are blind before the audience meets them, and others become blind during the show's run, but either way their blindness is an element of their character. And before I go any farther, I will say that Geordi LaForge from Star Trek: the Next Generation is on neither list. By strict technicalities, Geordi isn't blind. With the use of his VISOR, Geordi has vision. The VISOR scans the electromagnetic spectrum and creates visual input, and, in the movies, Geordi gets cybernetic eyes. If anything, I would lump him in with those on television who experience temporary blindness, since there is only one episode where his ability to continue to use the visor comes into question. Though there are probably other blind characters on TV, there are six I'd like to talk about here: two that I consider negative examples and four that I would call positive examples. I'll start with the negative example. Long-time Monitor readers may recall, in the December 1991 issue, an article titled "No Good for the Blind in Good and Evil" by Barbara Pierce. Good and Evil was a short-lived ABC comedy series that was cancelled before it even finished a single season. In fact, at the time of its cancellation, eleven full episodes had been produced, but the last five remained unaired. The reaction to George, the blind psychiatrist, was just that strong and negative. I have to admit here that I'm writing about this character (forgive the pun) blindly. I would have been about seven when the show aired, and this type of comedy never appealed to my mother. I have to rely on written reviews. Aside from the article in the Monitor (really, go read it; it was a wonderful article that articulated in exquisite detail what was wrong with George and how the NFB reacted to his existence), there are two websites I trust to give me information about this sort of thing: IMDB and Wikipedia. If these sites don't have information on it, the show wasn't good enough to waste time on. IMDB stands for Internet Movie Data Base, and it is a great tool to use in finding a show, movie, or actor's filmography. Using the service, participants can also leave reviews about movies or television series and rate them. As you can imagine, the number of reviews or users who rate the series is a good indicator of popularity and/or quality. Only eight users have taken the time to write reviews of this show, and only three of them make mention of George. Most of these reviews sing Terri Garr's praises for her role and praise the "non-politically-correct physical humor" or describe it in terms like "irreverent, zany, madcap, and hilarious." In other words, these reviews loved one actress out of the entire cast and enjoyed the most ridiculous, stupid, slapstick humor. The low number of reviews, combined with the complete absence of any reviews that either hate or thought the show was only okay, says a lot about how many people still remember or care about this show. A glance at Wikipedia confirms it: this show didn't and still doesn't have a lot of fans. While there's a decent synopsis, there's nothing in the section about the cast and no episode list. There's a three-sentence discussion of the unaired episodes, mostly summarizing the ending of plot arcs begun in the episodes that did air. Tellingly, the Wikipedia entry does include this, "The ineptitude that blind George demonstrated in attempting to navigate his surroundings, frequently demolishing everything in sight with his red- tipped white cane, led to the picketing of ABC's offices by members of the National Federation of the Blind." In other words, George was the walking embodiment of just about every negative stereotype of the blind, wrapped in an extra-klutzy package for maximum laughs and excused as "parody done to the extremes." It might be worthwhile to note that Mark Blankfield, the actor who played George, went on to portray another "comically" blind man. Two years after Good and Evil, Mark played Blinkin in the Mel Brooks film, Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Let me talk now about Mary Ingalls. Others may disagree with me in labeling her as a negative example of a blind character, but this was the reaction I had to her as a kid when I watched the show, and it's the impression of her that has lingered on in the years since. I will say she's light-years better than George, but I still can't bring myself to call Mary Ingalls as portrayed in the Little House on the Prairie series a really good example of a blind character. And let me be clear on this point: I'm not talking about the actual woman, and I'm not talking about Mary as her sister Laura portrayed her in the Little House books either. I'm talking about the character played by Melissa Sue Anderson on the long-running TV series with Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert. In fact, I liked Mary in the books, and that's probably the primary reason why I don't like her in the TV series. In the books Mary leaves her family to attend the Iowa College for the Blind. Unlike any of the rest of the Ingalls girls, Mary goes to live four hundred miles away from her family and stays there for a year. Even Laura doesn't spend as much time away from the family as Mary; she comes home most weekends to visit from her teaching jobs. And in the decades since I first read them, there are a few lines from These Happy Golden Years when Mary comes back from Vinton for a visit that have stayed in my memory and sum up to me exactly who Mary became at the Iowa College for the Blind. When she first arrives from the train station, Carrie asks her sister if she had been afraid to come by herself on the train. "'Oh, no,' Mary smiled. 'I had no trouble. We like to do things by ourselves, at college. It is part of our education.' She did seem much more sure of herself, and she moved easily around the house, instead of sitting immobile in her chair." (page 124) That confidence, both in traveling independently across two states and in navigating her own home, was an element of Mary's character from the beginning. While Mary might never have been as impulsive or wild as Laura, she'd always been confident and sure in what she did. Adding to the feeling that the college was giving Mary back her confidence is another comment from two pages further on: "Mary had often smiled, but it was a long time since they had heard her laugh out, as she used to when she was a little girl. All that it had cost to send Mary to college was more than repaid by seeing her so gay and confident." She moves around the house, she laughs, she writes Braille with a slate and stylus with ease and speed, and she plays the organ for the family. Mary comes home from college a poised, polished young lady with a number of skills she is confident and eager to display as she is portrayed in the original books. When I watched the TV series as a child, I didn't see that poise and confidence. Yes, Mary went off to the school for the blind. Yes, Mary went on to become a teacher and then head of that school with her husband. Yes, Mary got married and had a child on the TV series. And, when ruffians came to the school during the night, or Mary had to walk to find help after a stagecoach accident, she managed to cope with events and find her inner strength. But for every moment we see her being strong and coping, there were long moments of Mary standing around in or near tears, wringing her hands saying, "I can't." As an adult I can look at this and recognize that some of this is to create drama. Some of it is the real loss of confidence a young woman might feel after losing her vision. But I still hate to see a girl who was the confident, determined, voice-of-reason older sister turn periodically into a weepy, wishy-washy wife. I really don't think it gives a good impression about how vision loss will shape and determine the rest of a person's life or that her blindness explains why she is so often afraid to take action. Moving on to the more positive portrayals, there is a comedy series that didn't use the blind guy as an excuse for crude slapstick comedy. The CBS series Becker featured the character Jake Malinak in the main ensemble. Jake was blinded in a car accident several years before the events portrayed in the series. Jake's accident and resulting blindness are never really a major topic in the show, except in an episode in season two, "Blind Curve," when Jake's former best friend and driver in the accident that blinded him comes back to town looking for Jake's forgiveness. There are relatively few references to the fact that Jake was born with vision. Instead, Jake is a fixture in the neighborhood and the diner. He owns and operates a small stand inside the diner that sells gum, candy, and newspapers, and he seems to be a fairly well-known and well-liked guy. Jake is played by actor Alex D?sert, who does a good job of playing a man who is blind. While frequently wearing sunglasses (easy trick to hide that the actor's eyes are tracking when the character's wouldn't), in scenes without them he does a good job of keeping his gaze unfocused but close enough to whomever he is speaking to make it clear they are the object of his conversation. D?sert also uses body language well, moving more like a blind man, moving his hands and head in ways that a person with sight usually doesn't. Jake uses a cane to navigate, and either D?sert observed actual blind people or spoke to a mobility and orientation teacher, because he uses the cane and sighted guide in a fairly realistic and proper manner. One of the best parts of Jake, to me, is that he is an equal in the show. He's sarcastic, he has a smart answer for a dumb question, and he is in no way exempt from the diatribes and misanthropy of the title character. He may try to keep a positive outlook, but he's not Pollyanna. And, best of all, none of the other characters avoid his blindness. If the setup is good, they make the joke about him, and Jake jokes about it himself. When another character is trying to get reparations for being 1/64 Native American and says the rest of the main characters don't know what it's like being discriminated against, Jake's response is, "Yeah, I'm a blind black man, we just sail through life." In other words, Jake is a normal guy in the world of this sitcom, no different from any other character, no better or worse because of his blindness. Moving from comedy to action/adventure, NBC's Covert Affairs gives us another strong, blind character: Auggie Anderson. Auggie is a young man, former special forces, who was blinded some years previous to the series start on an op in Iraq. He is sometimes still bitter about the fact that he is no longer in the field, but it's done very realistically. Auggie has had several years to come to terms with the changes in his life, but occasionally events will remind him what he can no longer do, and that loss is still fresh enough to sting. Auggie uses a cane and exhibits mostly proper technique with both the cane and a sighted guide. The only thing my blind friends and I don't really care for is the fact that he uses a short cane. His cane comes up only to the middle of his chest when held upright, which is a shorter cane than any of the blind people I know use. But considering that Auggie works in a demanding job and mentors young agents and is shown as incredibly capable and independent, I'll call that a minor quirk. In a case of fiction following life, there's the character of Pete Thornton in MacGyver. The actor who played him, Dana Elcar, began losing his vision during the third season. His daughter convinced him to speak to the producers, because he could not continue to do some of the stunt work he'd done before. The producers came back to him saying that this was natural so they were going to have Pete go blind on the show, too. In 1991 Dana Elcar even spoke at the National Federation of the Blind's national convention about his experiences, and his speech was printed in the October 1991 issue of the Monitor. Despite losing his vision, Pete didn't lose his place in the show, remaining the only regular character other than MacGyver himself. He might not have jumped out of helicopters or run around the woods quite as often, but Pete didn't disappear from Mac's life, either. Pete kept his position as director of operations at the Phoenix Foundation. Pete does use a guide dog to navigate, but in many ways that is the largest change for his character that the audience sees after the onset of glaucoma. Surprisingly, one of the best, most realistic blind characters has to be Mike Longstreet in the show Longstreet, which aired in 1971, more than forty years ago. An insurance investigator is blinded by a bomb blast at the beginning of the pilot, and the majority of the first episode describes his adjustment to blindness as he lives at a residential facility called Oakhurst. Much of the pilot episode deals with Mike as he works with a doctor who helps him learn to function as a blind man. His training doesn't begin with instruction in using a cane or a dog. First a doctor walks around with him, making Longstreet learn to pay attention to sounds and teaching him to interpret what the sounds mean. The show frequently makes a special effort to highlight cues that Longstreet would pay attention to, playing what would normally be quiet background noises much louder so that the audience pays attention to the fact that he's hearing a man walking through the grass or the panting of a guide dog walking with an older woman on another path. Students at this facility are shown learning archery, playing horseshoes, running relays along guide ropes, and keeping active. When Longstreet begins to learn Braille, he doesn't start with the kiddie books the doctor intends to use. Instead, he has police reports transcribed into Braille so that he can read them and participate in the investigation of the crime that cost him his sight. He receives a cane that uses a laser that measures distance and gives it in an electronic pulse. The cane was indeed marketed when the show ran, and, although it never gained widespread acceptance, it represented the mobility options of the time. Longstreet eventually gets a dog. He goes back to work as an insurance investigator, and he manages quite well. But it isn't that he's magically independent and adjusted. While the series doesn't play up these issues in the name of drama, the fact that Longstreet was blinded relatively recently isn't ignored. His friends question whether he's taking stupid risks to prove that he isn't afraid of life. Longstreet finds someone to teach him Jeet Kune Do so that he can defend himself, and the instructor is played by no less than Bruce Lee. Longstreet is even confronted by small things, such as his long-time secretary not understanding why you can't rearrange a blind man's furniture on a whim. To me it's one of the most authentic portrayals of the process of adapting to a suddenly-acquired disability that I've seen come out of Hollywood, because Longstreet isn't magically able to cope. He stands for long periods of time in front of the mirror "looking at himself." He gets frustrated with people trying to help him (whether or not the help is necessary in the situation). The friends who worked with him in the past and continue to work with him after the explosion struggle to figure out how to respond to the new Longstreet, and they read his behavior to know how he's doing. And all of it is on a believable scale. Longstreet isn't magically able to cope with his blindness and survivor's guilt. His friends are similarly realistic in that they do not magically know how to deal with the changes blindness brings, nor are they ridiculously uncomfortable interacting with him as a blind man. After going back to watch these shows so that I could write about them, what I take away from this is that there's no consistency to blindness on TV. Time has not helped the writers in creating authentic blind characters; at best they've maintained a low standard and a high unbelievability quotient. Using blindness as a temporary affliction for drama hasn't changed much either. The same sorts of shows still use it, and they use it the same way they always have-with about the same level of believability. A question that my blind friends and I ask ourselves and one another is what we have the right to expect of television and whether our expectations should depend on the kind of series we're watching. In the shows that are primarily satirical, none of the characters are realistic, and no segment of society is immune from their abuse. On the other hand, I think we have the right to expect those television shows which feature what we are asked to believe to be true-to-life human beings to pay attention to what it really means to be blind and to show their sighted viewers what I see in the lives of my blind friends. I know that fiction and drama will sometimes require that the people on screen be faster, smarter, or different in some way that makes them stand out, but I don't think it's too much to ask that, when I see a blind character appear on the screen, I don't have to flinch or swear or wonder how much harder it will be for my friends to function as normal people in the eyes of those who've watched the show. ---------- Imagine Creating a Future Full of Opportunities for the Blind by Anil Lewis From the Editor: Anil Lewis is the director of advocacy and policy for the National Federation of the Blind. Recently much of his energy has been concentrated on moving forward legislation to phase out the payment of subminimum wages to blind and disabled workers, but like the rest of us he wears multiple hats in the Federation. He is the chairman of the NFB Imagination Fund Committee, and here is what he has to say about how we are going to build and strengthen our organization by helping to fund it: At the 2013 National Federation of the Blind board meeting, as the chairperson of the NFB Imagination Fund Committee I asked the members in attendance to imagine what our world would be like without the National Federation of the Blind. There was an eerie hush across the room, with many of us undoubtedly reflecting on what our lives would have been like without the NFB. Thankfully we will never have to worry about that circumstance because the National Federation of the Blind is a dedicated volunteer organization of blind people committed to changing the lives of all blind people for the better. Over the years we have primarily built this organization with our own personal finances. Many of us have also encouraged family members, friends, and associates to help. More people would like to help us in our mission to change the world, but we need to identify them and spread the good news of the NFB. I am searching for an army of committed, passionate Federationists willing to help raise $300,000 in three months. I realize how difficult the task of fundraising can be to those who have not tried it. Believe me, it becomes an easier task when you realize that the work we do is unique, necessary, and fun. You will find that, as you talk to people about our work, many are excited about supporting our efforts through a financial contribution. I also understand that some people are confused about what may seem to be competing fundraising efforts to raise money for the NFB. But, if we are to continue to fund a movement that changes what it means to be blind, we must offer a variety of opportunities for people to participate financially in it. We start by recognizing that every day the things we do in the National Federation of the Blind change people's lives, and, by changing the lives of individuals, we change the world. As an active member of the NFB, I have served as a chapter president, as an affiliate president, and as a member of the national board of directors. In each role and in my current role as director of advocacy and policy for the NFB, through example and action I know that what I do makes a difference in the lives of other blind people. Thousands of other Federationists wake up every morning with the same joy of anticipation and belief. We can do more together than we can do alone, and we do more when we have the fiscal wherewithal to multiply our own efforts. We must continue enhancing our fundraising efforts to ensure that all blind people can live the lives they dream of. As the president of the Atlanta Metropolitan Chapter, I encouraged my chapter members to raise money for the chapter. We conducted raffles, candy sales, and fundraising dinners. We used these funds to conduct chapter meetings and local outreach activities and to assist members to attend state and national conventions. Once I became the president of the Georgia affiliate, I then encouraged the membership to support the state affiliate as well as each local chapter. So we conducted more raffles, candy sales, and fundraising dinners. We also solicited state convention sponsors, secured small grants, and set up fee-for-service opportunities. We used these funds to host affiliate board meetings and state conventions, to conduct statewide programs, and to assist members to attend national conventions. We even had the pleasure of hosting several national conventions ourselves. At each level I expanded my tunnel-vision view of the NFB and of my responsibility for raising funds for the organization. As a member of the national board I finally understood the big picture. Although each level and aspect of our organization is stronger when it is able to secure the funding to expand, support, promote, and grow the Federation in a specific area, we are only as strong as the whole organization. We are truly one big family in which each chapter, affiliate, and division is interdependent. Now I actively encourage every member to support the whole organization through the variety of fundraising avenues that exist. There are opportunities to make general donations to the National Federation of the Blind at any time. Donations to the White Cane Fund are deposited into the general fund of the NFB. The Shares Unlimited in NFB (SUN) Fund donations are stored in a rainy day fund for emergencies. Donations to the tenBroek Fund support the foundation that owns and maintains the physical property used to house the National Federation of the Blind. Other fundraising options have specific methods of participation. You can become a member of the Jacobus tenBroek Legacy Society when you make provision for a financial donation from your estate to be made to the NFB. The Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship Fund is the fund that allows us to assist members to attend their first NFB national convention. Two drawings raise money for this fund. Individuals, chapters, and affiliates are encouraged to sell the $10 Jernigan Fund drawing tickets distributed to each affiliate prior to our national convention. The winner will receive round-trip airfare and hotel accommodation for two at the following year's convention plus $1,000 to cover meals and incidentals. Individual Federationists are also encouraged to buy the $5 Jernigan Fund drawing tickets while attending the national convention. The winner of this drawing receives $2,500. The winning tickets for both drawings are selected at the banquet of the national convention. The simplest, most effective method members of the NFB can use to make regular contributions to the organization is the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) Plan. The PAC plan allows members to make automatic monthly donations to the NFB from their checking or savings accounts. (The ability to make automatic donations through credit and debit cards is coming soon.) You can join the PAC Plan with a minimum donation of $5 per month. Every member should be a part of the PAC Plan. Many of you are already soldiers in our effort to fund our movement as monthly contributors through the NFB PAC Plan. The NFB Imagination Fund is an opportunity for you to raise your rank to Imaginator by engaging nonmembers and encouraging them to assist us to fund our NFB Jernigan Institute and our affiliate programs. Countless individuals would love to be a part of the social change we create, but they have not been educated about what we do. This is why we need an army of Imaginators to help us spread the word about the NFB and ask potential partners to fund our movement. Half of the funds raised through the Imagination Fund Campaign support the development of projects and programs at our NFB Jernigan Institute. The other half is available to support the innovative projects and programs of our state affiliates. Our Jernigan Institute programs, like the NFB BELL, Early Explorers, and STEM programs, are creating opportunities for blind youth to participate in their educations in new and exciting ways that will allow them to achieve goals they have yet to imagine. We must continue to use our imaginations to dream of additional innovative strategies and programs that challenge the systems currently being used to educate, rehabilitate, and employ blind youth, adults, and seniors. In order for us to transform these dreams into reality, we must continue to raise the funds required to develop, implement, and replicate these strategies and programs across the country. We are currently recruiting Imaginators to serve actively in our army of fundraisers for the National Federation of the Blind. We will be launching a three-month-long Imagination Fund Campaign from March 1 through May 31, 2014. We will be working together in concert to achieve a fundraising goal of $300,000. Individuals who would like to participate actively as Imaginators for this campaign should email Anil Lewis at . You will then need to complete a form with information that will be used to set up your personal Mobile Giving page. This is one of the tools we will employ to help us reach our goal. We will work together throughout the campaign to motivate and support one another as one unit working to fund our movement. Do you have what it takes to be an Imaginator? If so, Uncle Whozit needs you! Imagine what we could do. Now imagine yourself doing it. Imagine the future full of opportunities we will create together. ---------- Perspectives from a Student Musician by Julie McGinnity From the Editor: Julie McGinnity has twice been the winner of a National Federation of the Blind scholarship, which made her a tenBroek Scholar in 2013. She is active in the Missouri affiliate as the recording secretary, as the chairman of the state dog guide division, and as a member of her chapter. Here is what she has to say about the challenges involved in becoming a blind performer: It's the beginning of my second semester of grad school. I have been consulting with my university's office of disability services, my Braille music transcriber, and my professors in order to make the transition into a new semester as seamless as possible. Thankfully, our efforts have been successful. My professors and I are discussing strategies for teaching me performance skills, coordinating the transcription of music for classes into Braille, and working with me to ensure that I have the same access to materials as my fellow students. After four and a half years, I may have finally found a successful method for acquiring the accommodations I need as a blind music major. But I won't lie; it can be a complicated and difficult process. I certainly have made mistakes along the way and had to work even harder to keep myself on the right track. Here I bring you some important things to ponder if you are considering a degree in music or may simply wish to take music classes during your time in college. Keep in mind that these ideas and suggestions stem from my own experience as a music major, though much that I have found has been confirmed by other blind musicians. The first thing I am always asked by sighted musicians is, "How do you read music?" My answer to this question has changed over the years. Although I learned Braille music as a teenager, I was deceived into thinking that I would not be able to acquire it easily or learn it well enough to keep up with my colleagues. I was also deceived by the common stereotype that blind musicians all have exceptional (some would say magical) musical skills and could learn anything by ear. For me this proved false, as I discovered in my first semester of music school. In order to save my grades and my dignity, I chose to fight for Braille music and eventually began to use it in all my classes. Looking back, I believe that I should never have had an excuse to leave myself out of learning how to read music. I was musically illiterate, which is not a choice for sighted musicians. They all began learning how to sight read on the first day of classes, but I had to memorize and learn by ear. This is no substitute for learning how to read the notes on the page, whether they are in Braille or print. I have heard of those students who have graduated successfully without learning how to read music, and I am amazed at their musical ability. I would not, however, recommend this method for anyone. We should not be accepted into music school as blind students if we do not learn all that our sighted colleagues do; we should be accepted as equals with equal rights and responsibilities. Braille music is no more difficult, tedious, or irritating than print music. Many people will tell you that it is nearly impossible to learn, but many blind musicians conquer this task successfully. There are instructional books and tutors available to teach Braille music to those who wish to learn it. Additionally, a wealth of Braille music scores is available from the Library of Congress, and Braille music transcribers exist all over the country. These transcribers can be costly, but, if Braille music materials are required for a class, you will be able to receive them with the assistance of your university. Another important aspect of our lives as musicians is performing. Whether you are in marching band, the top choir or orchestra, or wish to be a solo performer, performance skills are a must. You need to learn how to interact graciously with those who think that walking across a stage is too difficult for you, while at the same time strategizing with those you trust and using your own experiences to develop a repertoire of alternative techniques for the stage and in other performance settings. Here are two life rules that might be helpful when working in your performance classes: Honesty is your friend. You need to have a few trusted teachers, friends, and/or colleagues to tell you what you look like. I was surprised to learn that even sighted people need to do this. Yes, they look ridiculous on occasion, and they don't see it. The truth is that not everyone will be honest with you. Some teachers and friends won't want to hurt your feelings, so develop an honest relationship with those who will give you constructive feedback. Each person has to develop his or her own repertoire of gestures. Don't let this frighten you. We all have gestures that we use every day. Learning how to manipulate these gestures and movements on stage is simply a matter of molding them into the right contexts and learning what they might convey to an audience member. Sighted people benefit from videos, mirrors, and pictures, but we need another pair of eyes as well as our own intuition and knowledge of ourselves to learn these skills. Know your own strengths, weaknesses, and limits. Stage work can involve anything from climbing on platforms to dancing around the stage. Therefore, it is important to know where your strengths and weaknesses lie. For example, I can tell you that I feel safe climbing on platforms if I get a chance to navigate them ahead of time with my cane, but, if I were asked to dance around the stage, I would feel very uncomfortable because my dance experience is zero. Again, sighted people deal with this in performing as well. But it is particularly important that we as blind musicians know ourselves as performers for two reasons. First, we need to be clear about what we can do. If the professor says that I cannot be on the top level of the risers in a choir concert, I can honestly say that I am personally comfortable with this limit for me. It would be wrong if the professor set this limit based solely on my blindness, without taking my actual abilities into account. But, on the other hand, it would be irresponsible of me to claim that I could do anything and everything he could ask of me in a performance. We need to be responsible. Claiming that we can do any stunt and act as super blind performers is not honest and negates any responsible, truthful advocating that could be done. College should be a safe place where we can express our worries and fears. If we have not learned how to navigate platforms of different lengths, lead a marching band, or work on stage without our canes or dogs, we should learn how to do so in our classes. It may sound like a lot of extra time will need to be devoted to developing some of these skills, but with the right teachers, some motivation, and connections to some fellow blind performers, it is possible to learn and be successful. One of the greatest concerns for blind and sighted musicians alike is the ability to secure a career after graduation. This is uncertain for the fine arts more than most other fields, since much of the work performing and teaching we musicians encounter is unsteady. In many cases musicians move from performance to performance, and students come and go in our studios. Full-time jobs are particularly difficult to obtain these days, and we all know about the unemployment rate among the blind. Sighted musicians augment their musical careers by doing things like retail work and food service. Unfortunately, I do not know many local blind store clerks or waitresses. But there are many different options to give us better marketability and career possibilities. For those of you who may be interested in majoring in a topic besides music, this is a great way to gain experience in another field. You can also apply for jobs as a student at which you can learn particular skills. For example, I currently have a position at my university testing websites and technology for accessibility. I would encourage any blind student to gain job experience in college to boost your resume and give you work experience, but for musicians it might be even more important for us to look outside our field. Think about possible volunteer opportunities, on-campus jobs, such as tutoring or receptionist work, and taking classes outside of the music department to widen your interests and knowledge. A large network of blind and sighted musicians who have experience in many career paths are willing to mentor current students. From opera singers to music therapists, a wide range of careers is represented by members of the blind community. I am willing to answer any questions about being a music major and to help those who are interested to connect with other musicians. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Kenneth Jernigan] The Life of a Convention Chairman or Disneyland Visited by Kenneth Jernigan From the Editor: In the November 2013 issue we ran an extensive article about the adventures of members of the Travel and Tourism Division's experience with Disney World. I liked that article, but it made me wonder about other experiences we have had there. I hope Monitor readers have as much fun reading this as I had, both because of its content and because of the familiar voice that comes through the writing, one I frequently find myself missing, and one I find myself grateful for having when I go to the trouble of finding some of his gems. This article appeared in the February 1967 issue of the Braille Monitor: From long experience I have learned that it behooves the NFB convention chairman to do a good deal of personal investigating-sampling, testing, poking, and prodding. When, for instance, (late in the summer of 1963) the 1964 convention at Phoenix was still on the drawing boards, we were considering a trip to Legend City as a part of the package. Accordingly, one hot summer day the sweating convention chairman betook himself to Legend City and commenced a minute inspection. He was told that the food at the Mexican restaurant was good and would be enjoyed by the delegates. To make sure, he tried it. He was told that the "Wild Mouse" was an unforgettable ride, which would disarrange human bones even more efficiently than a roller coaster. It was, and it did. Toward the end of that hot afternoon he was told that the delegates would enjoy riding on the backs of the burros who trudged dutifully around the park in a pack train. With memories of the "Wild Mouse" still fresh in his bones, the Chairman decided to forego the delights of the burro experience in favor of verbal inquiry. Yes, he was assured, any and all of the delegates would be welcome to ride when the great day of the tour should come. Tired but happy, the convention chairman retreated to his hotel room, soothed by the comforts of air conditioning and a sense of a job well done. When the hosts assembled at Phoenix and went forth to tour, the chairman, remembering the vicissitudes of the "Wild Mouse," besought his room for a nap-only to be roused in a few hours by returning mobs who beat on his door with threats of lynch and similar pleasantries. Why? It seems that the burros had a notion that they should not carry anyone who weighed more than 165 pounds, and NFB convention goers are notably well fed. The moral to the story (and it is only illustrative. I could give numerous other unhappy examples) is simply this: don't take it on faith! Ride the burro, even if it follows the "Wild Mouse." With thoughts of the burro fresh in mind, I went to Los Angeles last October and headed for Disneyland. My activities may be divided into two categories-bargaining for price and testing the quality of the wares. The story of the first of these activities is soon told. The businesslike lady in the businesslike office said: "We will be glad to have you if you want to come at the rate we propose, but if you don't six million others will. When may we sign you up?" And that was that for point number one. Point number two was another matter, however. With thoughts of the burros still in mind, I returned to my hotel room, rested for the remainder of the day, rose early the following morning, put on the most informal clothes I possessed, and headed for Disneyland--accompanied, I might add, by Mrs. Jean Dyon Norris, who does such an excellent job with the Twin-Vision Books for the American Brotherhood for the Blind, and who deserves a medal for bravery and endurance. When I had talked with the businesslike lady in the businesslike office the day before, the question had arisen as to whether our delegates should go around the park on their own or follow a guided tour. The guided tour is a standard feature of Disneyland, one tour guide handling about twenty persons. Not forgetting the burro, I decided to try it both ways. I started with the tour. Half of our twenty tourists got on the Jungle Cruise, but the other half had to wait. Being enterprising and still unweary, Mrs. Norris and I made the first section. However, we profited little by the effort, for we simply had to wait on the bank while the other half had their turn. It was only fifteen or twenty minutes of wasted time, but it pointed the way for what was to come. Our tour next went down what is called "Main Street USA," a carry-back to the turn of the century. Each time we passed a store or shop, the guide paused briefly and said something to this effect: "Here is a perfume shop. They have many different fragrances inside, and you may want to come back when you finish your tour to go in and look around. These are basic fragrances and you can smell and order your own combination mixed." It was the same sort of thing at the glassblower's shop, the general store, the penny arcade, and the place with the party telephone line. After two hours I had had enough. Just as the tour rounded a corner, Mrs. Norris and I ducked down another street and started out on our own. The rest of the day was absolutely delightful. We went back to that perfume shop, and I personally sniffed all of the basic fragrances. They have twelve, and you can make and order any combination of perfume you like. It's great fun. I went to the glassblower's shop and felt of his wares. Again, delightful. You can buy the perfumes or the glassware and take them with you. In the penny arcade I stood on the old-fashioned vibrating exerciser, squeezed the grip-testing machine to see if I could ring the bell, played old-fashioned, coin-operated musical instruments, and tried the various games of chance. In the country store I picked up the party telephone and was treated to a wonderful gossip session. Leaving Main Street USA, Mrs. Norris and I explored the tree house of the Swiss Family Robinson. No, the convention chairman did not content himself with verbal explanation. He climbed to the top of the tree house and personally examined every object he could reach. Later it was the South Sea Island Restaurant on the water, complete with excellent coconut and fruit ice cream, personally tasted by the chairman. There was the ride in the horse-drawn surrey-experienced firsthand, no verbal inquiry. There are other things in the park-the monorail, running to the fabulous Disneyland Hotel and all around the park, the old-fashioned Choo Choo Train and train station; the "Land of Tomorrow," with rides that put the "Wild Mouse" to shame. If I told you about the Bobsleds of the Matterhorn, you wouldn't believe it. Disneyland is all that it is cracked up to be and then some. Now comes the sad conclusion to this story of adventure-the straw as you might say, which broke the burro's back. At the very end of this varied day, when the chairman and Mrs. Norris were heading down the homestretch toward the exit gate, the chairman discovered that Disneyland has mules upon which visitors are urged to ride. The chairman remembered Phoenix and the burros, the muttered threats of lynch, the pounding at his door in the late hours. Even fresher in his memory, was the long day just behind him. He debated between duty and desire, and once again, just as at Phoenix, he went the way of verbal inquiry. "Could everyone ride?" he asked. "Yes," the answer came back immediately. "But are you sure?" he asked. "Is there any weight limit?" "No," he was told. "Our mules are strong and sturdy. Anyone who weighs no more than 195 pounds may ride. And even that weight is not strictly observed but is only imposed to keep circus fat men and similar undesirables from killing the beasts altogether." Back in his hotel room, bathed in the comforts of air conditioning, the chairman debated the right and wrong of his ways. He can only say this: Disneyland is a fabulous place. There's something for everybody, and you won't want to miss it. In order to be sure that you don't, you should write immediately to the Statler-Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles for reservations. If we want good rooms, we must get reservations in quickly. As to burros and mules, the chairman saith not. ---------- Bid for Equality by Kevan Worley From the Editor: To keep the promises we have made to ourselves requires hard work and imagination and asking others to help us. One of the innovative ways we are raising the funds necessary to our work is our Bid for Equality, and here is what Kevan has to say about our efforts: "Next up for bid is an opportunity to help support the National Federation of the Blind. We are going to be bidding for equality. The bidding will start off at $300. Do I hear $300? $300! Come on, you can't let this value go at only $300. We are bidding for equality here! Do I hear $400? $400! I heard $400; who's gonna give $450? $450! Do I hear $500? $500! I heard $500; do I hear $550? What'll ya bid to build the future of the National Federation of the Blind? $550! I have $550, looking for $600...$550 going once, $550 going twice...$3,000! I heard $3,000! Thank you very much, sir. Do I hear $3,500? Online! Online! I have $3,500, looking for $4,000. Remember, your participation in the Bid for Equality will help provide blind kids with Braille. Bid it up, my friends. Do you want Braille? Do you want Braille? Who'll give of their time, energy, and imagination to make our next Bid for Equality the best online auction yet? Do you want to end the scourge of subminimum wages being paid to more than 300,000 people with disabilities? End injustice; end injustice! $4,000. I have $4,000, looking for $4,500...$4,000 going once, $4,000 going twice, sold for $4,000!" We hope you enjoyed reading the above dramatization, and we hope you are excited for our next Bid for Equality online auction. Last year's package with the highest bid of $1,105 was Texas's two music badges to the South by Southwest Music Festival, including hotel accommodations, which was followed by Indiana's pearl necklace and earring set and New York's weekend getaway. With fifty-two packages last year, we raised over $10,000. If we have one hundred percent affiliate participation, we would be swimming in donations. Imagine how much money we could raise. We invite every member, friend, supporter, and local merchant to participate and make a Bid for Equality. If you were not involved with last year's auction, jump on the bandwagon and don't miss out this year. Do you frequent a local business that might have a valuable item to donate? Do you patronize or have a relationship with a local jeweler, travel agency, lawyer, or music store owner whom you could approach for a donation? We are seeking items and packages with minimum bids of $300. It's never too early to start dreaming up the perfect package. What's the first step in getting involved? Designate your affiliate's auction coordinator, also known as the Equality Auctioneer. Your Equality Auctioneer has the honor of coordinating a magnificent donation package to be displayed in the auction with the National Center and Equality Auctioneer Committee's guidance and resources, including attending an informational session during national convention. For more information about whom to designate as your Equality Auctioneer or about this year's Bid for Equality auction, contact Ilana Posner at (410) 659-9314, extension 2283, or through email at and visit the auction's table during general session. ---------- The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund by Allen Harris From the Editor: Allen Harris is the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Fund Committee and was one of the people who came up with the idea of honoring our former president and longtime leader by establishing a program to promote attendance at the national convention, where so much inspiration and learning occur. Here is Allen's announcement about the 2014 Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Program: Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have not done so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship grant. Perhaps this July you too can be in the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida, enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at the largest and most important yearly convention of blind people in the world. The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an NFB national convention are the round-trip transportation, the hotel room for a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't pay all the costs. Last year most of the sixty grants were in the range of $400 to $500 per individual. We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the amazing experience that is convention week. Who is eligible? Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply. How do I apply for funding assistance? 1. You write a letter giving your contact information, and your local NFB information, your specific amount requested, and then explain why this is a good investment for the NFB. The points to cover are listed below. 2. You contact your state president in person or by phone to request his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when to expect your request letter by email, and mention the deadline. 3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your state president. He or she must add a president's recommendation and then email both letters directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee. Your president must forward the two letters no later than April 15, 2014. Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points: . Your full name, and all your telephone numbers and label them--cell phone, home, office, other person (if any). . Your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address. . Your state affiliate and state president; your chapter and chapter president, if you attend a chapter. . Your personal convention mentor and provide that person's phone number. . Your specific request: Explain how much money you need from this fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you consult with other members to make a rough budget for yourself. The body of your letter should answer these questions: How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want to attend a national convention? What would you receive; what can you share or give? You can include in your letter to the committee any special circumstances you hope they will take into consideration. When will I be notified that I am a winner? If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter with convention details which should answer most of your questions. The committee makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May 15, but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen. 1. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for roommates of your own to reduce the cost.) 2. Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by May 31. 3. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and advisor. 4. If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win a grant this year. How will I receive my convention scholarship? At convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card will be listed in the letter we sent you. The committee is not able to provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you win a scholarship and to pay your treasury back after you receive your debit or credit card. What if I have more questions? For additional information email the chairman, Allen Harris, at or call his Baltimore, Maryland, office at (410) 659-9314, x2415. Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first convention on the national level and join several thousand active Federationists in the most important meeting of the blind in the world. We hope to see you in Orlando. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Donald Capps] Another Gifted Writer From the Editor: In January of 1958 a letter was published from an up and coming leader in the National Federation of the Blind. We thought Monitor readers would be interested in this correspondence and that it will remind us how important it is to make the case for joining the National Federation of the Blind while reaffirming our own choice to give so much to the movement. Here is what the January 1958 issue of this magazine had to say about Donald Capps: It has lately become evident that we now have another most outstanding wielder of the eloquent pen, in the person of Donald Capps, president of our South Carolina affiliate. Here is a fine sample of his work--a letter written to a prominent blind lawyer in his state: ....[R]ecall that you told me, when asked if you would participate in the work the Aurora Club and the NFB is doing, that you needed more time to think about the matter and that you also wanted to secure the impressions of impartial parties concerning the NFB. Certainly no one can be criticized for investigating before assuming responsibilities, and I for one did exactly this before entering into this work. As a young man with eleven years' experience in the insurance industry and apparently with prospects for a reasonably bright future and career, it would have been foolish for me to assume responsibilities and enter into any phase of activity that would jeopardize my future welfare. There are, of course, hundreds of institutions and agencies doing work with and for the blind. These include state agencies, schools for the blind, sheltered workshops, guide dog establishments, and Braille magazine publications, etc. Each in its own field should be recognized for its actual contribution to the life of the blind. However, the National Federation of the Blind is unique in that it is a national organization of the blind themselves with organizations in forty-three states and members in all the states, and the leadership of the national organization as well as the state organization is in the hands of successful blind people. While each state organization may vary in its structure and scope, it is the ultimate aim of the state and national organization to abolish misconceptions about blindness through public education and to promote job opportunity in accordance with a blind individual's capabilities. We are especially interested in blind persons assuming jobs in private industry beside their sighted fellow workers and in other fields. We believe it is harmful to the blind to colonize or segregate them into a special type of sheltered work which focuses public attention on this special treatment. Improving the public's attitude concerning blindness is, in my opinion, of extreme importance, and, once blindness is fully accepted by the public, then many or most of our problems will no longer be. The forty thousand blind men and women who make up the National Federation of the Blind are engaged in all fields of endeavor, and it probably will be interesting to you to know that many of the directors of the NFB are successful attorneys. As a matter of fact, there must have been some fifty lawyers present at the convention in New Orleans in July, and at that time this group organized some type of lawyers' guild. Not being in the legal profession, I did not attend this meeting and therefore do not know exactly what they discussed or plan to do, but one thing is certain, and that is that they will exchange ideas and do those things that will result in mutual good. Two of the directors of the NFB whom you might happen to know are Walter McDonald, a lawyer and chairman of the Georgia Public Service Commission, and Dr. Munford Boyd, professor of law at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. One of the most discouraging aspects of working in any organization is that of getting those persons who can make a substantial contribution to the cause to participate but who fail to do so for one reason or another. All of us have philosophical differences, which we will agree is human nature, but for the life of me I cannot see why anyone who has experienced blindness and its problems would fail to participate in a program designed to benefit the blind.... It is recognized that this letter is lengthy, but I hope that you will seriously consider my request that you join in and work with us as I sincerely and earnestly feel that you should not deprive our organization, which you will recall was recently honored by a concurrent resolution introduced by Rep. Burnett R. Maybank, Jr., of your talents and the contributions which you could undoubtedly make...I urge you to become active in our state organization which will provide you with a real opportunity to contribute to the improvement of the lot of the blind, and I assure you that we are making progress, and you may also be assured I shall continue to use all of my energy and resources to further this progress. Once you have become active in this work, you will be pleasantly surprised at how beneficial it will be to you and at how much personal satisfaction will be yours from helping others.... ---------- Recipes This month's recipes have been provided by members of the National Federation of the Blind of New York. [CAPTION/PHOTO: Margo Downey] Sheet Cake by Margo Downey Margo Downey has been a member of the NFB since 1979. She serves on the boards of the Buffalo Chapter, the National Association of Guide Dog Users, the Travel and Tourism Division, and the Seniors Division. Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups granulated sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda Pinch of salt 3/4 cup water 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup unsweetened powdered cocoa 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup buttermilk 2 eggs Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 13-by-9-inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and shake flour onto pan, coating all sides. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt and stir to mix thoroughly. Combine water, butter, and cocoa in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to prevent lumping. Remove from heat and pour into flour mixture. Beat with mixer until blended and then add vanilla, buttermilk, and eggs and beat until smooth. Pour batter into pan and bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes. Allow cake to cool before frosting with the following icing: Frosting Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/3 cup milk 1/3 cup butter 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips Method: In a saucepan combine sugar, milk, and butter and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Spread over cake and allow to cool for at least one hour before cutting. ---------- Best Apple Crisp Ever by Margo Downey Ingredients: 4 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup all-purpose flour 3/4 cup white sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten 2 tablespoons butter, melted Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a 9-inch square baking pan mix sliced apples with brown sugar. In a large bowl mix together flour, white sugar, cinnamon, and salt. In a small bowl beat together egg and cooled melted butter. Stir into flour mixture. Spread this batter evenly over apples. Bake in preheated oven for thirty to forty minutes or until topping is golden and crisp. Serve warm with ice cream. ---------- Super Fudge Brownies by Margo Downey Ingredients: 5 large eggs 3? cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1 8-ounce box unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set rack in upper third of oven. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a large sheet of foil, pressing foil so that it fits into the pan. Lightly butter foil. In large bowl with electric mixer on high speed beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla for ten minutes, until blended. Meanwhile, in a glass measuring cup microwave butter and chocolate until almost melted. Stir in espresso powder until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and add chocolate mixture until blended. Mix in flour and salt until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for twenty-five minutes, until top is shiny and slightly cracked along the edges. Brownies will still be soft and gooey in the middle. Do not over bake. Transfer to wire rack to cool. When completely cool, use foil edges to lift brownies out of pan. Cover and let sit at least four hours before cutting. Tip: Lining the pan with foil makes for easy cleanup. Just lift the entire cooled brownie block out of the pan, then cut into twenty-four individual brownies. ---------- [CAPTION/PHOTO: Nelson and Cheryl Echevarria] Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas) by Cheryl Echevarria Cheryl Echevarria is vice president of the Greater Long Island Chapter of the NFB of New York and president of the Travel and Tourism Division. She says that this is the first thing her husband Nelson taught her to make when they first met. This is an old recipe, but each family makes it a little differently. This version makes enough for five to six people and can be used for leftovers. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce 1 cup sofrito, see below 1 handful of alcaparado olives in jar, not the ones in a can (Find them in the Spanish section of the supermarket.) 1 tablespoon cumin or cumino powder 2 cups rice, uncooked Gandules (available in all grocery stores, or ask for pigeon peas if you cannot pronounce the Spanish name) If you are using the can, rinse them first; if you are using frozen peas, use 1 bag. 4 cups water Salt and pepper to taste Method: Turn stove burner to medium high, place a large pot with a fitted lid on stove with the olive oil in it. Add the sofrito, alcaparado olives, and cumin and stir all together. Add tomato sauce and the rice and stir thoroughly. Then add the gandules and stir again. Add the water and raise the heat to high. Once everything starts to boil, put the lid on and lower heat to low. Cook for twenty-five minutes. Do not lift the lid to stir until time is up. Sofrito Ingredients: 3 large onions, any type 1 full head of garlic 5 to 6 plum tomatoes or 1 large can of chopped or diced tomatoes 2 green bell peppers, seeded 1 red bell pepper, seeded 10 ajies dulces peppers, tops removed (If you cannot pronounce the name, just bring this recipe to the grocery store and ask for them. They are tiny green peppers, but remember to ask for the sweet ones. They look like Scotch bonnet peppers, and they are hot.) A bunch of cilantro leaves with the stems still on A bunch of recao or culantro leaves Method: In no particular order place everything in the food processor or a heavy-duty blender like a Vitamix. You might have to pur?e in batches and then mix all together when done. I do this all the time. This can be added to soups, stews, tomato sauce, or anything else hot that you are cooking. This recipe makes a good deal, so have a large storage container ready. ---------- [CAPTION/PHOTO: Angie Robinson] Angie's Peanut Butter Pie by Angie Robinson Angie Robinson is the first lady of the Buffalo Chapter of the NFB of New York. Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 cups confectionery sugar 1 cup milk 1 cup peanut butter 2 graham cracker crusts 1 container Cool Whip Method: Cream together cream cheese, peanut butter, and confectionery sugar. Add milk and mix well. Fill the two pie crusts, place in freezer, and let freeze for several hours or until firm. Top with Cool Whip and garnish with chocolate chips or shaved chocolate. Refreeze. To serve, remove from freezer about twenty minutes beforehand or in Florida about ten minutes. ---------- [CAPTION/PHOTO: Michael Robinson] Butterscotch Brownies by Mike Robinson Mike Robinson is president of the Buffalo Chapter and second vice president of the NFB of New York. Ingredients: 1/4 cup butter 1 cup brown sugar, packed 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup nuts, chopped Method: Melt butter and stir in brown sugar. Then beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Combine dry ingredients and stir in. Add nuts and stir. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-9-inch baking pan and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for thirty minutes. Cut while still warm. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family Requests for Accommodations Based on Disability: The convention of the National Federation of the Blind is designed to be accessible especially to blind people in that materials are offered in accessible formats and other nonvisual aids are provided. Therefore special requests for these items are not required. If you require specific accommodations based on your disability other than the blindness-related accommodations mentioned above in order to participate fully and equally in the convention, we urge you to let us know as soon as possible. Specific accommodations for which requests are required include requests for deaf or deaf-blind interpreters. Due to the size and complexity of this convention, as well as the need to plan for additional human and other resources appropriately, requests for specific accommodations must be submitted no later than May 31, 2014. In order to make a request, 1) preregister for the convention by visiting ; and 2) send your specific request for accommodations in writing to the NFB Jernigan Institute using email at with the subject "convention request for specific accommodations." Please include your name, the dates you plan to be at the convention, information on the best way to follow up with you, and your specific request. Convention Tidbit from a Grateful Parent: David Ticchi has been a family friend, great help, and mentor for my daughter. He suggested that I share with you the feelings that I had and discussed with him at the convention. My daughter, Lindsey Shapiro, is fifteen years old and will be a sophomore in high school. This was our second convention experience. The complete acceptance and understanding from fellow Federationists is such a good feeling. In my multiple roles as mother/teacher/advocate, I often feel like I am swimming upstream. I have to constantly explain, discuss, highlight, and fight for what my daughter needs. You cannot help second-guessing yourself and the decisions that you make when you are constantly questioned by the experts in the sighted world and the school. The experience of just being at the convention, witnessing the skillful alternative techniques of other blind people, listening to real experts-the blind themselves-validate all the explanations and fights that I endure all throughout the year. My daughter is more confident because of the positive attitudes and influences that are apparent at the convention. I am so grateful that we were able to attend the convention and feel that the experience is unparalleled. Marlene Shapiro Your Experience Needed: In an effort to gather critical accessibility information, the NFB Legal Department is requesting that members email Valerie Yingling, paralegal, at or call her at (410) 659-9314, ext. 2440, if they have experienced or been affected by any of the following: o Electronic Health Records . We are seeking information from employees and students required to use electronic health record systems on the job or for school purposes. o Pre-employment Testing . We are seeking information from anyone who has attempted to fill out an online job application or take an online employment test with screen access software or expects to do so in the near future. If the test you have taken or plan to take was developed by Kenexa, or if the job you have applied for or will be applying for is with a federal government contractor, we would be especially interested in speaking with you. o Online and Mobile Banking . We are gathering information pertaining to account management and other features. o Technology in Higher Education . We are gathering information from college and university students regarding Web applications for assignment collaboration and other technologies. See, also, . Common Core State Standard Assessment Field Tests: We are seeking information regarding K-12 students who will be taking a field test or have been excluded from taking the test due to blindness, see . Elected: At its fall convention the National Federation of the Blind of California elected two new members to the board of directors: Tim Elder and Rick Watson. Joe Retherford was elected president of the California Association of Blind Students, and Tina Thomas was elected as the president of the California Association of Guide Dog Users. Announcing the 2014 California Chemistry Camp for Blind and Visually Impaired High School Students: Would you like to learn how blind people tackle the very visual subject of organic chemistry successfully? Do you have a general love for science? Do you want to learn how you can do chemistry as a blind person just as successfully as your sighted peers? Are you interested in how blind professionals use science in their careers every day? Then the 2014 California Chemistry Camp is for you. Come join Accessible Science for an educational, exciting, and fun-filled weekend of hands-on science. Camp will take place at Enchanted Hills Camp near Napa, California, Friday, May 2, 2014, through Sunday, May 4, 2014. Up to fifteen blind high school students ages fourteen to eighteen will be selected to participate. There is no cost to apply for the program. Accessible Science is a 501(c)3 organization that exists to provide accessible educational opportunities. However, participants are encouraged to make a tax-deductible donation to support current and future programs of Accessible Science, because it is only through the generosity of our supporters that we can provide our programs at no cost. During this exciting and busy three-day experience, students will learn how blind and visually impaired people use chemistry in their careers, explore techniques used by blind people to make chemistry accessible, perform hands-on accessible chemistry experiments, apply the chemistry they learned to some basic cooking and to olive oil, see the chemistry they learned turned into action with an exhilarating magic show, and talk with blind and sighted scientists who use chemistry as a mainstay of their careers. The students will also participate in recreational activities, and exciting evening activities are planned. Note that students need not love science to apply. This will be a learning experience for everyone. Throughout the weekend students will have quality time to socialize with each other and with blind mentors and instructors. Students will be put into groups of three, and each group will work with a blind mentor. The blind mentor will act as a role model for the students during the course of the weekend and participate in all activities with them. To apply, fill out the preliminary application by visiting . We hope to see you this spring at Enchanted Hills. If you have any questions, contact Angela Fowler, Director of Planning, Accessible Science by email at or by phone at (530) 902-0987. Elected: The Colorado Springs Chapter of the NFB of Colorado held its 2014 election with the following results: president, Jeanette Fortin; vice president, Brian Smith; treasurer, Bridget Worley; secretary, Lisa Gavel; board members, Kevan Worley, Gina Bullard, Jim Beal, Jillian O'Connor, and Zaina Braddy. We have a wonderful board and anticipate more involvement and growth of our chapter in 2014. Student Connect 2014: The Colorado Association of Blind Students and the Colorado Center for the Blind are pleased to announce Student Connect 2014, our dynamic and energetic student seminar. It will be held from April 10 to 13, so please apply immediately if you wish to attend. This seminar will be a great way for students to network, gain information, learn about scholarships, experience Colorado, and have fun. For more information contact Antonio Rozier at . Elected: The Ann Arbor Chapter of the NFB of Michigan voted on its 2014 slate of officers January 11. Elected were president, Terri Wilcox; vice president, Nick Wilcox; secretary, Amy Shepherd, and treasurer, Larry Keeler. The Ann Arbor executive board is excited for the new year and for the opportunity to serve and to represent the National Federation of the Blind. Blind Entrepreneurs: Earn an Entrepreneur of Excellence Certificate While Building Your Business: The Hadley School for the Blind and the NFB's National Association of Blind Merchants together with the National Federation of the Blind's Entrepreneurs Initiative (NABM/NFBEI) are partnering to offer free online business education. Enroll now to complete a two-part series of Hadley courses without taking time away from your business, and NABM will award you with an Entrepreneur of Excellence Certificate. Individuals who earn the certificate will be recognized at NABM's Business Leadership and Superior Training (BLAST) Conference or at its annual meeting held in conjunction with the convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Attendance at these events will not be a requirement for certification. NABM and Hadley will also offer "Randolph-Sheppard on the Web." "Randolph-Sheppard on the Web" consists of regularly scheduled webinars focusing on business trends and challenges pertinent to all blind operators. These live online discussions will enable you to work with other merchants and Business Enterprise Program (BEP) professionals to solve the pressing concerns that affect your business. If you don't have time to participate live, the seminars will be archived on the web so you can listen at your convenience. The courses, modules, and webinars offered through this partnership are part of Hadley's Forsythe Center for Employment and Entrepreneurship (FCE). The goal of this initiative described at , is to provide individuals who are blind or visually impaired with the knowledge, resources, and networking opportunities to enable them successfully to launch and grow their own businesses. Courses and modules are online only and are practical, relevant, and interactive. The FCE also includes live and recorded online lectures available through ; interactive group discussions; access to an online resource center; and a directory of visually impaired business owners. "Entrepreneurs of Excellence set the tone for their businesses by modeling the way and continually investing in their own personal growth," says Hadley President Chuck Young. "These self-employed leaders know that the business is only as good as their ability to manage and become profitable. This is an incredible opportunity for vendors to affordably invest in themselves, their business, and their future." Nicky Gacos, president, National Association of Blind Merchants, adds, "We are excited and proud to collaborate with the Hadley School for the Blind. They are a world leader in quality correspondence and online learning for the blind. This is no-cost, highly accessible, flexible, user- friendly training for twenty-first century business people. This will be in- the-trenches, where-the-rubber-meets-the-road, practical education you can apply now. It is for the blind manager who is truly committed to increased professionalism and profit. Most states will be accepting these courses and webinars to meet upward mobility requirements. I can't wait to begin awarding certificates of excellence and seeing profits rise." To learn more about how you can earn your certificate and keep current in your industry, visit and enroll today. 2014 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium: The 2014 Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium will be held on April 24 and 25, 2014, at the Jernigan Institute on the topic "Disability Rights in the 21st Century: Creative Solutions for Achieving the Right to Live in the World." The symposium will consist of plenary sessions and workshops facilitated by distinguished law professors, practitioners, and advocates who will discuss topics such as disability discrimination in the criminal and juvenile justice systems, next steps in Olmstead litigation, rights of parents with disabilities, supported decision- making as an alternative to guardianship, and how to work with the media to get the disability rights message across. The registration fee for the symposium will be $175 for professionals and $25 for students. To learn more about the symposium and symposium sponsorship opportunities, view the agenda, and register online, please visit . You may download a registration form to mail or fax. Hotel information is also available on the symposium website. For additional information, contact Lou Ann Blake, JD, Law Symposium Coordinator, Jernigan Institute, National Federation of the Blind, 200 East Wells Street, at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, Maryland 21230 or call (410) 659-9314, ext. 2221. You may email . 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. IRS Provides Online Services for People with Disabilities: People who are blind or visually impaired can download hundreds of the most popular federal tax forms and publications at the IRS accessibility page . You can choose from accessible PDFs to e-Braille and HTML formats that use screen-reading software and refreshable Braille displays. Watch a video introducing you to products and services available for people with disabilities, and browse the American Sign Language videos with the latest federal tax information for disabled veterans, and more. People who are unable to complete their tax return because of a physical disability may get assistance through a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance or Tax Counseling for the Elderly site. You can find a nearby VITA or TCE location by calling 1-800-906-9887. Publication 907, Tax Highlights for Persons with Disabilities, explains the tax implications of certain disability benefits and other issues and is available at . Visit and enter "accessibility" in the Search box for more information. Microsoft Announces Scholarship for Students with Disabilities: Microsoft is pleased to announce the launch of the Microsoft DisAbility Scholarship intended to empower and enable high school students with disabilities to (a) go to college, (b) realize the impact technology has on the world, and (c) target a career in the technology industry. The scholarship was launched on Friday, January 17, 2014, and includes a goal to increase enrollment of persons living with a disability in higher education and in the long term decrease the unemployment bias for disabled persons. This new program was started and is supported by Microsoft employees, who will select promising high school seniors who require financial assistance in order to enter and successfully complete a vocational or academic college program. This non-renewable $5,000 scholarship will be paid to the recipient's Financial Aid Office by the Seattle Foundation on behalf of the DisAbility Employee Resource Group (ERG) at Microsoft. Eligibility All candidates must be high school students living with a disability who plan to attend a two- to four-year university or college program, maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA or equivalent, and have declared a major from the approved list (see scholarship guidelines on application). Requirements To apply for the Microsoft DisAbility Scholarship, the student must meet the following guidelines: 1. Be a current high school senior living with a disability (as defined by the World Health Organization, whether that be visual, hearing, mobility, cognitive, or speech). 2. Plan to attend an undergraduate program in a two- or four-year university/college or technical college in the fall of the academic year following high-school graduation. Schools must be in the USA or have a USA affiliate for financial transactions (contact Seattle Foundation to verify non-USA school's eligibility). 3. Declare a major in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, legal, or in business that are approved (i.e., paralegal, pre-law, finance, business administration, or marketing). 4. Demonstrate a passion for technology. 5. Demonstrate leadership at school and/or in the community. 6. Have a high school cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. 7. Require financial assistance to attend college. 8. Enrollment status must be full-time or half-time. To Apply To apply for the scholarship, print and fill out the application, available for download at , and enclose it in an envelope with the following items: 1. R?sum? including extracurricular activities (school- and community- related), honors and awards you have received, and work experience. 2. Photo of yourself 3. An official "sealed" copy of your transcript 4. Three essays . In five hundred words or less, describe how you plan to be engaged in the technology industry in your career . In five hundred words or less, share your vision of how Microsoft can innovate its future and services solutions creatively and successfully to support those living with disabilities in the workplace and in daily life to reach their potential. . In 250 words or less, demonstrate your financial need for this scholarship 5. Two letters of recommendation, one from a faculty or staff member at your school. These letters should be original, not duplicates of college recommendation letters, and on letterhead. Completed applications should be mailed by March 15 to the Seattle Foundation, c/o Microsoft DisAbility Scholarship, 1200 5th Avenue, Suite 1300, Seattle, WA 98101. Selection will be completed, and those selected to receive the Microsoft DisAbility Scholarship will be notified by April 15. If you have questions, email . Bring Your Perkins Brailler Back to Life: The Selective Doctor, Inc., was established in March 1992 by Joe and Barbara Staniewski. Joe retired from IBM Corporation in January 1992 and has been repairing Perkins Braillers ever since. He has repaired over 6,600 Braillers from forty-four different states, along with Puerto Rico, Guam, and England. We currently repair Braillers for five different blind schools in the United States, along with the Division of Rehabilitation Services, Veterans Administration, NYC Department of Education, Blind Industries, and many other organizations. We charge a flat rate for labor of $60 for a manual Perkins Brailler, plus parts and postal insurance, and $70 for an electric Brailler, plus parts. The Braillers are mailed back to you using Free Matter for the Blind. Currently we do not repair Next Generation (plastic) Perkins Braillers. Our turn-around time is approximately one week. Please call (410) 668-1143 or email us at for further information. 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 am selling a gently used Optelec ClearView+ in great working condition. It is very user friendly and has several viewing options: color, black text on white background, white text on black background, etc. Also has zoom capability and a movable reading table that can be locked in any position. User manual is available. I am asking $1,000 firm, cash only. Call Jacquie at (573) 701-1698. ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Mon Mar 31 22:56:30 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 22:56:30 -0700 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, April 2014 Message-ID: <201404010556.s315uUbh023290@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 57, No. 4 April 2014 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 ? 2014 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. [PHOTO CAPTION: Palm-lined drive leading to front entrance to Rosen Centre Hotel] Orlando Site of 2014 NFB Convention The 2014 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take place in Orlando, Florida, July 1-6, at the Rosen Centre Hotel at 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Make your room reservation as soon as possible with the Rosen Centre staff only. Call (800) 204-7234. The 2014 room rates are singles, doubles, and twins, $82; and triples and quads, $88. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 13.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested. The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $95-per-room deposit is required to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before May 28, 2014. The other 50 percent is not refundable. Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations may be made before June 1, 2014, assuming that rooms are still available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon. Guest-room amenities include cable television; in-room safe; coffeemaker; hairdryer; and, for a fee, high-speed Internet access. Guests can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-site spa. The Rosen Centre Hotel offers fine dining at Executive Chef Michael Rumplik's award- winning Everglades Restaurant. In addition, there is an array of dining options from sushi to tapas to a 24-hour deli. The hotel has first-rate amenities and shuttle service to the Orlando airport. The schedule for the 2014 convention is: Tuesday, July 1 Seminar Day Wednesday, July 2 Registration Day Thursday, July 3 Board Meeting and Division Day Friday, July 4 Opening Session Saturday, July 5 Business Session Sunday, July 6 Banquet Day and Adjournment NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND 2014 National Convention Preregistration Form Please register online at or use this mail-in form. Print legibly, provide all requested information, and mail form and payment to: National Federation of the Blind Attn: Convention Registration 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place Baltimore, MD 21230 Please register only one person per registration form; however, one check or money order may cover multiple registrations. Check or money order (sorry, no credit cards) must be enclosed with registration(s). Registrant Name ______________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________ City ______________________ State _____________ Zip ___________ Phone ____________ Email ____________________________________ ___ I will pick up my registration packet at convention. or ___ The following person will pick up my registration packet: Pickup Name ______________________________________ Number of preregistrations x $25 = ____________ Number of pre-purchased banquet tickets x $55 = ____________ Total = ____________ PLEASE NOTE: 1. Preconvention registration and banquet sales are final (no refunds). 2. All preregistration mail-in forms must be postmarked by May 31. Vol. 57, No. 4 April 2014 Contents Illustration: New Service Animals for the Blind Kernels Take Root Crying Over Spilled Milk by Parnell Diggs Growing Up Blind by Jan Bailey Carol's Compliment by Angela Howard True Integrity in Providing Wage Equity by Rose Sloan Standing On My Own by Megan Bening A Decade of Imaginative Investment in Our Future by Mark Riccobono Life Lessons From a Tree by Cayte Mendez When Santa Comes to School by Jasmine Hunt Economics of Leadership: Is Power Rival? by Justin Salisbury Apple Core by Susan Povinelli Self-Advocacy in Spain: Curiosity, Confidence, and Commitment by Chelsey Duranleau The Challenges in Going Blind and Learning to Live Again by Kim Tindal A Review of Close Your Eyes by Grace Warn Taking the Next Step: 2014 National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) Conference for Families and Teachers by Carlton Walker NFB Camp Convention Adventures The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund by Allen Harris Recipes Monitor Miniatures [PHOTO CAPTION: Barton] [PHOTO CAPTION: George] [PHOTO CAPTION: Rocky] New Service Animals for the Blind Some of you may have heard about the hawk that was loose in the atrium of the Jernigan Institute back in October. We at the Monitor just received permission to tell our readers all about it. Meet Barton, a member of a new experimental guide animal program. We love our guide dogs, but in today's urban society, there can be some drawbacks: allergies in the family to dog dander, the difficulties finding an apartment you can afford with the space for a large dog, not to mention finding a park or similar place to exercise your canine companion. With this in mind, trainers have been working with several new animals, looking for an alternative more suited to modern city living. Barton only requires a bit of room to stretch his wings from time to time and can ride on his owner's wrist or shoulder in crowds. He can often scavenge for his own food, so the owner has one less thing to pack on long trips. Also in this program are George, a capuchin monkey, and Rocky, a raccoon. Both species are smaller, easier to exercise, and are highly intelligent. Capuchins live thirty to forty years, and raccoons in captivity can live up to twenty, meaning that they would have a much longer working lifespan, coming closer to the goal of giving a blind person a guide for life. As an added bonus, a monkey or raccoon would be trainable in such tasks as handing you your cell phone, house keys, or other small items. For more information about the program, or to volunteer to work with one of these new potential guide animals, contact Ms. April Phules by phone at (410) 111-1111, ext. 2473 (BIRD) or email her at . Kernels Take Root >From the Editor: As we mentioned in the October 2013 issue of the Monitor, the NFB is creating a new Kernel Book to commemorate its seventy-fifth anniversary, and we need your stories. What are we looking for? To answer that question we are including three fine examples of stories that have appeared in our Kernel Books and have made them the treasures they are. Our hope is that these will encourage you to explore these gems on your own and inspire you to share with us the particular challenges blindness has posed in your life. How has our progress in creating better laws and the creation of better technology helped or hindered you? How has your involvement with the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind changed your life? What experiences and reflections can you contribute to help blind and sighted people alike come to better understand what blindness is and what it is not? Read, enjoy, reflect, and then write. The success of this work depends on you. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Parnell Diggs] Crying Over Spilled Milk by Parnell Diggs >From the Editor: This is a powerful story in which good intentions collide with good sense and in which underestimation of a blind father results in the overturning of a glass. Here is how this story was introduced to Kernel Book readers in Freedom: We often say that the real problem of blindness is not the lack of eyesight but is the lack of understanding about it. The truth of that statement is borne out forcefully in this story by Parnell Diggs. Here is what he has to say: My long white cane extended, I walked into a hotel restaurant one Thursday with my wife and nineteen-month-old son. I asked for a Braille menu, and Kim and I began talking. Our family was being observed (I soon learned) by two ladies at a nearby table. Jordan played with his toys while we made decisions about lunch. Kim and Jordan were having the buffet, and Daddy (everybody knows I love a good sandwich) was instructed to put Jordan in his highchair as soon as I had ordered off of the menu. From his highchair, Jordan was unable to disturb the drinks I had made certain were across the table beyond his reach. "I bet he wants his milk," a lady from the nearby table said striding over and placing the Styrofoam cup in front of my son. I grabbed the cup and gave Jordan a sip of milk. "Say thank you," I prodded knowing the plastic lid and straw were not designed to prevent spills by toddlers. Moving the cup again out of harm's way, I sat down and awaited Kim's return from the buffet line. The low-pitched thud against a container full of liquid, the soaked tablecloth, and the embarrassed laughter of the two ladies on the other side of the highchair created an awkwardness which could have been avoided if the two ladies had not been so well intentioned. As a favor to me, they had gently placed Jordan's cup in front of him a second time on their way out of the restaurant not realizing that I had deliberately placed it where he couldn't reach it. I jumped up, "Yeah, pull him away from the table," one of them said as I checked Jordan's clothes which were still dry. Could they have imagined that I am a self-employed attorney with a wife who works at home? In their wildest dreams, could they have realized that I was there to preside at a business meeting that weekend that would be attended by 350 persons? Put a white cane in my hand, and I became a blind man who didn't know that my son couldn't reach his milk. "You may want to get help," they suggested. "It's running onto the floor." I guess they figured out why I had put Jordan's milk where he couldn't reach it. A sighted parent may have done the same thing as opposed simply to holding a child's hands down. Without a "Sippy cup," I made a judgment call, and they had made a judgment call too. They knew that I was blind. Rather than assuming that I had put the cup out of reach on purpose because my nineteen-month-old son could not yet hold that type of cup, the ladies who had been observing us assumed that I, being blind, didn't know where I had put it. This spilled milk was definitely worth crying over, but not because we had to change tables and ask for more milk. In their minds, my life experience was irrelevant. Jordan (though still a toddler) had already exceeded the competence of his blind father. The ladies who would give Jordan his milk so he could spill it would not give me a job so I could buy it. The tears I shed are a result of the knowledge that my son will very soon come to know that people think his father is incapable of providing for himself, his family, and incapable even of doing something so fundamental as giving his son his milk. Jordan will be told that he is less fortunate than other children are because his dad is blind-but thanks to the National Federation of the Blind he won't believe it. Blindness is not a tragedy. With proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to the level of a mere physical nuisance. I am determined that this is the message of blindness that my son will hear most. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Jan Bailey] Growing Up Blind by Jan Bailey >From the Editor: This wonderful story about growing up blind is a powerful illustration of the Federation's philosophy and the good that can come when parents demand age-appropriate behavior and employ creative thinking to see that their blind child will have a chance to live a normal and productive life. Here is the way it was introduced in the first Kernel Book, What Color is the Sun?: Jan Bailey is a rehabilitation counselor in Minnesota. It is not difficult to see why she has grown up to be such a well-adjusted, sensible person. Her parents deserve much of the credit for employing practical good sense and acting on their conviction that their little daughter was, when all was said and done, a normal child: I am the fourth of nine children, and prior to my birth, my parents had very little knowledge about or exposure to blind people. I once asked my mother how she learned that I was blind. She told me that she took me for a check-up when I was four or five months old and mentioned to the doctor that I did not appear to look at things. He examined my eyes and told her that I was blind. Afterward, my mother got on the streetcar to go home and suddenly began to panic. She wondered what she would do. For a split second she considered putting me down on the seat and leaving me there. Then, she remembered a blind man she had known. He had led a very normal life. He was married, had children, and held a job. She decided that if that was possible for him, then it would be possible for me. My mother's experience illustrates my belief that it is desperately important for parents of blind children to have contact with capable blind adults. We can be role models for your children and can help you as that blind man helped my mother. The National Federation of the Blind is an excellent resource for parents because our membership is made up of thousands of blind people who are leading normal lives. Like many parents, mine went from doctor to doctor trying to have my sight restored. Finally, when I was about a year old, my parents took me to a renowned specialist in Salt Lake City, Utah. The doctor examined me and then told my parents, "Quit going to doctors. There is nothing that can be done for your daughter's eyes. She will always be blind. Take her home and treat her just like the rest of your children." To the best of their ability, they did just that. One of the first discoveries my parents made was that I was afraid of a number of things. I disliked anything fuzzy, I did not like loud noises, and I was terrified of the grass. My mother just kept exposing me to fuzzy objects, and one good thing came out of the fear before I was cured of it. I had developed a habit of throwing my empty bottle out of the crib every night. Since they were made of glass, each night the bottle broke. My mother decided to remedy this situation by wrapping my bottle in a diaper and putting rubber bands around it, but I would have nothing to do with it. I was now afraid of my fuzzy bottle, and I never drank from one again. My mother, however, was persistent and kept exposing me to soft, fuzzy objects, and I soon outgrew that fear. My mother thought that some of my fears developed because I did not see others around me handling objects. She also concluded that when I went to new places and heard noises I had never heard before, I was frightened because I couldn't associate the sound with anything I recognized. She kept exposing me to the things I was afraid of, explaining them and making me touch as many of them as possible. She made a point of taking me everywhere and making me do things. She says I would have been perfectly content to sit in a corner and play, but she would not allow me to do so. She, my father, or one of my brothers or sisters would make me play with them. Once my father had accepted my blindness, he decided to order some literature about blind children. He received a book in the mail that said: "Put your blind child in a cardboard box in a dark room. Your blind child is very fragile. Let your child explore the box and then the room." My father threw that book away and told my mother that if that was what the experts had to say on the subject, he figured he could manage on his own. He said common sense told him that was the worst piece of advice he had ever received. When I was two years old, I suddenly stopped talking. I had spoken a few words, but then I quit. After several days my father said that he'd had enough. He went over to the high chair where I was sitting, picked me up, and sat me down hard. "Say Mama," he said. I said it. Then he picked me up again and sat me down hard and said, "Say Dada." I said it, and from then on I had no more difficulty talking. At around the same time, my father told me that he was going to show me where things were in the house. He said that I could not be running into them and that I must learn my way around. He took me through all of the rooms and showed me where everything was. Then he said, "Now, when I tell you `Keep your eyes open,' you'll know that I mean to keep your feelers working and your smeller working and your ears working. It would sound funny if I said that, so you'll know what I mean when I tell you to keep your eyes open." A short time later I came running into the dining room from the kitchen where I had been playing. I hit my forehead hard on the dining room table, fell down, and began to cry. My mother jumped up to comfort me, but my father told her to let him handle it. He went over, picked me up, gave me a swat on my back end, and said "Now, don't you remember, I showed you where that table was. You can't be running into things. Next time, keep your eyes open." My mother told him she thought he was being too hard on me, but he said I had to learn. I soon stopped crying and went back to playing. A few minutes later, I came running into the dining room again. My father said that you could hardly have put a hair between my forehead and that table before I swerved. I never ran into the table again. As I mentioned earlier, I was terrified of the grass when I was a young child. Each time my mother went out to hang clothes, she took me with her and put me down on the lawn. I always crawled over onto the cement or gravel, preferring that to the grass. Eventually my father told my mother that he was going to do something about the situation. He took me out to the back yard and proceeded to roll me around on the grass. I began to scream, and the neighbors came running. They told him that he was cruel, but he ignored them. He took me back into the house and told my mother not to say anything more about the grass. I pouted for a few days before coming to my mother one day and asking for my hat and coat. That meant I wanted to go outside to play. She helped me to put on my things and watched me as I went out. I went over to the grass and cautiously extended my toe and touched it. I waited for a second and then explored it with my foot. Soon I was rolling around on the lawn and after that had no fear of grass. My father has often told me that when I was small, I had some rather strange ideas. One day I handed him a chicken bone from which I had eaten all the meat and asked him to put some more chicken on it. Another day I asked him to lift me up so I could touch the sky. On such occasions he tried to explain the true nature of things so that I would not continue to have misconceptions about my surroundings. He did have quite a time, though, making me understand that I couldn't touch the sky, because he always made a point of letting me touch things in order for me to learn about them. Once I wanted to touch an elephant at the zoo. My father persuaded the zoo keeper to let me go into the cage and touch it. He didn't want to give me special treatment, so he persuaded the poor keeper to let my brothers and sisters go in also. When I was quite young, a woman from the welfare department who had learned I was blind came to visit my mother. She showed my mother a large wooden shoe and some pieces of cloth with buttons, buttonholes, and snaps on them. She tried to persuade my mother that she needed to purchase these things to teach me to tie my shoes, button my dress, and snap snaps. My mother told her that first, she didn't have the money to buy those things, and second, she didn't see any need for them. She said that when I needed to learn these things, she would teach me using my own clothing. When I was ready to go to kindergarten, I announced that I wanted to learn how to zip my jacket. I told her that I didn't want to have to ask the teacher to do it for me. I was to go to kindergarten at noon, and I pestered her all morning until I finally learned how to zip that jacket. In the first grade I began to learn to read. I was very anxious to master this skill because I had heard some talking books, and I wanted to read just like the readers on the records. One day, however, I came home from school in tears and told my parents that my teacher had said that I would not be allowed to check out library books while in first grade. My father could not understand this and so decided to phone the principal. Neither the principal nor the superintendent would overrule my teacher. So, my father called her directly. He tried calmly to persuade her that I should be allowed to check out library books. Finally in exasperation, he said, "Do you have any children?" "No," said the teacher. "Well," he replied, "I have six of them, and I know that when children are anxious to learn, you shouldn't discourage them." But the teacher wouldn't be moved, so my father told me to go and talk to the librarian. She asked me if I knew what a little white lie was. I told her I didn't. She said that it was a lie that wouldn't hurt anyone. She then told me to tuck a book under my coat and bring it back when I was finished reading it, and she would give me another one. I secretly read library books all during first grade. Then there was the matter of my walking to school. I announced one day when I was six or seven years old that I thought I should be allowed to walk to school since my brothers and sisters could. Moreover, I wanted to walk by myself. I did not have a cane; back then children didn't use them. My father said that he would show me the way to school, and I could go by myself. After a couple of weeks, I again announced one morning at breakfast that I wanted to walk to school by myself. My father replied that I had been doing so. "No, I haven't," I said. "You've been following me." He admitted that he had been, but he promised that that morning he would not. I could walk to school all by myself. That night, I came home in tears and told my parents that the superintendent had come out to meet me at the driveway of the school when he saw that my father was not following me. That was not the end of it. A few days later my father got a phone call. "Mr. Bailey," the superintendent said, "You are causing a problem in our school. You are allowing your daughter to walk to school by herself. She has told the other students about it, and now they want to do the same thing." There were many other day students in town, and other parents were complaining. My father refused to comply with the request. He told the superintendent to tell those parents that they could raise their children the way they wanted to, and he would raise his the way he wanted. At the age of seven or eight, I told my father I wanted to roller skate. He told me that he would take me out and put a pair of skates on me and take them off again, once. If I could get them back on, I could go skating. I don't suppose he thought I would be able to do it, but we went out and sat on the steps. He showed me one time how to clamp the skates on, how to use a skate key, and how to buckle the straps. After he removed the skates, I put them back on myself. Then he told me I had some boundaries. I could go around the block. If I wanted to roller skate, I had to stay within my boundaries. I skated for hours. That night, the neighbors complained about it. They told my father that it was dangerous and that I would hurt myself. They said it wasn't safe for me to go skating around the block by myself. Again, my father ignored their advice. He told them that if I hurt myself too many times, I would give up roller skating. I did fall down repeatedly. In fact that first day, my legs were bleeding badly when I was through, but I persisted and soon rarely fell. I also rode my tricycle around the block, another thing the neighbors didn't approve of. Soon, however, I wanted a bicycle. I worked hard to master the skill, but I soon tired of falling off and gave it up. I guess my father's theory was right. When I hurt myself enough, I made my own choices about what I would and could do. At age ten or eleven, I became a Campfire Girl. Each year after that my sister and I went door to door selling candy. She went down one block, and I went down another. One year we sold enough candy to earn a campship, which meant that since both of us planned to attend, our parents would have to pay half the cost for each of us. After we had successfully sold all of the candy, my Campfire leader told my parents that I would not be allowed to attend camp because I was blind. They pointed out that my sister could use the whole campship. My father would have none of it. He told the Campfire officials that if I was good enough to sell their candy, then I was good enough to go to their camp. He suggested that they let me come to their camp, and if I caused any problems, he would come and pick me up. I went off to camp and had a great time. When I was twelve or thirteen years old, I told my mother I wanted her to teach me how to iron. She said that I could not do so because I might burn myself. I recognized that she believed my blindness prevented my learning. This made me angry. I went to my father and tried to get him to intervene, but this time he sided with my mother. One day when they had gone downtown, leaving my older sister in charge, I saw my opportunity. I told her that if she would show me how to iron, I would press all of her clothes. When my parents returned home, there I was, ironing. They never said another word about it. We moved to Minnesota when I was twelve. There I attended the Minnesota Braille and Sight Saving School until I was a sophomore. That year I took half of my classes at the public high school. The next year I told my parents that I wanted to go to public school. Since we lived in Faribault, where the Braille School was located, the public school denied me entrance. They said that I would not be able to read the books in their library and that I would use all of my energy trying to find my way around the school. I would be too tired to study. I wrote to my state senator and representative, my United States senator, and to the governor of the state. But they all wrote back to say that they were sorry but my problem was out of their jurisdiction. Since my parents had very little extra money, they could not afford to hire a lawyer. I wish I had known then about the National Federation of the Blind. When I was going through that struggle, I felt very alone. I didn't know that other blind people had similar problems. My parents heard that a Catholic school in Faribault (Bethelehem Academy) had enrolled deaf students since the public schools would not admit them either. My father and I went to Bethelehem Academy and persuaded the principal to admit me. My parents had eight children at the time and did not have the two hundred dollars for my tuition. That summer my mother went to work in the corn canning plant to earn enough for my tuition and uniform, and in the fall I entered Bethelehem Academy, where I was on the honor roll. When I graduated from college, my rehabilitation counselor encouraged me to go to graduate school to become one myself. I resisted doing this because I wanted to get a job in social work, for which I had been trained. I think in the back of my mind I also wanted to know for a certainty that I could compete in something other than work with the blind. Five years later I left Las Vegas where I had been working in a nursing home as a social worker and returned to Minnesota. I heard about a job opening in the Rochester district office of Minnesota State Services for the Blind, applied for it, and was hired. I decided to take that job because I knew that there are many blind people who have not had good opportunities and I wanted to help them have the chances I have had. I realize that I was fortunate to have the parents I had, who taught me early in life that they had high expectations for me and that I could live a normal and productive life. That is my hope for all parents of blind children: that they will have high expectations for their children and that they will let them know they believe they can succeed. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Angela Howard] Carol's Compliment by Angela Howard >From the Editor: There is nothing more rewarding than to help someone move from skepticism to faith when they think about the abilities of the blind. Angela's story describes one such journey, and this is how it was introduced in the Kernel Book, To Reach for the Stars: A number of years ago Angela Howard was a winner of one of our scholarships. Today she is a graduate student in public policy at the University of Texas at Austin and active in the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind to change what it means to be blind. Her delightful story, Carol's Compliment, shows that day-by-day we are making progress. Here is what she has to say: As a blind person I have often been showered with compliments that, I have to admit, are not always deserved. My teachers, coworkers, and even family and friends do not always know much about the little tricks and techniques that blind people use to complete the tasks of everyday life; consequently I have too often been deemed amazing and wonderful for completing the simplest task. I do not take offense or respond negatively to these gestures, for I know that people mean well. However, I do have to take these exaggerated compliments with a grain of salt. I was given a compliment a few years ago that I felt extremely proud to accept. I had taken yoga classes throughout college, and it became my favorite form of exercise. In fact I took the same yoga class with the same teacher for three years in college. I was comfortable with her teaching style, and she never seemed uneasy about having a blind person in her class. So, when I spent a semester completing an internship in another city, I decided I would join a yoga class to help keep me in practice. I learned that a yoga studio was actually connected to my apartment building, and I immediately went down to the office to sign up for a thirteen-week course. However, my first class proved to be quite a shock. I was not met with the same warmth that I had experienced in my college class. My new teacher Carol made it painfully clear that she would have preferred that I not be in her class. "I'm just really not sure how I can best teach you." I assured her that I had taken yoga throughout college and that having me in the class would really not be a problem for her. I gave her some tips for instructing me. For example, I told her that it would help if she used me as the example when she demonstrated a complicated pose to the class. This way I could learn the pose along with everyone else. I also encouraged her to give verbal descriptions as she taught so that I could get some of the information others were getting visually. For the first few weeks it was apparent that Carol was still uncomfortable having me in the class. When we tried exercises in which we had to stand on one foot, she would insist that she stand next to me to make sure I didn't fall. She clearly made a great distinction between the other students and me. But over the thirteen weeks of the class I noticed a gradual change in Carol's attitude and behavior towards me. She commented with surprise one day that my balance was no worse than anyone else's in the class, and she no longer hovered over me as I completed poses that require balance. Slowly I felt that I was becoming just another member of the class. Toward the end of the course she paid so little attention to me that I sometimes had trouble flagging her down for assistance. I still had one problem with which I usually needed assistance. Alignment is very important in yoga, and the other members of the class were taught to line themselves up using the squares outlined on the floor. However, there was no way for me to use this method. When doing poses, I would align myself as best I could, and Carol would nudge me in one direction or another if I were a little out of line. One day, when I arrived at class, Carol met me with great excitement, "I have figured out a way for you to align yourself on the mat. I have put a strip of electrical tape along the middle of your mat that you can feel with your feet." I thought this was a great idea, and I wished that I had been the one to suggest it at the start. Then she said, "Eventually I want you to be able to align yourself using only your own sense of space." This seemed to be a rather high expectation, and I knew then that her attitude towards me had completely changed. Carol stopped me as I was leaving on the last day of class. She said, "I have to admit that I was really reluctant to have you in my class. I just didn't know what you would be able to do. I'm really sorry I felt that way because I think you could even be a yoga teacher one day, if you wanted to." I responded that, because she had never known a blind person before, her feelings were understandable. Then she gave me one of the greatest compliments I have ever been given. She told me that she had researched blindness-related organizations on the Internet and asked me if I were a member of one. I told her that I am a member of the National Federation of the Blind. She said, "Yes, that was the one that stood out to me, and I thought it would be the one you would be a part of." My friends in the National Federation of the Blind continue to encourage me when I face misunderstanding about blindness. They hold higher expectations of me than anyone else in my life, and I try to live up to these expectations as best I can. I felt honored that someone could see the spirit of the National Federation of the Blind in me, and I hope that I will always live my life true to Carol's compliment. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Rose Sloan] True Integrity in Providing Wage Equity by Rose Sloan >From the Editor: We frequently find that people are surprised to learn that it is legal to pay blind people less than the minimum wage as we work to change this immoral and discriminatory practice. They are also surprised to learn that Goodwill, a not-for-profit they have trusted with many of their charitable gifts, takes advantage of this exemption and pays many of their workers below the federally guaranteed minimum. Interestingly, of the 165 Goodwill facilities that hire the disabled, 101 pay at least the minimum wage. The question we repeatedly ask is why sixty-four Goodwill workshops do not. We urge the facilities that are using the outdated practice of paying sub-minimum wages to follow the lead of Goodwill NNE as it strives to meet the needs of its disabled workers, while ensuring that each receives a fair wage. Here is its statement: Our Policy and Practice Concerning Wages While we are a proud member of Goodwill Industries International, we make completely localized decisions, including the way Goodwill of Northern New England compensates all employees. Since 1996 it has been our policy and practice to always meet or exceed the minimum wage for our over 1,700 employees of all abilities in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. A Resolution to Affirm Goodwill Industries of Northern New England's Commitment to the Standard of Minimum Wage; and to Actively Support Public Policy Initiatives that Align with this Commitment At Goodwill Industries of Northern New England (Goodwill NNE), our integrity revolves around how closely we adhere to our fundamental belief in the value of every human being and the 'place' where we live-the environment and the economy that brings structure to our communities. As affirmed by Goodwill NNE's Board of Directors in 2013, it is our policy and practice to always meet or exceed minimum wage for all our employees in Maine, New Hampshire, and northern Vermont. As we connect people who face diverse challenges to jobs in the marketplace, we ensure that they, too, are paid competitive wages, never less than the established minimum wage. This practice is core to our principles-and is essential to the well- being of our employees and the communities where we all live. We know that this is a local issue. Community-based organizations, including other Goodwills, practice based on their experiences and leadership. In 1996 Goodwill NNE ceased sub-minimum wage compensation within its employment opportunities. This resolution formally affirms that Goodwill NNE supports public policy initiatives that align with our commitment to always meet or exceed minimum wage for all workers in our region. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Megan Bening] Standing on My Own by Megan Bening >From the Editor: This article is reprinted from the winter 2014 issue of the Minnesota Bulletin, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota. Many of us proudly credit our parents for helping us at critical times in our lives, but few have done so as articulately as Megan. I am uplifted by the quick thinking and creativity of her mother, and I am similarly moved by Megan's written account and her thank you to her parents for helping and sometimes forcing her to be independent. Here is how this article was introduced by the editor of the Bulletin, Tom Scanlan: Editor's Note: This is the winner of the 2013 Metro Chapter essay contest. Megan and her parents are members of our Riverbend Chapter. Her mother, Jean Bening, is a board member of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, the parents division of the NFB. Here's what Megan has to say: In one of my earliest memories my mother is playing with me, pretending to chase me as I run back and forth across our lawn. Just as she is about to catch me for a kiss and a tickle, I veer crazily to avoid her grasp. I put on a burst of speed that I shouldn't be capable of and lunge toward the door into the house. Before she can get to me or even shout a warning, I go sprawling face-first over my pedal car sitting next to the porch steps. Immediately she is there, holding me close as she kisses my face and dries my tears. As soon as she has reassured herself that I am OK, she carries me to the middle of the yard and sets me back on my feet, giving me a gentle nudge forward to begin our game again. But something has been lost now: I have realized that I can't see the obstacles in my path, and I am not about to let go of her. Gently, she puts her hands on my shoulders and tries to push me forward. But I am stubborn, and I know the dangers now. I am not about to be budged from the safety that her eyesight offers me. As she continues to try to get me to play again, I begin to gear myself up for the mother of all tantrums. Before I can let out even one good scream, though, an odd smacking noise catches my attention. She is standing behind me, clapping her hands repeatedly. What can she be doing now? She takes my hands in hers and continues to clap them together as she gently but inexorably guides me first into a slow walk, then into a run. As I listen I begin to realize that I am hearing two claps: one as she guides my hands together and another as the sound comes echoing back to us. As she guides me back toward the house, I hear that the sound is changing. She takes the time to run me first toward and then away from obstacles, until I realize that, if I clap, I will hear the sounds around me and can avoid the obstacles without her intervention. I am once again beginning to enjoy this game, starting to giggle as the tears dry on my face. Then, suddenly her hands are gone from my shoulders, and I am running on my own. I come to a stop, unsure how to proceed without her. She waits to see what I will do and then begins to clap her hands again. But she doesn't reach out to me. And eventually, tentatively at first, I begin to run away from her. At first she stays within arm's reach of me, ready to grab me at the first sign of danger. But I have discovered the freedom of moving on my own with no fear, and I put more distance between us. She watches me giggle and run around her, always staying just out of her reach. She stands still and watches me move further away from her, confident for the first time in myself. Years go by, and I am in first, then second, then third grade. One week my class has a substitute teacher. I am a good student and don't cause any trouble, so she has no reason to single me out for any punishment. That is, until she gets a look at the class's penmanship and assigns us some handwriting exercises. Without asking anyone, I decide that, because the class is using pencils and paper and I can't see to do the exercises, I shouldn't have to. The next morning when I show up for school empty-handed, the teacher sets me straight. That night I come home crying to my parents, teacher's note in hand. As usual, we don't talk about the note until after we have eaten dinner. Finally, though, the moment of reckoning arrives. "What is this about not being able to go out for recess because you didn't do your homework?" Mom asks me. "Didn't you tell us last night that you didn't have any? You know you're going to be grounded for this. You lied to us and you disobeyed your teacher, and that's not OK. Do you have anything to say?" Through my best wounded-martyr sniffles, I try to explain the situation. I cry about being absent-mindedly handed a printed sheet of paper and explain how the teacher didn't take the time to make up a different assignment for me. I explain in my most logical grown-up tone of voice that I can't possibly do an assignment when I can't see the instructions and don't know how to print. Righteously, convinced that I have won this round, I rest my case. "Didn't you tell me that you have a substitute this week?" Mom asks. I nod cautiously. "So she has never taught you before?" Another nod. "Then isn't it safe to assume that she probably didn't know you couldn't do the assignment?" Grudgingly, this time I have to concede the point. "Then it is your responsibility to tell her so. You have to work with your teacher to find another way to do the assignment. If you can't figure out how to do that on your own, you ask your resource teacher or your Braillist to help you. But you do not get to choose to ignore an assignment without even trying to find a way to make the assignment accessible." I spend the rest of the night Brailling an apology letter to my teacher, which my mom then transcribes into print. Then, in glitter pen, she shows me how to print my signature at the bottom of the paper so that I can feel the lettering. The next morning I bring my finished letter to my teacher, along with the rest of my homework. She accepts my apology, and we go on with no hard feelings. I never see her again, but the lesson she and my parents taught me stays with me to this day. I grumbled about my homework incessantly, tried to avoid doing it whenever possible, but I never again tried to use my blindness as the excuse. As I grow and become a young woman, we go through several more struggles. My parents and teachers take the time to coach me through fighting my own battles. I attend my Individual Education Plan meetings and my parents always, always make sure that I am given a say in my educational goals. I learn how to stand up for myself, how to respectfully contradict an authority figure when I know I am right, and how to appeal when I am unfairly punished. I also learn to refuse special treatment, to fight tooth and nail for every scrap of independence I can gain, and to relish a challenge and take pleasure in overcoming obstacles as they come my way. Throughout high school I begin to look forward to going to college. In my mind it has become just another challenge to overcome. My parents take me to college fairs and chauffeur me around to check out different schools. I apply to two schools in Minnesota and to Rochester Institute of Technology in New York. I am surprised when I get into all three. Ultimately, I choose to stay close to home for my first year of school. My parents don't say so at first, but I think they are vastly relieved. Months pass in what seem like days, and before I know it, my parents are kissing me goodbye at the door of my dorm. They have given me everything I need to succeed in the world without them. I have the tools to face this challenge head-on and come out on top. I fought to get here, and I will continue to fight to stay here. I smile at them and blow them a kiss as I turn and walk away, stepping into the first day of the rest of my life. Now, I realize how hard it must have been for my parents to raise me the way they did. Given the news that their child was permanently blind and offered no solutions to the endless questions in their minds, my parents could have easily given up hope. But instead, they actively sought the answers to their questions. They kept looking until they found someone who told them "Yes, she can!" They set me on my own two feet and stepped back, even when it meant I got some bumps and bruises on the way. They realized that I needed to find my own way in the world far more than I needed them to swoop me up and protect me from all harm. Today, as I journey further into adulthood, I am more grateful with each passing day that my parents never let me take the easy way out. They loved me too much to see me settle for less than I was capable of. Today, I can look at a problem, and where others say, "She can't," I respond with, "Watch me!" And their skepticism drives me to work even harder to succeed. By allowing me to stand on my own and to grow as a person instead of smothering and protecting me at every turn, my parents gave me the greatest gift they could have-the gift of independence. ---------- 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 and training 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! ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono] [PHOTO CAPTION: Jernigan Institute] A Decade of Imaginative Investment in Our Future by Mark Riccobono >From the Editor: The tenth anniversary of the opening of the Jernigan Institute occurred on Thursday, January 30, 2014. Mark Riccobono wrote a piece to commemorate this milestone and published it in the blog that chronicles much of our work at the Jernigan Institute. Here is what he wrote: In October 2003 I came to interview for a job with the NFB. I remember that my interview with NFB President Marc Maurer was on a Sunday because that was the only day I could come to Baltimore. It was quiet at the NFB offices. When we finished our formal discussion, Dr. Maurer asked if I would like to take a walk around the new part of the building-we referred to it as the Research and Training Institute at that time. Before our walk Dr. Maurer cautioned me that the building was still under construction. I had been listening to leaders of the Federation talk about the programs we would establish in this new facility for almost five years by that point. In fact, very early into our capital campaign to raise the funds for our institute, I dove into the middle of the speculation about what we would do with this new resource. I graduated from college just before the fundraising began (1999) and immediately made a pledge, which I doubled after the first year as my understanding of the initiative grew. The August/September 2000 issue of the Braille Monitor recounts the presentations of a number of contributors to the capital campaign at that time. These remarks are documented in the article "Creating Our Own Future," and my address is summed up by these lines: "[I] pointed out that the first step of this campaign of action is finished. It is the original conception of the Institute. We are now the army charged with building the facility. The tools we bring to the job are our minds and our pledges. The third step will be to dream up and execute the Institute programs that will accomplish what needs to be done to bring about the changes that must occur for blind people to reach full participation as first-class citizens." I had no part in the first, conceptual phase of the campaign. Those ideas were already being considered in one fashion or another when I came to be part of the Federation in 1996. I was right in the middle of the second phase and planned to do all that I could to make it a success. I had not really thought about the third phase and how I would contribute until that quiet day in October. As Dr. Maurer led me through the partly finished interior of our new building-navigating around ladders, wires, and other construction-related debris that we did not take time to investigate-he described what parts of the building would be and how we might use them. The beautiful twelve- thousand-square-foot Members Hall was an echoing, bare, concrete-floor room that felt more warehouse than dynamic meeting space, but Dr. Maurer painted a verbal picture of what we might do to inspire the nation from that room. The third-floor space that now houses our Jacobus tenBroek Library and Independence Market seemed like a cold den of snakes, in the form of random wires hanging from the walls and sometimes underfoot. Yet Dr. Maurer described a library of our creation, telling the stories of the blind through the decades of the Federation and the untold accomplishments of the blind before that time. I had not understood how much capacity I had to contribute to that third phase of development until I took that walk around our still-unfinished building and heard our visionary leader describe his dreams for our new space. Three months later we opened the doors to our new building. January 30, 2004, was an extremely cold day in Baltimore. The streets had just barely been cleared from a good snowfall earlier in the week. The new building radiated with warmth as members of the Federation and friends from around the world enjoyed the celebration of our transition into the execution phase of our Jernigan Institute. I can still feel the anticipation in the air and recall the exciting speculations that filled the conversations that evening. In many ways, even after ten years, the feeling has not waned, and the conversations are no less exciting. Reflecting on a decade of execution in phase three of our plan to build our own future, I am amazed how fast it has gone and how much it has transformed our dreams. I also reflect on a question Dr. Maurer often puts to us after we have completed another project or launched another initiative-has it changed society more or has it changed us more? As I remember where we started and observe where we are today, the relationship between the broader society and our own dreams and expectations as blind people is evident. I can say with confidence-about my own life and the blind people who have invested their energy, imagination, and resources to executing the transformation of our dreams-that we have changed more. Our expectations are raised, our determination has been strengthened, our imagination has broadened, and our energy to take on the next big challenge is renewed. In turn it is that spirit that influences the society around us and changes the nature of the way we are included in the fabric of our communities. If I have learned anything from our accomplishments during these ten years, it is that in fact you cannot change society without first being invested and prepared to change yourself. As they say, "I am all in!" When I think about the next decade of our organization and the programs that will spring from our NFB Jernigan Institute, I recognize that our success is entirely dependent on our readiness to invest in our dreams. On this anniversary I am committing to reinvest my energy, imagination, and resources to the next decade of our work in the NFB. I am dreaming of what is next, and I am eager to hear the dreams of my blind brothers and sisters across the country. While we pause to celebrate our tenth anniversary, I am reminded of the Wall of Honor that bears the names of the many contributors to the second phase of our Jernigan Institute-the fundraising phase to secure the resources necessary for construction. Although these words describe those who contributed to the second phase, I believe they are adequate to describe those contributing to the execution of our work today: the members of the NFB. As you consider the text from our Wall of Honor, I ask you to commit to invest in the building of our dreams and to share with us what your dreams are for our future as blind people. Text from the NFB Jernigan Institute Wall of Honor: Building Our Future with Our Own Hands Believing in ourselves, recognizing our capacity to construct our own future, accepting the responsibility to shape the destiny of the blind today and in the decades to come, forging a climate to foster the possibilities for true equality for the blind, understanding the need to collaborate with our blind and sighted colleagues in forming a future filled with opportunity: all of this is the dream embodied by the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute. We offer possibilities to those who believed there were none; we give hope to those who are without it. The hands that have built this building have changed the nature of the future for us all. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Cayte Mendez grades student papers.] Life Lessons from a Tree by Cayte Mendez >From the Editor: This article is a great find and one it is my pleasure to reprint from the winter 2014 issue of Future Reflections. One question I get over and over again is whether blind people can really find jobs after completing their college education and particularly whether the blind can work in the teaching profession with sighted students. This article answers these questions quite satisfactorily. Here is how it was introduced to readers of Future Reflections: Cayte Mendez teaches a class of twenty-two first-grade students at a public school in the Bronx and serves as president of the National Organization of Blind Educators. She received her bachelor's degree in linguistics and Asian studies from Cornell and her master's degree in education from Pace University. At the 2012 NFB convention she was honored with the Distinguished Blind Educator of the Year Award. Here's what Cayte has to say: Even now, thirty years later, my mother likes to tell the story of the day I ran into the tree in the middle of our front yard. She and my father are legally blind, college-educated professionals, so when I was born with congenital cataracts and developed glaucoma at an early age, they had a pretty good idea of the challenges I would face. They made sure I received the best in terms of early intervention services, put a cane in my hand at age three, and waged an almighty battle with the district where I attended elementary school to ensure that I was given adequate Braille instruction. As a kid I went horseback riding, mountain climbing, canoeing, and go-cart driving (thanks to my little sister who rode behind me, shouting directions into my ear). But of all the stories of my early accomplishments and hijinks, the one about the tree is still my mother's favorite. I was only two and a half when the incident occurred, and to be perfectly honest, I don't remember it at all. According to my mom, we had just arrived home from a walk-through of the house my parents had recently purchased. Mom lifted me out of the car and turned to speak to the friend who was driving. I took advantage of my momentary freedom to bolt across the lawn--and collided headlong with the trunk of a large maple tree! The way Mom tells it, I was running so fast that I literally bounced off the trunk and landed soundly on my rear. Mom expected me to start bawling, but I just sat there for a minute, looking stunned. Then I picked myself up and kept right on going. Mom always adds here that, as many times as I zoomed across the lawn after that, I never again crashed into that tree. My mother loves to use this story as an example. She says it always reminds her that children don't enter life afraid to take risks or unwilling to try again when they fall down. She never wanted me to lose that resilience as I grew older. Even recalled secondhand, this incident has played a large part in shaping my approach to life in general and to my career in particular. As a young adult making my first major educational and social decisions, I was still that little girl tearing full-speed across the lawn. I studied abroad in England and Japan. I learned to ice skate and tandem bike ride with sighted friends. When it was time for me to look for a job, I chose to take the risk of moving several hundred miles away from my parents' home in the tiny suburb of a small city. I took up residence in the Bronx, where I became a kindergarten teacher in a school serving high-need students, over 90 percent of whom received free lunch every day due to economic hardship. Teach for America I didn't go to college with the idea of becoming a teacher. As a freshman at Cornell University, I started out taking political science courses along with my Japanese classes. My plan was eventually to seek work with the State Department. Then, midway through the year, I took a linguistics class, discovered the study of language for its own sake, and fell in love. For the next three years my goal was to get my PhD and become a professor. Then, one afternoon in the spring of 2005, a pair of teachers made a brief presentation in my Philosophy of Language class. They were representatives of Teach for America (TFA), an organization that places college graduates with backgrounds in a range of disciplines as teachers in failing schools for a commitment of two years. The organization's mission is to help close the achievement gap in America's schools. I was so inspired by the motivation, dedication, and professionalism of these teachers that I decided to put my plans for a master's degree and subsequent doctorate on hold. I would apply to have the opportunity to teach some of this nation's most at-risk kids. TFA screens applicants through a rigorous process, and once accepted to the program, candidates have only a partial say in where they are placed throughout the country. I took care to include only big cities with comprehensive public transportation systems on my preference sheet. I was determined to be as independent as possible. I didn't want to end up in a place where I would be forced to take paratransit or hire a driver to get everywhere I wanted to go. After graduation I received word that I would be joining the corps in New York City. I immediately began to go on job interviews. All that summer I traveled to school after school with my guide dog, Yogi, meeting with principals and hiring committees. Sometimes they asked me specific questions about how I could be an effective teacher as a blind person; sometimes they didn't. But as the other five hundred prospective teachers in my cohort were hired, I began to realize just how much of a liability my blindness was perceived to be by these potential employers, whether they acknowledged it or not. Could I manage a classroom and keep students safe on the playground? What about testing and keeping track of student data? How would it work having a dog in the classroom? What about all the aesthetic considerations-bulletin boards and charts and labels . . . the list of concerns was endless. My life experiences up to this point had taught me to be confident in my strengths and resilient when facing challenges. By the end of August, however, after more than a dozen interviews, when I was the only new teacher out of my incoming group of over five hundred who still had not been placed in a school, I was ready to curl up in a ball and call it quits. What good were my Ivy League education, my proficiency in three languages, my various extracurricular successes, when no one believed I could do the work I had chosen to pursue? I even went so far as to start attending interviews without my guide dog in an attempt to appear "less blind" and to take at least that one consideration off the table. I had smacked hard into the solid obstacle that is the general misconception about what it means to be blind. I really wasn't sure I had it in me to keep pushing forward in an attempt to get past what seemed to be an impenetrable wall. Into the Classroom In early September two things happened pretty much simultaneously that forced me to pick myself up and keep going. First, my parents, who had been endlessly supportive during my previous three months of frustration and self-doubt, told me point-blank that moving back home and finding a filler job until I could go to graduate school wasn't going to be an option. I had chosen to make this two-year commitment, and I was going to see it through, no matter what. I know for a fact that this was not an easy stance for them to take, but they knew that the only way for me to restore my confidence and faith in my abilities was to keep pushing forward, not to turn tail and run home where it was safe. Second, one of the principals I had interviewed with earlier in the summer contacted the TFA placement coordinator who had been handling my interviews. He said he would be willing to take me on in a trial capacity, since I didn't have a site to report to on the first day of school. I was to be given a co-teacher position on a trial basis, until either he decided to take me on permanently, or I found another position elsewhere. On the Tuesday after Labor Day I reported to a public school way out at the end of the #6 subway line and was told I would be teaching kindergarten with a thirty-year veteran named Mary. I was torn between humiliation at being forced into a co-teaching position, instead of being allowed to have my own classroom, and relief that at least I had found an opportunity to get my foot in the door. Now came a new set of challenges- convincing not only my principal, but also my new colleagues, and the parents of my students that I could be as effective a teacher as anybody else. Luckily for me, Mary was supposed to be undertaking the role of English as a Second Language teacher at our school that year, and she didn't really want to be co-teaching either. With her help I quickly established my own routines, procedures, and practices, and by mid-October I had proven myself capable of taking charge of my own classroom. However, even this victory was limited. One morning my principal called me down to his office and informed me that, for legal and safety reasons, although I would be the undisputed classroom teacher, I was to be given an assistant, called a paraprofessional, as a reasonable accommodation. I could have protested this decision, could have asserted that this "accommodation" was neither reasonable nor necessary; but to be honest, at that point I was so grateful to have been given a classroom that I made the decision not to fight that particular battle. It helped that in New York City, where kindergarten class sizes reach twenty-five students or more, it is far from uncommon to have a paraprofessional working with the teacher, be she sighted or otherwise. I chose to view this development as a windfall. An extra pair of hands? Terrific! This would mean more support for my students, most of whom were entering school at an educational disadvantage, due to low literacy levels within the community and a lack of early learning support. Nearly ten years have passed since my first day in the classroom, unsure, untried, and untrusted. I fulfilled my commitment to Teach for America in the spring of 2007. Long before that I had decided not to return to academia, which had been my original career plan. Instead, I chose to get a master's degree in education and remain in the Bronx, continuing to teach my kids. Once again, I was off and running, confident in my skills and unafraid of the obstacles that might arise to knock me flat. After eight years teaching kindergarten, this past spring I decided to try something new. In September I moved up with my most recent group of students, and I am now midway through my first year as a first-grade teacher. Classroom Management What about all of the concerns voiced by that dozen or so principals who interviewed me? Exactly what does the classroom look like with me, a blind teacher, in charge? How do I teach kids to read print when I myself am a Braille reader? What about the data? What about the dog? Managing a classroom as a blind person requires structure and discipline. But then again, I would argue that any kind of adequate classroom management requires these attributes. It helps immeasurably to put in time at the beginning of each school year establishing a classroom culture of mutual respect and consideration. Assigning seats helps-this was true even in my kindergarten room, which had work tables instead of desks. Keeping students with personality conflicts or tendencies toward distraction separate improved the learning environment for everyone. At the same time it made it easier for me to pinpoint misbehavior, since I knew who was sitting where. When lining up to travel through the school building or on field trips, my students walk with partners in size-place order. This is a fairly standard practice for the lower grades at my school, and again, because I know where each student is in the line, I can easily pinpoint talkers or hear when shenanigans are going on. My ears are my best asset-when students are seated too far away for me to see them clearly, I constantly monitor their activity by listening in. I seldom sit down or stop moving around the room, unless I am either teaching a whole group lesson in the meeting area or am working with a small group. I have actually developed a reputation as one of the strongest managers at my school. On several occasions students who were having behavior challenges in other rooms have been switched into my class, with the idea that my classroom culture of orderly routines and well- established expectations would improve their behavior! My guide dog, whom several prospective principals cited as a source of concern, turned out to be almost a non-issue. When we got to school each morning, he would lie down behind my easel and promptly go to sleep. I always kept him in harness as a visual reminder to my students that he was not a pet and therefore was not to be touched. He was out of their way, although they could see him. I don't think I ever had to speak to a student about trying to pet or distract him. I never made a big deal about it with the kids, and they never really seemed to take much notice. When walking around the school building, which for me was a familiar environment, I usually left him sleeping, and on field trip days I used a cane. This choice had more to do with the crowded conditions of the school buses and my need to have both hands free to carry materials than with any desire not to make my dog a factor in my classroom. Handling the aspects of teaching related to visual displays of information proved more of a challenge than I had expected. As a person with very limited vision, I had never really understood how much information sighted people absorb by looking at environmental print. I had never been able to see the bulletin boards and charts in my classes at school, so it came as an unpleasant surprise when my principal called me out for not having the right kind of anchor charts and print resources on the walls in my room. The situation was complicated by the fact that, at our school, the expectation is that all charts and resources should be made by the teacher with the kids, the thought being that these materials will be more meaningful to student learning than store-bought paraphernalia. Through trial and error and no small amount of frustration, I finally worked out a system that meets both my students' needs and my professional obligations. Most of the time I use the electronic white board in my classroom to help my students create anchor charts. Employing a screen reader and key commands, I can use Microsoft Word just as I do on my laptop. Everything I type is displayed on the board, where my students can see it and can contribute to the process. When the chart is complete, I print it out. Either I give the sheet to my paraprofessional to copy onto lined chart paper, or I take it upstairs to the poster-making machine on the third floor, which will enlarge the material to an appropriate size for a classroom display. Paperwork, Paperwork! And then of course there is student data. Each year it seems that there are more tests, more benchmarks, more notes to take, and more numbers to crunch. When I started teaching, all of this information had to be recorded on paper, which caused me no end of frustration. Even using a CCTV, I simply couldn't work quickly enough in print to get everything filled out on time. It got so ridiculous that I was literally typing all my data into a table and giving it to my para to copy onto the approved forms provided by the school-a colossal waste of my time and hers. Within the past few years, though, the use of spreadsheets and other forms of electronic documentation has become more widespread. Also, for the purposes of reporting data within the school, my administration has given me the green light to create my own spreadsheets and data forms and to attach them to any inaccessible paper forms, as long as the format is comparable. These changes have made it significantly easier for me to collect and report the important data I need to track my students' progress throughout the school year. As for teaching print-reading as a Braille user, there is really no one-size-fits-all solution. I have had to get a bit creative to figure out what works best. My residual vision is good for some things, but not for everything. As often as possible I buy, download, or create Braille copies of the books I read to my kids. Sometimes it can be a challenge to make sure that the page numbers match up with the corresponding print pages so that my students can see the pictures. I have made my CCTV a part of my classroom meeting area so that, if I need to, I can do a quick comparison. The CCTV is also useful when I can't obtain a Braille copy of the text. I can pop a print book under the CCTV and read it that way. This method has turned out to have an unexpected positive side effect. As I read the words enlarged on the screen, my students can read along with me, which gives them an additional print experience-and they can never have too many of those! What about writing and math? I will admit that teaching in the lower grades to some extent makes the challenge of accessing student work easier for me, because they tend to write with large letters and numbers. But what's also great about young children-they don't balk at adaptation! One of the norms I set in place each September is that, from time to time, they may need to alter the way they do things to accommodate my blindness. If a student writes something I can't read or puts down a number I can't make out, I ask him or her to read it back letter by letter or digit by digit. Because I work hard to establish a culture of trust and respect in my classroom, students know that, when I ask them clarifying questions about their work, I am seeking to help them make it better, not trying to call them out or embarrass them. Once again, it's the lesson of the maple tree. I work every day to help my students learn the value of perseverance, resilience, and flexibility. So you made a mistake. Great! First, how can you fix it? Now, what did you learn about how to avoid making this same mistake in the future? It's the academic equivalent of not bursting into tears when you fall on your backside in the grass. Get up, shake off the dirt, and keep on going. Final Thoughts Despite the challenges, I can't imagine wanting to do anything other than teach. There is absolutely no feeling in the world better than the one you get as you watch children learn and grow, knowing you were an integral part of the process. It has taken me years to establish myself as an equally respected member of my school community, but every day has been worth the fight against access issues and misconceptions about blindness. Last year my principal invited me to be the project manager of our school's data committee. Over the past few years she has also invited me to accompany her to several district-wide meetings to share some of the progressive work our early childhood classes are undertaking. And this fall, when my para was absent for two weeks due to medical concerns, my administration did not even consider hiring a sub! It was clear that I had established myself, and that finally, finally, there was no doubt about whether I could really be a teacher. To any young blind person considering a career in education, I would say this: expect to run headlong into misunderstandings, mistrust, and misgivings. You are almost certain to get knocked down emotionally at some point during the process of achieving your goal. But when that happens, as tempting as it may be to sit in the grass and cry, get up, brush yourself off, and keep on pursuing that classroom. It will all be worth it in the end. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Students at St. Lucy tear into their Christmas presents. [PHOTO CAPTION: Boys and girls can't wait to find out what they and their friends got from Santa. [PHOTO CAPTION: Adult volunteers help with stubborn wrapping paper and packaging as Santa's gifts are revealed. When Santa Comes to School by Jasmine Hunt >From the Editor: Jasmine Hunt is a member of the Keystone Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania and the coordinator of the NFB-NEWSLINE? service there. The Saint Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments is located in Philadelphia, and the Keystone Chapter works hard to see that the children from this school have good role models, extra-curricular activities, and some much-appreciated presents at Christmastime. Here's what Jasmine has to say: Keystone Chapter members of the NFB of Pennsylvania acted as Santa's helpers, delivering loads of presents during the Christmas season to the campus of Saint Lucy Day School and Archbishop Ryan Academy for the Deaf in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Teachers and staff kept the gifts safe until the big day, scheduled for the last day of school before the students' winter break. On that special December morning chapter members met at the large brick building and greeted the young students with smiles and merry Christmas wishes, some of the students being BELL participants and active chapter members. Meanwhile, students brought in doughnuts, cookies, and other treats to offer the NFB guests and share with friends. As the students filed into the chapel, caroling commenced and sounds of little drummer boys and red-nosed reindeers filled the air. With the guidance of the NFB volunteers, students from first grade and beyond maneuvered with their white canes and located their respective aisles and seats. Then, coming down the hallway, there arose such a clatter, and the children all wondered what was the matter. Jingle bells rang as someone came quick, hushed whispers around the room swore it was Saint Nick! Santa entered with a "Ho, ho, ho!" And his huge, bulky bag (thanks to the NFB of Pennsylvania helpers) and excitement circled the room with all the students on the edge of their seats. Each listened with intense interest as Santa spoke about generosity and faith and the true meaning of Christmas. Then, one-by-one, Santa called out all the names from his "nice" list- each student was handed a personalized gift chosen for them and donated by chapter members and local service agencies. Through such agencies, the NFB of Pennsylvania members help teach the public what gifts are sensible and functional for blind, deaf, and deaf-blind elementary school students. Each student was instructed to wait patiently to open their gift until everyone had received their presents. The students returned to their seats, handling their presents with care and eagerly waiting for the instant they could rip open the wrapping paper. Finally, Santa announced that fateful moment, and the room erupted with exuberant paper tearing, shrieks of surprise, and fits of laughter. The teachers, staff, and Keystone members joined in with smiles and amusement, enjoying the benefits of a job well done at Santa's workshop this year. The longtime tradition of volunteerism, kindness, and educational support between both institutions and the NFB of Pennsylvania doesn't stop with Christmas presents but continues with the Braille Carnival, promotion of the Braille Readers are Leaders contest, and a consistent flow of volunteers for tutoring in Braille, spelling, and cane usage. Each NFB of Pennsylvania member works hand-in-hand with both staff and students to promote awareness and independence. The NFB of Pennsylvania and both schools partner in several events throughout the year to support the children in understanding their common bond with blind adults as well as informing the public about the needs of blind students. It is the willingness of blind adults to help make this difference that brought Santa to school for these deserving children this Christmas. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Justin Salisbury] Economics of Leadership: Is Power Rival? by Justin Salisbury >From the Editor: Justin Salisbury is a doctoral student in Agricultural and Applied Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Originally from Connecticut, he earned his bachelor's degree at East Carolina University and then attended the Louisiana Center for the Blind. He has been active in our movement everywhere he has lived. Here's what Justin has to say: The science of economics is the allocation of scarce resources to achieve maximum well-being. All finite resources, including air and sunlight, are considered scarce. One characteristic in economics which helps define the type of good is whether or not the good is rival. If a good is rival, one person's consumption of it restricts another person's ability to consume it. For example, if I buy an NFB of New Jersey Whozit necktie, there is one fewer Whozit necktie available for you to buy. If I eat a banana, that banana is gone, and it is most unlikely that anyone else will ever be able to eat it. At the banquet of the 2013 National Federation of the Blind Convention, President Marc Maurer said, "One misunderstanding about the nature of power is that this commodity is finite, limited in quantity, and shared only by the fortunate few. To get power it is (according to some) necessary to seize it from the hands of others." Someone with this misguided philosophy views power as rival. Such a person would say that, if I exercise power, there is less power available for you or your neighbor to exercise. If I exercise power, someone who views power as rival would view me as a threat to her own power. In the National Federation of the Blind, we work together to enhance each other's ability to exercise power and thus empower each other. Whenever I read an article or hear a speech delivered by another Federation leader, I am learning how to do better work myself. When Trevor Attenberg writes a brilliant letter, I get out my dictionary and absorb a masterly articulation of the capacity of blind people, or a new approach to conflict resolution. I can then use those techniques to enhance my power, and Trevor's exercise of power actually adds to mine. It does not subtract from it. This experience provides a counterexample and argues that power is non- rival. I now serve as legislative coordinator and first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind of Wisconsin (NFBW) and president of our Dane County Chapter. NFBW President John Fritz always supports and encourages my efforts. His support and encouragement empower me further, and any power that I have adds to the power of our affiliate. As our affiliate grows more powerful, the power of each affiliate member in turn increases. When we empower each other, we empower ourselves, too. By contrast, someone who views power as rival might think he has an incentive to try to undercut and undermine the potential for power in anyone else who might exercise it. Such a person could try to break apart every other power structure in his/her affiliate in order to keep all of the power around him/herself. Such a person would weaken the organization and therefore weaken him/herself. Though power is not rival, titles frequently are. There is only one president of the Connecticut Association of Blind Students (CTABS). As long as I am CTABS President, nobody else can also be CTABS President. There is often a view that power intrinsically lies within titles. Some believe that a president is powerful, at least in part, because she is president. She has acquired the rival title of president and is thus powerful. If this were true, then it would also mean that people without titles automatically have less power. If we accept this idea, then we are disempowering ourselves so long as we do not hold the top title in the organization in question. The less power we have, the less power the organization has, the less effective the organization will be, and the less power each member has. If we disempower ourselves, we disempower our presidents, executive directors, and the like. If we want our movement to be powerful, we need to recognize that we all have power as individuals and that power is non-rival. A transformational leader is an agent of change, so every Federationist is a transformational leader. A leader is powerful to the degree that he empowers others, so we must empower each other, titles or not, to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Susan Povinelli] Apple Core by Susan Povinelli >From the Editor: This article is reprinted from the winter 2014 issue of The Focus, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Alabama. This is an excellent review of an equally excellent application for the family of iOS products. Here is Susan's article: The Library of Congress released its BARD Mobile app last fall. For me it has simplified the downloading process and has become my favorite app. I can quickly search for books and download directly to my iPhone. No longer do I have to download the zipped files to my computer, unzip them, and upload them to my Victor Stream before I can read them. What a bother. Here is some guidance on getting started. Once you have installed the app from the App Store and entered in your current password, you are ready to find books and read. There are four tabs at the bottom of your screen. They are (left to right): "Bookshelf," "Get Books," "Settings," and "Now Reading." The first thing we need to do is to find a book to download. Double- tap on the "Get Books" tab. The choices inside that tab are "Wish list," "Recently added titles," "Audio books," "Audio magazines," "Braille books," "Braille magazines," "BARD website," and "Browse BARD." If you don't have a book in mind, double-tap on "Recently added titles." Then double-tap on audio books. This will bring up a list of books added in the last thirty days. You can move through the list by right-flicking. Following each title is a "More info" button; double-tap the "More info" button. It will display the book title, author, annotation, narrator, total time, book number, and a "Download" button. Double-tap the back button to go back to the book list if you don't want this book. Once you find the book you want, double-tap the "Download" button. The app will announce that it is downloading the book and the percentage of the download that has been completed. When downloading is complete, a chime will ring, and you must then dismiss the message by double-tapping on the "OK" button. Double-tap the "Audio book back" button and return to the list to search for another book. If you know the title or the author, double-tap on "Browse BARD." Right-flick to find the text field, double-tap in the text field to activate, then type your title, author, or subject. Double-tap the "Done" button. Double-tap the "Go" button. This will bring up the number of Braille and audio books that contain your search terms. Double-tap on audio books, and a list of books will appear. Right-flick until you find the book you want. Each book offers two choices. Right-flick to "Add to my wish list" for future reading, or to the "Download" button to download. Of course, flicking does not activate the button; you must do a double-tap to press it. Now that you have downloaded the books you wish to read, it is time to read them. Double-tap "Bookshelf," right-flick to "Audio books," double- tap and a list of books will appear. Double-tap the book title you wish to read. You then will be on the "Now reading" page. Select the play button. You can stop reading by double-tapping on the "Stop" button. Once you have completed the book, you can delete it by going to "Bookshelf," double-tap the edit button, right-flick until you get to the desired book, flick upward. It will say "Delete." Double-tap and the book will be selected for deleting. Double-tap on the "Done" button. An excellent tutorial for using this app can be found on YouTube at . I hope you find the time to read all the books you found. It seems I add more books to my bookshelf than I finish. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Chelsey Duranleau with a tour guide in the desert.] [PHOTO CAPTION: Chelsey Duranleau poses in front of the palace in Fez, Morocco.] [PHOTO CAPTION: Chelsey sits on a wall with a medieval Moroccan fort in the background.] Self-Advocacy in Spain: Curiosity, Confidence, and Commitment by Chelsey Duranleau >From the Editor: Following graduation from college, Chelsey Duranleau attended the adjustment to blindness program at BLIND, Inc., in Minneapolis. She decided to stay in Minneapolis upon completion of the program. She plans to obtain a graduate degree in social work and to work with Spanish-speaking clients. Chelsey is active with the Metro Chapter of the NFB of Minnesota and was recently elected secretary of the Minnesota Association of Blind Students. This article originally appeared in the winter 2013 issue of the Student Slate. Here is what Chelsey has to say: On a cold, snowy night in January 2009, I fastened my seatbelt as instructed. The captain came over the loudspeaker, announcing in a pleasant English accent that all electronic devices needed to be powered down. After the last few cell phones had chimed and last-minute seatbelts had been clicked into place, we slowly pulled back down the runway. "It's really happening," I thought. "I'm really going to a country that I have wanted to visit since I was in the sixth grade!" But this would be more than just a visit as a tourist-I would be living there, living and breathing the Spanish culture and lifestyle for almost four months. As the runway disappeared beneath us, my mind became flooded with questions. How will I access my textbooks? Will I be able to get worksheets and assignments in the appropriate formats? How will I learn to navigate a strange city? What happens if I get lost? Admittedly, the answers to the first three questions were still unclear. However, thanks to a fellow Federationist I met at the 2008 national convention, I knew the answer to question four. What if I get lost? He said, "It's okay to get lost, and you will get lost; it has happened to everyone. The trick is to take a step back, acknowledge that you are lost and that you need help, and then ask for it." "Of course!" I thought. It really is that simple. That is self- advocacy. As blind people we want to be as independent as possible. We want to have the power to make decisions about our lives and about what is best for us. Part of this power is having the confidence to ask for assistance when necessary and to follow through with our commitment in order to get what we desire or to achieve a goal. These concepts never rang so true for me as when I studied abroad in Seville, Spain. To sum it up in one phrase, Seville is the perfect city to get lost in-not to mention testing your mobility skills if you are a cane user. The streets are narrow and seem to flow into one another. There are plenty of parked cars, mopeds, and motorcycles lining side streets and sometimes blocking the Spanish equivalent of a sidewalk. My entire experience in Spain was a test of my self-advocacy skills. I informed all of my professors at my school that I would need my textbooks and assignments in Microsoft Word so I could read them independently using JAWS. Since it was a small school and I was the only blind student, my professors and other faculty members were easily able to scan materials into a computer and convert them to Word so I could access them. It is much easier for me to read Spanish in Braille, so I contacted ONCE, a national organization made up of blind and sighted volunteers, to obtain a Braille copy of a novel I needed to read for a Spanish literature class. I contacted ONCE before I arrived in Spain, asking them if they would assist me. After signing some forms and providing copies of my passport and other necessary documents to the ONCE office, I was shown landmarks that I could use while navigating the central section of the city. If I wanted to go somewhere new, I asked my host family for directions if it was within walking distance. When I got lost, I remembered the advice I had received the previous summer. I stopped, calmed down, and asked someone for directions. My curiosity seemed to have no bounds. Almost every time I walked anywhere I would get lost, but that didn't stop me. I was determined to go where I wanted to go and do what I needed and wanted to do. When going into a store, I asked for assistance finding what I needed. The more I spoke up, the more comfortable I became speaking and thinking in Spanish. As my confidence and commitment to advocating for myself grew, so did my curiosity. In April, during a week off from school, I decided to take a trip to Morocco with Discover Sevilla, a local travel agency for tourists that organizes group excursions. I was nervous, because at the time I didn't know anyone who was going, but I knew this would be the chance of a lifetime. For six days we drove across Morocco, stopping in Rabat, Fez, and other cities to explore and spend the day. The culmination of this trip was a ride by camel through the Sahara; we would sleep under the stars in an oasis. I was more than a little excited, but one of our guides had some reservations about my riding a camel because of my blindness. "We'll just have you ride in the car," he said. "I think that would be easier and safer for you." I laughed to myself and thought, "Have you ever met me? This girl doesn't limit herself because of society's misconceptions or because another option might be easier." I insisted that I would be fine, and that something could happen to any other member of our group as well. Part of the reason I wanted to go on this trip was to ride a camel through the desert, and that was what I planned on doing. Eventually, the guide gave in, and I spent the next two hours getting pelted by sand as our caravans made their way to where we would spend the night. After we arrived at the oasis, a bunch of us decided that it would be fun to climb a giant sand dune and do some sand boarding. After all, what else is there to do in the desert? It was a hard climb, but with a little determination and encouragement from a new friend, eventually I made it to the top. It felt incredible! At that moment, as I looked over the edge, covered in sand and sweat, I realized just how far I had come since leaving the US. This was far from the end of my travels abroad. During the 2011-2012 school year, I returned to Spain to work as an assistant English teacher in an elementary school in Palma de Mallorca. Although working with fully- sighted children was challenging and frustrating at times, it allowed me to exercise my creativity. I tried to complement and reinforce what they were learning from their classroom teachers with fun and engaging activities such as playing games or incorporating popular songs into their lessons. Not only was I helping children improve their English, but I was also serving a very different and perhaps more significant purpose: that of a role model and a representative of the National Federation of the Blind, an organization that has helped me overcome my own negative attitudes and misconceptions surrounding blindness. I would not have had the courage to study abroad or return to Spain two years later if it hadn't been for the valuable encouragement and support I received from my NFB family. The most important lesson I have learned from my involvement with the NFB has been that my blindness is a small part of who I am, just like my eye or hair color; it does not define me or limit my dreams of an independent, happy, and fulfilling life. As blind people we must be our own advocates and work together to break down negative attitudes and assumptions imposed on us by the sighted society in which we live. Remember, you are the best and most important advocate you have. You know yourself better than anyone else does. There will be obstacles as you walk through the narrow streets of life. There will be giant sand dunes, and you may fall on your way up. But keep going, keep climbing, and you will reach the top. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Kim Tindal] The Challenges in Going Blind and Learning to Live Again by Kim Tindal >From the Editor: Kim Tindal is a member of the East Hartford chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut. Before going blind Kim owned and directed a funeral home, and in this article she describes how traumatic she found going blind to be and how determined she was to find the independence she had lost. Here is her story: Perhaps there is nothing more disorienting than losing your vision. The world is turned upside down. The independence once taken for granted is shattered and falls to the floor; one's previous existence seems as distant as another life. The problem is that it isn't one or two things that need to be relearned; it's everything. Going to the fridge to get a glass of milk used to be something I could do half asleep; after I lost my vision it became a multi-step process, and any error meant I found myself standing, lost in a house I'd lived in for years. I felt like my opportunities had become extremely limited and that everything I wanted to do was made impossible because I could no longer see. Is this what the rest of my life is going to be like, I wondered? When I lost my vision, I began to hear of blind people who were managing fine. At the time, imagining that I could be one of those people struck me as almost beyond belief. I've never been a person who would give up easily. When the loss had settled on me so that opening my eyes in the morning was no longer devastating, I realized what I needed was training in how to be blind. If there were independent blind people, I knew I could be one of those people. I wanted to be a productive member of society again. Before I lost my vision I'd worked my entire life. I didn't want to be one of those people who sat around feeling sorry for herself. I went on the Internet, looking for the best training centers for the blind. The program that stood out to me was a comprehensive training program at the Louisiana Center for the Blind (LCB) that lasted for nine months. I signed up because I knew I needed to learn a lot of new skills in a hurry, and, with a lot of hard work and great teachers, I did. The classes taught me how to shop by myself, how to read Braille, how to build useful items in the wood shop, how to use a washing machine and drier, how to travel safely by using a cane, how to ask for help if I became lost traveling, how to cook, how to use computers by employing adaptive computer skills using a screen reader, and how to become comfortable while doing public speaking. I was also shown how to apply makeup again. The reason the program was valuable was that it prepared me for the rest of my life as a blind person. The LCB program didn't minimize the future challenges I'd be facing. We were expected to cook our own meals, wash our own clothes, and walk from our apartments to the LCB headquarters every morning for class. When a person is confronted with low expectations, it's all too easy for her to accept those expectations. However, when a person is expected and encouraged to succeed, she's inspired to work hard. My instructors told me that being blind wasn't the end of my life. Instead, it was a new beginning. It's hard to explain all that the LCB program did for me. I learned to read again, I relearned to cook my own meals. After I'd gotten familiar with the basics, I was challenged to cook a meal for forty people. I made chicken spaghetti and Texas Toast, with a Caesar salad as a starter and a lemon pound cake for dessert. For drinks I made sweetened and unsweetened iced tea. My program wasn't only about life skills. It had plenty of activities to challenge my notions about the limitations imposed by blindness and put them to rest with experiences I never thought it possible for a blind person to have. I went rock climbing, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, ziplining, and even went to Mardi Gras. All these activities build up a strengthening sense that the world is not too complex for a blind person to deal with. If you can survive whitewater rapids, you can survive the checkout at Stop N Shop. Until I came to the LCB I'd never used a cane. Now I can't imagine traveling without one. The biggest thing the LCB program gave me was confidence, and this was even more important than the skills I learned there. The LCB made me really believe that I had the skills it takes to live fully and independently back in the real world. When I graduated, I felt like I was starting the first day of the rest of my life. I'd rediscovered how to be independent! The LCB program isn't truly finished on graduation day. The instructors running the program continue to pay attention to the students they have graduated and are always ready to provide advice, aid, and encouragement to us. Knowing I have that support if I need it means a lot to me. On graduation day every blind student is given a small metal bell that says "Together we are changing what it means to be blind." I like that statement because I know that the world has expectations that are far too low for blind people, and sometimes we have these same low expectations for ourselves. The statement makes me feel pride at what I am doing, not only for myself, but for all blind people, and I rejoice at being a part of an important social movement. My bell has a picture of an eagle on it, and this, too, is significant. I have always believed that a person gets out of life what they put into it, and I worked hard in the program. Wanting that bell and the eagle on it gave me the encouragement to believe that I could once again fly high like that proud bird, and, like that eagle, I am proud. I have once again found my independence. If anyone has recently lost his or her vision, knows he or she needs training, and is feeling worried and overwhelmed, I urge that he or she calls the LCB and asks about the training program that lasts for nine months. I have learned so much about how to be blind, but more importantly, I feel like I have rediscovered myself. On that note I'd like to personally thank Bureau of Education and Services for the Blind in Connecticut and my case worker Jeannette Rodriquez, Beth Rival, and Mrs. Pam Allen, all of whom helped me on my journey to LCB and in reaching my destination, where I once again feel normal and proud. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Cover of Close Your Eyes] A Review of Close Your Eyes by Grace Warn >From the Editor: Grace Warn is an assistant who works for the Braille Monitor. She loves to watch television, as readers of the March issue will know, but she is also an active reader and offers this book review. Close Your Eyes is told from the point of view of a normal little girl talking to the reader. She's explaining that she's normal and just like the children reading this book: "I'm like you, and you're like me, except that I just cannot see." She talks about things she likes to do, games she likes to play, and things she'd like to learn to do, just like her readers. Like most children's books, the lines are in a rhyming pattern, creating a rhythm to the text as one reads it aloud. The pictures are colorful and simple, done in either color pencil or pastels. The real value in the book is the message it presents about blindness. The little girl emphasizes to her readers all the ways in which she is just like them and a few of the ways in which she is different. She also points out that the differences aren't all that significant. The author, Michelle Friedman, was legally blind until age thirty- five, when she lost the remainder of her vision. She often speaks at schools, and she has written the book to serve as a bridge between disabled and nondisabled children. She says that although she wrote about blindness because of her personal experience, the book could have been about any disability. At the beginning of the book Michelle has a note to parents, grandparents, and teachers. She expresses the hope that her book will spark a discussion that will help children realize that just because someone is disabled doesn't mean they can't be friends and do most of the activities other children do. She also includes a list of the most frequently asked questions she gets from children when she speaks at their schools, along with her answers and insights. I recommend this book to parents of blind children. Learning that blind children can ride bicycles and roller skate may help a timid child and may encourage other family members to be less protective. The book may also be one you will want to lend out to your child's teacher, scout troop leader, or the parent of a child your son or daughter meets at the park. This is also a book I would highly recommend any elementary school teacher add to their classroom or school library. Whether or not you currently have a blind student, the information given by Michelle Friedman will create understanding that will help future blind students and any students with disabilities. ---------- Taking the Next Step 2014 National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) Conference for Families and Teachers by Carlton Walker >From the Editor: One activity that makes our convention unique is the annual program sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC). No other conference in the world does as much to provide programming for blind children and their parents. Here is the list of activities they will enjoy this summer in Orlando: No matter where you are in your journey as the parent (or guardian, relative, or family friend) of a blind/visually impaired child, you are on a journey. You have a past behind you that cannot be changed and a future ahead that can be. The past can be incredibly valuable as a source of information and experience, but it can also be a source of regret. I often hear from parents of blind children who feel guilt over missed opportunities and wasted time. I completely understand these feelings, and I have felt them on many occasions (regarding my blind daughter as well as my sighted son and daughter). My youngest child, Anna Catherine, lost a great deal of her vision in early infancy. However, my husband Stephen and I did not discover this for many months. An ophthalmologist told us that she was "legally blind," but we didn't begin to comprehend that her visual loss was having an impact on her life until we noticed that she was not keeping up with her peers in terms of independent and confident movement around our community. In May 2005 when Anna Catherine was four years old, the three of us attended an amazing conference (sponsored by NOPBC and the National Federation of the Blind) at the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. There, we learned about the importance of blindness skills and met many successful blind adults and educators. We even took home a long white cane for travel-which we soon put in the closet. You see, as a mom new to the world of blindness, I was petrified that I would do something wrong. I knew that I did not have the skills to teach my daughter what she needed to know. Even after attending the Baltimore conference, I didn't trust myself to implement the lessons we learned there. I was so afraid of teaching her incorrectly that I made the biggest mistake I could-I failed to teach her at all. Luckily, with the supportive persistence of NOPBC President Emerita Barbara Cheadle, our family attended the 2006 NFB National Convention in Dallas, Texas. Even though we had become stuck in our old ways for over a year, we knew we needed to take this next step toward getting Anna Catherine on the right track. You might remember that back in 2006, air travel was quite different from what we experience today. Each individual holding a ticket was entitled to take two full-sized pieces of luggage plus a carry-on and a "personal" item. I have never been one to pack lightly, and I certainly did not do so when I had such a generous luggage allowance and when flying out to Dallas for a whole week. We arrived at the airport long-term parking lot with a small five-year-old Anna Catherine, six full-sized pieces of wheeled luggage, three large carry-on items, three "personal" items, and a long white cane. As Stephen and I struggled to empty this immense amount of baggage from our minivan, I pulled out that long white cane. Looking at it with frustration, I told Anna Catherine, "Here, you take this!" To be honest, I paid no attention to the cane until we arrived at the Security Gate. As Stephen and I focused on getting our carry-on and "personal" items through security, a TSA agent asked Anna Catherine to place the long white cane on the conveyor belt. Suddenly, my genial five- year-old planted her feet on the floor and announced, "You CANNOT have my cane!" Stephen and I stared at each other quizzically. I stammered, "Well, I guess it's a good thing we decided to pack the cane." I'd love to tell you that, at that moment, I "got it." But I cannot. Instead of fully backing up our little girl's attempt to stand up for her rights, we cajoled her into letting the cane go through the conveyor belt and walking through the metal detector without her cane. After all, she hadn't had the cane for so long, how could it have become so important to her in the short trip from the airport parking lot to the security gate? I didn't get all of it then, but I did get some of it. My little girl demanded that she be allowed to keep her cane even though she had not had very much instruction in using it. Her technique was not perfect, but she understood that her cane provided her the independence that she had been missing. Once she had that taste of independence, she was not about to give it up without a fight. And, yes, I felt horrible about putting her cane in a closet for fourteen months-fourteen months of independence I could never give back to her, but I also began to see the independent future she could have ahead of her. It can be tempting to relive the past. However, our greatest opportunity for growth occurs when we learn from the past and use this information to shape our journey into the future. On July 1, 2014, take the next step of your journey with us, the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC), as we partner with Professionals in Blindness Education (PIBE) to present information, ideas, and inspiration through speakers, workshops, and fellowship with parents, professionals, and successful blind adults eager to walk with us on this important journey. I invite you to take your cane out of the closet and join us! TAKING THE NEXT STEP 2014 NOPBC CONFERENCE Schedule of Activities (Tentative) NOTE: NOPBC children's activities will take place in NFB Child Care throughout the week. Be sure to register your child with child care! (NFB Child Care has separate registration and fees-see the next article in this issue.) TUESDAY, JULY 1 Full-Day Seminar for Parents & Teachers 7:30 AM - 8:45 AM-Registration 9:00 AM - 10:45 AM-General Session Welcome-Carlton Walker, president, NOPBC Kid Talk with Dr. Marc Maurer-Kids get a chance to speak to the president of the National Federation of the Blind about anything on their minds Taking the Next Step-Mark Riccobono, executive director, NFB Jernigan Institute The Next Step-Adult and student voices from the NFB 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM-NOPBC Children's Activity (ages 5-12, in NFB Child Care) 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM-NOPBC Youth Track Session (ages 12-18) Children who would like to take part in the Kid Talk with Dr. Maurer and Youth Track participants will begin the day with us in the general session after which they will be escorted to child care or their activity. 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM-Concurrent Workshops-Parents & Teachers: Independence in the Classroom Tools, tips, and techniques for setting up the classroom and training the student for independent functioning. Instructor: Jackie Anderson, TBS Independent Movement & Travel for Children with Additional Disabilities Working toward maximum independence and self-determination for the child with additional disabilities. Instructor: Denise Mackenstadt, NOMC Low Vision Toolbox Useful items for low vision students and how to determine the most efficient method for the task. Instructor: TBA First Steps Exploration and independent movement and travel in early childhood. Instructor: Mary Jo Hartle, NOMC, TBS Accessible Technology Using accessible technology for meaningful participation in school, at home, and in the community. Instructor: Eric Guillory, director, Youth Services, LA Center for the Blind 12:15 PM - 2:00 PM-Lunch on your own Pick up your child from NFB Child Care promptly after your workshop session ends at 12:15. 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM-NFB Youth Track Sessions (ages 12-18) 2:00 PM-NOPBC Children's Activity (ages 5-12, in NFB Child Care) 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM-Concurrent Workshops-Parents & Teachers: Independence Skills at Home & in the Community Teaching and supporting the development of independence skills for full participation in home and community life. Instructor: Mary Jo Hartle, NOMC, TBS Hands Off! Honoring the child's right to personal space and control over his/her body. Instructor: TBA Independent Movement & Travel for the School-Age Student High expectations, real-life goals, and how to achieve them in the area of independent movement and travel. Instructor: TBA Tactile Graphics-The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly The basics of creating a good tactile graphic that will really work for the blind child. Instructor: TBA I Get Around Getting around independently when you do not drive. Instructors: Pam Allen, director, LA Center for the Blind; Roland Allen, NOMC 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM-Concurrent Workshops-Parents & Teachers: Low Vision Technology >From low tech to high tech, learn about the many options for the low vision student. Instructor: Janet Bernhardt, owner, Low Vision, Etc. Saying It My Way Encouraging communication, learning, and play in children with communication needs. Instructor: TBA Social Skills for the School-Age Child Encouraging appropriate social interaction and play. Instructor: Sheena Manuel, outreach specialist, Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness How to Set Up a Saturday School Empowering families to learn and teach the skills of independence. Instructor: Jackie Anderson, TBS College Checklist: Is Your Blind Child Ready? Are YOU Ready? Preparing for heading off to college-what parents and students need to know, with a special visit from "the roommates from hell." Instructors: Kim Cunningham, second vice president, NOPBC; Kayleigh Joiner, student; Arielle Silverman, PhD candidate; Debbie Kent Stein, editor, Future Reflections 5:00 PM - 5:45 PM-Youth Get-Together (ages 11- 18) 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM-NOPBC Family Hospitality Relax, chat, meet new families, and connect with old friends. Veteran parents will be on hand to welcome you and provide information. Co- sponsored by PIBE. WEDNESDAY, JULY 2 No NFB Child Care on this day 7:00 - 8:45 AM-NOPBC Board Meeting 8:45 - 10:30 AM-Cane Walk, Session I 11:00 AM - 12:45 PM-Cane Walk, Session II Learn and experience the Discovery Method of travel at these special workshops. Parents, teachers, blind children, siblings welcome. Instructors: Jeff Altman, NOMC, and other cane travel instructors. 2:45 PM - 4:00 PM-NOPBC Youth Style Show This is an opportunity for your aspiring model to take a walk down the runway in a favorite outfit from his or her closet. Contact Kim Cunningham at (713) 501-9659 or to sign up and for further information. 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM-NFB Youth Track Session (ages 11-18) THURSDAY, JULY 3 12:45 PM-NOPBC Children's Activity (ages 5-12), Youth Track Activity (ages 12-18) You may drop off your child early at child care on this afternoon so that you can attend the NOPBC Annual Meeting. 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM-NOPBC Annual Meeting: Options & Opportunities Keynote address by the 2014 Distinguished Educator of Blind Children award winner, special guest speakers on accessible science, cutting-edge products and services, summer programs for our kids, Parent Power, and much more! Business meeting, elections. 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM-Braille Book Fair A book lover's dream! Browse tables of new and used Braille and print/Braille books. Volunteers will box your books and the post office will deliver them to your home as Free Matter. Books are free; donations are encouraged to help support our Braille programs. Cosponsored by NOPBC & NAPUB. Coordinator: Krystal Guillory, TBS, NFBL BELL Coordinator 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM-Dads' Night Out All dads, sighted and blind, are welcome. Call Bill Cucco at (201) 602-6318 for location. FRIDAY, JULY 4 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM-NOPBC Board Meeting 7:00 PM - 9:45 PM-NOPBC Concurrent Workshops-Parents & Teachers 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM-NOPBC Children's Activity (ages 5-12) Crafts & Games-For children whose parents are attending NOPBC evening workshops. 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM-Youth Track Activity (ages 12-18) 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM Unified English Braille (UEB) It's new. It's coming. What is it, how will the transition be made, and what will it mean to your child? Instructor: Casey Robertson, TBS 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM IEP Basics for Parents of Blind/VI Students The sections of the IEP, essential assessments, how assessment information is used, how to be an active and effective participant. Instructor: Carlton Walker, attorney, TBS 8:30 PM - 9:45 PM IEP Development and Legal Process Overview Dos & Don'ts for the IEP meeting; preparing for possible mediation, due process, appeal, etc; overview of the legal process; how to prepare for a due process hearing so you don't have to have one! Instructor: Carlton Walker, attorney, TBS NOPBC INSIDER INFORMATION National convention is a complicated week of events. Here are a few tips to help you stay organized and take advantage of the many opportunities that will be available. Registration Information: . The NOPBC Conference takes place within the larger NFB convention. There are separate registrations & fees for the NOPBC Conference, the NFB convention, and NFB Child Care. . The NOPBC Conference mail-in registration form appears at the end of this article. We also hope to have online registration up and running soon. Check for information. Register early to save money! . To receive our special room rates, you must also register for the NFB convention. Preregister by May 31(and save money) for the NFB convention at . Activities for Children & Youth; Child Care Information: . NOPBC Children's Activities take place in NFB Child Care. If you would like your child to participate in an NOPBC Children's Activity, you must register your child for child care for that day. NFB Child Care information, registration forms, & fee information appear after this article. . Child care will be provided by the NFB for children 6 weeks to 12 years each day except Wednesday, July 2. Child care will also be available on Banquet night, Sunday, July 6. . The Tween Room will be open at various times during the week for informal fun for youth ages 11 to 14. . The Youth Style Show will take place on Wednesday afternoon, July 2. . Youth 12 to 18 are invited to attend Youth Track activities. Seminar Day Information . On Seminar Day (Tuesday, July 1), adults, children, and youth start the morning together at the "Taking the Next Step" seminar. At the end of the general session children who are preregistered for child care will be escorted to the child care area and youth 12 to18 will be escorted to Youth Track activities. At the lunch break, pick up your children for lunch on your own. After lunch, there will be concurrent workshops for adults, a Youth Track activity, and activities for children in the child care rooms. Other Activities Going on All Week Long In addition to the special NOPBC activities for parents, children, and youth listed in this article, other activities that you and your child may be interested in attending will be going on all week. Often many activities are going on at the same time and you and your child will have to make choices! Here is a sampling: . NFB convention sessions Friday, Saturday, and Sunday . Karaoke Night, the Mock Trial, the Talent Show, a play written and performed by blind people, open houses of our blindness skills training centers, technology demos . Meetings of divisions such as blind students, sports and recreation, performing arts, writers, blind educators, office professionals, lawyers, computer science, employment, legislation, guide dog users, agriculture and equestrian, and classic car lovers . NFB Banquet and scholarship presentations . Our incomparable Exhibit Hall REGISTRATION NOPBC 2014 CONFERENCE-TAKING THE NEXT STEP Make check payable to NOPBC and mail with form to: Pat Renfranz, NOPBC Treasurer 397 Middle Oak Lane, Salt Lake City, UT 84108 Save money by preregistering! Preregistration must be postmarked by June 15. After June 15, please register on-site in Orlando. |FEES |By June 15 |On-site in Orlando | |Adult |$30 |$40 | |Family with 2 or more |$50 |$70 | |adults | | | |Child/Youth (up to 18 |FREE |FREE | |years) |Children are free, but | | | |please list names & ages| | | |below | | Adult Name ____________________________________________________ [ ] parent of blind child [ ] professional [ ] other____________________ Adult Name ____________________________________________________ [ ] parent of blind child [ ] professional [ ] other____________________ Please list additional adults on a separate sheet. Address ______________________________ City _____________________ State _______ Zip _____________ Phone ___________________ E-mail _______________________________ Alt. phone ________________ Child/Youth 1-Name (first and last), age, brief description of vision and any additional disabilities: _____________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Child/Youth 2: ___________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ Please list additional children/youth on a separate sheet. How many? Prereg. by June 15 On-site reg. 1 Adult _____ @ $30 = $______ or @ $40 = $______ 2 or more Adults _____ @ $50 = $______ or @ $70 = $______ Child/Youth _____ FREE FREE = $__00__ Total enclosed: $_________ For parents/teachers of blind children: ___ I receive Future Reflections ___ This is my 1st national convention If not, how many have you attended? _____ ___ I am a member of my state NFB/POBC PLEASE NOTE: Preregistrations postmarked after June 15 will be returned. Also, remember that registrations for the NOPBC Conference and NFB Child Care are separate and must be mailed to different places. And to register for the 2014 NFB Annual Convention (again, a separate registration), go to . ---------- NFB Camp Convention Adventures by Carla McQuillan If you are between the ages of six weeks and twelve years, NFB Camp is the place to be at national convention this year in Orlando. During meetings and general convention sessions, NFB Camp will be open for fun. Our camp rooms are divided by age, with toys and activities appropriate to the ages served in each room. We have rooms for infants and toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. The infants and toddlers spend much of their time in the room, with occasional walks around the hotel and stories read from Braille books. The preschool group will enjoy Braille story time, arts and craft projects, and small group play on the hotel lawns. The school-age children will have special guest presentations on writing stories, science and technology, music and movement, and blind people employed in different professions. In addition, we will have daily excursions to the hotel lawns for outdoor games and water play. Field Trips to Monkey Joe's Just down the street from the hotel is an indoor fun house called Monkey Joe's. This air-conditioned party room has several giant inflatable structures with slides, obstacle courses, bounce houses, and ball pits. In addition there are several carnival and arcade games. We will be taking small groups of children to Monkey Joe's several times throughout the week. The cost will be $10 per child, which includes transportation on the local shuttle that runs up and down International Drive and admission to all the attractions at Monkey Joe's. Children must be between the ages of five and twelve, and priority will be given to children enrolled in NFB Camp for the week. Look for sign- up sheets at the NFB Camp Registration Desk when you get to the convention. Banquet Night NFB Campers will enjoy their own banquet night activities beginning with their meal. NFB Workers NFB Camp is under the supervision of Carla McQuillan, president of the NFB of Oregon, and a longtime member of the Federation. Carla is the executive director of Main Street Montessori Association, operating three Montessori schools. She has directed NFB camp since 1996. Alison McQuillan serves as the activities and staff coordinator for camp. Alison monitors the daily programs, drop-off and pick-up, staff-to-child ratios, and ensuring that only parents and authorized adults are allowed into camp rooms. Each of the three camp rooms has a supervisor who is responsible for the activities of that age group. These leads are chosen because of their experience and demonstrated capacity to handle groups of children and workers. Other workers and camp volunteers are drawn from within the organization. We usually have a mix of blind and sighted teens and adults who work with the children. Blindness Professional on Staff Michelle Chacon is a certified orientation and mobility instructor and a teacher of blind children. She will be available throughout the week to consult with parents and staff, as well as provide some individualized instruction for our campers. Babysitting List NFB Camp maintains a list of people who are interested in providing care outside of the scheduled hours for camp. The list is at the check-in desk for NFB Camp. Parents are welcome to review names on the list if they are in need of caregivers during off hours. NFB Camp and the National Federation of the Blind are not responsible for the actions and behavior of those on the babysitting list. We do not screen the people; we merely maintain a central list for the convenience of convention attendees. Preregistration Because of the limited space, we require that parents wishing to enroll their children in NFB Camp complete and return the registration form below no later than June 15, 2014. You may also email or call to reserve your child(ren)'s space: or (541) 653- 9153. Any questions can also be directed to Carla McQuillan at the same address, email, and phone. Registration Packet: NBF Camp Registration Form Camp Rules Photo Release Medical Release Waiver of Responsibilities Make checks payable to NFB Camp. Return form to NFB Camp, 5005 Main Street, Springfield, OR 97478; (541) 726-6924 NFB CAMP SCHEDULE NFB Camp will be open during general convention sessions, division and committee meeting day, and the evening of the banquet. The hours for NFB Camp are tentative. The actual hours will be based on the beginning and ending of sessions so that parents can drop off their children thirty minutes before the start of session and must pick up their children within thirty minutes of the end of session. On occasion the actual end or beginning of session may be earlier or later than the agenda indicates. We charge a $10 per quarter-hour per child late pick-up fee. NFB Camp provides morning and afternoon snacks. You must provide lunch for your children every day. Date NFB Camp Hours Tuesday, July 1st 8:30 AM-12:30 PM and 1:30 PM-5:30 PM Wednesday, July 2nd Camp is closed. Thursday, July 3rd 8:30 AM-12:30 PM and 1:30 PM-5:30 PM Friday, July 4th 9:30 AM-12:30 PM and 1:30 PM-5:30 PM Saturday, July 5th 8:30 AM-12:30 PM and 1:30 PM-5:30 PM Sunday, July 6th 8:30 AM-12:30 PM and 1:30 PM-5:30 PM Banquet 6:30 PM-30 minutes after adjournment. Additional forms (emergency info, waivers, etc.) will be due when we receive the registration form. NFB CAMP REGISTRATION FORM Completed form and fees must be received on or before June 15, 2014 Parent's Name________________________________________________ Address_____________________________________________________ City__________ State___________ Zip______ Phone _______________ Cell Phone _______________ Cell Phone _______________ Child(ren)'s Name(s) ______________________________ Age_____ Date of Birth___________ ______________________________ Age_____ Date of Birth___________ ______________________________ Age_____ Date of Birth___________ Include description of any disabilities or allergies we should know about: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Who, other than parents, is allowed to pick up your child(ren)?__________ ______________________________________________________________ Per Week (Does not include banquet): $100 first child, $75 siblings $100 (1st child) plus # of siblings_____ x $75 = $________ _ Per Day (Does not include banquet): $25 per child per day. (Circle) T Th F Sa Su $25 x ___#child(ren) = $_____ x ___ Days = $_________ Banquet: $25 per child. _____#Turkey sandwich _____#Cheese sandwich # of children _____ x $25 = $_________ We understand that NFB Camp is being provided as a service to make our convention more enjoyable for both parents and children. We will pick up children immediately following sessions. We understand that, if our child(ren) does not follow the rules or if for any reason staff are unable to care for our child(ren), further access to childcare will be denied. Parent's Signature _____________________________________ Date ______________ The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund by Allen Harris >From the Editor: Allen Harris is the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Fund Committee and was one of the people who came up with the idea of honoring our former president and longtime leader by establishing a program to promote attendance at the national convention, where so much inspiration and learning occur. Here is Allen's announcement about the 2014 Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Program: Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have not done so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship grant. Perhaps this July you too can be in the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida, enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at the largest and most important yearly convention of blind people in the world. The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an NFB national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel room for a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't pay all the costs. Last year most of the sixty grants were in the range of $400 to $500 per individual. We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the amazing experience that is convention week. Who is eligible? Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply. How do I apply for funding assistance? 1. You write a letter giving your contact information, and your local NFB information, your specific amount requested, and then explain why this is a good investment for the NFB. The points to cover are listed below. 2. You contact your state president in person or by phone to request his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when to expect your request letter by email, and mention the deadline. 3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your state president. He or she must add a president's recommendation and then email both letters directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee. Your president must forward the two letters no later than April 15, 2014. Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points: . Your full name, and all your telephone numbers and label them--cell phone, home, office, other person (if any). . Your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address. . Your state affiliate and state president; your chapter and chapter president, if you attend a chapter. . Your personal convention mentor and provide that person's phone number. . Your specific request: Explain how much money you need from this fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you consult with other members to make a rough budget for yourself. The body of your letter should answer these questions: How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want to attend a national convention? What would you receive; what can you share or give? You can include in your letter to the committee any special circumstances you hope they will take into consideration. When will I be notified that I am a winner? If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter with convention details which should answer most of your questions. The committee makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May 15, but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen. 1. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for roommates of your own to reduce the cost.) 2. Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by May 31. 3. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and advisor. 4. If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win a grant this year. How will I receive my convention scholarship? At convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card will be listed in the letter we sent you. The committee is not able to provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you win a scholarship and to pay your treasury back after you receive your debit or credit card. What if I have more questions? For additional information email the chairman, Allen Harris, at or call his Baltimore, Maryland, office at (410) 659-9314, x2415. Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first convention on the national level and join several thousand active Federationists in the most important meeting of the blind in the world. We hope to see you in Orlando. ---------- Recipes This month's recipes come from members of the National Federation of the Blind of North Carolina. [PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Ray] Macaroni Salad by Gary Ray Gary Ray is the affiliate president in North Carolina. He lives in Asheville, North Carolina and is a member of the Buncombe County Chapter. Ingredients: 1 Kraft Macaroni and Cheese Deluxe Dinner 1 small jar olives, chopped 3/4 cup celery, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 teaspoon dry mustard Salt Pepper 3/4 cup mayonnaise Method: Prepare macaroni dinner according to instructions on box. Add olives, celery, mustard, and mayonnaise; mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve chilled. ---------- Gary Ray's Famous Cookie Recipe by Gary Ray Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 6 tablespoons brown sugar, packed 6 tablespoons granulated sugar 3/4 cup self-rising flour 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg 1 cup Quaker oats (uncooked) 1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate pieces Raisins, walnuts, pecans, or extra chocolate chips (optional) Method: Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla until creamy. In a glass beat the egg with a fork and add to butter and sugar mixture. Sift flour and add to creamed mixture. Mix well. Stir in oats, chocolate pieces, and any other desired additions. Drop by rounded teaspoons-full on well-greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for eight to ten minutes. ---------- Rich Cake by Gary Ray Ingredients: 1 box Yellow Butter Recipe Cake Mix 3/4 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups pecans (divided) 1 cup brown sugar, packed 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened Method: Grease and flour 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix, butter, and 3/4 cup of nuts. Press mixture in baking dish. Mix cream cheese and brown sugar. Spread cream cheese mixture on top of packed cake mixture in baking dish. Top with remaining 3/4 cup chopped nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for twenty-five to thirty minutes. When done, edges should be starting to turn slightly brown. Let cool before cutting. Keep refrigerated. ---------- Baked Chicken Salsa by Sharon Weddington Sharon Weddington is the secretary of the NFB of North Carolina. She belongs to the South Iredell Chapter and has been a longtime Federationist. Ingredients: 1 chicken breast 1/2 cup salsa 3 jalapeno peppers, sliced 6 small black olives Method: Cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the chicken breast. Place the chicken breast on the foil and pour salsa over it. Place peppers and olives on top. Fold the foil around the chicken and crimp the ends together tightly. Place in an oven-safe casserole dish. Bake at 400 degrees for sixty minutes. ---------- Banana Split Surprise by Sharon Weddington Ingredients: 1 large container Cool Whip 1 can sweetened condensed milk 1 can crushed pineapple, drained 1 can cherry pie filling 3 large bananas, sliced 1/2 cup pecan pieces Method: Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and chill before serving. ---------- Hummingbird Cake by Sharon Weddington Ingredients: 3 cups self-rising flour 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/2 cups cooking oil 3 eggs 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups bannas (about 4 medium bananas), sliced 1 cup nuts Method: Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients and stir, do not beat. Pour into greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour and ten minutes. Cool in pan. Loosen edges and remove from pan. Frosting Ingredients: 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 stick butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1-pound box powdered sugar Method: Cream cheese, butter, and sugar together. Add vanilla. Frost sides and top of cake. ---------- Frosted Strawberry Squares by Sharon Weddington Ingredients for Crumbs: 1 cup flour 1/2 cup chopped nuts 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup margarine, melted Method: Mix the above ingredients together and pack into a 13-by-9- inch pan. Bake at 300 degrees for twenty minutes. Remove from oven and stir to make crumbles. Filling Ingredients: 2 egg whites 1 10-ounce package frozen strawberries 2/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup Cool Whip or whipped cream Method: Combine egg whites with strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Beat at high speed until it forms stiff peaks. Fold in Cool Whip. Place 3/4 crumble mixture in bottom of new 13-by-9-inch pan. Add strawberry mixture and smooth, then top with remaining crumbles. Freeze. After frozen, cut into squares and serve. ---------- Wassail by Sharon Weddington Ingredients: 1/2 gallon orange juice 64 ounces apple juice 48 ounces pineapple juice 1 bag Red Hots candy Method: Stir juices together in large pot. Heat on low until flavors blend; do not boil. Add candy and stir until candy is dissolved. May serve hot or cold. ---------- Perk Punch by Judy Davis Judy Davis is from Asheville, North Carolina, and is a friend of Gary Ray. Ingredients: 3 cups unsweetened pineapple juice 3 cups cranberry juice (or cranberry blend) 1 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 cinnamon sticks 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves 1/3 cups brown sugar 1 coffee percolator Method: Put all liquids in bottom of percolator. Place brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in percolator basket. Perk until done, serve hot. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family Assistive Listening Project 2014 Convention Announcement: At the 2014 national convention the National Federation of the Blind Amateur Radio Division and the National Federation of the Blind Deaf-Blind Division will again offer special arrangements for severely hearing- impaired people attending convention sessions and the banquet. This will consist of transmission of the public address system signal over a special short-range radio transmitter for the severely hearing-impaired. Spanish- language translation of convention proceedings in general sessions and the banquet will also be provided using a similar arrangement. The special receivers required for these services will also be provided. In cooperation with several state affiliates (notably Colorado, Utah, and Virginia), the NFB will provide special receivers for these transmissions to those needing them. The receiver-lending will be managed by the Amateur Radio Division and will be operated from a table just outside the meeting room. A deposit of $40, cash only, will be required of anyone wishing to check out one of the Federation's receivers. The deposit will be returned if the receiver is checked in at the checkout table in good condition by the end of the banquet or within thirty minutes of adjournment of the last convention session that the borrower plans to attend. Batteries for the receiver will be provided. Anyone checking out a Federation receiver will be given upon request a miniature earbud-type earphone to use with the receiver. Along with explaining what will be available, it is important that we explain what will not be available. The miniature earbud loudspeaker-type earphone will be the only kind of earphone offered. If you would like to use your own earphone(s), silhouette, neck loop, or other device or adapter cable to get the signal from the receiver we provide to your ear, you must ensure that the cable connection between your device and our receiver is one that will fit the audio jack found on electronic devices such as talking book and MP3 players, laptops, or mobile devices like iPhones and note takers. In technical terms, this is referred to as a 3.5 mm (formerly called 1/8-inch) earphone plug. You are advised to arrange for such things well ahead of arriving at the convention. Other than the earphone jack on the receiver, no means of connection to a hearing aid will be available from the checkout table. The receiver does not have a built-in loudspeaker. While earphones, and even neck loops, are sometimes available in the exhibit hall, you cannot be certain of getting one there. Many severely hearing-impaired people already use radio systems that employ FM radio signals to carry the voice from a transmitter held by the person speaking to a receiver in the hearing aid. Some of these hearing aid systems can be tuned to receive the Federation's special transmitters. In this case the hearing-impaired person may simply tune his or her own receiver to receive the Federation's transmitter and will not need to check out a Federation receiver. Some audiologists and rehabilitation agencies are now buying digital and other FM hearing aids that cannot be tuned to the Federation's frequency. If you have one of these or if you have any other type of hearing aid, you should obtain from your audiologist an adapter cable to connect from your hearing aid to a monaural 3.5 mm earphone jack. This will allow you to plug the cable from your hearing aid directly into a receiver you check out from our table. This will allow you to hear as well as anyone else using one of our receivers. The transmitter for the hearing impaired will be connected to the public address system so that the signals from the head table and the aisle microphones will be transmitted on channel thirty-six (74.775 MHz narrow band FM). People must not operate their personal transmitters on channel thirty-six or on channel thirty-eight, because that would interfere with the reception by others. This means that folks wishing to use their own receivers (rather than checking out one of the Federation's receivers) need to have their personal receivers arranged so that they can switch between their personal channels and channel thirty-six. Some people may need to purchase replacement or additional receivers. Caution your audiologist that there is more than one channel thirty-six, and he or she must also verify that your frequency matches our frequency. This announcement is published now to allow as much time as possible for those interested to make the necessary arrangements before convention. It contains this amount of detail so that any audiologist who works with this type of equipment should be able to know by reading this article exactly what capabilities a person's hearing system must have to work with the Federation's system at convention. Even if your hearing aid is not of the FM type, you may be able to purchase a silhouette, a neck loop, or an adapter cable to couple the signal from a Federation receiver directly to your hearing aid. Your audiologist should also be able to help you with this. The NFB Deaf-Blind division has offered to provide feedback on their members' experiences with these types of devices to interested convention attendees. Contact Joe Naulty, 3924 South Wind Drive, West Melbourne, Florida 32904, (321) 768- 9500 or for inquiries. Please always remember to consult your audiologist when considering any additions to your hearing aid setup. The service for Spanish speakers will be similar, except that a live Spanish translator will speak over a separate transmitter on channel thirty- eight (75.275 MHz narrow band FM). We do not expect that people will bring their own receivers for the Spanish-translation service, unless they are also hearing impaired and use an FM hearing aid system. Spanish speakers may, however, wish to bring their own earphones. See above for a description of the type of plug needed. Norm Gardner from Utah will be coordinating the Spanish language interpreters, and he would appreciate hearing from anyone willing to volunteer to interpret. Please call him before convention at (801) 224- 6969, or send him email at . If other state affiliates or chapters are interested in purchasing this type of equipment for use in state and local meetings, they are encouraged to purchase equipment that is compatible with that which we are using and to allow it to be used in the pool of equipment that the Amateur Radio Division administers at national convention. Tony Olivero would like to help you choose equipment that is compatible with that which the NFB is using. You may contact him at (765) 977-1683 or at . The Federation is pleased to offer these services to our severely hearing- impaired and Spanish-speaking colleagues, and we hope and believe that it will again significantly improve their convention experience. Finally, we would like to take a moment and thank Curtis Willoughby for his many years of dedicated leadership of the NFB Amateur Radio Division. Curtis's efforts have contributed significantly to the ability of those with hearing loss and those who are primarily Spanish speakers to participate in convention sessions. Curtis, we thank you for all the time and effort you have put forth over the years. Braille Book Fair 2014: Calling all Braille readers, teachers, and parents! It's that time again: time to sort through all those boxes of Braille books and donate gently used but no longer needed Braille books to the 2014 Braille Book Fair sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. Our primary goal is to get more Braille books into the hands of children, youth, and beginning adult readers, so here's what we need most: books in good condition, print-Braille picture storybooks, leisure reading (fiction or nonfiction) books, cookbooks, and books about sports. Children are so hungry for their very own books that every year, despite generous donations of books, most of our books for young children are gone in less than an hour. So begin your search through the boxes in your basement and spare room and get those books shipped to: UPS, Braille Book Fair, Attention: Elainna Moore, C/O 2014 NFB Convention Braille Book Fair, 8901 Atlantic Ave, Orlando FL 32824. This year's coordinator is Krystal Guillory. If you have any questions, contact Krystal Guillory at (318) 245-8955 or . This year's event is slated to take place on Wednesday, July 3, 2014, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Please check the convention agenda for location. As always we need volunteers to help with this project. If you can help unpack, shelve, assist children in finding books, or participate in the cleanup, please contact Krystal by writing to her at . We promise that you'll come away from this event feeling uplifted and glad you were able to help so many happy children. Louisiana Center for the Blind to Perform Jerry Whittle Play at Convention: We are doing a play again this year written by the esteemed playwright Jerry Whittle. It is called Passing the Torch and was originally performed in 1986. Like last year we will have one performance, the price will be $5 per ticket, and the proceeds will benefit youth summer programs. The play tells the story of several students who are in training at a training center. In addition to gaining skills and confidence, they learn about the importance of having a positive philosophy about blindness. Join the NFB Senior Division for Conference Call Discussions Coming Soon Nationwide: The National Federation of the Blind Senior Division is proud to spotlight topics of vital interest to those losing vision later in life by hosting three conference calls to address specific issues. The conference call number is (712) 432-1500 and the access number is 75963# for all participants. A tone should signal that you are connected. The conference calls will take place at the following times and dates: Thursday, May 1, 2014 Thursday, May 8, 2014 Wednesday, June 4, 2014 All calls will be at 3:00 eastern standard time, 2:00 central standard time, 1:00 mountain time, and 12:00 pacific time. The first conference call with the topic, "Financial Management after Blindness" will be held Thursday, May 1. Mr. Robert Burns, attorney and financial advisor for more than twenty-five years will host the call. After losing vision Mr. Burns became an investment advisor and has wide experience in the field. He currently resides in Omaha, Nebraska. The second conference call will be held Thursday, May 8, with the topic: "Blindness: A Family Dynamic" hosted by Ms. Fatos Floyd. Ms. Floyd has a master's degree in counseling and has CRC and CVRCB credentials. She is a longtime Federationist who has served in many capacities. Currently she works as the Braille instructor at the Nebraska Rehabilitation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. The third conference call will be held Wednesday, June 4. Jennifer Wenzel will facilitate this conference call on the topic, "Cooking by Touch." Jennifer is a blind mother raising three sighted children and has worked almost twenty years teaching independence through daily living skills to all ages from blind toddlers to school-age children and seniors. She attended BLIND Inc. and worked in their Buddy Program before moving to Colorado to teach at the Colorado Center in a number of capacities, including supervising and teaching students as the residential apartment manager. Recently she has been employed by Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM) as an independent living instructor teaching newly blind adults nonvisual daily living skills. What Are We Going to Wear? You've heard all the adages before: "Dress for success," "maximize your message," and "put your best foot forward." They are more than just tired old clich?s; they are time-proven strategies leading to success. The appropriate attire can boost your confidence and show the world that you are part of an important team. Imagine the positive impression your chapter, division, or affiliate can make at educational events, public meetings, and fundraisers if all your members and supporters are dressed in new, sharp, high-quality polo shirts. The National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) can help you make that positive impression. Each short-sleeved polo shirt is embroidered on the upper left chest with the National Federation of the Blind logo, including Whozit depicted in full color, along with a full-color Whozit on the right sleeve. These shirts can be customized to include the name of your chapter or division and/or state affiliate at no extra charge. Select a color that is unique to your chapter, division, or affiliate, and really stand out in the crowd at state and national conventions. What an immediate and graphic reminder of the exciting opportunity we have to be proud members of the National Federation of the Blind, the largest and most dynamic consumer organization of the blind in the world. Ordering is easy; each chapter submits a prepaid order for shirts for its membership. Shirts will be shipped to the ordering chapter in about three weeks. Shirts are available in adult men's and ladies' styles sizes XS to XXXXL. We can process orders for twelve or more shirts, and your cost is an amazingly low $25 per shirt for sizes XS to XL, $26.50 for XXL, $29.50 for XXXL, and $31.50 for XXXXL. These prices include shipping and handling. Available shirt colors are white, black, leaf green, dark green, navy blue, royal blue, light pink, maroon, red, & soft orange. Order right away to ensure you have the shirts before our 2014 National Convention in Orlando from July 1 to July 6. Orders may be placed and paid for online by visiting . Those interested in more information or placing a telephone order should have a representative contact the National Association of Guide Dog Users at or call (813) 626-2789 Are you interested in other colors, long-sleeved shirts, other styles, caps, tote bags, or other NFB branded items? Ask for a quote on those too. New Publications Available on NFB-NEWSLINE: We are pleased to announce the addition of three new publications to the service. First is Investor's Business Daily, which is published Monday through Friday and contains articles covering international business, finance, and the global economy. According to its website, since 1984 Investor's Business Daily (IBD) has been helping ordinary people achieve extraordinary results. This is done with a unique step-by-step investing strategy anyone can use to systematically achieve financial freedom over time. Interested readers can find this publication under the National Newspapers category, which is accessed by selecting option five from the main menu and then choosing option two. Next is the Japan Times, a daily newspaper from Tokyo, which was first published on March 22, 1897. It contains domestic, world, and business news, in addition to opinion/editorials, lifestyle, entertainment, and sports. Subscribers can find this newspaper under the International category, which is located under option five off the main menu. Select option six. Third is a new magazine named Cond? Nast Traveler. This is a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine published monthly by Cond? Nast, which provides several other magazines currently offered on the service such as Vanity Fair and Wired. The magazine has won twenty-five National Magazine Awards. You can find this new offering in the Magazines category, which is option seven off the main menu. It is then further classified in the General Interest category. We hope that you enjoy these new publications. Stay tuned for more exciting new additions over the next few months. Happy Reading from your NFB-NEWSLINE Team! Petition to Encourage Appliance Accessibility The Show-Me chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri, with the assistance of one of its founding members, Gene Fleeman, has started a petition on change.org. The petition is directed to manufacturers of stoves, ovens, and other household appliances. It asks them to design these so that they can be used nonvisually by incorporating tactile buttons, tactile markings, providing audio cues, or by any other methods that will give the blind the ability to use them independently. Those wishing to read the petition or sign it are encouraged to visit . Contest for Braille Readers: The Onkyo Braille essay contest is administered by the National Federation of the Blind for the North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union. Essays must be written in Braille and in English or their author's native language and must be completely original. Entries should be no fewer than eight hundred words and no more than one thousand words. The contest is divided into two groups of competitors--one junior group, aged twenty-five and under; and one senior group, aged twenty-six and above. Prizes range from $500 to $2,000. All essays must be received by April 30, 2014. Visit for more information and an application. 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. Parents and Teachers Needed for Studies to Increase Literacy: Literacy is the most important skill a child can obtain. At the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech University, we believe in every blind and/or visually impaired child having access to literacy. That is one of the principal purposes of the institute-to conduct research that deepens and broadens our understanding of blindness and the best educational practices to help those who are blind to function better in society. For this reason we are embarking on two separate but related studies. The first is aimed at collecting information from teachers of the blind/visually impaired about their training and experiences with vision loss. Secondly, we are launching a separate survey that is aimed at parents who have children in K-12 education. What follows is more information on how teachers and parents can help. Your assistance in spreading the word about these studies is very much appreciated. Parents and teachers can help us evaluate the services and educational experiences of blind and/or visually impaired youth in grades K-12. By filling out a quick survey, you can help us examine and better understand the educational experiences of blind and/or visually impaired youth. Your feedback will improve future policies and practices that will be used to prepare soon-to-be teachers. Participation in this study allows us to gain a much richer and more robust understanding of factors that impact service options and academic performance of blind and/or visually impaired youth. If you are a teacher, you must meet the following criteria: a) Currently be a certified teacher of visual impairment TVI/TBS; b) Have a case load of one or more students with low vision or blindness as his or her primary diagnosed disability on his/her Individualized Education Plan (IEP). Teachers may access the survey at . For a parent or guardian to participate in this study, your child must meet the following criteria: a) Be between the ages of five and twenty-two and be enrolled in a school in the United States in grades K-12; b) Visual impairment must be listed as his or her primary diagnosed disability on his or her IEP; c) English is his or her primary spoken language. Parents may access the survey at . Your participation is greatly appreciated. If you have questions about either study or want to know about ways in which you can help, you can contact the principal researchers for this study. Edward Bell, PhD, is the principal investigator and can be reached by phone at (318) 257-4554 or by email at . Casey Robertson, research associate, is the lead person for questions about teachers or parents, and she can be contacted by email at . We at the Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness thank you for your attention and assistance in this important research. Updated Braille Contractions: The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults has produced an updated version of the Handbook of Braille Contractions. The update does not contain the UEB changes. These changes will be available in the next update. The handbook is available from the NFB Independence Market in a Twin Vision format and in Braille. The cost is five dollars with a $4.75 handling fee on all orders up to fifty dollars. For the first time the Braille file can be downloaded from the Action Fund website at . 2014 Annual Bible Conference: The National Church Conference of the Blind will hold its 2014 Annual Bible Conference August 2 through August 8, 2014. The 2014 conference will be held at The Grand Vista Hotel, 2790 Crossroads Boulevard at Horizon Drive, Grand Junction, Colorado 81506. For reservations call (800) 800-7796 or call the hotel directly at (970) 241-8411. The hotel room rate is $79 per night (tax exempt) with up to four people in a room. For answers to questions regarding the conference and information about registration, please contact Rheba Dunn, the NCCB membership secretary at (970) 895-2352. Visit the NCCB Website at . ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Wed Apr 30 22:58:09 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 22:58:09 -0700 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, May 2014 Message-ID: <201405010558.s415w9OJ025762@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 57, No. 5 May 2014 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 ? 2014 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. [PHOTO CAPTION: Palm-lined drive leading to front entrance to Rosen Centre Hotel] Orlando Site of 2014 NFB Convention The 2014 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take place in Orlando, Florida, July 1-6, at the Rosen Centre Hotel at 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Make your room reservation as soon as possible with the Rosen Centre staff only. Call (800) 204-7234. The 2014 room rates are singles, doubles, and twins, $82; and triples and quads, $88. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 13.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested. The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $95-per-room deposit is required to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before May 28, 2014. The other 50 percent is not refundable. Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations may be made before June 1, 2014, assuming that rooms are still available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon. Guest-room amenities include cable television; in-room safe; coffeemaker; hairdryer; and, for a fee, high-speed Internet access. Guests can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-site spa. The Rosen Centre Hotel offers fine dining at Executive Chef Michael Rumplik's award- winning Everglades Restaurant. In addition, there is an array of dining options from sushi to tapas to a 24-hour deli. The hotel has first-rate amenities and shuttle service to the Orlando airport. The schedule for the 2014 convention is: Tuesday, July 1 Seminar Day Wednesday, July 2 Registration Day Thursday, July 3 Board Meeting and Division Day Friday, July 4 Opening Session Saturday, July 5 Business Session Sunday, July 6 Banquet Day and Adjournment NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND 2014 National Convention Preregistration Form Please register online at or use this mail-in form. Print legibly, provide all requested information, and mail form and payment to: National Federation of the Blind Attn: Convention Registration 200 East Wells Street Baltimore, MD 21230 Please register only one person per registration form; however, one check or money order may cover multiple registrations. Check or money order (sorry, no credit cards) must be enclosed with registration(s). Registrant Name ______________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________ City ______________________ State _____________ Zip ___________ Phone ____________ Email ____________________________________ ___ I will pick up my registration packet at convention. or ___ The following person will pick up my registration packet: Pickup Name ______________________________________ Number of preregistrations x $25 = ____________ Number of pre-purchased banquet tickets x $55 = ____________ Total = ____________ PLEASE NOTE: 1. Preconvention registration and banquet sales are final (no refunds). 2. All preregistration mail-in forms must be postmarked by May 31. Vol. 57, No. 5 May 2014 Contents Illustration: Service Saturday at the National Center for the Blind Make the Scene in 2014 by Dan Hicks Taking Control and Becoming a Driver of My Life by Mark Riccobono Blind Students Will Not Be Left Behind in Common Core Testing, Settlement Says by Joy Resmovits Just Julie by Mitch Ryals Adventuring With My Cane: a Response to Dr. Vermeij by Donna Posont Do Blind People Dream in Color? by Erin Jepsen Marley and Me Musical Chairs by Terry Rupp Odin Mobile: A Wireless Provider for People Who Are Blind by Robert Felker Paddles Up! by Kristen Jocums Recipes Monitor Miniatures Service Saturday at the National Center for the Blind [PHOTO CAPTION: Two volunteers from AmeriCorps NCCC prepare an educational mailing.] [PHOTO CAPTION: Dr. Maurer and a volunteer work to untangle cords in the International Braille and Technology Center.] [PHOTO CAPTION: A pair of volunteers box Brailled material for mailing.] Service Saturday is an annual outreach event held at the National Center for the Blind in which we ask for volunteers in and around Baltimore to join us in special projects to help the organization. Our goal is not only to tap into the energy of these volunteers but to help them come to know who we are, learn what we do, and experience firsthand what it is like for the blind and the sighted to work together to accomplish some of the physical tasks required to carry out our programs and in maintaining the structure that houses them. [PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Hicks] Make the Scene in 2014 by Dan Hicks From the Editor: Dan Hicks is the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Florida, the fellow who cavorts with people from the Magic Kingdom and their sometimes-visitors from the Hogwarts School of Magic. Here is Dan's article, giving us a glimpse of what we will experience when we travel to Orlando in July of 2014: Let's face it; this summer is going to be hot. The first week in July will probably be one of the hottest weeks of the season. So, rather than complain about the temperature, let your inner thermophile embrace the heat. Come to the hottest spot of all, which is, of course, the convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Once again the upcoming convention will be held in the very hot and trendy city of Orlando, Florida. Those who attended last year's convention can spend hours telling you what a perfect venue the Rosen Centre Hotel is for hosting one of our boisterous conventions. This hotel is one of the city's top tourist destinations, and for good reason. Impressive restaurants offer sumptuous dining for any and every taste. Pools, spas, golf courses, and workout facilities help you keep in shape and relax after visiting those wonderful restaurants. But so far we're just talking about the hotel. The Rosen Centre is located on Orlando's International Drive, right in the middle of all the excitement that Central Florida has to offer. I-Drive- as it is called-and its connecting thoroughfares are home to hundreds of dining options, from fast food to casual to family-style to gourmet. For those who enjoy shopping-and you know who you are-Orlando Premium Outlets and Festival Bay Mall provide opportunities to buy designer and brand name items at bargain prices. Just down the street from the Rosen Centre, Pointe Orlando, an outdoor shopping and entertainment complex, has shops from high end to casual and everything in between. But save some money, because you will be close to many places to wear those colorful new casual threads you just picked up. International Drive is also where some of Orlando's most popular attractions can be found. SeaWorld Orlando and its exciting waterpark, Aquatica, are just five minutes away from the hotel. Universal Studios Orlando and Islands of Adventure are also a short drive away. Visit Hogwarts, fly with Spiderman, and enjoy the nightlife of Universal's one-of-a-kind CityWalk. A short drive will take you to the world famous Walt Disney World, home to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center, and other thrilling attractions. Here's a trivia question for you: which is bigger, California's Disneyland or Florida's Disney World? Well, let me put it this way: all of Disneyland would fit in EPCOT's parking lot. A little longer drive will get you to one of Central Florida's newest and most popular attractions-LEGOLAND?. I know, it sounds like it's just for kids, but adults who have been there tell me it's fun for the entire family. Come to think of it, so are those little blocks the park is named for, aren't they? Remember to stay well-hydrated and use sunscreen. We mean it. Now the reason for coming to Orlando this summer isn't just for the food and the parks and the shopping, is it? Of course not!. You are also looking forward to the convention of the largest organization of blind people in the world, the National Federation of the Blind. The NFB, including the Florida affiliate, is planning lots of fun and exciting things to take part in. You won't want to miss a minute of it. So plan to come a day or two early or stay a day or two after the convention. It's the only way to get all of this excitement in. Those of you who attended last year know what I mean. If you have already made your reservations, thank you. We look forward to meeting you in Orlando. And for those of you who haven't made reservations-well why not? What are you waiting for? Get those reservations in today. You don't want to miss out on your chance to make the scene in 2014. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono at the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri state convention.] Taking Control and Becoming a Driver of My Life by Mark Riccobono From the Editor: Mark Riccobono was the national representative at the convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri and delivered the banquet address on March 29, 2014. Though he has written a number of articles for the Monitor and has had many of his speeches at the national convention reprinted here, I think you will learn some things you may not know about his upbringing and some epiphanies in his life. I introduced him, and for the first time my BrailleNote failed me when I took the podium to read the introduction I had written. Here is what Mark said to the blind Missourians assembled at our fifty-second annual convention: I appreciate that tremendous introduction; I'm glad you didn't write it because it clearly came from the heart. Melissa is out there listening; I presume the kids might be as well, so maybe everybody would like to say hello [crowd shouts hello to the Riccobono family]. I'll say Melissa, I love you, and to the kids I love you too, good night, and don't give your mom too much trouble because I'll have to deal with it later [laughter]. Since my story's already been told, there's not much more to say. No, actually, there is. It is a humbling task to think about what to say to you this evening, what to share with you, what there might be still to say that hasn't yet been said during our time at this convention. I do have to say that this is an awesome convention. All of you have truly refueled and inspired me. So it is a little daunting to think about what to say and how to talk about the journey that we've been on together, where we might be going, what our dreams might look like, and how to illuminate some of the tremendous things that have been shared at this convention. Many who are here have the spirit of the Federation-that's what I've felt. So I invite you to open your heart to the conversation tonight, whether this is your first time or your fifty-second time, to be open to the idea that there might be something more for us to do, something more for us to learn, and to share this space that we've created for each other this evening. While you open your heart to that, I want to ask you a very important question and request that you reflect upon it: are you a driver or a passenger? And, not just are you a driver or a passenger in your own life, but are you a driver or a passenger in the National Federation of the Blind? In August of 1996 the president of the National Federation of the Blind wrote a letter that said in part, "I think the first thing you should do is learn about the organization. Then I think you should teach everyone else about it. While you are telling others what we have already done, remember that there are many things to do that we have not tried. In other words, all of the nifty ideas have not yet been thought up." I also give you that quote to think about as we begin this evening. I have aniridia, the same eye problem someone mentioned earlier today, and that led to my having glaucoma. When I was five years old, I was diagnosed as legally blind. My parents did not know what that meant. They're both good Midwestern folk from the great state of Wisconsin (by the way, the Wisconsin game is starting in ten minutes, so I'm going to hurry up). [laughter, cheers, and boos for Wisconsin] My parents went to high school, but neither went to college. They were good, hard-working Midwestern folks, but they didn't know anything about blindness; they didn't know what to think about blindness; they didn't even know what legal blindness meant. But what they knew without question was the value of giving me that good old-fashioned, Midwestern encouragement: encouragement to get out there and do stuff as best I could. As kids we're not drivers, we're passengers. We do the things that people expect us to do. If you're a kid, you go to the sighted family members and the professionals to be the ones to teach you about driving your own life. But the fact of the matter is that, while other kids were learning to drive in their own lives, I wasn't. Whether I knew it or not, I was blind, and over time I was being taught to be a passenger. I could recount hundreds of experiences like the one I'm going to share with you now: I went to the elementary school in my neighborhood; it was six or seven blocks from my house. Starting in first grade, I walked to school every day. In third grade I had my first orientation and mobility evaluation. The professional took me out in the neighborhood and walked me around. I seemed to do pretty well, so she said there was nothing to recommend and left. Of course, I'd been walking that same route every day for two or three years. There was no challenge. That was no test of whether I had capacity to go beyond. I was allowed to pass. In fourth grade (let's see if the young folks get this) we read worksheets that were mimeographed. Okay, take a second and google "mimeograph." Let me just shortcut for you: it was a terrible way for anybody to make a copy and hard for anyone to try to read. It was faded blue ink that even sighted people couldn't read very easily, so, if they had trouble with it, I certainly couldn't read it. But I had a teacher who had a degree in teaching blind students, and she came by to serve as my reader. That was what she did. She didn't teach me any techniques or teach me how to operate as a blind person; she was my reader. By fifth grade I couldn't read the large-print books that I'd started with in third grade anymore. No one told me that there might be a different way to do it, so I turned to the magnification I had. The only magnification device I owned was a monocular, which, if you don't know, is meant for distance viewing, not for looking at things close in. But, if you twist it all the way in so that you get to the setting that's meant to look at the closest stuff, you can actually read books with it. It's not very comfortable, doesn't look very good, and certainly is not very fast, but that's what I had, so that's what I used. I did it because I knew that, if you were a Midwestern kid, part of a Midwestern family, you had to work hard and you had to read and you had to compete, and this was the only way I knew how to do it. I don't know how silly I looked or how slow I was, but no one ever suggested there was a better way to do it. I was a passenger. By sixth grade, as you know, you're thinking about certain things (like girls). Particularly in the area of being athletic, you want to look impressive. I remember we had a football drill that we were supposed to run. I knew about the sport of football, and I'd played with a football, so I knew what football was. The teacher/coach said we were supposed to run a U-shaped pattern, and, when we got to the peak of the U, we were to catch the football. Now I understood what a U was-no problem. I understood that there would be a football hurtling toward me that I should put my hands up and try to catch-no problem. Knowing I should compete, I ran. I put my hands up, knowing that I had no chance in the world of catching that football. When I missed that ball, the kids made fun of me. They did because, even with my best efforts to compete, I failed, and I must have looked oh so silly. The gym teacher felt bad for me, so he sat me down and tried to make me feel better. He said, "Look, it's going to be okay. Someday you're going to get contacts, and everything's going to be much better for you." What I understood was that, until something changed and I could have normal vision, I had to be content to be a passenger, and that's what I did-that's what I was taught to do. I went to a very rough middle school, so actually being a passenger was a good thing. The passengers often sit where? In the back of the room- sorry to my Jeff City friends there in the back. I sat in the back because it was easy to pass there. Not much was expected of people in the back. Admittedly the people in the back of the room with me were not the smartest in the group. But they were my buddies, the people who were just getting by- certainly the passengers-not the ones in the front of the room who were driving their lives. Once in a while a worksheet would be assigned, and I'd have them help me fill it out. I couldn't fill it out on my own, and experience taught me I had to use any technique I could just to get by. So we did those sheets- they read, I understood and interpreted, and, what do you know, we all got by, we passed, but we were not driving our lives. In science class, one of the things we were supposed to do at the beginning of each class period was to copy down what was on the board. I will admit that it wasn't great education, but that's what we had to do. I wasn't going to do that because I'd have to go right up to the board. So I'd get one of my friends in the back of the room to write it down for me. I don't know what good that did for him or for me, but we followed the rules and wrote what was on that far-away board. Then for the remainder of the class we'd fold a piece of paper into a triangle and flick it back and forth playing paper football. We'd do this for hours. We didn't learn a lot of science, but I wasn't causing any trouble, and I was passing, getting by as a passenger. At this point in my life I didn't know there was another blind person in the world. I didn't know I was a blind person. I didn't know what the possibilities were for a kid who couldn't see very well, but I knew I was passing, getting by, and being a passenger. In Milwaukee at that time all the high schools had a specialization, something that made them stand out from other schools in the area. I went to all the events where they tried to pitch you on their school. I was kind of interested in the broadcast school because I really loved baseball (you heard that from Melissa this morning), and I loved listening to the greatest baseball announcer in the world, Bob Uecker. I know there are two major league teams here, and some of you have your favorite announcers, but he was a St. Louis Cardinal at one time, so you've got to acknowledge that. I thought that learning to be a broadcaster might be cool until I went to the presentation about the high school that specialized in business, where they showed young high school students running their own businesses. I thought, "Yeah, there we go: money! Hey, I can do that. I can think up things to sell, and I can run my own business." So I chose to go to that high school, and it just so happened that it was a high school that had a resource room for blind students. I didn't know what a resource room was, but I went there-not because of that room, but it just worked out. There was a teacher there who had RP, but he wasn't really a blind guy, either-I mean, he did read Braille, but he read it with his eyes. So he wasn't much of a mentor, and frankly by that point I had been pretty successful at getting by. I was just smart enough to figure out ways to get by, even if I had to work my head off to do it and even if the results were just good enough to pass. I didn't identify with the other kids there who were blind, because I could see more than they could, and therefore I was better than they were. I did not understand that what was holding me back was the same thing that was holding them back, and I'm ashamed to admit it today, but I didn't think I was one of them. Yet, in every life activity, just like them, I was being taught to be a passenger. I could tell you hundreds of stories about experiences in high school that reinforced this point. I joined the debate team in my first year, and I did pretty well. A debate starts with an eight-minute speech, and I was the man for this because I could memorize it. I was paired up with a guy from the football team; he was dumb. He would say stuff that I'd have to try to fix later, but I couldn't read any notes, so that made coming up with a comprehensive defense or a rebuttal much more difficult than doing the opening argument. Now the second year came around and I went back to be a part of the team. The debate coach came to me after a while, and he was concerned. He said, "Well, have you memorized the speech?" I said, "No, not yet, I'm working on it. I'm a little busier than I was last year." He said, "How are you going to participate if you haven't memorized the speech?" I said, "I don't know." He said, "Well, I don't think you can be on the team anymore." I never went back. I didn't know there might be a solution out there that would let me be a fully participating part of that team. I was a passenger. Again, I love baseball. So let me tell you about the time I decided that the best job for me was to be an usher at County Stadium. I went down there, I signed myself up, and they interviewed me. They seemed to think I had something to offer, so they hired me. Now I didn't think of myself as a blind person, but I did let them know that I didn't see very well. It happened to be close to the end of the season, and at that time the Green Bay Packers played three of their home games in Milwaukee, not at Lambeau Field. I signed up to be an usher at one of the games: it was 1992, the Packers versus the Eagles, Brett Favre's first game, and I was working the bleachers. Oh, the bleachers: that's not the coolest place to be, but I was there, I was at the game, and I was working. I had this technique: see, I couldn't read their tickets, but I knew the way the section I was working was laid out, I knew the seat numbers. So when a fan came to be seated, I would ask "What does your ticket say; where are you supposed to be?" They'd tell me, and I'd point. Sometimes I'd have to turn around to point to their section, but, because I didn't see very well, one time I turned, didn't see the folks that were in my periphery, and my arm hit a tray a guy was carrying. Remember, this is October in Wisconsin, and he's carrying hot chocolate. He wasn't too happy with me, and I wasn't too happy either. After that little experience I just decided that I didn't like being an usher, never really wanted that job anyway, and I quit. I could tell you about the time I went to prom and ran into a glass door and hundreds of other times where I had a desire to do something but was stopped. I graduated from high school; they gave me a fold-up cane for graduating-congratulations. I didn't know what I was supposed to do with it or why I even had it, but I took it to the University of Wisconsin. I figured it probably wasn't a good idea to fall down stairs in front of coeds, so I took it to the orientation. But when I actually got to school, I folded it up and stood it in the corner, and that was where it stayed. I wasn't blind, and I certainly didn't want other people to think I was. Why did I go to college? Because that was what people did. I understood that was what kids around me were doing. My grades were just good enough, I was smart enough, and I had great techniques for just getting by. But I had to work three times as hard as everybody else. I didn't go to parties because I had to study, I had to read. I didn't read with Braille; I oftentimes read with cassettes. I had human note-takers in my classes because I couldn't take my own notes, but then I would have to struggle to read their notes. I know this is really antiquated for some of you, but this was 1994, the Internet was only five years old, we still had DOS, and only a few people were talking about something called Windows 3. I struggled, and it was getting very difficult. I went to college only because that was the path I thought you were supposed to be on. I survived my first two semesters, but, by the time I got to my sophomore year, I was falling apart. I had a long-term relationship that was coming to an end because I didn't have a good concept of who I was. I almost failed a class because I didn't have access, and I didn't know how to get it. I was at the end of my rope. I thought I was the only person in the world dealing with such problems. But I knew there had to be something more. So I reached out. I came across a blind guy in Madison, Wisconsin. He said, "You know, I live here, and I'd be happy to meet with you." I said, "Great, let's meet at this place," a place on State Street in Madison. I picked it because I knew where it was. This was key for me because, if I knew where it was, I was okay. We had to meet during the day, of course, because that was easier too. I couldn't see anything at night. So I was standing outside-I got there really early (that was key for me, one of my strategies), and down the street came this tapping, and this guy whipped by me and went right into the place. And I'm like, "Hey, I'm right here." How did he miss me? It turns out he was a totally blind guy-a totally blind guy! That was the first time I knew there might be something different, might be something to know that I didn't know about functioning competently as a fellow who was blind. Here was a guy who was driving his own life. He was making his own decisions. He didn't hesitate when I said, "Well, why don't we meet here?" I don't know if he knew the place or not, whether he was familiar with it or just had enough confidence to know he could find it. He told me about the National Federation of the Blind. He said they had national scholarships and state scholarships and local scholarships. So I signed up to try and get a scholarship from the NFB of Wisconsin, and darned if they didn't call and say, "We're going to give you one, and you need to get on a plane and come to Anaheim, California." Now where did I put that cane? I was supposed to get on an airplane by myself, and they acted like this was normal, no big deal, just what a guy needed to do to get his scholarship. So I went to Anaheim, California, and I showed up at this big old hotel. Blind people were driving their own lives, and I was filled with hope and determination and energy for the first time in a long time. Blind people were making decisions; they were doing the things they wanted to do; they were talking about how to make changes in the world so that they could do more of the things they wanted and needed to do. I wanted that too, but wanting was just the first step. I had to get a blind person to read me the agenda. They were reading it in Braille. I had to get a blind person to tell me how to go. I wanted to be the one to decide how to go, but I had to get a blind person with a cane to show me the way. I met people who didn't know me, but the very first thing they said to me, every single time, consistently, was: "You can do better, and I'll help you." I went out with the president of the student division. It was 106 degrees, it was Anaheim, California, and he says, "Oh, we're late getting back. We'll have to run back to the hotel. I'm thinking, "Wait a minute, I'm not late for anything. I don't have any obligations here." But we ran back to the hotel, me trying to use this cane that I didn't have confidence in as a walking tool, let alone a tool I could use to run. But who asked me: we were running, though it was 106 degrees out. Beg off, say I couldn't do it? No way, I'm from Midwestern people, and I was learning that I could run toward challenges and not away from them. I've never asked him if he set me up for that, but I think he did. Those steps, those hot, frightening steps, led me to a bigger step: one that would change my life forever. At that convention I decided that there might be something different here. I had hope for the first time in a long time. It had always been there, but it was buried oh so deep. So I came home and wrote a letter to the president of the National Federation of the Blind, and darn it if he didn't write me back. I was impressed-didn't expect that. Earlier I read you part of the first paragraph. In that letter Dr. Maurer said, in so many words, you can drive, and I'll teach you how to do it. But you need to help me. You need to participate in this thing and teach me something. All of us have something to teach one another, and this is the best way to learn. I've taken his lesson to heart ever since. In 1996 I was kind of like a sixteen-year-old with the keys to Dad's Mustang and a hot date. I really didn't have the experience or training to know what I was getting into. But man, I felt freedom like never before! I started reading our literature, trying to understand what it was that was different. I could read it, but what I had to decide was whether I believed it. It is respectable to be blind. That was not what I had thought before that convention, but, if it was respectable to be blind, I had a new lease on life; life was something different from what my experience had taught me it was. "It is respectable to be blind." Six words, but what do they mean? For me they mean what Dr. tenBroek called the faith we have in each other. At our twenty-fifth anniversary Dr. tenBroek called it "a faith that could move mountains and mount movements." It is respectable to be blind and compete on terms of equality. Dr. Jernigan helped us understand that the characteristic of blindness is not what defines us, and, if we get training, we can compete on terms of equality. So I started to seek those things, and I learned that, to be a driver, you also need to teach. So I started teaching other people what I had learned, as fast as I could learn it. That put me on a journey that continues even today. Melissa told you earlier that, when I was twenty-two years old, I was elected president of the NFB of Wisconsin. I started giving back, started figuring out how to build stuff, But every step of the way I kept running into an interesting problem: I was getting more than I was giving. This seemed unfair, so I'd try to give more, but still I'd get more back than I gave. Finally I decided this was a truth I needed to learn about the world, the truth that those who give are those who receive. Acting on this, I started advocating for blind kids. I didn't know anything about the education of blind children except that they deserved better than the dumpy experience that I had had in school. It turned out that this experience gave me strength and passion, and it turned out I also had a talent for telling people what to do. So with my passion to make things better for kids, my commitment to see that they would travel a different road, a road where they might have a chance to be more than a passenger, I was hired to direct the Wisconsin Center for the Blind, and I brought some pretty crazy ideas to that venture. At twenty-four and with the radical ideas I brought, I got some push-back from people who had different ideas about blindness at that place. As you can imagine, with the day-in-and-day-out message that "We don't really think these kids need to carry canes," and "We don't really think these kids who can see some need Braille," and "We don't really think these kids can learn to take notes on their own," and "We don't really think it's reasonable to expect that kids go through the lunch line and carry their own trays," you can bet I needed the energy I got from my brothers and sisters in the Federation to keep saying, "Yes, they need to use a cane; yes they need to learn to read and write Braille; yes they can make decisions on their own, and those decisions will make all the difference in determining whether they are the actors or the audience, the spectators or the participants, the passengers somebody drives or the drivers who set their own direction and take control of their lives." I relied on my friends in the Federation to keep me grounded, to remind me that I wasn't crazy, and to push me so that I came to understand that the space we create in the Federation is reality. You've got to make decisions when you're fighting those fights out there, and sometimes you're faced with tough ones. There was a special education administrator in the northern part of the state of Wisconsin--his name was Ed, so I fondly called him "Special Ed." He put out a memo that said, "Thou shall not teach Braille more than X number of hours in a week to a kid." Now this is against the federal law. But he knew people at the state department of education, the very people I worked for, and they didn't say anything to contradict what he said or reprimand him for it. In fact, they gave him an award. I decided I couldn't take it. I had to be a driver, even if it meant personal risk for me. So I started talking to folks, this kid who was only now twenty-six, and, when I started talking to legislators and others in positions of power, that didn't make me a popular guy with my bosses. They didn't have enough on me to fire me, but they certainly wanted to muzzle me, so I had to decide between a secure job that would require me to moderate my views and let those responsible do the driving, or live my life working to bring about a different future for blind children and blind people, a future that almost passed me by and might never be a reality for blind people unless I decided to act. When I came to meet with the president of the National Federation of the Blind, he asked me an interesting question. He said, "What do you want to do with your life?" I thought to myself, "You know, I'm so used to following the path that I've never really decided what I want to do." With some trepidation I told him that I'd like to come work for the National Federation of the Blind. I was honored that he hired me shortly before we opened the Jernigan Institute ten years ago, and I'm celebrating the completion of my tenth year working for the organization. When I showed up there, I didn't know what I was going to do, but I found plenty of work, stayed busy, and felt like I was a part of a team that shared the same game plan. We opened the Jernigan Institute in early 2004, and we had some interesting displays there. One of the displays was a car that a blind person could drive-oooh, cool, that's neat. I thought, "That's a cool hook. Dr. Maurer has done it; he's figured out how we can hook the engineers and managed to give a little something for the public relations folks. Now it's not very realistic, but it's great; it'll give our members something to talk with people about." I thought it was a gimmick, folks. So I came into work one day in 2007, having been working hard on education programs for a long time, and I was called into a meeting. Dr. Maurer said, "We're going to make some changes. Dr. Zaborowski, who has been the executive director of our institute, has cancer, and she's leaving. Mark is going to be our new executive director." I thought to myself, "Well, this is good to know: I wasn't really asked if I wanted to do that." But I started working on programs that were a little broader than the ones I had been working on, and one day I got a telephone call from Virginia Tech. They said, "Hey, we saw that you want to work on a car that a blind person can drive; we'd like to talk with you about it." I thought, "Oh, I have to go sell this idea now." I didn't really believe in this idea that much-full disclosure. I said, "Okay, I'll come talk to you about it." I was sitting in a room with these engineers at Virginia Tech, and they were saying, "We work on vehicles that drive themselves, and we can just put you in the back seat, push a button, and we're done." Now you and I know that that's not actually what we had in mind. So I got up and started pacing around, letting them know that we weren't interested in being passengers-that what we actually wanted was to drive. We wanted to have technology that gave us enough information to allow us to make the decisions real drivers make. So here I was, trying to motivate them by talking the talk, and part of me was asking myself, "Why am I doing this? I don't really believe in it. It's a hook; it's a fine PR thing; it's somewhere out there in the future, but this is 2008." They listened to what I had to say, gave it some thought, and said, "Okay, well it's a little harder than we thought. But we'll work on it." We got a prototype. I went down to see it, and I thought, "This is kind of nifty; let's take it to the Youth Slam in 2009 and see what happens. We'll put it in front of a bunch of blind kids, see what they do with it." We put it in a parking lot with these blind kids who had, decade after decade, been told that they couldn't drive, and, what do you know, they loved it. They were excited about it; they lit up, and they said, "We need this today! When can we get this project done? This will open up opportunities for us; it can change our lives." And I thought to myself "Oh, there is something to be learned here, and these kids are teaching me about it." Dr. Maurer said, "Mark, go to Virginia Tech and get them to tell you when they can build a real car." They said, "Well, twenty-two months or so." I said, "Great. Now our first public demonstration is at Daytona in eighteen months." "Look," they said, "we said twenty-two months." "I know, but our first public demonstration is at Daytona in eighteen months." So we decided to go down to Daytona in July of 2010 to announce to the world that we were going to drive a car on the Daytona International Speedway, and we hadn't even built the car. This wasn't the only thing going on in my life. My son Austin was born in 2006, and my daughter Oriana was born about a month before the 2010 convention. We're there in the hospital, ready to take her home, and, as they were checking her out, they said, "Well, here she is. Now, on Monday we want you to go see a pediatric ophthalmologist. Her eyes don't respond as you would expect." Ladies and gentlemen, my heart stopped-I felt sick deep inside-not because of blindness (I knew what to do about that). No, what shook my world was remembering that feeling of being a passenger, that second-class feeling I lived with in the education system. I'd been working on education for a while, but right then I felt fear-fear for my child, and I said to myself, "Not my daughter. We're not doing this again." And this was the day when I recommitted myself in a new way to this organization. Because, as you parents know, it gets personal when it's your child, your family, your responsibility. So I showed up at the convention in 2010 and worked on publicizing the Blind Driver Challenge I'd been managing; and people were talking about it. Some were excited, some were skeptical. Some saw in it the makings of a brighter future; a few saw it as a futile waste of time and money. After the convention Dr. Maurer said, "We need some blind people who are going to drive this car. Who wants to drive?" Who wants to drive? Well, I believed I wanted to drive. He was very clear: "This will not be a political decision. The best driver drives at Daytona. We need the best representative of the National Federation of the Blind in that car." We were out there in December on a track in Virginia, testing this stuff out, and Dr. Maurer was out there. I was thinking to myself that this was stupid. This was Dr. Maurer's idea. "He's our president. Of course he should drive; we should throw this contest. I didn't even believe in this when we started." As I thought about whether to throw the contest or do my best, I reflected on that very first letter that he had sent me in 1996 and decided I had no choice. If I threw that contest, I wouldn't have been keeping faith with that bond of trust, the trust that I would do my best, that everyone there would do their best, and that we'd show our best in Daytona. In pushing Dr. Maurer, we helped push this organization, and we pushed each other. And we would do it with love and respect and with each of us giving our best, not just to be the driver of the car but to be the driver of our own lives. So with all my love and respect for Dr. Maurer, the man who dreamed this up, dared to commit to it, and dared to stake his and our reputation on what the blind could do if we put our minds and hearts into it, I went out there and I whooped him. Don't tell him I said that! [The crowd laughingly reminds the speaker he's being recorded and streamed.] But you know, that's what he wanted, the best from all of us, and that's what we gave him. That's all right, he's got some hard feelings, but he'll get over it. Because that's the bond of faith that we have with and for each other. In fact he was happy to be whooped, because that's what we're working on. I worked on this technology, and it was hard and involved very long hours. We spent a lot of time standing out there in the snow while the engineers were fixing stuff. We sometimes wondered just what we were getting ourselves into. Anil Lewis and I spent a lot of time together on this because we were the two finalists in the contest to see who would drive the car. One of the things we wanted to do at Daytona was a passing maneuver. We knew it would be impressive if we not only could drive around the track but could pass another vehicle. So one day we kicked these sighted engineers out of the car, and I was working on this-it was the first time we were going to do a pass. So I was driving along, and I rolled the windows down so that I could hear when the car was next to me. I was passing them on the left, I heard when I was just about past them, and I honked the horn. The sighted graduate students were all going, "Oooh, how-ooooh, how did he know? How did he know-he honked the horn at the right time." You know that your blind buddies sometimes give you away-they know the techniques of blindness, so my friend Anil ruined it. He said, "He's driving with the windows down." They still didn't get it, so he told them about being able to hear the reflection and the noise from the car I was passing and that this would tell me when I had passed and should honk. Finally, on Friday, January 28, we showed up. We were driving in a parking lot, were just goofing off because it was the day before the demonstration. We got everything down; we were ready to go. The graduate students and the undergraduate students from Virginia Tech were there, and we were giving them rides around the parking lot. The president and the first lady of the Federation showed up, and I was going to be their chauffeur. I suddenly realized that Dr. Maurer had never ridden in the car with a blind person driving. Then my family showed up, and we took our first family road trip around the parking lot. Let me tell you: it's a lot harder to strap those darn car seats in than it is to actually drive. Austin would like me to tell you that he really liked driving through the puddle. There was a big puddle in this parking lot; we had to drive through it every time, and that was his favorite part. Now the skeptics who don't care much for the Federation or lack the capacity to dream would say, "Who cares, it's a parking lot." But they wouldn't say that about Kitty Hawk, and they wouldn't say that about that first footprint on the moon. But they don't understand the love and the bond of faith that we share in this organization. People always ask me, "Were you nervous at Daytona?" And what I tell them is this. We had to get there very early on Saturday morning, and we were sitting around and sitting around, and finally I said, "We have to go see the Federationists. Where are they? I've got to see them." So some of you were there, right? We walked over from the pits, and we found four hundred blind folks hanging out at Daytona. Whatever nervousness I felt immediately disappeared. I had that same feeling you get at convention, the feeling that together we can do anything--anything, and I was honored to be one of the people who would make history that day, not only for the four hundred but for all of those who worked so hard to make this day a reality. When I showed up at the finish line at Daytona and stepped out of the car, people asked, "Now, what do you have to say? You've got to say something." But there was nothing to say that was equal to what we did together. They were looking for words about a car and about technology. How could I explain in a memorable quote or a soundbite they would understand that my concept of blindness had been exploded forever. I didn't know what the limits were for us anymore. I knew my future would be different, and I knew that I would never again be a passenger. I resolved to be a driver for my life and for the National Federation of the Blind, and I realized that the limits are only what we make of them: that it was my responsibility to do all I could to be a driver and to fuel this organization. I also recognized that driving isn't just a one-person job. The dreaming, the science, the testing will require all of us. And, on a more personal level, I realized that in my life, driving can't be a one-person job either, because the people in this room, members of the National Federation of the Blind, have always been part of it, that I've been learning to be a driver since I met the organization, and that I will continue to learn as long as I live. Now, when a blind guy named Dan Parker, a member of ours from Georgia, called up and said, "Hey, I'd like to drive a motorcycle," I kind of thought he was crazy. I thought that maybe he was trying to regain or hold on to his former racing career as a sighted guy. But I believed it was possible. So we supported him, and we've now had a blind guy drive a motorcycle on the salt flats in Utah. He's going to be at this year's convention. (applause) I'm here to tell you tonight that there are people in this organization who can teach you stuff. I'm here to tell you our president, Marc Maurer, taught me how to drive, and he started in August of 1996 when he wrote me that first letter. Last fall he said he wasn't going to run for the presidency this year. He asked me if I wanted to be president. I told him that I did, that as long as he wasn't willing to be in the driver's seat, I wanted to do it, because I know nothing better to do than to be a driver in this organization, and I was honored when Dr. Maurer gave me his endorsement for the presidency. If the Federation sees fit to elect me this summer, I will pledge to be the best driver I can be for this organization. I'm prepared to accept the bond of faith that our presidency requires. But I hope that all of you understand that this bond also binds you. It binds you to be a driver in our organization because I can't be the last blind driver. This organization is bigger than any one person. And it's fitting that we call it a "vehicle for collective action." You have to be willing as well to grab that steering wheel of faith and drive, because this organization is about us. I appreciate the tremendous driving going on in Missouri, and I have been inspired by the speeches and the discussions that have occurred here today. Earlier Chris shared a story much like mine. She was a passenger. Jeffery's story about employment, and Julie, who has matured in a tremendous way in this organization since she was at the leadership seminar a little while ago-these people inspire me. And I could go on and on and on. I am reenergized by what's going on here, and I appreciate the driving that you're doing. It gives me comfort and faith to know that together we can drive into the future because you have and are the spirit of the Federation, the determination, the hope, and the love that created it and that today we share. Let's grab that steering wheel of fate together and drive ourselves toward the future that is promised to us if together with love, hope, and determination we work to transform dreams into reality. ---------- Giving a Dream One of the great satisfactions in life is having the opportunity to assist others. Consider making a gift to the National Federation of the Blind to continue turning our dreams into reality. A gift to the NFB is not merely a donation to an organization; it provides resources that will directly ensure a brighter future for all blind people. Seize the Future The National Federation of the Blind has special giving opportunities that will benefit the giver as well as the NFB. Of course the largest benefit to the donor is the satisfaction of knowing that the gift is leaving a legacy of opportunity. However, gifts may be structured to provide more: . Helping the NFB fulfill its mission . Realizing income tax savings through a charitable deduction . Making capital gain tax savings on contributions of appreciated assets . Providing retained payments for the life of a donor or beneficiary . Eliminating or lowering the federal estate tax in certain situations . Reducing estate settlement costs NFB programs are dynamic: . Making the study of science and math a real possibility for blind children . Providing hope and training for seniors losing vision . Promoting state and local programs to help blind people become first- class citizens . Educating the public about blind people's true potential . Advancing technology helpful to the blind . Creating a state-of-the-art library on blindness . Training and inspiring professionals working with the blind . Providing critical information to parents of blind children . Mentoring blind job seekers Your gift makes you a partner in the NFB dream. For further information or assistance, contact the NFB planned giving officer. ---------- Blind Students Will Not Be Left Behind in Common Core Testing, Settlement Says by Joy Resmovits From the Editor: Readers will remember that Mehgan Sidhu, general counsel for the National Federation of the Blind, told the participants at the Washington Seminar that the NFB had sued the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers because it was contracted by several states to help administer common core testing of students without first making those tests accessible. This article ran in the Huffington Post on February 24, 2014. It is reprinted with permission. Just five weeks after a New Milford, New Jersey, family filed a federal lawsuit, a major standardized-testing consortium tasked with writing exams tied to the Common Core has agreed to speed up its timeline for making Braille practice tests available, according to a settlement reached Monday. On January 17, the National Federation of the Blind and two New Jersey parents filed suit against the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), alleging that the group was violating the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1973 Rehabilitation Act by not making hard-copy and online practice tests in Braille available to blind students. The plaintiffs argued that the lack of practice tests would disadvantage blind students because problems with the Braille tests would not be identified before the actual tests were implemented. "Blind Americans and the parents of blind children cannot and will not tolerate blind students being forced to wait for likely inferior accessibility to the tests that will measure their academic performance, simply because the students happen to live in states that are part of a consortium that does not take its stated commitment to accessibility seriously," Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said at the time. According to Monday's settlement, PARCC "shall work with its vendor" to provide the spring 2014 practice test "as soon as possible in an accessible format for use with assistive technology used by blind students and in hard copy Braille or tactile graphics when the material cannot be accessibly represented in an online format." The settlement also outlined steps for PARCC's collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind. PARCC agreed to let the Federation "quality check" the Braille tests and to "compensate NFB at customary rates for mutually agreed to services." PARCC will set up a meeting between the Federation and Pearson Education Services, the company actually designing the tests, to discuss accessibility. In June PARCC will arrange a testing software demonstration for the federation. Specifically, the Braille-accessible test will be expected to have tactile graphics so that test takers can "use hard-copy Braille and a refreshable Braille Display for those Assessments." The tests must also be compatible with "screen-reader software used by blind and visually impaired students." PARCC is one of two consortia receiving money from the federal government to develop tests aligned to the Common Core State Standards, a set of learning standards that most states have agreed to implement. PARCC received $186 million from the Obama administration through the Race to the Top competition. The National Federation of the Blind lauded Monday's settlement in a statement. "Blind students are far too often forced to wait for equal access to educational materials and as a result end up lagging far behind their sighted peers in academics," Maurer said. "This important settlement will address that problem by ensuring that PARCC's assessments and practice tests are accessible to blind students at the same time that they are deployed to all students." PARCC spokesman David Connerty-Marin said the group was also pleased, adding that it had always intended to have Braille practice tests ready by this fall-and will have Braille versions of the full tests ready by spring 2015, as initially planned. "Our interests are the same as those of the National Federation of the Blind, which is full access for all students, which is why we were able to settle so quickly," Connerty-Marin said. "This is a major undertaking. We're moving through all the pieces as quickly as possible." He added that "cognitive labs" in Braille, conducted this summer and fall, will take a closer look at how tests in Braille serve blind students by asking them intermittent questions while they take the test. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Julie McGinnity] Just Julie by Mitch Ryals From the Editor: Last month we ran an article by Julie McGinnity, a graduate student majoring in performing arts, who has won two scholarships from the National Federation of the Blind. As you might expect, Julie is a very impressive person, and this article, reprinted with permission from the Mizzou Diversity Magazine, reveals a talented author and journalist who, in only a few pages, manages to capture much of what makes Julie a special person. Here is the article: "Oh my gosh, if you say 'say' instead of 'suh' one more time I'm going to scream," says Professor Ann Harrell from the piano bench in her office. "It's pronounced 'suh'?" Julie McGinnity asks, smiling. "Yes. Try again." McGinnity, twenty-three, runs her fingers over a white music sheet, and Harrell begins playing from where she left off. McGinnity had been pronouncing the French word "se" incorrectly. This time, she gets it right. About five feet, two inches tall with ash-blond hair that hangs past her waist in a ponytail, the soprano is neither soft-spoken nor tender footed. Rather, she walks and talks with poise and self-confidence. Harrell coached McGinnity during the 2013 fall semester to prepare six songs for a jury performance-the final grade for a voice lesson class, a requirement for a master's in vocal performance. Harrell continues to play the bare bones melody of "Air Champ?tre," one of the songs from Airs chant?s by Francis Poulenc, at a slower pace than the composer intended. It's a tough one, McGinnity admits, especially when you don't speak French. With Harrell's direction McGinnity pronounces the word correctly, but the song isn't quite performance-ready yet. At her final performance during finals week last December, the jury graded her based on musical accuracy, physical performance such as posture, tone quality, and pronunciation of the language being sung. Professor Harrell is no-nonsense. When McGinnity tilts her chin back and scrunches her shoulders up toward her neck while she sings, Harrell firmly reminds her to relax. When McGinnity overuses the muscles in her stomach, the muscles that control her breath, Harrell sighs. "Breathe with an open throat. Relax your tongue," she says. She places her hand on McGinnity's stomach while she sings to remind her. "Sustain your breath. Breathe for the phrase," she tells McGinnity. "Tension is bad. Singing should be effortless, or at least appear effortless." Professor Harrell is honest in her critiques and blunt in her delivery of them. That's important to McGinnity. She doesn't want her vision loss to determine how she's treated. To someone without vision impairment, any loss of sight might seem an impossible hurdle. Simple tasks such as crossing the street, preparing dinner, and doing homework are unfathomable without fully functioning eyes. McGinnity is used to this notion. She was born with glaucoma, a genetic disease that causes pressure and swelling in the eyes and can limit vision along a continuum of a little to completely. McGinnity has some vision in her right eye but none in her left. She can see colors and faces if they're close enough but can't really make out facial features. Bright light helps, too. In addition to graduate classes, homework, and her job at the Adaptive Computing and Technology Center, McGinnity sings periodically at Bethel Church and holds so many positions with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) that her email signature spans nine lines (including one Bible verse). NFB, the largest and oldest blind membership organization, advocates for the civil rights of blind Americans and works to develop educational tools and programs to help the blind and those with limited vision become successful. In mid-February she and other NFB members traveled to Jefferson City, Missouri, to present a legislative agenda that, among other changes, would amend the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to require voting locations to provide nonvisual accessible voting booths at federal, state, and local elections. Currently HAVA provides nonvisual accessible voting booths only at federal elections. Her overall goal in working with the NFB is to erase ignorance and oppression of the blind. At a crosswalk, for example, she might feel the tug of an unexpected arm against her own. "It's one thing to ask because I can always say no," she says. "But, when a stranger pulls me across the street without asking first, that's not OK." After she earned her undergraduate degree, an article about her academic achievements (magna cum laude and degrees in vocal performance and German just to name a few) framed them and her as "extraordinary" because of her blindness. "Everyone who knows me probably just read it and shook their heads," McGinnity says. "Because, like, I'm not amazing. I just do my homework and go to class and hang out with my friends." One of the most upsetting examples of discrimination she encountered, though, happened before her undergraduate graduation from a different university. Every year the big performance for vocal performance majors is an opera scene. Her freshman through junior years, McGinnity was given a part in the chorus or other minor parts, which was disappointing but understandable. She was just learning to read Braille music, and her stage experience wasn't great. Senior year, the students performed a scene from a Russian opera called Iolanta by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. McGinnity was elated to be cast as the title character until she got home. Iolanta is a blind princess who is unaware of her blindness throughout most of the opera. When she asked why she was typecast, a professor said it was necessary to cast her as Iolanta because they didn't have time to work with her, and they wanted to put on a good performance for the university. McGinnity felt as though she didn't belong in the world of vocal performance, couldn't pursue her dream lest her blindness be accommodated for. Nevertheless, the performance went smoothly, and McGinnity used the experience as a reminder of why her work with the NFB is so important. [PHOTO CAPTION: Brie stretches out for a snooze while Julie works on her laptop.] As the voice lesson continues in Harrell's office, Brie promptly plops herself down in the middle of the room and falls asleep with her head resting on McGinnity's feet as she sings. She starts to snore. Brie (like the cheese) has been McGinnity's guide dog since she was a senior at Lindbergh High School in St. Louis five and a half years ago. Now she's entering her second semester as a master's student studying vocal performance. After the lesson McGinnity and Brie head for the Fine Arts Annex. She has some questions about an upcoming music theory assignment. As she steps out of Harrell's office, she taps the middle of her iPhone twice. It reads her a comment a friend left on her Facebook status. She taps it again, and it tells her the time. "Good, I'm not late," she says. "To the stairs, please." No one moves. "Brie, to the stairs," she says. Brie obeys somewhat begrudgingly and stops at the top of three flights of stairs. McGinnity stops, too. "Forward, please." Brie moves slowly down the stairs with McGinnity. They go through the same routine at the top of each flight, though the two have been together so long, like an old married couple, that commands aren't entirely necessary. Brie is now seven and a half years old, and she's been guiding McGinnity for almost six. Recently, her guiding has been slipping. Her pace has slowed down considerably; she's often tired and sometimes needs to be told twice. "She's a diva," McGinnity says fittingly of a dog that sometimes accompanies her on stage. As the duo leave the Fine Arts Building to get to the Fine Arts Annex by way of Hitt Street, Brie pulls them both left to a stone wall outside. "I used to sit here and eat lunch sometimes when it was warm," McGinnity says. Whenever they pass it, she wants to sit down-another sign she's nearing the end of her career. McGinnity pulls Brie toward the crosswalk, and Brie obliges. "Heel," McGinnity commands with loving sternness. "Heel" means Brie is at her left side and facing the way she's facing. Brie obeys. "To the curb," she says. "Brieby, to the curb, please," she repeats. Again Brie obeys. Slowly she brings them both to where Lowry Mall's red bricks meet the black pavement and stops. "Forward." Once in the crosswalk, Brie picks up her normal meandering pace to a slight trot. McGinnity feels the harness pull and increases her pace as well. "Good girl, Brie," she says. Safely across the street, Brie continues walking toward Memorial Union. "Left, left, leeeft," McGinnity sings, pulling Brie's harness. Inside the Fine Arts Annex, she fires questions at her music theory professor, Dr. William Lackey. Again, Brie promptly falls asleep. Soon McGinnity realizes she's missing some assigned reading material necessary for the upcoming final exam, which is unusual. "Mizzou is really good about getting me materials in Braille," she says, "as long as I submit the request a week or so in advance." McGinnity also has an embosser in her apartment, which is basically a Braille printer. When McGinnity was first accepted to MU, she contacted the Office of Disability Services right away to begin setting up a plan for getting access to her course materials. There are twenty-eight students with a vision impairment enrolled in the 2014 spring semester. Each one meets with Disability Services to set up an individual plan for gaining access to course materials. Disability Services works closely with MU's Adaptive Computing Technology (ACT) Center to provide access for McGinnity and other students with vision impairments. The ACT Center does individual assessments with students to determine their needs for screen-reading programs, text- magnification software, larger monitors, and any other adaptive needs a student might have. "It's on a case-by-case basis," says Cate Cooper, access advisor for Disability Services. Each student meets with the offices several times to make plans for access to course materials. But, she adds, the earlier the student contacts her, the better. Sometimes it can take months to get materials transcribed and converted. Life Without Brie At the start of the 2014 spring semester, for the first time since high school, McGinnity is dogless. Brie's slower pace meant it was finally time to retire after five and a half years. The biggest change to McGinnity's life, though, is not navigating Columbia. It's her routine. She no longer packs a Ziploc bag full of brown dog food and a bowl every morning for Brie's lunch. Regular bathroom breaks outside are no longer necessary, and, when she kicks a dog toy across the floor in her apartment, the yellow dog that normally pounces on it isn't there. Her trips to and from campus and between classes are a little quicker now, but she has to adjust to different cues. As she leaves her final class one frigid February afternoon, her cane taps against the tile floor and on each side of the door frame as she walks through. As she approaches the stairs, her cane runs into the bottom step. She then taps it on the second step to gauge the steepness. Outside, McGinnity scrapes her cane across the concrete sidewalk. It moves from just outside her left foot to just outside her right. Crossing a street isn't much different without Brie, either. A common misconception is that guide dogs tell their owners when to cross. That's incorrect. "You have to know when to cross the street," McGinnity says. "You cross with parallel traffic. The only difference is, if there was a car turning in front of me, Brie would see it and slow down." Retirement looks good on Brie. She spends her days napping and chasing cats around McGinnity's mom's house in St. Louis. McGinnity calls about every other day to check on her, and in June she will travel to Yorktown Heights, New York, to train with a new dog. During the training McGinnity and her new guide will navigate through rural, suburban, and urban settings, including some time in New York City on subways and busy streets before returning to Columbia. Until she trains with a new dog, McGinnity will use a cane to get around Columbia-a skill she hasn't used regularly since high school. Connie Pack, COMS-Mobility Instructor for Rehabilitation Services for the Blind, helped her get used to the transition from dog cues to cane cues and identify landmarks that will help her orient herself. "Landmarks are objects or a configuration of objects that are fixed, identifiable visually, aurally, or tactilely and unique to the area," Pack says. "For example, if a person with limited or no vision needs to locate a certain room (and knows it's next to an elevator), he or she might be able to feel for the elevator with the long cane or hear the sounds of the doors opening and closing." If you were to ask McGinnity what she wants to do after school, she might sigh and groan a little bit. She knows she wants to educate the public and erase destructive stereotypes of blind people. She knows she wants to sing, and she knows she wants to teach at a university. Maybe she'll get a PhD, go on a couple auditions, travel a little bit, but for now she's happy being just Julie. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Donna Posont on a nature walk] Adventuring With My Cane: A Response to Dr. Vermeij by Donna Posont From the Editor: in the March 2014 issue, Dr. Geerat Vermeij discussed how using a sighted guide in his expeditions into the wild gave him a great deal of freedom as well as giving him the opportunity to create relationships that his sighted colleagues missed out on. In the name of fairness, this month we are sharing this article by Donna Posont, who respectfully offers an opposing view of where to leave your cane when heading out into nature, especially when working with blind children. Here is what Donna has to say: I wish to make it clear that I hold Dr. Vermeij and his contributions to evolutionary biology in the highest respect. As a naturalist and an extreme fan of engaging in adventure on the wild side, I can only dream of experiencing the natural world to the extent that he has. However, in my experience as a naturalist, I cannot imagine any time when I would leave my cane at home. Adventure might be waiting just around the corner or down the path, but I need to use my cane to get there. I have conducted many programs in the woods with blind children, and I reinforce the notion that my cane is a ticket to freedom. There may be times when it is necessary to use a sighted guide, but in general, when you take another person's arm, some part of the brain shuts down and awareness of surroundings is diminished. Again there are times when the goal is to get from point A to point B, so the fastest track may be to take the arm of a fellow traveler. It must be acknowledged that the information along the way is not perceived to the same extent. When I am in the woods I want every advantage to collect information, and my cane is crucial in determining the edge of the trail, the slope of the landscape, and the texture of the terrain. At any time I can put down my cane and touch the bark of a tree or even climb it if I wish. But I want to know that my cane will be on the ground beneath the tree, waiting to return to my hand. My cane tells me so much about my travels that I would feel less engaged without it. When I want it to be, it is an extension of my fingertips. When I want my hands empty to feel the shape of a leaf or flower or the stickiness of a spider web, I simply put the cane down beside me. If I wish to enter the water, sometimes I leave my cane on the shore, and sometimes it goes in the water with me. It depends on what I am trying to achieve. If I had left it at home, I would not have that option. As a blind role model and mentor for many blind children who participate in nature programming with me, I believe I would be doing them a great disservice by not encouraging them to keep a cane in their hands. In fact, sometimes it must be insisted upon based on the natural habitat. The confidence gained by the children as they navigate their pathway is immeasurable. Again I am not against putting the cane down and diving into learning with my hands, but the cane needs to be nearby for hasty movement. Not every blind child who attends nature programming will grow up to be a naturalist and live more outdoors than inside. However, each child who enters the woods with cane in hand is preparing to go confidently someday to a job interview or take the bus or walk down the city sidewalk holding the hand of a child. I adamantly promote the cane in-hand to travel the trails and thus prepare to travel the trails of life. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Erin Jepsen with her husband and four children.] Do Blind People Dream in Color? by Erin Jepsen From the Editor: Sometimes I find myself complaining about the blurring I perceive between opinion and news, about the tendency to elevate the reporter above the events he reports, and about how easily we accept one side of a story without demanding the other side and then some considered discussion of the conflicting points of view. When we carry an investigative piece, the Monitor tries to talk with those who are complaining and those who are the target of the complaints. We certainly do weigh in with our synthesis of what we have been told and have observed, but we also hope to give readers enough information to draw their own conclusions about what has been reported. What follows is not an investigative piece. It is clearly a strongly held opinion, one that may cause those of us who consider ourselves progressive in the way we think about blindness to question whether we appreciate all that our senses can tell us or whether we simply appreciate having them, poor substitutes though they may be, for the sense of sight. Here is a perspective from the mother of a blind child, a mother who has some sight but considers herself blind and thinks there is much to appreciate in being so: Have you ever been asked, "Do blind people dream in color?" I'd like to answer that question, but not in the way you might think. I'd like to say that blind people need to dream more in color, not literally, but metaphorically. Let me explain if I may. A chronic condition exists in our world that desperately needs changing. We have chipped away at it, but still it lurks in our culture, in books, in movies, in conversations, and in unnecessarily limited expectations. We'll call it "sightism" for lack of a better term, and, quickly defined, it's the belief that being sighted is fundamentally better than being blind. Historically, the "medical model of blindness," as it's called in academia, is partly to blame. The thinking goes like this: Diseases, illness, or accidents cause blindness, so it is obviously to be combated and cured by the medical community and by research. Eye doctors spend years of study and millions of dollars to learn how to restore sight. Blindness is not an ideal part of the human condition, so its reversal is better than its acceptance. Historical literature paints the blind man as a second- class citizen, unable to support a family, unable to function independently, and devoid of power in any sort of social sense. The Bible also has several examples of Christ restoring sight, which carries with it the assumption that the lives of those so touched will be vastly improved. In modern culture we, the politically correct enlightened few, assume we've evolved beyond this demeaning form of oppression. Here's how our modern thinking tends to run: Of course a blind man can work! He'll simply use his iPhone as a sort of replacement sight and go on with his business. Technology today has advanced so far that we'll soon have self-driving cars and artificial retinas. Stem cells will likely re-grow entire eyes if put into the right petri dish. Yes, I'm being facetious, but I wonder if you can spot my point? Replacement eyes. New eyeballs that work. Sight, sight, sight. Valuable-you bet. The end all and be all of human existence-I don't buy it. I've been told that humans use up to 70 percent of their brains to interpret visual images. [Some literature alleges that 90 percent of learning comes through vision.] I was told this during a vision screening in which my own visual condition was cross-examined. My brain apparently processes visual images incorrectly. It brought into focus for me (sorry about the pun) the trouble the sighted world has with the idea that someone could function normally without that 70 percent of visual input and still have a rich sensory environment. I get it. Simple mathematics dictates that a blind person uses only the 30 percent that remains, right? Well, we all know that isn't true. The brain is more flexible than that, and, while I don't buy into the delightful myth of superhuman hearing, a la Daredevil, I do know that the brain appropriates visual processing centers in order to interpret shapes read by the fingers as well as aural input. Echolocation is one example. Still, people have a hard time believing that this is adequate. Even the blind community has a pervasive attitude of sightism running through it. Stick with me here. We've been told our whole lives that, while blindness is okay, sight is better, right? The sighted parents receive news that their child will be blind for life, and how do they react? They weep. The child hears them weeping and begins to form an image of her own unfortunate circumstances. This carries through to the undereducated (through no fault of her own) blind adult who cannot hold a job because she has never been expected to ride public transit by herself, the man who never learns to get along with his co-workers without demanding special treatment, and the woman who is incapable of working current technology because her school provided her with technology from 1965. In writing this I'm not shaming us, but I'm pointing out some simple facts. We all know these blind people. We are them. I have low vision. I've been denied jobs because the potential employer had known an incompetent blind person and assumed I was also incompetent. There is room for change. Family, acquaintances, and strangers weekly tell me things I should believe about myself and my daughter, who is blind. When she confidently runs around at church during music practice, I invariably have someone tell me that she can surely see better than we think she can. (Uhm, prosthetic eye, anyone?) The underlying assumption that confident movement can be achieved only with sight is unquestioned. When I refute it, amazement and the dreaded word "inspiration" often follows. When she had surgery on her eyes, people asked me if she could then see better. They ask me if they might pray that her sight would be improved. I won't go into my observations about our faith in the medical system as contrasted with our faith in the Divine. While I do believe in Divine healing, I believe more in Divine guidance, and sometimes we really do walk by faith and not sight. Did you hear me? Not sight. As in, that's okay. The civil rights movement in our country focused our attention on race. It showed us that people with black skin could be employed if they were allowed to be educated. It showed us that black people were not content to sit at the back of the bus or to be treated as second-class citizens. It showed us that the rusty old "colored" drinking fountain next to the refrigerated "white" drinking fountain would no longer do and that shoehorning black adults into menial labor jobs was no longer acceptable. As a country we discovered that people of color were equal in every way to white people. It took time for this idea to sink in. It took a lot of work. But, for a lot of us, it has finally penetrated our skulls, and, equally important, it has made its way into our hearts-both are required for real awareness and understanding that people are equal, no matter their race. Now let's talk about disability. I'm tired of sitting at the back of the bus too. I'm tired of people weeping over blindness. I'm tired of literature equating blindness with death, with sin, with darkness and fear, and with ineptitude. I'm tired of being seen as superhuman or subhuman, and, never oh never, just human. I'm tired of viral videos showing a six- year-old boy stepping off a curb for the very first time with his white cane as if that is a good thing. It's not a good thing. Eighteen-month-old babies step off curbs for the first time, not six-year-old children. I'm tired of reading about 70 percent unemployment rates for blind adults. I'm tired of Braille charities that "bring light to those in darkness." Well, excuse me, I'm not in darkness. My visual condition happens to have a little too much light as a matter of fact. I'm tired of raising money to fight against my blindness. I don't raise money to fight against my brown hair, my five-foot-ten height, or my Caucasian skin. If I raised money to fight my daughter's African skin, I'd be accused of racism, and my accusers would be right. I don't need to fight against who I am, and, more than that, fighting against the way I perceive the world robs the world of my own perception and of my own voice and message. The medical model of blindness is fine as far as it goes. The social model steps a bit further and insists that blindness, when incurable, can become a normal condition of existence and should be accepted as such. Well, that's all nice, but do I merely accept my daughter's African skin? By no means! I embrace her beauty. I tell my bi-racial son that his brown skin is gorgeous, which it is. I tell them that their beautiful hair is so much fun. I tell my white children the same. I adore my multi-colored family, and my adoration opens the door for those around me to adore them too. I draw attention to race only to illustrate a parallel between accepting differences in race and accepting differences in sensory ability. Just as rejecting racism ultimately relies on appreciating one another's differences, rejecting sightism goes far, far beyond simple acceptance. Merely existing in spite of our blindness isn't good enough. Secretly wishing we could see won't cut it. There is a point beyond simply living with our blindness--actually enjoying it. There is a point where we realize that we have a unique perception of the world that sighted people don't have. This perception adds richness to the tapestry of human existence. My daughter who is blind has a rich perception that is unique to her and is in no way less than that of her sister who is fully sighted. If I go around telling my blind daughter everything I see and describing the world to her so that her poor pitiful dark world will be just a bit fuller, then I am sending her the subtle message that the things she notices are less meaningful than the things I can (sort of) see. People who tell me I am blessed because of the limited sight I have discount the wonderful things I possess as part of my blind self. I want to tell them that the unique way that I have always perceived the world is important, even if it is different from the way they perceive it! Remember the scene in Dead Poets Society where the teacher stands on his desk to the consternation of his strait-laced, rule-following prep- school pupils? He is trying to get them to see the world in a new way, a different way. He is trying to broaden them. At the end of the movie, the tearjerker scene involves a student standing on his desk, as if to say, "I learned what you were trying to teach. I get it. I've changed." Guess what? We blind folks were born standing on our desks--or that illness or accident forced us up there. We see the world in a different way. That's not a bad thing; it's a wonderful thing. It's a broadening thing. The world needs us: not to give them inspiration, not by stepping off curbs, but by being ourselves. By experiencing the world in the way that we experience it, by looking at things from a different angle, we enrich the world. I read an article which said that architecture designed with a blind user in mind ends up being more functional for the general population. In the same way that embracing the beauty of all colors of the races and all of the variety found in the world's many cultural traditions makes us stronger, so too does embracing our diverse abilities. These must be seen as valid ways of perceiving or navigating the world so that they can bring a richness of experience, a diversity of thought and problem-solving that cannot happen when vision is considered to be the most important of our six senses. We close doors leading to significant human experience when only mobility using two feet is considered, when only hearing is considered, when only neuro-typical ideas are deemed valid. This shift in thinking about blindness has to come from the blind community first. For the sighted world to see us as competent, we need to begin seeing ourselves as possessing a truly valid perceptual experience. We need to question the sightism that goes on around us constantly. We need to sit in at the sightist lunch counters and insist that we belong there. We need to appreciate the blind artists who showcase the beauty of our perception to the unaware sighted world. We need to insist that blind actors play blind roles in Hollywood and discontinue the shameful but Oscar- winning blind-face practice that goes on there. We need to keep on working for equal access to education and transportation. We need to push back gently against teachers of the blind who teach reliance on poor sight over learning essential blindness skills. I'm not discounting the frightening experience of sight loss. Any change like that is bound to be unsettling; I've gone through it myself. I've gone through the identity shift that rocked the very core of my existence when the person I thought I was is the person I no longer am. I've been there. I have. It's okay. Stepping up onto that desk is scary at first. After a while, though, you find your balance and look around, acknowledging that what you observe is still reality, but reality from a different point of view. Because of the Civil Rights movement, I can adopt and raise black kids to have a wonderful future and embrace them for the color and race they are. I hope that in twenty years my partially sighted and blind children can have as bright a future and be embraced in their families and workplaces for the valuable contributions they make and not merely accepted or accommodated. Like the inimitable Dr. King, I have a dream: just as racism is dying, that sightism and ableism will die the same death, that the medical model will no longer be used as an excuse to discriminate and push us to assume second-class citizenship. I dream that our blind kids will join the ranks of tomorrow's chemists and doctors and actors and engineers, as well as bricklayers and fast-food workers. I dream that we will never again hear stories of blind parents having children removed by Children's Protective Services because they are both blind. I dream that inclusive architecture will be standard because the people who directly benefit from that architecture are valuable enough to be worth it. I dream that our children won't have to spend their energy fighting for equal access to science laboratories but instead can spend their time and energy researching. I have a dream that all Braille teachers not only will read Braille well, but will tell children that learning Braille is as easy as sighted kids learning to read those squiggles and lines they call print. I dream that blind athletes will continue to strive for world records. Not only do I dream for the newsmakers, but I want to see a world in which blind people who want to live quiet, peaceful, non-record-breaking lives without being interrupted by a constant stream of acquaintances calling them inspirational will be free to do so. Let's dream together, shall we? And then we'll tell the world of our beautiful, colorful dreams. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Terry Rupp with her daughter, Marley] Marley and Me Musical Chairs by Terry Rupp From the Editor: Terry Rupp is the former president of the National Federation of the Blind of Nevada and the mother of a blind child. This article is taken from her blog, where she shares her experiences as a blind parent with the world. Here is what she says: I feel as if I'm in a real-life game of musical chairs. First I was the blind child, then the blind student, then the blind parent, and now I'm sitting in the seat as the parent of a blind child. This blog has been a draft in progress, and I'm finally ready to share it. About two-and-a-half years ago we brought my daughter in to see the pediatrician for a double ear infection. This was when it was first brought to our attention that she had nystagmus. After a few trips to the eye doctor, we were given the diagnosis of spasmus nutans. This is the combination of the nystagmus, amblyopia (lazy eye), and a head tilt in response to the other two symptoms. We were told that this was common in eye development in toddlers and it should correct itself by school age. Over the next two years it looked as if the condition was getting better, only obvious when she was really tired or concentrating to see something at a distance. But as her fourth birthday came around, we noticed more and more signs that perhaps we were just looking for it to get better because the doctor said it would. I noticed that she was having difficulty seeing the letters in her books while we were working on reading and writing. My husband noticed she was having difficulty tracking things at a distance. Some of my close friends noticed that, when she went to grab an object, it looked as if she wasn't reaching directly for that object but feeling for it. I couldn't believe I had let two years go by since her last eye checkup. When I called to make an appointment in January, the first available appointment wasn't until May. This wasn't acceptable, especially to a worried parent. After asking around, I found another ophthalmologist who came very highly recommended in my network of moms. I also decided to contact the school district to see if she would qualify to get into its preschool program because, if she would be needing services, I wanted to start the process sooner than later. After a series of assessments with the school nurse and the psychologist and the administration of a vision and hearing test, we sat down to our first IEP (Individualized Education Plan). The team determined that my daughter qualifies to start preschool because she will be a blind/low vision student. Keep in mind that we hadn't yet seen the new eye doctor. There was a good deal of discussion about what accommodations and services she would be given, and, as I expected, there was significant disagreement about Braille. The low vision specialist claimed she felt my daughter has too much vision to learn Braille and that it would slow her down and confuse her. Knowing the IEP process, and knowing that I was able to appeal the findings of the team if I felt the need, I simply told them that, if they didn't want to teach her Braille in preschool, that was fine with me. I am already teaching her Braille, and by the time the school district is ready to approve Braille instruction, she'll already be fully reading uncontracted Braille and will be far ahead of her peers. A few days later we visited her new eye doctor. It turns out that she doesn't just have the three symptoms that make up spasmus nutans. She's got optic atrophy just like her mama. It's very possible it was a dormant gene that appeared in me and which I passed to her. It could be that waiting two years without treating the amblyopia caused the atrophy in the eye. On the other hand it could be a coincidence. What matters, however, is that she's got the same eye condition as me. The doctor also told us that her vision loss is severe enough that Braille would be best for her. Forcing her to read print would only strain and stress her eyes, possibly making things worse. I'll be honest. The weekend following these findings consisted of a whole lot of tears, a whole lot of guilt, a whole lot of grief, and a whole lot of anger. But it also witnessed a whole lot of love, support, and pride. On Sunday morning I heard my daughter chatting away while she was eating her pancakes. My mommy ears perked up when I heard her say, "X is one, three, four, six." I then asked her to show it to me, which she did on the little wooden Braille block that we play with. She then told me that X was her favorite letter in Braille. I was overwhelmed by the comforting feeling that, no matter what, everything will be fine. She is a happy, healthy, beautiful, bright, and strong little girl, who will succeed in whatever her heart desires. With my own personal experiences, with the resources and support of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children and the National Federation of the Blind, with the love of family and friends who will treat her like every other little girl out there and not like a child who needs to be tended to or coddled, I plan to surround her with nothing but positivity and make sure that she grows up to be a confident young lady doing whatever she wants to in life. So, to my dear, sweet Marley, this musical is for you because you're amazing just the way you are. ---------- Odin Mobile: A Wireless Provider for People Who Are Blind by Robert Felker Odin Mobile has broken new ground: it is the first wireless provider in the world whose primary mission is to provide cell phone service to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. Not surprisingly, Odin Mobile made it a priority to form a partnership with the NFB, which is exciting on a number of levels, not the least of which is that NFB members receive a 5 percent discount on Odin Mobile plans, and a percentage of the revenue goes back to the NFB. Odin Mobile's first priority is accessible phones. The company offers some unique basic cell phones, as well as smartphones. Its primary basic mobile phone is the Odin VI. This basic mobile phone has become very popular with the blind community in Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom, where it is sold by the Royal National Institute of Blind People. The Odin VI is designed for people who want a phone with large buttons, who place a priority on ease of use, and who want to perform basic functions, such as making a call, entering and accessing contacts, sending and receiving text messages, having access to the call log, and being able to set and enable and disable alarms. The phone allows the blind user to perform every function that a sighted user can perform. For those of you who feel that a smartphone is more than you need or is too expensive, this phone is designed for you. The phone speaks everything that is on the screen, speaks the keys that you press, and even prompts you to perform certain functions. You can choose between several voices, which are clear and whose volume can be adjusted. The phone is a "slider", which means that you slide open the top portion of the phone in order to reveal the keypad. Whenever you slide open the phone, it automatically speaks the time. The phone speaks English, Spanish, and several European languages. The Odin VI also has speaking caller ID, and speaks the battery level and signal strength at the press of a button. The user guide for the Odin VI is descriptive and accessible. It does not rely on images, as so many user guides do. It is made available on Odin Mobile's website and is provided through email to customers who purchase the phone. The Odin VI costs $150 and must be used with Odin Mobile service, which operates on T-Mobile's network. The Odin VI can be purchased directly from Odin Mobile, as well as from Perkins Products. Odin Mobile's primary smartphone is the Nexus 5 from Google, one of the best Android phones on the market. As we all know, the large majority of blind people currently use the iPhone. Odin Mobile, however, is focusing on Android because it believes that, as Android accessibility continues to improve, more and more people who are blind will start using Android devices. Odin Mobile intends to bring the best in Android to the blind community. The advantage of a Nexus over a Samsung or other Android smartphone is that, as Google's smartphone, it is typically the first device to receive Google's updates to the Android operating system. In addition, it has the latest in Android accessibility. Customers who purchase a Nexus 5 from Odin Mobile will be entitled to a unique instructional package. The package will include two one-on-one over-the-phone tutorials on how to use the accessibility features of an Android device, and customers will be able to call our experts to seek help and ask questions about Android accessibility for a period of one month after they purchase their phone. The tutorials and support are provided by an expert in Android accessibility who is also blind. Individuals may purchase additional months of this special support for $9.95 per month. This additional support can be purchased by Odin Mobile customers, as well as non-customers. Thus, individuals who are blind who receive service from other wireless providers, such as AT&T or Verizon, can sign up for this support service as well. Going forward, Odin Mobile intends to make its website, , a resource for blind users of Android. It will include a number of tools, such as podcasts, that will help its customers get the most out of their Android devices. These resources will be available to Odin Mobile customers only. To further its objective of bringing the best in mobile communications to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, Odin Mobile is involved in a few advocacy projects--perhaps the most important of which is obtaining approval from the Federal Communications Commission to participate in the Lifeline program. Through this program consumers who have lower incomes can obtain subsidized cell phone service. Many wireless providers that participate in this program offer a free basic phone and 250 minutes per month. The phones, however, are not accessible! As a result, people who are blind or visually impaired cannot take full advantage of the program. In fact, in a survey performed by Odin Mobile, with the assistance of members of the Blinded Veterans Association, only one out of nineteen people who identified themselves as eligible actually participated in Lifeline. Odin Mobile is determined to provide the blind community the opportunity to benefit fully from this federal program. Odin Mobile's service is prepaid so that users are not locked into two- year contracts. The company has unlimited plans, as well as plans as low as $10 per month for those who make only occasional calls. And remember that NFB members receive a 5 percent discount! Also, Odin Mobile has a refer-a- friend program in which customers receive a free month for each person they refer to Odin Mobile, and the person they refer will receive a $10 discount on their phone! This is a nice opportunity for NFB members who may know other members who would benefit from this service. You can learn more about Odin Mobile at , by calling (855) 217-9459, or by checking us out on Facebook at . ---------- Paddles Up! by Kristen Jocums From the Editor: Kristen Jocums has been a member of the National Federation of the Blind for more than twenty years. A former winner of a national scholarship, she has served in leadership in each of the affiliates where she has lived. Most recently, she has served as Fountain City Chapter president in Columbus, Georgia, and as a board member of the NFBGA. She is now living in Corvallis, Oregon. Here is her report on a recent chapter activity in Columbus: Listen to the water lapping against the side of the boat. Hear the far off sounds of people on shore. Check your partner in the seat next to you- all is well. In unison your entire team lets out a battle cry-a unique, low- toned "hhhwhuh" made by forcing air and noise past your lungs in one solid breath. And then comes the call for action-"Paddles up!" You hold the paddle poised over the water; Your heart beats. Your muscles are taut with excitement. Bang! The starting gun fires and you are off-paddling upstream in a fast-moving river on a sultry, sunny day in Georgia. "OMG, this is awesome," yells Maria Vasillava, a mentee in the NFBGA's GEMS mentoring program. On this bright, sunny day at the end of May, Maria's one of a twenty-two-member team called the Midnight Dragons. What on earth is a Midnight Dragon? It's the fiery Dragon Boat team that recently paddled the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Georgia, of course. You haven't heard of us yet? Well, listen up because we are on the move. On Saturday, May 25, 2013, a team made up primarily of blind individuals joined thirty-one other dragon boat teams in a race on the historic Chattahoochee River. As part of the opening of Columbus, Georgia, and Phenix City, Alabama's whitewater rafting program, a race was held to benefit Children's Miracle Network. With thirty-two participating teams and over two thousand people in attendance, the Fountain City Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia spearheaded an effort to combine charitable contributions with a can-do attitude. "And that we did- taking first place in our division," beamed Mary Huie, incoming chapter president. Dragon boating is an ancient Chinese tradition and is a competitive sport around the world. It requires twenty-two people per boat-one drummer, one steerperson, and twenty paddlers. The trick is to paddle in unison so that the boat cuts through the water quickly. Made up of mostly blind and visually impaired people, the Midnight Dragons team participated in three heats, ending its final heat in victory with a time of three minutes, two seconds in the 350 meter course. "This was such an awesome experience," said Mary Huie. "We pulled together a team from every corner of the state of Georgia-Albany, Atlanta, Columbus, Macon, and Valdosta. Amazing!" The team was made up of several consumer groups, as well as people who were interested in blindness issues. "Our team was the coolest-we had a fourteen-year-old girl, a local probate court judge, and this year's Miss Columbus State University on our team. Of course, our best and brightest from our own chapter and affiliate made up the core group!" Sponsored by Country's Barbecue in Columbus and Hanrahan Freitag Family Law in Atlanta, the team paddled in three heats. The time from the first two heats determined in which division the team placed. The third heat was the championship round for each division. "Of course we won," said Joe McNeil, former Army Ranger and president of the Georgia Blinded Veterans' Association. "We had the power and the brains!" Country's is a local restaurant that sponsors many sporting events throughout the year. The events are designed both to benefit the blind financially and to provide opportunity for blind people in sports. Country's hosts the Midnight Express, a 5K run held at midnight annually on the third Saturday night in August. The race raises funds for scholarships and grants for local blind and visually impaired people and programs. Country's also sponsors the Midnight Stars, a beep ball team that will be participating in the World Series of Beep Ball (baseball for the blind) to be held in Columbus during the month of July. Hanrahan Freitag Family Law, based in Atlanta, is a progressive, boutique law firm that utilizes outgoing Fountain City Chapter President Kristen Jocums's parent consulting services to support its clients. "We didn't hesitate to support the Midnight Dragons. We know blind people can walk the walk when they paddle the boat and do everything else," said Monica Hanrahan Frietag, the firm's founding member. So look out next year, Columbus, Georgia! The Midnight Dragons will be ready when we hear "Paddles up!" ---------- Recipes This month's recipes are offered by members of the NFB of Ohio. RO*TEL Chicken by Colleen Roth Colleen Roth is president of Ohio's At-Large Chapter. She is a longtime Federationist. She says that this recipe is great but warns that it is a little spicy. Ingredients: 3 cups cooked chicken 1 10-ounce can RO*TEL tomatoes 1 13-ounce can chicken broth 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup (I substitute celery or a second can of cream of mushroom.) 1 14-ounce bag regular Doritos, crushed Shredded cheddar cheese Method: Lightly grease 13-by-9 inch pan. Layer a third of Doritos across bottom of pan. Set aside remainder. Place half of the cooked chicken on top of Doritos. Mix soups, tomatoes, and broth in bowl. Pour half over chicken in pan. Repeat these three layers. End with last third of crushed Doritos. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for thirty minutes. This dish is also great for a potluck, but it is a little salty. ---------- Colossal Caramel Apple Trifle by Susan Day Susan Day is a member of the NFB of Ohio board of directors and president of the Springfield chapter. Ingredients: 1 package yellow cake mix (regular size) 6 cups cold milk 2 packages instant vanilla pudding 1 teaspoon apple pie spice 1 12.25-ounce jar caramel ice cream topping 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted 2 21-ounce cans apple pie filling 2 16-ounce cartons frozen whipped topping, thawed Method: Prepare and bake the cake according to package directions, using two greased nine-inch round baking pans. Cool for ten minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on wire rack. In a large bowl whisk milk, pudding mixes, and apple pie spice for two minutes. Let stand for two minutes or until soft set. Cut cake layer if necessary to fit evenly in an eight-quart punch bowl. Poke holes in cake with a long wooden skewer. Gradually pour a third of the caramel topping over cake. Sprinkle with a half cup pecans and spread with half of the pudding mixture. Spoon one can of pie filling over pudding; spread with one carton of whipped topping. Top with remaining cake layer and repeat caramel, pecan, pudding, pie filling, and whipped topping layers. Drizzle with remaining caramel topping and sprinkle with remaining pecans. Chill to set. Store in the refrigerator. ---------- Central-Asian-Style Rice by Elizabeth Sammons Elizabeth Sammons works for the Ohio state agency, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities. She is an active participant in our Ohio listserv. She offered this recipe with the following note: I learned from a Tartar friend to make this rice called "Plov" in Russian while living in Siberia. There they use cone-shaped rice pots to make it on the stove, but using a rice cooker is far easier and just as good. So here goes with this U.S. modification. Ingredients: 2 to 3 chicken quarters, a half chicken, or 1 large or 2 small chicken breasts 3 to 4 large carrots or about 1 cup baby carrots 1 or 2 green, red, or yellow bell peppers 4 cups uncooked rice Garlic cloves to taste, 6 to 8 cloves recommended 2 whole cloves 2 to 3 tablespoons cumin powder or seed 1 cup fresh mushrooms (optional) Salt to taste Corn oil or other oil to taste, but not peanut or olive oil. Water Method: Simmer chicken for about thirty minutes. Remove from broth to cool, but reserve the broth. Meanwhile, slice vegetables into bite-sized, fairly thin pieces. Debone the chicken and cut or tear it into bite-sized pieces. Peel and clean the garlic cloves, including cutting off the hard end of the garlic closest to the center of the garlic head. If the cloves are fat, cut them in half or quarter them, and place them in a separate cup or saucer. Over medium heat fry the chicken and vegetables, except garlic, until the carrots feel slightly soft and no longer crisp. You should not need to add oil, since the chicken will have some fat, especially if it has its skin on it. Some small amounts of water may be added to protect from dryness while frying. Fry about ten minutes at medium heat altogether. Place all ingredients, including rice, in a rice cooker. If the chicken is skinless or not very fatty, add some cooking oil, not more than a quarter cup. Add the water in which you boiled the chicken, up to six cups. The rest may be cold tap water or ice, but it should come to eight cups altogether. Seal the rice maker and let the contents simmer together; usually the entire cooking process once in the rice maker takes about 1 hour. It is all right to stir once or twice during the process to make sure ingredients are distributed, including spices. ---------- Chicken Broccoli Casserole by Delcenia Brown Delcenia Brown is a member of the Cleveland chapter and one of the affiliate's deaf-blind coordinators. Ingredients: 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 2 8-ounce bags broccoli cuts or florets 2 blocks of cheese, 1 colby jack and 1 sharp cheddar 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup bacon bits to taste milk Method: After washing chicken, cut breasts into bite-size pieces and saute. Place the broccoli in a 9-by-11-inch baking dish. Arange the cooked chicken on top of broccoli. After thinly slicing the cheese, layer it on top of chicken breast. In a small bowl combine the cream of mushroom soup and one soup can of milk and mix well. Pour the soup mixture evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle bacon bits on top of soup. Bake at 350 degrees for forty-five minutes to an hour. Casserole is done when it is hot and bubbly. Enjoy. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Carol Akers] Golden Apple Bars by Carol Akers Carol Akers is a longtime Federationist. She currently serves as co- president of Ohio's Parents Division. Ingredients: 2/3 cup shortening 2 cups chopped apples with peels 2 cups brown sugar, packed 2 eggs, beaten 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped 2 cups flour Method: Cream shortening and sugar together and beat in eggs. Add dry ingredients, then nuts and apples. Spoon batter into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan and smooth. Bake at 350 degrees for thirty-five to forty-five minutes. Check doneness with a cake tester or toothpick, but note that if you hit an apple piece, it will be moist. As in the name, bake until golden brown. If using dark brown sugar, the color will be slightly darker. Enjoy this yummy dessert that my mom made for us as kids & still makes. ---------- Crockpot Chicken Mexican Style by Carol Akers Ingredients: 4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 16-ounce jar salsa 1 10-ounce can whole kernel corn, drained 1 10-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed Method: Spray inside of crockpot with cooking spray. Place chicken breasts on bottom (can be frozen). Adjust number for amount of end product desired. Add salsa, corn, and beans. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours. Great to do while you are doing errands or at work. When chicken is done, use a fork to shred the tender chicken and mix with other ingredients. Serve by itself or over rice or tortilla or with taco chips. Diet-friendly when eaten with brown rice and even better as leftovers. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Deborah Kendrick] Spinach Feta Salad by Deborah Kendrick Deborah Kendrick is president of our Cincinnati chapter and a member of the state board of directors, and she chairs the Ohio Scholarship Committee. Here's what she says about this recipe: "When you don't have much time and want to eat something that is both delicious and nutritious, creativity in the kitchen is a good thing. This recipe has wound up being a staple in my house-the answer to a quick dinner for me or quick surefire contribution to a party. The amounts here are somewhat random, but will feed a crowd. To make the salad for just one or two or three people, trust yourself to guess amounts. With these excellent ingredients, you can't go wrong. And did I mention that it's delicious?" Ingredients: 1 bag pre-washed spinach, torn into smaller pieces 1 cup dried cranberries (Craisins) 1 8-ounce carton crumbled feta cheese Slivered almonds, sliced strawberries, or grape tomatoes optional Raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing (or make your own dressing by mixing one part red wine vinegar to three parts olive oil) Method: Combine ingredients in layers, then toss gently. Pour on salad dressing to taste (about three-fourths cup for the amounts above). ---------- Melinda's Hummus by Deborah Kendrick My daughter and her family loved the gifts of hummus brought frequently by their Lebanese neighbors so much that she finally began tweaking recipes to come up with her own. The result is the best you'll ever taste. Ingredients: 2 16-ounce cans garbanzo beans, drained and liquid reserved 3 tablespoons sesame tahini 2 cloves garlic, crushed 4 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt Method: Combine ingredients in blender. Pulse a few times. Add one- fourth cup reserved bean liquid, and blend. Then another fourth cup bean liquid and continue processing, a minute or so, until smooth. Store in airtight container and refrigerate at least one hour. To serve, you can drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with bagel crisps, pita chips, baby carrots, or any other veggie or salty dipper. ---------- Dutch Apple Cake by Bernadette Dressell Bernie Dressell is a longtime member of the Cincinnati Chapter. She is famous around the affiliate as a great cook. Ingredients: 1 package spice cake mix 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted 2 eggs 1 can apple pie filling 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened 1/2 cup chopped nuts Method: Combine dry cake mix, melted butter, and eggs. Spread across the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Spoon pie filling evenly over batter. In a small bowl mix brown sugar and cinnamon; cut in soft butter, then stir in nuts. Sprinkle this mixture over pie filling. Bake at 350 degrees for fifty minutes. ---------- Southern Baked Spaghetti by Shelbi Hindel Shelbi Hindel is secretary of the NFB of Ohio and president of the Capital Chapter. She was in charge of lunch preparation in last summer's Ohio BELL Program. Ingredients: 6 slices bacon 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1 cup chopped onion 1 cup chopped bell pepper 2 14.5-ounce cans Italian style diced tomatoes with liquid 2 10-ounce cans RO*TEL tomatoes with liquid 1 to 2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning, according to taste 1 pound ground beef, browned and drained 12-ounce package thin spaghetti, cooked and drained according to the package directions 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cook bacon in skillet. Remove meat and saut? onion, bell pepper, and garlic in drippings. Crumble bacon and return to pan. Add all tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and beef and simmer for ten minutes. Place half of the spaghetti in the baking dish and spoon half the meat mixture over. Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Repeat these three layers. Mix soup and water until smooth. Spoon over casserole. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for thirty to thirty-five minutes or until hot and bubbly. ----------- Stuffed Jalapeno Appetizer by Kaiti Shelton Kaiti Shelton was an NFB scholarship winner last year. She is currently president of the Ohio Student Division. She is a music therapy major at the University of Dayton. Ingredients: 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened 1 cup shredded cheese. The recipe originally called for parmesan, but I've used cheddar and liked it. 1 pound ground pork sausage 1 pound large jalape?o peppers, cut in half lengthwise with seeds removed Method: If peppers are not already cut and seeded, clean them. Be careful not to touch your eyes with the juice from the seeds on your hands. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cook sausage in a skillet on medium until evenly brown. Drain the grease. In a bowl mix the cooked sausage, cream cheese, and shredded cheese. Scoop about a tablespoon of the mixture into each halved pepper. Arrange the stuffed halves in Pyrex or another baking dish. Bake for about twenty minutes until light brown. Let the peppers cool, and serve with an optional ranch dip. This recipe makes twelve servings. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family Requests for Accommodations Based on Disability: The convention of the National Federation of the Blind is designed to be accessible especially to blind people in that materials are offered in accessible formats and other nonvisual aids are provided. Therefore special requests for these items are not required. If you require specific accommodations based on your disability other than the blindness-related accommodations mentioned above in order to participate fully and equally in the convention, we urge you to let us know as soon as possible. Specific accommodations for which requests are required include requests for deaf or deaf-blind interpreters. Due to the size and complexity of this convention, as well as the need to plan for additional human and other resources appropriately, requests for specific accommodations must be submitted no later than May 31, 2014. In order to make a request, 1) preregister for the convention by visiting ; and 2) send your specific request for accommodations in writing to the NFB Jernigan Institute using email at with the subject "convention request for specific accommodations." Please include your name, the dates you plan to be at the convention, information on the best way to follow up with you, and your specific request. New Song Contest: Since 1969, "The Battle Song of the NFB," or "Glory, Glory, Federation," as it is most popularly known among Federationists, has been our battle hymn from the convention hall to the picket line. Now, on the cusp of our seventy-fifth anniversary, the National Federation of the Blind is launching a contest to discover a new NFB song. The goal is to find a song that encompasses our history, while at the same time embracing the bright future that lies ahead. The exciting part is that you have the opportunity to be a part of it! What: The new NFB Song Contest When: March 1 through July 13, 2014 How: Send us a simple recording of yourself or a group performing a new song that could potentially be used as the NFB's new battle song. Submissions must be received at no later than July 13 to be considered. The song must be original, no copyright infringement permitted. The finalists will then be voted upon by our membership to determine the winning song, details to come. In addition to the opportunity to chronicle the history of the Federation, the person who submits the winning song will receive a complimentary registration and banquet ticket for our seventy-fifth anniversary to be held in July 2015, as well as have the lyrics to the winning song printed on the anniversary convention program. Help us show the world that with love, hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality! If you have any questions about the contest, please feel free to contact the chairman of our song committee, Gabe Cazares, at . The new Federation song contest is an effort of the seventy-fifth NFB Anniversary Committee with support from the Performing Arts Division. NFB STEM2U: NFB STEM2U is coming to a city near you during the 2014-2015 school year. The National Federation of the Blind, in partnership with museums and science centers, will facilitate three regional science, technology, engineering, and math programs. NFB STEM2U is an extension of the NFB's National Center for Blind Youth in Science initiative in local communities. It will provide great learning opportunities to elementary and high-school- age blind students, parents of blind children, and teachers working with blind students. Learn more about the NFB STEM2U programs to be held in Baltimore, Boston, and Columbus in the coming year by visiting . The application deadline for high school-age students interested in participating is June 15. Elementary-age students and educators who are interested in applying have until July 31 to submit applications. If you have questions, please contact Natalie Shaheen by e-mail at . National Federation of the Blind and H&R Block Announce Agreement Assuring Accessibility: The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind Americans, and H&R Block, which prepares approximately one in seven tax returns in America, announced March 29 that they have reached an agreement to make H&R Block's website, online tax preparation products, and mobile applications fully accessible to blind taxpayers. Blind people access computers, websites, and mobile applications through screen-access software that converts what is on the screen into spoken words or Braille, but improperly coded websites and applications can prevent this software from working properly, denying the blind user equal access. The agreement is contained in a consent decree ending litigation involving NFB, two of H&R Block's subsidiaries, two blind Massachusetts residents, and the United States Department of Justice. The consent decree outlines steps that H&R Block will take to assure that its website, including the utility for preparing income tax returns, is accessible by January of 2015 and that its mobile applications are accessible by January of 2016. The agreement also contains measures to ensure that accessibility is maintained and that blind users and others with disabilities can provide feedback and receive assistance with accessibility issues. Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "We are pleased to have reached this agreement, which will make the online services of one of America's largest and most popular tax preparers available to blind taxpayers. Blind people will soon be able to file their tax returns privately and independently if they wish, rather than seeking assistance in doing so. We commend H&R Block for its commitment to making its services accessible to all taxpayers, including those who are blind." Jason Houseworth, president of Global Digital Tax Solutions and Product Management at H&R Block, said: "H&R Block is pleased to have reached an agreement with the National Federation of the Blind that insures the accessibility of our online resources for individuals who use assistive technologies and will work with the organization on further refinements to our online resources. We are committed to providing superior customer service to all Americans, including those with disabilities. As part of that commitment we want to serve all clients in the way they prefer to be reached-in a retail office, online, using software, or a combination of methods." The National Federation of the Blind and the individual plaintiffs are represented in this matter by Christine M. Netski of the Boston firm Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C., and Daniel F. Goldstein and Gregory P. Care of the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein & Levy LLP. Reporter Shares Time with the Fab-Four and Shares His Experiences at the Convention: Art Schreiber, radio newsman extraordinaire, was one of two American reporters on the road with the Beatles for their first US cross-country tour in 1964. On Friday evening, July 4, at our national convention, Art will share stories about crazed fans stealing his clothes and typewriter, being locked in the green room with the Beatles when one concert got out of hand, flying on private planes watching the Beatles writing songs, and playing Monopoly all night with John Lennon and George Harrison. Art's career as a news reporter took him all over the world. He covered stories about and became friends with John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., Astronaut John Glenn, Lyndon B. Johnson, and many movie stars and celebrities. After losing his sight in 1982, Art continued working as the general manager of New Mexico's largest AM and FM radio stations and became deeply involved in organizations to help others. He continues his efforts on a daily basis, serving on many boards and running interference on behalf of the blind and deaf at the state capitol in Santa Fe. Resolutions for Convention: Here is a message from Sharon Maneki, who chairs the NFB resolutions committee: Do you think we should change a government policy, take a stand concerning an agency for the blind, or create new regulations? If you do, consider writing a resolution. At the 2014 national convention the resolutions committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 2. The committee will debate and discuss resolutions on a wide variety of subjects. If passed by the convention, these resolutions will become the policy statements of the organization. To ensure that your resolution will be considered by the committee, please send it to President Maurer or to me by June 18, two weeks before the committee meeting. If you send a resolution to me by email and do not receive a response acknowledging your email in two or three days, please call or send it again. If you miss the deadline, you must get three members of the committee to sponsor your resolution and then get it to the chairman before the meeting begins. I will be pleased to accept resolutions by email, ; or snail mail, 9013 Nelson Way, Columbia, MD 21045. Fatos Floyd to be Awarded Defender of Democracy Award: In the December 2012 issue of the Monitor, readers learned about the actions of Fatos Floyd of Lancaster County, Nebraska, when she fought for her right to vote using an accessible machine at the same time and place as a sighted voter. We are pleased to announce that on April 24, she will receive the Defender of Democracy Award from the Nebraskans for Civic Reform for taking a stand and publicly filing an official complaint to ensure that blind members of the community have equal voting rights. How to Pay for Your Hotel Stay in Orlando: This helpful information comes from former NFB staff member Tony Cobb, who has been a fixture in the lobby of our convention hotels for as long as I can remember. Here is his advice about paying for your hotel stay: Every year at our national convention we have serious trouble with use of debit cards or cash payments at hotel check-in, and, having worked to solve these problems for years, I can tell you they can nearly ruin the convention week for those experiencing them. Planning to attend our national convention should therefore include thinking seriously about how to pay the hotel, and I cannot urge you strongly enough to avoid using cash or a debit card as your payment method. Doing so may seem convenient, but you should not do so. If you do not have a credit card of your own to use instead, prevail upon a close friend or family member to let you use one just for convention. Here's why: If you are paying in actual currency, most hotels will want enough cash up front at check-in to cover your room and tax charges for the entire stay, plus a one-time advance incidentals deposit to cover meals, telephone calls, Internet service, and other things you may charge to your room. The unused portion of the incidentals deposit may be returned at check-out or by mail after departure. Understand, however, that, if your incidentals charges exceed the incidentals deposit credited, you are responsible for payment of the full balance at checkout. The total can end up being a very large sum indeed. If you use a debit card, however, you are really at a potentially painful disadvantage. The hotel will put a hold on money in your bank account linked to the debit card to cover the estimated balance of your stay-that is, for the entire week's room and tax charges plus a one-time incidentals deposit to cover meals, movies, and so on charged to your room. You should be aware that the hold can therefore be a considerable amount of money and that you will not have access to that amount for any other purchases or payments with your card. (Hotels sometimes also put authorizations on credit cards, by the way, but those are not often a problem unless they exceed your card's credit limit.) Holds can remain in effect for three to five days or even a week after you check out. If you have pre-authorized payments from your bank account, for example your monthly mortgage payment, or if you try to make a purchase with your debit card and it's refused, the hold from the hotel can cause you trouble or result in very large overdraft fees for payments you thought you had money in your account to cover. I have seen this hit some of our members in the form of hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees. This means that, if you use a debit card, you would have to be certain you have a high enough balance in your checking account when you come to convention to cover any debit card holds. This is a perilous practice since charges may exceed your estimate by a considerable amount. (Some frequent travelers even open a separate checking account used only for debits like these.) Remember, a hold is going to be placed on your debit card regardless of how you end up paying the bill, and the hold is not necessarily released right away, even if you pay with a credit card or cash when you check out of the hotel. Planning ahead in this area can ensure an untroubled week at convention, leaving you free to enjoy fully the world's largest and most exciting meeting of the blind. Enjoy Orlando-using a credit card, I hope. National Organization of Professionals in Blindness Education, A Division of the National Federation of the Blind, presents Braille for NFB BELL: Through its philosophy and programs, the National Federation of the Blind demonstrates an unwavering dedication to Braille literacy. The NFB BELL program is now in twenty-four states-introducing young blind children to Braille and other blindness skills, showing them that Braille proficiency creates lifelong literacy . The National Organization of Professionals in Blindness Education (PIBE), an organization comprised of teachers of blind students and other blindness education professionals, is launching a campaign to encourage Braille reading and to increase awareness about the NFB BELL programs. Our campaign is open to blind students and adults, as well as sighted parents and teachers of blind students. It should be noted that all reading is to occur in Braille. Registration for the Braille for NFB BELL program is free, and registrants must read at least three books between April 1 and May 31st to qualify for the drawing of prizes to be given by PIBE. Any donations to the National Federation of the Blind and any of its programs-such as our Imagination Fund-are always welcome. The "Imagination Fund" is used by the National Federation of the Blind to fund many initiatives, including NFB BELL and the My First Cane program. Visit to learn more about the Imagination Fund and . Your generosity makes literacy and independence possible for the next generation of blind children and youth! Please join us in promoting Braille reading, showing people of all ages that reading is exciting, and, most important, through individual and collective action, proclaiming that Braille Rocks! Please see below for contest rules, as well as the attached entry form and reading log. National Organization of Professionals in Blindness Education A Division of the National Federation of the Blind Braille for NFB BELL Contest Rules 1. Complete the entry form and email it to . 2. Reading begins April 1 and will end June 1, 2014. Please note: all books are to be read in Braille. Refreshable Braille devices may be used as long as any audio functionality is not used. 3. Complete your reading log and email it to no later than June 5, 2014. 4. First and second place winners from each of the three categories (Elementary School Student, Middle School or High School Student, and College Student or Adult (not enrolled in school/teacher) will be drawn. Note: In order to be eligible for prizes, contestants must complete a reading log demonstrating evidence of having read at least three verifiable book titles. Prizes will be awarded by the PIBE division. 5. A contestant's name will be entered into the drawing once for each book completed. If a book is over one hundred Braille pages, the name will be entered once for each additional one hundred Braille pages. For contestants in the elementary category, this will be done for each fifty Braille pages. 6. Who may enter? . Blind students . Blind adults . Sighted teachers of blind students . Sighted parents of blind children . ANYONE who reads Braille Elected: The Illinois Association of Blind Students recently had its elections for the at-large board, and the results are as follows: president, Leslie Hamric; vice president, Linda Hendle; secretary/treasurer, Charlene Elder; and board members, Sid Weiner and Danny Mandrell. Travel & Tourism Division Elections: The twelfth annual meeting of the NFB Travel & Tourism Division will be held on July 3 from 1:00 to 4:30 PM, beginning with registration. This is an election year, and all positions are up for election. To run, one must be a paid member of the National Federation of the Blind, as well as a paid member of the Travel & Tourism Division. You do not have to be in the travel profession, but you must be willing to work hard to remove the barriers that exist for blind people in traveling and to actively encourage it for those blind people who have not yet experienced the thrill and adventure travel can provide. Come and learn more about the NFB Travel & Tourism Division. Information Wanted from Blind Social Workers: The National Federation of the Blind's Human Services Division is seeking a collaborative relationship with the National Association of Social Workers in an effort to significantly increase opportunities for blind social workers. In an effort to assess how many people will be affected by our efforts, we would like to get an idea of how many blind people are either professional social workers at any level or aspire to become social workers. We are urging anyone in any of these categories to send a message with your name, location, and email address to . When sending us a message, if you would like to share any concerns or challenges you have faced in your educational, application, recruitment, employment, or professional development efforts, such information will help us prioritize our initiatives to better serve our constituents. Twelfth Annual Meeting of the NFB Travel & Tourism Division: This year we have a full agenda: we will continue the discussion of "Why the Blind Should Travel." We will talk about destinations where we have been, as well as techniques we use. We will discuss what is affecting us in the travel industry and discuss advocating for better independence. This year our guest speakers will be: Mrs. Cathy Vazquez, Access Manager, Norwegian Cruise Lines; a representative from The National Statler Center for Careers in Hospitality Services, located in Buffalo, New York; and a possible visit and presentation by Mark Riccobono. We will discuss the 2013 Travel & Tourism first fundraiser trip, as well as future fundraising events. There will be elections for all offices, and those interested in running for positions must be paid members. Dues are $10 per year, so please bring cash or, if you choose to pay by check, checks that are made out to NFB Travel & Tourism. There will be door prizes and more! For more information go to or write to . 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. Save the Date: What: Unified English Braille Workshop When: Friday, May 16, 2014, at 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM Saturday, May 17, 2014, at 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM Where: The Louisiana Center for the Blind, 101 South Trenton Street, Ruston, Louisiana Cost: Participation in the workshop is fifty dollars for professionals and free to consumers and students. Continuing Learning Units (CLU) will be provided to workshop participants. Teachers, instructors, consumers, and all those whose work involves the teaching, production, and/or use of Braille are aware that the United States has adopted the Unified English Braille code, effective January 4, 2016, as the standard code for literacy. The purpose of this workshop will be to familiarize participants with the changes to the Braille code introduced by UEB and to provide hands-on training in order to provide a solid working knowledge of Unified English Braille. Information will also be presented on the new National Certification in Unified English Braille (NCUEB), which will be available later this year. For more information, contact Edward Bell at or by phone at (318) 257-4554. Housing may be available on a limited basis. Contact Eric Guillory for details by writing him at or by calling him at (318) 251-2891. A registration form will be circulated by late April. Blind Industries and Services of Maryland Summer Programs: If you are a blind high school or middle school student and are still searching for a fun and educational way to spend your summer, Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM) may have a program for you. This year we are heating up with two residential summer programs: Work to Independence 2014 for high school students and Independence 101 2014 for middle school students. Students nationwide may apply. Work to Independence 2014 (June 22 - August 8, 2014) This program will focus on equipping high school students with skills to achieve independence and confidence to believe in themselves and their abilities. Throughout the program students will learn independent living skills, familiarize themselves with the structured discovery method, plus enjoy fun and challenging activities. In addition to classes in Braille, technology, cooking, and cane travel, students will spend three weeks gaining valuable work experience through paid internships. They will work sixteen to twenty-four hours per week and will receive a check upon graduation for hours worked at minimum wage or greater. To build confidence and apply skills learned in classes, students will have multiple opportunities to travel outside the state of Maryland. Past trips have included travel to DC, New York City, and Orlando, Florida for the National Federation of the Blind annual convention. The Work to Independence 2014 program offers an environment in which blind students can learn from blind mentors. Students will meet and develop lasting friendships with blind peers from all parts of the country. Program attendees and staff will reside on a college campus in Baltimore, Maryland. The program's structure places heavy emphasis on confidence-building activities, which may include rock climbing, baseball games, and sailing. Independence 101 (July 19 - August 8, 2014) This three-week comprehensive life skills program focuses on building confidence. As in most summer camps, students participate in a wide array of social and recreational activities. Just as many of their sighted peers are meeting new friends at camp, Independence 101 participants will build a peer support network with other blind middle-school students. Activities will include rock-climbing, recreational water activities, sports outings, trips to the mall and movies, visiting points of interest in Baltimore, taking a train to explore Washington DC, and much more! Students will receive instruction in Braille, technology, cane travel, and independent living classes by blind instructors/mentors. They will also assist with daily household chores. Staff will reside with students on a college campus in the Baltimore area. It is not too late to apply! For more information on these programs or to apply, contact Sarah Baebler or Melissa Lomax at (410) 737-2642, or visit . American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults: The Kenneth Jernigan Lending Library in Tarzana, California: Laugh along with Curious George or Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Solve a mystery with the Hardy Boys or Nancy Drew. Or Escape From the Ice with Shackleton and the Endurance. If you like to be scared silly, R.L. Stine or Sherlock Holmes might do the trick. These are just a few of the more than 14,000 titles we have in the Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children and Adults. From the classics to the contemporary, we are sure to please every taste and age level. From pre-school through high school and young adults, our books are sent postage free to individuals, schools, and itinerant teachers. Books are available in two distinct formats: Twin Vision? or Braille. Twin Vision? books contain adjacent pages of print and Braille, making it the ideal form for teachers and parents to read to pre-school to fourth grade children. Many of our Twin Vision? books contain colorful pictures that can be enjoyed equally by sighted children with blind parents or by students with limited vision. Braille books are produced for the use of more advanced students and for upper grade readers. Titles in this category contain many classics. The Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children and Adults is a lending library dedicated to the reading pleasure and education of blind children and young adults. Our service is free, and we consider it a privilege to serve you. You can contact the library via e-mail at or by telephone at (818) 343-3219. The application for individuals and schools is available online at or can be mailed directly to you. We welcome you and hope you will enjoy our books! 2014 GMSAAI'S Reunion Announcement: Hey, it's that time again! It's time for the sixth annual Governor Morehead School Alumni Association, Inc's reunion. You do not have to be a graduate of GMS; all interested persons are invited. If you come, I promise you will have lots of food, fun, and fellowship. We'll have games, a catered lunch, a talent show, an auction, a dance, fabulous door prizes, etc. Many of our Saturday activities will be held on the Garner Road campus. The kickoff to our big weekend will be a free low-vision and blindness seminar presented by Freedom Scientific; they will show several of their products and will also provide lunch. Participants will be able to use the products themselves; there will be door prizes for those lucky ones. The seminar will be held on July 31 on the Governor Morehead School campus at Weathers Hill Dining Hall located at 329 Ashe Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina 27610. More information about the seminar will be revealed at a later date. Our main event will take place August 1 to 3, 2014, at the Holiday Inn Raleigh North located at 2805 Highwood's Boulevard in Raleigh, North Carolina. The room rate per night will be $65.90 plus 13.75 percent, which totals $74.96 per night; this price includes a hot buffet breakfast for up to four people per room. Call the hotel at (919) 872-3500 and ask for a room with the Governor Morehead School Alumni Association. Registration rates remain the same; for members, $50 plus your yearly membership dues of $15 if it has not already been paid and for non-members $65. Registration fees should be paid on or before July 13, 2014, after which there will be an additional $10 fee. Also there will be no refunds after July 15, 2014. There's a lot involved in planning a big event like this; therefore, please register ahead of time instead of waiting until the last minute. Your planning ahead will save you money and assist us in planning better. Checks should be made payable to GMSAAI and mailed to Frances Council at 1609 Elkpark Drive, Raleigh, NC 27610. If you need assistance completing your application or need an application, you can reach Frances by phone at (919) 832-9732 or using email at . So bring your friends and family to join us in the best party ever. Meet new friends and reacquaint with old ones. You'll regret it if you don't. See you in August. New Book on Echolocation Available: The use of active echolocation is growing in popularity as a perceptual mobility tool for the blind and visually impaired. With a little practice any hearing person can begin to subconsciously deconstruct the sounds around them and interpret them as an actual landscape of shapes and objects laid out in front of them. The author of the Beginner's Guide to Echolocation, Tim Johnson, demystifies the growing practice of active echolocation in a way that anyone can understand and gives the reader simple exercises, examples, and lessons as a starting point for launching one into a successful practice of active echolocation. Echolocation requires no special equipment, nor any special talent. The human body and mind are truly marvels of nature that grant us capabilities we may never know we had. If one can hear, he or she can echolocate. Understanding the simplicity of this skill will allow one to shift his or her way of thinking to accommodate an expanded awareness of one's environment. With this awareness comes independence, confidence, new possibilities, and new opportunities. The Beginner's Guide to Echolocation is available in all widely used accessible formats at . Newsreel Magazine: Newsreel Magazine is a two-way audio magazine by and for the blind and visually impaired. Subscribers share ways to make daily living skills much easier without vision. For a free three-month introductory subscription to Newsreel Magazine or for more information contact us by phone at (614) 469-0700, or toll free at (888) 723-8737, or email us at . Newsreel Magazine is available on four-track cassette, on an MP3 CD, and through an MP3 download. LUCKY 365: Do you feel lucky? If so, then I've got a deal for you. Our Lucky 365 fundraiser is underway. The Governor Morehead School Alumni Association Inc. is sponsoring the Lucky 365 Raffle. The proceeds from this endeavor will help us to continue to fund our awards and scholarships, education and technology, and the Envisioning Youth Empowerment (EYE) retreat programs. Sale prices are as follows: one ticket: $25; three tickets sold together, $50; seven tickets sold together, $100 You can purchase your tickets by calling Lawrence Carter, (919) 856- 0034; Douglas Davis, (202) 744-4666; Fred McEachern, (919) 821-4808; or Ricky Scott, (919) 673-8300 And what do you get if you purchase tickets? You have a chance to win first prize, $1,000; second prize, $500; and third prize, $250. You do not have to be present to win. The drawing will be held on Saturday, August 2, 2014, at our luncheon on the Garner Road campus. So call, buy, and take a chance at winning. Thank you in advance for your participation. Good luck to all! Top Websites List for Gamers: 7-128 Software has just released the 2014 edition of "Top Web Sites for Gamers Who are Blind." This resource includes game reviews and information about games that are blind-accessible, where to find free and commercial games that are blind-accessible, and forums and blogs visited by the blind gaming community. The websites are ranked, and detailed descriptions make it easier to find what you need. There is a direct link to each site. This information is totally free. No registration is required. 7-128 Software is a small, independent developer of accessible computer games. The list is our attempt to give back to the blind and VI community. Because of frequent changes in the community, we have updated the list annually since 2007. The resource guide can be found at: . Making Board Games Accessible: So many great board games are released every year that for most people the choice is almost limitless. Unfortunately, that is not the case for everyone. People with visual impairments have few options when it comes to enjoying board games. 64 Oz Games wants to change this by making board games accessible to the blind. "My wife and I both work with and have many friends who are visually impaired. We are passionate about board games and want to make this brilliant hobby accessible to more people. If our campaign is successful, we will start producing a new line of products that will add accessibility to existing board and card games. These accessibility kits would be add-ons to games that would allow both blind and sighted players to play together." The 64 Oz Games Kickstarter campaign is currently live but will finish on Thursday, April 24, 2014, at 3 PM. As of April 15, 2014, the 540 backers have pledged $14,491, which is more than the $7,500 Kickstarter goal. ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Mon Jun 2 23:41:56 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Mon, 2 Jun 2014 23:41:56 -0700 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, June 2014 Message-ID: <201406030641.s536fups009368@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 57, No. 6 June 2014 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 ? 2014 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. [PHOTO CAPTION: Palm-lined drive leading to front entrance to Rosen Centre Hotel] Orlando Site of 2014 NFB Convention The 2014 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take place in Orlando, Florida, July 1-6, at the Rosen Centre Hotel at 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Make your room reservation as soon as possible with the Rosen Centre staff only. Call (800) 204-7234. The 2014 room rates are singles, doubles, and twins, $82; and triples and quads, $88. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 13.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested. The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $95-per-room deposit is required to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before May 28, 2014. The other 50 percent is not refundable. Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations may be made before June 1, 2014, assuming that rooms are still available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon. Guest-room amenities include cable television; in-room safe; coffeemaker; hairdryer; and, for a fee, high-speed Internet access. Guests can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-site spa. The Rosen Centre Hotel offers fine dining at Executive Chef Michael Rumplik's award- winning Everglades Restaurant. In addition, there is an array of dining options from sushi to tapas to a 24-hour deli. The hotel has first-rate amenities and shuttle service to the Orlando airport. The schedule for the 2014 convention is: Tuesday, July 1 Seminar Day Wednesday, July 2 Registration Day Thursday, July 3 Board Meeting and Division Day Friday, July 4 Opening Session Saturday, July 5 Business Session Sunday, July 6 Banquet Day and Adjournment Vol. 57, No. 6 June 2014 Contents Illustration: Protesters for Higher Wages Why Google? by Gary Wunder When Just Listening Is Not Enough: Google Falls Short On Accessibility for the Blind by Antonio Guimaraes What Will It Take for Google to Find Its Voice by Jim Barbour Making an Impact Doesn't Mean Using a Hammer: How to Share Federation Philosophy Constructively by Jim Marks In This Close-Knit Denver Family, Love is Truly Blind by Terri Cotten This is Not Acceptable for Workers With Disabilities by Anil Lewis Knowing What Is Good About the iPhone and What Is Not by Curtis Chong Meet Our Division President-Marc Maurer The National Center for Blind Youth in Science: Expanding Accessible STEM Learning Opportunities for Blind Students, Parents, and Teachers by Elizabeth Spann Driving the Affiliate: Some Musings of a Former Affiliate President by J.W. Smith Comparing the Windows Computer with the Mac by Curtis Chong Ms. Rovig Leaves the Staff of the National Federation of the Blind by Lorraine Rovig Think Food Safety When You Grill by Bridgette Keefe Recipes Monitor Miniatures [PHOTO CAPTION: Man with sign protesting low wages at Johns Hopkins.] [PHOTO CAPTION: Rose Sloan standing in front of Johns Hopkins Hospital.] Protesters for Higher Wages Outraged by Subminimum Wages for the Blind At a recent protest at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, several members of the National Federation of the Blind decided to ask protesters who were seeking higher wages what they thought of the current practice of paying some of the disabled less than the minimum wage. Many of the Hopkins employees were shocked, some admitted to knowing of the practice, but all were outraged that this was permitted by law and told their own stories about the difficulty in trying to pay the rent, meet the utility bills, buy groceries, and afford medical care. They found it incredibly unfair that some citizens in our nation don't even enjoy the inadequate protection afforded by the country's minimum wage, and our visit was most helpful in increasing public awareness. Why Google? by Gary Wunder In this issue we are running three articles about Google: this one, one by Antonio Guimaraes, and a third by Jim Barbour. So why three articles, and why are all of them about Google? We have three articles because the framework I want to build around the two that have been submitted is beyond my ability to do in a headnote of manageable length. I also want to include information that has come to my attention since these articles were submitted. As for the second question: given all the technology companies in America and the world, why Google? This requires a more complicated answer. Google is one of the most exciting companies on the planet and may well be the most innovative. It has revolutionized the way we do research and the way we settle arguments around the dinner table; and it even helps those of us who work on the Braille Monitor determine how words are spelled as the English language adds new ones and combines old ones. Google offers great promise to the citizens of the world, with cars that may someday drive themselves and with glasses that may strengthen the human/machine interface. Its ambitious goal to digitize all of the books in the world is enough to get anybody's attention, and the potential to change the lives for blind people needs no elaboration. But the most immediate reason to focus on Google is that it is giving away an office suite called Google Apps, a group of programs that resembles offerings by Corel or Microsoft in that it provides a suite incorporating an email system, a word processor, a spreadsheet, and a database application. When compared with the cost of competing office products, Google's offer is tempting to state governments, colleges, and universities; and, when institutions adopt Google Apps as their office tool of choice and it is less accessible than the standard office tools that have been used for years, blind people get hurt, be they users of government services, employees, or students. When the blind began to see Google Apps emerge as the office suite of choice in their institutions, they first tried to learn the new system- exactly what any person, blind or sighted, would do. When it became apparent that even expert users of current screen readers couldn't make the system work and the network of blind people teaching blind people could not bridge the gap, approaches were made to Google. The response at that time was pretty much what we have seen from other technology companies: this product is new; we're working on access for the blind, and you'll probably see something in future versions. But bosses and professors wanted blind people to produce. They understood the problem, but they also understood that grades and paychecks couldn't be handed out today with the someday promise of future productivity. So, sometimes politely, but always firmly, the blind were told to figure it out or admit we could not perform the essential functions required to be achieving students and productive employees. The public perception that the Americans with Disabilities Act targets specific jobs for blind people or that it requires instructors and bosses to set lower standards is a myth, one which a quick look at cases filed under the ADA will quickly dispel. President Maurer explains the involvement of the National Federation of the Blind in this way: The frustration level eventually got high enough that many people inside the organization were demanding that something be done. Governments were adopting Google as their platform of choice, and that meant jobs and education were going. Because we couldn't get anyone at Google to pay attention in any meaningful way that addressed more than minor details, we were prepared to get injunctions from the legal system to prohibit their products from being used. At the time we were beginning the legal process, which we knew would be expensive, very slow, and probably only partially successful-as most of these things are-we contacted a senior vice president at Google who said that Google would change things. We knew that Google meant it because this vice president said in our presence that, although they release products with bugs in them-even when they know there are bugs-they don't release products if the bugs are so big that you can't use the product. What the vice president was acknowledging was that, if you were blind, you couldn't use the products. He said that this is what Google calls a number one problem. These conversations occurred three years ago, and, true to his word, he told people to fix the problems we had painstakingly identified. But they didn't get fixed because these problems were more involved and had to be addressed in a way different from Google's traditional approach. This caused him great chagrin, but, since that time, we have repeatedly met with Google, and things are changing. A lot of these changes have come from structural changes in the way Google has been looking at accessibility for the past year. We have told Google in detail what doesn't work, and they have begun the process of making the changes to see that the problems are fixed. A promise that is unsupported by action is a thing we have come to know for years, from lots of people, including Google. But the action within the last six months has been big enough to be impressive, and, if it continues, it will be quite noticeable in the products Google comes to deliver. We have every reason to believe it will continue and that Google and the blind of the world will be the better for our ongoing negotiation, collaboration, and the relationships we have developed. As a part of this relationship, Google will have a high-level representative on the convention agenda in Orlando, and I believe we will all be encouraged by what she has to say. These are the impressions Dr. Maurer and members of our team have carried away from Google, and they are encouraging. With all of this in mind, we still have an obligation to acknowledge the significant challenge that Google's technology has posed to blind people. To do that, we are carrying the two articles which follow, understanding that they represent the legitimate concern, frustration, and hope that blind people have experienced in connection with Google. I have interviewed two people who are prominent in Google's accessibility efforts and have given them some ideas about what is being said in this and the articles that follow. They would prefer that we dwell less on history and the problems the blind have had with accessibility and focus more on changes that have happened in the last year and those soon to come. I have taken the position that we cannot fully recognize the strides they are making and will continue to demonstrate without an appreciation of that history and that its mention places in a positive light the changes they are working so hard to make. Their commitment to work with other developers of screen-reading solutions marks a departure from their previously stated position, that being that a blind person wanting to use Google should use Google's hardware and its screen reader. Those agreements are in place, and while there are technical reasons why their systems are likely to work better with the things they develop than with other screen readers and browsers, they are committed to making their products work well with the screen-reading solutions already used by the blind. We invite Google to make their own contribution to these discussions and will be pleased to advertise to all who care to read and listen how this innovative company demonstrates the power of inborn accessibility and what a culture committed to this concept can do to reduce and perhaps eliminate the digital divide that threatens to separate blind people from meaningful participation in getting an education and being part of the workplace in the twenty-first century. Because we are firmly committed to equal access, to education, and to employment for the blind, you can be certain that the National Federation of the Blind will continue to be involved with Google and other developers of technology and that the Braille Monitor will be a conscientious chronicler of the events that will shape opportunities to live and fully participate in the world. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Antonio Guimaraes] When Just Listening Is Not Enough: Google Falls Short on Accessibility for the Blind by Antonio Guimaraes From the Editor: Antonio Guimaraes has been a member of the National Federation of the Blind for a decade and a half. He is a member of the board of directors of the writers' division, lives in the state of Rhode Island, and is a member of the Cambridge chapter in Massachusetts. He is currently a student in the field of social studies, who has a keen interest in technology which drives him to attend technology conferences where Google is often present. While he is not involved directly in what goes on at Google or in the discussions ongoing between Google and the National Federation of the Blind, he has given more attention than most of us to the technology being seen by students and takes seriously his obligation to report on things as he sees them. This article is the culmination of months of back-and-forth letters and phone calls in which Antonio has consistently made the case that we need to talk about Google and in which I have consistently made the case for presenting specific problems of access in the larger context of education and employment. To his credit, he has not given up, and here are his thoughts and opinions: If you ask yourself when you last used a Google product, you're likely to say you googled something or checked your Gmail account. But, if you are blind, that is likely where your use of Google starts and ends. That's because, while Google has an active accessibility team, it has not earned the loyalty of blind users with solidly usable and accessible products and services. Google builds many other widely used tools that are barely usable at best and useless at worst. It is difficult even for the most computer-savvy blind person to keep up with what is accessible and how. Blind students, employees, those who teach computers to the blind, and anyone who is blind and regularly accesses a computer ought to be concerned about how one of the most influential and powerful tech companies approaches accessibility. If you work at an organization that deploys Google products in its daily operations, then making appointments, collaborating in the writing of a document, and storing files on the cloud with Google-made technologies soon becomes crucial to your ability to compete. Are Google Products Inaccessible? The answer to this question is not consistent. Some products are totally inaccessible, some require many workarounds, others are accessible only with Google's own operating system and browser, and a treasured few offer flexibility and accessibility across the board. In order to create a Gmail account, Google uses a voice captcha that speaks a series of numbers that appear on the screen to prove that a human being is creating the account, rather than a spammer's program. Unfortunately, the audio is garbled and is nearly impossible to decipher. So score one for Google for providing an audio equivalent to the visual captcha, but subtract half a point for failing to come up with a paradigm that is easy to use and does not exclude the deaf-blind. Google Docs is widely used by the sighted and across all platforms including Windows and Mac. However, every presentation I've personally seen by members of Google's accessibility team has used accessibility features with Google's own hardware, operating system, and browser. Google has scant instructions for Docs, Google Calendar, and other programs. The current approach to accessibility and the lack of support for mainstream screen readers leaves much room for speculation about how Google expects the blind to access its products. Will the company develop accessibility tools for ChromeBook, Chrome OS, and the Chrome browser and consider this an adequate response to meeting the access needs of the blind? Do they expect blind people to abandon the screen readers we have been using for years if we want to embrace the Googlesphere? If so, will they develop training programs and comprehensive manuals from which we can easily learn? Even if they do, isn't it reasonable to ask how many operating systems, browsers, office suites, and screen readers a blind person must know before he or she can claim to be computer literate and employment-ready? These questions must be asked and deserve to be answered. Google twice declined an interview request I made with the director of engineering, Mr. Kannan Pashupathy, who oversees the accessibility team at Google. I had the opportunity to ask him about Google's commitment to accessibility outside the Chrome environment during his presentation to the American Foundation for the Blind Leadership Conference in early March. He confirmed having heard concerns from users regarding this issue. He said that Google has had discussions and is working on agreements with Freedom Scientific, the maker of JAWS for Windows, and NV Access, the developer of NVDA, to make sure Google products work well with these and other screen readers. [Note the comments made by Google about working with other screen- reading products in the previous article.] One would hope that these talks will result in more universally available access for the blind. If sighted people, regardless which operating system they use, have no trouble using Docs (Google's web-based office suite that allows online collaboration in creating and editing documents), the blind should have the same option. Often the blind have no choice in whether they must use Windows, Mac OS, or Google Chrome; the decision is made for them, either by the institution for which they work, the institution they attend as a student, or by the rehabilitation agency purchasing products for their use. When the choice is truly left to them, most blind people use a PC with Windows, a considerable number use the Mac with Mac OS, and a small minority use Chrome OS. Mac OS comes with VoiceOver installed, but not everyone using Windows uses the same screen reader. JAWS for Windows, Window-Eyes, System Access, and NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA) come to mind as the most popular screen-reading options for PC users in America. Though each screen reader demonstrates its own strengths and weaknesses when used with web browsers and office suites, none requires the use of or exclusion of a given tool. While making maximal use of any of these tools might be achieved by having a working knowledge of all of the screen-reading solutions on the market, most blind people would consider this impractical. Learning and affording one screen reader is difficult enough, and the thought of multiplying this by three or four is daunting, except for those whose identity is bound up in being a computer geek. Blind users should not be expected to learn a new system with all of its idiosyncrasies and keystrokes simply to avail ourselves of what Google has to offer. Instead, programs like Google Docs should be available to the blind in the same way they are to the sighted-across platforms and with one's screen reader of choice. Google has an accessibility blog. The entry titled "Accessibility: A Progress Report" says that the company met with several organizations of the blind and attended the CSUN technology conference. That entry is from October 7, 2011. The blog quotes an NFB statement by Mark Riccobono saying that the NFB "is pleased that Google has been actively engaged with us in its work to solve access issues ... Many improvements still need to be made before Google applications are fully accessible to blind users, but the enhancements that we have seen demonstrated indicate a commitment to accessibility by Google." That statement was from two years ago and continues to be true today. Google has engaged with the blind and with the assistive technology industry serving the blind. It employs an accessibility team, but whether it will follow through on its stated commitment to accessibility still remains to be seen. In seeking out information for writing this article I have been given information from Google that points to progress that has been made in the last year and particularly in the last six months. While more still remains to be done, one hopes this direction is one that Google will maintain and that, more than a one-time response to a specific problem, these changes represent a cultural change at the company-one that will benefit the blind and others with disabilities for years to come. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Jim Barbour] What Will It Take for Google to Find Its Voice by Jim Barbour From the Editor: Jim Barbour is a principal systems architect for Qualcomm, a developer of advanced computer chips used in mobile technology like cell phones and tablets. Jim serves on the National Federation of the Blind's Research and Development Committee and is a member of the East Bay Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of California. Here are his thoughts about the problems blind people have with Google and what Google can and should do to address them: If we think back about ten years, technology choices were fairly limited for blind people. Most of us were using cell phones without knowing what was on the screen, memorizing the keystrokes needed to dial and answer calls. We were reading email using email clients like Eudora and Microsoft Outlook. We were reading text-based webpages in browsers like Internet Explorer 6. Ten years ago was also the start of the organized blind's relationship with Google. This relationship was consistently filled with both exceptional promise and crushing disappointment. Google started out with a very handy search page: one text input box, a "search" button and an "I'm feeling lucky" button. We used this search page a lot, enjoying the simple text box and an easy-to-read results page. Then, ten years ago on April 1st, 2004, Google launched its Gmail product. Gmail was a mail reading web app with a very innovative way of displaying webpages and controls to users. This new way of displaying information to users was roundly approved by most folks. However, the blind were completely unable to use Gmail. Existing screen readers had no idea how to handle the new way of showing data to the blind. As Gmail began to increase in popularity, the blind began to grow unhappy about the fact that Gmail was not accessible. We got a little hot under the collar when we couldn't even figure out who to talk to at Google. We couldn't find anyone at Google who would listen to our complaints. I was a Google employee and often advised the Accessibility Team, and even we weren't sure how to solve this problem. There was a need to bring the web browser developers, screen reader developers, and web app developers together to work out a solution to this problem. However, none of these groups felt compelled to talk with the others. Google has had an accessibility group since before I joined Google in 2004, which has grown considerably over time, and has talented people working within it. When I was employed there, this team struggled against Google culture to present accessibility as a design principle that Google should apply to their product development lifecycle. My observation is that Google has applied the same quiet, indifferent, "the user is not our customer" customer service strategy to the blind that they have traditionally applied to the rest of their user community. Their customers are those who buy ads or products; their users represent a different community. It is also fair to say that Google believes that, if they innovate, customers will come to see the wisdom of such innovation, and will appreciate the changes. Google's inattentiveness toward us built up significant annoyance and anger within the blind community. In 2005 things started to improve. Google sent me to CSUN to meet with some blind Google users and to talk with them about their frustrations. Google released a mobile Gmail version in December 2005 that the blind were able to use. In 2006 Google launched Google Apps and started thinking about selling Gmail and Google apps to universities, which would come with an accessibility requirement. In 2007 Google introduced IMAP and POP support so that Gmail accounts could be accessed with screen-reader friendly mail clients like Outlook and Eudora. It was also around this time that groups started coming together to find the solution to Gmail and screen readers getting along that became known as the ARIA roles. Google has moved far beyond search, email, and web apps to pioneer new technologies that hold much promise for the blind, including the autonomous vehicle, Google Glass, Android mobile products, and the Google Book Scanning Project. As reported in NFB publications and discussions, Google and the NFB began meeting in 2005 to discuss Google's book scanning project. Google came, listened, and made it clear that they understood our concerns. The NFB has continued to meet with Google to discuss how poor access to products such as Google Docs and Android-powered devices are keeping students from learning and many blind people from working. We have been told that in all of these meetings Google has listened, acknowledged our concerns, and promised to make things better. However, we have not seen the fruit of these discussions with Google. While congratulating Google on being willing to listen, we invite Google to take the next step. We invite Google to continue joining us at our conferences, to continue standing with us at the negotiating table, and to continue soliciting our advice and comments. We also encourage Google to take the next step and begin to speak-speak with strong, bold actions that show they respect what we have to say and that they want to provide us with the eyes-free experience we've been asking for, speak by providing products and software that are easy and fun for the blind to use. We invite Google to make it a company goal to apply the same resources, commitment, and pride to bringing a polished, eyes-free user interface to their many applications as they would to adding a polished user interface in a new language spoken by 180 million people. We invite Google to take up the challenge of providing an eyes-free mobile phone experience that rivals their competition! We invite Google to speak by using their influence with the autonomous car community to help the world become comfortable with the idea that interfaces to autonomous vehicles can be both easy for the blind to use and completely safe for everyone. We have reason to believe that there are ongoing negotiations between our organization and Google and that, in the past year, the company has made a significant commitment to inborn technology. If this is so, it represents a tremendous change that will have positive and long-term consequences for the blind. Like Apple's innovative work to make the flatscreen accessible to the blind, Google can significantly raise the bar for the industry by demonstrating that inborn accessibility is possible, that it is economically feasible, and that it is the thing to do if other developers and manufacturers want to be competitive in today's marketplace. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Jim Marks] Making an Impact Doesn't Mean Using a Hammer: How to Share Federation Philosophy Constructively by Jim Marks From the Editor: In cleaning up her computer, Barbara Pierce came across a post Jim Marks made on one of our listservs. While the issue being debated at that time was audible traffic signals, we have moved far beyond that specific discussion. Nevertheless, what Jim talks about is quite relevant today. When we have discovered something important about how to function as blind people, how do we go about sharing it? Must we be a stellar example of how that technique is used before we can tell others about it? How do we communicate the liberation that mastering a new technique can bring without making others feel as though we are criticizing them because they don't know it or cannot use it as effectively as we do? If we learn of someone preparing to move to a nursing home because he believes that he can no longer cook, clean, and take care of himself, I believe we have an obligation to explain how we do such things. On the other hand, if we are talking to a diabetic who has lost most of the feeling in her hands, it is ridiculous for us to suggest to her that the answer to many of her life's problems can be found in becoming a proficient user of Braille. Most would probably agree that the two examples I've offered are extreme, so what about something less obvious? If I read an email post from a person who complains that a restaurant brought him a sixteen-ounce steak without cutting it and that he was required to send it back, do I have an obligation to tell him that, other significant disabilities notwithstanding, blind people can learn to cut their meat and that the cutting of meat by someone other than the person who is about to eat it is usually reserved for small children? If I say this to him politely, is it okay for him to label me as one of those bossy NFB members who is always trying to make blind people behave in their own, limited, circumscribed way? When is it appropriate to suggest that a blind person has an obligation to learn to be independent, and when is it okay to accept differences in behavior and pass them off with the statement "different strokes for different folks?" The answer isn't easy to ascertain, but the question is terribly important. Whether I am perceived as offering hope or criticism has something to do with the way I package and send my message and something to do with the mindset of the receiver who hears it. I can't control the latter, but I certainly can control the former. Here is what Jim has to say about offering hope without offending and creating hostility: My initial experience with blindness had nothing to do with the NFB. At age eighteen I discovered I had an eye disease which would eventually cause me to go blind. At twenty-five the doctors told me I was legally blind and that there was nothing else they could do for me. I grew up on a Montana ranch, the oldest of nine children. School and sports were easy for me. I still sometimes joke that at eighteen I thought the earth shook beneath my feet as I walked. Blindness took me by surprise. At first I hated it, thinking blindness to be a tragedy beyond measure. I internalized all the worst stereotypes, going through all the stages of victimhood: shame, using the victimhood to victimize others, and anger. Then, in part because life taught me I was still the same person blind or sighted, I realized my main barrier wasn't in blindness itself. Rather, nearly all the barriers I faced were of my own creation through what I thought blindness meant. Once I realized that all I had to do was to reject the stereotypes and to redefine blindness in ordinary ways, life got a lot better. All this happened, as I said, without the Federation. Montana didn't have a very strong affiliate. I knew no other blind people who could act as role models and mentors. This eventually changed as I met more and more blind people who set their own agendas and lived life with dignity and respect. I got involved in the general disability movement through a center for independent living. It was okay and taught me a lot about advocacy and making things happen. But CILs really aren't designed for the blind. Working within the independent living movement left me wanting something more, something that made sense for a blind person. Later, I became aware that the independent living stuff paid most attention to the accessible environment. While access is nice and vital, it isn't the answer for the blind. We've got to learn how to be blind, a lifelong process which involves positive attitudes, well-designed training, and plenty of opportunities to practice the art of being blind. Then something happened to me which made a huge difference in my life. Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic hired me to demonstrate an electronic text-reading system at the 1993 convention of the NFB. I was amazed, as many are, by the feeling one gets from being around so many able blind folk. But that isn't what got me the most. Kenneth Jernigan's speech, "The Nature of Independence," hooked me for a lifetime. Now, it wasn't a matter of being taken in by a charismatic leader. Jernigan uttered the very same stuff I believed in, and it took me by surprise. I came to the NFB with the prejudice of one who thought that Federationists were blind superhero types who preached long and who condemned anyone who didn't walk the Federation walk or talk the Federation talk. So you could imagine my surprise when I heard what I believed in, and it was coming out of Jernigan's mouth. The convention crowd loved it; I loved it; And I've been hanging around ever since. The reason I have gone into so much personal detail is that I want you to understand better where I'm coming from in order to respond to your post as well as I can. You said the Federation must refrain from putting people down and move towards empowering people. I agree. But I disagree that the Federation beats people up who can't do the things we know to be possible. Many people make the mistake of feeding a supposed split between the less and more able blind. Listservs don't help, for they lean towards misunderstanding far more often than understanding. The Federation I know and love consists of the positive influence you speak of. Sure, some folks may be harsh in their administration of NFB philosophy, but intelligent people look beyond that to figure out what is at the heart of our movement. Thus I urge you not to get hung up on what may appear to be a black-and- white grasp of what it means to be blind and act on what you know works for you and others. At the same time keep an open mind to the lessons the Federation offers. Things that seem harsh at first blush later reveal themselves as kindness. Of course people apply Federation philosophy differently in their lives. As I said, I do not consider myself an NFB superman. I am learning all the time from a network of dear friends who share the same mission. For instance, my Braille skills leave a lot to be desired. Part of that stems from two separate accidents as a teenager--one in football and the other in a motorcycle wreck, which apparently destroyed the feeling in my right hand. I use Braille daily, but I won't ever be able to read it nearly as fast as most others. At the same time, I am a fierce advocate for Braille, especially when it comes to children. That's because it's about literacy, the ticket to a life of self-determination and contribution. The point is that, although I don't live out the model perfectly, the NFB gives something to aim at and the framework from which I can effectively press for goals that positively affect blind people's lives. I agree that blind people face the same problems any pedestrians do, and audible traffic signals are not "the" answer in a world increasingly favoring the automobile. And I agree very much that there may be creative solutions to the problems faced by pedestrians. My main concern about what you said regarding the different strokes thing is that your words bolstered the idea that the solution to the pedestrian problem may be environmental rather than personal. In my opinion the access movement threatens the blind far more than any pedestrian problem ever could. We should not abandon the concepts of believing in the abilities of the blind and the daily application of the alternative techniques of blindness. I fear that the access movement will result in a backslide in which we start to blame blindness itself for our problems rather than acting out the Federation themes of can-do attitudes and personal responsibility. When I hear people crying out for more audible traffic signals or other environmental changes, it makes me afraid for those who come behind us. Somehow we've got to redouble our resolve to define blindness in our own terms. Many fellow blind people hold the worst notions of blindness. We cannot afford these to set the stage for all of us. That's why the NFB challenges those who reach for something external rather than internal. I want to see action on the part of those who get offended when personal responsibility is raised. No one wants to feel that he or she doesn't measure up. It's a lousy feeling. But it's even more lousy to ignore what we know lies within the realm of possibilities. I believe the Federation should push and push hard on our agenda. This doesn't mean we have to be jerks in the process. We do want to open our arms and provide the support it takes to make a difference in people's lives. No matter what we do, some will choose to reject our understanding of what it means to be blind. This saddens me but doesn't deter me from pressing the Federation agenda. Our dreams say that we want a better world for ourselves, for others in similar situations, and for those who come after us. Reality means that we win some, and we lose some, but being a Federationist means we never give up the dream and never give up sharing it with those who can benefit. ---------- In This Close-Knit Denver Family, Love is Truly Blind by Terri Cotten From the Editor: This article is reprinted with the permission of the Denver Post, its author, Terri Cotten, and her daughter who is both the photographer and the inspiration for this article, Jamie Cotten Walker. It appeared on March 27, 2014, and does a tremendous job in describing Ena and Brent Batron and the role the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind plays in their lives: When Ena Iraheta and Brent Batron met in May 2001, just days after arriving at the Colorado Center for the Blind, it was "love at first sound," they said. They loved one another's voices. But then Brent, who has limited tunnel vision, took off the blindfold required of every new student to fill out some paperwork. When he saw Ena for the first time, she was so beautiful, he said, "I knew she was out of my league." [PHOTO CAPTION: Ena, Brent, and the Batron children on a city bus.] Today, the two are married with five sighted children-two-year-old twins, Noah and Roman; Olivia, four; Sienna, seven, and Gavin, eight. Brent, forty-three, supports the family with a full-time job as director of youth programs at the Colorado Center for the Blind. Ena, thirty-eight, cares for the children and can often be seen using the city's bus system, the twins in a buggy and the other three in tow. Iraheta cares for their children in their Littleton home, where love and humor are in abundance. In their boisterous Littleton household, love and humor go a long way, and every day brings a new parenting challenge. "For the most part, they do respect what I say," said Ena. "It amazes me that they're so young, and they understand it's for their safety. They're my life," Iraheta says. "Everything revolves around them." Others who know the Batrons agree. "They never miss a school function," said Marcy Guthrie, Sienna's second-grade teacher at Highland Elementary School in Littleton. "They are all about their kids." When Brent spoke to Sienna's class about being blind, he brought books about blind people, a Braille calendar, and a Braille alphabet card for each student. "When he came to school and talked, he had such an easy way with the kids, making jokes, making light of things," she said, "and making the kids understand that 'just because I can't see doesn't mean I'm not just like you.'" [PHOTO CAPTION: Brent playing baseball with Gavin and Sienna] Blindness doesn't slow down this family. They ride bikes and play ball together. Sienna plays on a softball team, Gavin plays baseball, and Olivia is in gymnastics. On a recent weekend, Brent stayed home with the twins while Ena took the other three swimming. When the school held its annual "Highland Hustle," a run for which the children train, Ena came and ran with the children, Guthrie said. DIFFICULT EARLY YEARS Ena, herself, wasn't always so positive. Born in El Salvador, she immigrated to Los Angeles with her mother, brother, and sister when she was five. Ena was the oldest child, and her family was not affectionate or understanding. When she realized she was losing her sight, her mother told her to stop complaining. After she failed a driving test out of high school, Ena was referred to an ophthalmologist, and diagnosed with dominant optic atrophy, a rare condition that has left her with limited peripheral vision. "I had been working in the hospitality industry, at the reception desk, but my sight became a barrier," she said. "I tried to joke about it, but it was no longer funny." At the age of twenty-five, she arrived at the Colorado Center for the Blind, hoping to learn Braille and computer software skills so she could return to the hospitality industry. She wasn't thinking about a family. Brent grew up in Maine as an only child. He wanted to be a teacher, but the parents of one of his good friends were both teachers and discouraged him, so he majored in math and went to work at a grocery store. "I was moving up the corporate chain, when I began having trouble seeing," he said. "I was put on disability and in 1997 was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa," a condition he calls a "family heirloom." "I've probably had it since I was a kid," he said. "I loved baseball but was a terrible hitter in Little League. Later, after I was diagnosed, I was bouncing from job to job and very depressed. My uncle quit working at twenty-seven; my father quit at thirty. Neither ever went back to work . . . It was pretty hard to think I'd never work again." After he met Ena, the two began going to Colorado Rockies games and out to dinner. Both graduated from the center's program that October, then moved to Maine and got jobs at call centers. They continued dating and married on May 10, 2003. A year later, they returned to Colorado for Brent's job. INDEPENDENCE TRAINING PROGRAM The Colorado Center for the Blind's largest program is the residential Independence Training Program for adults, the one in which Brent and Ena met. The center also offers programs for students of all ages, senior citizens, and support for the families of those with vision impairment. Executive Director Julie Deden said she was "very excited about the opportunity to have Brent back." When he was a student, he was a mentor to a couple of our other students. He would volunteer to do some teaching in 'cane travel.' I was very impressed with that. After directing that program, Brent became youth services director in 2008 and significantly strengthened those programs, Deden said. "Brent has a lot of creativity and a lot of passion for his work. We're serving more people and doing a lot more innovative types of things. The quality of what we do has really grown. That's exciting. He has all kinds of contact with universities, colleges, and professors in the area and has put together some very exciting programs for our blind kids." Earlier this year Brent arranged for Arapahoe Community College biology professor Terry Harrison to guide students at the center to dissect sharks. "It's pretty unique to give them this opportunity," said Harrison, who is in his third year of working with the center, thanks to Brent. "I tend to think about my words a little harder and make it a little clearer. Other than that, they're just like any other students." For his part, Brent gets to be the teacher he always wanted to be and have the size of family he always wanted. "Bonus family. We wanted four (children) and we got a bonus," Brent jokes about the twins. When Ena was two months pregnant with the twins, Gavin saw the ultrasound and exclaimed, "Wow. There're two!" [PHOTO CAPTION: The Batron family out for a walk, Ena and Olivia in the lead, Sienna and Gavin lagging behind, and Brent with the twins in the stroller bringing up the rear.] The Batrons admit that money is tight, but say they're willing to sacrifice for their children. There also are many things they can do that cost very little. One evening, Sienna and her dad took the bus into Littleton to see a dress rehearsal of the musical "Annie." The center gets free tickets to dress rehearsals, and Brent wanted Sienna to see it. Gavin brags about beating his dad at video football, but said one of the things he likes best about his family is their New Year's Eve tradition. "We play Monopoly, then watch the ball drop. We have sparkling cider." [PHOTO SHOWCASE: Sienna stands in the refrigerator to find ingredients while Ena cooks.] Sienna and Olivia are learning to cook and bake from their mother. Sienna likes playing school with Gavin, Olivia and Brent. All the older children have chores, although Ena smiles when she said they tried childproofing the house, and the children just worked together to dismantle it. [PHOTO CAPTION: Ena and the kids leave the house for the day.] Brent said he thinks Ena's skill with the children comes from her own childhood. She wants the opposite for her children, and so she gives lots of love and kisses. Ena said she appreciates Brent's sense of humor. "We do a lot of joking," she said. "We do discipline with humor, a lot of humor." That's not to say they never get angry. When Ena was seven months pregnant with Gavin, the doctors ran tests to see if Gavin would suffer the same condition as either of his parents. That irritated both parents. "If he is born blind, who cares?" Brent asked. "What better situation for him to be born into than two parents who understand blindness." [PHOTO CAPTION: Ena crossing the street with her five sighted children] That prompted Brent to begin offering training for Denver-area medical staffs. "Blindness is not a disease," he said. "If an ophthalmologist diagnoses a patient with vision problems, then we can be a resource." While helping with homework, both parents strive to let their children work things out for themselves. They work hard to teach independence, but don't want their children to be afraid to ask for help. "We know enough blind people who put (leash-like) belts on their kids," Brent said. "Ours are holding hands. They respect traffic. They're walking or on the bus. They're a lot better behaved around traffic." Center director Deden said the Batron children are "great, great, great kids. They're very social, and always excited about something," she said. "Ena always has them out and about, which amazes me, because I don't think most moms would want to take five kids with them everywhere. These kids have already learned so much about the world and its diversity, and that's very valuable." ---------- 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 and training 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! ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis] This is Not Acceptable for Workers with Disabilities by Anil Lewis From the Editor: Traditions are hard to change, and regressive policies are usually acknowledged as such only after they have long-since been abolished. Someone must first sound the trumpet call, bring attention to a practice society finds uncomfortable to examine, and then lay bare the vested interests of those who profit from the unfair treatment of others. This is the role members of the National Federation of the Blind now play as we openly discuss how one blind person, who is called a production worker, makes pennies per hour, while another blind person, in a more elegant setting and with a more prestigious title, makes nearly ten thousand dollars a week. Where is the equity in this; where is the upward mobility promised the man who makes pennies per hour and is told this is because he is being trained? Where are the justice and the equity when the one who is paid pennies per hour is told that his job is not really about money; not really about making a living; not really about what he will need to raise a family, buy a house, and prepare for his retirement; and the man at the top is given a contract, participates in profit sharing, is given bonuses, and, if he fails, is often given a golden parachute so that he may gently descend into another job. This is the latest in a series of articles we have run to examine from all angles the issue of paying the blind and the otherwise disabled less than the federally guaranteed minimum wage. This article originally appeared in a blog posted on April 28 and has been updated for this issue. Here is what Anil Lewis, the deputy executive director of the Jernigan Institute, has to say: The abhorrent practice of employing workers with disabilities at subminimum wages, which stems from the poor public policy codified in Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), has unfortunately been imbedded in disability service models and promoted as a viable alternative for people with disabilities who have significant challenges to employment. As a result we needlessly tolerate the counterproductive, sheltered, subminimum-wage work environments that attempt to justify low expectations for the vocational potential of workers with disabilities, instead of providing encouragement and support for these men and women to obtain real jobs at real wages. This is especially intolerable in an age when innovative strategies produce alternatives that assist people with even the most significant disabilities in acquiring job skills that afford them the opportunity to secure competitive, integrated employment. By continuing to deny people with disabilities the same wage protections enjoyed by every other American worker, we perpetuate outdated practices and behavior that deny people with disabilities the opportunity to receive the quality education, training, and support necessary to obtain competitive, integrated employment. The simple fact is that, under Section 14(c) of the FLSA, many workers with disabilities have been placed in jobs that require a skill set that they will never master. People with limited hand dexterity are required to screw caps on pens; people who would prefer jobs with more social interaction are segregated in isolated work environments, performing mundane tasks; and individuals requiring specialized interventions are placed under the supervision of a well-meaning but unqualified custodian. The people who work under these conditions will never meet the productivity requirements, never acquire a competitive job skill, and never be paid the same prevailing wage as other employees. Thankfully more and more employers who have engaged in this unfair, discriminatory, and immoral practice are recognizing the error of their ways and are moving toward the adoption of a new, successful business model that capitalizes on the unique talents and strengths of each employee. Under this new model many workers with disabilities are already performing productively and making the same wage as their nondisabled colleagues. Others require some additional training and support to reach this level of productivity, and, like their nondisabled coworkers, they are provided this on-the-job training by the employer. In order to encourage the continued adoption of community integrated employment models and to bring about ongoing systemic change that will culminate in the repeal of Section 14(c), we must answer an important question: what should be done with the men and women who require a greater degree of intervention or who have been erroneously placed in the subminimum-wage jobs offered by the workshops? To answer this question, we must first acknowledge that, while people with disabilities often have greater challenges in gaining competitive, integrated employment, these do not prevent them from becoming productive employees. Workers with disabilities (like workers without disabilities) have unique skills, interests, and abilities. With the appropriate education, training, and supports, they can be productive and can be every bit as competitive as their nondisabled coworkers. Workshops that take advantage of the 14(c) exemption fight reform tooth and nail. They tell the public and their employees that the shops will have no choice but to terminate many of their disabled staff. They claim these men and women will need to be cared for by already overburdened family members or that they will be placed in day habilitation centers. They claim that these do not currently exist in numbers sufficient to meet the need that will arise when the shops are put out of business. These arguments are little more than self-serving scare tactics that are meant to distract from the real issues society needs to face-that we are placing disabled people in workshops that are unable to provide quality training and employment, even though they are exempt from paying taxes, receive preferential treatment in the procurement of contracts, and receive donations from the public intended to benefit the disabled men and women they are supposed to serve. Rather than raising the standard of living for their workers, these institutions prevent those who work in them from receiving the education and training that would allow them to function up to their God-given potential. There are viable, proven alternatives that offer training and competitive employment to individuals whom the workshops would otherwise condemn to a lifetime of segregated, subminimum-wage employment. The reality is that, in order for some businesses to convert to a new competitive, integrated business model, they may need to alter the employment relationship with certain disabled workers that they do not currently know how to serve. Some workshop managers argue that they must fire workers if they are required to pay the minimum wage. This would be true if they insisted that the worker perform in accordance with a model that does not maximize their potential. If the employer is unable to employ the worker with a disability competitively, we should not continue to fund that employer. We should be using those resources to develop and sustain systems that provide quality education, training, and supports that will empower people with disabilities to be productive employees. Why is it such a frightening concept to have people with disabilities leave these dead-end, exploitive environments to participate in an unpaid training program that will lead to competitive integrated employment? Isn't this exactly what nondisabled people do when they participate in the training offered by colleges, vocational or technical schools, and other job training environments every day? Not only do nondisabled people work without pay-they actually pay their trainers to impart job skills that they will use in making a living. Contrary to those who would encourage us to allow workers with disabilities to languish in environments that offer nothing in the way of training, nothing in the way of advancement, and nothing in the way of a living wage, we support the following: rather than continuing to condemn hundreds of thousands of men and women with disabilities to a lifetime of sheltered, segregated, subminimum-wage employment, we embrace the difficult task of reform that may temporarily leave some people without their subminimum-wage paychecks. We support the expectation that people with disabilities-like their nondisabled peers-will pursue education and training that allow them to acquire skills and explore various opportunities that will lead to their competitive, integrated employment. It is not acceptable for workers without disabilities to be relegated to subminimum-wage employment, reliant on public assistance for their existence, and deprived of their dignity and self-worth. It is likewise unacceptable for workers with disabilities, especially when we can do better and when models exist to help us in turning make-work jobs at subminimum wages a thing of the past. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Curtis Chong] Knowing What Is Good About the iPhone and What Is Not by Curtis Chong From the Editor: The iPhone is unquestionably the most popular cell phone used by the blind. Apple's revolutionary breakthrough in providing a roadmap for making the touchscreen usable by the blind has earned it significant praise from the blind, and their money has followed their words. But even with its impressive list of features and its accessibility, the iPhone is not for everyone, including some blind people. In this article Curtis Chong, who is a technology expert now living in New Mexico, explains the benefits of cutting-edge technology, but he also knows that the complexity of the iPhone and the needs of many cell phone users do not make it a good match. Here is what he has to say: Many people have hailed the Apple iPhone as one of the first touchscreen technologies that can be used by the blind without sighted assistance. When Apple released the iPhone with VoiceOver back in 2009, even the most skeptical among us recognized that Apple had accomplished a truly phenomenal feat of design and engineering; for the first time in history a person who could not see the screen was able to operate all of the controls of a device, even though those controls were nothing more than icons on a flat screen. Today the iPhone's reputation as an accessible technology for the blind is widespread. People who have never used an accessible cell phone have heard about the iPhone and dream about taking advantage of its accessibility for themselves. Well-meaning sons and daughters, hearing about the legendary accessibility of the iPhone, act to purchase this marvelous piece of technology for their aging mother or father. Parents who want an accessible cell phone for their blind youngsters believe that the iPhone is the perfect solution. Accessible as the iPhone is, it is important to understand both its strengths and weaknesses before deciding to spend the money to get it. For some people it will be the perfect solution. For others it could turn out to be a very expensive paperweight. The good and bad points about the iPhone that are listed below are based solely on my personal experience. In judging the accuracy of this information for yourself, you should know that I was a relative latecomer to the iPhone; I waited nearly two years before I decided to abandon my accessible Nokia cell phone for it, and, because I had talked with a lot of blind people before I decided to make the purchase, I was not disappointed in my decision. The Good Things About the iPhone 1. The iPhone enables you to take advantage of online services- particularly if they are supported by an iPhone app-for example, banking, news, music, searching for information, reading books online, email, weather, etc. 2. The iPhone gives you the same technology as many of your blind friends who have already embraced the iPhone as their technological Swiss Army Knife of choice. This means that, if you run into trouble, you will probably be able to find a blind person with the knowledge and experience to help you. 3. The iPhone demonstrates conclusively that the blind can operate a touchscreen device that has been properly designed for nonvisual use. In this regard I take great delight in using my iPhone with the screen completely blank-just to show my sighted colleagues that it can be done. 4. The iPhone can tell you who is calling before you answer the call. 5. The iPhone can help you keep track of recent calls made and/or received, and you can easily return a missed call. 6. The iPhone offers a dictation system that enables you to make calls to people in your contact list, call specific phone numbers that you already know, dictate emails and text messages, and ask questions that may or may not result in useful answers. 7. The iPhone can run a GPS system that you can use to direct drivers to where you want to go if you pay for a good GPS app. 8. The iPhone has a free built-in compass which is quite useful in places where there are no good landmarks. 9. With a ten-dollar app, the iPhone can read paper currency; this app can even read foreign paper currency. 10. The iPhone is a great music player and also good for streaming radio. 11. With the iPhone you can read digital talking books and electronic Braille books from the National Library Service of the Library of Congress. 12. The iPhone can be used to read books from Audible.com and Kindle books from Amazon. It can also read books from a variety of other sources- including Learning Ally and Bookshare. 13. The iPhone offers access to NFB-NEWSLINE? through a free app. 14. You can take pictures with the iPhone. Autofocus gives you a verbal indication whether there is a face in the picture. Also the camera can, to some extent, be used with optical character recognition software to read printed material if you can focus the camera. 15. The iPhone has built-in voice output and screen enlargement available free. Activating these technologies is fairly straightforward. Moreover, you will find that a growing number of books and people are available to offer help and support for new iPhone users. What Is Not Good About The iPhone 1. If you don't want to pay for a data plan, the iPhone has no option for that. A data plan will cost you about twenty dollars a month. You need a data plan for the iPhone to be able to communicate over the Internet. 2. It is very inefficient to make a simple phone call with the iPhone, particularly if you don't have a person in your contacts list. You can dial a phone number that you know much more quickly with a keypad that has real, physical buttons. 3. On the iPhone touch typing for texting and email is very slow as compared to a regular keyboard; this has been somewhat mitigated by Braille apps, of which there are now two. However, you should know that research has shown that, on average, a blind person entering data using the touch- screen QWERTY keyboard is writing at about three words per minute. By contrast, users of the built-in Braille apps have been clocked at around 23 words per minute. 4. The iPhone is very much a technology requiring good hand-ear coordination. People who want real buttons that they can operate silently by touch will be very disappointed in the iPhone. 5. Battery life for the iPhone is still an issue. You have to charge it at least once a day-a lot more if you use GPS. 6. The iPhone is not small. It is bigger than a lot of flip phones. 7. For a lot of people the iPhone is a lot more technology than they want. It is not for someone who just wants a phone to make and receive calls. 8. The iPhone is not cheap. Even with a two-year contract, the basic unit can cost $200. The full retail price of the iPhone is approximately $650. 9. First-time users of the iPhone have reported initial frustration with this powerful technology. It is not uncommon for these people to feel as if they want to throw the phone away during the first month. Answering calls and hanging up calls seem to be two particularly difficult problems for beginning iPhone users. 10. The iPhone requires a fair amount of dexterity and the ability to tap quickly. People who have motor issues or poor dexterity will likely not benefit from this technology. Conclusion The iPhone is simply not for everyone-despite its built-in nonvisual accessibility. Before you decide to get one, do the research, talk to your colleagues in the blind community, and decide whether or not you really need or want the power that the iPhone has to offer. Before you buy, be prepared to experience some frustration, have a few second thoughts, and expect initially to find some simple phone functions harder than you think they should be. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Marc Maurer in 1972 when he was the president of the National Federation of the Blind Student Division] Meet Our Division President-Marc Maurer From the Editor: As the national convention draws near we observe the traditional buzz about what will be found on the convention agenda, who will make us laugh and who will make us cry, and what will turn out to be the most memorable event in the 2014 gathering of the National Federation of the Blind. This year there is an additional item of interest, the election of a new president. Such a transition occasions much speculation about the future and some considerable reflection on the past and the legacy of the man who has occupied the presidency of this organization for more than a quarter of a century. With this latter point in mind, here is an article written by a twenty-year-old Marc Maurer that appeared in the Braille Monitor in March of 1972. I wish I could've claimed the byline for something this significant at twenty. Here is what the president of the student division had to say about his formative years, the division he then headed, and the role of divisions in our organization: I am the second child among six. Having reached the age of twenty, I seem to have inherited some of the rugged individuality, the carefree fun- loving spirit, and the wish to do well that are so characteristic of the atmosphere in my home. I have been legally blind since my birth and for all practical purposes totally blind for the past fourteen years. My third eye operation happened when I was six, and when it was over I was blind. I was resentful, bitter, and scared. I had determined that blindness was an irreparable tragic blow to my being. Henceforth, I would spend much time doing nothing except sitting alone and becoming more bitter. I was doing rather well; I had collected almost as much dust as the knick-knacks on our book shelf. Then my mother decided that it was time for a change of scenery and literally dragged me outside to "play." My first lesson about the proper attitude concerning blindness wasn't much fun, but it was taught to me in the form of a good time on a swing set. The State residential school endured my presence for five years. I then moved on to school in my former hometown of Boone, Iowa. After my graduation, I spent a year receiving training at the adult orientation center of the Iowa Commission for the Blind. In the fall of 1970, I enrolled at the University of Notre Dame, where I am now a sophomore. In addition to school my educational experiences have been those of a curious American. My hobbies have included such varied projects as mechanics, cooking, reading, and singing. I like to swim, shoot pool, water ski, play cards, and skate, both on wheels and on ice. What I have known of winter sports has delighted me, and, of course, one of my most engaging present pastimes is girl-watching. I was introduced to the National Federation of the Blind during my sojourn at the Iowa Commission for the Blind. Under the tutelage of Kenneth Jernigan, the president of the Federation and the director of the Commission, I began to understand the organized blind movement. We had several discussions about blindness and the blind, and, as it happened, I inevitably lost the debate, but I did grow to recognize the need for the organization. Incidentally, I consider it a feather in my cap to have won a bet with Mr. Jernigan. The Student Division was organized at the 1967 Convention. At that organizational meeting there were about thirty people. At the past 1971 Convention the Student Division meeting was attended by about one hundred fifty interested persons. We have grown in membership and are growing still, both in numbers and in activities. There are now ten student or young peoples' divisions across the nation, with the prospect of two more within the year. Thus far in 1970, Student Division representatives have been seeking new members in New Mexico, Minnesota, Texas, Montana, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, and Iowa. The St. Cloud discrimination in which First Vice President Mary Hartle figured so prominently has now been brought to a successful close, and the Division's secretary, Curtis Chong, is presently negotiating with officials on the University of Hawaii Campus because the blind students attending that school have no place where they may study after 4:30. In a manner somewhat similar to that in which Loren Schmitt was treated by the rehab center on the University of Illinois campus, the officials of the rehab center on the University of Hawaii campus are ordering and arranging the lives of the blind students. In an effort to make these rehabilitation centers effective, the Student Division has requested and been granted permission to do a survey of the program on the Illinois campus. This survey is one of the most immediate future concerns of the Division. We plan to continue organizational proselytizing, and wherever possible we will give advice or help to any student desiring it. (In this connection the student handbooks- revised-are available from either myself or Jim Gashel, the immediate past president of the Student Division.) As we understand it, the first duty of a division is to the organization of which it is a part, and as such the Student Division will work in whatever way we can to make the NFB a greater movement. We plan to do some survey work, book surveys, or commentaries on television programs, but the place of a division is not to lead, but to advise, provide a forum for learning, train its members in this business of organization, and fill the ranks of the larger group on the battlefield. We are an entity in one sense only. We are not a division of the NFB, but a division IN the NFB. We stand together with all our colleagues in the movement. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Participants in last year's STEM X work together to assemble a bridge.] The National Center for Blind Youth in Science: Expanding Accessible STEM Learning Opportunities for Blind Students, Parents, and Teachers by Elizabeth Spann From the Editor: Elizabeth Spann is an educational program specialist at the Jernigan Institute and is the lead science educator on the recent grant received from the National Science Foundation. Here is what she has to say about an exciting new program it is helping to fund: What do all of the top ten fastest-growing careers have in common? They all directly involve the knowledge and skills of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, twenty-one of the thirty fastest growing occupations directly require postsecondary education in one or more of the STEM fields. This means that the greatest opportunities for stable careers with good earning potential will require STEM education. If blind students are going to be successful in the competitive education and job markets, they will need early and consistent exposure to a wide variety of STEM learning opportunities. With this in mind the NFB Jernigan Institute is expanding its work in accessible STEM education, having been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation-Advancing Informal STEM Learning (Grant No. 1322855). With this grant the NFB Jernigan Institute will be focusing on expanding informal STEM learning opportunities for the blind. The work done with this grant will expand the knowledge base of effective practices regarding STEM education for the blind. It will educate families, blind youth, future educators, and museum personnel about the techniques and tools used to engage blind youth effectively in informal and formal STEM settings. Finally, it will strengthen the digital resources for engagement of blind youth in STEM education. As part of this grant the NFB is introducing NFB STEM2U, a new program beginning this fall. This program takes place at regional science centers and science museums around the country. In the initial year of the program (the 2014-2015 school year), NFB STEM2U will serve thirty blind high-school students and sixty blind elementary-school students in grades three to six, expanding their access to informal educational opportunities in STEM. This program will also involve ten teachers of the blind and visually impaired (TBVI). The high-school student cohort will be referred to as "apprentices," because they will function, not only as students in the program, but also as older peer leaders for the younger students. The upper-elementary cohort will be called the "juniors." The apprentices will provide support and guidance to the younger students and have opportunities to use their developing leadership skills. Prior to the regional NFB STEM2U programs, the thirty apprentices will participate in a weekend-long Leadership Academy. They will be trained as peer leaders and given training on how to share their knowledge and experience in blindness skills and education with younger students. The regional NFB STEM2U programs to be held during the 2014-2015 school year of the grant will take place in Baltimore, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; and Columbus, Ohio. Each of the programs will consist of two- and-a-half days of activities. On the first day apprentices and juniors will participate in hands-on inquiry-based learning challenges. On the second day they will get to explore all of the exciting learning opportunities the science museums have to offer. The regional programs will provide opportunity for prospective TBVIs to gain additional hands-on experience in working with blind students in an informal science setting. This opportunity will help to inform them about ways to accommodate blind students in science and will also allow them to apply best practices. While the apprentices and juniors are learning and exploring the museum, there will be seminars for parents to participate in, helping them to understand better how to advocate for their children's science education and how to ensure that their children have adequate opportunity to explore the STEM fields. All participants will be helping the museums to identify how to serve blind patrons better. The participating museums have expressed an eagerness to make their exhibits as universally accessible as possible. This will help to shape how these and other museums design their exhibits going forward. In the summers of 2015 and 2016, there will be a week-long engineering design program for high school juniors and seniors who have already expressed a serious interest in pursuing STEM education and career pathways. The NFB Jernigan Institute will gather data from both the NFB STEM2U regional programs and the engineering design program and communicate this to educators and museum personnel around the country. We encourage parents of blind students and teachers of the blind and visually impaired to visit for more information and to apply. ---------- Driving the Affiliate: Some Musings of a Former Affiliate President by J.W. Smith From the Editor: J. W. Smith is the immediate past president of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, and those who regularly attend the national convention will recognize his name as one of the people who has headed our membership recruitment effort. He joined the NFB in the early 1990s and quickly found his way into leadership. Here are some of his observations about things to do and things to avoid in being an affiliate president in the National Federation of the Blind: I have been fortunate to have a variety of leadership opportunities including as a professor in the classroom, a committee chair, an administrator, a church choir director and youth leader, and a father and husband. Most of my leadership opportunities have been within the context of my university life, at least since 1983. I can honestly say, however, that serving as the president of the NFB of Ohio from 2008 to 2012 was the most satisfying and enriching leadership experience of my life to this point. For the past year or so I have been thinking about some of my experiences from those four years, and I thought it might be helpful to share some of my musings and advice for those currently in leadership in our movement and perhaps those thinking about it at the affiliate level. I recognize that every situation will be different in opportunity and ascendancy to the affiliate presidency, and it may go without saying, but I think it really does need to be emphasized that each leader should and will bring his or her own uniqueness to the position. Your story may be different from mine, i.e., I had the privilege and challenge of following one of our longtime leaders in our affiliate and at the national level. It was clear to me and probably to most anyone else in our affiliate that Barbara Pierce would be a hard act to follow and that I had very big shoes to fill. Nevertheless, I welcomed the opportunity and began with what I think is the key point for effective leadership: Make sure they know who you are and how you plan to lead. Even though I had been first vice president in our affiliate for fourteen years, it was essential that I reintroduce myself to our membership and establish my leadership plan early on. In fact, I received a call shortly after being elected. The person on the other end of the phone was one of our relatively new board members. Although I had run unopposed, she still felt that she needed to know who I was and what my plans for the affiliate were. With this in mind and because I was sure that she was not the only one who had questions, I took the opportunity to answer her questions in my first president's column in our newsletter. Here is in part what I said: Who Am I? I am a father and a family person, and I love my wife and two daughters with all my heart. I've been married since 1986, and because of my wife Regina I am who I am today. She keeps the home fires burning, provides stability, and allows me to travel and do what I feel I've been called to do. She has always been a quiet, reserved individual who detests the limelight, but I think the statement "still waters run deep" best characterizes her personality and her perspective on life. Through the years you've read much about my daughters Ebony and Joshelyn. Ebony is in her first year at Ohio University, majoring in interior design, and Joshelyn is in her first year of high school, majoring in anything she can get into. These women are the joy of my life and the center of my world. I am a fighter and a futurist. I was a wrestler in high school, and I had a reputation for being tenacious and one who fought till the bitter end. I will bring that same tenacity to the office of president. I will fight for what is right for blind Ohioans, and I will fight for those who either have lost their fight or don't feel empowered to fight. I don't intentionally go looking for fights, but I am a futurist in that I like to see the big picture, and I like to move the ball down the field. I love to play chess and checkers, and, as you know, to be successful at those games, one must anticipate as many future moves as possible for both oneself and one's opponent. My futuristic tendency allows me to be farsighted, trying to be proactive rather than reactive. Finally, I am a performer, a professor, and a partner. By performer I mean a musician, public speaker, and preacher. I've been a professor at the university level since 1983 and since 1993 at the Ohio University, where I teach in the School of Communication Studies. By partner I mean I'm a team player, and I have no interest in being a Lone Ranger leader or dictator. What Do I Bring to the Table? I bring continuity and commitment. I want to continue the consistency that our movement in Ohio has enjoyed through the years. As first vice president since 1994, I have been a part of that consistency, and I want it to continue. I want to ensure that the NFB of Ohio is a place of stability and strength and that our positions are communicated effectively and persuasively. I want to continue our presence and prowess in the disability community in general and the blindness community in particular. We have established a reputation for integrity and credibility and the ability to get things done thanks to Barbara Pierce and Eric Duffy, and I want to keep that going. I am committed to our philosophy and principles. We are changing what it means to be blind every chance we get, and I'm committed to the idea that blind people can do anything they want to do with proper training and opportunity. I've been a Federationist since 1990, and I've never been more committed than I am today. I attended my first national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 1992, and I made up my mind then that I would give my life to this movement, so I am here for the duration, and I'm committed to our programs and our policies. My leadership style may be different from Barbara's, but my commitment to all that is the NFB of Ohio will be the same. I bring education and enthusiasm. By education I mean both formal and informal. I don't want to be snobbish here, but I think that I have been able to use my years of formal education effectively in the real world. My formal education has taught me to be a facilitator and a problem solver. I think these skills will come in handy in this new job. I am enthusiastic about the capacity of blind people to do anything in life they want to do. I've traveled a great deal, and I've met a lot of people. In short, I have had and continue to have an exciting life that I think allows me to convince other blind people that they can have the same kind of experience. Research demonstrates that communicating enthusiastically and energetically can be contagious. Because I believe in this movement and the limitless capacity of blind Ohioans, I won't have any problem communicating all things NFB-O enthusiastically and energetically. Of course I will want to make sure that this excitement and enthusiasm are balanced by substance and purpose. I bring organizational skills and an opportunity-friendly leadership style. I value organization and efficiency, and I take great pride in putting it all together. I also enjoy creativity and innovativeness. It's often difficult to keep the interest of this new generation, but I think that, as a movement and organization, we must try. My predecessor has made this job easier for me because of her meticulous attention to detail and superb organizational skills. I want to build on those and add my own creativity. I am one who likes to delegate tasks, and you might say that I enjoy discipling others. Discipleship requires time and commitment and a willingness to step in and not just pull people along but walk with them every step of the way. I want to give our members opportunities to work in our movement, but I want to make it clear that I will expect them to seize those opportunities and be positive contributors to our purpose and mission. For example, I want committees that get things done, and I want an infusion of new blood and faces. That's who I am and what I believe I bring to this office. I am not perfect, and I will depend on the efforts of my board of directors and other leaders in this organization to ensure our success as a family. This is a "we" operation, and we need as many committed individuals as possible to help make our collective strength that much more evident. For the next two years I will try to be the best CEO I can be. I will try to guide with love and affection and genuine concern for all of you. I pledge to be the best president I can be. I pledge to continue our success, to be committed to our philosophy and programs, to educate others about who we are and what we want, and to provide opportunities for leadership and input that will be in the best interests of the NFB of Ohio. Together we can make it work, and I might add, work very well. That is what I said in my letter to the colleague who wanted to know who I was and my plans for our affiliate. You've probably heard the old saying "people don't plan to fail; they just fail to plan." I believe that effective affiliate presidents must have a plan and must clearly identify who they are and how they plan to implement their goals and objectives. Expect and Learn from Criticism. Aristotle once said, "There's only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing." If you are not prepared to deal with and learn from criticism, you should reconsider taking on this leadership opportunity. Even though you might think that your plan and approach are flawless and beyond question, you will quickly discover that there is something to be said about meaningful input from others in the affiliate. It's important that you identify those you respect and trust and encourage them objectively and constructively to critique as many of the aspects of the affiliate as possible, including your own leadership. One of the first things I did was to appoint an ad hoc committee charged with evaluating as many aspects of our affiliate as possible and letting me know what people were thinking about what we were doing or should be doing. At board meetings I tried to set a tone that encouraged constructive feedback, and I routinely communicated with my officers to ascertain their critique of how we were doing as a leadership team. No one likes criticism, especially when it is intentionally hurtful and harmful, but you need to have a thick skin when it comes to accepting criticism as an affiliate president. I think effectiveness in this area begins with an overwhelming willingness to do the job. In fact, Dr. Jernigan often said, "To be president, you have to want the job." In my mind, if you really want the job, you will be willing to stay in the kitchen even when the heat and fire of criticism gets hottest. Build a Team and Earn and Cultivate Trust. Barbara Pierce used to refer to aspects of this one as "keeping your board with you." Leadership does not mean that you have all the answers or that others expect you to do so. It does mean that you are willing to work with others to find solutions to the problems related to making life better for blind people in your affiliate and your state. As I said earlier in this article, I value delegating and appreciating. I made up in my mind early on in my presidency that I wanted each board member to have a task that he or she was committed to and that I would find every opportunity to validate and appreciate those efforts. There are different leadership styles, so you should find the one that works best for you. I sought to have the most constructive and productive team or board possible. In my case, our affiliate has always enjoyed relative peace, harmony, and goodwill, so it was incumbent upon me to tap into that reservoir of goodwill and productivity. Trust is another commodity, however. It must be earned and maintained. We often give our affiliate leaders a great deal of trust. As leaders we should never abuse that trust or use it in a way that is counterproductive and poisonous. When you boil it all down, because we are essentially a volunteer organization, trust and goodwill are the most significant elements we bring to the table, especially as leaders. Let me be clear here: if something occurs that has the potential to damage the trust between you and members of your affiliate, do all that you can to address it, learn from it, and build on it. Recognize, however, that it will always take time to regain and rebuild that trust and sometimes you never really get it all back. Two incidents come to mind in this area, and, while I will not go into detail about them, I offer them here from my own experience. When I assumed the presidency in Ohio in 2008, we had always conducted our board meetings in person, especially the next one after our state convention in November. I decided on my own to try having our winter board meeting by phone. I thought that it would save us some money and take away the uncertainty about the weather that often affected attendance at that first meeting of the year. One of my board members sent me an email saying that she thought that the first meeting with a new president should be face-to-face. Was she correct? I could have put my foot down and decided that it was going to be my way or the highway, or I could have taken her advice and observation under consideration, which I am very glad I did because she was right. This is one way to build a team. The second incident caused pain and public humiliation for one of our board members because of my failure to follow through in communicating information and caused me to have to seek forgiveness and do all in my power to regain trust and love. Hindsight is always 20/20, but it can teach us something if we are willing to listen. I immediately admitted my mistake and continued to seek ways not to let it occur again on my watch. I am pleased today to report that that person continues to be an effective part of this affiliate. Some Driving Tips for the Affiliate President I want to conclude my thoughts here with some safe driving tips as they apply to leadership in the NFB. Nationwide Insurance says: . Avoid driving when you are tired. As an affiliate president be sure to get your rest and avoid big decisions and deliberations when you are tired or not feeling well. . Always use caution when changing lanes. Change can be hard, and people get set in their ways, so as a leader do all that you can to signal when you are about to change lanes. Perhaps you've heard the old church edict "we've never done it that way before." This is often true in organizations like ours as well. People resist change and have to be jollied along. . Don't allow children to fight or clown around in your vehicle. As a leader you have to distinguish between the fights that are worth it and the ones that aren't. You also have to encourage healthy debate but not allow people's personal issues and problems with others to get in the way of getting affiliate work done. It is your job to keep the organization focused and moving down the road with the lowest number of distractions. In an article entitled "Top Ten Safe Driving Tips" Ed Grabianowski maintains, . Be extra careful when driving in bad weather. Trust me, trouble will come and the weather will get bad, and you will have to pay close attention. In our affiliate we experienced a dramatic financial storm during the second year of my leadership, and I really had to pay careful attention to all aspects of our affiliate, especially financially. Also remember that people will watch you more closely during the bad times, and it is during those times that you really find out a lot about yourself both as a leader and an individual. . Watch out for other drivers. As a leader you have to keep your eyes on others both good and bad, and you have to lead the entire affiliate, not just selective parts of it. More important here, though, you have to make sure that other sometimes well- intentioned drivers in the affiliate don't cause accidents. We are responsible for and to each other. . Maintain your vehicle for safety. This means be proactive and vigilant. Don't let the small leak develop into a major catastrophe if you can help it. In other words, an ounce of prevention can be worth a pound of cure. Finally, Robert Schaller in his article entitled "70 Defensive Driving Rules" suggests: . Pay attention. As a leader you have to be attentive and stay on top of things and take the job seriously. Return emails and phone calls and other correspondence, and keep your eyes open for obstacles and opportunities for your affiliate. In short, really demonstrate that you want to be president and that you are willing to put in the time and commitment necessary to be a successful one. . Don't prevent others from passing. Sometimes as a leader you have to get out of the way of those you trust and those who you believe are doing good for the affiliate and let them be successful. You cannot feel challenged or threatened. In fact you should find ways to use their enthusiasm and assertiveness for the good of all. Also as a leader you need to know when it's time to let some people go, i.e. move on from the affiliate. Sometimes it is clear that the NFB is not for everyone, and as a leader you need to know when to let those drivers pass you by and keep your affiliate on a steady course. With these experiences and tips, I hope that current and future NFB leaders can navigate around some of the potholes and difficult roads on their journey to bringing the blind to first-class citizenship in America and the world. ---------- Comparing the Windows Computer with the Mac by Curtis Chong During the past six months I took it upon myself to learn how to use the Mac computer and the built-in VoiceOver program which makes this computer accessible to the blind. I did this because, as a part of my job, I am often asked to provide training and information to blind seniors who, accustomed to using the Mac computer with a mouse, now want to use this computer with the built-in VoiceOver program due to significantly reduced vision. Like many of my blind colleagues, I have used Windows computers for many years, and because of this experience, I have been able to write letters and articles, send and read email, and find information on the Web- all without sighted assistance. I have also learned to deal with the frustrations that seem to go along with the Windows computers we use today, and I have reconciled myself to paying a few hundred dollars now and then to keep my screen-access technology up to date. As I have learned more about the Mac, its operating system (the latest version of which happens to be called OS X Mavericks), and VoiceOver, I have tried to understand the differences and similarities between these two different technologies. I have read a number of articles extolling the virtues of the Mac, and while I understand that for some people it has offered a sense of confidence and independence that they might not have enjoyed with a Windows computer, I am not prepared to say at this point that every blind person should abandon Windows in favor of the Mac. What I am prepared to say is that each platform has its own set of strengths and weaknesses and that the choice of which to use will be determined by individual circumstance. In my case although I am confident in my ability to use the Mac to write a properly-formatted article, send and receive email, and find information over the Internet, I am not ready to replace my Windows computer with a Mac. The financial investment is simply too high, and my work habits too engrained. This is not to say that no one should ever contemplate abandoning his/her Windows system in favor of the Mac. It is only to say that this is my decision and that it is made with a full understanding on my part of the tasks that I wish to accomplish with the computer and the money and effort I am willing to invest to convert to a new system. Technical purists will probably take exception to my blanket use of the term "Mac." Therefore, to keep things as technically accurate as possible from this point forward, I will refer to the Mavericks operating system instead of the Mac computer. Before discussing how Windows and Mavericks systems differ from each other, I do think that I need to make one important point here. Regardless of what kind of technology we use at home, most of the people who work in offices today use Windows computers along with Microsoft Office programs such as Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Regardless of whether we decide to use the Mavericks operating system at home, it is highly likely that our jobs will require us to use Windows along with the Microsoft Office suite. Therefore, people who decide to adopt Mavericks for their own personal use will likely, out of necessity, find themselves proficient with both systems. The first difference you will notice right away when comparing Mavericks to its Windows counterpart is price. Computers running Mavericks tend to cost more, but then, the hardware seems to be of a higher quality. While you can probably find a Windows laptop for around $500, the least expensive MacBook Air I have found starts at $899. All Mavericks systems have a built-in spell checker and dictionary, which are available to you no matter what application you choose to use. On a Windows system you might be able to use a spell checker for programs such as Word or Outlook, but the spell checker is certainly not available to you if you choose to run the free WordPad program. There is certainly no free dictionary built into Windows. In Windows, the free WordPad program can be used to create a nice- looking document. However, WordPad does not come with its own spellchecker. In the Mavericks system Text Edit is a powerful (and free) word processing program. It has more power than WordPad, and for many writing tasks, it does a very nice job. Text Edit might not be able to generate a college- level paper complete with references and footnotes, but in the Mavericks world you can buy a program called Pages to do this, and you don't have to spend a couple hundred dollars to get it. In a Windows system each program you use will have its own menu bar, which contains things like the File Menu, Edit Menu, View Menu, etc. In fact some programs that you might run on a Windows system may not have a menu bar at all. Mavericks, on the other hand, has one menu bar which is shared by all of the programs you are running. This menu bar changes as you switch your attention between programs, and regardless of what program you are working with, you can always get to the menu bar. In Windows the technical details of the operating system are easily exposed-even to the nontechnical user. In the Windows world it is not uncommon for the average user to have to deal with things like the "system registry," "disk defragmentation," and "temporary files." On a Windows computer when you want to change something in the system, you must go to the "Control Panel." If you want to look at drives, files, and folders, you go to something called "Windows Explorer." In Mavericks it is not common for the average user to see any of the technical details of the operating system. If you want to make changes to the system, you go to something called "System Preferences," which sounds a lot less technical than "Control Panel." If you want to manage drives, files, and folders, you use a program called "Finder." In Windows drives are assigned letters like "C:", "D:", etc. In the Mavericks world drives have names like "MAC HD" or simply "My Hard Drive." Voiceover is the speech program that makes Mavericks usable by the blind. It is available at no cost, but it is fully supported by Apple. While it is possible to obtain a free screen-access program for Windows (NVDA comes to mind), what you don't get by selecting this free software is technical support-particularly over-the-phone support. You get this support when you pay the several hundred dollars it takes to acquire programs such as Window-Eyes, JAWS, or System Access. Microsoft does provide the free Narrator speech program for Windows, which has improved with the release of Windows 8. However, at this point, Narrator is not nearly as powerful nor as sophisticated as VoiceOver for Mavericks, and it is safe to say that there are a lot more knowledgeable blind VoiceOver users than there are blind users of Narrator. On a Windows system there are a number of competing products to choose from for people who need a talking screen-access program. The cost of these products ranges from free to over a thousand dollars, and as I pointed out earlier, the level of technical support that is available varies along with the price of the software. In Mavericks there is only one truly viable solution for the nonvisual user. It is the free VoiceOver program from Apple. VoiceOver is as sophisticated and as powerful as any Windows screen-access program, and long-time users of Mac computers will tell you that it has been very well supported by Apple. Given how well Microsoft Office works on a Windows computer, it is natural to assume that it would be just as accessible to VoiceOver users. Unfortunately, this is not the case. For blind users of Mavericks, Microsoft Office is simply not the product to use. It just doesn't work well with VoiceOver. Fortunately, there are quite a few programs built into Mavericks that work very well with VoiceOver. For word processing, Apple's Text Edit program offers a very accessible choice; and Apple's built-in Mail, Calendar, and Contacts programs work quite nicely with VoiceOver. So does Safari, Apple's web-browsing program. This article would not be complete if I did not mention that on a Mac computer, you can update your operating system without any sighted assistance. Unfortunately, on a Windows computer, when a new operating system is installed, there are times when screen access technology simply doesn't work. Whether a blind person uses a Windows computer or a Mac running a version of OS X, there is today a very high level of independent access available. As I said earlier, I am not prepared to say that one and only one system is best for everyone. Each platform has something to recommend it. Yes, Windows and OS X are different from each other; each system has its own design philosophy. But isn't it great that we who are blind, can now choose between them? ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Lorraine Rovig] Ms. Rovig Leaves the Staff of the National Federation of the Blind by Lorraine Rovig From the Editor: Lorraine Rovig is a very familiar name to those who have been around the Federation for any time at all. She has been a Federationist for almost forty years and has worked with our national leaders for almost four decades. She is retiring and has written a letter to her Federation family that the Braille Monitor is pleased to run in advance of what may be Lorraine's last national convention. For those not familiar with Federation lingo of the 70s, all of us were blind guys, no matter our gender, but be assured that Lorraine is one fine gal. Here is her letter: My Federation Friends, It's time to let you in on my plan. I bought a house in southern Minnesota because I'm retiring from my work at the National Federation of the Blind and moving my membership from Maryland to Minnesota. Not having done it yet, I'm not sure how living on my retirement plan is going to work out when it comes to the fun extras of life, so the 2014 July convention in Orlando may be my last national convention. Although, if the money permits, I can see me coming back like former students go to their high school reunion, just to enjoy being with their old friends. My last day on the staff will be July 11, 2014. Now when did this all start, you may ask. After all, I'm a sighted guy. Back in the summer of 1975, I had decided not to sign the contract to continue as the librarian at a five hundred-student high school in southern Wisconsin because I didn't want to grow old in that small town. So, job hunting are us! One fine summer day on a bulletin board in the multi-story library school of the University of Wisconsin Madison campus, from which I had received my master's in library science degree, I saw a 3x5 typed card that said, "Librarian Needed. Must have some knowledge of textbooks. Iowa Commission for the Blind, Des Moines, Iowa, (phone number)." A teacher in the library school was passing by just as I finished reading and I asked her, "Have you ever heard of this library?" She said she'd heard it was the largest library for the blind in the country. Well! After a tiny high school, that sounded interesting! And Iowa being next to Wisconsin, I could drive back to visit my family on the holidays. That it was "for the blind" never really registered with me. I figured a library was a library. Oh, my! Little did I know how my life was changing from that very minute. So I called and made an appointment to interview. As it happened (here comes Fate dropping in again), my brother was buying a house to be close to his new job in northwest Iowa, so he and his wife and I rode in the same car. He dropped me off in Des Moines, where I was to interview for a few hours. Then I would ride with them up to see their new home and would come back to Des Moines to have a second interview "if" I was invited to do so. During the first interview-with Head Librarian Florence Grannis, and Duane Gerstenberger, her replacement in training-it was all about my ability as a librarian. The Iowa Commission for the Blind had a large library-a point in its favor, and, when fully staffed, six librarians serving patrons statewide! I was interviewing to be in charge of obtaining textbooks from the American Printing House for the Blind (using their list of transcriber's works) or our own transcribers for all (was it three hundred?) of Iowa's K-12 and college-level blind and visually impaired students and all the adults who needed materials for their work, plus the Braille collection, the large type collection, and the small professional collections of print books by blind authors or about blindness, and the historical collection of early Braille, New York Point, Moon Type, and such books. Nope, I did not know Braille, did not know anything about the NFB, or about how blind persons handle things. But I did instinctively know that Gone with the Wind is still Gone with the Wind, whether it is in print or in Braille; and I passed Mrs. Grannis's several tests of my competency. So Mr. Gerstenberger gave me a stack of banquet speeches that agency director Kenneth Jernigan had made in his other job as president of a federation for blind people, and I was set up for a second interview. Hello Fate. All the long way to northeast Iowa I read the speeches. Very interesting! And solid philosophy! Those speeches just made sense to me. Of course blind Americans should not be treated that way! And I read them some more all the way back to Des Moines. I got my second interview, this time with Kenneth Jernigan. I sat in the chair across from Dr. Jernigan at his big desk, and his assistant, Mrs. Anderson (now Mrs. Jernigan), sat on a couch to my right side. As I figured out later, this was a subtle test of attitude-would I look and speak to the sighted person or the blind boss? Right. It just made sense to me to talk to the boss and, well, I got hired. July 23, 1975, 8 am, I started work at the Iowa Commission for the Blind as one of its six librarians, and I continued working there for nearly thirteen years. I am proud to be part of "the Iowa connection." I joined the NFB at the July 1975 chapter meeting. As part of staff training, Dr. Jernigan had me reading several decades of back issues of the Braille Monitor, in class with Jim Omvig as our teacher for blind civil rights history, and taking cane travel lessons under sleepshades with Field Op Counselor Dick Davis as my instructor. I really liked cane travel. For my graduation exercise I walked a four-mile route around Des Moines. No problem. I learned how to do some other things under sleepshades too. All of this got me started in understanding how a blind guy handles whatever he or she wants to do. And in September 1975, President Jernigan invited me to his annual Labor Day weekend NFB Leadership Seminar at the old Randolph Hotel, where I met Diane McGeorge and my first guide dog. I am a proud alumna of the Bathroom Seminar, along with Barbara Pierce, Barbara Beech (Walker Loos), and many other current leaders of the Federation (not all of them named Barbara). I went on many weekend protests against NAC [the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped], driving for the first time ever a huge fifteen-passenger van to get to that hotel near the O'Hare Airport, on the crazy Chicago freeways, and this was before GPS was invented. I marched on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. With Tami Dodd (now Mrs. Jones), Eric Duffy, and Sharon (now Monthei)-those three blind and all of us wearing sleepshades to prove we weren't peeking-I swung my cane and marched in our NFB White Cane Marching Team in three town parades and at one NFB national convention. I drove for tons of candy sales. Thank goodness one of the blind students who rode to Oskaloosa knew how to change the tire on the van when it went flat halfway there, surrounded by cornfields. None of us in the van will forget the time I drove the four-hour trip to the Minnesota state convention and Curtis Willoughby and Bob Ray taught us songs to sing in a bar, and I ran out of gas on that interstate superhighway, but coasted down the miraculously appearing ramp right into a gas station and next to a pump! After a few years, a new chunk got added to my library work, I became the boss of Iowa's radio reading program and along with one other staff person would cut up the Des Moines Register to precisely fit our time slot before being one of our many readers on the air. We were proud to know our radio service was one of only two RRS [Radio Reading Services] in the country that operated on a public channel. Thanks to using the radio station at the Des Moines tech high school, we were heard as far as fifty miles out of the city! A truck driver told me he listened as he made deliveries to farms outside Des Moines. Dr. Jernigan and his extraordinary Orientation and Adjustment Center for blind adults went on all around us in that multi-story building at 4th and Keo. We'd find newly blind and scared cane travelers lost in the Talking Book stacks or get out of their way when after a few weeks they'd be striding down the city sidewalks outside on their errands. Students made wonderful smells (and some not so much) come out of the kitchens; students came to check out a first shortest book possible to practice reading Braille. They'd be gathered in our comfortable library reading room late into the night, reading and talking. We who were there every day saw the change in the students, from their first day to their graduation. We literally could see that the NFB method of teaching worked splendidly. We saw students learn a new positive attitude along with their skills, and we saw those few students who did not learn the NFB attitude toward blindness. They would go home with their skills, more or less, but sooner or later start again to be what the sighted folks around them thought they should be because, after all, they were blind. Students who joined and got involved with their support group, the National Federation of the Blind, were the adults who thrived. Dr. Jernigan did not just hang out in his fancy office. He taught you, whether you were student or staff, and not just about blindness. He was funny, wise, eccentric, surprising, demanding, giving, super-smart, super-educated, totally plugged in to Iowa politics, and sometimes ignorant of current cultural icons (like John Denver and his music). He read 420 words of Braille per minute-I timed him, and he was a terrifically good cane traveler. We were walking downhill on Keo one day at his cane- swinging, lickety-split speed and me in my two-inch heels nearly sprinting to keep up, until one of my heels broke, and he hammered it back on with his cane handle. That man did more work in a day and night than three other people. Of course he had two full-time jobs-simultaneously the elected president of the National Federation of the Blind, building the Federation and working on serious issues nationwide, and the director of the statewide vocational rehabilitation center for the blind, which included the training center for blind adults, the field services department with offices around the state offering home teachers and counselors, a store for products handmade by (agency-inherited) elderly blind women, the statewide Business Enterprise Program (which went from the previous popcorn and packaged candy counters to full-service cafeterias), the statewide regional library for the blind and physically handicapped, the lending office for NLS Talking Book machines, the textbooks for the blind program, the volunteer Braillists program (including for a number of years an operation in Iowa's biggest prison), the volunteer readers making open reel masters which became cassette books at our building, and the radio reading service. We were everything for the blind except the school for the blind at Vinton, Iowa, and the checks from Social Security. About three years after I was hired, Dr. Jernigan resigned his state job and moved the headquarters of the National Federation of the Blind to Baltimore, Maryland. A series of blind directors followed him; none making innovations worth commenting on and the NFB no longer recommended to students, nor, in some years, even mentioned in a favorable way. I continued to be a steady member of the NFB, attending local meetings, the state conventions, and the national conventions. One day in July of 1987 I got a phone call from Baltimore. It was Dr. Jernigan. He said, (read this in a deep, deep voice), "Miss Rovig, how would you like to be director of Job Opportunities for the Blind?" I said, "But Dr. Jernigan, I'm not blind." And he said, "Miss Rovig, how would you like to be the director of Job Opportunities for the Blind?" Not being dumb twice, I said, "Yes sir, I would." I was the director of JOB for ten years. At various times during that decade Dr. Jernigan also put me in charge of the single staff person cleaning all the bedrooms in our bedroom wing (I personally cleaned every toilet we owned many times), cassette production (which, if I remember right, was more than 60,000 copies per year); and for a very brief period back in 1987, I was the reader and first engineer of the brand new NFB studio. Larry McKeever, "the voice of the Braille Monitor," designed it to be, as he told me, equal to a big-time studio in Nashville. He taught me how to run the giant board and all the equipment over a couple days. As time went on and the monthly "Presidential Release" was recorded, Dr. Jernigan and I discovered I was an okay reader but a poor engineer. Yes, I lost that piece of the job. (Whew!) Job Opportunities for the Blind was a big part of my job. The NFB's innovative program was funded by the US Department of Labor. Mary Ellen Reihing (now Mrs. Gabias) and I used the NFB studio to produce six cassette newsletters per year. Half of it was articles about blind workers (I usually did the interviews and wrote them up) plus job hunting advice, and half of it was reading real job listings for all kinds of jobs all over the country-as long as they were not specifically to hire a driver of a vehicle or a life guard at a swimming pool. My all-time favorite came from the Baltimore Sun and said, "Seamstress needed. Steady work. Baltimore Casket Company." I got calls from all over the US-blind job seekers asking advice and, occasionally, an employer worried about the new ADA. What helped folks the most was our rock-solid belief in their goal and introducing a blind job hunter to someone who was blind and already at work in that same field or one with similar requirements. Networking built that essential positive attitude and provided the practical advice that one who is in a field knows. Once a year I wrote a four-page "Employer's Bulletin" like the one in 1995 called, "Employer Nightmares about Hiring Blind Employees." It started like this, "This bulletin is for employers who have hidden worries about hiring a blind person." Some bulletins are still posted on the NFB website, but they surely need updating. Then we had the three-hour long JOB Seminars at national conventions for a live audience of two to three hundred NFB members. I was the MC for our lineup of blind speakers. I'll never forget the presentations by John Fritz on doctoring his Wisconsin dairy herd; Doug Lane of Nebraska, a professional baker for a large hotel; Joe Urbanek, owner of a B&B for newlyweds; Lloyd Watts, house parent in a group home for adult men with low IQs; Carla McQuillan on childcare in the home (before she started her Montessori school); Allen Schaefer of Illinois, a public high school music director and teacher (whose students went all the way to state several times), and so many others. But, golly, my number one favorite was Robert Munz of Long Island, New York, telling us about his interview and his job working the Price Club fast food counter. He got the job of defrosting the pizzas and warming the big dough pretzels when he told the sighted HR lady that he cooked a meal for 40 as part of his training at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, and she said, "I couldn't do that!" And Bob said, "You could if you tried." I am proud to say I started the JOB convention breakfast meetings targeted to different professions. Out of that networking, people found each other and they grew our NFB divisions for science and engineering, for voc rehab workers, and for medical fields, among others. One day, Dr. Jernigan asked me, "Miss Rovig, would you like to go to the United Nations?" The NFB was invited to run an information table in the lobby of the UN in New York City alongside other self-help groups because it was The Year of the Disabled. And one very memorable day, Dr. Jernigan asked me, "Miss Rovig, how would you like to go to Japan?" Of course, I said, "Yes sir, I would." The Japanese government office that ran training centers to train blind people for employment asked for a keynote speaker to come to their convention to explain how the NFB worked on employment issues. Their chief push was to teach the use of the Opticon. Unfortunately that was the last year the machine was manufactured. Anyway, what a wonderful trip, and what an honor to be chosen. I heard later from our contact, Chuji-san, that my speech had been translated and published in the main Tokyo daily newspaper with my photo. Well, after I'd done this job for ten years, the DOL [Department of Labor] decided we'd been funded way longer than they normally would fund any program (normally only two or three years) and ended our funding, so Dr. Jernigan switched me to being the writing-driving-reading assistant to our staff in the IBTC, the International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind. Working this job for two years, I learned a lot about modern equipment for blind people. I loved the time Robert Jaquiss and I drove to several high tech companies and saw the amazing, new, 3D printing machines. After a while my several layers of bosses and I discovered I was an editor and proofreader. My job changed to working in our Advocacy and Policy Department (as we call it now), mostly proofreading print documents that leave our building-letters, emails, petitions, invoices, language in new legislative bills, posters, website pages, fact sheets, and official reports. I helped proof the opus, Walking Alone and Marching Together-all thousand-plus pages of it. I wrote the wording for the Bolotin Award online under Jim Gashel's direction. I began to proofread the Braille Monitor and Future Reflections. This is what I've done for the last decade. Dr. Jernigan had a dream of a national headquarters for the National Federation of the Blind, one that would work on all the different issues, with room for things like a library to educate the researchers and a research institute run our way, an educational center figuring out best practices, and lots of room for offices and meeting rooms to cover all the different jobs the NFB is doing and will want to do in the unknown future. This is not a school, but a think-tank at work to innovate ideas and train the trainers. We had eighteen million dollars to raise, so I helped build it. I had NFB accounting take a small portion of my paycheck every month to give $5,000 to the building of our National Center for the Blind, 200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, Maryland 21230. Yup, my name is on the wall in the Wells Street lobby. Five years ago President Maurer changed my job again by appointing me to assist Anil Lewis, NFB state president in Georgia, with all the paperwork for our national scholarship program. Under Anil's direction, I wrote the information on our scholarship website, answered half a zillion phone calls and emails, printed and filed the five hundred to seven hundred or so scholarship applications we get each year, and handled lots of other time-consuming details. After a couple of years Anil accepted a staff position here in NFB's home office and Patti Chang, Esq., a full-time lawyer in Chicago and president of the NFB of Illinois, became my boss for this part of my job. It is so very strange to think that this is my last year working on this fun, important, expensive program. I so enjoy meeting our thirty winners at convention and helping them find out that what the National Federation of the Blind offers to them goes way beyond a one-time check and a week in a big hotel. I have been to every NFB national convention since 1976. This convention will be number thirty-nine. It's the most fun you can have in a week and still be legal. I've been to every NFB state convention in the state in which I lived (Iowa or Maryland) plus some extra state conventions just for fun: Minnesota, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Virginia, and Washington, DC. All were so different, and yet all were totally NFB. There's never been a national convention that I didn't have several jobs. I met and got to know hundreds and hundreds of our members when I had the job for many years of training and supervising volunteers for the NFB Store. Remember the time we had no customers at all, so joking around we got Ellen Ringlein to do an advertisement and demonstration for her table of Braille tools in German and got Fatos Floyd to advertise her Braille equipment in Turkish? Many of our volunteers had a first Braille lesson, many learned how to use the click rule and the abacus, and many strangers became friends as they sat beside each other. So many good times! It looks like I'm writing a book here, and not a goodbye! It somehow doesn't seem proper to say only, "So long, and thanks for all the fish." [For those not familiar with the reference to "thanks for the fish," it's a reference to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series] Fellow members and friends, if you read between the lines, you know I will always treasure these things-getting to know the most extraordinary man I've ever met-Dr. Jernigan; having the chance to work, protest, and laugh with the many wonderful, hard-working members I've met since 1975; and, yes, I very much treasure the fact that, using such gifts as I have, I have helped the movement of all blind Americans toward full equality. The conclusion I reached in a car crossing the hot summer landscape of Iowa in 1975 hasn't changed-equality for the blind just makes sense. So see you in Orlando! If you come to Minnesota's NFB events, look for me there, or find me on NFB listservs. With appreciation for the past and anticipation of the future, Lorraine (also known as Miss Rovig) ---------- Think Food Safety When You Grill by Bridgette Keefe From the Editor: Given that summer is just around the corner, it seemed timely to include these food safety tips for all of our blind grill enthusiasts. These safety tips come straight from the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the US Department of Agriculture. Here's what they suggest for safe and delicious outdoor food preparation: Around the country barbecue grills are already pulled out of tool sheds and garages and dusted off. Before you start grilling, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) would like to remind you of several tips for a safe cookout. "Before grilling always start with clean surfaces and clean hands. Wash hands for at least twenty seconds with warm, soapy water before and after handling food. All surfaces that come in contact with raw and cooked foods must be washed frequently," FSIS spokesperson Maria Malagon says. "Be sure to remind your guests to wash their hands before preparing or handling food." Raw meats and poultry should be prepared separately from vegetables and cooked foods. For example, using separate cutting boards when you chop meats and vegetables will prevent cross-contamination. Juices from raw meats can contain harmful bacteria that could spread to raw vegetables and already cooked foods. If you plan to marinate meat and poultry for several hours or days prior to grilling, make sure to marinate them in the refrigerator-not on the counter. If you plan to reuse the marinade from raw meat or poultry, make sure to boil it first to destroy any harmful bacteria. "We recommend setting aside a portion of the marinade before you put in raw meat and poultry for later use," Malagon said. Now it's time to fire up the grill. If you're using charcoal, go with commercial briquettes or aromatic wood chips. Remember to follow the manufacturer's directions on the package label; the same goes for your grill. If you're using a gas grill, it's important that you know where hot and cold spots are. Read the manual that came with your gas grill for more information. Keep in mind as you grill that color is not a reliable indicator of doneness. Meat and poultry cooked on a grill often brown quickly and may appear done on the outside, but it still may not have reached a safe minimum internal temperature to kill any harmful bacteria. That's where a talking food thermometer comes in handy. "Hamburgers and other ground beef should reach 160 ?F to reduce the risk of E. coli O157:H7. Consumers should also make sure poultry is grilled to a minimum safe internal temperature of 165 ?F to reduce the risk of Salmonella," FSIS spokesperson Aaron Lavelle urged. "Statistically, the number of reported illnesses involving E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella is significantly higher during the summer months. That's why it is absolutely critical for consumers to know the importance of handling and cooking meat and poultry safely." The USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline recommends that whole cuts of pork, lamb, veal, and beef be cooked to 145 ?F as measured by a talking food thermometer placed in the thickest part of the meat, followed by a three- minute rest time before carving or consuming. Fully cooked meats like hot dogs should be grilled until steaming hot. Fish should be cooked to 145 ?F. If you plan on using a smoker, the temperature in the smoker should be maintained between 225 ?F and 300 ?F for optimal safety. Be sure to use your food thermometer to be certain the food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature. As you take the cooked meats off the grill, be sure to place them on a clean platter, not on the dish that held them when they were raw. The juices left on the plate from raw meat can spread bacteria to safely cooked food. "Too often people allow food to sit out for several hours at cookouts. They don't know that, by leaving food out for too long, they are inviting the number-one unwanted guest: foodborne bacteria," Lavelle says. That's because bacteria grow most rapidly between 40 ?F and 140 ?F, so perishable food should never sit out for more than two hours. If the temperature is over 90 ?F, food shouldn't sit out more than one hour. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers promptly, and throw out any food that has been out too long. Remember: always keep your hands and everything clean; use separate utensils, plates, and cutting boards to prevent cross-contamination; use a food thermometer; and remember the two-hour rule if the room temperature is below 90 ?F (or one hour if the air temperature is above 90 ?F). Follow these tips and have fun grilling. For more information go to FSIS's Grill It Safe page , ask Karen at , or call the USDA Meat & Poultry Hotline at (888) MPHotline, (888) 674-6854. ---------- Recipes This month's recipes come from North Dakota. [PHOTO CAPTION: Duane Iverson] Linda's Chicken by Duane Iverson Duane Iverson is a longtime Federationist, having attended his first convention in Houston in 1971. He is president of the North Dakota affiliate. He got this recipe from his first wife, Linda Allembaugh. It is a simple and tasty way to oven fry chicken. Ingredients: Chicken pieces, as many as desired Flour Bisquick At least one stick of butter 2 eggs A splash of milk Parmesan cheese from a shaker, optional Method: Prepare a mixture of half flour and half Bisquick. Liberally grease the bottom of a shallow baking pan with butter; I melt at least a quarter pound. Combine eggs and milk and beat with a fork. Dip chicken pieces in milk mixture to moisten the chicken, then roll it in the flour and Bisquick mixture. Arrange chicken in baking dish and bake for one hour at 350 degrees, turning after thirty minutes. I find that adding a liberal amount of parmesan cheese to the flour mixture enhances the breading. ---------- Marvin's Potatoes by Duane Iverson Ingredients: Potatoes, peeled and evenly sliced 1 onion, sliced Butter Slices of Velveeta cheese Method: I used a Vegematic to slice the potatoes when I first made this dish. The slices should be just a little thicker than a Talking Book cartridge. Layer the potatoes in the bottom of a greased square casserole dish. Dot the potatoes with butter, spread with a layer of thinly sliced onions, then do another layer of potatoes, butter, and onions. Do three layers in all. Cook covered at 350 degrees for a little less than an hour. Test with a fork. If the potatoes feel almost done, that is, the fork goes in easily, cover the top with a generous number of Velveeta cheese slices. Put the lid back on the dish, and return it to the oven for about ten more minutes. The cheese will melt and infuse the potatoes. Since the potatoes are in a covered dish, they stay warm for long enough for you to get everything on the table. ---------- Brad Martin's Meatballs by Duane Iverson Ingredients: 1 pound of ground meat 1 can chicken-and-rice soup 1 can tomato soup 2 eggs 1 small onion Lots and lots of soda crackers. Method: In a mixing bowl crack two eggs. Break up the ground meat into the bowl. Grate a small onion or part of a large onion into the mixture. Then begin crumbling and adding soda crackers to the mixture until it is sticky but fairly dry, about the consistency of modeling clay. Form the meatballs and place in the bottom of a shallow baking pan. The meatballs should be small, no larger than a cherry tomato. I'd say a golf ball is too large, and a grape is too small. Arrange the meatballs in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. Now combine the chicken-and-rice and tomato soups in the bowl you just emptied. Mix well with a fork. Then pour the liquid evenly over the meatballs. Cover with lid or aluminum foil and cook at 350 degrees for about an hour. As the meatballs cook, they will absorb much of the liquid from the bottom of the pan. When serving, there will be liquid left that you can spoon over the meatballs. This dish goes well with Marvin's Potatoes. Happily, you can prepare them beforehand. An hour before supper mix the soups, pour liquid over the meatballs, and put the dish of potatoes in the oven. You don't have to go back to the kitchen until ten or fifteen minutes before the meatballs are done to put cheese on the potatoes and cook a vegetable. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family Lori Stayer Dies: It is with sadness that we report the death of Lori Stayer on April 29, 2014. She was a longtime Federationist married to David Stayer of New York. She was an active part of the New York affiliate, missing only one convention since her entry into the Federation in the 1970s, and this due to the illness of a child. Lori was best-known for her work as a founding member of the National Federation of the Blind's Writers' Division, and the editor of its magazine, Slate and Style, for twenty-seven years. "Lori had a warmth about her that made people know just how much she cared," said David, her husband of forty-one years. "You always knew she had your best interest in mind. If she came up and told you that you had a stain on your shirt, you didn't take that as a put-down but were grateful that someone cared enough about how you wanted to present yourself that she'd tell you the uncomfortable things." Lori had battled ovarian cancer for more than three years and had joined a support group. When they suggested to her that her illness was too advanced for her to travel, she insisted on going to the 2014 Washington Seminar, telling David that this would be the last major NFB event she would ever be able to attend and that she wouldn't miss it for the world. Her last instruction to David, just two days before her death, was that he was to attend the convention in Orlando and keep doing the good work that has been such a part of his life. David will be with us there, and so too will the spirit of Lori-a wife, a mother, and a proud Federationist. Coming to Know the National Federation of the Blind: We Need Your Help: As Federationists know, for almost seventy-five years we have demonstrated that we can live the life we want. However, as surprising as it may seem, there are thousands upon thousands of blind people and their families across the nation who have not yet heard the positive, uplifting message of our organization. Many blind people have heard of the National Federation of the Blind but have not been properly introduced to the real philosophy, accomplishments, and spirit of the movement. We know that the strength of our movement comes from the grassroots. Dr. Maurer has appointed a committee to conduct a robust, targeted chapter development campaign this fall for seventy-five days leading up to our 75th birthday on November 16th. We will establish seventy-five new chapters and greatly strengthen seventy-five chapters that already exist. You will be hearing much more about this Seventy-five Days of Action Campaign at the national convention. We hope you will participate in one of the five informative chapter-building seminars in Orlando. In the meantime check your social media and emails to discover ways you can take part in the Seventy-five Days of Action. Affiliate presidents will be asked to identify areas within their affiliate which will need special attention. Affiliate presidents and leaders of the National Federation of the Blind will be asked for their help to develop the strategy and take the concerted action necessary to establish seventy-five new chapters and strengthen seventy- five existing chapters. The committee appointed by President Maurer will be seeking seventy- five extremely committed members of our movement from across the nation to lead this effort. It will be a herculean endeavor, and we will need everyone's strength, imagination, and determination to establish seventy- five chapters and significantly strengthen at least seventy-five more. Applications for service on this distinguished committee will be available soon. Applicants will be asked to complete a very brief survey indicating their willingness to give significant time and energy during this unprecedented campaign. Fellow Federationists, accept the challenge. Each of us can be a part of the Spirit of Seventy-five. For more information write to <75days at nfb.org> or call (866) 543-6808. The future is ours. Let's go make history. The Secret Weapon in the Media Wars: In these days of social media and the pressure to keep the affiliate Facebook page filled with interesting photos, it is easy to forget the lowly newsletter. This is a brief plea to affiliates and divisions to maintain their newsletters. These documents trace the history of the organization month by month and year by year. They provide an ongoing vehicle for recording the history of the organization and allow members a voice for telling their own stories and articulating their perspectives on the organized blind movement. We used to publish quarterly print documents that were faithfully circulated around the state or division. The escalating cost of publishing has pretty well done away with the hardcopy newsletter. But its email brother is a great tool for communication. It is still possible to print up copies of the newsletter to tuck into folders going to legislators at the Washington Seminar or the state capital during the annual visit to lawmakers. The newsletter can be quickly dropped into the NEWSLINE? sponsor line and added to the affiliate website. These are both easy ways of keeping current the affiliate's public information. To learn more about how to create a lively, interesting, and accurate newsletter with general appeal, come to the meeting of the Communications Committee at convention this summer. Affiliate presidents with sporadic or nonexistent newsletters should be sure to assign someone to attend this important meeting. Social media will be discussed as well, but we want to be sure that the newsletter is not forgotten. The Communications Committee is chaired by Robert Lesley Newman. Its meeting takes place from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, Thursday, July 3. Everyone is welcome. The 2014 National Association of Blind Students Mentoring Program: Students, young professionals, successful blind adults, and ambitious young adults: listen up, this one is for you. For the second year the National Association of Blind Students (NABS) will be sponsoring a mentoring program which will kick off during the 2014 convention and will help to build relationships which will hopefully last a lifetime. What: Blind students and professionals in the student's field of interest will be matched. When: On July 2, we will hold our introduction meet-and-greet, which will be filled with fun games, and activities to kick off the mentoring relationship. Who: Blind students and first-time convention attendees will be mentees; blind professionals, and seasoned convention attendees will serve as our mentors. How: If you'd like to participate as a mentor or mentee, you simply have to fill out a form that will take you no more than five minutes to complete and which the committee will review. For mentors go to . For mentees go to . These links can be found on the website. The only way we can have a successful program is by having mentors and mentees, so come one and come all, spread the word, see you in Orlando! NFB.org Fast Facts Page: When one website has as much information and resources as the National Federation of the Blind's site, it's easy to get overwhelmed or lost when looking for one specific link. To help speed up the search, check out the Fast Facts page . Basic information and links to more detailed information is gathered onto one page, allowing you to find what you need quickly and easily. National Association of Blind Veterans (NABV) Fundraiser: The NABV will be raffling off four one-day DISNEY PARK HOPPER TICKETS, valued at $516.00 and good for the next two years at Walt Disney World here in Orlando. The drawing for these tickets will be held at the national convention on July 6, 2014. Use them this year or next year for our seventy-fifth anniversary convention of the NFB. Tickets to win are $5 for one or $10 for three tickets. You could be the winner! Send your money and request for tickets to: Dwight Sayer, NABV president, PO Box 784957, Winter Garden, FL 34778. Cash, check or money order will be accepted. We can return mail your stubs or hold them for pickup at our table at the national convention. Welcome Fellow Therapists and Other Human Service Workers: We are the NFB Human Services Division, a place for advocacy and fellowship for all of us in, or contemplating being in, any of the many professions that can be grouped as human services. We have social workers, mental health counselors, and other mental health professionals, occupational, speech therapists, physical therapists, massage, music and recreational therapists, genetics counselors, dieticians, and many other specialties. We encompass a lot of territory! Our membership and board of directors include students and employed professionals with decades of experience. We are currently advocating for issues related to full access to licensure testing and that troubling line in many job descriptions: Driver's License Required. Our Board Meetings are by phone and are open to all. Our email list offers a good place to help others with suggestions and encouragement or to ask for assistance. It can be a struggle being blind in a sighted world, for instance with computer-based or electronic record keeping. The NFB is helping to make this easier, currently working to ensure that all electronic medical records are screen-reader friendly, an uphill battle that the Human Services Division is championing. You are a special person, desiring to help others. Few things change what it means to be blind more than helping light-dependent persons to solve their human needs. Let's do it together. Joining the Division is easy and cheap. It currently costs only $5.00 a year! We need your help to strengthen our call for the changes noted above. To join today, just send a check to the Treasurer and Membership Committee Chair: JD Townsend, 1598 Riverside Drive, Holly Hill, FL 32117. Just add your name, email, and address in print or Braille, and you can be a part of a positively focused group of human service professionals. Let's all be a part of change. Where is Your Voice? Did you know that the Braille Monitor is your magazine, one created not only for your reading pleasure but for the sharing of what you think, what you know, what you feel, and your unique observations about it? What you write doesn't have to be about a law that got passed in your state or a landmark court case that was decided. Those are important, and we want to hear about them, but that type of event isn't all the Federation is about. There are those ordinary yet extraordinary moments in life: the moment you became the first blind student to walk in your school's graduation ceremony; the scout troop leader who asked your child's mobility instructor to come to a troop meeting so that everyone in the troop could learn the proper way to walk sighted guide with your child; the first day you wore a sweater you'd knit yourself after struggling to learn how; the time your uncle wouldn't let you join your cousins on a fishing trip because he was afraid to have you around all the sharp hooks and tools; your freshman year of college when you got turned around and attended the wrong class for most of the period and then spent the rest of it figuring out how you could walk out without making a scene; any of the small triumphs and failures that shape us as we travel through life. If it's a story you enjoy telling or that others ask you to tell new members, think about writing it up and sending it in. Within most of us there is a Monitor story waiting to be told, a life-changing experience which, once shared, has the possibility to change more than one life. Not everything that happens to us is serious and weighty. What about the time in the laundromat when you were approached by a man who had had too much to drink and he began complimenting you on how smart you were to put a handle on your dog so he wouldn't get away from you? What about the time you called and asked to talk with Tommy because your screen reader pronounced T-A-M-I like the man's name? If you don't think you have enough to say to write a full article, that's okay. Do you have photos from an event your chapter put on? Email high-quality photos and as much information about who is in them as you can- they may become the lead photo in next month's issue. The National Federation of the Blind is an organization of the blind, for the blind. And the Braille Monitor is a magazine by the Federation, for the Federation. But we can't share your stories if you don't send them in. Can we use everything we get? We can't, but we can't run them if you don't dare to write them. Let's see your byline in an upcoming issue. Airport Transportation Discount To/From Orlando International Airport (MCO): All convention attendees receive a $4 discount on transportation services courtesy of SuperShuttle Orlando. Use the discount code NFB14 when booking. Discounted rates are $16 one way and $28 roundtrip per person to the Rosen Centre, but vary based on hotel location if you are not staying at the convention hotel. Exclusive sedans, SUVs, and vans are also available. The rate for an exclusive van (eight passengers) is $100 or $12.50 per person one way. Book your transportation on the SuperShuttle.com website. To make reservations for large groups, call (407) 513-0225. Elected: This year at our annual state convention the NFB of South Dakota elected the following: president, Kenneth Rollman; second vice president, Kathleen Nelson; treasurer, Jo Mundenhaul; board members, Jackie Campbell, Wayne Erickson, and Lonnie Schaeffer. We have it set up so that we elect positions alternating every year. We elect first vice president, secretary, a one-year and a two-year board position next year. 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. Lone Star BLAST 2014: The National Association of Blind Merchants (NABM), a division of the National Federation of the Blind, announces the opening of registration and hotel reservations for Business Leadership and Superior Training (BLAST), November 2014. Lone Star BLAST 2014 will be held at the Austin Renaissance Hotel from November 18 to 20. Nicky Gacos, president of the National Association of Blind Merchants, said: "In coordination with Business Enterprises of Texas and the elected committee, we have begun to plan the biggest, boldest, most far- reaching training for blind entrepreneurs and state agency personnel. It will be a BLAST as big as Texas." NABM and the National Federation of the Blind Entrepreneur Initiative will jointly plan the conference. The group has already begun planning the biggest trade show in its history, working in conjunction with the RSA Buying Group and the Committee of Blind Operators of Texas. NABM is also pleased to announce that, in coordination with the National Counsel for State Agencies for the Blind, BLAST will again this year feature a day-long training event exclusively for state licensing agency staff. The association is also working with the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind to offer continuing education for attorneys working with state VR agencies and Business Enterprise programs. Those sessions will take place on Tuesday, November 18. BLAST seminars will begin the morning of Tuesday, November 18, with business development training on the morning of Wednesday, November 19. The trade show will take place Wednesday afternoon. There will be a full day of targeted education related to personal and professional growth on Thursday, November 20. BLAST will conclude with an all-star Lone Star BLAST banquet and celebration on Thursday evening. Room reservations at the luxurious Austin Renaissance, 9721 Arboretum Blvd., Austin, Texas 78759, are available now at the unbelievable rate of $129 per night plus applicable taxes. A limited number of executive suites are available on a first come first serve basis at $149 per night. Rooms are available from Sunday, November 16 through Saturday, November 22, 2014. Reservations should be made online at . You may also phone the hotel at (800) 468-3571. Be sure to explain to the agent that you are registering for BLAST under the National Association of Blind Merchants group. Act now to take advantage of early bird registration rates. Again this year, BLAST registration will be $200. If you register prior to September 2, 2014, you will be charged only $160. Remember that the BLAST registration fee covers BLAST activities, excluding out of hotel tours or events which may be offered. Your registration fee covers the training, the training materials, the welcoming reception, the leadership breakfast, the trade show and trade show reception, and the banquet which will be held on Thursday evening, November 20. For questions or assistance with hotel reservations or Lone Star BLAST registrations, please call (866) 543-6808. Austin is the home of the most diverse and lively music scene in the world. NABM invites you to come for the high-caliber training, networking, and Texas hospitality. In an email to constituents, President Gacos said: "If you plan to attend any national training conference in 2014, make it the Lone Star BLAST!" To offer your ideas for the kind of training you'd like to have at the Lone Star BLAST, contact Kevan Worley, program chair, at (866) 543-6808 or . Don't Let the GED Fall Through the Cracks We in the Federation are working on many problems involving access to computerized tests. In many, if not most, instances there are laws or regulations which apply from elementary to high school to college. The GED is important, giving a second chance to many people. But the laws and regulations covering it vary from state to state. Furthermore, in January of 2014, the test itself was totally revised. It now is offered only on computer and is provided by a private entity. I don't want the GED to fall through the cracks and not be made accessible to blind applicants. I hope to find a way to collect and communicate information about the GED or its equivalent and explore ways to solve problems with its administration to the blind. I'm retired now, but I still get inquiries because of my previous writing. My goal is to determine who has experience now and might help others. Please contact me at or write to me at Doris M. Willoughby, 279 W. Ridge Road, Littleton, CO 80120. National Blindness Professional Certification Board Announces New Certification: The National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) would like to announce a new certification being offered beginning January 2015: the National Certification in Unified English Braille (NCUEB). Although this certification is intended primarily for professionals in the blindness field, anyone is welcome to take the test, and there are no prerequisites other than knowledge of the UEB code. Since the Braille Authority of North America (BANA), the governing authority of the Braille code in the United States, has set January 4, 2016 as the official conversion date to Unified English Braille (UEB), the National Certification in Literary Braille (NCLB) will no longer be offered as of January 1, 2015. Obviously, there will still be a great deal of material in circulation for many years to come that has been transcribed in Literary Braille, and we recognize that many professionals may be interested in becoming certified in both UEB and Literary Braille, so we have scheduled a number of testing opportunities for the NCLB certification in 2014. All registration information is located at: . 2014 Test Dates for National Certification in Literary Braille (NCLB) May 17 Southern Arizona Association for the Visually Impaired, Tucson, AZ May 31 Virginia Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Vision Impaired, Richmond, VA June 11 Iowa Department for the Blind, Des Moines, IA Sept. 13 San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind, San Francisco, CA Sept. 27 BLIND Inc., Minneapolis, MN Oct. 10 Embassy Suites LAX South, Los Angeles, CA Anyone holding NCLB certification at the end of 2014 will continue to maintain their status until the expiration date on their most recent certificate. If your agency or organization would be interested in scheduling an exam in your area, please contact us. The NBPCB, along with many other organizations whose work involves all aspects of the learning, teaching, and production of Braille, are committed to ensuring that the transition from Literary Braille to UEB will be a smooth one. To this end, many workshops will be held throughout the country to offer an opportunity for both professionals and consumers to become familiar with UEB. Please consult our website often for information regarding scheduled workshops sponsored by the NBPCB. For questions regarding any aspects of NCUEB or becoming dually certified in both the Unified English Braille and Literary Braille, please contact us at . 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. A Web Developer for the Blind: Is your state organization in need of a website? Do you need someone to keep your website up to date? I can build accessible, clean, customizable sites, connect a calendar of events to a database, and keep it up to date at an affordable price. Please email Kelli Jo Isaak at for more information. For samples of my work, check out , where I have links to other sites I've done, including the one I recently completed for the NFB of South Dakota. Braille Sense for Sale: I have a 32-cell Braille Sense Plus manufactured and sold by HIMS. It is in very good condition, and I am asking $2,000 for it. My telephone number is (616) 212-8639. Dictionary Wanted: The Colorado Center for the Blind is seeking to acquire a donated copy of the Pocket Dictionary in seven volumes. Contact Tom Anderson, CCB Braille instructor, for further information. Email him at or call at (800) 401-4632, Ext. 220. Recorders Wanted: I am looking for an APH 5198A desk model recorder, an APH-modified Sony Cassette recorder, an CFM-165TW recorder, and a CFM-30TW recorder. These must be in excellent condition, with all functions working well. Contact J. Larry Railey at or by calling (281) 444-0907. ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Sun Jun 29 14:54:09 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Sun, 29 Jun 2014 14:54:09 -0700 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, July 2014 Message-ID: <201406292154.s5TLs90Q023288@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 57, No. 7 July 2014 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 ? 2014 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. 57, No. 7 July 2014 Contents Illustration: Standing Against Discrimination: Educating the Educators Growing Up Fisher: What Should We Expect from Blind Characters in Situation Comedies? by Gary Wunder Breaking the Mold: From Clienthood to Citizenship by Mary Ellen Gabias Perspective on Philosophy by Eric Duffy Introducing Your Blind Child to Miniature Golf by Mark Riccobono Reflecting the Flame by Marc Maurer Blindness and Social Change: What Is My Duty? by Everette Bacon Jean Dyon Norris Dies by Gary Wunder Braille Isn't "Embattled"-We're on the Cusp of a Golden Age for Blind People by Ian Macrae Sexual Misconduct Results in Prison Sentence for Teacher of the Blind by Gary Wunder Advances in Technology Can Leave Some Behind by Kerstin Sjoberg-Witt and Michael L. Stack II Recipes Monitor Miniatures PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis among the protestors at Atlantic Cape Community College PHOTO CAPTION: Protesters held their signs high for passing motorists to read as they gathered near the Atlantic Cape Community College sign. PHOTO CAPTION: Even the ACCC's own sign seems to agree that the NFB is making something happen, the words, "STARTS HERE" captured as the protesters gather between the sign and the road. Standing Against Discrimination: Educating the Educators Members of the National Federation of the Blind and its New Jersey affiliate held a protest at the Mays Landing campus of Atlantic Cape Community College (ACCC) on Thursday, April 17, 2014. The protest was held to combat discrimination by ACCC against Anthony Lanzilotti, a blind student studying criminal justice and cyber-security there. Mr. Lanzilotti has been denied even the most basic accommodations and at times has not been allowed on campus or to use campus facilities unless he is accompanied by a sighted person. He has also been prohibited from using campus laboratories because ACCC claims that this violates the fire code. ACCC has also refused to procure or create accessible copies of Mr. Lanzilotti's textbooks and course materials, a service routinely provided to blind students by other colleges and universities. If he wants his print textbooks to be scanned and converted to electronic files that can be read aloud by text-to-speech software or on a Braille display, he must do the scanning himself, and he cannot use campus facilities to do so unless he meets the requirement of having a sighted person with him. This will not stand, but the National Federation of the Blind has and will. We will continue to stand for Anthony Lanzilotti and other students until Atlantic Cape Community College changes its illegal policies. [PHOTO DESCRIPTION: Promotional poster for Growing Up Fisher. The Fisher Family is seated at a dining room table, Joyce on far left facing Mel sitting at the opposite end; Katie, Henry, and Elvis in harness sit between them facing the viewer. Above the family is the show's tagline, "As far as we knew, we were normal." Below the family is the show title and the statement, "Inspired by my true family." Below that are the special premier date and the show's regular timeslot.] Growing Up Fisher: What Should We Expect from Blind Characters in Situation Comedies? by Gary Wunder One of the primary objectives of the National Federation of the Blind is to change how the public thinks and feels about blindness and to convince them that our lives can be as full as theirs if we are given proper training and opportunity. Our goal is to have them think of blindness as one of many characteristics: not a tragic condition dealt to the unlucky, not a miraculous condition that makes one super-human-a characteristic not to be ignored, but one that is far from being the most dominant in our lives. Most members of the public do not know a blind person, so what they hear and see in the media often provides their first impression of what life is and can be for blind people. All too often portrayals of blind people by Hollywood have left us feeling angry, used, and further isolated in a world in which we seek full integration with our sighted neighbors. When a character is portrayed as bumbling, loud, and obnoxious and when the reason is presumed to be that he is blind, we protest to the producers and the broadcast network and take our concerns to the public. When we do so, a few of the questions are difficult to answer. Does bringing attention to the show help or harm it? Will viewers stay away from it because we've said we don't like it, will they watch to see what we find objectionable, or will they do whatever it is they would have done, with or without our protest? Does our protest educate the public about the lives of real blind people, or do we come off looking overly sensitive? Are the answers to these questions as important as our promise to speak the truths about blindness as we know them and to combat the negative portrayals, regardless of the outcome? In the case of the sitcom Good and Evil and the movie Blindness, we protested and our concerns were publicized nationally. But not every show in which a blind character appears merits a response, pro or con. How do we decide? We start by asking questions. Is the blind character realistic? Is he or she likely to make people think more or less about the capabilities of blind people? What leeway do we offer the writers when their objective is to create a comedy? When a humorous incident happens and the character involved is blind, when is it funny and something to which we can relate, and when does it play on the stereotypes of blindness and retard the integration we seek? Are there incidents caused by blindness that we who are blind can share among ourselves with amusement but that are inappropriate to share with the sighted public? All of these figure into the judgments we make as we evaluate a show in which blindness plays a part. In early 2014 the National Broadcasting Company began advertising a soon-to-be aired television show called Growing Up Fisher. At first all we knew was that it would feature a blind father. Then we learned that it was loosely based on the life experience of DJ Nash, the producer of the show, whose father is blind. In addition to the blind character, Mel Fisher, the cast consisted of Mel's wife Joyce, his teenage daughter Katie, and his eleven-year-old and soon-to-be twelve-year-old son Henry. Henry's birthday plays a major part in one of the episodes when we learn that he fears becoming blind when he turns twelve, the age at which his father lost his sight. Before the show aired in late February, I received frantic calls and emails warning that a network show involving a blind character was in the making and offering to write articles about it. That we would be interested in a show featuring a blind character did not surprise me, and I appreciated the information. But those offering to author an article were unanimous in their conclusion that the show would be harmful to the blind and that their contribution would be the first step leading to demands that the show be cancelled, with a public protest to follow. Granted, we have seen some pathetic portrayals of blindness, the two mentioned being good examples. But the question I asked myself and my colleagues is whether our mindset that Hollywood will never get it right and that their laughs will always come at our expense is healthy or productive? Our perception of the general public is at the very least complex and possibly contradictory. On the one hand we believe that they want to accept us as equals and can understand that, though we need special training and equipment, we can compete with them as equal participants in society. On the other hand we are constantly on guard, believing that the general public has many misconceptions that retard our progress and that they are highly susceptible to those who will play on our limitations, real or imagined. This having been said, what about the eleven episodes of Growing Up Fisher that aired before the show's cancellation? Wanting more than my own perspective, I wrote to people who subscribe to listservs run by the NFB. My request went to members and nonmembers alike, and it didn't matter whether their list participation was for the purpose of discussing the joys and sorrows of being a webmaster, learning how to do arts and crafts, or exploring the way to become better writers. Some who responded said they thought television a trashy waste of time, did not watch situation comedies, and therefore could not compare what they saw in the show against contemporary offerings. A few wrote to say that their lives were much too busy to bother with television but that they would be interested to see what the Monitor had to say about the show. Still others wrote saying that they had not watched the show but would love my views on it. I did my best to respond to each person who wrote to me, without putting so much energy into the responses that I would find myself with nothing to say here. The response to the show from those who actually discussed it was overwhelmingly favorable, and many asked if there was a way to keep it on the air. I confess that I was surprised by this, not because I disliked the show, but because human nature often finds us writing first about those things we don't like and later taking the time to say thank you for those we do. Many letters started tentatively with the lines "I don't know how you feel about the show, but," or "Perhaps you will disagree with me, but I liked the show." This happened so frequently that I went back to look at my note, fearing I had somehow signaled that I was only looking for those who found the show objectionable. My conclusion is that I did not reveal any such bias and that the only tipping of my hand was to say that I had an opinion but was interested in the thoughts and feelings of others before crafting an article. Perhaps it is not surprising that those who didn't like the show watched few episodes before concluding it was ridiculous and just another attempt by Hollywood to use blindness for a quick laugh at our expense. Several objections were common. They should have used a blind actor. It reinforces the stereotypes that we are helpless when the boy's job is to take care of his father. It was wrong to show the little boy using his father's guide dog to get girls. Scenes showing the guide dog on the bed, eating table food from the floor, and barking all sent the wrong message about how guide dogs behave and what is expected of them by their owners. Interestingly, I got more negative comments about the dog than I did about the blind character or the rest of his family. I have omitted comments in which the focus was objections to a discussion of sex, drugs, or the misbehavior of adolescents. Comments commending and condemning the show on these points were received but have nothing to do with blindness. Here are some heartfelt and well-stated quotations that speak directly to the dissatisfaction some felt: "I have watched it a couple of times, but personally I think it is ridiculous and that they overplay everything. I think it is a disgrace to the blind of America. We don't need anything else to make sighted people think stupid things about blind people." "So he gets a guide dog in the first episode, and it wanders out of the house somehow and is found. That was enough for me. I could not bear to watch any more of it." "As a sighted person I thought that the most glaring offense was having the blind character's blindness exhibited by the wide-open stare." I interject here that interpreting Mel's appearance, his movements, and his facial expressions have proven to be the most challenging part of writing this article. I am totally blind and have been so since birth. Trying to figure out whose perception of Mel's facial expressions is correct reminds me how, as a child, I remember being puzzled by the way the dead appeared to the sighted prior to burial. This was not so much from a morbid curiosity but because opinions about the subject vary widely and much of my family's discussion during these trying times focused on what they saw in the casket. In saying good-bye to grandparents, I would hear how this one looked thirty years younger, the way she did in old pictures. Some would say, "He just looks like he is sleeping, very calm and peaceful." Mark Twain described his just-departed daughter as an angel whose beauty in death could never be matched by those experiencing the stresses and strains of life. On the other side were those who were adamant in saying that the dead look nothing like their former selves and that to suggest they look like they are resting or fast asleep or are in some blessedly tranquil state is utter nonsense. Critiques of the actor playing Mel were just as varied: He stares. He keeps his head in one place. He is remarkable in imitating the gestures and facial expressions of blind people I know who have previously had sight. He does a good job of impersonating a blind person searching for objects. Several who strongly objected to the show didn't even make it through episode one. Having seen what they expected to see, they drew conclusions far from what was intended by the writers as the show makes clear. Early on in the first episode the children are told by their parents that they are getting a divorce. While it is obvious that they still love one another, are glad for the family they have created, and are committed to remaining united in caring for their children, Joyce feels so overshadowed by Mel that she is looking for a way to live her own life, find herself, and capture elements of her youth she missed by marrying so early and becoming a mother. Up to this point Mel has been quite dependent on his family and with their help has carried on a more or less successful act in which he has pretended to be sighted. Only his family and closest friends know that he is blind. This is a highly unlikely scenario given that Mel has been blind since age twelve, but it is hard to dismiss completely the premise, given that all of us have a story or have heard stories about the futile effort to pretend to sight we do not have and to avoid the pity we fear will come from admitting we are blind. When Mel's impending divorce leads him to move out, he is forced to confront his overdependence on family to get around and gets a guide dog from the Guide Dog Foundation. The family's youngest child, Henry, seems more upset about being displaced as his father's eyes than he is about the separation of his parents. In an effort to make his son feel that he is still useful, Mel pretends to lose his new guide Elvis and calls on his family to help. When Mel is in the process of calling the Guide Dog Foundation to tell them about the loss, Henry finds Elvis in the pantry. Several who responded to my inquiry about the show had enough at this point, because the idea that a competent blind man could actually lose his dog confirmed their worst fears about what the show would be. Immediately after the find, soon-to-be ex-wife Joyce confronts Mel about the absurdity of pretending to lose his dog but compliments him on trying to help Henry recover his fragile self-esteem. Those who responded positively to the show were eloquent as they described their fears about what the show might be and their gradual conviction that, for a comedy, it did a good job of concentrating on family issues. Blindness was only one element in understanding the dynamics of this family, and it grew to be less important as the plots explored the problems of the newly divorced, how to date, how to handle the teen who wants to date, how to handle the issue of trust between children and parents, how to teach a teen to drive, and how to convince a son that he is not forever condemned to live in his father's shadow. Here are some of the gems: "When I first heard about the show, I was quite skeptical of it. I didn't think it would be an accurate portrayal of blindness and didn't even want the show to air on television. I saw the first episode and was disgusted. What kind of show features a guide dog handler feeding his dog raw meat? Who showcases a blind man ramming himself into a coffee table several times? After that first episode, however, the show began to grow on me. It was after all a comedy that was not meant to portray an accurate representation of blindness. I began to feel that the show was not all that bad and actually came to love it. I am now sad that the show is cancelled. It was not really focused on a blind man, but on a family man who is going through a mid-life crisis and who just happens to be blind." "I have to say two things up front. First, I am not a fan of the sitcom format, which in many cases takes the cheap shot. On the other hand, I am not opposed in principle to someone doing a comedy based on a real blind man, and I don't expect any work of art or literature which includes a blind person to tackle every issue facing the blind or conform to any standard presentation of blindness. That would be impossible. We are perhaps the most diverse group of people there is-a true microcosm of humanity, with a continuum of vision loss, adaptability, intelligence, and humor." "I am disappointed with the decision to take it off the air. I related so much to the character of Mel and found myself commenting frequently that I had done or said something just like him. The positive way in which this blind man is portrayed and his family's love and support relay important messages; blind people are just like everyone else-we just do things a little differently." "The first scene of the first episode immediately had my wife roaring with laughter. This was the scene where the boy was guiding the father as he prepared to cut down a tree with a chainsaw. Yep, been there and done that. As we watched the show each week, my wife commented that they were doing the show about me. I still tend to do everything that I once did as a sighted person-yes, including taking my daughter out for driving lessons. And the `finger juice' did not go unnoticed in my house." [I interject that "finger juice" is the term used to identify how Mel placed his finger over the side of a cup when he was pouring juice so he could tell when the glass was full.] "I was actually able to focus on the quality of the show instead of focusing on whether or not I felt misrepresented as a person with a disability." "I've watched eight episodes so far, and a friend is sending me the rest. At first I thought the show silly. Then I genuinely came to enjoy it. I've had my daughter look at a few and, she likes it immensely too and says that the actor has done an excellent job of getting `blind' right. Nothing is perfect-including this show-but there is an honesty here that I've never seen in any blind portrayal on film before, and that it is mixed with so much lightheartedness makes it work for me." One of the most thought-provoking comments I received came from a blind woman who says that, for all the good and the bad she sees, her deepest feeling is summed up by the statement: "When we've had enough decent blind characters in dramas and other shows, perhaps we can afford to smile at sitcom goofiness." Stated differently, I think she is saying that we have not traveled far enough on the road to public acceptance to tolerate portrayals of blindness that may be perceived as negatively reflecting on our basic normality and competence. So much for my compilation, editing, and inserting the comments that were shared. What is my view of the show, and what has compelled me to write about it? I believe that this show, while far from the kind of educational documentary we would produce and different from a drama we might write, has much to recommend it. The father cutting down a tree using a chainsaw or installing a satellite dish on his roof could be taken directly from our Kernel Books or the pages of the Braille Monitor. When Mel runs into other people because he doesn't hear them and says they are as quiet as a Prius, that indicates some familiarity with current-day issues blind people consider important. When his daughter asks why he must inject himself into every situation involving his family, never watching from the sidelines as they solve their own problems, Mel relates a heartfelt story. In high school he is told by his rowing coach that, though he can't throw him off the team, the coach doesn't want a blind fellow getting in the way and crashing his oars into the oars of others. Mel decides to quit. Having felt the pain of rejection and having silently walked away, Mel's decision never again to sit quietly by and let someone else determine his opportunities and his future should strike a chord that resonates with all of us who are Federationists. The show goes one better when, after letting the audience absorb the unfairness and regret generated by this life-changing moment, Katie acknowledges the importance of her father's story but makes it clear that this is no reason to continue doing what he is doing, thereby creating similarly uncomfortable life stories that will shape her life. One wonders how many issues might have been explored had the show continued for another season: Mel's going back to school and having to deal with problems involving access to books and other materials; Mel's being reported to the local social service agency for failure to supervise his son who is caught engaging in a juvenile and dangerous act; during the divorce, having a guardian ad litem appointed to act in the interest of the children who decides Joyce should be the parent who is given primary custody. The possibilities are numerous, but little reason exists to wish or speculate. The guide dog behaviors some found so offensive are ones I have personally observed many times as students leave guide dog facilities with specific rules and admonitions drilled into them that they have already or will soon decide to abandon as overly restrictive. As one commenter said, "I know some people who give their dog a little steak once in a while and allow them to sleep on their beds, and how many times have we seen blind people allow others to walk with their dog in harness to see what it's like?" I return to the question of whether some things we know to be true we are willing to discuss among ourselves but feel inappropriate to share with the sighted public. If this is the way we feel, do we presume to say to the entertainment industry that these concealed truths are not for public consumption? I think we must always stand against the shameful portrayal of blind people and that the decision to be heard trumps considerations about whether we help or hurt the activity to which we object. But I think we dare not try to declare blindness to be off limits to those who write situation comedies, dramas, and documentaries. All of these afford us an opportunity to speak to those who might otherwise not hear from us. All give us the opportunity to be seen publicly for the people we are. Sometimes we are bright, articulate, kind, perceptive, and model citizens. Sometimes we are weird, bizarre, lazy, disrespectful, and obnoxious. These characteristics, the good and the bad, must be ones that we help the public to see as separate and apart from the fact that we do not see and to understand that they represent what we have often proclaimed: that the blind are a cross-section of our society, with all of the virtues and vices shared by the rest of humanity. Growing Up Fisher has performed a service, albeit brief and abbreviated. It has given the public a glimpse of a family in which one of the characters is blind, educated, employed, and revered and respected by those he loves. He is also pushy (he would say assertive,) controlling, and a character who seldom sits on the sidelines watching as those around him make decisions about their lives and his own. Growing Up Fisher has also provided us with an opportunity to look at how a blind character can and should fit in the give and take of the modern situation comedy and has given us some hope that, the next time we hear that a blind character will be featured on television or the movies, we will be a bit less apprehensive and a bit more willing to accept the entertainment for what it is: a diversion from our own workaday worries, our bills, our fears for our children, the future of the country, and all of the other things we use books, movies, television, and the situation comedy to escape from for the brief respite we all require. Growing Up Fisher gave me a brief opportunity to laugh and to cry, and I did not feel as though I needed to apologize or explain away the role that a blind character played on primetime TV. This is part of becoming a member of the broader society, and this is a testament to the progress we have made in changing the face of blindness on television. ---------- Breaking the Mold: From Clienthood to Citizenship by Mary Ellen Gabias From the Editor: Recently I had the pleasure of traveling to Canada to attend the convention of the Canadian Federation of the Blind. Unlike America, where government is involved in the rehabilitation of the blind at the state and federal level, English Canada has traditionally relied on a charity, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), to provide all of the major services received by adult blind Canadians. The Province of Quebec is the only place in Canada where government takes direct responsibility for services to blind citizens. Over time this centralized approach through the CNIB has seemed less responsive to the needs of blind Canadians and has focused more on its own corporate interests. In a presentation made to the convention of the Canadian Federation of the Blind, Mary Ellen Gabias shows how reliance on a charity model versus a human rights model sells short those who need and expect services. The parallel in America is clear; our citizens must keep in mind that our needs and aspirations are not always the same as those of the charities that serve us and the government agencies that use tax-payer money to perform a similar mission. Here, with her insights and warnings, is what Mrs. Gabias said to the CFB on Saturday, May 24, 2014: "It ain't easy to break out of a mold, but, if you do your work, people will ultimately see what you're capable of. Too often, people find it easier to make assumptions and stick with what they believe. They put you in a place, and it makes their job easier." Christopher Meloni, television actor We in the Canadian Federation of the Blind work to break the mold that binds and constrains our opportunities. We understand the ways old patterns harm us. We have examined our past and recognize that we have sometimes failed to challenge people when they make assumptions and stick with what they believe. If we don't speak out with courage, unflinching honesty, and compassion, we will not be able to chart a better future. What forces have molded the climate in which blind Canadians find themselves? How have governments, the public, and the monopoly elephant in the room called CNIB contributed to the current situation? Above all, what responsibilities do we, the blind people of Canada, bear; and what can we do to break the mold that does us harm? Much as we dislike it, the history of blindness in Canada is bound up with the history of charity. In its most profound sense, charity is a loving and personal means of sharing time and resources. One individual has a need; another individual with personal knowledge of that need does whatever can be done to alleviate it. In the small self-contained communities of the past, person-to- person, heart-to-heart charity worked well. The giver and the recipient were accountable to one another. The increasing size and complexity of society during the reign of Queen Victoria resulted in the depersonalization and corporatization of charity. Just as the industrial revolution caused immense increases in the efficiency of the processes of manufacturing, the development of corporate charities brought economy of scale to the processes of generosity. By giving money, donors could provide service far beyond their personal presence. Specialized staff could be hired to spend full-time on charitable endeavors. Effort could be laser focused; the same charitable individual no longer needed to be concerned with poverty, the aged, disability, orphanages, and disaster relief. Despite its obvious advantages, corporate charity broke the bond of mutual accountability. In the corporate model a charitable individual donates to an organization based on its emotional appeal and its reputation. Rarely does the giver experience the charitable corporation's actions firsthand; the funds are given, and the professional staff is entrusted with achieving the hoped-for results. Career charity workers frequently came to think of their corporate employer's aims as indistinguishable from or, far worse, more important than the needs of those receiving charitable service. Recipients too were often tainted by the charity process. Rather than viewing themselves as temporary beneficiaries of assistance to meet a pressing need, they came to think of themselves as permanent clients. They stopped wanting a hand up; they didn't even content themselves with a hand out; they wanted their hands held for life. In 1918 Colonel Baker brought corporate charity for the blind to Canada. In 1918 blind people were scattered, isolated, bereft of hope. In 1918 a strong, centralized organization focused desperately needed national attention on blindness. In 1918 bylaws requiring the titular head of the charity for the blind to be a blind person seemed to guarantee that the organization would remain true to its mandate to serve the blind. Less than a decade ago it took one vote of the sighted people who actually call the shots to show how flimsy that protection really was. In 1918 charity existed to be the face of the invisible and the voice of those who could not speak for themselves. The phrase, "nothing about us without us," had not even been conceived. Yes, Colonel Baker brought about changes that moved blind people forward in 1918, but it isn't 1918 anymore. In his book The Politics of Blindness, Graeme McCreath explained the history of blindness policy since the 1918 founding of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). Any attempt to telescope his carefully researched and written arguments into one short synopsis would do a grave disservice to his work. Needless to say, he discussed charity to parity in blindness policy. He showed how our issues are part of a broader context. Madame Justice Louise Arbour, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has eloquently articulated that broader social and political context. In an interview with Paul Kennedy on the CBC Radio program Ideas, she described the shift in thinking concerning charities over the past century. She talked at length about the differences between the charity paradigm and the paradigm of defining social and economic justice as a human right. Describing circumstances in many underdeveloped countries, she quotes the leaders of those countries: "We want the right to food, the right to health, the right to education, and the right to development." She contrasts those aims with the emphasis on political and civil rights in more developed countries. ". . . certainly human rights theory says there are no such divisions. Human rights are by definition universal and indivisible. You cannot segregate them. ...When I come here (to Canada) and I go to a lot of other western countries, I have to try to persuade them to abandon their reluctance to recognize social and economic rights as rights. I need to urge them to get out of their charitable disposition and to acknowledge that this is a matter of human dignity, and it should be grounded in legally binding obligations." The CFB agrees with Mme. Arbour. We are pressing government to recognize that we too have a right to food (a standard of support for those without employment that meets basic nutritional and housing needs), education (for blind children, but also for adults who become blind or who haven't received the education they needed when they were children), and development (the chance to gain skills and attitudes leading to employment and full participation as equals in the economic and social life of Canada). We too are asking that our country "get out of its charitable disposition." Put another way, blind Canadians are no longer willing to lead third-world lives in a first-world country. CFB values the legitimate role charities can play in innovation and service provision. It can also be legitimate for government to contract with private entities, whether charity or for-profit, when doing so serves the public interest, provided that the funding public retains genuine control. Any arrangements need careful, ongoing scrutiny to prevent the public purse from being raided by unaccountable entities such as CNIB who have cloaked themselves in the mantle of philanthropy. Governments across Canada have not held CNIB to account because it has been perceived as in charge of the blind people it purports to serve. In effect, government has believed CNIB is serving blind people effectively because CNIB has said so. Unless we want 2018, the one-hundredth anniversary of the founding of CNIB, to be a national year of mourning for opportunities lost and lives of blind people wasted, we must put aside the charity paradigm of 1918 and replace it with a rights-based service model. Socrates said: "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new." For far too long blind Canadians have focused their efforts on criticizing CNIB or attempting to gain influence within CNIB in the hope of reforming it. We open ourselves up to conflict, frustration, and bitterness when we try to apply twenty- first-century participatory democracy standards to what is at heart a Victorian enterprise. CNIB is controlled by a self-perpetuating governing body. It is not a participatory democracy, has never claimed to be one, and has no interest in becoming one. It is long past time for us to accept that reality. For far too long blind people have behaved as if we are CNIB's customers. Unhappy customers ask for improvements and expect to get them. We must face the fact that CNIB's real customers are the giving public. The product the public buys is the sense of well-being that comes from being told they've helped to meet the needs of the blind. So long as the public feels good by donating to CNIB, the corporation will have satisfied its customer base. Nothing will change unless the public learns that money is being sucked into an administrative black hole; we aren't getting what they're paying for. If we are not CNIB's real customers, where do blind people stand in relation to the charity? CNIB needs blindness, but it doesn't have to deal with blind people on our terms. It needs for us to appear needy enough to justify its ongoing requests for charitable dollars. It needs for us to appear reasonably content, or at least not to be too vocal about our discontent. Above all, it needs to retain its perceived position as arbiter and articulator of our neediness. CNIB will work tirelessly to serve us, provided that serving us also serves its corporate agenda. All one must do is recall the history of the Bowen Island Lodge to know what to expect when CNIB's corporate interests conflict with the expressed desires of blind people. Compare Bowen Island camps during the last few years CNIB ran them with the upbeat work of the blind people who have created the Bowen Camp Society for the Visually Impaired to understand how much better off we could be if CNIB's monopoly came to an end. James Allen wisely said: "A man has to learn that he cannot command things but that he can command himself; that he cannot coerce the wills of others but that he can mold and master his own will." Blind Canadians would be wise to take Mr. Allen's advice, and stop attempting to mold CNIB into something it was never intended to be. When it comes to CNIB, we know our place. We are not citizens of CNIB; CNIB is not the "country of the blind." If we choose to deal with CNIB, we are clients, always and forever clients. To the extent that CNIB offers services we value, we should avail ourselves of those services and do so with appreciation and without hesitation. But we should never forget that we are only clients. Though the appearance of client-agency interaction is different from interactions of the Victorian era, the underlying assumptions are the same. If it serves the corporate agenda to listen to clients, CNIB will listen. If it doesn't, clients cannot expect to be heard. Pretending otherwise sets everyone up for fruitless dialogues reminiscent of Charles Dickens. Blind Canadians must stop playing Oliver Twist to CNIB's Mr. Bumble. If we do "want some more," and we most decidedly do, we do not want more from CNIB. We assert that CNIB's structure is no longer suitable. It is right and fair that we express sincere gratitude for the evolutionary role CNIB has played in our history. We harm only ourselves if we feel rancor at the corporation because it remains what it has always been. We value what we have learned from our past; but right here, right now, in 2014 we declare that it is time to move on. Developments in the area of library services over the past five years demonstrate once again that there is no hope that the charity and rights- based models can coexist harmoniously. CNIB's actions towards libraries clearly demonstrate that the charity corporation will not hesitate to pursue its quest for funding and control, even when that effort is in direct opposition to the blind community's clearly expressed desire for integration and full inclusion. In the ongoing struggle over library services, CFB has always aimed to promote a publicly run, publicly funded, and publicly accountable service. Our advocacy has put us in direct confrontation with CNIB. The struggle is a sad but unavoidable byproduct of our determination to promote a new idea that threatens old patterns. No matter how clearly we remain focused on what we hope to create, we run the risk of being disparaged as haters who want only to destroy. Rollo May said: "Freedom is man's capacity to take a hand in his own development. It is our capacity to mold ourselves." We intend to mold our future by engaging government, the public, and blind Canadians in conversations aimed at fostering human-rights-based approaches to rehabilitation and public services. All blind Canadians as individuals are by right a part of the discussion. CNIB as a corporate entity carries so much baggage and wields so much illegitimate financial and political power that any discussion including CNIB is effectively over before it begins, no matter how much consultation or how many advisory boards are part of the window dressing. The discussion required is a discussion between blind Canadians and our public servants. We will not let public officials off the hook by allowing them to insert the charity paradigm represented by CNIB between blind citizens and their elected governments. Sighted Canadians don't ever have to doubt that they have the right to become literate and to move freely on the streets and sidewalks of their country. Our schools and our highways are paid for with public money. We defy anyone to explain to us the moral justification for failing to fund our equivalent services publicly-training in Braille, the use of the long white cane, and other confidence and blindness skills. How dare governments in this country declare that we do not have a right to acquire the skills we need, that the prospect of government funding our training is an optional "nice thing to do," but only when public coffers are full! The people who run our governments are not cruel. They are conforming to the role they have been molded to occupy. Without consciously intending to do so, blind Canadians have helped create that mold. It is our responsibility to break it. We have always had articulate and fearless advocates among us. To the enduring shame of our community, those advocates have far too often stood alone. Our numbers are tiny in comparison with other interest groups. We have behaved as if tiny were synonymous with insignificant and have assumed that nobody would listen because we could not muster thousands to march for our cause. Government processes are complex and confusing. We have felt intimidated and left the work to people we believed were more expert. Legislators are called on to deal with hundreds of issues. We have not wanted to appear too demanding. Secretly fearing that our deepest desires for full economic and social equality might be impossible dreams, we have sought small concessions instead. Legislators have told us that they find differing points of view among blind people confusing and that they'd be glad to help us when we can all agree. We have allowed ourselves to be bullied into settling on compromise positions that aren't what we truly believe for fear that publicly expressing honest disagreements will leave us with nothing. We have not had the courage to ask the legislators who insist that we must all agree why they don't expect the Catholic Women's League and the National Action Council on the Status of Women to agree on reproductive issues. What about the Sierra Club and the Gateway Pipeline promoters? Since when have blind people been the only Canadian group that is not allowed to speak with a multiplicity of voices? To our legislators we say, "We have more faith in your capabilities than you seem to have. You were elected because the people in your district believed you are capable of discernment. We are your constituents, and we expect you to exercise that discernment and evaluate the matters we bring to your attention. We will do what we can to ensure that our arguments are clear, reasoned, factual, and complete. You're being paid to be perceptive; if you take the time really to think about what we have to say, we trust your capacity to make wise decisions. When you decide instead to give us the you-must-all-agree speech, please realize that we aren't buying that baloney." To ourselves and to all blind Canadians we say: "We are all very, very tired of being patronized by those who still believe that our only authentic faces and voices are the face and voice of charity. Sometimes the task we have undertaken feels too formidable and the results of our efforts too minimal. At one time or another, every one of us has wondered whether the results justify our effort. We do not have the power to mold others; but we can educate and inspire new patterns of belief. We do have the power to mold ourselves through our courage to dream, our capacity to care, and our determination never, ever to quit. Whether we win on the policy issues quickly or with painful slowness, we stand tall as equals in the civil life of Canada. As we work to break the mold that has restricted us to the role of passive charity recipients, we gain personal strength and freedom. That's a new mold we can grow into with joy. ---------- Perspective on Philosophy by Eric Duffy From the Editor: This article is reprinted from the Spring 2014 Buckeye Bulletin, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. It was originally entitled "From the President's Desk," but it is much more than a way to open a newsletter; it is an honest reflection on what it means to deal with the realities of blindness beyond those we are comfortable with advocating. Here is what he says: We in the National Federation of the Blind talk a lot about our philosophy of blindness. One definition of philosophy is a belief or system of beliefs accepted as authoritative by a particular group. On a personal level people also have a philosophy about how to live. This can include a philosophy about how to live as a blind person. Just because one says he or she believes in the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind, the NFB philosophy does not necessarily govern all aspects of his or her life. There are many reasons for this. One is that we are all a product of the society in which we live. Sometimes no matter how long we have been active in the Federation, we find ourselves falling victim to one stereotype or another about blindness. It is also possible to apply our understanding of the philosophy to a given situation in such a way that we are contradicting that actual philosophy. For many years I have struggled with a serious sleep disorder. When I was in college, a psychology professor told me that research indicated that many people who had little or no light perception had sleep problems. Although I heard no more about this research, I continued to battle erratic sleep cycles. I went to a sleep medicine clinic and tried various drugs. None of them worked, and some of them had negative side effects. Much later in life my family doctor told me that my body was most likely not producing enough melatonin, and therefore my body clock was out of rhythm. For some time I experimented with taking melatonin but achieved no satisfactory results. I was delighted when about four years ago I learned that Vanda Pharmaceuticals was researching this problem in hopes of developing a drug to treat it. The problem is known as non-24-hour sleep- wake disorder (non-24). Those who have the non-24 sleep wake cycle often find it difficult to get to sleep at night. Our sleep is often interrupted by long periods of wakefulness. As a result we often find ourselves falling asleep or very tired during the day. I know this problem has affected my life in negative ways. On the other hand it does not affect many people with no light perception. The drug, Hetlioz, was approved by the FDA earlier this year, and it will be available sometime this spring. I have long said that I will absolutely be one of the first people in the country to get it when it comes to market. My doctor says he will prescribe it as soon as we know it is available. What I have found surprising is the unwillingness on the part of several very bright blind people to acknowledge that non-24 even exists. These same people become upset when it is linked to blindness. I know that all too often doctors and other professionals want to attribute every problem in life to blindness. We certainly must do all that we can to resist this temptation on the part of society. But we must also be careful to acknowledge things that can be fairly and accurately attributed to blindness. If the ability to see light triggers the production of melatonin and if the production of melatonin helps to control our circadian rhythm, it stands to reason that for those of us who have non-24, a drug that helps us produce melatonin might be beneficial. My blindness is the only reason I do not see light. I don't want to have non-24, but neither do I want to be blind. No, don't think I am depressed, or that I hate my life as a blind person. That is far from the truth. I have learned how to live a productive and full life as a blind person. I could have chosen to feel sorry for myself and live a life of doom and gloom. Had I done so, most of society would have been none the wiser, for that is what much of the world still expects of us today. But the National Federation of the Blind gave me a different prescription, and I was eager to have it. It is our positive philosophy of blindness and a group of supportive like-minded Federationists who have changed how I deal with blindness. I have heard blind people say they don't want to have to take a drug to deal with non- 24. I wonder how that differs from those who say, "I don't want to have to use Braille, a cane, a dog, or a magnifier"? I don't write this to promote Hetlioz. I do not benefit from the sale of the drug in any way. I am simply saying that it is okay to be blind and that, if non-24 is a part of blindness for some of us, that is okay as well. Some people have been upset because they believe that the radio commercials sponsored by Vanda portray blindness in a negative light. I disagree. The commercials present a problem that is connected to blindness and tell those who are interested how to get more information. Non-24 is not a condition that we should hide from; it is one for which we should acknowledge and embrace a possible treatment. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono, holding his daughter Elizabeth, is ready to push Austin and Oriana on the tire swing.] Introducing Your Blind Child to Miniature Golf by Mark Riccobono From the Editor: In celebration of Father's Day, National Braille Press asked Mark Riccobono to share his experiences playing miniature golf as a child. His article, "Introducing Your Blind Child to Miniature Golf" was mailed along with a print-Braille edition of "Froggy's Day with Dad," an appealing story about father-child relationships. This article and many other book-related activities are part of a Great Expectations program NBP is launching this summer with Bridge Multimedia of New York . Here is what Mark has to say about being a blind golfer: When I was asked to offer some tips for parents of blind children to initiate a game of miniature golf, it reminded me of the fun times my friends and I had at the local driving range and putt-putt course where I grew up in Milwaukee. Now, as the blind father of three beautiful children, I look forward to sharing this same experience with my kids-when they are old enough to swing a club-especially my youngest two who have vision loss. Until then, allow me some vicarious pleasure in sharing these tips with you. The key is to remember that vision is not a requirement for success and to use nonvisual cues. I might add that "putting makes perfect." Here are seven general guidelines to engage your child in a game of miniature golf: 1. The Game: Like all children, your blind child first needs to understand the basic concept of the game: namely, that you use the club to strike a ball to land in a hole in the ground. The person who does so in the fewest number of swings wins. Sighted children see golf on TV and automatically know this, but your child will need to experience it firsthand. Play activities build important life skills and experiences for children, and golf is no exception. 2. The Equipment: As a child, I remember having a plastic golf club at a very young age. If that's not possible, use an adult club-yours, a neighbor's, or a friend's. Give your child some time to check out the club and to get comfortable with how to hold it and to swing, at first without the ball. Never mind about form, it's the passion that counts! 3. Lining Up the Ball: Help your child to understand that the ball will head in different directions, depending on the angle of the head. As a blind golfer there are several techniques you can use to line up the head of the club. The easiest is to reach down and feel the ball and club to make sure the golf head is pointed the way you want the ball to go. You can help your child get it right, but make sure he touches it and lines it up so that he learns how to make independent adjustments. If you do it for your son or daughter, they will never learn how to do it and will never improve. On an actual mini-course, people are less picky about touching the ball, so an older child might put his or her foot on the ball and line up the club against the foot. (This takes a bit more coordination, because it's easy to accidentally kick the ball away.) Many clubs have a flat part on the handle; if you understand how that relates to the head of a club, you can also line up a club pretty reliably using that method. Let your child innovate and figure out his or her own way of keeping track of where the ball is and lining up a shot without moving the ball. This is not about perfection; this is about gaining experience. 4. Taking a Swing: Perhaps the best way to give your child a chance to swing a club is to head on over to a nearby driving range. While a driving range is meant for distance hitting, nothing says you can't use it for basic practice. Just learning to find and hit the ball at all is an important first step. Remember to give your child feedback on where the ball lands and how it relates to their positioning. While there is really no need to hit the ball hard, you do want your child to learn about the force required to get the ball where it needs to go across a long range. And let me don my educator cap and add that there are a number of math and science concepts you can work into the conversation too! 5. Understanding the Course: Of course, swinging a club and hearing the ball go crack and swish doesn't really give your child an understanding of the layout of a typical golf or putt-putt course. It's important to get the full picture. On a less busy day go exploring with your child on a golf or putt-putt course (white cane included.) Let him or her explore, either by walking the course and feeling various obstacles and land features or by exploring from the sidewalk that generally wraps around a miniature course. Plan it on a day when you actually have time to both describe what's what, but also to help your child learn exploratory skills. Touching is seeing, walking is discovering. I remember the course I frequently played on as a child had a hole located within a four-leaf clover. It seemed like a straightforward shot. But the hills in the surface caused more trouble than the curved edges, which I later discovered by walking the terrain. The white cane can be a helpful tool to use by making a tapping sound to indicate where the hole is or to point toward a particular direction to aim. You could also bring a small bell or other sound source to indicate direction-be creative. 6. Keeping Score: While there is something charming about those tiny golf pencils and pads, your child can bring a slate and stylus and an index card. 7. Play: The idea is to encourage play, so make it fun. And don't forget to provide play-by-play announcements about why everyone else is snorting and laughing. "Oh, Mom's ball just went into the pond!" Blind children are often excluded from what seems like basic information- "Your brother swung and missed the ball completely"-but which includes the stuff memories are made of. In closing I want to encourage you to reach out to blind mentors in your area who could join your outing. Certainly, if you live in the Baltimore area, I would be pleased to participate or contact your local affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind . Blind mentors offer a great opportunity for blind children to build valuable relationships that can last a lifetime. There is a national association of blind golfers that I'm not personally familiar with, but their website says they have sponsored five thousand junior blind golfers since 1998. Let the games begin. Just writing this reminds me that I need to get the kids ready for some summer outings. And the good thing is everyone can hit a hole-in-one at the ice cream store afterwards! ---------- Reflecting the Flame From the Editor: When many of you read this, it is likely you will have just returned from the seventy-fourth convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Orlando, Florida, and witnessed the election of a new president. Unless something quite unforeseen happens, Marc Maurer will have concluded his tenure as the longest-serving president in the history of the Federation and will have done so by delivering his final banquet speech in that office. But, for those who were not yet members and those whose memories will be stretched a bit, what was his banquet speech twenty-two years ago, a speech in which he talks about the necessary ingredients for mounting and sustaining an effective movement, one in which he discusses the attitudes of the public as espoused in the professional literature by scientists, physicians, and the reporter working his beat? All of these are relevant as, in this issue, we look at the role of the media in shaping attitudes about the blind, the role of the National Federation of the Blind in putting forward our message, and the role of a leader and the organization he or she leads in creating better lives for the blind. All of this and more is contained in President Maurer's speech. Here is what he said: "Human history," said H. G. Wells, "is in essence a history of ideas." Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., declared that "Men may come to believe that the best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market." In 1644 John Milton wrote, "Let Truth and Falsehood grapple; who ever knew Truth put to the worse, in a free and open encounter?" At the beginning of the sixteenth century Erasmus stated, "Time reveals all things." Such eminent scholars have believed that a new idea-one which expresses perceived reality more exactly than its predecessor-is, in and of itself, imbued with sufficient power to banish error. According to these philosophers, the innovative thought (once formulated) will inevitably, in the course of time, replace the old. However, the record of events in our own century fails to substantiate this hypothesis. We have seen the most generous and benevolent of creeds and the most despicable and tyrannical of practices exist in the same country at the same time without any indication that either was unalterably fated to triumph. The assertion of individual freedom and the toleration of slavery have occurred side by side in modern civilization-and racism (of both kinds, incidentally) is still with us. If the objective in seeking the truth is to achieve fairness and decency-and I believe it is-time and a new idea are not enough. Within the framework of time there must be at least three components that come together. First, an idea must be conceived which contains an element of understanding that has not previously been reached. Second, a proponent of that idea must arise-a leader with the capacity to articulate the nuances in a way that will compel recognition. And finally, there must be a group of individuals prepared to defend what has been propounded. Such concert of effort is essential not only to protect the new thought but to give it body and substance, to explore its full meaning and implications. In a fireplace one log by itself, regardless of how big, will almost certainly fail to burn. There must be at least two. The flame from one is reflected by the other. The brightness and heat come from the space between the logs, the reflection of the flame. As it is with flame, so it is with ideas. A new idea has only a limited time to take fire, to catch the imagination of the public and burn. And if the flame is to be reflected-the kindling point sustained-more than a single person is required. There must be two, five, ten-at least a handful-to build the heat and speed the process. Regardless of its merit, if an idea (once ignited) fails to reflect the flame of group interaction, its time will soon pass, and it will disappear into insignificance and be forgotten. Of course, an idea can be revived (many times, in fact, if the need is sufficiently urgent), but the process must always begin anew. And if the idea is to live and prosper-if it is to make a meaningful difference in the lives of people-all of the elements must be present: the idea, a leader, and at least a handful to reflect the flame. And what of the blind-what of us? Time and time again throughout our history one or another of the elements has been present: the idea of a better life for the blind; a leader, like Zisca, the blind fifteenth- century general and statesman from Bohemia; or a group of blind people, like the medieval guilds, prepared to take collective action. But in each instance, there was something lacking. However, in 1940, all of the elements came together-a new idea; a vibrant, inspiring leader; and a dedicated group of blind persons prepared to help each other in shaping the future. In that year Dr. Jacobus tenBroek and a handful of others from seven states gathered in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to inaugurate our movement, which has changed forever the expectations and aspirations of the blind. When the National Federation of the Blind was founded, the prospects for the blind of this country were utterly desolate. There was little education, almost no hope of a job, and virtually no chance for meaningful participation in other activities of life. Books for the blind were few and very difficult to get. Communication among blind people (at least on a nationwide basis) was almost nonexistent. The guarantee (or, for that matter, the recognition) of meaningful civil rights for the blind was a matter for the distant future-if anybody thought about it at all. Sometimes there were dreams of a home, a family, and the duties and privileges of citizenship; but these dreams rarely came to fruition. From such unpromising beginnings almost no one (no one, that is, except the founders of the Federation) believed that a dynamic national movement could arise. But look about you! We are here in our thousands-we who embraced the new idea, hoped and fought for a brighter tomorrow, and stayed to become the most powerful force in the affairs of the blind in the nation-the National Federation of the Blind. Tonight (over fifty years after our founding) as we gather from every corner of the country, our record of accomplishment spans the years for all to read. Indeed, not all of our problems have been solved-but many have. And those that remain appear more glaring and unrelieved because of the distance we have come from the beliefs and general climate of the 1940s. To confirm this fact, compare the conditions of our first decade with our situation today. How do the general public, the agencies for the blind, and the media view us-and, for that matter, how do we view ourselves? How have we fared in half a century? Attitudes today are so much better and more realistic than they were during the first years of the Federation that we tend to react with outrage and resentment when we find instances of what would have been commonplace in our first decade-especially when the outmoded ideas come from supposedly enlightened quarters. Consider, for instance, one treatment of the blind by the medical profession-generally regarded as among the most scientific of the disciplines. Although these statements were made only four years ago, they are reminiscent of the attitudes which predominated when the Federation came into being. In an article entitled "Identifying and Treating the Client with Sensory Loss" (which appeared in the Summer 1987 issue of Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics) the argument is made that decreased visual function causes decreased cognitive function. In other words, if you can't get information from your eyes, your capacity to think diminishes. Perhaps it is obvious that if there is no stimulation whatever from any sensory organ, there will be no raw material to use in the thinking process. If this were all that was meant, no one could quarrel with it. However, the article demonstrates unmistakably that the claim being made is much broader. As you ponder this so-called scientific treatise, keep in mind that the grammatical construction and usage are those of the author-not mine. And also keep in mind that the author is talking about you and me. Here are quotations from the article: "Impaired vision can result in a person behaving as though they were demented. Low vision decreases an individual's social interaction due to the inability to perceive non-verbal cues such as smiles, frowns, gestures, and even recognition of faces. Snyder, Pyrek, and Smith found a direct inverse relationship between vision impairment and mental acuity." I remind you that this is not a passage from an ancient, hoary work of mysticism. It is less than five years old. And I must say that this supposedly objective author packs a lot of prejudice (and a good deal of ignorance) into a very few words. In this one brief excerpt she says that the blind may exhibit the behavior of the demented, that we are unable to interact socially, and that the less we can see the more we can't think. And in case there is any doubt about the attitude of the writer toward the blind, consider this recommendation from that portion of the text containing so-called "strategies to help." Remember that the person about whom this advice is being given is blind-not emotionally traumatized, not mentally unhinged, not psychologically deranged-just blind. "It is important" [the author says] "to avoid moving personal belongings and furniture without the consent of the visually impaired client, especially in the client's home." A brief quotation, not dramatic-but examine the nuances. Do the medical professionals you know come to your residence to rearrange the furniture? Is it assumed that one of their responsibilities is to decide what pattern should be established in your home-presumably, of course, just for your own good? Or is this simply another variation of the ancient myth not only that we who are blind memorize the location and arrangement of all items in our homes but also that movement of anything will visit disorientation and danger upon the unfortunate automatons who live there? Such fables and stereotypes (even when surrounded with the trappings of science) are still only fables and stereotypes. Their placement in the literature of the medical profession does not change their pseudoscientific nature. They are as ridiculous and as devastating to the future of the blind as any of the misbegotten, benighted theories of the Middle Ages-or the 1940s-or, for that matter, last week or yesterday. They are not a description of reality but a reiteration of ignorance. Blindness does not mean that we have lost our sanity, our ability to think, or our interpersonal skills. Let those who doubt our capacity come to this convention. We will interact socially with the best of them; we will continue to think for ourselves; and we will make the plans and take the actions to determine the shape of our own tomorrow. We have the ideas; we have the leadership; and we have the people. Nothing can prevent us from going the rest of the way to freedom, for we will not let it happen. We have reached the kindling point, and we absolutely intend to reflect the flame. As members of the National Federation of the Blind know, an increasing number of our experiences with the scientific community are not negative but positive. In fact, many of us work as members of the scientific establishment. There are blind physicists, blind chemists, blind electrical engineers, and blind computer scientists. Then, too, there are the mathematicians. The cover story of the May 13, 1989, edition of Science News describes the work of Bernard Morin at Louis Pasteur University in Strasbourg, France. One specialty of mathematics is topology, the study of the relationship of shapes. A classic problem in topology is how to reverse the surface of a sphere (turn it inside out) without permitting it to crease. The solution to this (and other abstruse conundrums) has helped resolve problems in disciplines outside mathematics-such as molecular biology, particle physics, and cosmology. Although it has been theoretically possible to perform this sphere reversal (known as an eversion), nobody has been able, until recently, to describe the concept in three-dimensional terms. However, the problem has now been solved. And how do you suppose the solution was reached? Here are excerpts from the Science News article: "Morin" [the article tells us] "starts with a cuboctahedron, which looks like a cube with its corners lopped off, [and] transforms the cuboctahedron into a curiously shaped figure, which he calls the "central model," with only twelve faces. A sequence of six elementary moves carries the central model through the tricky stages of the eversion. A final flurry of moves produces an octahedron again, now turned inside out." Quoting the scientist George K. Francis the article continues: "Bernard Morin is not distracted, like the rest of us, by pencil and paper and the business of drawing and looking at pictures. He is blind. With superb spatial imagination he assembles complicated homotopies [transformations] of surfaces directly in space. He keeps track of temporal changes in the double curves and the surface patches spanning them. His instructions to the artist consist of a vivid description of the model in his mind." This report in Science News illustrates the fundamental proposition that understanding is not a matter of visual acuity-but even in doing this, it shows the power of the outmoded stereotype. Morin, we are told, is not distracted like the rest of us by pencil and paper and the business of drawing and looking at pictures. He is blind-and so, presumably, in a rarefied inner world of his own, not troubled by the humdrum images of everyday life. Nonsense! If he is intelligent, he is intelligent. Blindness has nothing to do with it. Most of us do not know and could not imagine why the topological problem of the French mathematician is important. But we can readily understand that the blind are as capable as others of addressing and solving complex questions. The factor limiting our progress is, as it has always been, the failure of society to believe in our ability. It is not the absence of the visual image that stifles growth, but the failure of imagination. Not all of us are scientists, but some of us are. Not all of us aspire to study mathematical relationships, but all of us insist that those with the talent and desire to participate in this exacting discipline should be able to do it. With such commitment we will expand our horizons and create greater opportunity. With such dedication we have built the National Federation of the Blind. With such determination we reflect the flame. A recently published collection of character sketches by Amy Hempel entitled At the Gates of the Animal Kingdom contains a one-sentence description of an encounter with a blind man. Apparently without giving it a thought, the author reinforces the belief that the blind are incompetent, that we are very often lost, that we do not have the ability to perceive our surroundings, that it is customary and decent to give preference to the blind, that very often the primary interest of our lives is food, and that we are pathetic. It is all accomplished in a single sentence, done with fewer than twenty-five words. Here they are: "Today, when a blind man walked into the bank, we handed him along to the front of the line, where he ordered a BLT." Dramatic? No, of course not. In the story the incident is unemphasized, routine, taken for granted. A blind man walks into a bank, is automatically moved to the head of the line, and then is so disoriented that he orders a sandwich instead of money. If we aren't careful, the significance is so astonishing as to be lost in the shuffle of the everyday. The author finds this occurrence so commonplace that it is unemphasized, routine, taken for granted. That is precisely the point. More often than not our road to hell has been paved with things which have been unemphasized, routine, and taken for granted. But no more! We have the idea; we have the leaders; and we have the drive to work together, to support each other, and to advance our movement. We have reached the kindling point, and we intend to reflect the flame. In the spring of 1990 Newsweek magazine reported in an article entitled "Making the Most of Sight" that, "After AIDS and cancer, the medical crisis Americans fear most is blindness. Not being able to see the stark outline of a winter tree," the article tells us, "or the final scene of 'Casablanca'-the loss is almost unimaginable." When I read this item from Newsweek, I was struck by the contrast contained in those first few lines. AIDS and cancer kill. Blindness does not. So what is the almost unimaginable loss? Is it really so bad to be without the visual impression of a tree in winter? Is it truly of vital importance to observe visually the final scene in a movie? Does blindness mean that we cannot enjoy art or appreciate the experience of nature? Many (far too many) of the sighted would say yes, but we who live with blindness every day emphatically say, no! After all, we are the ones with the data to know. Speaking from personal experience, I can tell you that there is (at least for this blind person) much joy to be gained from a brisk walk in a winter wood. Is the joy as much for me as for my sighted neighbors? One is tempted to ask, "Who cares?" The experience is exhilarating, fulfilling. That is sufficient. When our lives are diminished, it is not our blindness that does it but the misconceptions and oddball notions we face. It is not the failure to see the stark outline of a winter tree that gives us trouble but some of the stark attitudes we have to deal with. Let me be clearly understood. I am not saying that sight is not useful. Nor am I arguing that it is wrong to try to improve one's ability to see-quite the contrary. However, I am saying that sight is not a requirement for a good life-not the beginning and the end of existence. We who are blind are not automatically prevented from having joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment; and those who believe otherwise are simply misinformed. An advertisement published in the Guy-Gannett newspapers in Maine about a year ago says: "Illiteracy is a little bit like blindness. Both are handicaps. And both mean you can't see everything. A person who can't read can't really see the morning paper or a child's report card, a street sign or a prescription. Fortunately, illiteracy is a handicap one can overcome." Implied in this advertisement is the notion that both blindness and illiteracy make a person unable to function but that although both of them are bad, at least illiteracy can be changed. For the blind, apparently, there is not much hope. What a distortion! To be blind is not to be ignorant, and we are not prepared to permit such a portrayal of ourselves. Federationists in Maine took the newspaper to task. Rank-and-file members communicated their indignation to the newspaper's management-and the combination worked. Within a few days a retraction appeared. The blind are capable, and we intend that the public shall recognize this fact. Newspapers, some of the most powerful shapers of public opinion, often reflect the misconceptions that are a part of the public image of blindness. But when it comes to blindness, they are not the authorities. They must learn from us. In half a century we have gained more knowledge and experience about blindness than anybody else, and we know how to apply the lessons we have learned. Regardless of the source, we simply will not accept ignorance about blindness without protest. We have a right to expect a public image that will not stifle our hopes or limit our opportunities, and we have formed the most powerful organization that the blind have ever known to get the job done. You know the name of that organization as well as I do-the National Federation of the Blind. There are a number of university programs which attempt to instruct teachers of the blind. Some of the most obnoxious presentations about blindness may be gathered from the literature being disseminated in these academic settings. Consider a description of the blind contained in course materials currently being distributed at San Francisco State University. An article by Mary Morrison entitled "The Other 128 Hours a Week: Teaching Personal Management to Blind Young Adults" asserts that many blind adults do not know how to make a peanut butter sandwich, have not learned to pour cereal into a bowl, have not been taught to purchase items from the grocery store, are unable to handle money, cannot boil water on the stove, are unfamiliar with the location of the refrigerators in their own homes, and are so weak that they cannot lift a pitcher to pour water. Unless you study some of this material for yourself, you will have difficulty believing that the prejudice can be as pervasive and deep-seated as it really is. Perhaps the segment of this article which begins with the caption "can openers" will illustrate the point. Notice the folksy manner of speech used to help persuade the student that the statements being made are accurate. Here is what the author says: Now, I believe, we are up to the can openers. Each can opener seems to have a special trick to operating it. And, nearly without exception, the blind young person is not even allowed to try to use it. In any event we turn to the manual can opener that mother finds in the back of some drawer, and then we run into the "strength" problem. Opening a can requires strength. I can immediately think [the author continues] of five young people on our caseload who are not considered to be handicapped other than by their blindness, who cannot lift a full two-quart pitcher to pour from it. I first learned this when I naively asked a twenty-one- year-old college student to pour a cup of coffee from a fresh pot on his stove. Not only did the heat terrify him, he actually could not lift the coffee pot off the stove! Why? He and the others never lift anything! They do not exercise. They do nothing but go to school (which exempts them from physical education), go to church, and watch television. Their arms are limp. So we have to go back to the beginning with pitcher, partly full, with cool water, and learn how to pour. That is what the author says, and one is tempted to pass off such drivel with the remark that no serious-minded human being could be taken in by the idiocy. Of course, there are occasional blind people who cannot find the stove or tie their shoes. However, to generalize from these isolated cases that the blind are incapable of a wide array of the simplest daily chores is, to put it mildly, utter nonsense. But those who would dismiss these course materials have not reckoned with the pedestrian nature of certain professional educators who teach the teachers of the blind. Along with the article I have quoted are included separate evaluation sheets constructed so that the person teaching the blind client can record the progress of the student. One of the categories to be registered in these evaluations is-if you can believe it-pouring. The evaluation sheet for Level I contains the category "Pouring-Cold liquids." In Level III the student has progressed to "Pours hot liquids." In Level IV the entry is "Pours (advanced)." What, one wonders, is included in the arcane science of "advanced pouring"? The insufferable arrogance inherent in these writings is epitomized in the explanation of the title, "The Other 128 Hours a Week: Teaching Personal Management to Blind Young Adults." The underlying premise of this outline of teaching techniques for instructors of the blind is that almost all of the schooling for blind recipients of rehabilitation has been directed toward the skills needed for sedentary employment and that it is the job of the rehabilitation counselors to teach them how to manage their leisure and personal activities. In each week there are seven 24-hour days. Forty hours are used for work. So what do the blind do with the other 128 hours a week? The bombastic conclusion is that without the ministrations of the so-called "professionals" of rehabilitation, we might be faced with the prospect of sitting around doing nothing. As the author says, we just mostly go to school, go to church, and watch television. Don't you believe it! Those who have been to this convention could tell her otherwise. I have been reading documents from the "professional literature" about blindness for more than twenty years, and I cannot remember ever running across one which contained so little discernment. Where do such people get these ideas? Think about it. Do you have the strength to operate a can opener? Can you make a sandwich or pour a cup of coffee? They are writing about you and me. They tell us-and anybody else who will listen- that they have come to help. But we don't want such assistance-and we don't need it. Of course, like anybody else, we need education; and we also need training in the skills of blindness-but in matters such as those described, we can and we will do for ourselves. The description of the blind by this author as little more than basket cases is among the principal obstacles preventing us from becoming successful, competent people. But we are changing the image. We have reached the kindling point, and we intend to reflect the flame. One Friday evening a few months ago, I reached into my mail basket and found a letter from a man from New Jersey. If his story were unique, it would be poignant enough-but it is not unique. It is an everyday occurrence in the lives of tens of thousands of the blind of this country, underlining with grim insistence the need (yes, the necessity) for the National Federation of the Blind. The details, reported in an article published in an Atlantic City newspaper, show once more why we have organized and what we must do. Here, as told by the reporter, is the saga of Bill, whose real name, for obvious reasons, I have not used: What happens to a man who suddenly loses the tools he used to measure his worth in the world? What happens to a man when he turns to those whose very job it is to help him, and he is ignored? This is what happened to one man. On a Saturday morning in the summer of 1988, he woke up blind. At once he denied what was obvious. He washed and dressed and picked up the morning paper-a habit as fixed as pulling on his pants. He couldn't read it. He put it down, said nothing, and left the house. He drove to the office, slowly, deliberately, guessing at the traffic lights he could not see. When he arrived at the office, he was alone. He sat down at his computer terminal, and there confronted the cold fact that he could not see the copy he was supposed to type. Bill started to come undone. He had no idea what would happen next. He had worked as a typesetter and computer operator all of his adult life. What could he do now? Bill saw the publisher of the paper. When he explained to her what had happened, she offered him a handshake and two words: "Good luck." The next day, Bill registered for state disability payments. He would receive less than half of his old salary. He doesn't sit still well. Retirement was never part of his life's plan. Work was all. He needed to regain his workday world. He needed a start. It was October when he called and spoke with a receptionist [at the New Jersey Commission for the Blind]. She said a representative of the commission would get in touch. Soon afterward a caseworker called to make an appointment. He arrived full of assurances. Bill told him what had happened. He spoke of his work as a computer operator and supplied the caseworker with his medical history. He also spoke of the long and lonely days he had been living through. "I told him I was going nuts. He asked me what I liked to do, and I said, 'read-but I can't even do that.' I told him, 'I need to find a job.'" He said, "You have been paying into the system all of your life, now it is time to reap the benefits." The caseworker was sympathetic. He said he would provide a cassette player for Bill and arrange for him to receive books on tape from the library. Bill was led to believe that the commission would help him return to work. He was told he would need a medical examination. He was told the commission would pay the doctor's bill and instructed to wait until the appropriate forms were assembled. The caseworker said he would call when everything was in place to make the appointment. The commission appeared to be a godsend. Here, Bill thought, was more than a promise to help; here was the way back into the world. During the weeks that followed that first meeting with the caseworker, Bill grew anxious. He made several calls to the commission's offices. None was returned. November turned into December. Bill had been out of work for more than three months, a fact made all the more harsh when he realized that his [medical insurance] coverage had been cut off on September 1. It was early in December when the caseworker called again with the go- ahead to schedule a medical exam. Bill was told to call back with the date arranged so the forms for payment could be forwarded to the doctor. He did, and on December 7, Bill saw his doctor. Bill left the doctor and stepped up to the receptionist's desk. He asked her about the forms. She said they had received no forms. He paid for his visit. A few days later, the caseworker called to arrange another meeting. "He was here for maybe ten minutes. I told him I went to the doctor, but they didn't have any forms from the commission so I had to pay for the visit. I showed him the receipt and he said okay. I expected him to say that I would be reimbursed, but he didn't. He said the commission's doctor would review the results of my exam. I told him I never received the cassette player. He said he would check on that when he got back to the office and call me." A few weeks later, Christmas arrived looking like just another day. No word from the caseworker. In January, 1989, the state disability payments stopped and Bill became eligible for Social Security. His income dropped again. He made more phone calls to his caseworker. None was returned. The cold bound him to the house, and it was easy to ride out the day on the endless stream of daytime TV. One day turned into the next, each the same, as empty as the slate-gray winter sky. January eventually became February. By March, 1989, Bill had been unemployed for more than six months. More than three months had passed since he had heard from his caseworker. Phone calls to his caseworker at the commission's office in April were never returned. This is a tiny part of what the extensive newspaper article tells us about Bill's story. It goes on to say that a friendly newspaper reporter called the Department of Human Services on Bill's behalf to complain. The next day [the paper continues] Bill got a call from his caseworker. When [the commission staff member] arrived at the house, there was no mention of his nearly five-month absence, not a word about all of the phone calls that were never returned. Instead, he announced that the commission had reviewed the medical exam performed in December, [remember that we are now in April] and was now prepared to address the problem. In August Bill was given a series of oral and written examinations by a psychologist at the commission's office. He was told the tests were part of the process that would return him to the workplace. In September he received the results of the exams. He was weak in mechanical skills, but sharp in computer-oriented skills. The psychologist noted that he was suffering a lack of self-worth. He was depressed. In October his caseworker brought him a typewriter. He should refresh his typing skills, he was told. The caseworker said he had also arranged for an instructor to come out to the house to help. Bill thought it was an odd gesture. Had he been waiting a year for a typewriter? "I was desperate. I'm sure I sounded like I was begging. I said to him, 'Listen, in the beginning I told you I wanted to work to get out of the house, to have something to do. But now,' I said, 'there isn't any money left. It's a necessity. I need work. Any kind of work.'" Before the month was out Bill met the typing instructor, a young woman, who is blind, who showed him how a blind person becomes acclimated to a keyboard. But Bill knows the keyboard. Bill thought the session pointless. In November his caseworker called him to the commission's office. [By this time Bill had been blind and out of work for well over a year.] And that day, for the first time, there was talk of a job. "The caseworker said, 'I'm going to Atlantic City tomorrow to see about getting you an appointment at Bally's Grand.' I said, 'great.' I was ecstatic. This was just before Thanksgiving. After the holiday he called to say we had a tentative meeting on Friday. He would call back with a definite time." The week faded into the next. The caseworker never called. Bill felt conned. [This is the story of Bill as reported in the press. Do you know Bill? Do you recognize him? How many of us here in this room find ourselves painfully reflected in the details? The article goes on to describe a series of telephone calls made by the reporter to state officials. Then it continues.] It was now December, 1989. The client service representative, who is blind, and his driver arrived at midday. He sat down with his laptop computer in a chair near the Christmas tree in the living room. His driver sat in the kitchen. Bill spoke. Why were his phone calls never returned? Why didn't his caseworker ever call to say what happened to the interview? Why didn't he get the cassette player? Why were his hospital bills still not paid? What was he supposed to say to the collection agencies that were now hounding him? Why, after a fifteen-month relationship with the commission, was he no better off than the first day he found himself out of work? "I never asked you people for a handout," Bill said. "I asked for help. I need help. I'm fifty-eight years old, and I'm not going to just sit around this house waiting to die." The client service representative called Bill on December 20. It was a short one-sided conversation. "The deal with Bally's fell through," he said. "Your caseworker will be in touch with you soon." Three weeks later, Bill received a letter from his caseworker dated January 16, 1990. It read in part: "This is to inform you that the paperwork is now being generated so the [medical] bills you incurred can be paid. I will be contacting you shortly to discuss your status with the commission and other related items." In February, Bill received notice that a registered letter had arrived for him at the post office. It was from his caseworker. The first sentence of the letter, dated February 6, read: "On Wednesday, February 14, 1990, I will contact you via telephone between 9:00 AM and 12:00 noon." Bill was dumbfounded. "Who sends a registered letter to a blind man. I had to get a neighbor to drive me down to the post office to get it. It cost two dollars to send it. For what? To tell me he would call me?" On February 14, the caseworker called at 1:45 PM to say he would come out to see Bill on Wednesday the 21st. He would have forms to fill out. On February 21 the caseworker called to say his secretary had not finished typing the forms. He said he would be out to see Bill the first thing the next day. On February 22 the caseworker did not show. He did not call. Dumbfounded was no longer an adequate word to describe Bill's state of mind. On February 27 when the caseworker did call, a new date was set for the appointment. "In all of this time they couldn't get me even an interview?" [Bill questioned,] "Not one interview? Is there nothing? Is this it? Look at me. I clean the house. I make lunch at noon. I start dinner at five. This can't be it. "And yet, here I sit. I'm no better off today than I was the day I first called the commission." That was eighteen months ago. I got Bill's letter last year just after the occurrence of the events I've been relating to you. I tried to call him, but I couldn't find a number listed in his name. I telephoned the reporter and eventually tracked down the information. I spoke with Bill and invited him to join the Federation. We talked about the work that blind people are doing all over America. I asked Bill to believe that there is more for those who are blind than the papershuffling and dreariness of some of the agencies for the blind. There is the spirit of the National Federation of the Blind-a spirit that springs from a joint effort to achieve fully productive lives, the commitment of mutual support, and the enthusiasm of the discovery that blindness need not mean helplessness or hopelessness. All of this is a part of the organized blind movement, our movement, the National Federation of the Blind. How long does it take to extinguish the spark of initiative-to kill the spirit and crush the dream? For Bill it takes more than eighteen months. He has joined our movement, and he is once again employed as a computer operator. I suppose I need not tell you that he found the job without the help of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind. Yet, there are those who tell us that we are harsh and unreasonable in criticizing some of the governmental and private agencies established to help the blind. Let them call us what they will and say what they please. We have the idea of freedom; we have the leaders; and we know how to work together and support each other. We have reached the kindling point-and we intend to reflect the flame. There was a time when it was accepted that the blind would be on the fringe of society-a burden to be carried-unproductive, unwanted, shunned. There were occasional individuals who fought this common perception, but they were generally defeated by the force of so-called "common sense." But then there came together the essential elements for change. It cannot happen in a moment, but the process is thoroughly under way. Much that is written and thought about blindness is as fraught with misunderstanding as one could possibly imagine. The experts in gerontology tell us that visual acuity and intellectual capacity are linked. Newspaper editors declare that blindness, like illiteracy, indicates ignorance and incapacity. The weekly news magazines suggest that being blind is almost as bad as suffering from AIDS or cancer. The educators in the universities who are supposed to bring enlightenment to instructors of the blind disseminate the view that we have difficulty opening a can or pouring water. The agencies established to provide service to the blind direct us to wait patiently and reap the benefits of a welfare check. Nevertheless, conditions for the blind in the 1990s are dramatically and enormously different from those that prevailed fifty years ago. Despite the litany of problems I have recited, our prospects are better than they have ever been. Our present is more fulfilling. Our future is more promising. Blind mathematicians astonish their colleagues with their innovative solutions to the most difficult problems. Despite the laziness and befuddlement of certain segments of the agency establishment, the tide is turning the other way. Increasingly the agencies are working with us, and the momentum is building. New fields are being entered, new employment and independence achieved. And of course, a growing number of agencies are managed by Federationists and operated with Federation philosophy-with dramatic results. Although the literature often contains references which belittle the capacity of the blind, there are also (and ever more frequently) the positive images-and we are not without our own capacity to write. A powerful new spirit now moves in the blind of the nation-and also in growing numbers of the public. The vital elements for an alteration in the pattern of our experience have come together in an energetic and forceful mixture. We in this room tonight are the force which will propel our movement through the last decade of the twentieth century and into the one beyond. We are the components-the leaders from throughout the country, the rank-and-file members, the new inspiration. We will make the difference, for we must. Our record of achievement during more than half a century will be remembered with pride, but it is only the prelude. Each generation must do for itself and build on the past. We have learned that lesson well. We have learned it from each other and from our own experiences. In our yearning for freedom, others can go with us, but we must lead the way. We have not only reached but gone beyond the kindling point. We are the blind who reflect the flame. No organization on earth that deals with blindness has the strength, the determination, or the spirit of the National Federation of the Blind. My brothers and my sisters, come! Remember those who have shown the way, and those who will come after. We will believe in each other-and with joy in our hearts, we will go to meet the future! ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Everette Bacon] Blindness and Social Change: What Is My Duty? by Everette Bacon From the Editor: Everette Bacon is the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Utah, a lover of the written word, and a man who can use it to add his significant reflections to what we know about being blind. The NFB of Utah has been selling a flash card filled with Federation speeches and other documents, and this library is what Everette credits for providing him the material he discusses in this article. Here is what he has to say: Let me first say that, if you have not acquired an NFB Library Card, you are truly missing out! I would like Dr. Norm Gardner to stand up and be recognized publicly for putting together one of the most important and educational collections of materials and publications about blindness and the NFB ever made! Thank you, Norm. I have been studying Dr. Jacobus tenBroek as of late and have really come to appreciate his teachings and how relevant they are in today's society. His most significant works were written and presented over sixty years ago, but, when I examine myself and reflect on where blind people in Utah are today, his writings are pertinent in so many ways. All of you here today have assembled because you either recognize that you are blind or have low vision, or you are a sighted person who is married to or related to a blind person, or your profession involves the blind and low vision. I include the term "low vision" because there are people in this room who do not yet recognize themselves as blind. And why would they? According to Webster's Dictionary the word blind has several meanings. 1) Sightless, 2) lacking discernment, unable or unwilling to understand or judge as blind to faults, 3) made without reason or discrimination as a blind choice, 4) apart from intelligent direction or control as blind chance, 5) insensible as a blind stupor hence drunk, 6) made without knowledge or guidance or judgment as a blind purchase. After reading those definitions, I think I've come to find that many of us are blind in a multitude of ways. All kidding aside, it is certainly understandable after hearing the definition that one might decide that he would prefer not to be called blind. Many of you know that I grew up in a small Baptist church and that my grandfather was the preacher of that church for over thirty years. He is gone now, but I still think of him fondly, and, when he was in the pulpit, he enjoyed and encouraged the congregation to interact with him whenever he would make a point of conviction. Many church members might say the word "Amen" after such a point. I hope you might do the same after I make the next statement: it is indeed respectable to be blind! (This is the point where you people say "Amen.") At this convention you will see and hear from a lawyer, a chemist, a chaplain, a bronze medalist, a dancer, a professor, a coordinator, a director, a counselor, a military leader, a policy and legislative analyst, a mother and father, a student, an intern, and on and on and on! And every single one of them is blind. The fact that we are blind does not mean that we lack judgment or we lack balance or we lack common sense or we lack the ability to reason or any other ignorant comparison to which our disability label is attached. Is it our responsibility or duty to help continue this movement of changing what it means to be blind? Yes, it is our duty. I ask you, if we are not willing to organize and advocate for ourselves, then who will? I grew up with hereditary blindness. My great-grandmother was blind and ran a vending stand at the Oklahoma federal courthouse. She used a guide dog for all of her adult life. She raised and maintained chickens, and she was proud to state that she outlived six husbands! She had a brother who was also blind, whom I never met. He had a blind son (my great uncle) who is a farmer in Oklahoma. My grandmother who was blind was a USO volunteer in Oklahoma; she met my grandfather while he was serving in the Navy during World War II. They were married just two weeks after meeting each other. After he finished his military service, he went to seminary and was ordained as a Baptist minister. My grandmother understood her role and willingly became the matriarch of every church he pastored throughout his career. She was always considered the most beautiful woman in the church. She dressed with style and grace, and her hair and makeup were always perfect. She was a true Texan debutant! They gave birth to two daughters who were both blind. My mother had more vision than my aunt when they were younger, but they both eventually went completely blind. My aunt graduated from the University of California and became a rehabilitation professional. She has worked in both vocational rehabilitation and independent living. In California she ran a center that helped disabled people find affordable housing. She was recognized by Governor Jerry Brown for the success of this organization. My mother worked with my aunt part-time, and she also was a proud homemaker. My aunt had a daughter who is blind, and my mom gave birth to me. My cousin is also a mother of two blind daughters. I tell you my family history in blindness because I am not ashamed of where and who I come from. Blindness is such a part of my existence that I really do not think I could ever understand what life would be without it. Unfortunately, I did not grow up with the NFB. My family certainly knew about organizations of the blind, but they rarely ever got involved. I was never told that I could not be successful as a blind person, but I was told that I would have to settle for a certain kind of career, and I was never told to accept my impending blindness. I was taught to hold on to my decreasing vision for as long as I could. For this reason I never learned Braille as a kid or young adult, I never used a cane, and alternative techniques were reserved to figuring out how to see it with my limited vision. The first person in my life who made me understand and comprehend that I was going to become completely blind and that I better start planning and accepting it was my wife Angela. She is a medical professional who just so happened to be working with a geneticist that was studying my family history, and she realized that my family and I were in denial about me. She was the one who lit the fire from within me to go and find out more. In many ways she led me to the NFB, and I thank her for that. If I could have found the NFB when I was a child or as an impressionable teenager, I wonder how different I would be today? My family did not realize or understand the important work of the NFB. They never learned how the NFB was working to change the social definition of blindness. That is the difference between what our children and young people have now. They have what many of us did not growing up. They have you. They have someone who knows what you know. They have someone who can light the fire from within them. As blind people we must continue this important work. We must continue to advocate and organize. It is our duty to change the social stigma attached to being blind. We must be the ones to light the fire from within those who don't know they have the fire now. If there is anything that I hope the NFB has taught you, it is that you have ability-the ability to be whatever you want to be without settling for something less. You have the ability to do whatever you want to do without being worried that you are not equipped to do it. What I know the NFB has given each of you is the spark...the flicker...the flame. The NFB lit your fire, baby! I guess I should ask if any of you are old enough to remember The Doors. I'm not sure if I'm sad or just old-but can you believe there are people walking around today that have no idea who The Doors are? Well, I am going to wildly misquote them and use the lyrics of arguably their best known song to inspire you to do for someone else what the NFB has done for you: The time to hesitate is through No time to wallow in the mire Try now-we can only lose And our cause will become a funeral pyre Come on baby, light someone's fire! Come on baby, light someone's fire! Try to set the world on fire!!! Okay-maybe the words of Jim Morrison and Robby Krieger may not be classy enough for some -but it all boils down to the same thing. We need to be inspired, and we need to inspire others. That is the whole reason we are at this conference. We are here to be inspired-but this conference is a failure if we do not then go out and inspire others. We need our fires lit, and we need to light the fires of others. Come on baby, light some fires. I want to leave you with a quote from Cesar Chavez, a civil rights activist: "Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot un- educate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore." Come and be active in your local chapter meetings, help strengthen a division. Join this movement-for we are the blind, and our social change will not be stopped! ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Jean Dyon Norris stands next to the Kenneth Jernigan Library for Blind Children sign in the front window of the American Action Fund office.] Jean Dyon Norris Dies by Gary Wunder How would the person most responsible for conceiving of, creating, and overseeing the production of the Twin Vision book describe her introduction to the blind people she would give so much of her life's energy to helping? There is no need to guess. Here is what she said about her reaction when seeing a notice in the newspaper about a rummage sale sponsored by the blind: "I had never known any blind people, but I decided to gather up some rummage and go help. I discovered a group of normal folks whose only problem was that they could not see." Jean Dyon Norris says herself that she had no experience with blindness, no reason to become interested in learning Braille. But from that first rummage sale she made friends, and when she heard a friend saying how hard it was not to be able to read her children a bedtime story, she took on her friend's problem, and she found a solution. The LA Times obituary of Jean Norris quotes Laurie Rubin, an acclaimed mezzo-soprano and author, who received her first Twin Vision book in the 1980s at the age of five. "It was so nice that I could read along with my parents or brother. It made it a very normal experience. It didn't make me feel isolated." That was all Norris had set out to do, to give blind parents with sighted children and blind children with sighted parents the opportunity to do what any other family could-read together. It's no wonder that framed newspaper articles about her accomplishments hung on almost every wall in her house. She had goals and the determination to see them through. Norris says, "The woman at the publisher of the Charlie Brown books told us that she liked the idea but could not give us any books. We kept going back. On the third contact we got six thousand books." Jean doesn't embellish the tale of getting permission to create Twin Vision versions of several Charlie Brown books, but took pride in what she had been able to accomplish. Last year, when she sent in her article, "My Historic Recollections of the NFB" (printed in the May 2013 edition of the Monitor), she enclosed a stack of photocopies which included pictures, awards, and articles about herself, the Twin Vision project, and NFB members she had known. In the two large envelopes she sent was a copy of a letter she received from Charles Schultz, thanking her for the sample book she had sent him and pointing her to Determined Productions, the publisher who owned the rights for the Charlie Brown books. The first letter she received from that publisher gave her permission to make the Twin Vision books but said they could not give her copies. The second letter accompanied an invoice documenting the first donation of five hundred copies of Happiness is a Warm Puppy. The project director at Determined Productions was not the last to meet the kind but unstoppable force that was Jean Norris on a mission. Norris okayed transcribing Sea Shells, by R. Tucker Abbott, an authority on shells. Someone saw the book and notified the author, who wrote to Norris. He was very upset and wanted to know for how much they sold their version of his book. She responded, explaining that the book was loaned free of charge and that it was being used to teach blind children about sea shells. She received a second letter in which the author displayed a much different attitude: "How wonderful! How many copies of the book do you want? Could I please have one for my library?" After she sent him a copy he wrote again, praising the Twin Vision version. Of course that determination was sometimes tested when Jean Norris decided to make things happen. It took a visit to the federal building in Los Angeles to consult with the FBI and letters to the Treasury Department in Washington DC to get an answer other than "no" in response to the request to produce The Shape of Things-Coins, a book representing, not surprisingly, the shapes of coins. Government agencies, always reluctant to take the lead on things never done before, ducked responsibility and jointly told her, "We won't say yes, but we aren't saying no." That was all the answer she needed, and The Shape of Things-Coins was soon to be found under the fingers of blind readers. But the payoff from that effort was greater than the trooper for Braille and Twin Vision could have anticipated. The appeal of the Twin Vision book wasn't limited to blind children. A review of The Shape of Things-Coins appeared in a 1970 issue of Coin World, a magazine for numismatists (coin collectors.) William Pettit, president of the Chicago Coin Club, governor of the Central States Numismatic Society, and member of the education committee of the American Numismatic Association, wrote to Norris with a request for a copy of the book. "Because I am a frequent speaker in this area on coins, their history and uses, it would be of great interest to have a book showing the efforts made to acquaint the blind with coins and the apparent pitfalls to be encountered." Of course, sometimes getting permission and donations of books was much easier. Golden Books were in high demand, and when Norris found out that the publisher had an office in Beverly Hills, she took a Twin Vision book and paid them a visit. She talked to a man named Robert E. Callender and began by pointing to the Braille and asking him if he knew what it was. Not only did he know, but he told Norris that his wife was a transcriber. He donated fifty books immediately and later donated over one thousand more. He and his wife personally donated a check for $1,000 to support Norris's work. But it wasn't just creating Twin Vision books that gained her the respect of blind and sighted people alike. Norris had a long-time friendship with William Goetze, who repaired Braillers. When he decided to clear out his collection of Braillers-some very old, some from other countries-he called Norris first. She sent volunteers to pick them up and established the Goetze Museum. After William Goetze died, his son asked Norris if she would like to have his father's memorabilia: awards, pictures, letters, and other things he had treasured. She accepted and added them to the Goetze Museum, the contents of which she eventually donated to Dr. Maurer, who had them moved to the tenBroek Library. With the determination she had used in her work with Twin Vision books and many of the programs of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, Jean Norris lived a long and fruitful life. She died on April 30, 2014, several hours after turning ninety-six. She died at her home in Reseda, her son David by her side. She had served as the head of Twin Vision until her retirement in 2013, and her passing has been felt around the world. Not only has she had tributes from her home state of California and from the National Federation of the Blind, but her passing has been mentioned from as far away as Britain, where her many contributions made the news on the website of the Royal London Society for Blind. Jean Dyon Norris's legacy lives on in the thousands of Twin Vision books that currently exist and the thousands more that have yet to be published, all because she sat down at her kitchen table with a slate, a stylus, an encyclopedia to show her the shapes of Braille letters, and a few of her sons' old picture books. She started out to help one blind woman and ended her life with tens of thousands of blind and sighted people in her debt. Her work made it possible for families to share in the beauty of literature, whether perceived by the fingers or the eyes, and she helped countless men and women experience the joy of being read to and being able to read to others. One life does make a difference, and what a blessing God gave to the world when Jean Dyon Norris came into it nearly a century ago. ---------- 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 and training 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! ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Ian Macrae standing by the lobby sign for Disability Now] Braille Isn't "Embattled"-We're on the Cusp of a Golden Age for Blind People by Ian Macrae From the Editor: This article was brought to our attention after it appeared in the British newspaper the Guardian. Ian Macrae is the editor of the United Kingdom-based website Disability Now. The website's mission statement resonated with us at the Monitor: Disability Now is the UK's leading website for, about, and by disabled people. We aim to accurately reflect and present the lives, experiences, views, opinions, and lifestyle choices of disabled people, which are often misrepresented in mainstream media. We're also here to call to account those whose actions and policies have an impact on disabled people. Finally we provide freelance opportunities and access to the media for disabled journalists and writers whose voices would otherwise go unheard. Disability Now--Our voice, our lives. This is their statement, and here is the article we are pleased to reprint: Imagine a situation where you walk into your favorite restaurant and ask for the menu, only to be told it isn't available. Chances are it wouldn't stay your favorite for very long. As a Braillist-someone who uses Braille-the dream for me is when the opposite happens. A small number of chain restaurants offer menus in Braille; sometimes they're even up to date. It is difficult to over-express the sense of liberation at being able to browse and choose your preferred pizza independently. And in Co-op supermarkets, where some of the own-brand labels feature Braille, there is pride in being able to identify a bottle of wine from a label that few if any other people in the store are able to read. All too often, though, finding anything in shops is a matter of random selection, peering in earnest, or asking for help. And, just when it seemed the situation couldn't get any worse for Braillists, along come headlines suggesting the end is nigh for Braille, that this communication lifeline is about to be cut off. This week, Dr. Matthew Rubery, curator of an exhibition on alternative methods of reading for blind people, described Braille as "embattled." He went on to say its biggest threat "is computer technology, which makes it much easier not to have to learn it. A lot of people fear Braille won't survive because it will be read by so few people. The use has declined, and there are concerns about funding to keep it going." This seems to me a rather glass-half-empty view, although there is some evidence to support his argument. Anecdotally, it is claimed blind children are no longer being taught Braille. This is said to be owing to sighted teachers who believe computer technology, and in particular synthesized speech, has rendered it redundant. Therefore the teachers don't need to learn Braille either. If this is true, and no other factors were to come into play, then the outlook might really look bad. But, like print, Braille has gone through a process of evolution. It started out in classrooms as the equivalent of the slate-my five-year-old hands punched out each dot individually through a sheet of thick Manila paper. We learned to write it backwards and read it forwards. Then Harold Wilson's "white heat" age of technology ushered in the mechanical era. Classrooms echoed to the deafening collective rattle of fifteen or more Braille machines-the Stainsby, the Perkins, the Lavender- pounding away at dictation or composition. And now, like print with its tablets, Kindles, and touch screens, Braille has gone digital. And it is my belief that this could well mean it becomes more widely available and infinitely more useful. This is important because it means all children in future will be able to enjoy the same degree of literacy, not to mention the same levels of liberation and pleasure, as I do now. Think of this: I am writing and editing this piece on an Apple computer using Braille from an electronic display that drives pins into the correct shapes to form a line of Braille text. Once the piece is published, I will be able to go to the Guardian website on my iPhone or iPad, use Bluetooth to connect a portable Braille device, and read it along with you. The main problem currently is the cost of the Braille-reading equipment: the cheapest is ?900 [at today's conversion rate, roughly $1,500.] But, fellow reader, we are now in the age of the app and of haptic technology, which communicates through vibration and touch. It is already possible for me to download an app that will create on my touch screen a virtual Braille keyboard on which I can compose texts, emails, and Tweets and Facebook updates in Braille. Meanwhile, the search is already on for the Holy Grail of Braille-a means of creating dots without using expensive mechanical cells that make the shape of Braille characters using pins. Then the world would truly be at our fingertips. What is needed is an app that would turn digital text on your device into electronic impulses in the shape of Braille characters, transmitted by the screen of your iPad or other tablet, to be read by touch. To go back to my restaurant quandary, all I would need to do would be to call up the menu online, put it through my haptic Braille app, and read it on my screen. Add into that mix a scanning app, and I could point my device at what was on the supermarket shelf and have the haptic Braille app produce the package information. And if you think this is hopelessly optimistic pie in the sky, it's worth remembering that less than five years ago 96 percent of all books produced would never be turned into forms accessible to blind people. But, with the advent of e-books and existing technology, I am now able to read pretty much any book I want to in electronic Braille. So, rather than seeing the end of Braille, we could be entering a golden age of access and communication. Here's to more pizza, more wine, and more Braille. [To learn more about Disability Now or to read some of the blogs hosted there, visit the site at .] ---------- Sexual Misconduct Results in Prison Sentence for Teacher of the Blind by Gary Wunder As its name implies, the Braille Monitor has as one of its major roles that of watchdog to ensure that blind people are treated fairly, respectfully, and with dignity. When an individual or organization does something that makes life better for the blind, we trumpet it; when the opposite is true, we embrace the more difficult task of exposing the wrongdoing, endeavoring to report without ourselves throwing stones. It is with sadness that we must announce the conviction of Mr. Albert (Al) Lovati for having sexual relations with a minor who attended the Indiana School for the Blind, where he worked as a teacher. On learning of the charge of sexual misconduct and confirming it with Lovati and his victim, the Indiana School for the Blind immediately dismissed him. Lovati was a winner of a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award in 2010 for helping to build a bridge between the Lions Club, the Indiana School for the Blind, and the National Federation of the Blind. His work enriched the lives of many blind students by introducing them to role models and assisting them in getting training leading to education and employment. Lovati has received a sentence of six years, two of which he will serve in prison. Having sexual relations with a minor is, by any standard, an action deserving of punishment. We feel great sorrow for the victim, for her family, for the family of Mr. Lovati, and for all of those who trusted him by lending their names to his work. Programs sponsored jointly by the Lions Club and the National Federation of the Blind continue, with a fishing derby scheduled over the Father's Day weekend. It is our fervent hope that the partnerships established for blind students will not be counted among the victims of this criminal act and that together we can continue to provide blind students with the education and training that will help them become happy, responsible, contributing adults. ---------- Advances in Technology Can Leave Some Behind by Kerstin Sjoberg-Witt and Michael L. Stack II From the Editor: This article is reprinted from the spring issue of the Buckeye Bulletin, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. Here is how it was introduced by Editor Barbara Pierce: Editor's Note: Kerstin Sjoberg-Witt, the director of advocacy and assistant executive director at Disability Rights Ohio, is an Ohio attorney with over ten years of experience advocating for the civil rights of all individuals. Michael Stack, a graduate law clerk at Disability Rights Ohio, is a recently minted Florida attorney currently pursuing his Ohio license while participating in a fellowship program created by his law school. Imagine you're sitting down for the first time in a pre-calculus or calculus class. Imagine the fear you feel as you read concept material that is supposed to be written in English but appears to be ancient Greek combined with Egyptian hieroglyphics. As you tell yourself that advanced mathematics is an academic field fraught with mental hurdles and the bane of most high school and college students, you start to feel a little better. Now imagine that in addition to the difficulty of the subject matter itself, there is another hurdle your sighted peers do not experience: you are blind and need to have math problems read to you by screen-reader software. But instead of reading the problems to you in a coherent manner, parts of the equations are read out of order or with unfamiliar code for math symbols or are simply missing information altogether-making it impossible for you even to figure out what problem to solve, let alone learn the material. This is the kind of obstacle that Aleeha Dudley, a twenty-year-old junior at Miami University, faces every day as she vigorously pursues an undergraduate degree in zoology. Dudley, current vice president of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio's student division, has hopes of becoming one of the nation's few blind veterinarians. Because Miami has failed to make necessary modifications to its course materials that would allow equal access to the electronic and tactile materials used in and out of the classroom, Dudley has not had the same opportunity as her sighted peers to learn, and her grades do not reflect her actual capabilities. As her grades continue to suffer because of inaccessible course materials, her dream of being accepted into veterinary school and practicing equine medicine suffers along with them. Dudley's struggle is only part of a problem that is persistent throughout Ohio and the rest of the country: equal access to technology in the digital age. For years organizations like the National Federation of the Blind and Disability Rights Ohio have been fighting to promote equal access for all blind people. In the past most barriers that resulted in the denial of equal opportunity in education, employment, community life, transportation, and recreation were barriers of a physical nature. For instance, there has been an incredible amount of litigation over the last few decades related to physical access to buildings, such as construction of sidewalk cutaways and access ramps. Given the rapid advance of technology used in everyday life, inaccessible digital content is a relatively new barrier to equality for blind people. Just as missing signs, unnecessary steps, and false walls would make it difficult to navigate a building, accessibility problems with technology make navigating, searching, and reading even the most basic digital content extremely difficult and in some cases impossible. For Dudley, who filed a lawsuit against Miami University in January for discrimination based on her disability, the lack of accessible course materials and educational technology has denied her an equal opportunity to learn in an effective and integrated manner alongside her sighted peers, which is required by both the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Not only does Dudley have issues accessing Miami's educational material (for example, her online homework,) but simple daily activities such as doing laundry and ordering food at the cafeteria are also being hindered by Miami's use of touchscreen devices that are inaccessible to blind students. While lack of access to technology is a problem afflicting students from schools around the country, several universities are making huge strides to provide equal access through comprehensive plans and initiatives, such as Oregon State University, Florida State University, and the University of Montana. In March, for example, the University of Montana and the United States Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights reached a collaborative agreement highlighting the need for policies and procedures to ensure that all students, faculty, and staff, including those with disabilities, can independently use electronic and information technologies. Not only do inaccessible technology and communication affect the education system, but they also create frustrating and unnecessary barriers to the provision of basic necessities like housing. Renee Jordan, a resident of Dayton, Ohio, has recently filed a lawsuit against Greater Dayton Premier Management and its predecessor, Dayton Metropolitan Housing Authority, alleging violations of the Fair Housing Amendments Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Jordan, who is blind, cannot read written correspondence related to her participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Program, which is administered by the local housing authority and funded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Because a participant who fails to keep appointments or complete necessary paperwork on time may be terminated from the Voucher Program, Jordan requested that all correspondence be sent on microcassette tape so she could independently access the correspondence and respond appropriately. The housing authority refused, claiming the request was unreasonable and an undue financial and administrative burden. On March 28, 2014, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio granted Jordan's motion for preliminary injunction and ordered the housing authority to provide her all correspondence on microcassette tapes while litigation proceedings were ongoing. The court recognized that federal law "guarantees not only equal access to information about a program, but equal access to the program itself," and the only way a blind person has an equal opportunity to participate in and enjoy the benefits of a federal program is when "all communication affecting continued participation in the program is provided in an accessible format." Many universities, housing authorities, and other public and private entities argue that limited resources prevent the provision of accessible technology. While limited resources can be a concern, especially given the ongoing budget cuts facing many public and private entities, a shortage of resources is not sufficient justification for a blanket denial of equal access for people with disabilities. In Jordan's case the court recognized that the cost of providing reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act is a concern that all federally-funded and public programs face. The court held, however, that "[a]ccommodating the needs of individuals with disabilities in order to provide them with equal access . . . is a cost that must be borne" unless it creates an undue burden that severely harms the program. In an age where cell phones talk to you, cars drive themselves, and thermostats are practically self-aware, technology should benefit the blind, not create new barriers. While advances in technology have the power to make adapting to visual impairment immensely better, certain technology actually creates greater inequality when that technology is inaccessible to people with disabilities. As technology becomes more and more integrated into our society-relied upon in the everyday world for even the most rudimentary tasks-we must fight even harder to provide equal access to people with disabilities. Individuals who are blind or visually impaired have the same right as a sighted person to full access to technology, and we should not ignore the effect the digital world has on how we access information today. ---------- Recipes This month's recipes are offered by members of the NFB of Oklahoma. Easy Teriyaki Chicken by Sharon Wolf Sharon is a relatively new member of the National Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma. She lives in Bartelsville, Oklahoma, which currently has no chapter, but Sharon and others are working to organize a chapter within the year. Sharon will attend her first national convention this year. Here is what she says about her recipe: "The following is my favorite recipe to cook because it's fast and uses the microwave." Ingredients: 1 bag of frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast (thawed), cut into one- inch pieces 1 bag frozen Oriental vegetables or California-mix vegetables 3/4 or less cup soy sauce 3/4 or less cup sugar 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon minced or fresh ginger powder 1 tablespoon vinegar 2 tablespoons olive oil Method: In a bowl combine the last six ingredients and mix well. Add to the chicken and toss gently. Cook six minutes in microwave on high heat and stir. Then cook another four minutes on high heat. Cook frozen vegetables as directed. Pour the teriyaki chicken on top of the cooked vegetables and serve. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Jedi Moerke] Vegan Enchiladas by Jedi Moerke Jedi Moerke is the president of the Brady District Chapter in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and serves as a member of the National Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma board of directors. Currently she is interim secretary of the affiliate. She is a long-time Federationist; the only blind orientation and mobility instructor in the state of Oklahoma; a proud vegan; and, not only by her own claim, a great cook. Ingredients: Vegan cooking spray (I prefer canola or coconut-based) Whole wheat tortillas (burrito size is fine) 1 14-ounce can of whole black beans, drained 1 12- to 14-ounce can or 1 1/2 cups frozen whole-kernel sweet corn, drained 1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes, drained (optional) 1 cup raw onion 1 cup raw spinach Your favorite red or green salsa Several spoonfuls of vegan sour cream Vegan cheese shreds to taste (I prefer the Daiya Pepperjack Style Shreds) Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl except the tortillas. Make sure to drain the beans and the corn; otherwise the enchiladas will be rather soupy. Be sure to drain the Ro-Tel if you use that, too. Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole pan. Place the mixed ingredients inside the tortillas. Stuff the tortillas as though you were making little burritos. Leave one end of each enchilada loose and tuck in the other. Place the enchiladas in the pan, seam-side down. You should be able to get about six enchiladas into the pan. Spread a couple of spoonfuls of the vegan sour cream on top of the enchiladas. Make sure that the enchilada tops are fully covered. Spread some salsa over the sour cream. Sprinkle some more vegan shreds on top of the salsa and sour cream. I usually prefer a small handful. If you have any diced onions left over from the enchilada preparation, add these to the top as well. Bake the enchiladas for about twenty minutes. The enchiladas are done when the cheese on top has melted and the insides are warm when poked with a toothpick or fork. One dish full of enchiladas serves two people. It is likely you will have additional ingredients mixed to make more. This recipe is excellent and can be used to serve non-vegans. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Jeannie Massay] Mark's Broccoli Slaw by Jeannie Massay Jeannie is the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma and a member of the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind. Here is what she says about this recipe: This recipe is one of my favorites during the summer. My husband is a fantastic cook. He often serves this with barbecue or burgers in the summer. Ingredients: 1 bag of sliced fresh broccoli slaw or 1 head fresh broccoli sliced into bite-size pieces 2 medium-size red apples, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces 1 can bite-sized pineapple chunks in natural juice (drained, reserve the juice) 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup golden raisins Dressing 1 cup mayonnaise Juice from can of pineapple 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar Method: Combine slaw ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl combine dressing ingredients and whisk until blended. Drizzle dressing over slaw mixture, then toss to coat entire batch of slaw. This recipe can be eaten immediately but is best if allowed to soak up some of the dressing and mature the flavors. Great for something different at a picnic or barbecue. ---------- Sweet Potato Casserole by Glenda Farnum Glenda is a dedicated Federationist. She is a board member of the National Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma and serves as the legislative director for the affiliate. She is the daughter of blind parents, a blind woman, and the parent of a now adult blind child. It took a while for her to come around to the Federation, however, she has now jumped in with both feet. We are proud to have her as a part of our affiliate. Ingredients: 4 cups sweet potatoes (baked, peeled and mashed) 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs, beaten 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons butter, softened 1/2 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Topping 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 4 tablespoons and 4 teaspoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons and 3 teaspoons butter, softened 1/2 cup chopped pecans Method: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl mix together the sweet potatoes, sugar, eggs, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Topping: In a medium bowl, mix the sugar and flour. Cut in the butter until the mixture is coarse. Stir in the pecans. Sprinkle the mixture over the sweet potato mixture. Bake in the preheated oven thirty minutes, or until the topping is lightly brown. ---------- Pumpkin Bread by Glenda Farnum Ingredients: 3 cups sugar 2/3 cups water 1 15-ounce can pumpkin 1 cup oil 4 eggs 3 1/3 cups flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon nutmeg 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup chopped nuts Method: Mix sugar, water, pumpkin, oil, and eggs in large bowl. In another bowl combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Add dry mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir. Add vanilla then add nuts. Mix well. Pour into three loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for forty- five to fifty minutes. Yield: three loaves of bread. ---------- Grandma Joyce's Pecan Pie by Audrey T. Farnum Audrey is the first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind of Oklahoma and the chapter president of the Central Oklahoma Chapter. She also serves as vice president on the National Sports and Recreation board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind and as a board member of the newly formed Oklahoma Sports and Recreation Division. Audrey is an attorney and an avid rower. She recently rowed in her first single race and won the heat. By her claim she is a better eater than a cook, but these recipes tell a different story. Here is what Audrey says: Here are a couple of my favorite recipes from my grandmothers. These were two of my favorite treats growing up, then later I learned they were both super easy to make. Enjoy. Ingredients: 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup light corn syrup 1/4 cup melted margarine 3 eggs, well beaten 1 cup pecans 1 pie shell Splash of rum or pinch of cinnamon if desired. Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar, syrup, and melted butter. Add beaten eggs and pecans to syrup mixture, mixing thoroughly. Stir in a little rum or cinnamon for an extra twist if desired. Pour into a nine-inch pie shell (store-bought or your own recipe) and bake forty to forty-five minutes. ---------- Meema's Brownies by Audrey T. Farnum Ingredients: 1 cup oil 2 cups sugar 4 eggs, slightly beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cocoa 1/2 cup nuts Method: In large bowl combine oil and sugar and beat well. Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until well blended. Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa in medium bowl and combine. Add dry mixture to wet ingredients, mix until blended, add nuts and stir. For thicker brownies pour batter into a 13-by-9-inch pan coated with cooking spray. For thinner brownies pour batter into a 15-by-11-inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for thirty to thirty-five minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family Elected: The National Federation of the Blind of Illinois Chicago held their elections today. Results are as follows: president, David Meyer; first vice president, Patti Chang; second vice president, Jemal Powell; secretary, Robert Hansen; treasurer, Steve Hastalis; and board members, Howard Wilson, Debbie Pittman, Jina Falvo, and Denise Avant. Elected: The following officers were elected by the Greater Portland Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Maine: president, Diane Anderson; vice president, Leroy "Bud" Buzzell; secretary, John Lee; and treasurer, Raymond Dupuis. 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. The National Rehabilitation Association Gets a New Director: Dr. Fredric K. Schroeder, one of the most prominent advocates for blind people in the world, has been hired as the executive director of the National Rehabilitation Association (NRA). Founded in 1923, and taking its current name in 1927, the NRA has long been an advocate for individuals who are blind and organizations serving them. Dr. Schroeder's credentials and advocacy are well-known to our readers and to members of the National Federation of the Blind. He is the first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind, is the first vice president of the World Blind Union, is in charge of coordinating events to celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind, and was the former commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration under President Clinton. He was the first blind person to be trained as an orientation and mobility instructor and the first to fight the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired when they refused to certify him as an instructor because he could not see. We wish Dr. Schroeder the best in his new position and have every confidence he will bring the same vision and energy to it that he has to his other endeavors. Maps of Michigan Available: The Princeton Braillists have available a single volume with fifteen maps of Michigan, including an overview of the state, followed by individual maps of cities, rivers, counties, highways, farm and mineral products, and climate. A more detailed map shows the vicinity of Detroit. The package comprises fifteen maps, forty-one pages total. The price is $8, and we use shipping by Free Matter for the Blind where eligible. To order, please send a check or money order to: The Princeton Braillists, 76 Leabrook Lane, Princeton, NJ 08540. Credit card and fax service are not available. For more information contact Nancy Amick at (609) 924-5207. New Braille Technology - Cosmo and BERT Here are two interesting inventions for teaching and writing Braille from inventor and entrepreneur David Pillischer. He says the following: Now as never before a blind student using a Braille typewriter in the classroom can be as quiet as a sighted student writing with a pencil on paper. The non-disruptive, patented Cosmo Braille Writer is a classroom- friendly Braille education system and a quiet embosser. The Cosmo Braille Writer is easy for children and adults to use, economical to run, and easily maintained. A blind student can input his document into the Duxbury application using Cosmo's Braille keyboard. When he is finished, he can back translate the Braille to text, then print the document to paper using a standard inkjet or laser printer. The blind student can submit his printed document to the teacher along with the rest of the class and have a Braille copy for himself. $2,495 with A/C power supply and manuals. Inquire about shipping costs. For the first time in the history of Braille, Braille can be taught over the Internet. BERT, an acronym for the "Braille Education Remote Tool," enables both the teacher and student to communicate by voice and keyboard in real time during a remote teaching session. Any keys depressed by the student on the Cosmo (using the Braille keyboard and BERT software) will be immediately recognized by the blind teacher reading a Braille display or by the sighted teacher on a computer screen. BERT enables real- time interactive communication between teacher and student, creating a "side by side" mode of working together. BERT requires the purchase of the software and a license for one or more students. Electronic Brailler LLC, phone: (585) 413-4401, . Michael Collins and Newel Perry to be Inducted into the Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field in 2014: The following press release was circulated by the American Printing House for the Blind, and we gladly carry it here: The Hall of Fame is dedicated to preserving the tradition of excellence manifested by specific individuals through the history of outstanding services provided to people who are blind or visually impaired in North America. It is housed at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) in Louisville, Kentucky, but belongs to all. The ceremony to induct Collins and Perry will take place on Friday evening, October 17, 2014, in conjunction with APH's 146th Annual Meeting of ex officio trustees and special guests, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Joining the fifty-four outstanding legends previously inducted, are these two remarkable figures who changed lives around the world. Their stories of accomplishment are powerful. The Class of 2014 Michael T. Collins 1947-2008 Mike Collins dedicated thirty years of his career to Perkins; first as supervisor of the Perkins School for the Blind's campus-based Deafblind Program and then as founder and director of the Hilton/Perkins International Program, with the mission of training teachers to teach children who are deafblind with multiple disabilities in developing countries. Collins received the distinguished Perkins' Annie Sullivan Award and Deafblind International's Lifetime Achievement Award and its Distinguished Service Award. "His love for children with multiple disabilities and his deep understanding of their needs was evident when he visited programs and dangled children on his knee." Nandini Rawal, project director of the Blind People's Association in Gujarat, India. Newel Perry 1873-1963 Dr. Newel Perry was called the father of the modern civil rights movement of the blind. According to Matson (1990), Perry "presided as mentor and godfather to the [organized blind] movement," spawning the California Council of the Blind (1934), and the National Federation of the Blind (1940). In 1912, Dr. Perry took the post which would define his career, Director of Advanced Studies at the California School for the Blind, and was in this position until retirement in 1947. He is best known for having mentored "Perry's Boys (and Girls)," a group of talented blind young men and women who would, with Perry's assistance, begin the organized blind movement of advocacy and civil rights. Honors include: California Council of the Blind, Hall of Fame, 1996 (original member), California Council of the Blind's Newel Perry Endowment Trust, the National Federation of the Blind's highest award--named for Newel Perry, and, within NFB's Jacobus tenBroek Library, the Newel Perry Conference Room, appropriately named for tenBroek's beloved mentor. "Newel Perry educated, indoctrinated and persuaded a distinguished group of cohorts to join him in carrying on the struggle and carrying out its goals. Those whom Doctor gathered around him were other blind men and women, mostly former students whose special talents and professional positions uniquely supplemented his." Jacobus tenBroek, 1961 When asked what was his most important work, Dr. Perry answered, "Oh, my most important work was my dragging the blind out of their sleep, stirring them up, putting some ambition into them, and then helping them." For more on these inductees, please visit: . Additional information regarding the 2014 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will soon appear on the APH website, . Visit the Hall of Fame website at for information on the Hall and those inducted. The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is now on Facebook! "Like" the page to learn more about this year's inductees, Michael T. Collins and Newel Perry, as well as updated information on the 2014 induction ceremony, and items of interest on the other fifty-four Hall inductees. The URL is or you can search Facebook for "Hall of Fame for the Blindness Field." Also visit the Hall on our recently launched YouTube channel-click on "Playlists" to watch the inspiring Hall of Fame induction ceremonies! eBay and the National Federation of the Blind Team to Optimize Accessibility of Site, Apps: The following is a reprint of a June 6 press release by eBay about this partnership: eBay has teamed with The National Federation of the Blind in a Web 2.0 Sustainable Accessibility Partnership Agreement that will enhance the accessibility of eBay's website and mobile applications. Through the new partnership blind buyers and sellers on eBay who use technologies such as text-to-speech screen readers and Braille displays will have even greater access to eBay's website and its applications for smartphones and tablets. "This is about reinforcing and enhancing our commitment to accessibility and making eBay's global marketplace available to everyone," said Devin Wenig, President Global eBay Marketplaces. "Ease of use and universal access to the Marketplace is a priority for eBay as a company and as a brand." Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the Blind is pleased to continue our partnership with eBay. This landmark agreement sets forth a proactive strategy that will enhance the accessibility of eBay's online marketplace, allowing blind buyers and sellers to use this groundbreaking platform in all the ways that sighted users can. We commend eBay for its industry leadership in adopting this comprehensive Web 2.0 accessibility plan and look forward to working together with the company to implement it," Maurer added. Study About Perception of Legal Blindness Seeks Participants: My name is Bobby Dixon, and I am a legally blind graduate student at Southeastern Louisiana University as well as a member of the National Federation of the Blind. I have been legally blind all of my life due to an exceptionally small optic nerve. I have lived for forty-five years with this condition and have quite a bit of experience involving how we are treated by society in education, in employment, and in everyday life. These experiences inspired me to study others to see if they too have had similar experiences in these situations and to find out if the way society treats other legally blind people may be affecting our self-confidence and well- being and to promote more awareness The participants in this study will be contributing to a larger body of knowledge and awareness of what legally blind people are truly capable of. The data gathered in this study will not only be used to help legally blind people reach their true potential; they will also be used to help sighted people realize that legally blind people are just as capable as they themselves are. NOTE: 1) Only people aged eighteen and older may participate in this study. 2) legal blindness covers all people with a visual acuity of 20/200 to those who are totally blind. This survey is designed to measure how legally blind people feel they are treated by society. The study also examines how legally blind people feel about themselves and their perceptions of beliefs others have about them. The survey can be found at . Study Participants Wanted: My name is Tali and I am a PhD student at the University of Groningen the Netherlands. I am collecting survey data for my dissertation on the highly relevant topic of dealing with visual impairment in different areas of one's life-home, work, and friendships, just to name a few. The purpose of the current study is to obtain more information on relevant issues in the life of a person losing eyesight such as the implications of concealing or revealing your identity as being visually impaired to others and the importance of your social surroundings in coping with vision loss. Data collected from this study will be kept anonymous, and only the key researchers on this project will have access to these data (myself, Tali Spiegel, and my supervisory team, Rafael Wittek and Nardi Steverink). Your identity will be kept entirely anonymous in future publications, and you at no point will be asked to reveal your identity. The data will be kept in a secure location on a Groningen University hard drive. You are eligible to participate in this study if you: 1) have a degenerative eye condition, 2) are above the age of eighteen, and 3) are currently living in the USA. I will be more than grateful if you would be willing to follow the link below and fill out the questionnaire (it should take about forty minutes): If you are unable to complete the survey online, I can also send the survey to you using email. The survey can come either as an attachment (in a word document) or in the body of the text. If you have questions, please email me at . For more information go to . If you decide at any point during filling out the survey that you do not wish to answer a particular question, you have the option to skip it. If you want to terminate the questionnaire, that is also possible, however, after completion of the questionnaire you will no longer be able to withdraw from the study. Your participation is pivotal for the success of this project. Many thanks in advance. New Talking Infrared Thermometer Available: The Talking Infrared Thermometer (model IRT-1) can measure the temperature of a wide variety of objects without contact and has a special scan function to help a blind person quickly locate hot items such as a burner on a flat cooktop stove or to ensure a pot or pan is centered over a burner. My motive for developing the IRT-1 came from a blind friend who was badly burned while teaching a newly blind student to cook. Had there been the means easily to determine the cooking oil temperature, the accident could most probably have been prevented. The IRT-1 of course can be used to measure the temperature of many other things as well: the refrigerator or freezer, coffee, bath water, food temperature, etc. With only three buttons the IRT-1 is super easy to learn and use and has a built in talking tutor! And finally, the IRT-1 can be set to speak in English, Spanish, or French, and to say the temperature in centigrade or Fahrenheit too. For much more detailed information, a user manual, speech samples, and images please visit my website: . About myself and my company: I'm located in Morgan Hill, California, about thirty minutes south of the so called Silicon Valley area. I've been an electronics engineer and programmer for many years, the last twenty as a design consultant to other organizations. I love to get involved developing new products! Over the last six years I've worked with James Kubel of Access Solutions in Sacramento, California, on several projects, including the PumpMate, a talking remote control that provides access for insulin pump users. Recently I've decided to develop accessibility products to market as my own, the first being the IRT-1 Talking Infrared Thermometer. The thermometer is now available, and I've completed an initial production run. The price is set at $119.95 and can currently be purchased directly from my site at . I'm actively seeking re-sellers, for whom discounts would apply. Both the Sacramento Society for the Blind and the Lighthouse have indicated they will carry it. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to call me at (408) 781-4577, or email me at . Monthly Training Subscription Available: The Windows Department at Blind Access Training is offering affordable monthly training support for a charge of $44.95 monthly. No longer does one need to search for cost-effective training support or say the dreaded words, "I can't afford it." With our monthly training support, use the time to brush up, learn, and immerse yourself in your Windows OS and Office applications to build a solid foundation and understanding to set yourself on a path to success. Lessons will be provided, and the goal in offering the subscription is to have students working in their operating system and applications comfortably and independently. You may read about and subscribe to the service at the link below; if you would rather speak with someone from the Windows Training Department to answer your questions, we invite you to call (877) 774-7670 and press 3. We take calls Monday through Friday between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM pacific time. You may read more about our service and subscribe at . ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Tue Sep 9 23:54:49 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Tue, 9 Sep 2014 23:54:49 -0700 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, August/September 2014 Message-ID: <201409100654.s8A6snCb015288@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 57, No. 8 August/September 2014 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 Mark Riccobono, 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 Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice Watch and share our videos: YouTube.com/NationsBlind 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 KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT; BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES. ISSN 0006-8829 ? 2014 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. 57, No. 8 August/September 2014 Contents Illustration: Breaking Barriers Triathlon The 2014 Convention Roundup by Gary Wunder Presidential Report 2014 by Marc Maurer Awards Presented at the 2014 National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind Meet the 2014 Scholarship Class of the National Federation of the Blind The Challenge and the Limit by Marc Maurer Ten Years of Progress in the Jernigan Institute: A Letter to the Friend I Never Met by Mark Riccobono Enforcing the Law of Inclusion: A Personal and Professional Journey by Daniel Goldstein The Federation at Work with Google: Changing the Structure of Expectations by Eve Andersson Blind Workers Deserve Fair Wages, Too by Platt Allen III A Standard of Literacy for the Blind from the Library of Congress by Robert Dizard, Jr. Working to Advance Equal Rights and Protections for Blind People with Disabilities in the Workforce of Today, Tomorrow, and the Future by Laura Fortman Raising Expectations for the Blind through the 2014 Convention Resolutions by Sharon Maneki National Federation of the Blind Resolutions for 2014 Convention Miniatures [PHOTO CAPTION: Nick Oliver uses his cane to navigate around plastic alligators on the cobblestones around the pool as part of the Breaking Barriers Triathlon.] [PHOTO CAPTION: Nick Oliver has to swim across the shallow end of the pool as adult volunteers from the NOPBC "attack" using inflatable sharks] [PHOTO CAPTION: Young girl takes aim at a large felt target, the last challenge in the Breaking Barriers Triathlon.] Breaking Barriers Triathlon The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children launched a new fundraiser called "The Breaking Barriers Triathlon." The first challenge the young competitors face is the alligator-filled swamp. In the first photo Nick Oliver (age seven) navigates around plastic alligators on the cobblestones of the Rosen Center's pool area. After this the competitors swim through shark-infested waters; in reality the shallow end of the pool with adult volunteers using inflatable sharks to "attack" the swimmers. Finally, the young challengers shoot barriers to independence. A young girl takes confident aim at the large felt target at the end of the event, taking her stand for independence. The course looked so challenging and fun that other children in the pool area asked to join in! So tremendous was the demand that the children could do only two trips each. The 2014 Convention Roundup by Gary Wunder When historians of the National Federation of the Blind look back on the conventions of the organization, they will no doubt judge the convention held in July 2014 to be one of the most significant. This convention witnessed a change in leadership as President Maurer decided not to run, ending the longest presidency in the organization's history. This was also the convention at which Mark Riccobono was elected as the organization's president. The convergence of these events meant that the convention took a reverential look at the progress of the organization over the past twenty-eight years, focused on the programs we have today and the challenges that confront us, and dreamed together about what the future would bring as our new president assumes the responsibilities of his office. Seminar Day was crowded with events for people of all ages and all interests. Activities sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children started early and ran throughout the day. A seminar for job seekers was conducted by a panel of experts from NFB training centers, state and private agencies, and employers. More than eighty people attended. A job fair would be held later in the day at which twenty-three employers came looking for people with ambition and brains to fill their jobs. Among the employers looking for workers was LEGOLAND, Florida. The Jernigan Institute held technology seminars on the accessibility of the Android operating system, accessible desktop cloud computing, and printing and three-dimensional creation for tactile graphics. Self-defense workshops were held throughout the day and were sponsored by the Sports and Recreation Division. A craft show was conducted where Federationists could display and sell their handmade items. The Seniors Division hosted a panel discussion regarding what you should know about making the all-important decision concerning whether to age in place and find assistive care as needed or move into senior housing. Dominion Voting Systems demonstrated its Image Cast Evolution Tabulator?, a precinct-level optical scan ballot counter. This digital voting system allows blind and sighted voters alike an opportunity to vote privately and independently. A seminar entitled "A Federation Moment Is Worth 1,000 Words" was held to acquaint Federationists with the power of video presentations and to provide an opportunity for all of those who had iPhones and similar devices to do video interviews and to have them reviewed. Of course one could find music, door prizes, and a cash bar at the annual Karaoke Night, sponsored by Blindness, Learning in New Dimensions, a training center of the National Federation of the Blind in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Wednesday, July 2, began with registration at 9:00 AM, and following the receipt of a badge, a banquet ticket, and a convention agenda, many made their way to the exhibit hall, where the sponsors of our 2014 Convention were given an exclusive opportunity to show their products and services. Our convention sponsors for 2014 were: . Accessibility Champions-Vanda Pharmaceuticals Incorporated and Deque Systems Inc. . Platinum-UPS; Oracle; HumanWare; and Google Inc. . Gold-Market Development Group Incorporated; Brown, Goldstein and Levy LLP; JPMorgan Chase and Co.; and Expedia Incorporated. . Silver-Microsoft; Pearson; SSB BART Group; Comcast; and Freedom Scientific. . Bronze-IBM; AT&T; VitalSource Technologies; Monster Worldwide Incorporated; and Chris Park Technology Designs. . White Cane-HIMS Incorporated.; Sprint; Learning Ally; MegaVoice; BAUM USA; and Ai Squared. The meeting of the board of directors was gaveled to order on Thursday morning, July 3, and a roll call found all members present with the exception of Jeannie Massay. Jeannie could not attend due to illness, but she listened to the convention stream, and those assembled sent warm wishes and their hope for her speedy recovery. President Maurer asked that the gathering observe a moment of silence for those who had died during the past year: Carol Irwin, Mrs. Jernigan's sister; Dr. Abraham Nemeth, creator of the revolutionary Nemeth Code; Dr. Adrienne Asch, a renowned bioethicist and scholar; Lori Stayer, longtime leader in the Writers Division and the wife of David Stayer; Jean Dyon Norris, creator of the Twin Vision book and the longtime manager of the California office of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults; Joe Money, former president of the National Federation of the Blind of Indiana; Jim Willows, former president of the National Federation of the Blind of California and husband of our current president, Mary Willows; Robert Bell, former president of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina; and Connie Conley of Louisiana, who was a teacher, nurse, and an inspiration to many. The convention silently rose in memory of these and other Federationists whose lives had contributed so much to our movement. President Maurer discussed the composition of the board of directors, reviewing for the assembled those positions that were up for election and those which would continue until 2015. At this convention all officers would stand for election. They were Marc Maurer, president; Fred Schroeder, first vice president; Ronald Brown, second vice president; James Gashel, secretary; Pam Allen, treasurer; and Amy Buresh, Patti Chang, Michael Freeman, John Fritz, Carl Jacobsen, and Alpidio Rol?n. Those whose terms will expire in 2015 are Parnell Diggs, Sam Gleese, Ever Lee Hairston, Cathy Jackson, Jeannie Massay, and Joe Ruffalo. President Maurer noted that he had been elected fourteen times to head the organization and that he would not be running in this election. He said that he was supporting Mark Riccobono and hoped that he would be nominated and elected. The convention expressed its appreciation for his service and its enthusiasm for the candidacy of Mark Riccobono by its applause. Mike Freeman asked for the floor and told the board of directors and those assembled that he would not stand for election in 2014. He said that he appreciated the time he had served on the board but that in this time of transition he felt it appropriate to relinquish his position in the hope that it would be filled by someone with the youth and energy that are necessary to the continued success of the organization. His service was also recognized by the audience and the board of directors with applause, cheers, and shouts of thank you. President Maurer also echoed his appreciation for the work Mike had given as a member of the board. Dan Hicks, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Florida, welcomed the board and the convention. He told us that, while residing in Florida, we had certain rights: "You have the right to an attorney, and heaven knows we have enough of those here; you have the right to remain silent, though few of us will; and you have the right to bear arms and legs and torsos and just about any other body part on our beaches. But in Florida we have a very special right-the right to partay. We know a lot of work gets done at these conventions; we do a lot of work to put these conventions on, but we still think of them as a multi-day party, and we want you to enjoy this convention and always to remember it." Dan played a snippet from the song "Happy," as it was featured in the movie Despicable Me. He taught us words appropriate to the celebration of the Seventy-Fourth Convention of the National Federation of the Blind. The words Dan gave us were these: clap along if you want the convention to raise the roof; clap along if you feel the Federation is the truth; clap along if you know what the NFB means to you; clap along if you want to live the life you choose. Following a prolonged cheer for this song and for the welcome offered to us by the National Federation of the Blind of Florida, President Maurer read to the convention a resolution passed by the national board of directors in January 2014. It said: A sentence shall be added at the end of Article IV, Section C, which reads: Biennially, during even numbered years, at the first meeting of the board of directors following the convention at which officers and board members are elected, the board of directors shall select a chairperson from among its members who shall not be the same person as the president and who shall serve without compensation. This was the first reading of the amendment, and it was later passed unanimously by the convention. Mark Riccobono was introduced to talk about efforts by the board of directors to clarify our message, improve our marketing, and increase the name recognition of the National Federation of the Blind by engaging the efforts of an outside company to help us sharpen our message and strengthen our brand. He began his presentation with what is being referred to as our "one-minute message," something that one can easily use to communicate who we are, what we do, and why we do it, all in less time than it takes for a short elevator ride. The message is: "The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back." Along with this one-minute message and a new and consistent tagline, we have also created a new logo-one which is a stronger reflection of our organization, our brand characteristics, and our values. [PHOTO CAPTION: New NFB icon "Opportunity"] Here is a brief description of our new logo: the new logo of the National Federation of the Blind is an updated, stronger reflection of our organizational characteristics and values. The logo of the National Federation of the Blind consists of three elements: a symbol and two text elements-our name and tagline. The basic element of our logo is a contemporary, sleek, forward- facing icon that is intended to convey creativity, movement, freedom, and warmth. We refer to this icon as Opportunity, as it represents the opportunity we seek for blind people, the opportunity to find blind people who have not yet benefited from the organization, and the opportunity to determine our own future and establish new levels of participation in our society. The forward-facing Opportunity icon demonstrates respect and is more inviting than an icon facing to the side. [PHOTO CAPTION: New NFB logo with symbol "Our Movement"] Our logo incorporates a symbol that we refer to as Our Movement. The Our Movement symbol is composed of six Opportunity icons arrayed in a circle and conveys a feeling of movement, symbolizes individual actions collectively focused (as the eye is drawn to the center of the circle), and represents key values of the organization's brand-collective action, full participation, love, respect, democracy, and courage. Our logo emphasizes the plurality of Our Movement, instead of an individual icon, because we are not alone; we are a group, a team, and a family, working together. The Our Movement symbol also conveys the personality of the organization- inspirational, innovative, powerful, and inviting. The colors of the Opportunity icons in the Our Movement symbol (blue, orange, green) represent optimism, love, unity, hope, confidence, growth, and energy-all of which are important to our brand. The gradation of colors also reminds us that we are a diverse organization, and each of us has something to contribute. The font of the text elements of our logo is more modern and innovative than the heavy serif of our previous logo. It is also much more readable for our low-vision members. The logo places more emphasis on the words "of the blind" in order to call attention to that important and powerful aspect of our organization. The tagline font is italic to imply the energy and action we want people to take in order to "Live the life you want." The text in the logo represents power and action. Mr. Riccobono concluded his presentation by reiterating our brand promise: "Together with love, hope, and determination, we transform dreams into reality." [PHOTO CAPTION: Parnell Diggs] Parnell Diggs, a member of the board of directors, was introduced and proudly announced to the convention that he was the Democratic candidate for the office of attorney general in the state of South Carolina. Although the National Federation of the Blind does not get involved in supporting or opposing candidates for office, it is extremely interested in the advancement of blind people to positions where they can demonstrate the competence of the blind and work to forge public policies that give us greater opportunity. Mr. Diggs observed that 2014 is an off-year election and that many people do not exercise their right to vote in contests that occur in these election cycles. He considers this unfortunate given that men and women have died for the right to elect those who will serve them. He also stressed the importance of blind people being politically active, especially now that we can cast a secret ballot thanks to our efforts in securing the passage of the Help America Vote Act. Diggs first voted independently in 2006, and he looks forward in 2014 to seeing his name on the ballot. His priorities will include enforcement of the anticorruption statutes in his state, working to improve voting rights, and helping to bring affordable healthcare to his state. He noted for the crowd that these items have nothing to do with blindness but that "blindness is not the characteristic that defines me or my future." On that rousing note President Maurer directed our attention to convention logistics. He said that this was his forty-sixth convention but that others newer to attending these gatherings might be less familiar than he with how they were organized. He introduced Mrs. Jernigan, who said that this was her forty-ninth convention. She reviewed the procedure for registering and picking up materials for those who had preregistered, the purchase of banquet tickets, and the banquet exchange. Before she left the stage President Maurer asked her about the start time for a meeting that was to be held in the evening and, without a moment's hesitation, she was able to provide it. This explains why she has for so long been the chairperson of convention organization and activities. Anil Lewis is the chairman of the Imagination Fund Committee. He came to the podium to talk about how money from this program goes to support the innovative research and training programs done by our Jernigan Institute. As we did this year, we will again designate a three-month period in which we will concentrate on building this fund and another three-month period in which we will help affiliates develop their fundraising, realizing that we are all one movement and at all levels must work together to be successful in our fundraising and outreach efforts. Of course, fundraising for this and other activities of the organization should not be limited to, but instead emphasized during these periods. An easy way for family, friends, and coworkers to contribute is by sending a text message to 41444, and in the body of the message writing "2014" and the amount they wish to contribute. In the coming year the Jernigan Institute will concentrate on enhancing our Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) campaign, will start a new program for blind seniors, and will focus a great deal of energy and attention on employment. These programs all deserve our concentrated effort, but it is only by funding them that we can make them vital and strong. As Anil reminds us, "If we don't do it, no one will." The Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award is presented annually, and this year the presentation was made by Chairman Cathy Jackson, member of the board of directors and president of the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky. This year's winner is Theresa Postello from the state of California. Remarks made during this presentation will be found elsewhere in this issue. Much of the work of the Federation is done by its committees, and President Maurer urged that members who would like to serve contact the office of the president to make their wishes known. Committee appointments are normally for one year and are made by the president. Sandy Halverson addressed the board of directors and those attending the meeting with an update on the Shares Unlimited in the National Federation of the Blind (SUN) Fund. This is money that the Federation uses as its savings account or rainy day fund. It has increased by more than $13,000 over the past twelve months, but some states are not active participants, and this is an issue we must address. Dr. David Ticchi followed Sandy Halverson to the podium, and his job was to present the Blind Educator of the Year Award for 2014. A full report of his presentation will appear elsewhere in this issue. Scott LaBarre addressed the board meeting in his capacity as the chairman of the Preauthorized Contribution Program. In honor of its fortieth birthday, Scott lead us, in his best operatic voice, in singing happy birthday to the PAC Plan. Originally called the Bank Draft Pledge Program when it began in 1974, it has evolved, and now electronic transactions allow those who wish to make a monthly contribution to the National Federation of the Blind to do so using their debit card, credit card, or a traditional draft from their checking account. Coming into the convention members were contributing $433,415.52, and Scott asked us to join him in reaching the goal of raising that number to at least $470,000. At convention's end Scott and his hard-working volunteers would report that our members were able to raise the annualized amount given through this program from $433,415.52 to $473,741.52, with 230 people either joining the program or raising their monthly contribution. One of our Accessibility Champion sponsors for the convention was Vanda Pharmaceuticals, and Kate Holland, senior director of marketing, was introduced to the board to make some remarks. She explained the way in which the absence of light can disrupt the circadian rhythms that control when our body sleeps and is awake, how the company has been trying to increase the awareness of this disorder, and the drug they have created to address the problem. Ms. Holland says: "When speaking with people living with Non-24, they speak of the challenges they face every day. It's not because of their blindness; they've learned to live with their blindness, but it's the challenges of not getting a good night's sleep or not being able to stay awake during the day that create a whole new set of hurdles, which for many people have been a mystery without a name. By making people aware of Non-24 and its prevalence in people who are totally blind, our goal at Vanda has been to remove barriers and provide important information and education, not only for potential patients, but also for healthcare providers. In the spring of this year we launched a national television campaign. The campaign was created with the goals in mind of highlighting and changing the perceptions and stereotypes about blindness and raising awareness of Non-24. The awareness campaign didn't tell people what we, Vanda, think blindness and Non-24 look like. The people who appeared in the commercials were not actors but were blind individuals who have real life experiences, some with symptoms of Non-24 that have impacted their life. The commercial gave them and others struggling with Non-24 a voice." She concluded by quoting an article in which Eric Duffy, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, says that Non-24 is not a condition we should hide from, but one for which we should embrace a possible treatment. She concluded by saying, "I want to take this time to thank the Federation for its collaboration and help to educate us on blindness and accessibility. We continue to appreciate your feedback on activities that Vanda is working on and value the opinions of the Federation. As the NFB approaches your seventy-fifth year anniversary, we are happy to have been a partner for the last five years and are excited and look towards a future in which we enjoy many more years of collaboration in helping people who are blind live the life they want." For some time now the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has been looking for a way to make the identification of paper money easier for the blind. The senior advisor to the director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Don Haley, told the board about the contract with Orbit Research to distribute the iBill Talking Banknote Identifier to blind people in the United States. With the assistance of the Library of Congress, National Library Service, money identifiers were distributed at the convention. Starting in January, these will be made available to all eligible blind people who want them. The bureau has also developed an iPhone app, which is distributed without charge, that can also be used to identify paper money. It is also looking into the possibility of making money identifiable by touch, a process that may be implemented in 2020. [PHOTO CAPTION: Joanne Wilson] Joanne Wilson came to the stage to talk about our fundraising efforts with GreenDrop and our Vehicle Donation Program. She addressed the convention in this way: "Good morning. Literally, we want someone else to walk a mile in your shoes! Yes, we are asking for you and your neighbors to give us the shirt off your back. We are working with a group called GreenDrop, who collects gently used clothing and household goods and turns them into cash for the National Federation of the Blind so that we as blind people can live the life we want but without the clutter!" She thanked the eight states that have participated in this program, have generated badly needed funds for us, and have helped to unclutter the areas in which they live. The Vehicle Donation program is another way we can put cash into the treasury of the National Federation of the Blind by asking that people with used vehicles donate them to us. The donor benefits by making a donation to help the blind and is entitled to a tax deduction on their federal income taxes. So far forty-one states have gotten donations for the program, resulting in $77,000 in the treasury of the organization. This is both easy and profitable, and we will expand the program using Facebook and public service announcements. Even so we must remember that the most effective advertisement will come from our members spreading the word through distributing our fliers to local churches, theaters, and businesses in their area. [PHOTO CAPTION: Mike Rosen] E.A.S.Y Tactile Graphics is a company that manufactures products that allow blind people to "draw what you feel, feel what you draw." The Federation has been instrumental in providing vital encouragement, expertise, and funding in this effort because we know how critical it is that blind people be able to review and create tactile drawings. Mike Rosen is a professor, an engineer, and a cofounder of E.A.S.Y., and he came to deliver what he called "a short report to the board and a thank you note to all of you." Readers will remember an article written by Al Maneki, now president of E.A.S.Y. LLC, that appeared in the June 2012 issue of the Braille Monitor. In that article he discussed the origins of this company, the role of the National Federation of the Blind in assisting it, and the products the company has developed. Mr. Rosen concluded his remarks in this way: "If history is any guide, NFB will always be there as a voice that we can listen to for the needs and wants of the blind and low vision community; as a guide for our research and development; as a channel for marketing; as a connection to leaders in business, education, and advocacy; as a business partner for our company; and, ultimately, I hope, as a beneficiary of its growth. Finally, I want to add a personal note. On my next birthday I'll be seventy-one. I've been an academic grad all of my life. I've got a lot of published articles and presentations at meetings. I have half a dozen patents and am very proud of the theses of my graduate students. I've always worked in the area of assistive technology of one sort or another, but this will be the first time in my life as an engineer that something I was part of designing and building will show up in the lives of real people, and I thank you for that." Patti Chang, the chairman of our scholarship committee, came to the microphone to introduce the class of 2014. She told the assembled that, by her best calculations, we spend almost a quarter of a million dollars to find, recognize, and extend a hand to up and coming scholars and leaders throughout the country. A full report of this part of the proceedings will appear elsewhere in this issue. [PHOTO CAPTION: Monthian Buntan] Fredric Schroeder, the first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind, came to the microphone to introduce two international visitors. The first was Monthian Buntan, a blind man who, until the recent political unrest there, served as a senator in Thailand. In his remarks Mr. Buntan thanked the National Federation of the Blind for the encouragement he received, first in Minnesota back in the early 1990s, and later for the help in attending the convention held in 1993. He attended again in 2001 and brought three other blind people with him. This year at the convention he was accompanied by ten more people from Thailand. "We are here to congratulate the Federation on its great success, to congratulate Dr. Maurer for his twenty-eight years of service, and to encourage you to live the life you want and to give up on giving up." [PHOTO CAPTION: Kua Cheng Hock] Dr. Schroeder next introduced Kua Cheng Hock from Singapore. Following the convention he will go to the Louisiana Center for the Blind and participate in three weeks of training which he will then take back to Singapore and use what he has learned to build programs for the blind in that country. He talked about meeting Dr. Jernigan in their work in the World Blind Union, how he has valued the work that he and President Maurer have done together, and how he hopes to work to develop not only training based on the Federation model but to establish organizations of the blind in Asia through which people from this part of the world may speak for themselves as we do here in America. The Jacobus tenBroek Memorial Fund owns the magnificent facilities that we occupy in Baltimore, and Gary Mackenstadt addressed the board in his capacity as the chairman of the Jacobus tenBroek Memorial Fund Committee. He asked that all chapters and affiliates of the National Federation of the Blind help in raising the money necessary for maintaining our Jernigan Institute and said that we would be given a chance to make individual donations later in the convention. The last order of business for the morning was to recognize significant donations that have come from affiliates as a result of bequests they have received and shared with the national body. Julie Deden, the executive director of the Colorado Center for the Blind, and Scott LaBarre, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, presented a donation in the amount of $500,000. Jennifer Dunnam, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota, followed with a check in the amount of $220,000. Mary Ellen Gabias said, "Dr. Maurer and Federation family: Blindness has no borders, and neither should the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind. As your best friends forever from north of the forty-ninth parallel, I come from the Canadian Federation of the Blind. We are an organization firmly committed to changing things in Canada, including Canadian culture, government, and meeting challenges particular to our country. We are firmly committed to the philosophy, the structure, and the organization of the National Federation of the Blind. We are proud to give a donation of $500 as a token of respect, gratitude, and a commitment to working in the common cause of blind people everywhere." Mike Freeman, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington, said that the Washington affiliate had received a bequest in the amount of $19,810.52 and that it would soon be sending a check for 50 percent of that amount to the national treasury. After thanking everyone for their donations, President Maurer called for other business. There being none, the meeting of the board of directors was adjourned. The audience quickly emptied the room to grab a bit of lunch and then participate in one of the many activities held in the afternoon. One could learn about new accessible devices to manage diabetes in the meeting held by the Diabetes Action Network, attend the meeting of the National Association of Blind Lawyers, hang out with computer programmers and others fascinated or frustrated by these machines in the meeting of the NFB in Computer Science Division, or attend a session focused on empowerment sponsored by the Seniors Division. One could learn how to use social media to promote the programs and activities of the Federation; learn about "the anatomy of a piano," sponsored by the Piano Technology Group; attend an auto show sponsored by the NFB CARS Division; or learn about "sports and recreation activities" by attending the meeting of the Sports and Recreation Division. The National Association of Guide Dog Users held a seminar in the evening, as did the Community Services Group, the Science and Engineering Division, and the Assistive Technology Trainers Division. The webmasters for affiliates and divisions gathered to discuss the updating of their websites to reflect our new logo and our branding message. They also discussed the forthcoming update of the National Federation of the Blind's main website, When President Maurer brought the gavel down three times on Friday morning, the first general session of the 2014 Convention was in order. Reverend Sam Gleese, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Mississippi and the pastor of the Country Hill Baptist Church, offered the invocation. Dan Hicks was invited to introduce the first program item, that being an official welcome from the state of Florida. He said, "Fellow Federationists: Florida is known for a lot of things, some good, some not so good, and some wonderful. One of the things we produce in Florida is great music. We have Tom Petty from Gainesville, Matchbox Twenty from Orlando, Bertie Higgins from Tampa, KC and the Sunshine Band from Hialeah, the Miami Sound Machine-from Miami I do believe-and Jimmy Buffett, who hails from Key West. Now the problem we had was that there just wasn't room for six bands on this stage, and with it being the Fourth of July weekend, they probably had something else going on anyway. So we had to get one super band to cover the songs of all of these great acts, and, ladies and gentlemen, I want to introduce them to you today: Craig Singleton and the Big City Band!" As promised, the band delivered hits from all of the great talent from Florida that President Hicks had recognized, and their sound and enthusiasm set the tempo that would carry us through the rest of the morning. [PHOTO CAPTION: Veterans stood to be honored Friday morning at the beginning of the general session.] Conchita Hernandez was introduced to make an announcement about Spanish translation services and the availability of agendas in Spanish. America's veterans were then honored in a ceremony conducted by Dwight Sayer, the president of the National Association of Blind Veterans. President Sayer invited veterans to introduce themselves, and twenty-eight of them did so as they crossed the stage. He then introduced the color guard consisting of eight Federationists: Wayne Field, vice admiral, United States Naval Air; Corey Keith, private first class, United States Army; Roy Stenson, gunnery sergeant, United States Marine Corps; Kevin Treece, master sergeant, United States Air Force; Joseph Hobson, private first class, United States Army; James Mays, lieutenant, United States Navy; Robert Pierce, first lieutenant, United States Air Force; and Roy Murphy, corporal, United States Marine Corps. David Enzfelder of the Kings Pipers escorted the color guard into the auditorium, where we recited the Pledge of Allegiance and were treated to the singing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful" by Devin Leigh Sauer. While the veterans exited the stage, David Enzfelder played a medley of songs, one representing each of the armed services: Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard. There followed the roll call of states, which was begun by Joy Harris, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Alabama. Illness caused her to be absent last year, but she came to the microphone to thank the 2013 Convention for their shout out to her, which she had heard using the convention stream. She asked that we give a similar cheer and send our good wishes and prayers for the recovery of Miss Cindy Jones, Alabama's delegate last year. The convention did just that. Bob Kresmer, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona, announced that Arizona had fifty-seven first-time attendees at the convention, and he gave much of the credit for that number to Arizona Rehabilitation Services, Services for the Blind and Deaf. This agency's policy is that any new customer who wants to attend a convention of the National Federation of the Blind is supported in that goal. Shawn Callaway, president of the National Federation of the Blind of the District of Columbia, came to the microphone to announce that the affiliate would be celebrating its first BELL Program, but these weren't the only bells we would be hearing in the District. Alex Castillo and Conchita Hernandez are engaged to be married. Through its applause the convention sent its best wishes to the soon-to-be couple. Melissa Riccobono, who serves as the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, invited everyone to attend its convention which will be held November 15 and 16 and will officially kickoff the seventy-fifth anniversary celebration of the National Federation of the Blind. Carl Jacobsen, president of the National Federation of the Blind of New York, invited all affiliates to join in an effort to create NFBLIVE, an electronic forum that can be used to hold NFB meetings, group discussions, and even chapter and affiliate seminars. He believes that the potential for this technology to bring the message of the Federation to others is almost unlimited, and he expressed his willingness to talk with anyone involved in affiliate leadership who might be interested in joining to make this a reality. The president of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon, Carla McQuillan, announced that the affiliate would be celebrating its forty-fifth annual convention and that one of the founding members in Oregon was present. Sister Joyce Green was recognized with a round of applause. The National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina announced through its president, Parnell Diggs, that the affiliate would be celebrating its seventieth anniversary in August and that Mark Riccobono would be the national representative. President Fred Schroeder from the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia announced that our affiliate there will be doing three BELL Programs this year and encourages all affiliates to reach out and touch the lives of blind children in the dramatic way that this program can and does. At the conclusion of the roll call John Berggren, executive director for operations for the National Federation of the Blind, was invited to the podium to talk about the development and testing of the NFB app first mentioned at the Washington Seminar by President Maurer and available at the time of the convention in its pre-beta incarnation. The title of his presentation was "The National Federation of the Blind Mobile App: the Power of Technology Supporting Federationists." He began his remarks to the convention in this way: "Greetings fellow Federationists. More and more every day each of us is taking advantage of smartphones, little computers in the palms of our hands. We can do all kinds of cool things with smartphones: read our email, play music, call cabs, listen to NFB-NEWSLINE?- I've even seen a person make a phone call. This past February at the Washington Seminar, President Maurer announced that the National Federation of the Blind would develop a mobile app for smartphones to help us get information into the hands of people who need it." John explained that exactly what this application would do depended on what we told the developers we wanted. The list we got was a good one, and, though it had to be narrowed a bit, he thinks we have come up with the most requested and helpful features that you wanted to see. Everyone says they want more convenient access to information about the Federation, legislative announcements, upcoming events, a convenient way to get at our national publications, and a way to explore the rich history of our organization. We intend to do all of this in our app and to demonstrate that harnessing the power of technology and making it usable by the blind is not difficult or expensive. The short demonstration featured the app reading a list of announcements, upcoming events, current legislation, local and national resources (local resources being determined by where one is when activating this function), important speeches, presidential releases, and even convention streams. The app will also grant access to our national publications, and to demonstrate this, the app read the beginning of the July 2014 issue of the Braille Monitor. In addition to publications, the app will also allow easy reading of the numerous blogs we maintain. By the end of the summer we hope to have available what we're calling the NFB Time Machine, a feature that will allow one to enter a year and have available, at the tap of his or her finger, the major events that took place back then. Once version 1 is available, then we will turn our attention to version 2.0 and some of the features that didn't quite make it into our initial release. John concluded by saying, "We want to deliver information for everyone, to continue to harness the power of technology to support our members in their efforts to educate the public, and to grow the Federation." As he has done for many years now, President Maurer did an informal survey of the audience to determine the decade in which people attended their first national convention. We heard at least one person from the 1950s, a scattering of people from the 1960s, considerably more people from the 1970s, the 1980s, and the 1990s, but clearly the majority of those attending came in the first decade of the twenty-first century and beyond. The proposed constitutional amendment adopted by the board of directors and read the previous day during its meeting was again read, voted on, and passed. After drawing a door prize, which was won by Joy Harris of Alabama, the morning session was recessed. The afternoon started with the traditional but always surprising Presidential Report, one that continues to get better with every passing year. Though it was clearly the last year of his presidency, the report that President Maurer delivered focused on the present as, issue after issue, it told the story of the fight of the blind to be included and to stay competitive in education, employment, and in our communities. The Presidential Report appears in full elsewhere in this issue. After prolonged applause, the chanting of "NFB, NFB, NFB," and a round of the song "Glory Glory Federation," President Maurer was followed on the program by Robert Dizard, Jr., deputy librarian of Congress, who delivered remarks entitled "A Standard of Literacy for the Blind from the Library of Congress." He took this opportunity to announce that on this very day a report of the summit which was convened by the Library of Congress was being released. His remarks appear in full elsewhere in this issue. When Mr. Dizard concluded his presentation, President Maurer reiterated the role of the National Library Service both in getting reading material for blind citizens of the United States and in establishing an example for other countries to emulate. He said that he would like to ask a question of the librarian. From time to time, when the National Federation of the Blind has attempted to help the Library of Congress with budget issues, particularly those relating to the National Library Service, we have gotten the impression that the library would prefer that we leave them alone to handle their relations with Congress. It seems abundantly clear to us that we should and must be strong advocates for our programs and make certain that the Congress knows just how important library services for the blind are in our lives. Mr. Dizard agreed and said that our advocacy would always be welcomed. Access to information is absolutely essential for blind people who want to get an education, get a job, and enjoy much of the information available in today's society. Almost all of it is held in computer systems that can level the playing field or plow the soil and make the road leading to equality of opportunity more difficult to pass. With this in mind, here is how President Maurer introduced the next agenda item: "This program item is of dramatic importance, and it has a title which is a deliberate one: 'The Federation at Work with Google: Changing the Structure of Expectations,' and I think that is precise." The president went on to say of the next presenter that she is someone he has come to know who is direct in presentation, optimistic in speaking about what is possible, and realistic in speaking about the changes that must occur if the possible is to become the product. He said that his knowledge and use of technology are limited but that he has been assured by the Federation's technology team working with Google that the progress made over the last six months in addressing accessibility has been positively extraordinary. With those remarks, President Maurer introduced Eve Andersson, accessibility engineering and product manager-Core Team for Google. She began her address to the convention by saying, "Before coming here, I stopped over in Atlanta and was able to attend the opening ceremony for the National Association of the Deaf convention, and it took place at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. This is the church where Martin Luther King attended as a young child; this is the church where he preached as an adult. And, to be standing in that spot where that great man stood was really moving to me, and of course the reason it is so moving is that he preached equality for all, and this is something that I have believed in my whole life. And now to be able to work at Google, leading our accessibility and engineering efforts to further that goal of equality for all, is really important to me." These opening sentiments set the tone for her remarks, and they appear in full elsewhere in this issue. President Maurer introduced our next speaker with these words: "We have the pleasure of having a lawyer come to talk with us. Some lawyers are more fun than others; this one is fun." Of course, the lawyer he was introducing was our longtime colleague, friend, and member, Dan Goldstein. His presentation was entitled "Enforcing the Law of Inclusion: a Personal and Professional Journey," and, as the political enthusiasts from the South would say, his speech was a real barnburner. His thesis is that there can be no equality for the blind unless we have equal access to information, and what he said appears in full later in this issue. The Federation's work to improve employment opportunities represents a significant priority of the organization. This work begins with changing attitudes, increasing confidence, and ensuring that blind people have the skills that are required to get and hold jobs in the twenty-first century. But a part of this effort also demands that we work to ensure that the blind are treated fairly in the hiring process, and one of our partners in this work is the federal government through the Department of Labor and its Office of Federal Contract Compliance. To talk about the work of this office and the notion that a good day's work deserves a good day's pay, Patricia Shiu, director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs for the United States Department of Labor, addressed the convention in remarks entitled "Improving Disability Employment: A Pathway to Success for Employers and Workers." Her message was about economic independence and freedom: freedom from artificial barriers that impede our ability to live and work, freedom from prejudice and discrimination that diminish us as people, and freedom to pursue happiness on our own terms. She also came to talk about the president's executive order issued on March 24, 2014, a new rule calling on companies with government contracts to achieve a 7 percent employment goal for qualified workers with disabilities in every job category and across the workforce. Her remarks were moving, passionate, and inspiring. They will appear in an upcoming issue. At the conclusion of Ms. Shiu's presentation, President Maurer said: "When the rule came out, Fortune Magazine had an article which said that the government is requiring us to hire persons with disabilities, and this will hurt business. And I thought-how do you know? You've never tried it! Why don't you give it a try? Maybe it will help business. Maybe you will find people who have some commitment to employment in a way that's never happened because they've never been given equal opportunity. I'm glad that you are with us, helping to promote equal opportunity, and we'll join with you in this effort to spread the word. Thank you so much for being with us." A much loved and longtime leader of the National Federation of the Blind of New Mexico, Arthur Schreiber, came to the platform to speak on the topic "Fifty Years Later: Traveling with the Beatles on Their First Cross- Country Tour of America." He told the convention that at 7:00 PM that evening he would be talking about his travels with the most popular musical act of the 60s, the Fab Four, what it was like to play Monopoly with John and George, and why he had long since abandoned the game of poker. Art also has a book for sale, and more about it and his presentation will appear later in the fall. Ten years ago the National Federation of the Blind opened the Jernigan Institute. Opening the doors of this facility marked the beginning of delivering on promises: a promise to expand the work of the National Federation of the Blind, to do research on blindness that had never been done before, and to devise new educational strategies to take advantage of the technology of the twenty-first century. Mark Riccobono, the executive director of the Jernigan Institute, came to the podium to talk not only about the progress of the Institute but about the changes in his life that have come from being a part of it. What he offered as the last item on Friday afternoon was both an address to the convention and a report to the man in whose name the Institute is dedicated. What he said appears elsewhere in this issue. At the conclusion of Executive Director Riccobono's speech, President Maurer addressed the convention and said: "I've been on the platform many times, and I've had to face challenges many times-some of them from the platform-and I admit that this is not an easy one. I told Mark Riccobono that, 'You've got to put your heart in it,'-and this is the heart that I meant for you to know." At the close of the general session members appointed to the nominating committee took up the task of recommending officers and board members for the coming term. The Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research Advisory Committee held an informational meeting for people interested in participating to learn more about the Journal-its purpose, goals, and values. The United Blind Industrial Workers of America held a wide-ranging discussion on improving working conditions and wages for all blind workers and developing strategies to ensure that all disabled workers are paid at least the minimum wage. The Colorado Center for the Blind held an open house, the Spirit of 75 Committee talked about the work it will do from September 2 through November 16, and the exhibit hall was open for an evening session that ran from 7:00 PM to 9 PM. Promptly at 9:00 AM on Saturday morning, the convention was gaveled to order, and the invocation was presented by the pastor of the Chapel at Littleton Pentecostal Church, Tom Anderson. The convention then turned its attention to reviewing the finances of the Federation. The organization has a substantial treasury, and it was appropriate to review the procedures and safeguards used in the handling and disbursement of funds. President Maurer then reviewed the financial report, noting that expenses are now in line with income, and we hope that expanding our efforts in the area of fundraising will let us similarly expand our program services. Currently, we have a substantial investment in KNFB Reading Technologies. Building the world's first reading machine that could fit in a shirt pocket, developing software that could be used for the mass distribution of books that are pleasing to the eye and completely accessible to the blind, and bringing the ability to read print using the Apple iPhone are all worthy uses of our time, talent, and financial resources, but investments of the kind we have made are speculative and come with risk. The company we have created has considerable intellectual assets, but it is currently too early to know whether or not we will get back the money we have put into it and whether we can manage to make a profit in its eventual sale. The risk we have willingly undertaken is the same one that every new entrepreneur takes, but President Maurer thought it was important that we acknowledge our investment and its potential to affect our financial position in the coming year. After accepting donations for the general treasury, the tenBroek Fund, the SUN Fund, the Jernigan Fund, and the Imagination Fund, President Maurer concluded the financial program item by saying: "It does seem to me that our financial position, though not assured, is in good shape and in better shape than some of us had worried it might be. I think we have demonstrated that we can raise money, and I think that we can fund the programs that need our support. I appreciate all of your help in doing that, and I think that this has been a solid year for us; it has been because we have worked together to make it that way." Fred Schroeder came to the microphone to present the report of the nominating committee. For the position of president of the National Federation of the Blind, the nominating committee recommended Mark Riccobono. Fred Schroeder was nominated to be the first vice president, Ronald Brown to serve as second vice president, James Gashel to serve as secretary, and Pam Allen to serve as treasurer. For the six board positions needing to be filled the committee nominated Amy Buresh; Patti Chang; James Brown, president of the NFB of Tennessee; John Fritz; Carl Jacobsen; and Alpidio Rol?n. The report was adopted by the convention, and the elections were held. The convention unanimously elected Mark Riccobono to be the next president of the National Federation of the Blind, and here is what he said in accepting the office: My Federation family, it is a high honor and humbling responsibility to accept your trust in me to serve as president of our organization. The presidency of the Federation demands commitment; sacrifice; strength; energy; imagination; insight; and, above all, love; and I pledge to give each of those fully. We expect our president to be our chief representative, our active builder, our firm negotiator, our savvy investor, our visionary collaborator, our thoughtful teacher, and our caring friend; and it is daunting to contemplate what learning lies ahead in order to meet each of those responsibilities. I am comforted by the reality that the members of the Federation have always been wise teachers in my life-whether it was during the time that I was first learning Braille, the time that I was a young and relatively inexperienced affiliate president, the time I spent improving services for blind children in Wisconsin, the time that I was learning to manage life as a blind father, or during my entire time as executive director of our Jernigan Institute. Nearly twenty years ago I was lost, filled with uncertainty, constantly questioning my next step, and fearful about my future. That was before I met the National Federation of the Blind. I came to our national convention in California, and my life was changed forever. I made a commitment to myself that I would give back to this organization all that it has contributed to my life and more. Yet, the more I contribute to our organization, the more I am humbled by the way the Federation family continues to enrich my life and the lives of those I love. My first expression of commitment to the Federation was to write a letter to Marc Maurer shortly after my first convention. Imagine my surprise when he actually wrote back to me. He accepted my enthusiastic expression of interest in building the Federation, he offered to help me learn, he challenged me to teach others, and he invited me to contribute my own ideas to the movement. I have tried to keep faith with that original commitment and Dr. Maurer's response. In the beginning what we shared was the faith in one another that is common among all of us in the Federation. To meet that commitment, I have done my best to rise to meet every new challenge that Dr. Maurer and our Federation have presented to me. Over time my work to build the Federation has expanded that faith into trust, love, and a shared set of experiences which bind me to this movement in a way that only active members of the Federation can understand. With your trust I now have the challenge of building on our achievements under Dr. Maurer's presidency. I am grateful that he continues to have the strength, health, energy, and wisdom to help me meet that challenge. I cherish the opportunity to continue working closely with Dr. Maurer in the years to come, as I continue that commitment I first made eighteen years ago. Just as I will require his help as I learn about the presidency, so will I require yours. In this moment the only way that I know to appropriately thank Dr. Maurer, Mrs. Maurer, and the thousands of other members of the Federation who have built this foundation we stand on and who have given of themselves to make our lives better is to build our Federation with the same love and determination that they have demonstrated. With my pledge of commitment I invite each of you to express your gratitude to Dr. Maurer by being an active contributor to the next great phase of our movement and by answering the call to help me fulfill the promise we make to each other: together with love, hope, and determination we will transform dreams into reality. Each of those who were elected to the board in turn accepted with a brief speech. Fred Schroeder said that one of his major goals in serving was to bring the Federation to more people so that it could do for them what it has done for him. Ron Brown acknowledged the leadership of President Maurer when he was the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Indiana and helped Ron deal with the onset of blindness after a gunshot wound took his sight. James Gashel accepted the office of secretary with these remarks: As I rise to take the floor to accept this position once again, I am filled with the sense that we are writing history here today. So, if you don't mind, may I have just a moment for reflection? I first joined the National Federation of the Blind in 1965 and attended our convention in Washington, DC. That was the twenty-fifth anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind. I have missed one convention since then, so this is my forty-ninth convention, and next year will be number fifty. I was present when Dr. tenBroek passed the torch to Dr. Jernigan. I am fortunate to be one of the few in the room who met Dr. tenBroek-I having been the president of the Student Division at that time. I was present when Dr. Jernigan passed the torch to Dr. Maurer, and what a great thing that has been. And now I am present again when Dr. Maurer passes the torch to Mark Riccobono, and what a great thing that will be. And when, thirty years from now, Mark Riccobono passes the torch to somebody who is now in the kids camp [laughter]-no, no, he is, or she is [cheers once again], what a great thing that will be. I've learned a lot of things during all of those years, but one thing I know for sure: as Mark Riccobono accepts the mantle of leadership and the challenge to lead this organization into the future, we accept a special responsibility. He will lead, but he will also stand on our shoulders. Some of us are part of the outgoing generation, but I would say to our president-elect that we're not going away! We will be here, and we will help you, and together we will all succeed. Pam Allen was elected treasurer, and in accepting the office she quoted Steve Jobs, who said, "Here's to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes, the ones who see things differently: they are not fond of rules. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you cannot do is ignore them, because they change things, they push the human race forward; and, while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world are the ones who do." She concluded by saying: "To dream what is possible and to put oneself into service of that dream is the formula for a life well lived." Those nominated by the committee to fill the remaining six board positions were elected, each of them demonstrating through their heartfelt remarks both their understanding of what it means to be blind and the challenges that face us on our march toward first-class citizenship. Three of the six members concluded their acceptance remarks in song. The election and all of the convention can be heard by going to . At the conclusion of the election President Maurer congratulated the new board, noted that he had been a member of it for twenty-eight years, and pledged that, though his role would be different, he would continue to be active and would bring to this work the kind of spirit and excitement that have characterized his long service in the Federation. "I admit that I have had a restless spirit, that I have done a good bit of roaming, and that I have done it with you. With this newly elected board, as long as health and strength remain, I will be with you; and I will be part of the element that brings excitement, imagination, and joy to what we do. I couldn't imagine it being any other way, and I couldn't imagine you having it any other way. I appreciate you for what you are and what you have caused me to be. Thank you so very much." [prolonged applause] [PHOTO CAPTION: Chris Benninger] "Guide Dogs for the Blind: Striving for Excellence" was the next topic on the agenda, and it was presented by George Kerscher, chairman of the board of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Last year when he spoke on the convention floor, he said that he wanted to ensure that Guide Dogs for the Blind would be around forever and to make sure that, if a blind person wants a guide dog, he or she will be able to come to a great organization that provides the most wonderful dogs in the world. Part of his work has been to find a new chief executive officer for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and he introduced Chris Benninger, CEO and president. She has only been on the job for three months, so she says she is still getting her feet wet and often tells people that she feels like she is drinking from a fire hose. She told the convention about a number of significant changes at the school and attributed them to the input the institution has gotten from its customers. Training courses have been reduced from four weeks to two; the instructor-to-client ratio has been reduced from four to two; and the average wait time to speak with a representative when calling the school has been reduced from forty-eight hours to three minutes. Guide Dogs for the Blind is the only school that provides financial coverage for veterinary care throughout the life of the guide dogs it places. The emphasis in the following year will be on partnerships: partnerships with the makers of technology that assists blind people in travel, partnerships with other orientation and mobility providers, and partnerships internationally to support the expansion of guide dog services. Guide Dogs for the Blind has an initiative to hire more blind people on their campuses in California and Oregon, and in the past year they have started an internship for blind college students. She concluded her remarks by saying, "We are constantly striving to be the best guide school available, but we can only do this with your feedback and help. I hope that those who don't really know us will get to know us and learn more, and, for those who do know us, that you will continue to stay in touch and involved, because we value your feedback and your input. Thank you very much." During the lunch break a number of committees met to conduct Federation business, one of them being the Cash and Caring Committee. At this event members shared their fundraising successes and made suggestions for other activities that are likely to enhance our treasury. This committee fervently believes that many of our Federation events can be used to generate funds if we consider this possibility when we create and execute them. The message is one from which we can benefit tremendously, though it represents a significant change in how we think about many of our activities-chapter meetings, state conventions, division meetings, seminars, and other events we hold. The afternoon session began with a presentation entitled "Blind Workers Deserve Fair Wages, Too," and the man to speak on this topic was Platt Allen, III, president and chief executive officer, Lighthouse for the Blind, Fort Worth, Texas. He talked about the relationship between fulfillment and work, work and pay, and the way that a good job can improve the quality of life for blind people. In word and deed he demonstrates his belief in the capacity of blind people, and his remarks will appear in full in a future issue. At the conclusion of this presentation President Maurer said: "If you pay people as though you don't really care about them, they will behave as if you don't really care about them; if you pay them so that they know you care about them, they'll give you a kind of work product that comes from people who know you really care about them. That's why this thing works. I appreciate you telling us that it works for you." [PHOTO CAPTION: Janet LaBreck] Janet LaBreck is the commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the federal partner in the state/federal rehabilitation program that provides vocational and other rehabilitation services to help blind people achieve self-sufficiency. She came to speak to the convention on the topic "The Promise of Rehabilitation: Offering Hope, Building Opportunity." In his introductory remarks President Maurer noted that in some places in this country rehabilitation is not loved, this despite its potential to make dramatic changes in the lives of people it is charged to serve. Far too often the way the Rehabilitation Act is implemented in the states is far more restrictive than envisioned by those who wrote it and more confining than those who administer it at the federal level know it should be. Rehabilitating blind people can be a very expensive undertaking, but, when the rehabilitation program is good, when it changes the mindset of the blind recipient from victim to victor, and when it imparts the skills and the attitudes that lead to bringing home a paycheck, what is paid back in taxes far exceeds the amount spent on the person who is blind. President Maurer said that Janet LaBreck comes with the talent and the spirit to lead this transformative program, and he invited her to share with the audience a bit of her spirit and enthusiasm as a blind person, former client of the rehabilitation system, and now its chief administrator. Ms. LaBreck thanked President Maurer for his introduction and for his work and leadership in building and strengthening rehabilitation throughout his tenure as the President of the National Federation of the Blind. She said that the success of the program would require that blind people not only be the recipients of service but have a major say in how that service would be provided. Without the involvement of the blind, the rehabilitation program would be far different, far less dynamic, and far less successful in Congress than it has been. Her agency is working with the vice president's office to evaluate how job training occurs in this country, what the chronically unemployed need, and what are the education and skill levels necessary to land a job in today's environment. For the first time people with disabilities have been an integral part of this process. The legislation known as the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act that is now being considered by the Congress creates opportunities we have never seen before by forging relationships between education, business, and industry to figure out how better to train people for the available jobs that exist in this country. She said that, from this point forward, every grant that the Rehabilitation Services Administration administers will be geared toward increasing employment outcomes and will involve people at the local level. She concluded by thanking us for our unceasing work and pledged to continue to regard us as one of RSA's most important resources and champions. President Maurer said, "For the last little while the Rehabilitation Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act have been under review. In the course of all of that negotiation and argument, there was a proposal to move rehabilitation to the Department of Labor. We oppose that, and that opposition has been successful. The rehabilitation program will not be moved to the Department of Labor and will remain in the Department of Education. In the process of discussion, however, Senator Alexander said that the rehabilitation program has always been a poor, left out, unfavored child in the Department of Education. The promise of rehabilitation is so great that we should not permit this to continue. We should know that the rehabilitation service that is offered is of such value and is so important and it does provide so much promise that it is highly regarded and a huge benefit to blind people the country over. But, if it is going to be that, it has to have participation of the people who are affected as part of it. It has to have a mechanism for the members of the community to join in and make it the kind of program that it needs to be. I am glad you are the Commissioner; I know that you have the right spirit, but I want you to find a way to get that spirit in the state agencies throughout the country so that we care about rehabilitation." "Working to Advance Equal Rights and Protections for People with Disabilities in the Workforce of Today, Tomorrow, and the Future" was presented by the deputy director of the Wage and Hour Division of the United States Department of Labor, Laura Fortman. She said that, when she first met John Par? and other members of our staff to discuss fair wages for persons with disabilities, she was reminded of a quote by William Faulkner in which he said, "Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion and against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth." She said that one of the provisions of the Workforce Investment Opportunity Act will require a re-examination of the effectiveness of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The legislation also creates an advisory committee charged with figuring out how to increase competitive, integrated employment for people with disabilities. Ms. Fortman's remarks will appear in this magazine later in the fall. John Par? and his team from the Advocacy and Policy Department came to the stage. The department is responsible for NFB-NEWSLINE?, public relations, and governmental affairs. The report given by John Par?, Rose Sloan, Lauren McLarney, and Jesse Hartle will be summarized in a future issue and is available in its entirety by going to . The last agenda item of the afternoon was reading and voting on resolutions, and a full report of the committee's activities and the resolutions passed can be found elsewhere in this issue. With the adjournment of Saturday afternoon's session, members visited the hospitality suite of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to pick up an iBill Banknote identifier and to learn about other activities to make money identifiable by touch; took a final trip to the exhibit hall; or exercised their brains by going to Trivia Night, sponsored by the Community Service Group. A session entitled "Social Security and SSI: What You Should Know" was presented by Jim McCarthy, and a seminar on Braille proofreading was sponsored by the National Association of Blind Office Professionals Division. The Fourteenth Annual Showcase of Talent was conducted by the Performing Arts Division, and there was a Salsa Night sponsored by the Spanish Translation Committee. [PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Parker rides his three-wheel motorcycle to the edge of the stage.] The Sunday morning session began with an invocation by David Stayer, a former president of the National Federation of the Blind of New York and a member of the Young Israel synagogue. Dan Parker then made a most unusual entrance by riding his three-wheel motorcycle to the edge of the stage. His presentation was entitled "The Blind at Speed," and in it he related what he called "the story of my life in two parts: before blindness and after blindness." When an accident caused his loss of sight, Dan had to decide whether blindness would forever alter his life and the pursuit of his interest in automobiles and racing or whether he could channel his enthusiasm, expertise, and creativity and find a new way to pursue his life's work. With the help of the Federation, he figured out a way to design, build, and ride a motorcycle, and what he said to the convention will appear later in the fall. "Game-Changing Technology from an Innovator" was next presented by David Bradburn, president of Baum USA. The VarioUltra is the newest offering from this company, both a basic Braille notetaker and a twenty- or forty-cell Braille display. What sets it apart from its competition is that the VarioUltra can be connected simultaneously to up to five devices, meaning that it can be used for connecting to one's personal computer, smartphone, music player, or any other combination of devices that use a Bluetooth interface. The ability to connect to many devices simultaneously makes this Braille display very attractive for those of us who have several pieces of technology whose output we would like to see in Braille. The unit will be available for purchase by the end of July 2014. [PHOTO CAPTION: Lucy France] President Maurer next introduced Lucy France, Esq., legal counsel for the University of Montana, who addressed the convention on the topic "A Plan to Create Total Accessibility on Campus." The university she represents received a letter in June 2010 jointly written by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Department of Education. That letter addressed the subject of electronic book readers and put universities on notice that they should avoid the use of any of these devices that were inaccessible to people who are blind or have low vision. A year later the Office for Civil Rights followed up with a frequently asked questions document, clarifying that universities should not use electronic information technology that is not usable by the blind. These general admonitions were soon followed by a complaint through the Office for Civil Rights and another brought by the National Federation of the Blind alleging that the university was violating the law by using inaccessible learning management systems, documents scanned to websites, uncaptioned videos, library database materials, and classroom clickers. This got the attention of the university's legal counsel, but what she found was that the National Federation of the Blind practices what she calls "intelligent advocacy." The Federation, which the university initially viewed as its opponent, came with offers of assistance in developing a remediation plan that would help the university comply with the letter and the spirit of the law. The agreement reached by the University of Montana and the National Federation of the Blind is contained in a comprehensive resolution, and some of its key points are that the University has a commitment to purchase technology usable by all, that it will develop procurement procedures to ensure that what it buys is accessible, and that faculty and staff will receive training in the way they can make the classroom and the programs offered by the University accessible. While the process of achieving these goals is not easy, it is gratifying to know that there was little pushback from the faculty, staff, and administration of the institution. They want to do the right thing, and the job that the Federation has successfully undertaken is to make them aware of the problem, give them solutions for solving it, and be of assistance in monitoring their progress and continuing to make suggestions that improve the quality of the education blind people receive there. President Maurer noted that all too often our attempts to talk with universities have been greeted with the question, "Why are you bothering us?" But the reaction of the University of Montana has been so warm and open that it has not only led to greater opportunity there but also extended to other campuses and universities who are coming to realize that providing accessible education is both possible and rewarding. [PHOTO CAPTION: Rob Sinclair] "Accessibility on Computers and Mobile Devices" was the next agenda item, presented by Rob Sinclair, chief accessibility officer for the Microsoft Corporation. He said that Microsoft's goal is to create technology that is people centric, meaning that the technology should adapt to the needs of the people rather than the people adapting to the capabilities of the technology. He said that accessibility really is an incubator of new innovation for modern experiences and that it will create opportunities not only for the blind and the disabled but for all of Microsoft's customers who will want options in communicating with and getting information back from the devices they use. The recent partnership between Microsoft and GW Micro to provide Window-Eyes without charge to those who already own a version of Microsoft Office represents Microsoft's attempt to recognize the value of having a third-party screen reader. At the same time significant improvements have been made to Microsoft's own screen-reading solution, Narrator, and these are found in Windows 8.1. In its annual Internal Ability Summit, seven hundred of Microsoft's employees recently learned how to write computer code with accessibility in mind, and Microsoft, along with the National Federation of the Blind and twenty-eight other organizations, has formed the International Association of Accessibility Professionals to encourage the writing of accessible computer programs worldwide. Mr. Sinclair concluded his presentation by demonstrating the accessibility features found in Microsoft's new mobile phone, which is expected to be released by the end of the summer. He reminded the audience that the company has created a disability answer desk that will address problems and concerns by those who use assistive technology and concluded by underscoring the commitment of the company to full access for everyone by noting that the first national Super Bowl commercial ever sponsored by Microsoft focused on the power of accessibility. [PHOTO CAPTION: Michael Curran] "Free Global Access for the Blind to the Computer" was next introduced by President Maurer, and presenting on the topic was Michael Curran, developer of the Nonvisual Desktop Access (NVDA) software and one of the founders of the company NV Access based in Queensland, Australia. NVDA has been created with the goal of providing a screen reader for anybody who needs one and meeting the need that exists in many developing nations for a screen reader in the language they use. Not only does this software meet needs in places where previously no screen reader was available, but the open source model used in its creation also makes available the techniques used to extract and present information to a wider audience of developers. Mr. Curran thanked the National Federation of the Blind for its help in financing this effort. His remarks will be reprinted later in the fall. Any blind person who subscribes to cable or satellite television knows that the set-top boxes that are used to control what is watched have features that are impossible to use independently. Most services allow a customer to record what is being watched, record one program and watch a different one, set up a schedule for watching shows that one wishes to watch later, watch recently aired programs, and enjoy a variety of movies and documentaries on demand. All of these services depend on being able to read the on-screen menus, and to speak on this subject the convention welcomed to the podium Tom Wlodkowski, vice president of accessibility at Comcast. This company has been working with the Federation for the last several years to bring accessibility to the services they offer, and the convention reacted with enthusiasm when a demonstration of the set-top box allowed a blind person to move between program offerings, read the description of the programs, and select one. Of course the set-top box will soon be important for more than entertainment. It can be used in operating a home security system, for setting the temperature in one's home, and even for managing one's inventory of food and other products. Many of these home-management activities may also be conducted using a smartphone, and Comcast will ensure that the necessary apps are accessible. This presentation can be heard in its entirety at . Eve L. Hill is the deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights in the United States Department of Justice. She has spoken with us many times in several capacities, and her remarks are always inspiring, thought- provoking, and courageous. She came to the podium to speak on the topic "Minimum Wage Guarantees for Disabled Workers-A Report from the Department of Justice." The evolution of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the legislation that has followed, the changes in societal expectations, and the president's executive order provided the substance of this presentation, and a condensed version will appear in an upcoming issue. "Architecture: A Profession for the Blind" offered a new take on an occupation often considered one requiring vision. The presenter was Christopher Downey, principal, Architecture for the Blind of Piermont, California. Although the use of vision is quite significant for those who have it, Chris Downey has come to understand that the creativity required to be a successful architect resides in the mind and not in the eye; it is intellectual, not visual. Understanding and creating drawings and communicating with others can be done using tactile methods in lieu of visual ones; the difference is in the tools used to accomplish the task. A printer that can emboss on paper sixteen inches wide allows Downey to view drawings made by others by receiving a normal PDF file, sending it to his embosser, and then reading it through touch. He observed that an architect looking at a drawing visually will first see an object in its entirety and must then work his way down to examine various levels of detail. A person reading that same drawing by touch first perceives detail and must then construct the elements he observes and put them together to create the whole. Downey says that this is an interesting change in perspective, and, although it took him some time to learn to create the whole from its parts, the beauty of this process is that he is inside the drawing and becomes a part of it instead of being separate and apart, the outsider looking in. Of course the work of an architect requires more than reading and drawing. He must be able to make a drawing, and it is at this point in his story that the National Federation of the Blind has been particularly helpful to him. In 2009 he was asked to attend NFB Youth Slam as a mentor. He was a tremendous source of inspiration and information to the students, but in the bargain he learned how to draw. The young participants introduced him to wiki sticks and demonstrated how they could be used to make tactile shapes. The more Downey thought about this, the more he came to believe that he could place these atop paper drawings he wanted to read and enhance and could then make alterations by bending and shaping the sticks. His drawings could then be photographed, discussed with colleagues, shared with clients, and used in major presentations. So the man who uses advanced technology to read the drawings of others discovered that the simple technology found in a child's toy would be the key to creating them. The man who, during 2008, lost his sight and nearly lost his business, is now busy with several major projects, one of them being in the construction of a $2 billion building. He demonstrates that with intelligence, creativity, and a network of motivated friends, colleagues, and Federationists, no problem is unsolvable. [PHOTO CAPTION: Arnt Holte] The National Federation of the Blind has long been interested in sharing with the world what we have learned about blindness and the power of self-organization in improving the lives of the blind. For this reason we were active in the creation of the International Federation of the Blind and have long been involved in its successor organization, the World Blind Union. "The Federation Spirit in the World" was the title of the next presentation, by Arnt Holte, president of the World Blind Union. He began by thanking the president of the National Federation of the Blind for inviting him and said that it was a real pleasure to be in the company of the first vice president of the World Blind Union, Fredric Schroeder. He observed that, as he listened to the report from the Department of Justice, he found himself wishing that Eve Hill worked in the Department of Justice in Norway. Like all presidents who are in charge of putting together and presiding over successful conventions, President Holte was concerned about the arrangements for the 2016 meeting of the General Assembly of the World Blind Union, but, in looking at the bids from countries wanting to host the event, he was gratified to see that the National Federation of the Blind was one of the organizations. He knows that we know how to put on a first- rate convention and is excited that the 2016 General Assembly will be held in the United States and be sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind. President Holte said that the World Blind Union covers about 285 million people worldwide, and the problems they face are significant. Sometimes solving them requires moving mountains, and, though this is a most difficult task, with the right organization and the right spirit, mountains can be moved. He thanked President Maurer for his many years of leadership in the Federation, and he has every hope that Dr. Maurer will continue to be active through the World Blind Union in helping to address the problems that challenge the blind of the world. President Holte concluded by saying "You have inspired a lot of people, and in traveling around the world I talk to people who tell me that they have been to one convention that has changed their work and their lives, and it is yours, the convention of the National Federation of the Blind." President Maurer closed the Sunday morning session, and in the two- hour lunch break Federationists were able to grab a quick sandwich and could attend the Amateur Radio Division business meeting, observe as the winning tickets were drawn for the numerous raffles held during the convention, attend a question-and-answer session offered by the National Library Service, or simply relax in preparation for the afternoon session, the banquet, and the parties that would most assuredly follow. [PHOTO CAPTION: David W. Jolly] When the afternoon session was gaveled to order, the first presentation was entitled "Working with the Blind to Build a World of Opportunity: a Voice in Congress," given by the Honorable David W. Jolly, United States House of Representatives, representing the thirteenth congressional district in Florida. Representative Jolly is a cosponsor of the Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education Act, HR 3505. The Congressman expressed his appreciation for being able to address the convention and said: "At some point each and every member of Congress and every elected official has run against what we see as the dysfunction in Washington or the dysfunction of Congress or at times the dysfunction of the administration. But once elected we do not have the opportunity to resign ourselves to that dysfunction; we have a responsibility to govern, and that is what we should expect of every member of Congress. [Applause] The issues we face as a nation are important, and they are important because the issues we face impact lives, and you know that. You know the advancements that have been made in public policy, budget issues, advancements in technology and research, workplace regulations, and society in general. But you know there is much more to do ... We are not too far from where we were ten, twenty, or thirty years ago; even with all of the advances that have been made, we have many more advances yet to come, and that is why an organization like this and the voice of advocacy is so important. So what do we do? We demand action.... We embrace the radical notion that the Teach Act should already be enacted and that we shouldn't have to fight for it in 2014. We embrace legislation regarding wages in the workplace; we embrace legislation like the space available legislation that you're fighting for right now. We do that because advocacy matters." Congressman Jolly's remarks can be heard in their entirety at . The National Federation of the Blind is now in its seventy-fourth year, and this means that very soon it will have been working on behalf of the blind for three quarters of a century. Seventy-five years is a significant amount of time in the life of an organization, and it is right and fitting that we celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of our organization with seventy-five days of action focusing on building and strengthening the Federation. To speak on this topic, President Maurer invited a co-chairman of the Seventy-five Days of Action Committee, Kevan Worley, to speak on the topic. As noted earlier, Jeannie Massay, the other co-chairman of this committee, was unable to attend the convention, so Chairman Worley was charged with the task of incorporating her remarks into his presentation. The Seventy-five Days of Action Committee will undertake two major activities: one will be to strengthen existing chapters, and the other will be to create seventy-five new ones. It is an understatement to say that this is a challenge, but it is one that all of us who believe in the work of the National Federation of the Blind gladly embrace. One of the ways the Federation will reach out to blind and sighted people is through creating videos that can be posted on the Internet and elsewhere, and in his presentation Kevan played a video that has been created as a result of the work of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas and the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado. Both moving and impressive, it can be found at . To share the love and hope that are found in this organization and to strengthen it so that it is better able to do its work, all of us who want to play a vital part should send a message to <75days at nfb.org> and invest our energy, strength, and creativity in building our Federation. President Maurer introduced the next presentation with these words: "Now we come to the item on the program called 'The KNFB Reader'; it is the fastest, the most portable, and the least-expensive reading machine ever, and it fits in your pocket; we have had it before, but now it is new again. To present this item we have the vice president for business development of the K-NFB Reading Technology company, who is also the secretary of the National Federation of the Blind.... Here is Jim Gashel." With that introduction Mr. Gashel told the assembled that the KNFB Reader has been moved to the Apple iPhone; it is accurate, fast, easy to use, and affordable. In a demonstration the iPhone read a portion of the convention agenda, a banquet speech, and a PowerPoint presentation from a picture that was taken twenty-five feet from the screen. The KNFB Reader is now being beta tested, will be in the iTunes Store no later than the end of August, and will be available for the incredibly low price of $99. Again the ability to read print is as close as the pocket or the purse, and the question about the information that appears on the smooth surface of a paper or the sign is suddenly a mystery no more. Each year Raymond Kurzweil takes time out of his busy schedule to attend and address the convention of the National Federation of the Blind. This year he focused on his work as the director of engineering for Google, the emphasis he has placed on helping it make its technology accessible, and how the work he is doing to understand and emulate the workings of the human mind using the power of computers will revolutionize the lives of blind and sighted people alike. He believes that we will continue to rely on biology to do what it does best but that we will come to incorporate silicon to do those tasks such as memory and computation that are more slowly performed by our biological brains. Mr. Kurzweil's intriguing remarks can be heard in their entirety at . Final registration figures were presented by President Maurer, and 2,251 people registered for the 2014 Convention. The accommodations at the Rosen Centre were outstanding, and the staff couldn't have been more helpful, greeting us as old friends, and, as the end of the convention neared, many saying that they would look forward to seeing us next year. The person next called to the stage was James Gashel, chairman of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee. Four awards were presented totaling $50,000. A report of this presentation is covered in full elsewhere in this issue. The final program item of the afternoon, entitled "Reflecting the Flame: Twenty-Eight Years Building Our Movement," was introduced by the first vice president of the National Federation of the Blind, Dr. Fredric K. Schroeder, research professor, San Diego State University. Here is what Dr. Schroeder said: I was first elected to the national board in 1986. For all of these years I have been privileged and honored to work with Dr. Maurer. This afternoon we gather together to thank Dr. Maurer for twenty-eight years of leadership, twenty-eight years guiding and coordinating our work. Leadership is not easy; it comes with responsibility and consequence. Throughout our history our leaders have asked us to sacrifice, but never without reason and never without a profound awareness of the cost. And, while our leaders have asked much of us, we in turn have asked much of them. We ask them to assume the inviolable trust of leading our collective action judiciously and wisely, boldly and with resolve, and, when circumstances require it, with patience and restraint. Dr. Maurer has been our president for the past twenty-eight years. He has served with distinction and courage. In a few moments we will be showing a video memorializing Dr. Maurer's presidency. But of course his struggles have been our struggles, and his successes have been our successes. Before turning to the video, if you will permit me, I wish to offer a brief personal reflection. One of Dr. Maurer's most engaging qualities is his love of language. He is fascinated by words and their origins, and, most of all, he loves obscure, little known words. For example it was he who introduced me to the word "defenestration," which is execution by throwing a person out a window--not a word that comes up very often, but an interesting word, nevertheless. On a lighter note, there is the word "infracaninophile." Now the legitimacy of the word infracaninophile is disputed, but I believe it is worthy of acceptance since it is reported to mean the supporter of the underdog-a word that well describes our Federation. And there are other words: "cenosillicaphobia": the fear of an empty glass, and, in the same vein, "labeorphilist," meaning a beer bottle collector. But let us not forget the word "omphaloskepsis." For those of you less learned, "omphaloskepsis" is the contemplation of one's navel. It struck me as quite a deep, philosophical word, and I was a bit intimidated; then Dr. Maurer went on to explain that the word omphaloskepsis is mostly used in what he called a jocular manner to describe someone who is self-absorbed, leaving me to wonder why, when speaking with me, that particular word had come to mind. So, Dr. Maurer, now I offer you a word, or more precisely, a Latin phrase that I believe captures much of your spirit and who you are as a leader: "credo quia impossible est," meaning, I believe it because it is impossible. Over and over again we have been told that our goals are unrealistic and our dreams unattainable. But you have never let the low expectations of others define us, and, with your steadfast faith in us, we have defied the impossible, and as a result countless blind individuals have been able to live the lives they want. Thank you, Dr. Maurer, for giving us your imagination, your courage, strength of will and optimism, and, by so doing, giving us belief in the rightness of our cause and confidence in ourselves. With these remarks Dr. Schroeder introduced the video tribute to President Maurer. It can be seen at . Following the video, President Maurer was given the microphone, and, in a shaky voice conveying surprise, gratitude, humility, and commitment, he said: "I want to thank you for that [cheers]. I have the crazy idea that whatever we need to know we can learn, and I have the crazy idea that whatever we need in our future we can build. I love the history of the Federation, and I used to love to listen to Dr. Jernigan talk about the early days. I have read Dr. tenBroek's material. The past informs us, and it gives us the joy and the courage to face the future. My favorite history, however, is the history we're going to make! Anil Lewis complains about me from time to time. He says that, when we make a great victory, we take a few minutes and celebrate it, and then I say to him, 'All right, what's next?' I like to think about where we've been, but I love to think about where we're going. "We are changing our president this convention, and it will be different for me-I won't know quite as well how I fit in, but I'll tell you something: there's one thing that is certain, and that is that I will fit in. I appreciate all the joy that we have shared, and I look forward to all the joy that we will." With those remarks this session of the convention was recessed, and more than 2,000 people moved quickly to their rooms to dress for the evening's ceremonies. When the banquet commenced at 7:00 PM with Fred Schroeder as master of ceremonies, the crowd responded with a tremendous roar, and it was clear that the program had begun. The invocation was given by Father John Sheehan. The banquet meal was served, conversations among friends and new acquaintances filled the banquet hall, and all of this was interspersed with announcements from the podium as door prizes were drawn, exhibitors conducted their drawings, the Jernigan Fund drew for two major cash awards, and divisions announced the winners of their raffles. Soon it was time for the high point of the evening and, for many, of the convention-the banquet speech President Maurer would deliver. This year its title was "The Challenge and the Limit." It is reprinted in full later in this issue. Following prolonged applause and congratulatory remarks from Ray Kurzweil on President Maurer's leadership and the work he will continue to do, thirty scholarship winners made their way to the stage. Chairman Patti Chang began by expressing her optimism about what the future would hold for these men and women and her hope that they would be involved in the work of the Federation and continue to draw from it in the advancement of their careers and in the advancement of all blind people. At the end of the ceremony, with all scholarship winners having been recognized with applause by the audience, Deja Powell, the winner of the $12,000 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship, was announced and given an opportunity to address the convention. Her remarks appear elsewhere in this issue. The Jacobus tenBroek Award was presented for the thirty-first time as the Federation's way of acknowledging significant contributions to the movement by one of its members, Sam Gleese. A report of this presentation is found elsewhere in this issue. The Newel Perry Award is presented to a person who is not a member of the National Federation of the Blind but who has made a significant contribution to the progress of the blind through his or her work. This award is given only as often as the Federation finds a deserving recipient, and this year it was presented to Judy Brewer. Remarks made during this presentation are found later in this issue. Dan Hicks, the president of our host affiliate, stepped to the microphone to present a door prize in the amount of $2,014. The prize was won by Cora Williams, an infant, and it was accepted on her behalf by her parents, who were in the room. President Maurer was called to the microphone to conclude the 2014 Convention. He brought with him two gavels, one which he had used for twenty-eight years, with all of the knicks, scars, and indentations that those momentous years of service have imprinted upon it. He also brought a new gavel, and he asked that President-elect Riccobono join him at the podium to receive it. After the traditional Federation cheer that closes each annual convention, the president and the president-elect grasped the senior gavel and together concluded the 2014 Convention and commenced the term of our new president. Transitions by their very nature are exciting, but, when an outgoing leader is much loved and respected, there is an element of sadness as well. Excitement for the future and a reverent and sentimental look at the past did not stand in opposition; in this convention they were joined as one, and in their coming together they created the spirit of 2014. Presiding over this convention required exceptional balance-too little reflection on the past, and the transition would fail to be recognized for the significant event it is-too much nostalgia, reflection, and looking back, and the convention could take on a very different tone, with the message being goodbye instead of good luck in the new role you will come to fill. With pride in our past, gratitude for our present, and an unshakeable commitment to the future we will create, the 2014 Convention takes its place in history. All of us who were there to witness it come away feeling blessed by our participation and reenergized in our determination to see that the blessings that have come from nearly three-quarters of a century's work, perseverance, and belief extend far into the future as we prepare ourselves to celebrate seventy-five years and beyond. ---------- Presidential Report 2014 An Address Delivered by MARC MAURER National Federation of the Blind Orlando, Florida July 4, 2014 This has been a year of extraordinary accomplishment for the National Federation of the Blind along with accelerating growth and unparalleled unity. The financial problems we have had in the recent past have been met with decision. The prospects for us in the financial arena are by no means assured, but our expenditures have been brought into line with our income. The ongoing projects we are undertaking are as bold, as far-reaching, and as imaginative as any we have pursued. The foundation for our growth is well built, and we have the prospect in our immediate future of expanding programs and increasing influence inspired by the spirit of our members. We in the National Federation of the Blind attempt always to expand the legal protection of the blind, and we take whatever vehicle is available to do this. In the State of the Union message delivered January 28, 2014, President Obama declared that the minimum wage for federal contract workers who are providing services would be raised to $10.10 an hour. A number of these contract workers are employed in sheltered workshops. Disabled workers employed in such places are frequently paid less than the federal minimum wage. Members of the National Federation of the Blind wondered whether the executive order to implement this declaration would include disabled workers or continue to leave them out of federal minimum wage protection. Before the issuance of the executive order, some officials from the Obama administration expressed doubt about the propriety or even the power of the administration to raise the minimum wage for disabled employees because Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act incorporates an explicit provision saying that disabled employees are not guaranteed the minimum wage. We wrote to the president and to Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez asking that we be given the same minimum wage protection accorded to others. On February 12, 2014, President Obama signed an executive order. I sat in the East Room of the White House along with Anil Lewis, who currently serves as executive director for the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, and hundreds of other people. The president spoke about the executive order he was about to sign, telling us that he wanted protection for all American workers and that he was about to ensure it for federal contract employees doing certain kinds of work. When he signed the order, I was within a few feet of him. I rose to cheer the president when he laid down the pen because as of January 1, 2015, all federal contract workers who provide services, including people with disabilities, will be paid $10.10 an hour. This is the first time in history that the United States has offered minimum wage protection to disabled employees. We have been trying to get the Congress to repeal Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. On February 26, 2013, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (HR 831) was introduced by Congressman Gregg Harper of Mississippi. In early June, HR 831 had eighty-six cosponsors, including a number of members of the leadership in the House. More than seventy-five organizations support the repeal of this unfair law. Section 14(c) was originally adopted in 1938 as part of the Fair Labor Standards Act. It was intended to be a jobs bill for the blind and otherwise disabled. However, the promise of employment has never been fulfilled; the hardship for disabled workers has continued to expand decade after decade; and the exploitation of those with disabilities has expanded beyond the sheltered workshops to a number of private employers. If there has ever been a demonstration of a failed piece of legislation, this is it. This law must go, and we are urging members of Congress to repeal it. Equal access to information is a fundamental plank of the program we have continued to pursue during the last year. Because blind people are a small segment of the population of our nation, it is sometimes difficult to get major corporations to join with us in creating full accessibility. However, when we reach the appropriate people, we often find partners willing to work strongly with us. The Google company is a case in point. As members of the National Federation of the Blind know, Google has been a joy and a sorrow. Some of its products have been accessible, and some of them have been not just difficult but impossible. Furthermore, when they have become accessible, they have not always stayed that way. Three years ago a senior vice president of Google, Alan Eustace, appeared at our convention. This was a major step forward because in previous meetings with Google personnel, we had been told repeatedly that Google is made up of many engineering teams that operate independently-it is "siloed." Even if one part of it created accessible technology, this did not change plans in any other part of it. We were faced with the prospect of having to persuade senior Google representatives in each of the silos to create an accessible system. When Alan Eustace came to the convention, he promised that accessibility would be built into Google products company- wide. He implied that it would be done quickly. However, the management system at Google really does encourage independent development of products without central control. This meant that a decision by a single person was very difficult to implement. About a year and a half ago, a new senior executive was given the challenge of addressing accessibility at the company. Kannan Pashupathy was at our convention last year, and he has pursued accessibility of Google products along with a number of others at Google. You will be hearing from Eve Andersson, accessibility engineering and product manager for Google later this afternoon, and Ray Kurzweil, who is currently director of engineering at Google, will be making a presentation later during the convention. Google is not finished with its work on accessibility, and my estimation is that this will remain a work in progress indefinitely because Google itself is a work in progress. However, I believe that Google has made quite substantial progress and that it will have accessibility in hand within the next few months. I believe that much of the problem that we have encountered with accessibility will be adequately addressed by the company within a year. Kannan Pashupathy has indicated that he will be at the 2015 Convention. In the meantime, the inaccessible technology previously distributed by Google remains in place. I indicated to Google that we had promised to assist certain individuals (mostly students) in challenging the deployment of such technology, and we always keep our promises. Google is not trying to change this. The people there understand that when we pledge our word, we keep it. However, they have asked us for extensive quantities of information about inaccessible aspects of their products, and we are helping them to know where they need to make change. Google personnel take our recommendations seriously, and I believe that this is one reason the improvement is taking place. When Google began creating digital versions of print books a decade ago, the National Federation of the Blind wondered what we should do to become part of the project. We thought digital books could be read electronically. The prospects for access to vast amounts of information were enticing. Google contracted with about ninety libraries, which gave Google the print books to scan. When the scanning was complete, Google returned the books to the libraries along with a digital copy of the scanned books. Google retained a copy of the scanned books to be used in the Google Books project. A number of the libraries formed the HathiTrust, and they entrusted their digital book collections to it. The Authors Guild sued the HathiTrust saying that the digital copies of the books violated the copyright law because they constituted a taking or theft of the information stored in the books. The Authors Guild demanded that the digital books be destroyed. The National Federation of the Blind intervened in the case because we want to protect this enormous treasure of digitized books, a compilation of information never previously available to blind people. The trial court in New York declared that we have a right to have access to these books, and the Authors Guild appealed. On June 10, 2014, the decision of the court of appeals was released. The intellectual property contained in the scans of these books (more than ten million of them) is available to us. It is also available to others with disabilities who cannot easily read ordinary print. We have a tentative agreement with the HathiTrust to serve as the mechanism for distribution of these books. All of the details have not yet been established, but the legal authority for making these books useful to the blind of the nation is in place. In December of 2012 I stood on the sidewalk in the rain in front of the Amazon headquarters in Seattle, Washington, with a picket sign in my hand. Many members of the National Federation of the Blind were there with me. Amazon had been creating inaccessible technology for use on college campuses and in elementary and secondary schools. Years earlier the Amazon management group had promised accessibility, but they never delivered. We had brought actions against a number of libraries and universities deploying Amazon products, and we had entered into agreements that they would not use inaccessible technology. But Amazon would not discuss an agreement with us to build products that the blind can use. Amazon was seeking to have its book readers become the de facto reading systems for students in school with disastrous results for the blind. Furthermore, Amazon, along with others, filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission requesting a waiver of the requirement that its products using advance communication software be accessible for the print disabled. We asked that the agency reject the request. Despite our urging, the FCC granted the petition, but only for a year. Shortly before last year's convention, Amazon released an application for Apple products that permits accessible use of the books Amazon distributes, and in the fall of 2013 Amazon produced a Kindle Fire with a number of accessible features. This product is not as accessible as the iOS application, but a few of the controls are usable. Amazon may think that this is enough. However, we don't believe it. Half-baked will never do. Our efforts regarding Amazon and its intrusion into the education market have already been somewhat effective, but we will keep at it until we have the same access that others take for granted. We will never be satisfied until we have access to 100 percent of digital information 100 percent of the time. Our objective to obtain equal access to digital information is a major factor in creating the access technology industry. We seek personnel to serve in this arena in our headquarters office in Baltimore, but we also encourage others to employ competent people to assure that accessibility is built into their products from the beginning. Companies with which we have been working in the United States tell us that they need people knowledgeable in this area of expertise to help them understand and fulfill the requirements. In an effort to assist the nonvisual access industry, we have accepted a grant from the state of Maryland to create a National Federation of the Blind Center of Excellence in Nonvisual Access to Education, Commerce, and Public Information. We begin in Maryland, but we intend to expand this center to the nation. We expect to use this center to stimulate academic institutions to create courses in accessible technology design. We also believe that we will be able to establish a web portal to determine compliance with accessibility standards. We intend to cause accessible nonvisual design to be a feature of engineering and internet courses and to become an accepted requirement in creating digital information distribution centers. We have taken other actions to encourage the continued development of universally available access technology. In December 2013 representatives of the major election technology developers, and researchers in election technology from Clemson University, Rice University, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology-an agency of the United States Department of Commerce traveled to the Jernigan Institute to learn about access technology, such as refreshable Braille, that enables the deaf-blind to vote privately and independently. As a result of this seminar, researchers at Rice University are working to incorporate refreshable Braille into their Prime III accessible voting system. We have also created, under our Help America Vote Act grant, a mobile voting working group to promote the use of online voting systems. In addition, we have worked very closely with the Maryland State Board of Elections to ensure that its new online absentee ballot marking system is accessible. This system, if implemented, will allow blind and deaf-blind voters in Maryland to mark their absentee ballots privately and independently for the first time. However, when the State Board of Elections failed to certify this system for use, the National Federation of the Blind filed a lawsuit. The trial is scheduled to take place before the election this fall. The International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind continues to house at least one of each hardware and software product that provides digital information to the blind. As I reported last year, we are experimenting with the use of 3D printers to provide blind students with tactile information, and we continue to consult with companies about methods for implementing accessibility in their programs and products. Quantum Simulations, a long-standing partner, has made its Braille and Mathematics tutors accessible. In September these were certified under the National Federation of the Blind's web accessibility certification program. As Federation members know, we initiated the Blind Driver Challenge program with an automobile that the blind can drive at the Daytona International Speedway. Now we have performed at another internationally recognized racing venue. Dan Parker is a member of the National Federation of the Blind from Georgia, who is now a student at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. He was a drag racer until he hit a wall at 175 miles per hour on March 31, 2012. Injuries from the accident caused his total blindness. After eight months of recuperation, Dan made up his mind. The limitations some people attribute to blindness would not stop him. He had been riding motorcycles since he was eight. He had always had a dream of racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Dan decided that he would pursue his quest for the Salt. He would build and independently operate his own motorcycle on the Salt Flats at a sanctioned event. Dan Parker found our Blind Driver Challenge on the internet, and we became a primary supporter of his project. At 11:01 a.m. mountain time on August 26, 2013, Dan Parker kicked off from the starting line. Beginning at a steady pace, Dan Parker found his groove at the beginning of mile two. During the second mile he stayed within four feet of the centerline of the track, and toward the end of mile two he began to "let it out." He completed the first historic independent run by a blind person at the Bonneville Salt Flats with an officially recorded speed of 55.331 miles per hour. This is the second achievement in our Blind Driver Challenge efforts. Dan Parker will be speaking on the platform later during this convention. If we can build an automobile equipped with nonvisual guidance technologies, and if we can equip a motorcycle with guidance systems for the blind, we can likely build an information gathering system that will permit independent bicycle riding for blind people. This is currently a project we are exploring in the Jernigan Institute. I would point out that riding a bicycle does not require a driver's license, and even if the bicycle is equipped with an engine that has a displacement smaller than 50 cubic centimeters, it does not, in some places, require a driver's license. Braille continues to be a high priority for the National Federation of the Blind because this is a primary mechanism for blind people to get information, and it is equally important for deaf-blind individuals. We have continued our work to administer the courses leading to certification in Braille transcribing and proofreading under contract with the Library of Congress, National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Since taking on the project in 2007, we have forwarded the names of approximately 1,800 individuals to the Library of Congress, indicating that they have successfully completed the certification courses in literary, mathematics, or music Braille. We give Braille books to blind children. The Braille Reading Pals Club, for children ages birth through seven, has 427 participants. We also give many Braille books to older children. Those who learn to read find that the world opens to them. In June we conducted our second annual race for Braille literacy known as Dot Dash, which as you might expect, is a 6K race, one K for each Braille dot. More than 150 people participated, and Michael McCrary, a former member of the Ravens football team with two Super Bowl rings, was our Braille Literacy Champion. The National Federation of the Blind has participated in the World Blind Union since the mid-1980s. Our first vice president, Dr. Fred Schroeder, served as our representative to the United Nations during the period that the convention on Rights of People with Disabilities was being considered by this international body. Dr. Schroeder assisted with drafting the language of this international instrument and was a major factor in getting it through the political process. The international convention has not yet been adopted by the Senate of the United States although it has been signed by the Obama administration. However, Dr. Schroeder has been leading international efforts to assist in having this convention adopted in many countries, and he was the person chairing an international meeting for planning about this instrument which occurred at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute last fall. When the World Blind Union met in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2012, we urged delegates to select Dr. Schroeder to become first vice president of the world body. This effort was successful. Dr. Schroeder has now proposed to the world organization that the 2016 general assembly be held in the United States. Several hundred delegates and many others will join us in 2016 to make policy for this world organization. We will have the opportunity to show representatives of the blind from around the world what we are in the United States and what we do to support the independence of the blind. The person to lead this portion of our work is Dr. Fred Schroeder. As Scott LaBarre and Fred Schroeder reported to this convention last year, the National Federation of the Blind played a major role in securing adoption of the World Intellectual Property Organization Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled, which will give access to published works for the blind across country borders. We are actively working with the State Department to send a ratification bill to the United States Senate. As a result of the work on the treaty, the World Intellectual Property Organization has established the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC), which will promote cooperation between publishers and authorized entities to implement the objectives of the treaty. The World Blind Union has asked the National Federation of the Blind to represent the world organization on the ABC Board, and our own Scott LaBarre will be our representative. On January 30, 2014, we celebrated the tenth anniversary of the opening of our new building at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute. The activities in the Institute have justified our faith in what we completed ten years ago. Mark Riccobono will report on the progress we have achieved later this afternoon. In September we received a grant from the National Science Foundation to increase access to informal STEM learning for blind students. We will work with six science museums around the country. Visiting museums has frequently been a dismal experience for blind people. I remember my own excursion to a very famous science museum. After the 150th glass case, I began to ward off the boredom with mental exercise. I estimated the number of square feet of glass in the cases I had touched, and I considered the total weight of the glass I had encountered. We are changing this. Working with others, we will create a new model for improved accessibility in museum environments. We will establish programming to engage blind youth in disciplines such as engineering design. For several years now we have been conducting science classes for blind students during the summer months, often in coordination with partners. Last year we held STEM-X, a one-week science engineering and math program for blind high school students. We offered experience with five major disciplines: aerospace engineering, civil engineering, chemistry, robotics, and computer science. We also provided eight enrichment specialties: paleobiology, video description, geology, art, nanoscience, human physiology, biology, and cyber security. Our collaboration with entities not ordinarily concentrating their work with blind people continues. We have talked with a number of entities working on autonomous vehicle technology to encourage development of nonvisual interfaces. We are also discussing the future of indoor navigation systems. Providing digital information about large indoor spaces such as malls and airports to members of the public is being explored by universities and some major corporations. We believe this exploration will provide blind people with new methods for getting access to information about unfamiliar indoor environments. Those strolling through the mall might be able to receive the names and locations of nearby stores, the sales being conducted in them, and a description of the layout of the premises. On April 24, 2014, the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute welcomed participants to the seventh Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium. Over eighty academic, government, corporate, and advocacy organizations were present. The symposium, entitled "Disability Rights in the 21st Century: Creative Solutions for Achieving the Right to Live in the World," featured the principals in a landmark case which declared that disabled people have the right to challenge being forced into a guardianship. A reasonable and judicially viable alternative is supported decision-making, said the court. Forced guardianship, required placement in a nursing home or care facility, the demand that we turn our lives over to somebody else who believes that sighted supervision is what we need has been a part of the lives of so many blind people. Through our Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium, and the spirit of our founder Dr. Jacobus tenBroek that caused the symposium to come into being, we are spreading the word that this type of thinking is being eradicated from the judicial landscape sometimes only one case at a time. Through our Jacobus tenBroek Library, we are preserving the history of the organized blind movement. We have collected more than thirty oral histories, from members, officers, and allies of the National Federation of the Blind during the past year. We have also been entrusted with the papers of Dr. Abraham Nemeth, including documents which reflect the work he did in developing the Nemeth Braille Code for math and scientific notation. Prior to Dr. Nemeth's development of the code, blind people were not expected to engage in scientific exploration. His work brought science and advanced mathematics to the hands of the blind. Our Jacobus tenBroek Library responds to hundreds of reference requests by our members and researchers in the field of blindness. We are becoming the best reference resource in the world on the subject of the efforts of blind people to move from second- to first-class status in society. We are working to secure alternative sources of revenue. Our first Bid for Equality Auction took place on Black Friday 2013 and received more than $10,000 in bids. Thirty-one of our state affiliates contributed items to the auction. Those receiving the highest bids were: from Texas, two music badges to the South by Southwest Music Festival; from Indiana, a pearl necklace and earring set; and from New York, a weekend getaway to the Big Apple. Since our last convention we have continued to support our programs through public relations efforts. Stories have appeared about our work in USA Today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Idaho State Journal, the Miami Herald, the Associated Press, the Salt Lake Tribune, the Des Moines Register, the Dayton Daily News, Fortune Magazine, The Atlantic, and on Fox television, NBC television, Al Jazeera America television, and on dozens of websites including the Huffington Post and the publication for congressional insiders called The Hill. NFB-NEWSLINE?, which provides accessible news to blind people in forty-six states and the District of Columbia, serves more than 105,000 subscribers. Of the three hundred forty-three newspapers on NFB-NEWSLINE? and the forty-three other publications, eighteen are new, including some in the new breaking news category. Some of the newly-available publications are: Bloomberg News, Investor's Business Daily, Reuters, Japan Times, and Norfolk Daily News. We have handled a number of legal cases during the past year. Many of these involve the use of access technology, and the legal work that we do is greatly enhanced by the work of our access technology team. Anne Taylor, our director of access technology, and the people who work with her are recognized as among the most knowledgeable individuals in designing accessible technology for the blind in the world. One case in a long series of efforts that we have conducted involves Nijat Worley, who works at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute in our NFB-NEWSLINE? program. Because he wants to attend law school, he applied to take the Law School Admissions Test, and he requested that he be allowed to use both Braille and assistive technology. Need I report that the request was denied? Scott LaBarre and Mehgan Sidhu accepted the Worley case. Within weeks the Law School Admissions Council backed down. We have been fighting with the Law School Admissions Council to protect the rights of blind test takers for years, and we have won in cases against them repeatedly. In the meantime, the United States Department of Justice and the California Department of Fair Housing and Employment conducted an in-depth investigation of the Law School Admissions Council's practices. They have reached a comprehensive settlement that requires full accommodation to the Law School Admissions Test and payment of damages to test takers with disabilities in the amount of nearly $7 million. Nijat Worley and other Federationists are eligible to receive some of these damages. Now, I wonder if the Law School Admissions Council would like to hire some blind people to serve as consultants on the subject of accessibility. Vicki Hodges, a blind library assistant in Phoenix, learned that her hours would be cut because library officials were unwilling to provide workplace accommodations. With the assistance of the Arizona Attorney General, we caused complaints to be filed. These actions have now been settled. Vicki Hodges is receiving a payment equivalent to two years' wages, and we are getting reimbursed our attorney's fees. Furthermore, the city of Phoenix is establishing new policies to provide access technology for blind employees. Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires that government websites and other government-owned technology be accessible to the blind, but the government often ignores this requirement. Virgil Stinnett, a blind vendor living in Hawaii, attempted to use the website of the Small Business Administration without success. We helped with a complaint, and a settlement is in place. The Small Business Administration has decided to follow the law. The settlement also requires this agency to pay the National Federation of the Blind legal fees in the amount of $80,000. Equal access to education 100 percent of the time is what we want and what we intend to get. Elementary education is under review in the United States. In January of 2014, the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey and some of our members filed a lawsuit against the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), a group established to develop tests regarding Common Core Standards. The tests PARCC was about to distribute were not available in Braille or in other accessible formats for the blind. Shortly after the filing of the lawsuit, we met with officials of PARCC and reached an agreement. Under the terms of the settlement, PARCC is working with us to post accessible practice tests online and to have Braille-ready files for all tests available for download. PARCC is doing much of its testing through a contractor, Pearson Education Services, and we have been actively building accessible tests with this entity as well. Another partner that has joined with us in seeking completely accessible education is the University of Montana. The relationship started with an argument when Travis Moses, a member of the National Federation of the Blind of Montana and a student at the University of Montana was unable to gain access to courses and materials on the campus because of the inaccessible systems being used. As I reported to you last year, the University of Montana asked George Kerscher to help achieve accessibility, and the president of the university along with the general counsel agreed to make education there usable by everybody. The University of Montana general counsel, Lucy France, will be addressing the convention later during the week. The university has pledged that it will no longer purchase inaccessible technology, that it will require vendors to install accessible products, that it will have an accessible website, and that blind students will be able to participate fully in all aspects of community life. The commitment of this university is great; the University of Montana will demonstrate to other educational institutions what must be done to offer full access to the blind. Anthony Lanzilotti, who is a member of the National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey, sought to matriculate at Atlantic Cape Community College in Mays Landing, New Jersey, but he ran into a number of obstacles. Not only was the course catalog an inaccessible document, not only was the system for registration and financial aid unusable by the blind, not only was the educational software inaccessible, not only were course assignments and readings posted in forms that the blind cannot read, but the college also instructed this blind student that they had a policy requiring him to be accompanied by a sighted assistant at all times to supervise him when he was on campus. He was also told that he was prohibited from participation in lab classes, and he could attempt to perform the experiments at home, where it would be safer. Several dozen outraged Federation members arrived in front of Atlantic Cape Community College with picket signs in hand to protest this barefaced effort to turn blind students away from a public institution. When the press arrived, Atlantic Cape denied that it had such a policy and declared that all of its materials were completely usable by blind people. However, it appears that officials at this college are now getting the message. We are in discussions with them about accessible technology on campus. Our members will be able to participate fully in the classes in the fall. The Cardtronics company controls the largest fleet of ATMs in the United States, now more than sixty-six thousand. Building accessibility for the blind into these machines has come to be standard practice for manufacturers and has been required by the law for a very long time. When blind people tried to use some of the ATMs that are now a part of the fleet, they learned that accessibility had not been installed, and the National Federation of the Blind and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts brought suit. This action has been through a labyrinth of procedure. The first of the settlements took place in 2007, but it did not bring complete accessibility. For the past eight months we have been in negotiations with Cardtronics about another settlement, and we have reached a tentative agreement. This agreement is not final because it must be approved by the court, but I think that the court will give its approval. Voice guidance will be built into all of the Cardtronics machines over the next several years. The National Federation of the Blind will be part of the review process. Cardtronics will pay the attorney's fees and will establish a banking Accessibility Center of Excellence to explore additional methods for creating a welcoming banking relationship with blind customers. Cardtronics will also make a contribution to the National Federation of the Blind of $1,250,000. The battle over accessible airline kiosks continues. Sometimes the message from the airlines seems to be: "No blind people allowed. If there is any way to make it more difficult for you to get on our airplanes, we will find it!" In 2010 we sued United Airlines under California law, but the court rejected our lawsuit saying only federal law applies, which prohibits lawsuits by customers. Then, we sued McCarran Airport over its inaccessible common use, self-service kiosks. Although this suit was filed four years ago, the court has yet to determine whether we have a right to complain. In the meantime, the Department of Transportation issued a rule declaring that airlines must make their technology accessible-but not all of their technology, only 25 percent of it. Furthermore, the airlines get up to ten years to do it. We don't even get half a loaf-for the blind a quarter of a loaf will do in ten years, more or less. We will not wait for second best. We have sued the Department of Transportation. Our government boasts that the court has no jurisdiction to hear our claim. When was it that our right to be abroad in the land became so circumscribed in the law that one-quarter access ten years out is all that we can expect? What other class of human beings would suffer such indignity? If we cannot go to court, where else should we take the battle? If we cannot complain to the Department of Transportation, must we attack the machines directly? When did we lose the right to be treated equally with others? I remember the time we tried to board a plane because our rights were being denied. Must we return to those embattled moments? We might not like the choices before us, but one thing is absolutely certain. We have a right to equality of access to the systems available to all others, and we will have it. With respect to the eBay corporation, we have entered into our second accessibility agreement with the right kinds of internal controls, the appropriate benchmarks, and the necessary testing to assure proper development of the software. Our first agreement with eBay produced less progress than we had hoped, but the new version has systems to assure accessibility. Furthermore, promotion of accessible technology is being pursued at the highest level of the company. eBay has recently worked very diligently on its security systems. The president of eBay told me that when the eBay engineers were modifying these systems to reestablish security at eBay, they recognized the necessity of ensuring that all of them are accessible nonvisually. eBay wants to be a close working partner to assure that blind customers can buy and sell on their website. Several years ago one of our members in Maryland, Yasmin Reyazuddin, needed our help. She had been working for one of the counties of Maryland when county officials purchased inaccessible software. These officials would not consider modifying the technology with accessibility features or purchasing accessible technology. The company that had provided the software offered to work with the county to make it usable by the blind, but the county rejected the offer. When we sued the county, the court ruled against us saying that buying accessible software is an undue burden. Officials declared that providing accessibility would cost a million dollars. The judge believed the million dollar argument and paid no attention to the testimony that accessibility could have been provided by the software creator. The decision stands for the proposition that inaccessibility in the workplace is acceptable and denying blind people equality of opportunity in employment is to be expected in Maryland. As you know, we never give up. The case is one which is reprehensible. It is now on appeal, and we expect to win for Yasmin Reyazuddin. Aaron Cannon is a blind person who was accepted for matriculation at the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. After a time, after Aaron Cannon had paid his money, and participated in classes, and had succeeded in meeting school requirements, the Palmer College officials changed their minds. They said he did not have "sufficient sense of vision," and they threw him out. Nine years ago, after negotiations failed, we brought an administrative complaint, which proceeded through many layers of decision-making, but in 2010, we won. Palmer appealed to court, and a judge decided that no blind person can become a chiropractor. The evidence presented, that blind people all over the nation are doing this job, made no difference to the judge. We proceeded to the Iowa Supreme Court. The decision of the Supreme Court was released a week ago. It fills more than forty pages. It contains a review of state and federal law regarding discrimination involving disability along with some of the most obtuse, obnoxious, and prejudicial comments ever written by a court about the blind. Scott LaBarre served as our champion. Of the seven judges who considered the decision of the Iowa Supreme Court, five declared that discrimination against the blind in colleges in the state of Iowa will not be tolerated-Aaron Cannon can go to school. Furthermore, he gets damages for the injuries he suffered, and we get our attorney's fees. We continue to conduct our ongoing programs. We give away free white canes for blind people from throughout the United States. From the beginning of the program we have distributed more than 32,000. This year we have begun distributing free slates and styluses to blind people-346 of them so far. We have continued to maintain our headquarters at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, and we have welcomed more than three thousand visitors this year from the United States and from a number of foreign countries including: Australia, Brazil, Canada, India, Israel, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Nigeria, South Korea, Thailand, and Turkey. Within the past twelve months I have had the good fortune to travel to many parts of the country to support programs of our organization and to meet with members of the Federation to come to know personally your aspirations, your sorrows, your hopes, your dreams. I have been reinforced once again in the spirit that we share-a spirit of independence, a determination to be the people that will make the difference to ourselves and to those who come after us in the opportunities available to blind people here and throughout the world. I know the deprivations that we have encountered, but I also know the determination that we have to meet these deprivations head-on without the slightest hesitation. We have continued to build our movement. During the past year we have made it better than it has ever been-more robust, more resilient, more energetic, more imaginative, and more heartwarming. As I contemplate what we have done during the past year, during the past decades, I cannot help some reflection on the time I have served in the presidency. You have offered to me the greatest honor we have-the presidency of the National Federation of the Blind. I have tried to live up to the trust that you have given. Leadership demands both judgment and generosity as well as a proper balance between the two. I have tried to lead with my mind informed by my heart, and you have given me your unwavering support. We have accomplished much together, but there is much more yet to be done. However, I know the minds that you our members bring to this movement. I have been inspired by your toughness and the depth of joy in your hearts. I know the determination that we share, and I am certain to the innermost portion of my being that this Federation will continue to build, to flourish, and to prevail. We will keep the faith with ourselves and each other. We will carry the battle into any realm where it is needed, and nothing will stop us. We possess the energy and the drive to make our future what we want it to be. This is what I have observed in our Federation. This is what I know. This is my report for 2014. ---------- Awards Presented at the 2014 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind From the Editor: Recognizing the work that is accomplished on behalf of blind people is a critical part of the mission of the National Federation of the Blind. For this reason we present a number of awards; some are presented annually; others are presented only as often as the Federation determines that a deserving candidate merits the presentation. This year awards were presented to a distinguished educator of blind children, to the blind educator of the year, to agencies and organizations who represent the life's work of Dr. Jacob Bolotin, to a leader in the Federation who has performed exemplary service, and to a person who is not a member but who has made a significant contribution to improving the opportunities for the blind. Here are the presentations as witnessed at the 2014 Convention: [PHOTO CAPTION: Theresa Postello] Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Presented by Cathy Jackson Good morning, and let me be the first to wish you a happy National Federation of the Blind convention week. Some of us have been here for several days already, and over the past couple of days we have been busy doing the work of this, the world's largest membership organization of the blind. We have been involved in our division meetings, our committee meetings, our board meeting, and of course other convention activities. No one ever said it was going to be easy being a member of the National Federation of the Blind. A lot of hard work goes into this organization, but pride and pleasure are rolled in with the hard work that makes us the success that we are. The National Federation of the Blind takes satisfaction in acknowledging and awarding those who have accomplished great things in the field of blindness. Those we award know the achievements that blind people can accomplish if given the right attitude and skills to compete in the world. Pretty soon we're going to be introduced to our scholarship class of 2014. These men and women have made great strides both in and outside of the classroom. Other presentations will be made throughout the convention, but I have the pleasure of presenting the Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award. This year's recipient most assuredly belongs in this prestigious class. All of our applicants are doing great things and deserve recognition, but we can only crown one winner. Laura Bostick, Mary Willows, Mark Riccobono, and I all saw the same unique qualities in our winner that made her stand taller than the others. First of all was her personal essay. We were intrigued with her outline and her presentation. She gave us her top ten guiding teaching philosophies (which are spot-on, I might add). She doesn't merely tell her students that they can do; she tells them, "You can do and you will do." The second thing that we saw was her ability to organize parents, teachers, and students, who together exposed the problem of California's blind students who were not receiving their Braille books and materials on time. Mary Willows wrote, in her letter of nomination: "She's not afraid to speak up when she knows the education system could and should be better for blind children." If you haven't guessed by now, our distinguished educator for 2014 is from the state of California, and it is Ms. Theresa Postello. Theresa has been a teacher of the blind and an orientation and mobility instructor for twenty-five years, and she's currently employed by the San Matteo County Office of Education. I'm not exactly sure how she remained employed while exposing the problems of the blind children. But, when I asked her this, she said, "Oh, I just merely stayed calm and collected and presented the facts. You know, you can catch more flies with sugar than you can with vinegar." So I know now why she got such rave reviews from the parents and colleagues who nominated her for this award. If Ms. Theresa Postello would come forward, I would like to present her with a plaque. It's a beautiful plaque, and I'm also going to give her a little white envelope, which has a big $1,000 check in it. Congratulations, Theresa. Here is your plaque. If you will hold it up, I will read the inscription: The National Federation of the Blind honors Theresa Postello Distinguished Educator of Blind Children For your skills in teaching Braille and other alternative techniques of blindness, For graciously devoting extra time to meet the needs of your students, and for empowering your students to perform beyond their expectations. You champion our movement. You strengthen our hopes. You share our dreams. July 3, 2014 So for a few brief words here is Theresa Postello, our distinguished educator of 2014. Theresa: Thank you so very much; I'm tremendously honored and over the moon with excitement. I invite you to come to my keynote address this afternoon and hear some of the things I have to say. Again, I thank you. It's great to be here. [PHOTO CAPTION: Michelle Chacon] Blind Educator of the Year Award Presented by David Ticchi Thank you, Dr. Maurer, and I very much appreciate the privilege and responsibility of being chair of this committee. To begin with, I'd like to thank the members of the committee. The members of the Blind Educator of the Year Committee are William Henderson of Massachusetts, Sheila Koenig of Minnesota, Kate Mendez of New York, Melissa Riccobono of Maryland, Judy Sanders of Minnesota, and Ramona Walhof of Idaho. I'd like to tell you a little bit about the award, then I will tell you the name of the winner, then I will ask the person to come up here to the stage to receive the plaque, and finally I will read the text to you. The Blind Educator of the Year Award was established by the National Organization of Blind Educators to pay tribute to a blind teacher for his or her classroom performance, community service, and commitment to the National Federation of the Blind. In 1991 it became a national award because of the impact and importance of good teaching upon students, faculty, and the community. The award is presented in the spirit and philosophy of the educators who founded and nurtured our movement, people like Dr. tenBroek, Dr. Jernigan, and Dr. Maurer. I often point out when presenting this award that any of you who have taken Latin will understand that education comes from the Latin "duco/ducere," to lead. We are all leaders in the National Federation of the Blind. The winner of this year's Blind Educator of the Year Award is Michelle Chacon from Colorado. Michelle, if you would come forward to receive your award. I want to tell people a little bit about Michelle and her background in education. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of New Mexico, and she has two graduate degrees, both in the area of visual impairment, one from the University of New Mexico, one from the University of Northern Colorado. She has worked at the Colorado Center for the Blind as a home management instructor, she spent four years with the Albuquerque public schools as a secondary school resource teacher, and from 2008 to the present she works in the Arvada school district (and I hope with my Boston accent I am pronouncing that clearly), and she serves there as an itinerate teacher. She is involved with the NFB on many levels: she's the president of the North Metro chapter of Colorado, has worked in the confidence camp, has been the director of the BELL Program for several years, is involved in the Washington Seminar, attends and works at state and national conventions, and in fact, for her to be present here this morning, we had to release her from NFB Camp to come here so she could receive this award. Michelle is a single parent of four girls, a wonderful parent and homemaker, and a dear friend to many. While she makes her way up here, I'd like to tell you just a few things about her background and recommendations. We on the blind educator committee like to do our homework, to check references, and to do some interviews. I'm going to share with you some quotes about Michelle: consummate professional, natural teacher, builds positive and effective relationships, believes in blind people, has expectations for blind people, will work closely with families, and she will always take the extra step. Michelle, that's a lot to be proud of, and I am proud to present this to you. So, Michelle, congratulations. I'm going to hand you the plaque. It says: BLIND EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND PRESENTED TO MICHELLE CHACON IN RECOGNITION OF OUTSTANDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION. YOU ENHANCE THE PRESENT YOU INSPIRE YOUR COLLEAGUES YOU BUILD THE FUTURE JULY 3, 2014 Michelle, congratulations. Before you speak, I want to hand the envelope to you, an envelope with a check for $1,000. Michelle: I just want to say thank you so much to everybody. When I was teaching at the Colorado Center for the Blind, Julie Deden gave me the opportunity to find my passion: working with the elementary camp and working with those children. And I want nothing more than to see our kids succeed. I want to see them have a beautiful, bright future like I have had, and an opportunity to get to know our Federation so we can continue to grow together in love and in support of each other. Thank you so much. [PHOTO CAPTION: Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award, obverse side of the medallion] [PHOTO CAPTION: Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award, reverse side of the medallion] Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards Presented by James Gashel Thank you, Mr. President, thank you fellow Federationists. Again it is my high honor to come before you to present the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards for 2014. A biography entitled The Blind Doctor: The Jacob Bolotin Story by Rosalind Perlman and published by Blue Point Books is available from the National Federation of the Blind Independence Market. I'll tell you, I read The Blind Doctor. I consider, along with all of our other Federation literature, this one ought to be one of the classics. You all ought to read the Jacob Bolotin story [applause]. As is true of our winners this year, the Jacob Bolotin story is a story of dogged determination in spite of incredible odds. Dr. Bolotin was born in 1888, and he died in 1924 at age thirty-six; he actually worked himself to death. If you read the book, you'll know. Although his years were few, his accomplishments were many. And you know what? He didn't have it nearly as easy as we do today. He didn't have the KNFB Reader running on the iPhone. Lacking financial resources after attending the Illinois School for the Blind, Jacob Bolotin worked to support his family members and himself. He worked in Chicago selling kitchen matches, brushes, and even typewriters door-to-door. Although the hours were long and the work was hard, he made a success out of these businesses. He even made enough money to put himself through medical school to become a licensed doctor, and he was the only blind person to do so at that time. He had no Rehabilitation Act, no ADA, no Section 504, and no NFB to back him up. But, in the spirit of Newel Perry, Jacobus tenBroek, Kenneth Jernigan, Marc Maurer, and Mark Riccobono, Dr. Bolotin blazed a trail for all of us to follow, and we are walking in his footsteps. [applause] In every way that counts, in fact if not in name, Jacob Bolotin was a Federationist. He was a Federationist before the Federation existed. These qualities-a standard of excellence, a pioneering spirit, and a pioneering vision-they are foremost on our minds as we review the people and projects that you nominate each year. When I announce this year's winners in a few minutes, I think you will agree that all of them have met the test. The funding support for this program comes from a bequest from the Alfred and Rosalind Perlman Trust, which was left to the Santa Barbara Foundation and the National Federation of the Blind. Rosalind Perlman was Dr. Bolotin's niece. This year we have $50,000 to award to four recipients. In a moment I'll specify the amount of the awards for each, but I'll talk about the plaque that they will also receive. Here are the words on the plaque: Presented to name of the recipient by the National Federation of the Blind and the Santa Barbara Foundation July 2014. The medallion which is suspended over the plaque has print on both sides. The text on the obverse side reads: "The Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award," with the logo of the National Federation of the Blind, and immediately below the logo these words: "CELEBRATING ACHIEVEMENT, CREATING OPPORTUNITY." And on the reverse side these words: "Dr. Jacob Bolotin" with a depiction of his bust, then the dates of his birth and his death below that, then finally these words: "CELEBRATING HIS LIFE/THE ALFRED AND ROSALIND PERLMAN TRUST." Now for the 2014 Jacob Bolotin Awards. For our first recipient, representing exemplary individual achievement and outstanding service on behalf of the blind of the United States, we recognize Scott LaBarre. We recognize Scott with an award of $10,000. Scott LaBarre is a lawyer. He's not just any lawyer. Scott's achievements and efforts to represent the blind in civil rights cases throughout the country are known very well. The Iowa Supreme Court knows Scott LaBarre, and the Palmer Chiropractic Institute knows Scott LaBarre. Five years ago we asked Scott to go off and get an international treaty adopted so blind people around the world could get greater access to books. Nothing is too big for Scott to wrap his arms around. Advocates for the blind, led primarily by the World Blind Union and the National Federation of the Blind, were in favor of having a treaty, but there were others that weren't. That included book publishers, motion picture studios, and the like. Scott took this on, and he's nothing if he isn't tenacious. Throughout a series of international meetings held biannually and a lot of work in between, during 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and some of the work done in 2013, Scott never failed in representing the blind of the United States, and he never faltered in his belief that this would be done and could be done. Even though there was only a glimmer of hope of succeeding in the end, Scott kept at it and finally, in June of 2013, just days before the National Federation of the Blind Convention last year, Scott's persistent persuasion prevailed in snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. The treaty, which has been mentioned this week, was adopted. There's more to come. Scott has to get it through the US Senate. That's a tall order. When you think of the right to read, the right to learn, and the right to be literate, when you think of successful advocacy by leaders of the blind who stand tall on behalf of protecting rights and winning new rights for blind people, you should think of Scott LaBarre. Here to accept the award is Scott LaBarre. [PHOTO CAPTION: Scott LaBarre] Scott LaBarre: Dr. Maurer, President-elect Riccobono, members of the board, Jim Gashel (who was my first boss and first tremendous mentor), and my Federation family: this is indeed an honor. I could not have done it without all of you. When I think of Dr. Bolotin, I think of a pioneer, an early torchbearer whom we could later follow. His work stood for the principle of equal opportunity, and I have no doubt that the work we did with Marrakesh will create that opportunity because it opens up the information flow. But I also want to tell you that recently I've been thinking of Dr. Bolotin for another reason. I've been thinking of Dr. Bolotin because of Aaron Cannon, because, if Jacob Bolotin could be a practicing, successful medical doctor in the 1920s, there's no reason in the world why Palmer should deny Aaron Cannon from being a chiropractor in the twenty-first century. Let me just end really quickly with what I told the Iowa Supreme Court. I quoted from Dr. Bolotin himself when he was becoming a licensed physician and he said about that fact, "Well, is there anything so remarkable about it? Because a man has no eyes is it any sign that he hasn't any brains? That is the trouble with the world and the blind man. All the blind man asks is fair play. Give him an equal chance without prejudice, and he generally manages to hold his own with his more fortunate colleagues." That's what Dr. Bolotin said, that's what we believe. I thank you Federation family; I thank my family Anaheit, Alexander, and Emily; thank you very much, Mr. Gashel. Jim Gashel: For our second recipient, representing exemplary organizational achievement, we recognize the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri and its parent advocacy program for blind parents. This is with an award of $10,000. When Erica Johnson and Blake Sennet arrived at Centerpoint Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, they were just two parents getting ready to give birth to their first child, and they were in every way normal parents. They were going to have a girl, they had already named her, she was going to be called Mikaela, and that means "somebody who resembles God." In every sense imaginable Erica and Blake were and are a normal couple, but not so as that is understood by the state of Missouri. Upon receiving a report that a baby had been born to a blind couple in Kansas City, a protective services agent (they'd probably say a social worker) swooped into the hospital, snatched up the baby, and took her to foster care. To the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri, this is what you might call a teachable moment. Armed with an attorney and witnesses, the NFB of Missouri did its own swooping in to teach officials of the state a lesson that they should have learned. Two months after the baby was snatched away from Erica and Blake, a social worker from the state showed up at their home, brought Mikaela back, and two hours later our attorney got a fax saying the Department of Social Services was dropping the case: no explanation of why the baby was taken in the first place and no explanation of their high-handed conduct in this whole sordid affair. In the face of our NFB affiliate, the state of Missouri stood down, gave up. That wasn't enough. The NFB of Missouri at the next sitting of the legislature in Jefferson City got a bill passed to strengthen the rights of blind parents in that state to raise their own children. [applause] They've even made a video to teach the social workers how to behave. When you think of blind people raising their children to become competent, contributing, successful adults, when you think of facing down the power of the state and teaching the officials lessons about blindness they should have learned in school, then you should think of the NFB of Missouri and its Blind Parent Advocacy Program. Here to accept the award is Gary Wunder, president of the NFB of Missouri. Gary Wunder: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, Mr. President, board of directors, and all of the people who made this possible. It's a great thing to come before you today and receive this award. We decided that we would do this video when we went to Children's Protective Services and they said, "You know, we don't want to be treated this way anymore, and we don't want to treat people this way anymore. How do we change it?" We said, "Well, we'd like to come and talk to you." They said, "Okay, there are 114 counties, and you'll probably have to come talk to us every year or year and a half because of the turnover." We said, "Oh my goodness, how do we do that?" So we decided we would make a video, and they would incorporate it into their training. The main person responsible for this was Carol Coulter, and this is another Federation victory because you'll remember that in 1986 Carol was denied the right to be licensed by the state of Missouri as a childcare worker, and now she runs her own business. You guys made that happen. We made the video, we're going to distribute the video, and we're going to make it such that blind people in the state of Missouri and the nation can parent without fear. Thank you. Jim Gashel: Now for our third recipient, demonstrating exemplary leadership on behalf of the blind, this year we recognize the Parent Leadership Training Program conducted by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children with an award of $10,000. The challenge of becoming a parent to an impressionable and precious little child is just part of the normal human experience as children are born, advance through school, become adults, have babies of their own, and pass the torch along to the next generation. We've been passing the torch all week here. So it's part of the normal human experience. I know there are books written on this, but I've always wondered, why doesn't each kid come with a help file or an owner's manual, so we know exactly what to do when things just don't go right. Now imagine if the parents of the child are sighted, and then the child is blind or becomes blind. Where is the help file for that? Well it's the Parent Leadership Training Program and the NOPBC, that's where it is. Launched eight years ago, the Parent Leadership Program is a two-year training program providing parents of blind children with the skills they need to become effective advocates for their children while they also develop the skills to become leaders within their localities and, in fact, a national network to make sure that no blind child is left behind. When you think of believing in blind children as ordinary children who just can't see, when you think of reaching out and lifting up sighted parents so they are empowered to raise their blind children as normal human beings, when you think of selfless service to help others in need to know how to solve a problem, you should think of the NOPBC Parent Leadership Training Program. And here to accept the award on behalf of the NOPBC Parent Leadership Training Program is Carlton Walker. Carlton Walker: [Ms. Walker speaks with a voice which has obviously been over-stressed by convention and her allergies.] As a parent you know we give it all. I thank the Bolotin committee as chaired by Mr. Gashel, President Maurer, President-elect Mark Riccobono, and the entire Federation family. We all know a child needs a loving, supportive environment in order to thrive. Members of the NOPBC, a proud division of the National Federation of the Blind [cheers, applause], we know our children receive just such an environment here in our NFB family. We are committed to sharing this truth with every parent of every blind child. We are grateful to the Bolotin Committee for this award, which will enable us to continue nurturing parent leaders across our nation. Thank you all. Jim Gashel: And now for our fourth and final recipient this year. You can count as well as I can-you've got three $10,000 awards going out so far, right? We've got $50,000 to give out, right? To represent exemplary performance on behalf of blind people we recognize the National Blindness Professional Certification Board [cheers] with our highest award this year, which is an award of $20,000. Now you know one of the shameful truths in the blindness services profession is the propensity of professionally trained sighted workers to believe that they and not the blind know what's good for the blind. But blind people have not been silent bystanders in the face of these kinds of lofty pronouncements from these learned professionals, especially when they write them up in the journals they control. In 1981 the only organization that was then available to certify professionals in work with the blind refused to certify Fredric K. Schroeder even though he had completed all of the academic and practical experience requirements necessary to be certified as an orientation & mobility instructor. In the intervening years laws were passed which encouraged personnel standards that required certification. But the same laws also required nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, which you've heard about this week. Enter the National Blindness Professional Certification Board. Responding to a growing body of legal requirements, both related to personnel standards and nondiscrimination, the NBPCB is a voluntary organization of educators and rehabilitation specialists serving the blind. Its mission is to develop standards for certification of professional personnel, who provide services to blind persons throughout the country and to administer tests designed to assess their professional competence. Critical areas include orientation & mobility, Braille literacy, and certification of adjustment-to-blindness programs. Most important of all, the NBPCB's standards give full respect to the competencies and capabilities of blind people working in these programs. In becoming widely recognized and accepted as a reliable certification authority, the NBPCB has brought equality to the blind and put an end to second-class treatment of the blind in the profession of serving the blind. When you think of exploding myths by more enlightened understanding, when you think of courage to believe in blind people in the face of others who do not, and when you think of shaking the blindness profession to its core and changing that profession forever, think of the National Blindness Professional Certification Board. It is a high honor to recognize the president of the NBPCB to accept this award, Dr. Fredric K. Schroeder. [PHOTO CAPTION: Fredric Schroeder] Fredric Schroeder: Thank you very much, my Federation family. The board has really done some amazing things, and really its formulation is pretty straightforward: we work based on the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind. We start with the assumption that blind people can live the lives they want to live. We believe in blind people, and, when the established profession wouldn't certify blind people to teach orientation & mobility, we created a certification standard which, in my opinion, is the gold standard in certifying orientation & mobility specialists. We have taken affirmative steps to address the crisis in Braille literacy and have now certified many people as competent in literary Braille, and the same with our training centers using the Federation philosophy as our foundation. We look at training programs in terms of do they really fulfill the promise of providing the encouragement and the skills that blind people need. Thank you very much for this recognition. Thank you, Dr. Schroeder. Dr. Maurer, Mark Riccobono, and fellow Federationists: these are the distinguished and very deserving members of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award class of 2014. Thank you to Ron Brown and Mary Ellen Jernigan for their enlightened experience and intelligent review of all of the applications that various ones of you submitted this year. Their help in doing this is invaluable. Mr. President, this concludes my report and the presentation of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin awards for 2014. [PHOTO CAPTION: Sam Gleese accepting the Dr. Jacobus tenBroek Award] Dr. Jacobus tenBroek Award Presented by Ramona Walhof During a discussion about public relations a consultant said to us that he thought we had both prestige and widespread recognition as a leading force in work with the disabled in many if not most states. He said, "You don't need a Jerry Lewis or a movie star. You need and you have blind leaders who are effective and hardworking, have good knowledge, and have a high level of caring for other blind people." We have long understood that love is the glue and the mortar that bind the Federation together and make us strong. No one demonstrates the truth of this thesis better than the man we have chosen tonight to honor with the Jacobus tenBroek Award. He is a national leader of course, and in his home state he is loved and respected by the blind, by the legislature, by city and state officials, and by thousands of other citizens. The tenBroek Award was created in the 1970s and has been presented thirty-one times to NFB leaders from nineteen states. This year the members of the selection committee are Barbara Loos, Jim Gashel, and I. We have chosen to honor a man from a twentieth state, a man who has served as president of his state affiliate since 1986 and as a member of the board of directors since 1992. He is a man who is loved and respected by the blind and the sighted. Are you ready? Sam Gleese, will you make your way to the platform? [prolonged applause] Although Sam was blind as a child, he did not know it. He struggled to see, to read, to fill out paperwork throughout high school and college. But he received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Jackson State College in 1970. Also in 1970 Sam married his lifelong partner, Vanessa Smith. Their daughter Nicole was born in 1976. Sam worked for a grocery store chain through the 1970s and received promotions up to assistant department manager. In 1979, however, his retinas detached, and he lost his remaining vision. Then he was forced for the first time to learn the alternative skills of blindness. He soon moved into more leadership positions. A year after beginning his training, Sam was a volunteer counselor at the training center where he had taken training. Having taught Sunday school through the 1970s at Mission Baptist Church, he became a deacon in the church in 1980. After his training Sam and Vanessa ran a tax preparation business for a few years, and he worked at a sheltered workshop in order to have year-round income. Sam became a senior associate pastor at College Hill Baptist Church in the 1990s and continues to serve there today, along with other things. In 1983 Sam attended his first NFB convention. This was a major turning point in his life. Two years later he was elected president of his local chapter, and, as I said, in 1986 he became state president. Blacks were not permitted to work in the Randolph-Sheppard Program in Mississippi until 1980. However, in 1985 Sam entered the Randolph-Sheppard Program, and he was assigned the worst facility in the state. He worked for two years and improved that location and was assigned a better one. He also worked to improve the entire program throughout Mississippi and did a lot. In 1994 he was awarded one of the best locations in Mississippi. He and Vanessa worked together there for the next six years. Sam's work with the blind and disabled has spread the Federation message far and wide in Mississippi. In 1999 he was appointed to chair the first Mayor's Advisory Committee on Disabilities. Also in 1999 he was confirmed by the Jackson City Council as the first blind person to serve on the Jackson Hines Public Library Administrative Board, which supervises libraries throughout seven towns in the county. Sam worked with people with disabilities in AmeriCorps. Then he was employed as an independent living specialist for LIFE (which stands for Living Independence for Everyone). He works statewide as the director for the Project for the Healthy Futures Grant, assisting disabled youth from fourteen to twenty-one. Sam has worked for several years and continues to work as a compliance coordinator for the city of Jackson in the Americans with Disabilities Office. He has served on numerous IEP teams, and he has mentored numerous blind Mississippians. Those who attended last year's convention will not forget Casey Robertson, the young blind teacher of blind children, who made an excellent presentation at that convention and credits Sam Gleese for guiding her in her work with the legislature. Sam works closely with the members of the Mississippi Legislature and the US Congress. The lead sponsor of our Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act is Congressman Gregg Harper of Mississippi. Congressman Harper also spoke at last year's NFB convention and said that his family and the Gleeses are close friends. People from Mississippi tell me that the most notable thing about Sam Gleese is his big heart, and we see it in the hours Sam works and the quality of his work throughout the state and the country. Sam, this is why we have selected you tonight to honor you with the highest award we can give a member of the Federation: the Jacobus tenBroek Award. We give it to you with respect and with love. We are proud of your accomplishments, we are proud to have you as our brother, and we are proud to give you this plaque. The plaque reads: JACOBUS TENBROEK AWARD NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND PRESENTED TO SAM GLEESE FOR YOUR DEDICATION, SACRIFICE, AND COMMITMENT ON BEHALF OF THE BLIND OF THIS NATION. YOUR CONTRIBUTION IS MEASURED NOT IN STEPS BUT IN MILES, NOT BY INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES BUT BY YOUR IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF THE BLIND OF THE NATION. WHENEVER WE HAVE ASKED, YOU HAVE ANSWERED. WE CALL YOU OUR COLLEAGUE WITH RESPECT. WE CALL YOU OUR FRIEND WITH LOVE. JULY 6, 2014 And it's got the new logo. Sam Gleese: Dr. Maurer, President-elect Riccobono, my Federation family: My wife wouldn't believe I'm speechless right now; it's not too often I get to a place where I don't know what to say. For thirty-one years I've been at this convention and always guessed at who was getting the Jacobus tenBroek Award. Never in my wildest imagination would I have thought it would be me. I'm humble, and I'm proud. I'm proud because in 1983 I found the organization that shaped my future and destiny. I don't know where I'd be without the NFB in my life, because it gave me structure and direction. It's amazing that I was here when Dr. Jernigan transitioned to Dr. Maurer, and I remember when Mark Riccobono got elected to the Wisconsin state affiliate, and now he's our president-elect. This is the greatest organization for people, not only in America, but around the world. I love you, I cherish you, and you shall forever be in my thoughts. They always ask me, "Where are you on the Fourth of July?" I'm at my family reunion, because the Federation is my family. Thank you and God bless. [PHOTO CAPTION: Judy Brewer accepting Newel Perry Award from Dr. Maurer] Newel Perry Award Presented by Marc Maurer We have two awards that we give in the National Federation of the Blind. One is an award that comes to a person who is within the organization, and one is an award that comes to a person who has been outside the organization but has made substantial contributions worthy of recognition. We have a committee to present this award, which is chaired by Allen Harris. Allen Harris asked me if I would make the presentation today on behalf of the committee, and I ask that the recipient come forward now so that we may talk about the work that you have done. I will start by saying that we have named one of our awards, which we have just had presented, after our founding president, that is, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, who led us for many years. He started in 1940, and he continued as our principal leader (although he wasn't always our president) until 1968. It has not been lost upon me that that might be thought of as twenty- eight years. He had a teacher. That was Dr. Newel Perry. Dr. Newel Perry was a person who was blind himself and had a PhD in mathematics and some published papers in mathematics at a time when no blind person anywhere was teaching very much anywhere. He spent years with his published papers and his graduate degrees trying to find a job. Eventually he was offered a job to instruct students at the California School for the Blind, and it was fortunate for us. Because he met and trained Dr. tenBroek, and Dr. tenBroek's restless mind imagined that there could be a national organization, and the National Federation of the Blind came into being. Dr. Perry was the teacher of our first president and our first teacher. He caused enormous change to occur that has been beneficial to blind people and to disabled people in this country and around the world. That spirit is the spirit that we use for our Newel Perry Award. Our recipient has done the same, has brought imagination to the work of promoting the interests of disabled and blind people and has caused enormous change in this country and around the world. Her name is Judy Brewer. She directs the Web Accessibility Initiative at the World Wide Web Consortium. She works on web accessibility, ensuring that the guidelines which come in the work she does are offering accessible technology in web content, browsers, media players, mobile devices, authoring tools, and other computer elements that are used in the development of access technology or technology which, if it implements these guidelines, would provide equal access for disabled people. The work that she has done has been adopted by many governments around the world and occasionally by the government of the United States. I think that it has an actual recognition of the standards that she has caused to come into being, but sometimes it does not follow the standards. Consequently, she has also the distinction of having provided a good deal of employment to lawyers that we know. But we couldn't have the kind of success that we find in the legal arena without the standard. The standard has to come first. One of the arguments that works always in the legal system is that there is no way to do it, that the impossibility is there, that an accepted mechanism for getting to the place of accessibility does not exist. And, when she put together the World Wide Consortium standard, which has provided accessibility in the development of all these products, there was a mechanism to do it. I invite Judy Brewer to come up. I want to give you this award from us in recognition of your work. It says: NEWEL PERRY AWARD THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND In recognition of courageous leadership and outstanding service. The National Federation of the Blind bestows the Newel Perry Award Upon Judy Brewer our colleague, our friend, our sister on the barricades; You champion our progress; You strengthen our hopes; You share our dreams. July 6, 2014 I will also give you the Braille copy which has helped me remember the words in their proper order. Judy Brewer: Thank you so much, Dr. Maurer. I am so very deeply honored to receive this recognition from the National Federation of the Blind. In a room full of advocates I am completely humbled. I am very moved by the intense energy here tonight. The advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind under the great inspiration and strong leadership of Dr. Maurer has highlighted the important expectations of the blindness community that the technology of today and in the future must be accessible and has helped drive important changes in the field. I have to say that Anne Taylor said this would be a surprise. If you ever need someone to keep a secret, she's the right person to do that. I was told I could make a few very brief comments. The web is access to the world. For people with disabilities it's an essential aspect of access to information and to interaction. We live in a time when so much of technology is converging onto the web, that if, as people with disabilities, we do not do our utmost to ensure that all of these critical technologies are usable by us, then we will be deprived of so much access to the benefits of the information society. At the World Wide Web Consortium, Web Accessibility Initiative, based at MIT and several organizations internationally, we have the opportunity to develop consensus- based, cross-disability guidelines, standards, and educational materials in partnership with all stakeholder groups, including people with disabilities, industry, government, and research. As a person with a disability, this is personally very important to me, and it's also very important to W3C's vision of what the web should be. What we've been able to accomplish so far in the Web Accessibility Initiative has been the result of many individuals and organizations contributing their efforts from around the world. We welcome deeper involvement from the NFB in our work at the design stage of technology standards, as in partnership we work to ensure that all of the technologies that converge onto the web can and will be accessible. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be working there in this collaborative effort and deeply grateful for the recognition of the work of the Web Accessibility Initiative from the National Federation of the Blind. Thank you so very much. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: The Scholarship Class of 2014 >From left to right: Back row: Shawn Berg, Craig Alan Cooper, Derek Manners, Alan Chase, Jonathan L. Franks, Cynthia L. Bennett, Candice L. Chapman, Mark Turley, Emily Mae Pennington, Alex Jay Anderson Middle row: Isaiah G. Wilcox, Anya Avramenko, Katelyn Alexandra MacIntyre, Cathy Gaten, Rebecca Joy Leon, Deja M. Powell , Meesha Johnson, Stanley E. Ingram Jr., Justin Howard Williams, James Alan Boehm Front row: Amber R. Kraft, Elizabeth Muhammad, Lucy Sidi, Yevgeniya V. Pankova, Anna Rose Walsh, Alana M. Leonhardy, Amanie Toni Riley, Bev S. Weiler, Sarah B. Patnaude, Hayden Wallace Dahmm] Meet the 2014 National Federation of the Blind Scholarship Class *** From the Editor: With every passing year we recognize the increasing value of the National Federation of the Blind's scholarship program to our national organization. Members of previous scholarship classes stream back to take part in convention activities and assume responsibility, doing anything that they can see needs to be done, including serving as mentors during the following year for the members of the current scholarship class. Each July everyone looks forward to meeting the new scholarship class and to hearing what its members are doing now and planning to do in the future. This year's class had three tenBroek winners, meaning that they have been previous recipients of a National Federation of the Blind scholarship. The first appearance of the class at a convention session occurred during the meeting of the board of directors. Members were introduced by Chairman Patti Chang, who gave their names, their home states, and their school states. Here is what they said about themselves: Alex Anderson, New Jersey, Massachusetts: Hi, everybody. I don't get too much time to talk, so let me be quick here. I don't think I'm that fantastic, but apparently a lot of people do, or else I wouldn't be here. So I want to thank everyone and make everyone who put me here a promise: I will live up to and exceed every expectation set for me, and I'm declaring that now because that's how I'm going to live the rest of my life. Anya Avramenko, Kansas, Kansas: Hello, everyone. My name is Anya; I'm from Ukraine. I came to America in 2008 as an exchange student in the Future Leaders Exchange Program. I lived with Jennifer and Dan Wenzel; many of you know these people. They were the first ones who introduced me to the spirit of independence of the National Federation of the Blind. In 2012 I was very fortunate to be granted a scholarship to attend the Colorado Center for the Blind, and I'm proud to say I graduated from the center. Despite extreme financial hardships I managed to start my schooling at Emporia State University, and a large part of this accomplishment is the great financial help from the NFB of Colorado and Kansas (I was a state scholarship winner). Now I'm going to Emporia State University, majoring in communication with a Spanish minor, and I want to become a legal interpreter one day. I'm thankful to the Federation for the trust and all the opportunities I've been given. I'm going to be an active member and try to give back in any way I can. Thank you. Cindy Bennett, Washington, Washington: Good morning, and thank you. One of my challenges at work is that I have to ask my colleagues to use different information-sharing and collaboration technologies because the preferred ones are not currently accessible. This is very frustrating, and I want to do something about it. As I pursue a PhD in human-centered design at the University of Washington, I want to dedicate my research to improving the accessibility of education tools so that all students can be empowered by the content in our lessons, rather than frustrated by poorly designed products. Thank you so much, and I look forward to getting to know you this week. Shawn Berg, Washington, Arizona: Hello, everyone. Yes, I do hail from the magical land of apples known as Washington. I'm studying mechanical engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which is in Prescott, Arizona, and I'm also minoring in aerospace engineering, mathematics, and business. Hopefully I plan on going into either aerospace design or automotive design, and hopefully designing things that help the world be more accessible for us. Thank you. James Boehm, Tennessee, Tennessee: I'd like to thank the committee. It is an honor and a privilege to be one of the thirty recipients of the NFB scholarships. We may be thirty, but we are one front, one mission in building the Federation, reflecting the flame of what it means to be blind. As president of my local chapter and the state Guide Dog Division as well as secretary for the state of Tennessee, I cannot wait to return home to reflect and share the energy that we have had here at the convention and move them as I have been moved. Thank you. Candice Chapman, Minnesota, Minnesota: Good morning, fellow Federationists. I would like to begin by thanking the scholarship committee and my Federation family for this opportunity. It is my goal to become a university counselor. As a counselor in the university setting, I will be working with people and connecting every day in forming relationships. When people reflect on these relationships that we form, they won't remember that I was a blind counselor; they'll remember that I was a counselor who happened to be blind. Your investment in me will help me to achieve this as I start my master's program in educational psychology in the fall. Thank you. Alan Chase, North Carolina, North Carolina: First I'd like to thank the committee and the national board and of course all of you, my Federation family, for making this opportunity possible. Currently I'm a doctoral student at North Carolina State University. I'm studying educational administration, and I am very passionate about building community amongst the Federation and amongst people who are visually impaired. I'm also very passionate about helping people to transition to higher education. I've demonstrated that by serving as the president of the North Carolina Association of Blind Students and building our membership and building community amongst our student division. But more importantly I've also created a summer camp for students with visual impairments to learn the skills that they need in order to be successful in higher education. It is my goal and vision that, like our BELL Program and other initiatives of the Federation, at some point in the future the Envisioning Youth Empowerment (EYE) Retreat will also be something that is offered throughout the country as part of our Federation. Thank you. Craig Cooper, Oregon, Oregon: Thank you very much. It's an honor and a privilege to be here this morning. Fifteen years ago I did mornings on a radio station in Shreveport, Louisiana, and we were discussing ideas for raising a thousand toys for kids at Christmastime. I said, "Well, I'll go up on the radio station billboard until we get a thousand toys." You could have heard a pin drop in that room as they contemplated the idea of a blind guy falling off the billboard. Well, I didn't fall off the billboard; I was up there for three days, we raised the thousand toys, and the underprivileged kids got a Christmas. Ten years ago Hurricane Ivan is headed for the Gulf Coast, and I'm afternoons on WTVY in Dothan, Alabama. We said, "We've got to cover this; this is serious; there's going to be tornados and such." So I anchored the coverage with my team on all our radio stations in Dothan on the eighth floor of an office building. We covered it all night, and the next day a woman called me on the request line and said, "Thank you so much. We were in the closet, we had no power, the wind was coming up, the tornado sirens were going off, and all we had was y'all. And y'all were telling us what to do, and y'all were calm. Thank you." And I hung up the phone, and I was crying, that was-wow, powerful. And last year as part of my training to be a teacher (I'm in the master's program at Southern Oregon University), I was able to mentor and tutor kids- learning disabilities, kids with autism and such, and that gave me a great feeling as well. I'm going into teaching because I want to bring out the best in kids, and I consider it an absolute blessing to be here this morning. I'm eager and willing and happy to give back to the Federation in any way I can, so please let me know how. Thank you. Hayden Dahmm, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania: Good morning, everybody. I am a senior studying engineering at Swarthmore College, and I'm the first blind student there in several years. So as a result being in the presence of hundreds of blind individuals is moving confirmation for me that I am not alone. I intend to continue my studies of environmental engineering, and I would also like to continue designing access tools so that blind individuals can have equal opportunities in STEM disciplines. I am blind as a consequence of being born over three months prematurely. When I was in the neonatal intensive care unit, a nurse said to my mother, "Miss, your son is never going to be a rocket scientist." I realize now that it is true; I will never be a rocket scientist-not because I am unable, but because I wish to do other things. The NFB testifies to me and proves to me that, just because limitations might be assumed from birth, we the blind can pursue whatever dreams we wish to. Thank you so much for making this opportunity. Jonathan Franks, Texas, Texas: Good morning, everyone. I am pursuing a bachelor's in social work with a minor in psychology at the University of Texas. Eventually I'll also be pursuing a master's degree in social work and become a licensed clinical social worker so I can work with children. I am also a proud member of the board of the NFB of Texas, Austin chapter. I am a NEWSLINE? trainer for high school, middle school, and college students, and I am also an avid legislative advocate for the state of Texas. I am also a certified diabetes advocate for the American Diabetes Association and am on the board of the Hook the Cure-Diabetes Awareness student organization at the University of Texas. I am truly honored to be here. Thank you. Cathy Gaten, California, California: Good morning, Dr. Maurer, board members, and Federationists. Being selected for this award is truly an honor. When someone recognizes your hard work, it's a confidence-builder. I would like to thank the scholarship committee for their belief in me and let them know that it's not going to be in vain. I plan to give back until it hurts. Thank you from the depths of my heart. Stanley Ingram, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania: Greetings to my NFB family. I'm grateful, honored, and proud to be a member of the 2014 NFB scholarship class. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for allowing this to happen today. I'm studying for my MBA, and I will be a project manager and work with and for the NFB to continue the work of our founders and leaders-Dr. tenBroek, Dr. Jernigan, and Dr. Maurer-to change the perceptions of the capabilities of the blind in this world and in the United States of America. Thank you. Meesha Johnson, New York, New York: Hello. Good morning, fellow Federationists. My name is Meesha Johnson. I am from Long Island, New York. I'm a single mother, and I'm a student at Suffolk County Community College, studying in the field of human services and law. I am also a double transplant recipient in August of 2010, and I just found out that one of the other finalists here is also a recipient, so I'm thinking that that's a new division that we may need to start here. A lot of people keep asking me how I am enjoying this. This is my first convention that I've ever been to, and I'm going to say what I've been telling everybody: this is not my last time. Thank you to the Federation for this honor, for the privilege of a scholarship to go toward my schooling. I am very thankful and grateful, and I'm grateful to be here. Thank you again. Amber Kraft, North Dakota, North Dakota: I would like to start off by saying thank you to everyone for making it possible for me to be here; it's an honor. I'm from Bismarck, North Dakota. I just graduated from high school last May. I want to major in computer science, and I actually started classes already at Bismarck State. I'm missing math class to be here this week. I just want to say thank you to everyone. Rebecca Leon, Tennessee, Tennessee: Good morning, everyone. I'm a social work major in Tennessee. I know that all of you here have dreams and aspirations. For some of you that may be traveling abroad or it may be going skydiving or making a cupcake. I encourage each of you to chase these dreams. For me, personally, my goal is to have a safe house for girls who have been trafficked and abused. I wish this to be a place where they can come and heal emotionally and mentally, where they will be taught music and art as therapies. I thank you all for having me here today and supporting me in my dreams. I choose to see every experience in life as an opportunity, a challenge, and an adventure, and I certainly see blindness in the same way. Thank you. Alana Leonhardy, Idaho, Idaho: Good almost-afternoon, fellow Federationists. I am not here because I crave the prestige. I am not here simply for the money (although that is nice). I am here because I want the ability to make a difference in somebody's life somewhere. I am studying psychology, perhaps a very common major. But my goal is maybe a little less common: I want to work specifically with women who have disabilities who have been abused. I don't know if I'll go to law school and do battle against the bad guys in the courtroom or if I'll stay on the front line and do crisis intervention in the hospital and the like. What I do know is that I want to be a powerhouse in the Federation and that I will be a force to be reckoned with. Thank you. Katelyn MacIntyre, Arizona, Pennsylvania: Hello, everyone, and thank you so much, Dr. Maurer, members of the board, and scholarship committee, and congratulations to my fellow finalists; it is such an honor to be among you all. I love music; music is my passion and my dream, and I love sharing that with other people. I believe that music is the language of the soul, and it truly transcends spoken language barriers and can reach such diverse audiences. To follow that, I'm studying a master's in music in vocal performance at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, starting this fall. I look forward to being a music educator and a concert performer. I sing everything from opera to jazz, and I love all kinds of music, so much so that I also enjoy studying music in culture (also known as ethnomusicology.) I'm a volunteer at the musical instrument museum, and I'm pursuing an opera program in Austria immediately after the convention this summer. So I'm thankful for the many opportunities I've had to perform around the world and share my music with diverse audiences, and I'm truly honored to be a part of this scholarship class. Thank you, and I'm enjoying my time at the NFB convention. Derek Manners, Massachusetts, Massachusetts: Hello, new family. My name is Derek Manners. I'm about to start my second year at Harvard Law School. I graduated from the University of Texas-hook'em Horns-summa cum laude with my economics in government degree. I am looking forward to putting all of that long, hard-fought, and expensive education to work for the NFB. I realized pretty quickly when I first got here that the scholarship money isn't the real prize of this convention; it is the opportunity to get to meet all of you and to participate and to learn the opportunities I can do to get to work. Elizabeth Muhammad, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania: Thank you to everyone who has made it possible for me to be here today. In the fall I will be a freshman at Bryn Mawr College majoring in political science and minoring in journalism. I have always been sure of my academic goals, but I have not always been 100 percent sure of my career goals. That is until yesterday, when I had the opportunity to have a great conversation with a man who helped me figure this out. Opportunity, advancement, and certainty: that is what the NFB means to me, and that is why I will continue on in this great organization. Thank you. Yevgeniya "Zhenya" Pankova, Massachusetts, Massachusetts: Hi, everyone. My name is Zhenya Pankova. I was born in Russia, but I moved to the US when I was three, so I'm fluent in both English and Russian. In the fall I'm going to be an incoming freshman at Bridgewater State University with a double major in special education and math. The reason I want to major in special education is because I've had such a strong support system throughout my life, and I want to give back. I want to let the kids know that they can be fully independent, no matter what they do, and that they can reach for the stars. I'd like to thank the committee for allowing me to be here today so that I could reach for the stars and reach my goals. Thank you. Sarah Patnaude, Virginia, Virginia: Good morning. Every day we raise expectations of blind individuals because low expectations create obstacles between blind individuals and our dreams. I want to thank the Federation for investing in every blind individual. I want to continue my work in the Federation by ultimately becoming a lawyer for the NFB or working in the advocacy and policy department at our National Center. On the first day of my internship, Dr. Maurer asked, "Who desires a seat at the table?" I am here today to promise you that I will take that seat. Thank you. Emily Pennington (tenBroek Fellow), Ohio, Ohio: Good morning, everyone. It is with great pleasure that I represent not only the wonderful scholarship class of 2014 but the great state of Ohio. I am a junior accounting major at Xavier University. I am hoping to pursue my MBA, law degree, and master's in taxation to become a tax lawyer. Aside from that, I'm ready to immerse myself in the Federation. This is my second convention, but I fully intend to be there for the one-hundredth in 2040. Thank you, everyone-have a great day. Deja Powell (tenBroek Fellow), Utah, Utah: Good morning. My name is Deja Powell, and my journey started back twelve years ago when I won my first scholarship from the National Federation of the Blind. I later went on to graduate with a master's degree in orientation and mobility, and I taught adults for a few years (yes, I'm a proud NOMC). Then I had this really mean boss named Dr. Eddie Bell, and he came to me and said, "There's some blind kids in our city, and they aren't going to get O & M instruction unless you teach them." I had no intentions of teaching kids; of course I went and taught them, and I fell in love. I found my passion. I realized that blind kids deserve every opportunity possible; they deserve to be told that whatever they're dreaming and wanting to be, they can be. That's my goal. I'm working on my PhD in K-12 education so I can improve the lives of blind kids in the future. I want to say that I'm so grateful for this scholarship, and whatever you invest in me, you'll also invest in them, and I will introduce my students to the National Federation of the Blind. Amanie Reiley, New York, New York: Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to receive this scholarship and to speak before you today. This is my first convention, but definitely not the last. This convention is just a stepping stone to the numerous conventions that I will attend in the future. I am currently a senior at Mercy College in a combined bachelor- master's program; therefore I will graduate with my bachelor's degree in psychology and education next May and graduate with my master's in special education in 2016. After that I would like to go back to school to receive certifications to become a TVI because I'm a big advocate for Braille literacy and the use of assistive technology. Once again, thank you for this wonderful convention so far, and I'm looking forward to interacting with each and every one of you. Lucy Sidi, Illinois, Iowa: Hi, everyone. My name is Lucy, and I will be a freshman at Grinnell College in the fall. I'm considering a major in environmental science, but I hope to go on to law school and eventually become an advocate for the disabled and the mentally ill. This is my first NFB convention. I've never been to a gathering that was so empowering, and so far I've been really amazed with everything I've seen. Thank you so much for having me here today. Mark Turley, Utah, Utah: We just went from the youngest to the oldest. I'd like to first of all thank Dr. Maurer and the Scholarship Committee for giving me this opportunity. In 2005 I was lost. I had just lost most of my sight, I'd lost my twenty-year career in the Navy, and I had lost a lot of my self-esteem and self-worth. My family loved me, but they didn't know what to do. Then in 2007 I discovered the NFB, and I immediately took to its philosophy, and I found a home there. While I appreciate this scholarship, the NFB has already given me far more than this. When I was in church as a young kid, I was taught that, if you want to find yourself, then lose yourself in service. I currently serve as the chapter president in Salt Lake, and I'm on the board in Utah. I'm now pursuing a master's degree at the University of Utah in mathematics to pursue a new career in education teaching. I appreciate this very much; I love the NFB, and I'm a lifer. Anna Walsh, Alabama, Alabama: Good morning. Thank you for selecting me for this honor. In the fall I will be a freshman at Auburn University, where I will pursue a degree in political science. Afterwards I will attend law school because I have a strong desire to facilitate change in our society, and I believe that a good understanding of the law will help me in this effort. Through my involvement in the NFB, I have realized that I can pursue the life I want. Therefore, as I strive to achieve my goals, I will remain involved in the Federation, because it has given me far more than I ever expected. Thank you. Bev Weiler, Colorado, Colorado: Good afternoon. I was thinking as I was coming through the line how I've had some interesting congruences in my life. As a teenager I was working with hearing-impaired and multiply- handicapped students, and now I am a blind student. I ran lights for rock 'n roll out on the road, one of three women at that time in the country as a rock 'n roll roady, and now I have troubles with the light. Finally, I used to do seminars for the worldwide offices of Sun Microsystems, planning seminars for four hundred people, and here I am an honoree and attending a seminar with over two thousand people. Going from being a troubled teen to my master's degree now at Regis University, where I will work with troubled teens, I greatly appreciate the honor of the scholarship from NFB. Thank you very much. Isaiah Wilcox (tenBroek Fellow), Georgia, Georgia: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. First of all, thank you to Dr. Maurer and to the national board for reinvesting in me. It is truly an honor and a privilege to be here to enjoy this opportunity once again. I will be pursuing my MBA degree from Georgia Tech in the fall. But let me just take a step back and remind everyone that in 2008 I won the scholarship. That was the fuel that I needed to light my Federation fire, to go home, to start a student division, then to join the state board, and now to be the president of our Atlanta chapter. So this scholarship means much more than just the financial capability to graduate school. It means that you give us an opportunity to join the Federation and to get started. Again, thank you all for having me here today, and I look forward to meeting each and every one of you. Justin Williams, South Carolina, South Carolina: Hello, everybody. It is an honor and a privilege to be here. I attend the University of South Carolina, seeking my second master's degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling. My plan is to assist in a very aggressive way in ADA accessibility with the internet, with the web, and with reasonable accommodations and advocacy. The idea is to empower individuals with disabilities (whether they be blind or otherwise) to be independent and also to have accessibility so that some of those websites we're finding inaccessible-I'd like to at least look them over and then report them and let the right people help make them accessible. Like I said, this is my second master's degree. I've already worked at the commission for the blind as a JAWS trainer, a computer trainer for assistive technology. I've also run the Vanguard Rent-a-car Program for certifying individuals who are blind for customer service jobs. Also we've certified folks who were from vocational rehabilitation but weren't blind for these customer service positions. This has been a great week, I'm enjoying it, and I hear it's going to get even better. I appreciate the opportunities that the National Federation of the Blind has presented to me, and I look forward to being of service. Thank you very much. [PHOTO CAPTION: Deja Powell] On Sunday evening, July 6, following the annual banquet speech, Chairman Chang came to the podium to present the year's winners and announce which scholarships they had been awarded. This year the winners shook hands with President Maurer and Ray Kurzweil before they took their places on the platform. In addition to the NFB scholarship, each of the thirty winners received a $1,000 check and plaque from Ray Kurzweil, a Google Nexus 7 tablet for access to the Blio ebook reader from K-NFB Reading Technology, and a $1,000 cash award from Google. This package of gifts added over $2,500 of value to every scholarship award. After the scholarship class was introduced and the amount of each award was announced, Ms. Deja Powell was invited to address the convention in recognition of her winning the $12,000 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship presented by the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults. Here is what she said: Wow. Thank you so much to the committee, to Dr. Maurer for being such a great leader for me since I joined the Federation some thirteen years ago, and thank you to all of you, the members of the National Federation of the Blind, for giving me this scholarship today. You are part of the team. I have felt strongly that my dad has been with me this week. He died eight years ago of brain cancer. My dad and I owned a lawn mowing business when I was a senior in high school, and we called it Kicking Grass Lawn Care. I remember a day when we had just finished mowing the lawn together. We sat on the grass, and he said to me, "Deja, promise me something. (This is before he knew he had cancer.) Promise me that you'll find someone or something that will help you become the person you want to be." This week I've felt my dad here, and I know that this organization-the National Federation of the Blind-is exactly what he'd hoped for me. You have my guarantee that your investment in me will go to the education of blind kids. One little girl came to me this week on the Cane Walk and said to me, "Miss Deja, I just want you to know (her name is MaKenzie, she's awesome,) that I'm a real good cane traveler, and there's probably not a lot you're going to be able to teach me." And I love that, and I want that for every kid. So thank you so much for putting your trust and faith in me. Following is the complete list of 2014 scholarship winners and the awards they received: $3,000 NFB Awards: Alex Anderson, Anya Avramenko, James Boehn, Alan Chase, Craig Cooper, Hayden Dahmm, Jonathan Franks, Cathy Gaten, Stanley Ingram, Amber Kraft, Rebecca Leon, Alana Leonhardy, Derek Manners, Zhenya Pankova, Amanie Reiley, Lucy Sidi, Anna Walsh, Bev Weiler, and Justin Williams $3,000 The Oracle Scholarship for Excellence in Computer Science: Cindy Bennett $3,000 E.U. and Gene Parker Scholarship: Mark Turley $3,000 Charles and Melva T. Owen Scholarship: Isaiah Wilcox $5,000 NFB Awards: Meesha Johnson, Shawn Berg, and Emily Pennington $5,000 Larry Streeter Memorial Scholarship: Elizabeth Muhammad $7,000 NFB Scholarship: Sarah Patnaude $7,000 Donald and Betty Capps Leadership and Service Scholarship: Katelyn MacIntyre $10,000 Charles and Melva T. Owen Scholarship: Candice Chapman $12,000 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship (funded by the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults): Deja Powell ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Marc Maurer] The Challenge and the Limit An Address Delivered by Marc Maurer at the Banquet of the Annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind Orlando, Florida July 6, 2014 One meaning of challenge is a demand that a change be made to rectify inadequacy or correct error. Recognizing challenges that confront us, categorizing them appropriately, and managing them effectively is a fundamental element of human character. A person may avoid challenges entirely, confront them only when required to do so, welcome them, or cause them to occur. Which of these approaches is dominant will determine, in part, the character of the individual. Placing challenges in the appropriate category for action or not is the exhibition of judgment. Not all challenges deserve to be accepted. Some are trivial, and some are without merit for other reasons. However, an enormous number of challenges represent possible opportunity. Whether these should be accepted or rejected is determined by the value that might be achieved. When the demands of a challenge are accepted and met, the challenge becomes an opportunity. This is the excitement of challenge. What is practical to expect in confronting challenges for us? Where are the limits that exist in creating the change that we might reasonably want? When does the expectation of change become unrealistic? During the past several years I have sat with the children who have been in attendance at the meeting of the parents division of the National Federation of the Blind, the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. I take my place on the floor near the front of the room, and I invite those children who want to participate to join me. I say a few words about what we do in the National Federation of the Blind, and I ask the children if they have questions. One year a girl showed me her toy dog and explained to me that he barked. One year, when the KNFB Reader Mobile had just become available, I passed the one I was using to the children for them to examine as I explained what the device could do and how it had come to be built. The children ask all manner of questions. Recently, one boy, Drake Alberhasky, who lives in Missouri with his parents and his brothers and sisters, asked me how to build a time machine. I know a great many things, and he expected me to know how to build such a machine. When I admitted that I did not know, he was disappointed. However, I did not forget the question. When I was reading Dr. Ray Kurzweil's book, How to Create a Mind, I was intrigued by the description he offered of the mental experiments conducted by Albert Einstein. These experiments were necessary to the formulation of the special theory of relativity espoused by Einstein in his paper published in 1905. Until Einstein questioned the status quo, time and space were regarded as fixed and unalterable. However, Einstein concluded that, with the addition of acceleration to a body, time changes in its application to that body when compared to others that are moving at different speeds. Time is not immutable; it changes with circumstance. Because the speeds required to alter time are much greater than the ones we customarily experience, we do not generally notice how time is being altered, although the alteration at some speeds and distances on Earth is measurable. All of this was known to me before I read Dr. Kurzweil's book. However, the startling observation which I had not previously known is that the mathematics involved in the equations about the speed of light and the alteration of time do not preclude travel faster than light. A physical law may exist prohibiting faster than light travel, but the mathematics do not. Faster than light travel would cause time to move backward. Although I was intrigued by Dr. Kurzweil's observation, I wondered whether the idea deserved more than cursory consideration. However, I remembered what Dr. Kurzweil had written when I read a brief article in the December 28, 2013, Science News magazine. This article entitled "Below Absolute Zero, But Hot" tells us that the physicist Ulrich Schneider conducted an experiment in which potassium gas reached a temperature slightly below absolute zero. In my study of physics (which I admit occurred a long time ago), we were led to believe that no substance could travel faster than the speed of light and that no temperature could be achieved colder than absolute zero. These were thought to be limits to speed and temperature which had been created by the laws of physics-by the nature of the universe itself. If these limits do not restrict the properties of substances as they had been previously thought to do, what other possibilities may exist? I do not know how to build a time machine, but I do have at least an inkling about what is required to affect the passage of time. The mathematics involved might permit time to move backward. The concept of challenge suggests to many that the demand for change must come from an external source, but it can also come from within. Frequently the most difficult challenges come from ourselves-to ourselves. Within the National Federation of the Blind we have strengthened our organization and our members through a process that incorporates mutual respect and admiration with mutual challenge. We have challenged each other to have faith in ourselves and our colleagues. We have challenged each other to imagine a future filled with greater opportunity than has been true in our past. We have challenged each other to have the courage necessary to create a spirit of acceptance for the blind within our society. We have challenged each other to be leaders within our own movement and beyond it. We have challenged each other to alter forever the patterns of thought in our society that relegate us to the position of an undesirable group with less ability than can customarily be expected of others. We have challenged each other to build a kind of technology that gives us full access to information. We have challenged each other to construct the machines that provide us with independent transportation. We have challenged each other to become a participating element in every profession. When we have accepted these challenges, and when we have fulfilled the requirements inherent within them, we have strengthened ourselves and our movement. We have altered the nature of the future available to us all. We have become the architects of our own tomorrow. Limits have been created for us that circumscribe our opportunities for education, for employment, and for full participation in other activities of life. We have sometimes wondered just how limiting these limits are. What is there about a limit that makes the limitation real? When we have decided to challenge them, we have frequently met with criticism, but we have come to recognize that the limits must be challenged. We will take the limits that have been imposed upon us, and we will fashion them into the tools that will give us liberty. Liberty comes only to those who demand it, and the battles that surround such demands can be fierce. If need be we will take the limits and forge them into the armaments that will set us free. Liberty we must have, and demand it we will. We know what our lives can be, and we will live them to the fullest. In 1976 Frances Koestler released her book with the title The Unseen Minority: A Social History of Blindness in the United States. This intriguing title has irony because blindness is a conspicuous condition. We who are blind come to understand that we will be observed interminably-that anonymity is denied to us. However, the notoriety that we inspire often leaves us unrecognized for the people that we are. This pseudo-recognition leaves us unwelcomed and often isolated. This is a primary challenge in our lives. Though we are sometimes conspicuous, we are categorized out of society. We are observed but unknown. A number of years ago my wife Patricia and I (both of us are blind) bought a house (the first one we ever owned) and moved into a West Baltimore neighborhood. It was a homogeneous residential area containing many people who had lived in the same houses for a long time. After we had lived there for a few weeks, one of our neighbors remarked, "We don't mind if you people live in our neighborhood." This comment took me by surprise. It was meant to be a kindly welcome for the two of us, but the condescension was evident. Rather than saying "Welcome to the neighborhood," my neighbor said, "We give you our permission to live in the same place that we do. We are regular people, and you are not. Despite this, we don't mind if you stay." My neighbor would have been insulted had I replied to his comment that I didn't mind if he lived in the same neighborhood with me. He thought of me as different from him, unusual, and not an asset to his neighborhood. He had never considered that blind people might want to be a part of the same place that he inhabited and that such blind people might make valuable contributions. He only thought of blind people's participation in his part of the world when it became evident to him that there was very little he could do to stop it. How often this is the case with us. The schools, the colleges, the booksellers, the internet providers, the transportation engineers, the entertainment industry directors, the employers, the politicians, the purveyors of pharmaceutical products, the managers in the medical profession do not think of us as part of the group that will be participating in the activities they find important. The message is clear. We must ensure that they never forget who we are. We must meet the challenge presented by their assertion that we are an unimportant afterthought in their planning. We must insert our presence in all these activities of life with the spirit and determination that will change the assumptions that have been made about our incapacity or irrelevance. We must not wait for acceptance but demand it. We know what our lives can be, and we intend to live them to the fullest. Sometimes those who offer commentary about us observe only our blindness and not our talents as whole human beings. Because of their misunderstanding they become yet another challenge. Consider, for example, some of the advice about blindness found on the internet. The internet is, of course, not only a resource but a wasteland where anything is said and everything is written. However, a website entitled eHow.com, which contains substantial advice regarding blind people, offers citations to many authoritative sources. eHow.com has a number of recommendations for us, or perhaps for the people their authors believe are in charge of us. One section of their advice is entitled "How to Take Care of Blind People." This is part of what they say: Keep walkways clear. Clutter is potentially dangerous, even for the sighted. Keep the floors clear of clothing, furniture and other items that a visually impaired person may trip over. Let the person initiate touch. If she needs you to lead her somewhere, let her take your arm instead of grabbing hers. If you need to touch her, as with adjusting clothing or helping with grooming, warn her first. Such is language from eHow.com, and the only worthwhile comment is: How insufferably arrogant! When was it that I asked somebody to be responsible for taking care of me? Who authorized somebody else to decide what kinds of circumstance would authorize them to touch me or any of my possessions? Who would have the temerity to decide to adjust my clothing? Kevan Worley, in an attempt to find a method for making a point without becoming combative, has declared to a number of airline personnel that this day has been designated as "no grabbing blind people day." eHow believes that blind people must have somebody to take care of them. But there is more. Another piece is entitled "How to Feed a Visually Impaired Person." Included in this remarkable section is the following: Restock foods that the visually impaired person eats on a regular basis. This will make life easier for the person if he or she can get to the kitchen or pantry without aid. . . Don't fill cups and mugs completely when serving drinks to a blind person. Leave room at the top to avoid spills, especially with hot drinks. If necessary, help the person find the rim of the cup at first. Use non- spill containers. How does all of this strike you? When you attend an event at the Club, are you prepared to tell the person offering beverages that your glass should be only three-quarters full? Are you prepared to let the personnel know that anything else would be too dangerous for you? And yet, there is still more. The eHow experts have a section detailing "How to Entertain a Blind Person," listed in the part of the eHow presentation designated "Hobbies." Here is part of the language: When someone has poor eyesight, her other senses often are honed. Excite her taste buds with new and interesting meal options. Experiment with sweet and salty combinations, or maybe even a few spicy selections. Texture is also important, so add some crunchy toppings to soft pastas or rice for an interesting textural experience. I have this question. What is it about entertaining blind people that makes it a hobby? What self-respecting person would tolerate being perpetually somebody else's project? Independence, self-sufficiency, and self-assertion are essential to the human character. The assumption of eHow, however, is that these are absent when blindness comes. Why is it that there is not a segment teaching blind people how to entertain sighted people? This could be a new hobby for the blind. I sometimes entertain sighted people, and I frequently give them food- sometimes even spicy food. But I didn't realize that this is a hobby. Should I keep notes about how well the sighted people do and share them with other blind people who engage in this type of entertainment? Should we write a book about the best techniques for engaging the interest of the sighted? Should we create a website where we can display pictures and videos of sighted people being fed their spicy cuisine? How full should we fill their cups? The image presented about blind people in the eHow website is not the one that we know so well. It is a shriveled, desiccated conception of what we are. And we have a message for the creators of this site. Don't give us this malarkey. Don't blight and belittle our lives. Don't claim the position of experts. And don't continue the myth that our lot in life is to be subservient to others. Get it right, or give it up. The thinking behind the concept that blindness diminishes character and personality causes real damage. An article which appeared in The Sunday Times (U.K.) on May 11, 2014, describes a family with a daughter aged seven who is becoming blind but retains a significant amount of sight. The reaction to this circumstance is that the parents of this child are urging social service agencies and the public at large to assist in giving her the opportunity to see as many visual images of importance as possible before blindness takes forever her capacity to do so. Her parents have created a website which bears the title "Making Molly's Memories." The newspaper depicts the efforts of the family as "a race against time." Having been diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa in December, Molly is now being encouraged to want to have visual experience all over the world before she becomes blind. Her mom says on the website: All we can know is Molly's sight is deteriorating to a point where eventually she will lose her sight completely. All we can do as her parents, family, and friends is give her every life enhancing opportunity and experience whilst she still has her sight to make as many memories as possible. Molly loves the world and animals. She wants to explore everywhere she can while she can. The list of visual images being sought for Molly includes Buckingham Palace, a play in a theatre, and the pyramids in Egypt. Donations are requested to assist with travel. Already, ?63,000 has been contributed- something over $100,000. Viewing these things visually is undoubtedly worth doing. However, the damage comes from the implication that a life of joy and capacity will come to a close when vision is gone. What I am saying could easily be misunderstood. I do not oppose sight or the joys it can bring. I am well aware that visual experiences may be not just memorable but dramatic and moving. On the other hand those who do not possess sight also experience dramatic and moving elements of life. To suggest that these will no longer be available to this child is to limit severely her future. To say that nothing will remain for her except memories is to declare that the productive part of her life will be gone. This is the damage that is caused when blindness is equated with the diminution of personality. This is a tragedy that a little knowledge, a little thought, and a little faith could avoid. A similar piece is contained in The Daily Mail (U.K.) for May 1, 2012, entitled "Woman, 27, Warned She Faces Blindness after Tumour Op Draws up 'Bucket List' of World's Most Beautiful Places." In this article we are told: When Jade Salero was told she needed to undergo surgery which could leave her unable to see, she decided to see the world. The 27-year-old from Havant in Hampshire has been told she needs to have a major operation to remove a cyst from her brain. On being told that the procedure may leave her blind, Jade began drawing up a bucket list of idyllic locations she hoped to capture in her memory forever. She has pledged to visit world wonders such as Canada's Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States. . . . Jade said: "I just don't want to waste any time really, I want to concentrate on making myself happy. . . . "The surgeons have said to hold on for as long as I can and I'm going to do that because everything will change-the person who I am will change." . . . She added: "People still live when they are blind, it's the other things that worry me. "Your temper can be really affected as well as your personality. I can't imagine not being in control of myself." The fear of blindness described in this article contrasted with the joy of sight gives this depiction depth. The end of a joyful life is anticipated with the accompanying change of personality, an altered temper, and the loss of control-all based on blindness. Major loss (such as the loss of sight) is a recognized psychological challenge, but this description asserts alteration beyond loss. It assumes a fundamental diminution of personal value. The portrayal resonates in the press and on the internet. But the depiction is one-dimensional. The joy of living and the ability to see are not synonymous. The absence of vision does not remove this joy. The personality does not automatically change, and the temper within the human breast does not become more oppressive with the loss of sight. This leaves to one side the question whether it is necessary to observe Niagara Falls visually in order to appreciate its wonder and its power. Those of us who have been there might report that a great deal can be appreciated in other ways. We should tell Jade about this and urge her not to give up on life. Not all people avoid blindness; some embrace it as an advantage to them, although in many cases they use only simulated blindness. In the Hemispheres magazine for January 2011 published by United Airlines a story appears entitled "Consider the Tardigrade: The Fast-growing Field of Biomimicry Encourages Innovators to Look to Nature-In All its Wonder and Weirdness-For Solutions to Our Trickiest Problems." The first portion of this article reads as follows: One afternoon in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Dayna Baumeister stands in a room full of Herman Miller employees, next to a trunk filled with seashells, feathers and other natural miscellany, and hands a sea cucumber to Carolyn Maalouf, a blindfolded R&D engineer. Don't guess what the object is, Baumeister says. Guess what it does. Maalouf takes a shot. Well, it's spiky, she says. Maybe it needs those spikes to ward off predators? Another blindfolded colleague, meanwhile, is holding a swatch of sharkskin. With some guidance, he eventually deduces, correctly, from the smooth surface that his object is designed to move fast. That they stumble through the exercise is pretty much the point. By eliminating sight-the sense that instantly would provide the "right" answer- the exercise succeeds in what Baumeister calls "quieting our cleverness." This is crucial. Baumeister is the cofounder of The Biomimicry Guild, a group that promotes the increasingly popular notion that many of the best solutions to problems facing humanity can already be found in nature. This article strongly suggests that blindness is an advantage in achieving knowledge through alternative methods of approach even though the blindness being used is simulated. How much more effective might the research be if actual blind scientists were used to conduct it? These blind scientists, who have experience gathering knowledge in alternative ways, might offer understanding that the unskilled hands of the simulated blind people would miss. Incidentally, the tardigrade, which is mentioned in the title of the article, is a tiny creature perhaps half a millimeter long that is versatile enough to survive drought, flood, and extreme temperatures. Some of them are blind. Another inquiry, which recognizes the advantages of being blind, involves special shoes for blind people. As you know, I have criticized severely the concept that blind people need special shoes, but the shoes involved in this study may very well be special enough to deserve commendation. When we decided to build an automobile with an interface that the blind can use, the primary mechanism for delivering information to the blind driver involved vibrating motors. These were located in gloves worn by the blind driver, in pads beneath the legs of the blind driver, and in other pads located behind the back of the driver. The blind driver is required to get the feel of the vehicle and to learn about proper direction from the information gathered through these vibrating elements. One of the projects involving shoes for the blind was presented at a TED event. TED, which is an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, and Design, began in 1984, and it has grown to encompass ideas in many realms, imaginative and innovative. The article which appeared from the TED event, entitled "Soul to Sole," contains the following commentary: Anthony Vipin Das, an eye surgeon, has been developing haptic shoes that use vibration and GPS technology to guide the blind. This innovation- which could radically change the lives of the vision-impaired-has drawn the interest of the United States Department of Defense, which has recently shortlisted the project for a $2 million research grant. . . . "The shoe basically guides the user [says Vipin Das] on the foot on which he's supposed to take a turn. . . . The shoe also keeps vibrating if you're not oriented in the direction of your initial path and will stop vibrating when you're headed in the right direction." This brief piece from the article is about as much description as is offered. Ordinarily, the Department of Defense does not have a major interest in the blind. However, it does have an interest in directional aids that can be used without light. These aids would be helpful in the dark or in smoke-filled environments. Beyond that, this kind of technology is being urgently sought for use by firefighters, soldiers, police officers, and other rescue workers. That blind people may be the cause for the development of technology which will solve a problem for others who are not blind is worthy of consideration. A good many blindness-related technologies have been expanded to bring added capacity to non-blind populations. One of the most familiar examples of such development is the multi-font scanner which was essential in the development of the Kurzweil Reading Machine. This type of scanner is currently being used for non-blind applications all over the world. We in the National Federation of the Blind have contemplated building blindness-related guidance technologies beyond the ones that we currently know. The vibrating cane has been part of blindness technology for forty years, but a more complex vibrating system could be useful in ways that the original vibrating cane was not. The belt with vibrating motors that can give direction to a person walking or riding on a bicycle is under consideration, and a number of other haptic devices have been imagined in conversations about creating guidance systems that will be effective at high speed. The shoes may be a good first step. Blind people (we are sometimes told) are deprived because we cannot see the sunset, the faces of our children, the beauty of a painting, the landscape, or the stunningly beautiful human being who has just entered the room. With this in mind, I found myself intrigued by the question "What is beauty for the blind?" The lines from John Keats's poem are "Beauty is truth, truth beauty,-that is all / Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know." Everette Bacon, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Utah, recently brought to my attention a brief video on the subject "How the Blind See Beauty." Four blind people, two men and two women, offer comments about their impressions of beauty. One articulates that beauty is contained in the essence of living. One tells us that the lives of blind people are entirely made up of feelings and that these offer beauty. One believes that beauty is represented by her children. One says beauty is the experience of pleasant touches or aromas. One avers that beauty comes from finding joy. One says that appreciating goodness or caring for others is the source of beauty. One believes that beauty involves imagination. The attempt in the video is to get at a difficult concept and to assert that blind people have access to this concept. I appreciate the effort of the people who put the video together-who made the comments about the experiences they have had. I would add my own thought on the subject. It seems to me that beauty is that which enlivens the heart and gives depth and purpose to life itself. In other words, I think it is one of the characteristics of love. It is evident to me that blind people have an enormous capacity for this. I have known it in my own life, and I have known thousands of blind people who share the experience with me. The aesthetic experience is not denied to us although it may be comprehended in a way different from that which sighted people use. Those of us who seek understanding in the aesthetic realm know that comprehension of aesthetic experience can be achieved by the blind, sometimes with intensity. Art, along with the beauty that goes with it, is an element of our lives, and some of us create it. Destruction of the family because of blindness strikes at the heart of some of the most fundamental rights that we have. A few weeks ago a blind father called to say that he needed help. His marriage was coming to a close, and his wife was using his blindness as the means for demanding that his children no longer be in his custody. Furthermore, his visitation rights were also being limited to those times when his wife or another sighted person could supervise him. When the children were born to these parents (one is now two and the other three), this blind father agreed to care for them while his wife worked. He has been principally responsible for their care from their beginning. Yet, when the marriage began to dissolve, this father was charged by his wife with being incapable of caring for his own children. During the hearing about the custody of the children, this blind father was called to the witness stand to tell the judge about his talents, his training, and his experiences caring for his children. He has a college diploma and an advanced degree. He has been employed as an actor and as a professor of drama. His children are healthy and happy. One person called them delightful. The judge noted that he was very impressed with the capacity of this blind father. Then, he ruled that this man could not have custody of the children because of his blindness. He also ruled that visits would be limited to times when this man would be supervised by a sighted observer. After the judge made the decision that custody would be denied, the blind father asked for help. We are pursuing an appeal, and we believe that we will restore these children to the parent who has nurtured them for so long. The judge was impressed with the talent of the man, but he could comprehend only one of his characteristics-his blindness. His prejudice prevented him from noticing anything else. The decision of the judge is intolerable. Our families will not be destroyed because of somebody else's prejudice about our blindness. We will meet this challenge, and we will vindicate the right of a father to love and cherish his own children. In the National Federation of the Blind we have a philosophy which declares that we are in charge of our own lives with all that this implies. In our movement we also have members from every segment of society and from every part of the nation. The philosophy is essential, but it gains vibrant life only when it is put into practice by the members. Living our philosophy develops challenges that we offer to each other. I sometimes wonder why we cannot create a more effective legal structure, invent a more comprehensive access technology, or inspire a more welcoming spirit in the employment arena. When I wonder these things, I invite my colleagues to help me make a plan to assure that these thoughts become real. You sometimes wonder why I cannot muster the resources to implement an educational program that will change potential for blind children or adults throughout the nation. Each of us demands faith and performance from the other. When the demands we make of each other are met, we become more effective members and leaders than we have been in the past. One of the most precious gifts I have is my friends in the Federation. Without you I could not have become the person I am. The friendship we have is a bond of trust. It means that when the challenges come we will not flinch. It means that when the demands are made we will pay the costs and find the energy to meet them. It means that when the charges come of inadequacy, weakness, or indecisiveness we will reject them. We will love, support, and believe in each other. These friendships reach back into the past. Although I never met our first President, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, and although I knew only a very few of our members who were part of this movement in the first decade of its existence, the spirit they have given to what we have done has sustained me and our Federation throughout the later decades of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. I am quite certain that Dr. tenBroek and his colleagues at the beginning would recognize the force we have become and would have gladness in their hearts. Our second great President, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, was a close personal friend to Dr. tenBroek and to me. Dr. Jernigan experienced deprivation of opportunity in his life because of blindness, and he dedicated his whole being to bringing liberty to us. I promised him that I would find members who would carry on this tradition. Dr. Jernigan had a determined mind and a stout heart. He would recognize our Federation, and he would glory in it. We have kept faith with the leaders and the members who have preceded us, and we have made our promises to those who will follow. We will love, support, and believe in each other, and we will have the guts to face the hard choices when they come. At this convention we have elected a new President. Mark Riccobono will be a good President. He will be a President who challenges us, but he will also be open to accepting challenges himself. He has judgment and a loving heart. Furthermore, he does not scare easy. The challenge for us is to have the courage and to gain the talent that will make it practical for us to be a valuable element of every aspect of our society and to invent parts of it that do not yet exist. We must become known for the joyful lives we have and the contributions we make. Those who think of us as an afterthought, who doubt our ability, who want to control what we do and what we think, or who want to alter our family structures must not be permitted to dominate or control our lives. We must assure that our lives are what we want them to be. We must be the architects of our own tomorrow. Such is the challenge before us, but we have the capacity to meet it. Our spirit is abundant; our hearts are filled with joy. The prospects before us are as exciting as they have ever been. We can meet this challenge, and we will. Gather your strength. Gather your courage. Gather your will. And our plans will come true! ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono] Ten Years of Progress in the Jernigan Institute: A Letter to the Friend I Never Met by Mark A. Riccobono From the Editor: To present the last item on Friday afternoon's agenda, Mark Riccobono was invited to discuss the ten years of progress he has observed at the Jernigan Institute. This was a significant challenge, made even more difficult because his was the name mentioned most by those speculating about who would be the next president of the National Federation of the Blind. His mission, therefore, was not only to talk about the Institute and his work there, but to explain what his job and his membership in the National Federation of the Blind had done to shape his character, build his confidence, and prepare him to occupy the most influential position in the affairs of the blind in the United States and the world. Here is what he said: Today we come to acknowledge a milestone in our movement: ten years of progress in the Jernigan Institute of the National Federation of the Blind. One of the last projects Kenneth Jernigan undertook in his life was dreaming and planning for a research and training institute-a place where we could bring together our collective hopes, test our life experiences, and build new patterns of education that would be dramatically different from anything that had previously existed. I never met Dr. Jernigan in the flesh. I came into the Federation as a college student in 1996, and in the two years that I had before his death, there were probably half a dozen times I should have taken the opportunity to introduce myself. I foolishly thought that I was not worth his time or that he had more pressing things to do than talk to me. Today I recognize the tremendous opportunity I lost, and I have tried not to repeat that mistake with others. Although I did not have the benefit of receiving Dr. Jernigan's mentorship firsthand, I have been educated by his writing, inspired by his voice, and influenced by his life's work. In reflecting on the past ten years, I find myself wondering what he would think of what we have done and what I might say to him personally if I had that opportunity. Then it came to me that, while I might never know what he would say about the institute that bears his name, I certainly could tell him what we have done and what we dream of doing in the decades ahead. And so I have written him a letter that I would like to share with you this afternoon because it reflects the tremendous progress we have made and points to the work ahead on our journey together. Dear Dr. Jernigan, I wanted to write to you on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute. I have had the honor of working there since day one, and for the past seven years I have served as executive director. I have felt the love, hope, and determination that have come out of our innovative programs-I have always thought of it as carrying your spirit forward to a new generation. I want to share with you what we have been doing in our Jernigan Institute and tell you how the work continues to shape my own development as a member of the National Federation of the Blind. My first assignment at our Jernigan Institute was to build a new, dynamic, hands-on brand of science education for blind youth and have it ready for our first summer. I know that you loved science fiction, and you would have delighted in joining these young blind people in touring the Goddard Space Flight Center, talking to NASA engineers, and building and launching a rocket from Wallops Island. The significance of that first summer was, like your Iowa experiment, the way we put the Federation model to the test. We started with our own experience, which, for many of us, meant the experience of having been shut out of science. True to your example, we chose not to be victims with sad stories of exclusion, but rather victors, determined that what we were denied would serve as our inspiration to improve conditions for the next generation. We gathered outstanding blind educators, skilled blind scientists and engineers, subject matter experts in the areas we wanted to teach, and all of us dreamed about what we would do with our combined talents. This created a beautiful model for collaboration and innovation. We often had to teach ourselves before we could teach the blind teens. A number of dogfish sharks were dissected by blind mentors developing and perfecting their nonvisual techniques. That first summer was critical in educating the blind teachers that we did not have to be bound by the traditional models of education and that we could create something new and unprecedented. We knew immediately that the next task would be to use that experience to teach others how to do the same thing. We made a commitment to Mrs. tenBroek to have a special space in our building to house Dr. tenBroek's personal and professional papers. We have dedicated over 17,000 square feet to our Jacobus tenBroek Research Library on Blindness. Dr. tenBroek's papers are well preserved, and we have developed tools for researchers to use so that they can discover his significant contributions to society. The library also contains your own papers, as well as the hundreds of books and periodicals that the organization has collected over the decades. We have digitized our print books and magazines, and we continue to grow our unique collection of the history and achievements of the blind. We are now focusing more energy on capturing and telling the story of blind people in writing, on video, and through other emerging media. Blind people are more a part of society than ever before, yet most people do not know a blind person. The walls of our institute are filled with pictures of blind people living the lives they want. We now need to take those images beyond our walls and use today's technology to distribute them around the world in order to create greater awareness about our organization and demonstrate the power of the blind in action. In the early days of our institute, the majority of our time and resources were spent on specialized products for the blind. While we are still collecting and testing these, today a majority of our time and resources are spent on the same products our sighted friends are buying. This shift reflects both the higher expectations we have for our participation in the mainstream and our advanced experience with technology. We have set a new standard that demands that technology be built from the beginning with nonvisual access as one of the design considerations. Through our implementation of a web accessibility certification program, participation in the establishment of standards for digital content, and collaboration with key experts around the world, our NFB Jernigan Institute has been pivotal in bringing leadership and expertise to the technology industry. A cornerstone of our technology program over the past decade has been our continued relationship with Ray Kurzweil. We jointly developed and commercialized a reading machine that could fit in a pocket and pioneered accessible ebook reading platforms that contributed significantly to the current revolution in ebooks. Ray Kurzweil is now the director of engineering at Google, and this has created an opportunity for us to work together on a new front-deeply embedding accessibility into the culture of one of the world's cutting-edge information technology companies, and facilitating dialogue about how we might combine our expertise to develop new accessible products that would be available to blind people at the same time they become available to the general public. This is just one of many technology partnerships we are pursuing. I have heard you had a preference for traveling by car rather than by air. Well, we have now built technology that would allow you to be in the driver's seat. And the science fiction stories of vehicles that drive themselves are quickly becoming fact-some speculating that they may be on the market within five or six years. When we opened our institute, we began sharing the dream that, with the right combination of imaginative partners, we could create a car that a blind person could drive. We hoped that the challenge of building this technology would get people to think about blindness in new ways and motivate them to work on innovative approaches to nonvisual access that would go far beyond the act of driving a car safely. While it has done that, the most enriching part of this project has been what it has done to shape our own attitudes and expectations for ourselves as blind people. Our Blind Driver Challenge? has also given us the tools and increased credibility to sit at the same table with the engineers working on driverless vehicles so that we now can have influence in the nonvisual interfaces that will be built into these new modes of transportation. We are capitalizing on the interfaces we built for driving a car by imagining how we might use them on a bicycle. As you well know, it is not the physical riding of the bike that is the problem for blind people, but rather avoiding all the obstacles in the way. Access to reliable and affordable transportation systems is still a significant barrier for the blind, and accessible bicycle technology may play a significant role in increasing our options to travel independently. Getting technology onto a bicycle is just one of the many dreams that have been circulating throughout our convention that we are now actively working to fulfill. Some things in the Federation do not change-we gather together, dream together, and work on transforming our dreams into reality. Our organization is about changing the lives of blind people, and it has most certainly changed mine. I never thought of myself as a driver until I was called to lead the blind driver project for the Federation. In every way that matters, the Federation has taught me to be a driver rather than a passenger in my own life. The blind driver experience has totally transformed my approach to our work. I no longer know what the limits are for us, and I carry this sense of wonder, adventure, and limitless possibility to every new assignment that comes my way. I should share just a few more things about education, since that is one of the primary assignments in which I have focused my energy and something in which you so deeply believed. During the summer of 2007, we decided we needed to take our programs for young people to the next level by bringing two hundred blind high school students to Baltimore and giving them the opportunity to work with blind mentors and instructors. Imagine taking the feeling you get when you walk into the convention hall and packing it into an entire week on a university campus. We put on the largest and most dynamic education program in the history of the blind-the NFB Youth Slam-and we have now done it several times. During the past decade, through our National Center for Blind Youth in Science initiative, we have taught: aerospace engineering, agriculture, architecture, art, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, computer science, cyber security, earth science, electrical engineering, forensics, genetics, geology, geoscience, human physiology, journalism, kinesiology, marine biology, mechanical engineering, mineralogy, nanoscience, neurolinguistics, paleontology, physics, psychology, recreational math, robotics, shark dissection, simple/complex machines, space science, and video description. In the process we have developed hundreds of future blind leaders and dozens of outstanding new partners. Many of our programs have grown out of the work of our affiliates. In Maryland we started an initiative to teach Braille to blind children, and we coined the phrase "if they will not teach them, we will teach them ourselves." Since 2009 we have built that affiliate project into a national movement-Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning, or NFB BELL. This summer we will have thirty-four programs in twenty-three of our affiliates. That means that more than 150 blind children will receive direct Braille instruction this summer-and this is just one of a dozen Braille-related programs we conduct. We have also made substantial investments in the future of Braille-related technologies and tools to bring about the creation, editing, and dissemination of tactile and three-dimensional learning objects. With our continued leadership, imagination, and innovation, the next ten years are going to produce some of the most powerful Braille and tactile learning experiences in the history of the blind. Dr. Jernigan, I know that much of your work was made possible because of your ability to effectively read and write. Your eloquent and concise description of the attitudes educators in your time held about Braille still ring true: "Jenny can read print, but Johnny must read Braille." To combat the bias against Braille, we have developed the only research-based assessment tool for determining the appropriate reading medium for blind children, and I can give personal testimony to its validity and importance. My daughter Oriana-who just turned four years old-is getting ready to go into pre-K in the Baltimore Public Schools. My wife Melissa and I were a little nervous about what type of reading and writing instruction would be recommended for her. A local teacher used the National Reading Media Assessment and determined that our daughter should be learning both Braille and print in school. We were already prepared to press for this instruction, but it was a relief to have evidence from the field to support our experience. I did not learn Braille when I was young, and my vision was worse than Oriana's when I was her age. Her path will be better than the one I took because of the progress made possible by the National Federation of the Blind, and for that I will always be grateful. Oriana is just one example of the many young people of this generation who will be shaped by and benefit from the programs built and disseminated from our Jernigan Institute. It is my dream, but more than that, it is my commitment that the education programs of the Federation become so widespread that they touch every blind child as soon as their parents know their child is blind. What adventures will those children dream of pursuing when they never live a day without knowing the determination, the power, and the love of the National Federation of the Blind in their lives? This is what we are working on in our education programs, and I believe it is achievable during our next ten years. Dr. Jernigan, there is much more to tell you, but I recognize that you probably already know what I have said to you and more. After all, your spirit has been part of our work this whole time, and your contributions to our movement continue to ring in the hearts of Federationists across the country. I am curious what you would say about our movement today. From my perspective the details of what we do have changed, the scope of our influence and program has grown, and the complexity of our work has increased, but, at its core, the heartbeat of the organization is the same as it has been since the founding of our movement. Recently, we have been expressing this core Federation feeling in these words: I am filled with hope, energy, and love by participating in the National Federation of the Blind because my expectations are raised, my contributions make a difference to me and to others, and I can celebrate the realization of my dreams with my Federation family. There is one more thing I want to thank you for, and that is your recommendation that Marc Maurer, your friend and mentee, my friend and mentor, be the president of the National Federation of the Blind. He has been everything you expected him to be, and he has risen to every demand the Federation has placed on its president during the past twenty-eight years. Every day he exemplifies what it is to be a dreamer, a visionary, a leader. He has kept and has strengthened the bond of faith that we in the Federation have with one another. His energy and imagination have been given in full measure, but it is his demonstrated love for the Federation and the members who give it vitality that has forever sealed his place in our hearts. That we have made such tremendous progress through our Jernigan Institute is just one shining example of his leadership and his effort to build leadership in others. Lately we have been talking a lot about transition and about Dr. Maurer's plan to focus his energy on passing the torch to a new generation of leaders-a generation of leaders who have benefited from the great joy he takes in building the National Federation of the Blind. We are now prepared to serve as his teachers wherever knowledge needs to be shared, his innovators when a new idea needs wings, his engineers when there are programs to develop, and his friends in the movement, always and forever. Although transition and change always create uncertainty, I believe we are ready to hold tight to that bond of faith and carry it forward in a way that will be worthy of the love that Dr. Maurer has put into his service to our movement. I know that I do not intend to let him down, and I am confident I can find thousands of other Federationists who feel the same way. That is my report. I am sorry I did not take the opportunity to meet you in person, but my gratitude for what you have done for me and those I love knows no bounds. I hope that my own actions in our Federation are ones that you are proud to have happen in a building that carries your name. I close my letter with a quote from one of your speeches, a quote that I now reflect back to you as my recommitment to the mission of the National Federation of the Blind: "Yesterday and tomorrow meet in this present time, and we are the ones who have the responsibility. Our final climb up the stairs will not be easy, but we must make it. The stakes are too high and the alternatives too terrible to allow it to be otherwise . . . We will continue to climb. Our heritage demands it; our faith confirms it; our humanity requires it. Whatever the sacrifice, we will make it. Whatever the price, we will pay it." Yours in the movement, Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, Jernigan Institute National Federation of the Blind Those are some of my reflections on my ten years at the Jernigan Institute, and I hope that I have contributed as much to our movement during the past decade as the movement has contributed to my own development as a blind person. I know with certainty that what we have built, we have built together, and there are many great milestones yet to be achieved on our journey. In celebration of the tenth anniversary of our institute and the coming seventy-fifth anniversary of our movement, we reflect on the past with gratitude, we come to the present with firm resolve, and we prepare to build our own future with the determination, joy, and unbreakable bond of trust and love that will always mark the spirit of the National Federation of the Blind. ---------- Giving a Dream One of the great satisfactions in life is having the opportunity to assist others. Consider making a gift to the National Federation of the Blind to continue turning our dreams into reality. A gift to the NFB is not merely a donation to an organization; it provides resources that will directly ensure a brighter future for all blind people. Seize the Future The National Federation of the Blind has special giving opportunities that will benefit the giver as well as the NFB. Of course the largest benefit to the donor is the satisfaction of knowing that the gift is leaving a legacy of opportunity. However, gifts may be structured to provide more: . Helping the NFB fulfill its mission . Realizing income tax savings through a charitable deduction . Making capital gain tax savings on contributions of appreciated assets . Providing retained payments for the life of a donor or beneficiary . Eliminating or lowering the federal estate tax in certain situations . Reducing estate settlement costs NFB programs are dynamic: . Making the study of science and math a real possibility for blind children . Providing hope and training for seniors losing vision . Promoting state and local programs to help blind people become first- class citizens . Educating the public about blind people's true potential . Advancing technology helpful to the blind . Creating a state-of-the-art library on blindness . Training and inspiring professionals working with the blind . Providing critical information to parents of blind children . Mentoring blind job seekers Your gift makes you a partner in the NFB dream. For further information or assistance, contact the NFB planned giving officer. ---------- Enforcing the Law of Inclusion: A Personal and Professional Journey by Daniel Goldstein From the Editor: Advocacy depends on a worthy cause, volunteers who support it, and often on paid people who have expertise that cannot be provided without the training they bring in their professions. We hire competent, capable, and passionate lawyers to make our case in court, and Dan Goldstein is one of our best. He is not only someone we hire; he is someone who believes in us, believes deeply in the worthiness of the cause we embrace, and has taken as one of his major life's commitments seeing that we get the information necessary to engage in the larger community. Here are remarks Dan made during the first afternoon session of the 2014 Convention: Thank you Dr. Maurer, and good afternoon, fellow Federationists. I have to say after listening to Eve Andersson that I'm more in the mood to party than I am to give a speech, but first things first. Imagine waking up every morning and getting to ask yourself what you can do today to make the world more like the world you would like to live in, and then spend the day with the tools and resources to make that happen. This is the gift that the National Federation of the Blind has given me daily for the last twenty-eight years, unexpectedly and blessedly. Representing the NFB is a great and humbling responsibility; true, but far more, it is a joyful task, one that, second only to my family, has given meaning to my life. To a great extent being one of the lawyers for the NFB is who I have become-this is what I do and I can imagine no higher calling. So how did I land this gig? In 1986 twenty-one Randolph Sheppard vendors in Maryland, led by Don Morris, decided to stop paying their set- aside to protest the state's failure, after a decade, to rewrite its rules to comply with the 1974 amendments to the Randolph-Sheppard Act. Although it had long been illegal, Maryland was still collecting set-aside based on gross revenues and had not created a Committee of Blind Vendors. When twenty-one vendors decided to stop paying until Maryland started to comply with the law, Maryland retaliated by threatening to terminate their licenses. NFB's first choice to represent the Maryland vendors had a conflict of interest and recommended me. When Dr. Maurer called and asked me to meet with him and Dr. Jernigan, I had no inkling that I had reached a major and dramatic turn in my personal and professional life. Let me take a minute to tell you what I knew before that meeting at the center at that time about disability and disability rights, about the blind and what it means to be blind. [Pause] Well, that didn't take very long. Apparently I was not the first smart ignorant lawyer that NFB had encountered, so I was required to spend a day or two reading speeches by Drs. tenBroek and Jernigan, as well as Dr. tenBroek's seminal article. The idea was that I should learn something about the NFB if I was going to represent it. What I read resonated with the core of who I am as a person. It was written in the language of civil rights and spoke of things that I fervently believe must be part of the world we must make for ourselves to live in-equal opportunity, human dignity, being recognized for who you are- in short, the NFB philosophy reflected what I believe we must achieve in our society-but written through the lens of blindness. Over my life to that point I had thought a lot about our country's vices in excluding our neighbors on the basis of race and gender, but I had never thought about disability. I was hooked. I took on the case for the Maryland vendors, gave it my best shot, and lost. Well, technically I lost. For a decade the state of Maryland had done nothing to bring its vendor operation into compliance with federal law. Two weeks after we filed suit, Maryland published the proposed regulations it had failed to propose for ten years. Less than four months after we filed suit, those regulations went into effect. The vendors were all reinstated and didn't have to repay the gross set-aside they had refused to pay. A year after we filed suit, when we had everything we had wanted, we had our court hearing. The judge said we should have sought administrative remedies before coming to court, unfazed, apparently, that without the regulations, such remedies didn't exist. So we said, "Fine, Judge, thank you very much," and went home knowing that we had used a lawsuit to change the way the state treated its blind vendors. I will take a loss like that every day of the week and twice on Sunday. In the last twenty-eight years my law firm has opened up nearly four hundred matters for the NFB or NFB members. You will be glad to know that I don't intend to tell you about all of them, but as I walked around convention with my wife yesterday and this morning, it seemed I couldn't go ten feet without seeing someone I had been privileged to represent. And I stood up a little straighter as I told Laura, this is who this person is, and this is what that case was about. We weren't always the ones doing the suing. Dr. Jernigan wrote an article about a vocational rehabilitation office in Pittsburgh that only bought assistive technology from one vendor-who happened to be the husband of one of the voc rehab counselors. In the article Dr. Jernigan referred to these activities as "skullduggery." What a wonderful word. Skullduggery. I never knew precisely how to define skullduggery, but I knew that Dr. Jernigan and Barbara Pierce, who was being sued for being the editor of the Monitor, had a First Amendment right to say it when they wanted. The court agreed. I haven't seen "skullduggery" in the Monitor since, but when the occasion arises, I am sure we will see it again. It is Dr. Maurer, my friend, my leader, and my mentor, who has given me the opportunity to be one of the NFB's lawyers, part of an extraordinary knights' round table that includes my partners Sharon Krevor Weisbaum, Joe Espo, as well as Scott LaBarre and Tim Elder. If representing the NFB were not bounty enough, I have had twenty- eight years to witness how Dr. Maurer combines passion with pragmatism, conviction with humanity and grace, leadership with empowerment, certainty with curiosity, and kindness with rock hard determination. Any hour I spend with him is an education-maybe about wine, maybe about something more profound. He may not be standing for re-election as president, but, Dr. Maurer, the bad news is that your term as my mentor is life without parole. But the time for nostalgia has not yet come, and frankly, looking back always puts a crimp in my neck. There is a cataclysmic battle being waged. It is one we cannot afford to lose, and it does not yet seem that we are winning. That battle is the battle for equal access to information. If the blind do not have the same access to information as everyone else, then it is sheer nonsense to talk about equal opportunity in education, the workplace, our culture, and true integration in our society. Dr. Maurer had the foresight in 1998 to realize that digital technology and content would either provide a mechanism for mainstream access or would deepen the segregation and exclusion of the blind. He realized we could not simply be reactive and bring cases based on what complaints we had or had not received, but that instead, we must pursue a strategic plan and stay one step ahead, not two steps behind. My role has been and is subsidiary to a multi-pronged approach that includes not only litigation, but creating our own technology, pressing for new legislation and regulation at both the federal and state level, demonstrations, negotiations, and education. Having equal access to America circa 1990 is absolutely worthless in 2014. The right of the blind to live in the world must include the virtual world. The internet is not a luxury. It is the door through which knowledge and information lie. I ask you: Do we want to have the same access to that information that everyone else has? Today, 80 percent of all jobs are posted on the internet. The job applications are on the internet. The job assessment tests are on the internet. Do we want the job sites to be accessible? Do we want the job applications to be accessible? Do we want the tests to be accessible? When you have a job, there is no reason why you should not be able to use the technology that is on the job. I remember accessible work phones. First they had ten holes, and you moved the dial counter-clockwise and, this will come as a shocker to younger people, phones were used to make phone calls. Then phones had ten buttons, and you pressed the buttons. Then phones had additional buttons at the bottom for multiple lines, so you could put one person on hold while you talked to another. And you know what: for decades phones were accessible to blind persons. But you know in America we always make progress and invent something that wasn't there the day before, so now, in its infinite wisdom, the US Government has started to install phones at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Labor that are inaccessible to blind people. Is this progress? No, obviously not, but elsewhere we have had meaningful progress. In 2009 in Detroit I stood before you and made a promise. I said that, because of the efforts of the NFB, we would have something we had never had in our history. You remember that-same books, same time, at the same price. And I said I did not know whether it would be a year, two years, or longer, but have it we would. And, when I made that promise, there was not a single book in copyright that we could get at the same time and at the same price and in the same way as everybody else. In 2011 in Dallas I told you with great excitement that we had made great progress. Because of NFB's efforts, Apple introduced the iBook in April 2010, with over 200,000 accessible copyrighted books, and then Blio came out with what was then 300,000 more and that seemed like a lot. Same content, same time, same price. What it was, was a good start. But you know what that wasn't? It wasn't equal access to all the information available to those who can see-not even close. You know, when I was in the fourth grade I did a report on Millard Fillmore based on what I found in the library, and in the seventh grade, I went back to the library and did a report on manatees. I took library research for granted, and for most of my life there have been two things you needed to do library research, whether at the elementary school level or post-graduate: affiliation with a library and the ability to see. With those two things the historical, literary, cultural, scientific, collective and collected knowledge was there for the asking. I could go into the stacks, pull books off the shelves, check the index, table of contents, skim and see if I wanted to check this book out or put it back on the shelf and, after a while, I left the library with a stack of books under my arm to read. But the idea that all of the content of libraries could be fully available to the blind to the same extent and as quickly and easily as it was to the sighted was the stuff of science fiction. Print is a visual experience, and libraries are composed of print books. Independent access to library books requires sight, and that is all there is to that-or so it seemed. Today I can stand before you and tell you that the library doors are swinging open, that eleven million books will soon be available to you within seconds of turning on your computer, iPad, or phone. And that is just the first step. The day is not far off when you will be able to summon all of the cultural, scientific, and literary wealth of our nation's libraries to your fingertips. How did this happen? It's a great story, one that starts, appropriately, with a mild-mannered Federationist getting annoyed enough to do something about the source of his annoyance. In the 1980s George Kerscher was in graduate school in Computer Science at the University of Montana, but he had a small problem-no accessible textbooks. Now George is not much in the complaining department, more of a problem solver, so he responded to that problem by inventing the commercial e-book. He founded a company called Computerized Books for the Blind. George thought that when sighted people caught on, there would be plenty of e-books, usable by everyone, with or without sight. I don't want to engage in stereotypes, but sometimes we sighted folks are not, how shall I put it, always the sharpest tool in the toolbox, so there was a bit of a wait-sixteen years in fact. But in 2004 Google approached the University of Michigan and suggested digitizing Michigan's entire library. What Michigan got out of the deal was a copy of its entire library in digital format. This was something it had long wanted, both for preservation and search purposes, but could not afford. Jack Bernard, the in-house lawyer for the University of Michigan library, immediately saw the possibilities for the blind and pushed for this digital library to be accessible. Dr. Maurer immediately reached out to Google about making sure that these digital books would be accessible but was flatly told that wasn't in Google's plans. I don't want to shock anyone, but Dr. Maurer didn't take no for an answer. In fact, Dr. Maurer was annoyed. So now we have two annoyed Federationists. First, George Kerscher and now, Dr. Maurer. That's dangerous. In the meantime, Google was entering into similar partnerships with the Universities of California, Indiana, Cornell-I think the current number of libraries Google is copying is somewhere between eighty and one hundred library collections. So in 2005, George Kerscher, Dr. Maurer, a copyright professor named Peter Jaszi, Anne Taylor, and I started traveling to all of these schools to explain why they needed to tell Google that accessibility had to be part of the deal. Well, after we had met with five schools, Google told the schools that it, too, thought accessibility was important. At Jack Bernard's insistence, Google's commitment to accessibility was formally noted. By 2008 the University of Michigan had about eight million copyrighted books back in digital format. Sighted scholars could put in search terms and find out what books had those words, but they could not have full access to the content. They could put in the words "cane travel" and get back all of the books and all of the page numbers on which the words cane travel could be found. But if you were a blind student or faculty member at the University of Michigan, it was a different deal. You got a password that gave you digital access to every dadblamed word of every book in the collection. Well, the Authors Guild didn't like this mass digitization, and in 2011 the Guild sued the University of Michigan, four other universities, and the HathiTrust, which is essentially a service of the University of Michigan that administers the whole digital archive for all the universities. The Guild claimed that making these digital copies was copyright piracy on a massive scale. This annoyed Jack Bernard, the in-house lawyer for the University of Michigan, who called me and said the NFB should intervene in the lawsuit as a defendant to protect the interests of the blind. Did I not mention that Jack is blind and an NFB member? So we now have three annoyed Federationists-kind of tells you right there how this story will come out. You know I grew up in Texas and always heard the story about one riot, one Ranger-kind of like that. So we joined the lawsuit on behalf of the NFB and three blind scholars. Why did we do that? Let me read you the opening paragraph of our brief to the Second Circuit. Courtney Wheeler refrains from taking courses requiring library research. Blair Seidlitz does not read recommended supplementary texts to complete his physics classes. The prospect of limited library access convinced Georgina Kleege not to pursue a graduate degree in English after she received her bachelor's from Yale. Because they are blind and for no other reason, they have had little or no access to the contents of libraries that are so freely available to their sighted peers. We meant to change that. The constitution grants a limited property right called a copyright for the purpose of "advancing Science and the Useful Arts." That monopoly is not intended to extend to preventing those things that will frustrate the progress of knowledge, thus some uses are considered fair uses of copyright materials and do not require the permission of the copyright owner. Do you all think that it would advance science and the useful arts to give blind people access to eleven million books? Well so does the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Here is the critical part of their decision: "Weighing the factors together, we conclude that the doctrine of fair use allows the Libraries to provide full digital access to copyrighted works to their print-disabled patrons." What does this mean for the blind of America? It means that as to any and every bit of copyrighted material that currently is in an inaccessible format, that making and distributing an accessible copy is permitted under the copyright laws without the permission of the copyright owner. It means that in the coming months, NFB is going to make sure that there is a distribution network for the eleven million books and counting in the HathiTrust to make them instantly available to every blind person in this room, every blind person in this country through a logon. It means that we will find other print-to-digital conversions until every print, book journal, and article that is available to the sighted as part of our country's collective knowledge, literature, history, and science is available to you on your computer. But above all, it means be very careful not to annoy a member of the National Federation of the Blind, because it might just cause them to change the world. There is still plenty of work to be done, and the lawyers play only a small role. It is you, the members of the National Federation of the Blind, who will change that with your advocacy, your persistence, your unity, your willingness to go to the legislative hearing and, when necessary, to the streets who effect most of the change. But I am proud to play a role in this work, knowing that as long as there is the National Federation of the Blind, we will win the battle for equality, and we will win the battle of equal access to information. Thank you. I am so very proud to be one of those who can say, "I represent the National Federation of the Blind." ---------- The Federation at Work with Google: Changing the Structure of Expectations by Eve Andersson From the Editor: Google is one of the most innovative companies in the world. It's products are well-known and are found everywhere. Google makes the world's fastest-growing operating systems, and it is used in cellular telephones, computers, and even self-driving vehicles. When this technology is usable by the blind, their opportunities are enhanced; when the technology is not, those same opportunities are diminished. Eve Andersson in deeply involved in access at Google, and these are the moving remarks she made at the convention: Thank you Dr. Maurer. Hello, everybody. It is a great pleasure and honor to be here. What an amazing week this has been, getting to meet some of you here at the convention, learn from your experiences, get feedback on our products, and give demos of some of them. It's been beautiful. Before coming here I stopped over in Atlanta, and I was able to attend the opening ceremony for the National Association of the Deaf convention. It took place in the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. This is the church that Martin Luther King attended as a young child, and this is the church where he preached as an adult. To be standing in that spot where this great man stood was really moving to me, and, of course, the reason it was so moving is that he preached equality for all. This is something that I have believed in my whole life. And now, to be able to work at Google, leading our accessibility engineering efforts, to further that goal of equality for all, is really important to me. I'd like to tell you a little bit about what we're doing at Google to further accessibility. I'm going to do something we don't normally do at Google which is crack open the door a little bit and give you a peek at some of the inner workings of what's going on. My goal is to show you that we are serious about accessibility at Google, and I want to tell you about structural changes that we've made. We don't want to launch our products, get feedback about features being inaccessible, and then apply Band-Aids after the fact. That's not sustainable, and it's also not fair to the people who use our products. So we've made these changes with the goal of incorporating accessibility into the design, the engineering, and the testing of our products. I'd like to give you a little background. Dr. Maurer alluded to this: Google is made up of many independent teams. In fact, Google encourages creativity and experimentation and individual efforts, and that means that putting into place a cultural change like this is not quick and it's not easy, but it is something that we're doing. I'm going to tell you a little bit about some of our efforts. As I mentioned, I lead our accessibility engineering team. This is a group that grew organically within Google over time through the passion of individuals who cared about accessibility in the organization. Over time it has become more structured and more systematic. This team has people with expertise in user experience design, engineering, testing, assistive technology, and user research. We have program managers who work throughout Google to help put programs into place. We have a writer who's dedicated full-time to accessibility writing, and we have people who specialize in education. Speaking of education, all new engineers who enter Google in our major engineering centers --that's Mountain View, California, New York, New York, and Z?rich, Switzerland -- they are all now required to go through a one hour accessibility workshop in their first couple of weeks at Google. This is a hands-on workshop in which they learn about mobile accessibility as well as web accessibility, and they actually have to write some code right there in the workshop to make a web application accessible. We've also launched over ten other internal courses to teach about web accessibility, Android accessibility, iOS accessibility, assistive technology, testing techniques, user experience design, running user studies for accessibility, and others. We also have a course that we have developed and released to the public, an online course called "Introduction to Web Accessibility" free of charge. In terms of education, there is a huge shortage of women, minorities, and people with disabilities in the software industry, and we're trying to address that as well. We are now offering to pay the tuition for anybody with a disability to take courses in Code School to learn software engineering techniques. By the way, my team is hiring, so feel free to come up to me afterwards if you or someone you know is a great engineer. Another effort we have put into place is releasing guidelines related to accessibility internally. We have engineering guidelines in place for engineers to follow as they develop their products. We've also internally released user experience guidelines to be used in the design of our products so that they are designed correctly from the beginning. Every year we hold a conference called I/O -- it's a pretty big conference in San Francisco -- and this year we launched our design standards for what's called the Material Design. It describes how each of our applications should behave, and it's also to be used by external developers in designing their applications for Android. For the first time, at the time of release, we included accessibility guidelines in our design principles. Our goal of course is not just for Google to make more accessible products, but we want the whole world to make more accessible products. One amazing thing that I've witnessed in this role over the past year is that in the early days we used to have to push accessibility on product teams and try to force them to commit to making accessible products, and now the relationship has changed. People are coming to us for advice. It's becoming a pull relationship, and we have trouble keeping up! We've been holding user experience studies with people with disabilities so that we can learn how people really use our products. In the past few months we've had studies going in Z?rich, New York, and Mountain View, and I got to attend some myself. These user studies are so important for us so that we can learn, and we caught so many things just going through those studies. I'd like to invite any of you who would like to participate in user studies to sign up. We have an email address that we've created especially for this convention, and if you would like to participate just send a message -- it doesn't have to say anything -- to . That is all you have to do. You will then receive an email reply, and at a later date you will be asked to sign up for a user study in your area of the world. We are also sponsoring research by universities as well as doing research ourselves. We have faculty research awards that we give out, and we have now started giving out awards specifically for research into accessibility. Another very important thing we're doing is engaging in the community by being here and by meeting as many people as we can. I want to say that the NFB has been such an important partner to us. The amazing Anne Taylor and team have given us so much feedback; they are an absolute pleasure to work with, and I am extremely grateful. Let's move on to some of the tangible improvements. It's great that we are making the structural improvements, but I also want to show that they are leading to changes that are visible in our products. I'll just focus on one right now, which is a really important suite of products for education and the workplace. That is Google Drive, which is our file sharing system as well as documents, spreadsheets, slides, and forms. We have been working to increase accessibility support when these products are used within JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and ChromeVox. We've done comprehensive testing to make sure that everything is keyboard accessible, and we've also put in refreshable Braille display support in Docs and Slides. One of the big advantages to using these tools over traditional desktop productivity applications, at least for me, is the ability to collaborate easily with other people, and we have recently put in support so that, if you are editing a document and somebody else is editing the same paragraph, then the screen reader will announce that to you so that you can collaborate in real time. We have also made revision history completely accessible so that, if one of the collaborators messes up your document, you can go back and fix it. The latest version of Drive was built with accessibility from the ground up. This was one of our case studies for this new model of working, and our team, the core Accessibility Engineering Team, worked very closely with Drive engineers, some of whom specialize in accessibility themselves, to correctly design, build, test the product, run user studies, etc. It is being rolled out gradually, as many of our products are. Over the next few weeks people will start getting access to the new Drive in their accounts. So I hope you like it! The University of Michigan is a university we've been working with very closely, and the chief information officer, Laura M. Patterson, said, "The latest improvements in Google Drive and Docs for users of assistive technology are a major step forward and exemplify Google's commitment to making their products available to all members of our community." So we've been working across the board on many different products, and I just wanted to give you that one example. I think a very important message though for me to leave you with is that we acknowledge that there is still a long way to go. This is a lot of work, but it is hugely important, and we'll keep striving for it. Google believes -- and I believe -- that everybody in the world has a right to education and to jobs that are relevant in the information age. We also think they have a right to education and entertainment, and we're not going to stop until we get there with Google's products. We want to be part of the solution. Thank you to all of you for your feedback, your support, and thank you to the NFB and Dr. Maurer for inviting me to come and speak. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Platt Allen] Blind Workers Deserve Fair Wages, Too by Platt Allen III From the Editor: On Saturday, July 5, 2014, President Maurer introduced our presenter to start off the afternoon session of the convention in this way: "We have a person to make this presentation who is the chief executive officer and president of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth, who administers a substantial program with one hundred employees, about 80 percent of whom are blind or visually impaired people. He has an extraordinary budget to manage. He has not only worked in blindness programs but has also operated his own business and has been active in his community while he has done it. We have asked a number of people to join with us in our effort to get the idea across that a provision of law authorizing subminimum wage payments for disabled workers is a flawed piece of legislation, an error in the law, and fundamentally unsound. We have found a number of organizations in the disability field that have been willing to say that they oppose such a policy but very few who are employers. A number have said to us privately that they believe in what we're doing, but few have been willing to say so in a way in which they could be recognized and counted as joining with disabled Americans in a campaign to change this fundamental policy. But, in this case, we have a person who believes in the capacity of the people he employs and those who are part of the group represented, and it's an honor to welcome to our platform the president of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth. Here is Platt Allen." Good afternoon. Thank you for the kind introduction. I think it's only appropriate that this topic comes on the agenda today following our grand celebration of our wonderful country's independence, and I know that our forefathers struggled with perceptions that others had of their capabilities and their desires, much like my employees back in Fort Worth have suffered with other's perceptions of their abilities and their desires. I'm sure many of you have also felt that struggle as you have pursued your dreams. Let me address a few things up front. At the Lighthouse for the Blind in Fort Worth, fair wages are deserved by all individuals, and all my employees are compensated for their skills at or above the minimum wage. In my business the only people I'm going to take advantage of are my volunteer board of directors. I don't pay them; they choose to work for free, so I'm going to take advantage of every moment they are going to give me. If you're not doing that where you are, you should; it works out very well. But at the Lighthouse fair wages are deserved by every person in our workforce: blind, sighted, tall, short, blonde, or brunette. It doesn't matter what you are; if you're working in my shop, you're going to be paid competitively. Now before I go any further, let me first tell you about my lighthouse, and I call it my lighthouse because I have taken great ownership for what it is we are trying to accomplish in our community. I think this conversation will provide a good context for explaining why we do the things we do. The mission of the Lighthouse is twofold: first, we provide opportunities for meaningful employment for folks who are blind. Second, we provide rehabilitation services to folks who are blind so that they may reach the level of independence that they desire. We were founded back in 1935, and in those beginning years we provided support for the military in winding bandages, cotton balls, and preparing for support of the military efforts. Yes, we made brooms and mops with twenty-five to thirty employees who were blind. In the early 1970s we began the expansion of our product line and the number of people employed. Currently we have about 300 products in our catalog, and, as Dr. Maurer said, about one hundred employees, about 80 percent of whom are legally blind or worse. We recently purchased a machine shop and have converted two of the fourteen machine positions for operators who are blind. My plan is to have all fourteen machining stations operated with support from two to three sighted set up folks and a couple of shop helpers. This is a nontraditional business for agencies like ours, but we're up to the challenge and excited about the opportunities it will bring us in the commercial markets. We offer a full range of benefits, including health insurance, dental and vision insurance, life and ADD, a 403B plan where we contribute 3 percent of every employee's wages to their retirement fund, and we will match up to 3 percent of any contributions they will make. Our average wage is $9.75 an hour, and most of our production workers work a thirty-eight hour work week. In addition to our industrial operations, we also provide rehabilitation services to the elderly, adults, youth, and children in North Texas. Some of these services include Braille instruction, O&M training, and independent living counseling and instruction. We provide assistive technology services including technology need assessments, technology demonstrations, keyboarding classes, and other technology-based education and training. We have a CCTV loaner program and currently have ninety CCTVs out in our community aiding folks with low vision. We provide social activities for high-school-age teens, including a Valentine's day dinner and dance; we host a Christmas party for young people (and those young at heart) every winter. We provide tactile art classes, yoga classes, and general exercise classes. We have support groups for parents of children who are blind, children who are going through the process of losing their eyesight, adults who are blind or significantly visually impaired, and the elderly who are dealing with macular degeneration. All of our services and programs are provided free of charge to anyone who would desire to attend. The intention of these programs is to encourage independent living and the continued pursuit of each individual's dreams. The Lighthouse is also a member of National Industries for the Blind and Texas Industries for the Blind and Handicapped (TIBH), which is the equivalent organization for the state of Texas. Both organizations assist agencies like ours in providing employment opportunities through access to federal and state procurement systems. We also engage in commercial business, as you heard in my description of our machine shop, by providing manufacturing, warehousing, and distribution services to small and medium-sized businesses in our area. However, none of this would be possible if not for a dedicated, loyal, and enthusiastic workforce. Now in my experience the fastest way to demotivate a person is to waste their time or pay them less than a competitive wage. A decade or so ago I have to admit that the Lighthouse decided to stop paying certificate wages, so if you look into that sentence, a little more than a decade ago, we were still engaged in the activity of 14(c) certificates. But about a decade ago we decided to stop paying employees based on the percentage of work that they can complete compared to a fully sighted individual. You all know the 14(c) law, so I don't need to restate it here, but just recognize that just because you can pay on a certificate doesn't mean that you should, and we have chosen not to. I want to share with you a story about a young man who works on our paper packaging line. His name is Kurt. Kurt is legally blind, which resulted from a closed head injury. He spent his first thirty years in and out of underpaying jobs, living with his mom, and not really thinking much about his future. Through a work readiness program with the state of Texas, Kurt came to the Lighthouse for an evaluation. After about six weeks of working on various production lines within our operation, we provided our evaluation report and a job offer back to his counselor. Kurt now is a full- time employee with the Lighthouse. He has moved into his own house, has even gotten a dog. He travels independently to work, to the grocery store (where he used to work as a sacker), and even over to his mom's house for an occasional meal. Kurt is proud of his contributions to our community, and his mother is proud of him. Providing these types of life-changing opportunities is at the heart of our mission. We are also motivated somewhat by NIB and their programs and opportunities they provide us as an employer of people who are blind. Last August the NIB board of directors issued a statement to all affiliated agencies stating that "The National Industries for the Blind endorses, promotes, and encourages the payment of at least the federal minimum wage for all employees who are blind." They went even a little further and restricted their grant money for us to develop new products, services, and programs within our agencies only to those agencies that are paying all of their employees at or above minimum wage. Currently, there are no employees working on AbilityOne products in any of the NIB-affiliated agencies being paid below minimum wage. That is something NIB is proud of. So what do we do at the Lighthouse? We pay competitive wages, based upon a range that is determined by a third-party human resource firm that evaluates wages paid for similar positions within our local area. Blindness, hair color, girth, or height does not factor into the determination of the range. Blindness is no more a characteristic in these ranges and certainly is not a definition for our employees. The job description defines the qualifications and duties of the job; the individual determines how they can best accomplish the objectives of that job and calls upon our rehabilitation team and their production supervisor to make the reasonable accommodations to achieve those objectives. We as employers compensate our employees for their efforts against those objectives. If an employee is exceeding expectations in the position, they might very well be paid at the top of that range. If the employee is failing to meet the expectations, then they might be at the bottom of the range, with a corrective action plan. The level of compensation is set by the range and determined by the individual's performance. At the Lighthouse we evaluate an employee's potential contribution. We identify a position that will allow that individual to reach that potential; we evaluate their progress toward that objective and competitively compensate the performance. Through this process we create a stable, loyal, and productive workforce. To me that sounds a lot like what every other employer in America strives to do. Our employees work hard every day to make progress toward their individual goals. In return the Lighthouse serves our customers in our community. I'll share with you one more story about our newest employee, an individual that I think some of you in the room know. Bee, short for Bettina, came to Fort Worth with her husband, who is studying at the Southwest Baptist seminary. Both Bee and her husband are blind. Before her arrival in Fort Worth, Bee did what any other good job-seeking individual would do. She prepared a r?sum?, she sent it out to everybody she knows, she sent it out to everybody that those people knew. She contacted people through her church, her friends, and her friends' friends. By the time Bee arrived in Fort Worth, Texas, I had five phone calls, six emails, and two personal visits from people who'd gotten the word that Bee was coming to town, and she was somebody I should talk to. Bee had done her homework well. What I loved telling each one of these folks when they contacted me was that "Yes, I know that Bee is coming to town. We can't wait for her to get here. We want to talk to her." Bee had contacted us as well. We were excited about talking with her and in understanding how the community we serve could benefit from having Bee on our team. Now Bee did join our team just a little while ago (earlier this year), and she coordinates our fitness classes, our yoga classes, and is working on specifications for a rock climbing wall to be installed in our warehouse. She travels out into the community to work with individuals in retirement centers, community centers, and individuals in their homes, to teach them skills to improve their health. She also visits local elementary, middle, and high schools to teach partnered running and walking. She's even learned to roller skate. I'll now give a shameless plug: if you go out on our Facebook page-Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth-you will find a video of Bee doing a slalom course on roller skates with her cane. It's one of the most amazing things you will ever see; it's a fantastic demonstration of independence. This month Bee will compete in not one but two CrossFit competitions. Bee is an excellent example of any individual, blind or sighted, that you can accomplish anything that you set your mind to accomplish. Bee lists earning her CrossFit level I instructor status as one of her greatest accomplishments. By the way, she is the only CrossFit level I instructor in America who is blind, and she works for me! I'm proud of that. But this is a terrific personal accomplishment and a testament to her can-do attitude. Some of her most fulfilling moments have come since she joined the Lighthouse team, because she can now show someone that they can accomplish anything that they want to. One of my favorite things to hear her say as I walk past her meetings with clients is "Hey, you can do this. Just look at me," and it doesn't matter what the topic is because she truly believes that anything that you put your mind to you can accomplish. And we agree! Now I will leave you with this final thought: we are all learners and teachers and users and contributors. For the contribution that our team makes as members of the workforce of Fort Worth, we believe they should be paid competitively and would hope that our success would serve as evidence that, for us, fair and competitive wages improved our workforce and our business. Thank you for the time to share a little bit of our story with you, and I invite each and every one of you to come to Fort Worth--maybe not all at the same time--to take a tour of our operation, to meet some of our team, and maybe even to take a class from Bee. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Robert Dizard, Jr.] A Standard of Literacy for the Blind from the Library of Congress by Robert Dizard, Jr. >From the Editor: The Library of Congress has long been an important provider of books and magazines readable by the blind by transcribing them into Braille, making audio recordings, and generating computer-readable files that can be used with audio or Braille. But the Library of Congress does more than distribute books; it can help to establish new directions in the development of technology and bring resources to encourage the use of Braille and making more of it available. Robert Dizard is the deputy librarian of Congress. Here are the remarks he made to the convention following President Maurer's Presidential Report: It's a pleasure to be here, and I thank Dr. Marc Maurer and the National Federation of the Blind board of directors for this opportunity to report to you. I have been invited to speak to you today primarily about Braille as the standard of literacy for blind people and the actions the Library of Congress might take to encourage the learning and use of Braille. The National Federation of the Blind has long been a close working partner of the Library of Congress, and we are grateful for its consistent support of NLS-our National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Many National Federation of the Blind members are users of the Library's collections and are often involved with our network institutions. I want to thank those of you who help us distribute and expand awareness of our materials and who provide us with counsel and insights into the needs and priorities of the blind community. We value your voice and your continued commitment to our services. Free and accessible library services to the blind and physically handicapped have been an important part of the Library's mission for more than a century. Our national network began with nineteen libraries across the country. It is now expanded to ten cooperating federal, state, and local institutions. NLS today provides services to more than 640,000 individuals through this national network. Before I talk more specifically about Braille, I would like to briefly provide you an update on four principal areas of our work since your last convention. Recent Activities First, we expanded our Braille and Audio Reading Download-or BARD- service to include Braille holdings such as music materials, foreign- language materials, and materials produced by network libraries. We now have more than 50,000 titles available for download. Almost 12 million audio books and magazines have been downloaded on BARD. We had more than 157,000 Braille books and magazine downloads last year, for a total of almost 300,000 downloads since Braille was added to BARD two years ago. BARD is a key instrument in the overall movement toward enhancing Braille literacy and use. Schools, for example, can use this system because it allows everyone in a class to access the same book at the same time. Our biggest and most anticipated advance with BARD was the release of the BARD Mobile app for iOS devices. This was developed in response to demand from our borrowers. Nearly five thousand patrons downloaded and registered for the new app the first weekend of its release. Through this app audio users are now able to use their device's built-in accessibility features and speakers to read audiobooks and magazines, and Braille readers are able to use displays that connect through Bluetooth. We are halfway through the process of developing an app for Android devices, and we expect to release it later this year. Second, last year we completed our transition of audio magazines from cassettes to digital cartridges. Over the next three to four years, all cassette-based talking books will be phased out and increasingly provided on digital cartridge or by download. Our goal is to accomplish 4,800 analog to digital conversions each year. By the end of 2013 we had available over 6.1 million books on flash cartridge. However, we expect the demand for cartridges to decrease as more patrons use BARD. Of course, technology will continue to impact the types of materials we produce and serve. Third, last year we conducted a survey of program users and eligible non-users to better understand the population and their needs. Recommendations focused on public education and outreach initiatives to publicize NLS services, especially BARD and the new mobile apps. The survey recommends a social media presence for NLS, and, in fact, in May we launched our first blog-NLS Music Notes. We hope to follow this with more of a social media presence within the next year. We have also started the redesign of our website as part of this effort. The survey results also detail increasing levels of technology use among individuals, but acknowledge as well the continued need for basic talking book and Braille service to a significant portion of current and future NLS readers. We are using these survey results to direct our programming and public education efforts. Fourth, we signed agreements with four major commercial audio producers, including Hachette, Audible, Scholastic, and Penguin Random House to provide copies of their audiobooks for use in the NLS program at no cost. We consider these agreements a milestone-not only will we be able to get their best-sellers and other popular books to our patrons faster, but we will be able to devote some of the resources we've saved to expanding the scope of the collection, adding some of the books we had to pass over in the past. We hope these agreements will set the stage for future agreements with publishers. The Braille Summit Now: on Braille. Last year we held a Braille Summit to help us chart the future of the NLS Braille program. Together with the Perkins School for the Blind, we organized this summit-themed "The Future of Braille"-to determine the best ways for libraries to promote and support Braille literacy. The two-and-a-half-day event can perhaps be the most impactful recent development for the future of Braille. The summit brought together approximately one hundred readers, instructors, librarians, stakeholders, and supporters of Braille for a national discussion about Braille books, literacy, and production. The summit covered topics including federal policy issues; the role of Braille literacy in employment, education, and community life; collection development and production; and Braille technology. Speakers explored the present state of Braille literacy, technology, and access. Participants divided into breakout groups for discussions with their peers, where they identified strategic issues and recommended solutions for Braille policies, products, and services. These are helping us shape NLS's future Braille program. Our Priorities for Braille in Response to the Summit Today we are releasing the report of the summit's presentations and outcomes. This report highlights general issues facing the broader Braille community, including the high cost of Braille production, the availability of skilled Braille instructors, the need for improved technology, and the necessity of improving the public perception of Braille. Recommendations to NLS from the summit fall into two broad areas: One, increasing our emphasis on the importance of Braille and Braille literacy; and two, expanding our Braille collections and access to Braille materials. Over the past decade the NLS Braille program might have taken a bit of a back seat while we developed and transitioned to the digital talking book. Today the digital talking book program is stable and meeting the needs of our patrons, with continuing plans for expansion and improvements. The time is right to bring our Braille program fully into the twenty-first century, increasing our emphasis on a program that has always been part of NLS. We recognize Braille as the fundamental medium of literacy for the blind-the key to education and secure employment for those who cannot use print effectively. We want to identify how the Library of Congress can take a leading role in advancing opportunities for Braille literacy for all blind Americans. Studies have suggested that but a small percentage of people who are legally blind in the United States can read Braille, and there are many, young and old, who are blind and have either no opportunity or even desire to learn it. As leading providers of Braille reading materials, the Library and its network partners are in a strategic position to reverse this trend. Our NLS director, Karen Keninger, has made Braille literacy a priority right from the start of her tenure. She has been-and she will continue to be-a very effective advocate in this area. I have seen this up close. Since the summit we have taken steps to address the first area- increasing our emphasis on the importance of Braille and Braille literacy- by hiring a Braille development officer at NLS who will advocate for Braille production, literacy, and Braille's use in print and digital forms. We are also expanding collaborations with our network libraries in marketing and campaigning for Braille. Again, network libraries are valuable avenues to reach many communities. The second area of priority-expanding our Braille collections and access to Braille materials-calls for us to respond to and embrace changes in technology. Current and emerging digital Braille technology is opening a vast array of information and literature never before available to a Braille reader. With this improved access to information and current literature, blind individuals can enjoy the same fruits of literacy through Braille access that sighted people enjoy through the print medium, whether that print is on paper or on a screen. Exploring and implementing new technologies and methods will enable us to expand our Braille materials and means of access. To accomplish this, there are four sub-areas that we are examining: First, we recognize that hard-copy Braille will always be needed, but that the future form of access, delivery, and storage may increasingly lie in electronic Braille. That technology, however, remains expensive. The Library's Federal Research Program is currently conducting a study to evaluate the feasibility, costs, and development of refreshable Braille readers. We will have the results of the study by the end of August and will begin examining those results to determine our future options. If we do move forward with this technology, NLS may explore issuing a technology challenge to develop refreshable Braille e-reader technology that is inexpensive to produce, is robust, reliable and functional, and inexpensive to maintain. Second, we are exploring the production and implementation of international Braille standards, including DAISY Braille formats for digital Braille, and the Unified English Braille Standard. Third, with the amount of qualified vendors in Braille production waning, we are considering changes in our contracting practices to divide our production work between transcribers and embossers. There are many organizations that are able to transcribe print into electronic Braille files but do not have the equipment to produce hard copies according to NLS specifications. Dividing these tasks will maximize production and introduce an expanded pool of transcribers. In addition, we are considering developing a training program aimed at Braille-translation transcribers, which will broaden the field of certified Braille transcribers and increase the quantity of Braille products for the NLS program. Lastly, we need to research options for producing tactile elements for Braille materials and identify contractors who can produce them in a cost- effective and acceptable manner for inclusion in publications. We are just beginning our exploration here. Other Priorities for NLS In addition to these efforts in Braille, before concluding let me mention a few of our other priorities going forward. We are focusing on expanding all collections on BARD. Fifteen percent of NLS patrons use the BARD service now, and we expect usership to increase dramatically in coming years. We will work on an expansion of the infrastructure needed to support and enhance the BARD download system for users. Our next project will be to improve the system's search capabilities. We're also taking steps to ensure maximum download speeds no matter where you live. Presently, we are producing more than two thousand new talking book titles on flash cartridges. We have 545,000 playback devices available-a quantity we believe is sufficient to meet future demands. We are currently exploring updates to the talking book machines and planning for the future development of a redesigned machine with added features. Components may include updated text-to-speech capabilities, as well as the addition of other features such as Wi-Fi connectivity for the delivery of books and magazines, and Bluetooth connectivity for use with auxiliary devices, including future Braille e-readers. We are continuing to be recognized and looked to for our leadership and voice in national and international conferences and meetings focused on better serving the blind and visually impaired. Recently NLS sponsored the 2014 National Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals in Oklahoma City. There, Director Keninger spoke on Braille in the twenty-first century, a continuation of the conversation begun at our Braille Summit last year. The conference also focused on a number of other programs, including BARD, BARD Mobile, audiobook production, and broader initiatives from the World Intellectual Property Organization and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions-forums in which we also participate. A new partnership for NLS, launched at this convention, is an initiative that will assist the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in distributing assistive currency readers, utilizing our network libraries. An interagency agreement was signed last September, and we have hired a full-time program manager to oversee our part of the program. If you are interested in obtaining a currency reader, you can talk to staff at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Suite 255. In closing, I want to express again the Library's commitment to users of NLS. Serving blind and physically handicapped Americans will remain an important part of the Library's mission and one we are very proud to fulfill. I appreciate the opportunity to talk to you today. On Sunday at 12:15, Director Keninger will hold an open forum to hear about and discuss issues concerning NLS. Please join Karen if you have suggestions or recommendations for us. I thank you again for the opportunity to be here, and happy Fourth of July. ---------- Working to Advance Equal Rights and Protections for Blind People with Disabilities in the Workforce of Today, Tomorrow, and the Future by Laura Fortman From the Editor: Laura Fortman is the deputy administrator of the Wage and Hour Division at the United States Department of Labor. She is responsible for enforcing Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, but what she has to say about its enforcement was a pleasant surprise to members of the audience and brought several enthusiastic rounds of applause. Here are her remarks: Thank you for the very kind introduction, especially following such distinguished presentations. I felt like when Dr. Maurer announced that I was responsible for enforcing 14(c), there was kind of a boo-hiss going around the crowd here, which is understandable. I did want to say thank you for inviting me to this event. I really am honored to be here with so many of you who have been champions for the rights of blind people for decades. I am particularly proud and pleased to be here with Dr. Maurer and his leadership team. This team has worked steadfastly with determination and complete conviction to put forward the belief, the position, that the organized blind are the best people equipped to solve the problems facing the blind. I want to personally thank you for all of the ways that you are working to make us a better society, because the work that you are doing is based on the belief that equal rights are important for all of us. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge your colleagues in Washington who have enlightened me and other members of my team at the Wage and Hour Division. I know the passion and the steadfast determination I experienced when I met with John Par? and Anil Lewis for the first time isn't unique to them and guides all of you, and, in fact, I reflected on that first meeting that I had, and it reminded me of a quote by William Faulkner. Faulkner said, "Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion and against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth." John and Anil have educated me and my colleagues on the unintended consequences of the law that when enacted back in 1938 was a step forward but in today's time can pose challenges for people with disabilities fighting for their equality. I am happy to be here and to have this opportunity to engage with you about how DOL and the Wage and Hour Division is aligning with your mission of advancing equal rights and economic opportunity for all workers. You've already heard today from Commissioner LaBreck, who talked about the remarkable progress we've seen these past few weeks to advance bipartisan reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act or the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act as it is now known. We are excited about the opportunities that WIOA, if passed by Congress, would grant to Secretary Perez. In addition to making critical reforms to the workforce system overall, WIOA also addresses the need to find new, more effective strategies to increase employment for people with disabilities. This includes an examination of the effectiveness of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. WIOA requires that, no later than sixty days after the date of enactment, the secretary of labor shall establish an advisory committee on increasing competitive integrated employment for individuals with disabilities. In addition to Wage and Hour, the committee will include members across federal agencies, but, more importantly, you in the disability advocacy community will have a seat at the table. The mandate of the committee is to explore, prepare findings, conclusions, and recommendations for the secretary of labor, and this includes ways to increase competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities as well as to review Section 14(c) certificates. Work is already underway on these critical issues, but insight from other federal agencies and from you is welcome and necessary. Finally, the committee is mandated to issue an interim report no later than one year after the date it was established and a final report no later than two years after its establishment. The reports are to be filed with the secretary of labor and the Senate Health Committee. I can assure you that Secretary Perez will take seriously the recommendations made in that report to increase competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities generally and on Section 14(c) in particular. As you may have heard, Secretary Perez has some concerns about 14(c) certificate programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act. He is committed to using all of the tools available to the department to ensure that, under the program as it now exists, we're doing the most we can in enforcement to protect the rights of people with disabilities. The Wage and Hour Division has been pursuing strategies to strengthen compliance with Section 14(c) to maximize the impact of its benefits for workers. These strategies include using all available enforcement tools to remedy and deter violations, providing new compliance assistance materials, and hosting compliance conferences for employers, rehabilitation programs, advocates, workers, and other interested parties. This is a priority for the Wage and Hour Division, and I'd like to share some of our new strategic approaches. You may have heard about a recent Wage and Hour investigation in Providence, Rhode Island. The city of Providence, the Providence school board, and the Harold A. Birch Vocational Center and School signed a settlement agreement to pay more than $250,000 in back wages to sixty student workers with disabilities following an investigation by the Wage and Hour division. As part of the settlement agreement we have retroactively revoked the certificate that allowed the school to pay workers less than the current federal minimum wage. This resolution came just months after the department announced the revocation of authorization for Training through Placement [TTP], based in North Providence. That investigation revealed that the program at Birch served as a point of origin for many people entering the program at TTP. Wage and Hour investigators notified the Department of Justice about our suspicions that Birch Vocational Center was funneling workers with disabilities into TTP and that there were possible violations under the ADA title II. This past April the Department of Justice entered into a statewide settlement agreement that will resolve violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act for approximately 3,250 Rhode Islanders with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As a result of that settlement two hundred Rhode Islanders with intellectual or developmental disabilities who were currently being served by segregated programs will have opportunities to work in real jobs at competitive wages. The agreement between the US Department of Justice and the state of Rhode Island represents an important step forward in the movement away from sheltered workshops and toward integrated employment. It also represents a pathway for government, business, and advocates for people with disabilities to collaborate and to systemically expand employment opportunities for all people. This type of collaboration with our federal partner is the result of a Wage and Hour Division strategic enforcement initiative to protect workers with disabilities from exploitation. We believe workers with and without disabilities deserve an opportunity to do meaningful work and to receive meaningful income. As we've also heard an employer here today say, although employers may legally pay such workers below the current federal minimum wage, they are not required to do so, and the law clearly states that they may only do so when they assure compliance with certain key conditions. It is important that we at Wage and Hour move forward where we can to maximize the impact. In another example of acting now in lieu of waiting for congressional activity, you heard Commissioner LaBreck and President Maurer talk about President Obama, in his state of the union address, laying out a vision based on a very basic and fundamentally American principle: opportunity for all. How far you get should depend on how hard you work. No matter the circumstances of your birth, the zip code you live in, or the physical challenges you may face, you can have a chance, through hard work and personal responsibility, to live out your best and highest dreams. Later, in the same speech, the president also said, "The best measure of opportunity is access to a good job." That's why the president signed an executive order raising the minimum wage to $10.10 for all workers employed on new federal service concession and construction contracts beginning January 1, 2015. [Applause] At the signing of the executive order, the president said, "And let's not forget: not only is it good for the economy; it's the right thing to do. There's a simple moral principle at stake. If you take responsibility and you work as hard as these folks work, if you work full-time, you shouldn't be living in poverty-not in America!" He went on to say, "And this executive order will cover Americans with disabilities because this principle doesn't just apply to some of us; it applies to all of us." The executive order directs the Department of Labor to issue regulations to implement these requirements by October 1, 2014. I'm proud to tell you that the department published proposed regulations a few short weeks ago. Our Notice of Proposed Rulemaking or NPRM establishes standards and procedures for implementing and enforcing minimum wage protections in the executive order. The proposed rule includes an economic analysis showing that nearly 200,000 workers will benefit from the increase, and this includes workers with disabilities. As explained in the proposed rule, the term "worker" includes any individual in a covered contract. This includes workers whose wages are calculated under Section 14(c). For the first time there will be a floor for wages under Section 14(c). This floor is $10.10 for everyone: no exceptions, no exclusions. [Applause] This order was an enormous step forward toward opportunity for all. Private sector employers are discovering the value in equality as well. Secretary Perez recently visited a Walgreens distribution center in Windsor, Connecticut. At that facility 48 percent of the workforce had a disability, and their lowest paid employees make $14.47 an hour. Their approach is anchored in the philosophy of "same job, same performance," which set the standards for equality, fairness, and opportunity for all workers and not any one particular group. This place was built for success and access, using touchscreens, adjustable workstations, and the use of iconography. Walgreens knows that employing people with disabilities in competitive, quality jobs is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do. The president also believes the federal government should lead by example as a model employer when it comes to implementing these values. That's why we're so proud of the administration's work to implement the president's executive order to increase the federal employment of individuals with disabilities. At the end of fiscal year 2012, people with disabilities represented almost 12 percent of the federal workforce and 16 percent of new hires. That means we have more people with disabilities working there in actual terms and by percent than at any time in the last thirty-two years. While preparing for this trip I read the following words on the NFB website: "The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back." The Wage and Hour Division doesn't want anything to hold back the potential of anyone who is blind or has a disability. However, as you heard me say, current law places certain parameters on our ability to eliminate all barriers. Yet, as I read these words, I kept thinking that, as you work to raise the expectations of blind people, we at DOL, and specifically the Wage and Hour division, can and will do our part to raise expectations of your future employers. We also believe that blindness doesn't define your future and that you can live the life you want. Again, collaboration is critically important to move any agenda forward, and as deputy administrator of Wage and Hour, I assure you that we are going to approach our challenges and opportunities as we always do, head-on, with the unwavering belief that a hard day's work deserves a fair day's pay for everyone. We're going to do it with strong enforcement of the laws as they are written and with thoughtful rulemaking to implement the president's recent executive order. We applaud those in the business community who've already seen the light and are being smart and aggressive about recruiting and retaining employees with disabilities and paying them fairly. We are going to continue strong enforcement to level the playing field for those employers and to create incentives to comply, not incentives to break the law. Thank you so much for the invitation to join you here at your national convention. It's been truly an honor to speak with you today. ---------- Raising Expectations for the Blind through the 2014 Convention Resolutions by Sharon Maneki From the Editor: Sharon Maneki has a long history as the chairman of the Resolutions Committee, and her knowledge of our positions as stated in resolutions and her mastery of the process of chairing the committee and summarizing what the convention has adopted as policy is unsurpassed. Here is her report of the resolutions considered and passed at the 2014 Convention: The eighteenth-century English poet Alexander Pope, who was best known for his satirical verse, had an interesting view about expectations. Although the Bible lists eight beatitudes, Pope said that there should be nine. In a letter dated September 23, 1725, to a prominent English judge, William Fortescue, Pope stated that the ninth beatitude should read as follows: "Blessed is the man who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed." Today many people still agree with Pope's cynical view. Is this the view of members of the National Federation of the Blind? As readers of the Braille Monitor will recall, Dr. Newel Perry was the mentor and godfather of the National Federation of the Blind. When asked what his most important work was, Dr. Perry answered, "Oh, my most important work was my dragging the blind out of their sleep, stirring them up, putting some ambition into them, and then helping them." Dr. Newel Perry had expectations of and for the blind. In his speech entitled "Reflecting the Flame," the immediate past president of the NFB, Marc Maurer, described the Federation story this way: "When the National Federation of the Blind was founded, the prospects for the blind of this country were utterly desolate. There was little education, almost no hope of a job, and virtually no chance for meaningful participation in other activities of life. From such unpromising beginnings almost no one (no one, that is, except the founders of the Federation) believed that a dynamic national movement could arise." Dr. Maurer further explained that the "Federation has changed forever the expectations and aspirations of the blind." Despite tremendous progress since 1940, we still have unmet dreams. We continue to change and raise our expectations. President Mark Riccobono offered the following speculation about our expectations during the 2011 National Convention. The title of his speech was "The Spirit of the Journey: the Blind Driver Challenge and the Direction of our Movement." He said in part: "We in the NFB have undertaken a journey to expand the boundaries of independence." We used to say that "The average blind person could perform the average job in the average career or calling, assuming that he was not required to drive a vehicle around." Riccobono posed an interesting question and speculated on its answer. "What would happen if we drove beyond the comfortable zone where we believe our independence stopped? If we can begin to demonstrate that the practically impossible might practically be possible, it would shatter our understanding of the destination of independence and expand the limits to a new, undefined place." Because of our rising expectations, what new boundaries of independence are we creating through the 2014 Convention resolutions? We followed our tried and true process of considering resolutions. As usual the resolutions committee met on the first day of convention registration, which fell on July 2. I was privileged to chair the committee and was ably assisted by Marsha Dyer, who served as secretary. As usual the committee was composed of a large cross-section of Federation leaders. This year the process was enhanced to permit greater study of the resolutions by both committee members and convention attendees. Before the convention began, the chairman emailed copies of the resolutions to each committee member. Committee members reported that they felt better prepared to debate the merits of each resolution. The committee passed twenty-two resolutions and sent them to the convention for consideration. All of the proposed resolutions were placed on our website so that anyone who wished could read and study each resolution before it came to the convention floor. The convention passed twenty-one resolutions. Resolution 2014-18, which dealt with network neutrality, was sponsored by Tony Olivero, who wears many hats in the Federation. He is chairman of the National Research and Development Committee and president of the Amateur Radio Division. In Nebraska he is a member of the affiliate board of directors and first vice president of the Lincoln Chapter. The resolution failed because the convention felt that network neutrality is not really a blindness issue. Network neutrality is a concept whereby communication networks do not prioritize delivery of particular messages passed over their infrastructure. The twenty-one resolutions passed by the 2014 Convention illustrate the rising expectations of the blind. We expect our government to live up to its promise of equality for all. We will not allow companies to diminish our employment opportunities. We will not settle for excuses by businesses which exclude us from full participation in commerce and other life activities. The convention passed eight resolutions involving actions by government entities. Chancey Fleet, vice president of the New York City chapter of the NFB of New York, sponsored Resolution 2014-01. On July 26, 2010, the US Department of Justice issued an advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in which the department stated that it would issue regulations making the internet a public accommodation that would be subject to requirements under the ADA. Unfortunately, the Department of Justice has taken no action since 2010 and recently announced that no rule will be issued until March of 2015. In this resolution we demand that the Obama Administration put forward a proposal for a robust regulation ensuring blind Americans full and equal access to the products and services that are available on the internet. When the Fair Labor Standards Act was passed in 1938, people with disabilities were grateful to have any type of job and did not object to being paid less than the minimum wage. Today our expectations are much higher, and we recognize that paying workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage is discrimination. The convention passed two resolutions concerning federal government policy on subminimum wages. Sarah Patnaude, a 2014 national scholarship winner and president of the Virginia Association of Blind Students, introduced Resolution 2014-05. In this resolution we highly commend President Obama "for including people with disabilities in his executive order, ensuring that federal contract workers with disabilities will be paid $10.10 an hour just like their nondisabled peers." Justin Salisbury has been a leader of the NFB in every state where he has resided, including Connecticut, North Carolina, and Wisconsin and won a national scholarship in 2011. Justin proposed Resolution 2014-02, which deals with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act. This act was greatly strengthened by our advocacy efforts. "The language regarding sheltered subminimum wage employment was substantially changed so that it will reduce the number of youth with disabilities being tracked into subminimum wage employment, and other objectionable provisions of the WIOA were removed, including the transfer of the Rehabilitation Services Administration to the Department of Labor and programs for the older blind to the Department of Health and Human Services." We are pleased to announce that the US Congress heeded our resolution and passed the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act in July 2014. President Obama signed the legislation on July 22, 2014. For nearly thirty years blind and low-vision people with diabetes have been urging manufacturers of diabetic equipment to include nonvisual access features in their products. In Resolution 2014-07 we call for "the end of discrimination against blind and low-vision diabetics by insisting that Congress give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to mandate full accessibility in diabetes-related devices." Sandra Ryan, president of the Iowa Diabetic Action Network and a board member of the Iowa affiliate, sponsored this resolution. Most electronic healthcare record technology is inaccessible to blind people. This lack of access is extremely detrimental to both patients and people who work or wish to work in the healthcare industry. Access requirements were left out of the certification criteria proposed in March of 2014 by the office of the National Coordinator for Health and Information Technology. In Resolution 2014-10 we strongly urge the office of the National Coordinator for Health and Information Technology "to amend the Voluntary 2015 Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology to include accessibility for all users of the technology." Amy Murillo, a member of the board of directors of the NFB of Arizona, proposed this resolution. The convention passed two resolutions that involve the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The twenty-first century Communications and Video Accessibility Act "directs the allocation of up to $10 million per year from the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Service Fund for the distribution of specialized equipment to low-income people who are deaf- blind to enable them to access telecommunications service, internet access service, and advanced communications." To implement this legislation, the FCC created the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program as a three-year pilot, which is scheduled to end on June 30, 2015. To address problems such as delays in the purchasing and distributing of equipment and the lack of qualified trainers to instruct deaf-blind people on using the equipment, Janice Toothman and Kathy Miller proposed Resolution 2014-09. Janice is secretary of the Deaf-Blind Division, and Kathy is one of its board members. Kathy is also president of the Lake Area chapter in the NFB of Louisiana. In this resolution we also strongly "urge the FCC to make the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program permanent before the June 30, 2015, deadline so that there is no interruption of service." Paul Martinez, president of the Florida Association of Blind Students and a member of the board of directors of the Florida affiliate, sponsored Resolution 2014-16. On May 16, 2013, the Coalition of E-Reader Manufacturers filed a petition with the FCC requesting a waiver from the requirement to make consumer products with advanced communications services accessible to users with disabilities. The FCC granted a one-year waiver rather than the permanent waiver requested by the coalition. In this resolution "We commend the FCC for listening to the National Federation of the Blind and other stakeholders who have been denied access to e-readers, digital books, and consumer electronics and for rejecting the coalition's request for an indefinite waiver." The National Federation of the Blind expects state governments to follow federal law. Since the passage of the Help America Vote Act in 2002, we have been working with state governments to ensure that their voting systems are accessible as required by this act. As Nathanael Wales, the proponent of Resolution 2014-17, explained, "It is difficult to bring election practices into the twenty-first century." Nathanael won his first national scholarship in 1997 and his second national scholarship as a tenBroek fellow in 2000. He currently serves as treasurer of the NFB of Connecticut. Seventeen states and some counties in California and Florida have online ballot-marking systems. Only four of the seventeen states extend the use of these systems to voters with disabilities. Permission to use accessible online ballot-marking systems is especially important to deaf-blind voters because they can use their own personal access technology to cast a secret ballot. Frequently the accessible voting machines used in the polling places are difficult if not impossible for deaf-blind people to use. In this resolution we strongly urge all states to implement accessible online ballot-marking systems available to voters with disabilities. The convention passed five resolutions to improve employment opportunities for blind people. We expect all employers, whether they are in the public or private sector, to eliminate the many barriers to full employment created by the lack of access. The purpose of vocational rehabilitation is to assist people with disabilities to gain or return to employment. Resolution 2014-03 puts vocational rehabilitation agencies on notice that they should not force clients to use the Window-Eyes screen-access program just because the program is free. The resolution also lists a set of principles that should be incorporated into policies used by vocational rehabilitation agencies for determining which screen-reading software counselors and supervisors should purchase for specific clients. For instance, "Each client's knowledge and experience with specific software must govern the decision, avoiding the need for the client to learn a completely new program." Curtis Chong, long-time president of the National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science Division and treasurer of the NFB of New Mexico, sponsored this resolution. SharePoint software is widely used in both business and government. Because most of its features are not accessible to blind users, Michelle Clark, a federal government employee, introduced Resolution 2014-04 to urge the Microsoft Corporation to rectify this problem immediately. Michelle is president of the National Harbor chapter and serves as a member of the board of directors of the Maryland affiliate. Jeremiah Beasley, a technical expert who serves on the board of directors of the NFB of Wisconsin and as a board member of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, sponsored Resolution 2014-08. Companies such as Oracle Corporation have demonstrated that it is possible to "have and follow an accessibility policy for a very diverse portfolio of enterprise products." In this resolution we not only urge companies to make their enterprise software accessible but also demand that public entities that procure enterprise solutions comply with applicable laws by "procuring and deploying only enterprise solutions that are accessible to their blind employees." Using the cloud for collaboration and backup storage purposes is becoming the norm for many employers. Cloud services have a checkered history with accessibility. Cindy Bennett, a 2014 national scholarship winner, who is studying human-centered technology, sponsored Resolution 2014-13. Cindy serves as the treasurer of the NFB of Washington. In this resolution we "insist on a commitment from such cloud storage providers to robust and reliable, rather than incidental, partial, and intermittent accessibility." In Resolution 2014-20 we "demand that makers of remote access tools provide equal access for blind users to all of the tools that they offer." Jack Mendez, director of technology at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, sponsored this resolution. Jack explained that employers expect personnel to work from any place at any time. Blind people can perform if we have access. Full participation of the blind in society has been our goal since the inception of our movement. Because the Federation raises the expectations of blind people every day, our demands for full participation keep increasing. The convention passed eight resolutions relating to demands for full participation in all aspects of community life. The variety of these resolutions illustrates our expectations for greater participation. Robert Jaquiss and Cary Supalo sponsored Resolution 2014-11. Dr. Supalo has been an NFB leader in every state where he has lived and won two national scholarships, one in 1994 and the other in 2001. Robert Jaquiss is a longtime Federationist who has served many years on the national Committee for Research and Development and the Committee for the Promotion, Evaluation, and Advancement of Technology. He is secretary in the Oregon affiliate. In this resolution we "commend Vernier Software and Technology LLC for its willingness to listen to the advice of blind people and for its innovation in providing access to the full laboratory experience for blind students and scientists." Vernier is the world's leading manufacturer of school laboratory equipment. In today's unpredictable society more and more people feel the need to acquire home security systems. Denice Brown, president of the Greater Philadelphia chapter and member of the board of directors of the NFB of Pennsylvania, proposed Resolution 2014-14 because blind people expect to use security systems if they wish. As the resolution states: "BE IT RESOLVED...that this organization strongly urge security system companies to make their wall panels, apps, and websites fully and equally accessible to all consumers so that having a secure home or business is not reserved only for the sighted." The use of an electronic notetaker enables blind people to participate in numerous activities from work and school obligations to social events such as singing in a choir. In Resolution 2014-15 we urge Freedom Scientific Inc. immediately to correct the errors in the Unified English Braille code translation tables for JAWS. Jennifer Dunnam, president of the NFB of Minnesota and the Federation's representative on the Braille Authority of North America (BANA) board, proposed this resolution. One of the greatest barriers to full participation in all aspects of community life is the lack of transportation. The convention passed two resolutions concerning access to transportation apps. Technology is changing the way that the public requests and pays for transportation from taxicabs and new transportation services such as Uber. Transportation services want their customers to request, track, and pay for rides by using smartphone applications. The goal expressed in Resolution 2014-19 is to make sure these systems are as usable for the blind as they are for the sighted. Ronza Othman, vice president of the National Association of Blind Lawyers and a leader in the Maryland affiliate, sponsored this resolution. Technology trends in the airline industry are moving in a similarly troublesome direction. Eric Duffy, president of the NFB of Ohio, introduced Resolution 2014-21. In this resolution we "call upon all airline carriers to ensure that all features of their mobile applications are accessible to blind travelers." The last three resolutions that I will discuss in this article concern general access to computing, the internet, and mobile applications. Resolution 2014-06 was the most proactive resolution passed by the convention this year. The Internet of Things is a proposed development of the internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data. In this resolution we "call upon the developers of connected and connecting devices for the Internet of Things to extend their groundbreaking work to all users by providing speech and tactile feedback to put all users, including the blind, on an equal footing." Yadiel Sotomayor, treasurer of the NFB of Puerto Rico and a national scholarship winner in 2010, introduced this resolution. Curtis Chong, who is no stranger to Monitor readers, sponsored a second resolution at the convention, which makes specific requests of Apple Inc. In Resolution 2014-12 we "call upon Apple Inc. to work with the National Federation of the Blind to create and enforce policies, standards, and procedures to ensure the accessibility of all apps, including core apps distributed by Apple in the base iOS distribution, and to ensure that accessibility is not lost when an app is updated." When Edward Shaham introduced Resolution 2014-22, he explained that the blind are entitled to have secure computers just as the sighted are. "This organization strongly urges the makers of antivirus software to make their products accessible to blind users" in this resolution. Edward is an up-and-coming leader in the NFB of Connecticut. He hopes to obtain a degree in computer security. This article is merely an introductory discussion of the resolutions considered by the convention. By longstanding tradition the complete text of each resolution that was passed is reprinted below. The highly technical nature of this year's resolutions may require further study. Readers should analyze the text of each resolution to understand fully our policy on these subjects. I look forward to seeing next year's resolutions because I am confident that our expectations will be even higher than they were this year. ---------- National Federation of the Blind Resolutions for 2014 Resolution 2014-01 Regarding Proposed Department of Justice Regulations on Access to the Internet WHEREAS, today access to the Internet is critical for successful participation in employment, economic activity, education, social interaction, and other pursuits, and this is no less true for the blind than for our sighted peers; and WHEREAS, in recognition of this reality the United States Department of Justice issued an advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on July 26, 2010, the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), proposing to issue regulations applying the ADA to public accommodations, as defined by that law, that have a presence on the internet and specifically on the World Wide Web; and WHEREAS, the Department of Justice has taken no further action on this rulemaking since it was issued and has now announced that no proposed rule will be issued until March of 2015: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the City of Orlando, Florida, that this organization demand that the Obama administration put forward a proposed regulation without further delay; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind demand a robust regulation ensuring blind Americans' full and equal access to the products and services of all public accommodations, as defined by the ADA, that are made available using the Internet. ---------- Resolution 2014-02 Regarding the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act WHEREAS, on July 31, 2013, the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), S. 1356, was reported favorably by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, with language in Title V, Section 511 that would have allowed any individual with a disability, regardless of age, to be placed in a subminimum wage work environment by a vocational rehabilitation counselor; and WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind adamantly opposes the payment of subminimum wages to people with disabilities because we know that, with the proper training and support, people with disabilities can be productive employees, worthy of at least the minimum wage; and WHEREAS, members of the Federation aggressively advocated for the removal of Section 511, by calling, tweeting, emailing, and meeting with members of Congress; and WHEREAS, as a result of our advocacy the language regarding sheltered subminimum wage employment was substantially changed so that it will reduce the number of youth with disabilities being tracked into subminimum wage employment, and other objectionable provisions of the WIA were removed, including the transfer of the Rehabilitation Services Administration to the Department of Labor and programs for the older blind to the Department of Health and Human Services; and WHEREAS, these changes resulted in new bipartisan, bicameral legislation known as the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); and WHEREAS, while we are disappointed in some provisions of the WIOA, such as the lowering of standards for rehabilitation counselors and the reduction in membership of the National Council on Disability, the National Federation of the Blind supports this legislation because we believe that it represents a significant improvement in policies designed to create and enhance employment opportunities for American workers with disabilities: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that we urge the United States Congress to pass the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we applaud Congressman George Miller, ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, for consulting with the National Federation of the Blind and for being a strong advocate for people with disabilities; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, upon the passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, we urge the Department of Education to work with the National Federation of the Blind to ensure that the regulations enforcing this legislation increase the quality of rehabilitation services and employment opportunities provided to blind Americans and provide safeguards that prohibit youth with disabilities from being tracked into subminimum wage employment. ---------- Resolution 2014-03 Regarding Principles That Should Govern the Purchase of Screen-Access Technology for Vocational Rehabilitation Clients WHEREAS, on January 14, 2014, GW Micro Inc., the maker of the well-known Window-Eyes screen-access program, issued a press release announcing that GW Micro Inc. and Microsoft Corporation had "partnered to make Window-Eyes available to users of Microsoft Office at no cost"; and according to the press release, this "global initiative," available in over fifteen languages, will "enable anyone using Microsoft Office 2010 or later also to use Window-Eyes free"; and WHEREAS, the sophisticated screen-access technology used by the blind to compete in school and at work has typically cost around a thousand dollars per copy; and WHEREAS, for blind vocational rehabilitation clients this high cost has usually been covered by the state vocational rehabilitation agency serving the blind in the state where the client resides; and WHEREAS, although it is true that Window-Eyes is a powerful screen-access program that has enabled thousands of blind people to use Windows and Windows programs independently, and although GW Micro Inc. is a well- established company with a positive reputation among the blind, it is equally true that other screen-access programs (including JAWS for Windows, System Access, and Guide), which are not offered free of charge and which cost several hundred dollars, offer the best solution in specific cases and for specific individuals; and WHEREAS, for governmental organizations struggling to obtain adequate funding, the ability to acquire Window-Eyes at no cost is a powerful incentive for them to compel individual clients to accept the free Window- Eyes even though, in specific situations, a costlier screen access program would result in greater productivity, success, and independence; and WHEREAS, another factor to consider is that users of the free version of Window-Eyes must pay for technical support from GW Micro Inc. while users of more expensive screen-access programs (including users of the full- priced version of Window-Eyes) receive technical support at no extra charge: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the City of Orlando, Florida, that this organization urge all vocational rehabilitation agencies serving the blind in the United States to incorporate the following principles in their policies for determining which screen access software counselors and supervisors purchase on behalf of specific clients: (1) decisions must be based on which software most effectively meets the access requirements of each individual client; (2) decisions must not be based solely on cost; (3) each client's knowledge and experience with specific software must govern the decision, avoiding the need for the client to learn a completely new program; and (4) the decision must incorporate the principle of informed choice, a key principle in the federal Rehabilitation Act. ---------- Resolution 2014-04 Regarding SharePoint Accessibility WHEREAS, SharePoint unites content management, document management, and intranet management, as well as offering business intelligence and business solutions functionality; and WHEREAS, SharePoint is both unique in its scope and widely used in business and government; and WHEREAS, most SharePoint features are not accessible, hampering its blind users: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that this organization urge Microsoft Corporation to make SharePoint fully accessible to its blind users. ---------- Resolution 2014-05 Regarding President Obama's Executive Order that Raised the Minimum Wage for Federal Contract Workers WHEREAS, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) established a federal minimum wage to be paid to all American workers; and WHEREAS, although there are exceptions to the mandatory minimum wage based on type of work performed, only workers with disabilities as a class are excluded from this federal wage protection; and WHEREAS, over the years workers without disabilities have received periodic increases to the federal minimum wage, which currently stands at $7.25 per hour, but workers with disabilities have seen the statutory floor for their subminimum wages fall and then disappear completely, with the result that some are now paid pennies per hour; and WHEREAS, the practice of paying workers with disabilities subminimum wages stems from the public misconception that people with disabilities cannot be productive employees; and WHEREAS, at the beginning of 2014 President Obama proposed an executive order to raise the minimum wage for federal service contract workers to $10.10 per hour, but did not initially include increasing the wages of service contract workers with disabilities employed under Special Wage Certificates in the order; and WHEREAS, members of the National Federation of the Blind, along with partner organizations of people with disabilities, actively advocated through phone calls, social media, and written correspondence that workers with disabilities be included in the executive order wage increase; and WHEREAS, as a result of our advocacy, on February 12, 2014, President Obama exhibited fairness and courage by signing a historic executive order that provided the same wage protections to service contract workers both with and without disabilities, stating: federal agencies must "ensure that new contracts include a clause, specifying that the minimum wage to be paid to workers, including workers whose wages are calculated pursuant to special certificates issued under [Section 14(c)], in the performance of the contract or any subcontract thereunder, shall be at least $10.10 per hour beginning January 1, 2015"; and WHEREAS, Section 14(c) of the FLSA remains a discriminatory, immoral, and antiquated law that should be phased out and eventually repealed as outlined by the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that this organization highly commend President Barack Obama for including people with disabilities in his executive order, ensuring that federal contract workers with disabilities will be paid $10.10 an hour just like their nondisabled peers; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge all 14(c) certificate-holding entities to follow the lead of the federal government and stop using 14(c) certificates; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we urge Congress to finish the remaining work of repealing the discriminatory policy found in Section 14(c) of the FLSA by passing HR 831, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. ---------- Resolution 2014-06 Regarding the Accessibility of the Internet of Things WHEREAS, the Internet of Things is a scenario in which objects, animals, or people are provided with unique identifiers and the ability to transfer data automatically over a network without requiring human-to-human or human- to-computer interaction; and WHEREAS, this technology is rapidly gaining traction and may dramatically affect how society collects information and how people interface with devices; and WHEREAS, companies such as General Electric Corporation, Cisco Systems Inc., Amazon Web Services Inc., Google Inc., the International Business Machines Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Logitech Inc., Honeywell International Inc., and Smart Things (Physical Graph Corporation) are laying the foundation of the Internet of Things; and WHEREAS, devices, animals, and people can be connected to the Internet using accessories that provide an Internet connection; and WHEREAS, data collected by devices can be reviewed by websites and apps; and WHEREAS, these devices can be controlled via those same apps and websites; and WHEREAS, most of these apps and websites are not currently accessible with screen-access software; and WHEREAS, most of the accessories provide no audible or tactile verification of connection status, battery status, or any other critical functions: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that this organization call upon the developers of connected and connecting devices for the Internet of Things to extend their groundbreaking work to all users by providing speech and tactile feedback to put all users, including the blind, on an equal footing. ---------- Resolution 2014-07 Regarding Making Diabetes Tools and Technologies Accessible to Consumers Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision WHEREAS, Many advances in diabetes and diabetes-related technologies, such as insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring devices, and home dialysis systems offer great benefits, including more effective diabetes self- management, independence, and an enhanced quality of life; and WHEREAS, blind and low-vision people also have the right to benefit from these advancements in diabetes technologies but are deprived of the health benefits that they offer because manufacturers consistently fail to integrate nonvisual and low-vision access features into them, even though blind consumers have been requesting this access for nearly thirty years; and WHEREAS, federal regulators and policymakers perpetuate this blatant discrimination and fail to protect the rights and needs of blind and low- vision consumers who have diabetes by failing to develop accessibility standards and by failing to require developers receiving federal funds to add nonvisual and low-vision access to their diabetes-related products; and WHEREAS, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves all medical devices before they can be marketed in the United States, but lacks the authority to ensure the accessibility of diabetes technologies; and WHEREAS, organizations such as the American Diabetes Association, the JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, and the American Medical Association fail to advocate for nonvisual and low-vision access to these lifesaving technologies: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the City of Orlando, Florida, that this organization call for the end of discrimination against blind and low-vision diabetics by insisting that Congress give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to mandate full accessibility in diabetes- related devices, and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization urge the Food and Drug Administration to work with the National Federation of the Blind to create nonvisual and low-vision accessibility standards for all diabetes-related devices, and then require manufacturers to include nonvisual and low-vision accessibility in all new diabetes technology before receiving FDA approval; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization calls upon national associations that advocate for people with diabetes to join with the National Federation of the Blind to advocate for nonvisual and low-vision accessibility in all future diabetes technologies so that all people with diabetes, including those who are blind or have low vision, may benefit from these technologies. ---------- Resolution 2014-08 Regarding the Accessibility of Enterprise Software WHEREAS, much of the business world is driven by large enterprise systems that manage human resources, accounting, collaboration, and business-to- business transactions; and WHEREAS, many such enterprise products from companies such as SAP AG, Salesforce.com Inc., Paychex Inc., and ADP Inc. are not accessible to or usable by the blind; and WHEREAS, it has been demonstrated by companies such as Oracle Corporation that, even on a very large scale, it is possible to have and follow an accessibility policy for a very diverse portfolio of enterprise products; and WHEREAS, many of these inaccessible enterprise solutions are deployed in government and educational settings where access is mandated by law under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Sections 504 and/or 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and other applicable federal and state laws: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that this organization strongly urge the companies that develop and support enterprise software to make their software accessible to the blind and thereby level the playing field for blind professionals; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demands that public entities that procure enterprise solutions comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws by procuring and deploying only enterprise solutions that are accessible to their blind employees. ---------- Resolution 2014-09 Regarding the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program WHEREAS, interpersonal communication is one of the greatest barriers to full participation in community life faced by deaf-blind people; and WHEREAS, with the expansion of electronic communications such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media, barriers to interpersonal communications are increasing for deaf-blind people; and WHEREAS, to promote access to telecommunications for people with disabilities, the twenty-first century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA) was enacted into law in 2010; and WHEREAS, the CVAA "directs the allocation of up to $10 million per year from the Interstate Telecommunication Relay Service Fund for the distribution of specialized equipment to low-income people who are deaf- blind to enable them to access telecommunications service, internet access service, and advanced communications"; and WHEREAS, in response to the CVAA, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) created the National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program (NDBEDP) as a three-year pilot program, scheduled to end on June 30, 2015, to "ensure that every person with combined hearing and vision loss has access to modern telecommunication tools and the training necessary to use them"; and WHEREAS, while the pilot program has been successful in providing much- needed equipment, there have been lengthy delays in the delivery of these devices; and WHEREAS, there have been even lengthier delays in receiving the training on using these devices, because qualified NDBEDP trainers are in extremely short supply due to the specialized knowledge they must have of assistive telecommunications technology, as well as knowledge of Tactile American Sign Language and other communications methods used by deaf-blind individuals: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the City of Orlando, Florida, that this organization strongly urge the FCC to make the National Deaf- Blind Equipment Distribution Program permanent and to do so before the June 30, 2015, deadline so that there is no interruption of service; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization insists that the FCC eliminate the delays in purchasing and distributing equipment to deaf-blind persons and adopt measures to ensure the availability of an adequate pool of qualified trainers who can evaluate the needs of deaf-blind individuals and train them in the use of appropriate equipment. ---------- Resolution 2014-10 Regarding the Omission of Accessibility Standards in the Office of the National Coordinator for Health and Information Technology's Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Records WHEREAS, the transition from print-based medical records to electronic health records (EHR) offers the opportunity to expand the circle of participation in the healthcare industry by giving blind providers mainstream access to systems and material that they need in order to do their jobs without the need for alternative formats, specialized services, and customized supports, and by giving blind patients private and equal access to their health records; and WHEREAS, most current EHR technology is inaccessible to blind people working in or pursuing work in the healthcare industry, creating new barriers that may ultimately drive blind people out of the industry altogether; and WHEREAS, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health and Information Technology (ONC), which is housed in the Department of Health and Human Services, drives the market for EHR technology by developing Certification Criteria, allowing developers to know what specifications their EHR technology must meet in order for providers to use it; and WHEREAS, in order to update the Certification Criteria, improve its regulatory timeline, and more effectively respond to stakeholder feedback, ONC issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking unveiling the voluntary 2015 Edition of EHR in March of 2014; and WHEREAS, ONC's EHR Certification Criteria are a vehicle by which ONC can break the systemic discrimination within the healthcare industry caused by inaccessible EHR; and WHEREAS, ONC missed this remarkable opportunity and failed to integrate accessibility into the Certification Criteria properly, calling only for increased accessibility for blind patients and not requiring any accessibility for blind workers who use the technology; and WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind submitted comments in response to the NPRM urging ONC to amend the Voluntary 2015 Certification Criteria to include compliance with WCAG 2.0 Level AA; and WHEREAS, in our filing the Federation noted that compliance must not only include access for patients but must also meet the needs of blind people who currently work or who wish to work in the healthcare industry; and WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind supported our comments by submitting letters on behalf of sixteen blind doctors, nurses, assistants, therapists, and students who currently work in the healthcare industry or are pursuing careers in the healthcare industry and who are facing extreme discrimination as a result of inaccessible EHR technology: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that we strongly urge ONC to amend the Voluntary 2015 Certification Criteria for EHR technology to include accessibility for all users of the technology; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we commend the sixteen blind healthcare professionals for telling their stories, because the talents and careers of many individuals are in jeopardy if those currently facing needless discrimination because of inaccessible EHR technology do not make their voices heard; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we strongly urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of Health and Human Services, and any healthcare provider that deploys EHR technology proactively to demand accessibility from developers, since all of these entities are stakeholders in this matter and will never fully realize the benefits of EHR technology unless that technology is accessible to users with disabilities. ---------- Resolution 2014-11 Regarding Commending Vernier Software & Technology LLC for its Accessibility Efforts WHEREAS, science is considered an essential component of every student's education; and WHEREAS, for many years blind science students have been unable to participate fully in laboratory research because of a lack of nonvisual accessible equipment that performs such basic functions as weighing, measuring, and obtaining test results; and WHEREAS, these limitations have made it almost impossible for blind people to pursue careers in the laboratory sciences; and WHEREAS, Vernier Software & Technology LLC, the world's leading manufacturer of school laboratory equipment, has recently introduced speech capability to its LabQuest hardware, giving blind students access to information from various types of sensors; and WHEREAS, Vernier further opened the doors of opportunity to blind scientists and students by modifying its LoggerPro software to provide data analysis in accessible formats: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the City of Orlando, Florida, that this organization commend Vernier Software & Technology LLC for its willingness to listen to the advice of blind people and for its innovation in providing access to the full laboratory experience for blind students and scientists; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization strongly urge Vernier to incorporate accessibility in all of its products by working in cooperation with interested companies and the National Federation of the Blind; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call upon the appropriate federal agencies, such as the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Education, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the National Science Foundation, to cooperate in funding further research and development so that the study of laboratory sciences is possible for all students and scientists, including the blind. ---------- Resolution 2014-12 Regarding Policies, Standards, and Procedures to Ensure and Maintain Accessibility of Apple Inc. Apps WHEREAS, Apple Inc. has made VoiceOver, a free and powerful screen-access program, an integral part of many of its products, including the Apple Inc. Macintosh, iPhone, iPod Touch, Apple Inc. TV, and iPad; and WHEREAS, although VoiceOver has the ability to enable nonvisual access to hundreds of thousands of applications that are available today through these platforms, such access cannot be achieved unless the applications are written to provide VoiceOver with the information it needs to tell the blind user what he or she needs to know; and WHEREAS, through presentations at developer conferences, specific guidance issued in programming guides, and application programming interfaces that are simple to implement, Apple Inc. has made it easy for application developers to incorporate accessibility features for VoiceOver users into their programs; and WHEREAS, despite Apple Inc.'s efforts to encourage accessibility, too many applications are still not accessible to VoiceOver users because buttons are not properly labeled, images of text cannot be interpreted, and other display elements cannot even be detected by VoiceOver; and WHEREAS, although Apple Inc. has given VoiceOver users the tools to assign labels to unlabeled elements on their own, a growing number of applications that have been released cannot be made accessible using these tools; and WHEREAS, even if the current version of an application is accessible to a blind VoiceOver user, Apple Inc. has no policy, procedure, or mechanism in place to ensure that this accessibility will be maintained when a subsequent version is released; and WHEREAS, not only are inaccessible applications inconvenient for the blind VoiceOver user, but they can also prevent a blind person from independently performing the duties of his/her job; and WHEREAS, Apple Inc. is not reluctant to place requirements and prohibitions on application developers, but has not seen fit to require that applications be accessible to VoiceOver users; and WHEREAS, making products accessible to users of VoiceOver should be as important as any other requirement imposed on application developers: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the City of Orlando, Florida, that this organization call upon Apple Inc. to work with the National Federation of the Blind to create and enforce policies, standards, and procedures to ensure the accessibility of all apps, including core apps distributed by Apple in the base iOS distribution, and to ensure that accessibility is not lost when an app is updated. ---------- Resolution 2014-13 Regarding Access to Cloud Storage Solutions WHEREAS, storing files in the cloud is increasingly the norm for file storage, collaboration, and backup purposes; and WHEREAS, cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Box, SugarSync and Google Drive provide users with an easy-to-use, free, or inexpensive way to keep files; and WHEREAS, services like these are actively being promoted in educational and professional settings; and WHEREAS, these large services have a checkered history with accessibility and currently have many inaccessible features; and WHEREAS, sharing files, file management, file viewing, and folder management are critical functions in cloud services: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that this organization strongly urge cloud storage services to commit to making at a minimum folder management, file sharing, file viewing, and file management accessible to blind consumers; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization insists on a commitment from such cloud storage providers to robust and reliable, rather than incidental, partial, and intermittent accessibility. ---------- Resolution 2014-14 Regarding the Accessibility of Home Security Systems WHEREAS, home security systems afford protection to homes and places of business; and WHEREAS, the increased reliance on digital, web, and mobile tools for monitoring home and business security means that home security companies have simpler, cheaper, and more powerful options for making their products accessible; and WHEREAS, accessible wall panels, websites, and apps have been produced, tested, and used in the market in other areas of home automation, the Kelvin and Talking thermostats being examples; and WHEREAS, the available home security systems have deployed largely inaccessible wall units, apps, and websites; and WHEREAS, security companies such as Honeywell International Inc., Comcast (Xfinity) Corporation, the ADT Corporation, Vivint Inc., and the LifeShield Inc., as well as DIY (do it yourself) services such as SimpliSafe Inc. and Protect America Inc. could make their offerings usable by blind consumers without undue burden: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that this organization strongly urges security system companies to make their wall panels, apps, and websites fully and equally accessible to all consumers so that having a secure home or business is not reserved only for the sighted. ---------- Resolution 2014-15 Regarding JAWS and Unified English Braille WHEREAS, for many years Freedom Scientific Inc.'s JAWS screen-reading software, which provides access to computers using speech or refreshable Braille output, has dominated the global market and has upheld a standard of excellence in assistive technology; and WHEREAS, Freedom Scientific Inc. has further demonstrated its commitment to Braille access by developing and producing several feature-rich refreshable Braille displays, creating more opportunities for Braille to be an integral part of computer use in the classroom, the workplace, and elsewhere; and WHEREAS, JAWS boasts the capability of Braille output and input in Unified English Braille (UEB), the Braille standard which was recently adopted for use in the United States and which is used in many other countries where JAWS is used; and WHEREAS, unfortunately, the UEB that is displayed by JAWS currently contains numerous errors, including incorrect use or nonuse of some contractions, incorrect dot representation of some symbols, and inclusion of some extraneous characters, as well as errors in backward translation from Braille to print; and WHEREAS, not only do these translation errors create ambiguity and difficulty with reading the displayed Braille, but they are especially detrimental because they propagate confusion and misinformation about UEB while people are beginning to learn it; and WHEREAS, well before the decision was made to adopt UEB in the United States, details of these errors were brought to the attention of Freedom Scientific Inc. personnel; and WHEREAS, all updates to JAWS that have been released in the intervening time show no improvements in Braille translation; and WHEREAS, to date, Freedom Scientific Inc. has not taken advantage of offers by the National Federation of the Blind to provide technical assistance in correcting these errors; and WHEREAS, the UEB translators in other screen-reading programs, such as Window-Eyes and VoiceOver, are much more accurate: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the City of Orlando, Florida, that this organization urge Freedom Scientific Inc. to uphold its commitment to quality assistive technology for Braille users by immediately correcting the errors in the UEB translation tables for JAWS; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization calls upon Freedom Scientific Inc. to work with us to ensure that users have access to Braille that follows all of the rules in the UEB code. ---------- Resolution 2014-16 Regarding the Federal Communications Commission's Decision on the Coalition of E-Reader Manufacturers' Petition for Waiver WHEREAS, the Twenty-First Century Video and Communications Accessibility Act (CVAA), which became law in 2010, requires all developers of consumer products with advanced communications services (ACS) to make those services accessible to users with disabilities when achievable; and WHEREAS, the CVAA authorizes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant waivers of the ACS accessibility requirements to classes of multipurpose equipment or services that are indeed capable of accessing ACS, but are nonetheless designed primarily for purposes other than using ACS, meaning that products with incidental ACS that is not the primary or co-primary purpose of the device can be exempt from CVAA accessibility requirements, if the FCC believes the product meets this general standard for a waiver; and WHEREAS, on May 16, 2013, the Coalition of E-Reader Manufacturers, which is comprised of Amazon.com Inc., Sony Corporation, and Kobo Inc. filed a petition with the FCC requesting a waiver for a narrow class of basic e- readers, claiming that basic e-readers meet the general standard for a waiver because the advanced communications services in e-readers are rudimentary and stripped down, that most e-reader users do not employ the available advanced communications services, that Coalition members do not advertise the ACS features of e-readers, and that making the ACS accessible on e-readers would not provide benefit to people with disabilities or the public interest because it would ultimately call for a transformation of e- readers into tablets; and WHEREAS, the National Federation of the Blind and twenty-two other organizations of and for people with disabilities filed joint comments in opposition to the waiver, explaining that, not only is the ACS in e-readers far from rudimentary or stripped down, but the ability to communicate is the very function that sets e-readers apart from print books and enhances the experience of the user, making ACS a co-primary purpose of the devices; and WHEREAS, 125 members of the National Federation of the Blind sent letters to the FCC urging it to reject the waiver petition and protect blind people's right to access digital books; and WHEREAS, Tom Wheeler, chairman of the FCC, has expressed an intent to weave support for people with disabilities into his agenda as leader of a federal agency and has shown a commitment to improving access for users with disabilities by regularly engaging disability advocates; and WHEREAS, upon Chairman Wheeler's urging and, as a result of the advocacy efforts of the National Federation of the Blind in partnership with other disability organizations, the FCC decided to deny the Coalition of E-Reader Manufacturers' request for a permanent waiver for a narrow class of basic e- readers and granted only a one-year waiver; and WHEREAS, since their request for an indefinite waiver was denied, the members of the Coalition of E-Reader Manufacturers have a strong incentive to incorporate readily available accessibility solutions in their e-readers rather than seeking another waiver: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that we commend the FCC for listening to the National Federation of the Blind and other stakeholders who have been denied access to e-readers, digital books, and consumer electronics and rejecting the Coalition's request for an indefinite waiver; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we strongly urge Amazon.com Inc., Sony Corporation, and Kobo Inc. to take advantage of this temporary reprieve from accessibility requirements to incorporate readily available accessibility solutions in their products so that the advanced communications services and all other functions can be accessed by blind people who want to buy their products to access digital books. ---------- Resolution 2014-17 Regarding Accessible Online Ballot-Marking Systems WHEREAS, the right to cast a secret and anonymous ballot is a cornerstone of our democracy that enables citizens to vote their conscience without fear; and WHEREAS, the passage of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) has enabled the majority of blind voters and many others with disabilities to exercise their right to vote privately and independently at polling places; and WHEREAS, the accessible voting machines typically found in polling places do not have the capability to allow some voters with disabilities, such as the deaf-blind, to exercise their right to vote privately and independently as guaranteed by HAVA; and WHEREAS, accessible online ballot-marking systems will enable many voters who cannot currently cast a secret ballot, such as the deaf-blind, to vote privately and independently using their own personal access technology; and WHEREAS, seventeen states (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin) and counties in California and Florida have implemented online ballot-marking systems that enable voters to access and mark their ballot online and then email or print and mail the ballot to their local board of elections, demonstrating that these systems can be made secure; and WHEREAS, only Alaska, Delaware, Utah, and Washington extend the use of their online ballot-marking systems to voters with disabilities; Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that this organization strongly urge the thirteen states that have online ballot-marking systems, but do not make them available to voters with disabilities, to make their systems accessible and to extend their use to voters with disabilities; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Federation of the Blind strongly urges all remaining states and territories to implement accessible online ballot-marking systems and to make these systems available to voters with disabilities so that all citizens can exercise their right to cast a secret ballot. ---------- Resolution 2014-19 Regarding Equal Access to Taxicabs and Emerging Transportation Services WHEREAS, public transportation is extremely important to blind people because we cannot yet independently operate our own motor vehicles; and WHEREAS, technology is changing the way that the public requests and pays for transportation from taxicabs and newly emerging transportation providers; and WHEREAS, fewer traditional taxicabs are taking cash, opting instead to require passengers to pay electronically using systems that often do not include nonvisual feedback; and WHEREAS, newer service providers employ smartphone applications that can be used to request rides, with the rider being notified when pickup is expected and what car will be providing the transportation; and WHEREAS, too many of these smartphone applications do not work with the software that speaks the contents of the smartphone screen for blind people, though standards for coding apps to provide this accessibility are readily available and have been implemented by several companies throughout the country; and WHEREAS, there is both circumstantial and direct evidence that blind people who use guide dogs have been denied service by drivers for emerging transportation services: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the City of Orlando, Florida, that this organization insist upon equal access to the systems used to request, track, and pay for transportation, relying on existing law when we can and working for additional laws and regulations when required to ensure that all systems be as usable for the blind as they are for the sighted; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization insists upon the enforcement of laws ensuring that blind people who use guide dogs are not denied the benefits of these transportation services. ---------- Resolution 2014-20 Regarding Remote Access to Computers WHEREAS, remote access to computers is often a professional necessity; and WHEREAS, software such as Freedom Scientific's Tandem demonstrates that remote access can be made accessible on the desktop; and WHEREAS, screen-reading software access to apps and mobile websites is routinely achieved by a variety of web and app development companies such as Microsoft Corporation, which uses Outlook Web App (OWA); and WHEREAS, despite the fact that accessibility is achievable, other commonly used remote access tools from companies such as Citrix Systems; LogMeIn Inc.; TeamViewer, Inc.; and Microsoft Corporation are inaccessible to screen-access software in desktop, mobile site, and app versions: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that this organization demand that makers of remote-access tools provide equal access for blind users to all of the tools that they offer. ---------- Resolution 2014-21 Regarding Access to Airline Mobile Applications WHEREAS, airlines are working to improve services provided to their consumers through the development of mobile applications; and WHEREAS, such mobile applications are designed to enhance the ease with which consumers can access airline services; and WHEREAS, mobile applications allow airline consumers to access a range of features and services, including the ability to book flights, check the status of flights, acquire gate locations, obtain boarding passes, research lower fare rates, manage frequent flyer account information, access trip related features such as seat selection and itineraries, and procure other travel-related services provided by airline partners such as car rentals and hotel accommodations; and WHEREAS, blind and low-vision people are among the millions of Americans who use air travel for business and personal travel; and WHEREAS, while some features on mobile applications are accessible, many remain unreadable or unresponsive to screen-reading technologies, thereby excluding blind and low-vision people from using a variety of services; and WHEREAS, in 1986 Congress enacted the Air Carrier Access Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability; and WHEREAS, companies such as Apple, Inc. have provided mobile application developers with guidelines for creating accessible applications; and WHEREAS, travel-related applications can be made fully accessible by following accessibility guidelines: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the City of Orlando, Florida, that this organization call upon all airline carriers to ensure that all features of their mobile applications are accessible to blind air travelers. ---------- Resolution 2014-22 Regarding the Accessibility of Antivirus Software WHEREAS, the threat of malicious software attacks on computers is constant and the tactics of malefactors are increasingly sophisticated; and WHEREAS, antivirus software has become a standard precaution against threats to the computing environment; and WHEREAS, specific design guidelines for creating accessible software exist for the various operating systems; and WHEREAS, a plethora of software products, including Microsoft Security Essentials, demonstrate clearly that software accessibility is achievable without significant additional investment; and WHEREAS, some of the most popular companies in virus protection, such as Symantec Corporation, Kaspersky Lab, McAfee Inc., Malware Bytes Corporation, and Trend Micro Inc. all manufacture inaccessible antivirus software: Now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in Convention assembled this fifth day of July, 2014, in the city of Orlando, Florida, that this organization strongly urges the makers of antivirus software to make their products accessible to blind users. ---------- Convention Miniatures Diabetes Action Network: After a lively election with several contested positions, the following were elected to the board: president, Michael Freeman (WA); first vice president, Bernadette Jacobs (MD); second vice president, Sandi Ryan (IA); secretary, Marcey Gonzales, (TX); treasurer, Joy Stigile (CA); board members, Jean Brown (IN), Debbie Wunder (MO), Jonathan Franks (TX), and Ruby Polk (MO). Travel & Tourism Division: The following were elected to serve two-year terms expiring at the 2016 Convention: president, Cheryl Echevarria (NY); vice president, Amy Baron (MN); secretary, Margo Downey (NY); treasurer, Glenda Farnum (OK); and board members, Jemal Powell (IL), John TeBockhorst (MN), and Steve Hastalis (IL). Travel & Tourism Division Meeting Report from Convention: The division met during convention on July 3. The meeting began with a moment to remember those who were no longer with us and those who were ill and forced to remain at home, including our vice president, Maurice Shackelford. He was ill and had been in the hospital prior to convention, but he called during the meeting to let us know he was on the mend and back at home. Officers were introduced, and elections were held, the results of which are found above. The secretary's and treasurer's reports were read, and there was discussion about the division's first benefit fundraiser-a trip to Utah. The event raised $1,600, leading the division to take action. The division's contributions to the SUN, Jernigan, tenBroek, White Cane, and Imagination funds were all increased, and the division also chose to start a PAC plan. A number of guest speakers addressed our division. First was Mark Riccobono, who spoke about independence, fighting for accessible travel, and the obstacles to living the life we want with the technologies available. One of those obstacles is inaccessible websites run by the airlines. Despite the fact that Southwest was a sponsor of the 2012 Convention, the website for the airline is not accessible for the blind, though the NFB continues to work with it to improve this situation. The next speaker was Patrick Keyes, admissions coordinator, National Statler Center for Careers in Hospitality Service, located in Buffalo, NY. He spoke about the Statler's educational program and career placement services. The Statler's program has an 85 percent placement rate after graduation and has matched graduates with jobs in such companies as Sheraton, Marriott, Disney, and even many of the cruise lines. Other graduates have gone on to become travel agents, either independently or with a host agency. The next two speakers made a joint presentation because of the connected nature of the work their companies do. Andrew Garnett, president and CEO of the Special Needs Group and Cathy Vazquez, access officer manager, Norwegian Cruise Lines, spoke about the nature of their companies and how they relate to the NFB. The Special Needs Group not only provides guide or service dog relief boxes for all major cruise lines except European River Cruises, the company also Brailles menus for Norwegian Cruise Lines and will be doing Braille signs for ships as they come in for service or into dry dock. The Special Needs Group also works with travel professionals to provide many other accommodations while you travel, including wheelchairs (beach-capable chairs), scooters, walkers of all kinds, oxygen, specialty baby foods, and over one thousand other items. The Special Needs Group arranges to have these accommodations waiting for you at the cruise ship or resort and picks them up after you leave. Cathy Vazquez wanted to let us know just how much had changed in the years since the NFB had a lawsuit against Norwegian Cruise Lines. Not only has the company implemented Braille throughout its ships, with the assistance of the Special Needs Group's services, but Norwegian is also the only cruise line to have an access officer on every ship. After boarding, one meets with the access officer for an introduction which includes a brief orientation to the ship, a meeting with some of the crew, and lifeboat drills or other hands-on services to make the cruise experience safer and more enjoyable. The division also discussed the need for members to be involved year- round, not just at convention. We try to meet monthly by teleconference, with details posted on our talk list. To post a message to all the list members, email < travelandtourism at nfbnet.org>, or to view prior postings go to < http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/travelandtourism_nfbnet.org/>. You can also follow us on Twitter at , or on Facebook at . Video of our meeting and most of convention can be found on our website on the convention page at . National Association of Blind Public Employees: Elected at the association's annual meeting during convention were Ivan Weich, president; John Halverson, vice president; Donald Christie, secretary; and Marcus Soulsby, treasurer. A Summary of the 2014 Meeting of the NFB in Computer Science: The 2014 meeting of the National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science was held on Thursday, July 3. Although all of the program items were interesting, there are three noteworthy items that I would like to mention here. The group heard about a joint effort conducted by AT&T and a company called LivePerson to develop and implement a web-based text chat application that would be fully accessible to everyone-including the blind- through a variety of platforms (e.g., Windows computer, mobile phone, etc.). Anyone who has ever had to engage in an online chat session through the web knows that this can be particularly vexing for someone using screen access technology; often the blind user decides to abandon the effort altogether in favor of the more simple phone call. Through its Corporate Accessibility Technology Office (CATO), AT&T has been working with LivePerson on an accessible chat interface. We were extremely pleased to hear a live demonstration of how this new accessible interface works, and we were told that within the next nine months or so this interface would be deployed throughout the many web-based chat interfaces that are currently active within the AT&T organization. The presentation by Tracy Soforenko, a blind project manager who works for the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, captured a lot of interest. I had several people come to me after the meeting asking how they could contact Tracy to discuss the techniques he uses to perform his job. One person told me that he admired Tracy's "can-do" attitude and his recognition that it was his responsibility to ensure that he was performing the quality work that his employer expected of him. We heard from a company called Discover Technologies. This company has developed an enterprise package which is designed to make Microsoft SharePoint more usable to nonvisual users. What was not clear from this presentation was whether large companies who are already using SharePoint would offer resistance to a proposal requiring an accessibility solution to be installed onto a corporate server. In closing, let me say that a recording of our meeting was made and is available to anyone who sends $5 to our treasurer, Susie Stanzel. Anyone who wants to be provided with the recording should contact me directly, by email at or via cell phone at (515) 306-1654. Report of the Employment Committee Convention Activities: This year the Job Fair had twenty-three employers in attendance, twice as many as last year. Through the efforts of Mrs. Jernigan, the Rosen Hotels and Resorts participated, and Mark Riccobono made a contact that was developed and brought LEGOLAND Florida to the event. Oracle brought its diversity team, and one of its members presented at the seminar as well. The Florida Division of Blind Services was present, and they are following up with some of the other employers, especially LEGOLAND, which has a completely accessible customer service program. A number of other agencies were present, including the three NFB Centers, the New Mexico Commission for the Blind, and our own National Center, which is not an agency but recruited using the Job Fair for the first time. The Statler Center was scheduled but unable to come, apparently because of the east coast plane connection problems which made at least one other employer arrive late. We also had Brown, Goldstein & Levy present to do a survey of inaccessible job sites. We had 150 to 200 blind jobseekers present at the Job Fair, and responses from a number of the employer attendees have been favorable. National Center staff collected a number of r?sum?s and will be following up with those people. Our hope is that we can expand the Job Fair even more next year, since it seems to be a great way for the Federation to make friends with employers and with rehab agencies who not only want to hire our members but are impressed with the employment opportunities for their clients. For example: a man from the rehabilitation services in Florida offered to see if he could get more local employers to come in 2015. It would be great if we could establish the Federation as the national leader in finding employment for blind people. The Employment Committee meeting went well, too. Much of it was taken up with suggestions for more things we can do to help blind people get jobs, but there was also a lot of networking between employers and prospective employees, as well as discussion of job-seeking methods. The Employment Committee is currently building up its new website, . Information from the seminar and Job Fair, helpful articles, and other information will continue to be added to the site. For next year we are working with Disney to see if we can get them to attend the Job Fair at the 2015 Convention. Based on suggestions from the 2014 Convention, we are looking into ways to work with blind jobseekers to help prepare them for interviews, either as part of the seminar or concurrent with the Job Fair. Blind Cancer Survivors Group Forming: It is our intent to work toward the establishment of a division within the National Federation of the Blind for blind cancer survivors. We want to help cancer survivors get well, stay well, provide preventive measures, create a platform for cohesive dialogue, and, through accessibility, enhance the lives of blind cancer survivors. Our primary goal is to make sure that blind cancer survivors have literature in an accessible format, i.e. Braille, large print, or electronic format. For more information contact Isaiah Nelson at , or call (803) 735-0821. You may also call Dorothy Barksdale at (803) 765-1602. A Group in the Planning: My name is Alexander Scott Kaiser. I'm a young blind adult with cerebral palsy. I am forming a group for blind and visually impaired individuals who have cerebral palsy. This group's purpose is to provide support, education, information, advice, mentoring, and legal advocacy. >From problem-solving rehabilitation training issues to civil rights challenges unique to those with both CP and visual impairment, this group will provide support from others who understand. Meetings will be held by conference call on the first Sunday of the month, starting December 7, 2014, at 8:00 PM EST. To access the conference, dial (567) 704-0447 and use access code 999999#. If you are interested in joining the group, contact me by postal mail at Alexander Scott Kaiser, 2720 Middle Way, Lot 129, Forks Township, PA 18040. You may send me email at or call me at (848) 205-0208. Community Service Organizing at the Convention Thank you to those who were able to make it to the Community Service seminar and division organizing meeting of the National Federation of the Blind. We hope you enjoyed the speakers and content as much as we enjoyed putting it together and having you there. If you couldn't make it, we are truly sorry, and we hope that you will make it a point to join us next year in Orlando for our Diamond Seventy- fifth Anniversary Convention, where we plan to make a bigger and better experience to commemorate the occasion. If for some reason you couldn't make or stay for the organizing meeting, we are glad to tell you that we approved a constitution and elected the following officers: Darian Smith, president; Chris Parsons, vice president; Charlotte Czarnecki, secretary, Corina Salinas, treasurer; and board members Michelle Mitchell, Sarah Leon, and James Gump. All of the members of the board of directors are very excited to get to work and to do so alongside our brothers and sisters in the movement. We are eager to hear from you on how we may work to serve our communities and build the Federation through that service. Please contact Darian Smith at (415) 215- 9809 or . In the meantime, please be in touch should you have any thoughts, questions, ideas, or want to become more active in our work. We look forward to working with you to expand community service opportunities for the blind at all levels of the organization and to create a platform that promotes the recognition of the true capacity of the blind. Let's live the lives we want through service; let's get involved! ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Tue Sep 30 22:37:12 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 22:37:12 -0700 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, October 2014 Message-ID: <201410010537.s915bCH1015277@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 57, No. 9 October 2014 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 Mark Riccobono, 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 Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice Watch and share our videos: YouTube.com/NationsBlind 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 KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT; BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES. ISSN 0006-8829 ? 2014 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. 57, No. 9 October 2014 Contents Illustration: Raising the Bar and Creating Opportunities SourceAmerica: the Source of America's Discrimination against Workers with Disabilities by Rose Sloan Coming Soon, Ten Million Books: Landmark Copyright Rulings will Revolutionize Access to Books for the Blind by Chris Danielsen The Advocacy and Policy Report by John Par?, Rose Sloan, Lauren McLarney, and Jesse Hartle iCanConnect: National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program by Joe Naulty Deaf-Blind Communication Technology by Amy Mason Bringing Beep Baseball and Much More to the Dominican Republic by Richie Flores Minimum Wage Guarantees for Disabled Workers-A Report from the Department of Justice by Eve L. Hill Free Global Access for the Blind to the Computer by Michael Curran The Blind at Speed by Dan Parker For the Benefit of Those Who See: Dispatches from the World of the Blind reviewed by Barbara Pierce The GED and Alternatives by Doris Willoughby Recipes Monitor Miniatures Raising the Bar and Creating Opportunities [PHOTO CAPTION: Yang Heppe works independently on his recycled racer.] [PHOTO CAPTION: Elijah Anderson and Angel Ayala work together building their recycled racer.] [PHOTO CAPTION: Mentor Ashley Ritter mans the test ramp for the cars.] [PHOTO CAPTION: Two girls investigate the tower of cups and construction paper they will have to duplicate for copycat towers.] September 5 to 7 the National Center played host to the NFB STEM2U Leadership Academy, bringing blind high school students together for a weekend of accessible, entertaining science. On Friday one of the activities was building race cars out of recycled objects. Yang Heppe works alone with Styrofoam, cord, old CDs, and wooden spools on his race car. Others, like Elijah Anderson and Angel Ayala worked together on their car. Elijah confidently wields scissors to cut package tape to secure dowel rod axels onto their car, while Angel holds the CD wheel in place. Once the recycled racers were completed, the cars were put to the test. Ashley Ritter, one of the mentors, manned the top of the test ramp to keep consistency in the starts for each car's test. It wasn't all ramps and race cars, though. Other activities that weekend included musical chairs, attempting to eat donuts suspended on strings, and other activities to challenge the young scientists such as copycat towers, where pairs were challenged to replicate the towers made with paper cups and construction paper. [PHOTO CAPTION: Blind and sighted, those who walked with canes, and those who used wheelchairs all joined in at the protest.] SourceAmerica: the Source of America's Discrimination against Workers with Disabilities by Rose Sloan On Thursday, August 28, 2014, the National Federation of the Blind conducted an informational protest outside the national office of SourceAmerica in Vienna, Virginia. SourceAmerica, formerly the National Industries for the Severely Handicapped, or NISH, is responsible for distributing government contracts to nonprofits that employ Americans with disabilities. The National Federation of the Blind picketed SourceAmerica because SourceAmerica chooses to distribute contracts to nonprofits that hold special wage certificates which allow entities to pay people with disabilities less than the minimum wage. Paying people with disabilities subminimum wages should be illegal, but Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act allows entities to do just that. To add insult to injury, SourceAmerica is actively lobbying against HR 831, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. When passed, this legislation will phase out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Additionally, staff of the National Federation of the Blind discovered, in reviewing SourceAmerica's IRS Form 990 (a tax form that nonprofits must complete), that over one hundred employees at its national office make over $100,000 a year, while workers at nonprofits that SourceAmerica supports fulfill government contracts by paying people with disabilities subminimum wages, sometimes pennies per hour. On the day of the protest, for blocks in all directions, over one hundred people with disabilities could be heard chanting, "Equal work, equal pay." Horns were honked by commuters to show their support for fair wages for workers with disabilities. The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) was not the only group protesting SourceAmerica. The Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst (APSE) and the National Council on Independent Living (NCIL) joined the National Federation of the Blind in showing their support at the protest, while ADAPT, Little People of America, and TASH endorsed the event. Many passionate speeches about the need to repeal Section 14(c) were given. Mr. Jesse Hartle was the master of ceremonies and introduced speakers including: Dr. Fred Schroeder, first vice president of the NFB; Mr. Kelly Buckland, executive director of the NCIL; Ms. Rose Sloan, government affairs specialist for the NFB; Mr. John Par?, executive director for advocacy and policy for the NFB; Mr. Sean Whalen, president of the National Association of Blind Students; Mr. Kevan Worley, board member of the NFB of Colorado; Mr. Charlie Brown, former president of the NFB of Virginia; Dr. Marc Maurer, immediate past president of the NFB; Mr. Shawn Callaway, president of the NFB of DC; and Mr. Ryley Newport, public policy associate of APSE. The event was concluded by an impassioned speech by National Federation of the Blind President Mark Riccobono. Colorful signs that read: "Same jobs deserve same pay," "Low expectations lead to low productivity," "Proper training creates productive employees," "SourceAmerica exploits people with disabilities," and "Minimum wage should protect everyone," were visible to SourceAmerica staff working in the office as well as many commuters who passed on the four-lane street. People whose curiosity was sparked by the protest were given a flyer titled: "SourceAmerica: the Source of America's Discrimination Against People with Disabilities" [this flyer is found immediately following this article]. Throughout the event, protest songs such as "We're Not Gonna Take It," "Blue Collar Man," and "9 to 5" were interspersed among the speeches and chants. Most importantly, many people who before August 28 likely thought SourceAmerica provided good employment opportunities for people with disabilities learned about SourceAmerica's exploitative policy of supporting nonprofits that pay Americans with disabilities less than the minimum wage. The National Federation of the Blind and its partner organizations made a loud and clear statement: we will not tolerate any organization that endorses subminimum wages for people with disabilities. SourceAmerica The Source of America's Discrimination Against Workers with Disabilities Since 1938 Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act has allowed entities to pay workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage. However, just because it is legal does not mean it is right. With proper training and support, individuals with all types of disabilities can be productive employees who earn at least the minimum wage. SourceAmerica refuses to adopt 21st century business models and instead chooses to support this antiquated and discriminatory provision. SourceAmerica: . Supports the payment of subminimum wages to Americans with disabilities. . Profits from exploiting workers with disabilities rather than training them to reach their full potential. . Lobbies against the responsible phase out of Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. . Ignores the demand of seventy-five disability-oriented groups in their quest for equal pay. . Fosters the dependency of Americans with disabilities on government assistance. URGE SourceAmerica to adopt 21st century business practices that provide the education, training, and support for Americans with disabilities to be productive and valuable employees, and to support fair wages for workers with disabilities. For more information visit or call the National Federation of the Blind at (410) 659-9314, extension 2330. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Chris Danielsen] Coming Soon, Ten Million Books: Landmark Copyright Rulings will Revolutionize Access to Books for the Blind by Chris Danielsen From the Editor: Chris Danielsen is the director of public relations for the National Federation of the Blind and is the driving force behind many of the press releases we issue to the media. He is trained as a lawyer, and we are the beneficiaries of his legal knowledge and his ability to communicate. Here is what he has to say: On June 10, 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued what is probably the final ruling in a case whose implications are nothing short of revolutionary. While the court's ruling in Authors Guild, et al. vs. HathiTrust, et al. may or may not have other effects on authors and the publishing industry, it will have an enormous and positive impact on one of the greatest challenges that we have historically faced as blind people: access to the printed word. As our immediate past president, Dr. Marc Maurer, said in a statement on the day the ruling was issued, the court "ruled clearly and unambiguously that libraries may provide full digital access to the books in their collections to patrons who are blind or print disabled and that providing such access is a fair use of copyrighted works under our nation's copyright laws. Among other things the ruling means that libraries need not rely on the provisions of copyright law relating specifically to access by the disabled in order to provide access to their collections for print-disabled readers. This ruling will dramatically improve the lives of blind and print-disabled Americans, allowing us access to the millions of books held by the HathiTrust Digital Library and any similar collections created in the future. The decision is a victory for the blind and print disabled, the significance of which cannot be overstated. The court's historic action hastens the day when the blind and others with print disabilities will have full access to all of the world's written knowledge." To understand the implications of the HathiTrust case fully, it is useful to review briefly the history of access to books by the blind and where copyright law stood before the case was decided. We all know that acquiring access to books, magazines, and other published works has always been a source of frustration for blind people. Although the efforts of the United States government (primarily through the Library of Congress) and many dedicated nonprofit organizations, some of them staffed entirely by volunteers, gave us access to many publications, the process of doing so was so cumbersome and laborious that this access was extremely limited. Not only did books have to be transcribed into Braille or read aloud and recorded, but this process could begin only once the entity that planned to make the conversion had obtained the permission of the holder of the book's copyright. This meant that blind people read the latest bestseller months or even years after it originally appeared; waited until far into the school semester for accessible copies of our textbooks; and relied almost entirely on the radio or television for knowledge of current events, since we could not obtain timely access to newspapers or magazines. In the last two decades there have been incremental but significant steps toward greater access. Computer technology has made books more accessible because they can be converted into electronic formats that blind people can use with access technology to generate Braille, large print, or audio. Hardcopy books can be scanned and fed into optical character recognition software and converted into electronic text files, or books can originate in digital form. As ebooks have moved from being a technology specifically used by blind people to a mainstream phenomenon, some (but sadly not all) ebook providers have made their products accessible to the blind. Our own NFB-NEWSLINE? service has made timely access to newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals not only possible but simple and efficient. On the copyright front the amendment to our nation's copyright laws known as the Chafee Amendment (for its champion, the late Rhode Island Senator John Chafee) eliminated the need for government entities and nonprofits serving the blind to ask for specific permission from copyright holders before producing accessible versions of published works. None of these solutions have been perfect, and blind people in the United States still have access to only around 5 percent of all of the published works produced each year. Nonetheless, the undeniable trend has been toward greater access. Meanwhile, the trend toward digitization of the printed word has changed the mainstream publishing industry and raised significant questions about the copyright implications of converting hardcopy books into digital form. The efforts of Google, a company which is trying to make all of the world's knowledge electronically searchable and accessible, have been the most dramatic, both in its potential significance and its ability to induce sleepless nights among authors and publishers. We have this technology behemoth and a coalition of university libraries to thank for the recent court decision and all of its implications. Also, of course, the timely and effective advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind played a decisive role. Beginning in 2004 several university libraries, including the University of Michigan, the University of California at Berkeley, Cornell, and more contracted with Google to scan all of the books in their collections. In 2008 these libraries and others who had joined the project created an entity known as the HathiTrust Digital Library (HDL) to house the digital copies of the books in their collections. The HDL now has eighty members and houses a collection of some ten million books. The HDL planned to use these digital copies of books for three purposes: to create a searchable database, to provide access for blind and print-disabled readers, and to replace the books if the physical copies held by the libraries were lost or destroyed. The Authors Guild, several individual authors, and several other domestic and foreign organizations purporting to protect the rights of authors and other copyright holders sued the HDL. Recognizing the potential value of having access to ten million digital copies of books, the National Federation of the Blind and other organizations dedicated to providing access to the printed word for people with disabilities asked to intervene in the suit. In essence this means that we volunteered to be defendants, even though we had not been sued, so that we could advance arguments for providing the digital books to readers with print disabilities and so that the court could consider and rule upon our arguments, as well as any made by the HDL. Fortunately we were granted permission by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, the federal district court then hearing the case, to become part of the litigation. The authors who sued the HDL maintained that the mass digitization of the books held by the participating university libraries violated copyright law. Our nation's copyright laws, which are specifically authorized by the United States Constitution, give authors, publishers, and other copyright holders a limited right to control certain uses of the works they produce for a limited time, currently the life of the copyright holder plus seventy years. At the end of the copyright period, if the copyright has not been renewed, a work becomes part of the public domain, which means that anyone can exercise the rights that the copyright holder once controlled. The purpose of copyright laws, however, is not solely to protect authors, musicians, and other artists or content creators; it is, as the Constitution states, to "promote science and the useful arts." The idea is that, by giving people a commercial incentive to write books, compose and perform music, and so forth, more books, music, and the like will be produced, thereby benefiting the public. In order for this to make sense, however, the public has to be able to make use of the works that are created. Books are no good if no one reads them, nor is music beneficial unless it is heard. What our copyright laws do is allow the author, composer, artist, publisher, or other copyright holder to maintain exclusive control for the period of the copyright over the way the work is disseminated and used, and to receive compensation for the uses that he or she authorizes. Copyright holders can sell their rights (to a publisher, for example) in exchange for the purchase price plus royalties for each use of the work (e.g., each book the publisher sells), or give the rights away, but the decision rests with the copyright holder. If an author writes a book and a film producer wants to make a movie based on it, then the film producer must get the author's permission and compensate him or her for using the book in this way. When a radio station plays a musician's song, the station pays royalties to an association, which then distributes them to the musician. When the copyright runs out, of course, those who want to exploit the work are free to do so at will. This is why there is a constantly proliferating number of printed editions and film versions of the works of authors such as Charles Dickens and Jane Austen; the copyright holders left us long ago, so their works now belong to all of us. As mentioned earlier, copyright is not unlimited. The most important exception to copyright law is a doctrine called "fair use." To oversimplify a bit, a fair use is a use of the work that is considered not to be a violation of copyright, primarily because it does not introduce a substitute for the original work into the commercial market and take away compensation to which the copyright holder is entitled. Two well-known examples of fair use are book reviews, in which the reviewer can quote passages from a book that illustrate and exemplify the reviewer's opinion of the book, and home video recording of broadcast television programs. The doctrine of fair use has been developed by our nation's courts since its founding, and the judicial understanding of fair use was eventually incorporated into our copyright statutes in 1976. The law does not contain an exhaustive list of every use that is considered a fair use; instead, it sets forth factors that courts must consider in deciding whether a particular use is covered by the doctrine. As already mentioned, the most important of these is whether the use takes away all or part of the market for the copyright holder's work by effectively creating a substitute. Other factors include whether the use transforms a work into something other than the original (as happens, for example, when a photograph is included in a collage), and the kind of work involved. The defendants in the HathiTrust case, including the National Federation of the Blind, argued that the uses of copyrighted works in which the HDL planned to engage-including the creation of accessible copies for blind readers- fell within the fair use exception. In a ruling issued in October of 2012, the late Judge Harold Baer, Jr. agreed that the creation of accessible digital copies for blind and print- disabled readers was a fair use. He further ruled that the libraries involved qualified as entities covered by the Chafee Amendment, because one of their primary purposes was to distribute accessible copies of books to readers with print disabilities. The ruling on fair use was significant, but the ruling on the Chafee Amendment is even more significant. Chafee entities can distribute content to anyone with a qualifying disability. Arguably under fair use the HDL can distribute accessible copies of its books only to patrons of its participating university libraries who are blind or have print disabilities. But as a Chafee entity the HDL can distribute these accessible copies to any blind or print-disabled individual in the United States. The Authors Guild and the other plaintiffs appealed Judge Baer's ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. This is the court that issued its ruling on June 10 of this year. The Court of Appeals agreed with Judge Baer's conclusion on the question of fair use, although not with his rationale. Judge Baer had relied on the concept of transformative use, the idea that in creating digital copies that are accessible to the blind, HDL had fundamentally transformed the works. Instead, the appeals court focused on the fact that accessible copies of books do not undermine the market for the originals. The court noted that authors and publishers have traditionally deemed the market for books that are accessible to the blind to be so insignificant that they do not produce accessible versions themselves and have often foregone the royalties that they might have received from the sale of such versions. Therefore, by the publishing industry's own logic, accessible digital copies of books could not represent a threat to the market for the books. The Court of Appeals concluded that, because it had found the generation of accessible copies to be a fair use, it need not address the question of whether the HDL was a Chafee entity. When an appeals court lets a lower court ruling stand without altering it, the lower court's ruling remains law. The appeals court allowed Judge Baer's ruling to stand as it related to the Chafee Amendment. Therefore the HDL is free to distribute accessible digital copies of the books in its collection, not only to students and faculty at its participating universities, but to blind and print-disabled individuals across the nation. Once the HDL is able to set up a mechanism to facilitate this distribution, as it has indicated it will do, blind and print-disabled Americans will have access to its ten million books. Moreover, the ruling means that other libraries can do the same with their collections. There is a chance that the epic legal battle that has brought us to this happy outcome is not yet over. The case was sent back to the lower court for adjudication of a legal issue unrelated to our interests. Once that issue is decided, it is possible that the case could continue with an appeal ultimately reaching the United States Supreme Court. Unlike other courts, however, the Supreme Court can decide whether or not to hear the case. If it does, the National Federation of the Blind is ready to take our arguments to our nation's highest court. There is no reason to believe that they will be any less persuasive than they have been so far. But, if no such appeal occurs or the Supreme Court decides against hearing the case, then the existing rulings, as they relate to blind and print-disabled readers, will stand. So, with very little fear of contradiction, your correspondent is happy to tell Monitor readers that they should get ready to do lots and lots of reading. ---------- The Advocacy and Policy Report by John Par?, Rose Sloan, Lauren McLarney, and Jesse Hartle >From the Editor: One of the most inspirational items to appear annually on our convention agenda is the report of the Advocacy and Policy Department, a primary component of which is our report on legislative action affecting the blind. Here is what our team said on Saturday afternoon, July 5, 2014: [PHOTO CAPTION: John Par?] John Par?: Good afternoon, fellow Federationists. This is such an exciting convention! This morning was historic. Dr. Maurer, I can't tell you how much I've learned from you and benefited from in my relationship with you, and I look forward to another ten or twenty or thirty years working with you. I look forward to supporting the new president, President- elect Riccobono. The other thing that really struck me this morning is that, Dr. Maurer, you have really done an incredible job of nurturing each one of us, but also nurturing an incredible board of directors. I'm just awed by the strength of the depth in the knowledge that we have in our leadership, and I'd like to give them a round of applause. The advocacy and policy department is responsible for NFB-NEWSLINE, governmental affairs, and public relations. Here is a brief review of some of that activity: 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 105,000 subscribers, 343 newspapers, forty-three magazines, TV listings, job listings, advertisements, and English- and Spanish-language content. Publications are available over the phone, through email, as an iPhone app, on the Internet, or for download on a variety of digital devices, including the NLS digital talking book player. Since the 2013 convention NFB-NEWSLINE subscribers have enjoyed over 38 million minutes of news, made over 2.1 million calls, received over 2.2 million email messages, and accessed over 6.4 million newspapers. At last year's convention we announced a collaboration with AccuWeather to provide emergency weather alerts. The services been expanded to include a full weather forecast system. NFB-NEWSLINE subscribers now have the ability to get their full weather forecasts both on the telephone system and on the NFB-NEWSLINE app. The weather system also includes the time of sunrise, sunset, and other things such as the current temperature; wind speed; real temperature feel; air quality; and the air, wind, pollen, and grass indexes. Let's hear it for Newsline! Our public relations effort continues to expand our initiatives, programs, and policies. The National Federation of the Blind has been mentioned, featured, or spoken about in over 5,200 stories over the past year. Here are a few examples: On July 15, USA Today published an article about our work in technology in higher education and the TEACH bill. USA Today is the largest circulation newspaper in the United States. On August 3, 2013, the National Federation of the Blind of Idaho's iteration of the BELL program received a fine write-up in the Idaho State Journal. The article emphasized the improved Braille skills of the young students who participated in the program. On November 4, 2013, the Department of Transportation released its rule purporting to increase air carrier access act requirements for website kiosks, automated kiosks, and websites. This rule gives airlines three years to make their websites accessible and ten years to make only a portion of their kiosks accessible. Dr. Maurer wrote an incisive op-ed that was published in The Hill, explaining his tremendous disappointment in the weak rule. On April 23, 2014, The Atlantic published a story about the importance of the accessibility of mobile news apps. Chris Danielsen, the National Federation of the Blind's director of public relations, was quoted throughout this article. We continue to work to expand the National Federation of the Blind's social media presence and drive traffic to our website. Our Facebook fans have grown to over 3,700 and our Twitter followers had grown to over 5,000. Our Facebook content alone has reached over 250,000 people over the past year. I urge you to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. The National Federation of the Blind has launched a new effort to increase and expand our video content on our YouTube channel, NationsBlind. Our channel is devoted to content featuring the National Federation of the Blind and our members. As part of this effort we have created a special portal on our website for you to upload material to the Jernigan Institute. Our goal is to publish seventy-five new videos by next year's convention. If you would like to learn more, please go to . The National Federation of the Blind has been advocating against Section 511 of the workforce investment act for the past three years. The original Section 511 would have increased the number of disabled workers being paid subminimum wages. Here is a review of some of that effort: On July 7, 2011, we passed resolution 2011-17 demanding the removal of Section 511 from the Workforce Investment Act. On July 26, 2011, we conducted protests in front of twenty-six Senate office buildings demanding the removal of Section 511. I imagine many of you participated in those protests. We wrote letters, made phone calls, and had meetings. As a result of our advocacy the Workforce Investment Act faltered. We continued our advocacy, but Senators Harkin and Alexander did not listen. On Friday, July 19, 2013, the Senate released a new version of the Workforce Investment Act. We had one weekend to review hundreds of pages and to submit comments by that Monday, July 22. The bill had gone from bad to worse. Section 511 was still intact, and now the Senators proposed to move the Rehabilitation Services Administration from the Department of Education to the Department of Labor. On July 29, 2013, The Hill published a trenchant op-ed by Dr. Schroeder entitled "Don't Sabotage the Rehabilitation Act." We continued our advocacy, but on July 31 the Workforce Investment Act, S 1356, was favorably reported by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. This was a sad day for disabled Americans. Despite all of our letters, emails, phone calls, tweets, meetings, and op- eds, the Senate refused to listen. They refused to acknowledge that we know what is best for blind Americans. They refused to acknowledge that extending subminimum wages for disabled workers is wrong, discriminatory, and immoral. They told us that the deal was done and that there was nothing we could do. But, did we listen? [No] Did we relent? [No] Did we give up? [No] We doubled down on our efforts. We sent more letters, made more phone calls, and had more meetings. On December 22, 2013, an op-ed written by Michael Barber, the President of the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa ran in the Des Moines Register. The op-ed demanded the removal of Section 511. Then we had a breakthrough. George Miller, the ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, after meeting with Anil Lewis and Rose Sloan, said that he was opposed to Section 511, and he instructed his staff to work with the National Federation of the Blind to develop new language. As a result the objectionable language contained in Section 511 and the language moving the Rehabilitation Services Administration was removed. This language will now preserve the rehabilitation system and, while not eliminating subminimum wages, will make it more difficult to track disabled youth, blind youth, into subminimum wage jobs. This was a tremendous victory for the National Federation of the Blind. We could not have done it without all of you; our passion, our persistence, and our teamwork paid off. I would also like to give special thanks to Anil Lewis, the new executive director of the Jernigan Institute, for all of his tremendous leadership. The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines us. Barriers to our success are created by society's low expectations, but we do not accept these low expectations, and that is why we fight and speak out. No matter how many times we are told that our opinions and our aspirations do not matter, we will not give up. No matter how, we will live the lives we want. This is what we believe, and this is what we will do. We will not let anyone, including the United States Senate, give up on our dreams. Now I want to introduce Rose Sloan to talk about the President's executive order and subminimum wages. [PHOTO CAPTION: Rose Sloan] Rose Sloan: For those of you who have not yet had a chance to meet me, I started my job at the National Center this past September. Five years ago, when I began my undergraduate program in social policy at Northwestern University in Illinois, I knew I wanted to be an advocate for policy at the national level. Attending my first Washington Seminar in 2011 only sealed the deal for me. Going to Washington and talking to members of Congress is fun. Nine months into the job and I still love it, and I plan on loving it for a very long time. My favorite part of the job is when I learn that yet another member of Congress has decided that he or she is going to sign on as a cosponsor to HR 831, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. Now I have gotten this information in many different ways. Sometimes it is as simple as getting an email from a legislative aide. Sometimes I check Thomas [a source for information about bills and other federal information] and am pleasantly surprised to see that the number has increased. But my favorite way to be informed that yet another member of Congress believes that it is unfair for people to be paid subminimum wages is when you, the Federationist, email me and let me know that your member of Congress is going to be signing on to HR 831. Let's take a step back for a second. I really did say that right now, in 2014, people with disabilities can be paid less than the minimum wage, but we're going to change that. We have introduced HR 831, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. This will repeal section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. This antiquated law says that entities can pay people with disabilities less than the minimum wage. HR 831 will phase this out over a three-year period. We, the National Federation of the Blind, have been working toward fair wages for blind Americans for many years. I am honored that I have been handed the reins on this very important issue, and I would be remiss if I didn't take the time to express my appreciation to the role models who set the stage for me. Specifically, I would like to thank Mr. Anil Lewis for being my go-to person on this issue. His passion for the topic is contagious, and there is no question he can't answer regarding this issue. I would also like to thank Dr. Maurer for offering me this opportunity. Finally I must say thanks to Dave Meyer, Patti Chang, and the entire Illinois affiliate, who have been my cheerleaders and my rock from the beginning. Thank you. When I started back in September, I hit the ground running. On my third day in the office I was already making appointments to visit with members of Congress. In the next week Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers from Washington declared that she was going to cosponsor HR 831. Soon after, the chair of the Rules Committee, Congressman Pete Sessions of Texas, also declared his support. It is no coincidence that these two members signed on to HR 831. Along with our sponsor, Congressman Gregg Harper of Mississippi, they all have children with disabilities. They understand in a real way that they don't want their children to be paid less than the minimum wage, and they wouldn't want to see any other American be paid less than the minimum wage because they have a disability. In October I had the opportunity to attend the Vermont Conversion Institute. While there I was introduced to many different organizations that train people with even the most severe disabilities on how to be productive citizens. I learned about a man who has an intellectual disability and who uses a wheelchair and is illiterate. Yet he is still being paid the minimum wage because he loves to shred paper. It's a win-win situation. He has a micro-business in which businesses hire him to shred their paper, and the businesses are happy because they no longer have to waste time shredding their own paper, and their employees can focus on other tasks. This is just one example. As we rolled into November, we had many affiliates participate in the delivery of our change.org petition to Goodwills throughout the nation. Our petition has over 170,000 signatures. We got the point across. Newspaper articles were written about the event. Goodwill executives throughout the country repeatedly told us that it is a local decision whether or not to pay people with disabilities subminimum wages, and guess what: two-thirds of Goodwills actually pay all of their employees the minimum wage or more. We are especially encouraged by organizations such as the Goodwill of Northern New England. Its website says, and I quote, "The Goodwill of Northern New England supports public policy initiatives that align with our commitment always to meet or exceed minimum wage for all workers." We've been taking other steps too. We've not only been gaining cosponsors on HR 831, but I'm happy to report that we have over seventy- five other organizations who agree with us that 14(c) is absolutely wrong. As many have already said, but it is definitely worth repeating, on February 12, 2014, President Barack Obama announced that he would be issuing an executive order, and in this executive order all federally contracted service providers would be receiving $10.10 an hour starting on January 1, 2015, and this includes people with disabilities who used to be paid under 14(c). I thank each of you who wrote President Obama and Secretary Perez and told them how important it was for us to be included. We did this, guys-this was us, so well done. This executive order gave Ms. Cari DeSantis the courage to speak out. Ms. DeSantis is the CEO of an organization called Millwood, a community rehabilitation program that employs over seven hundred people with disabilities. She said, "When I became the organization's CEO almost a year ago, I ended the practice of paying workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage despite the 14(c) certificate program." Millwood was able to transform its business model in just a year. HR 831 gives nonprofits three years to transition. Even though Millwood had the 14(c) certificate, it has decided that it is wrong to pay people with disabilities less than the minimum wage. This is just one example of entities doing the right thing, but we can't count on all 14(c) certificate-holding entities to do the right thing, and that's why we need to pass HR 831. In the spring a resolution was dropped in the California legislature that urges the United States Congress to phase out and eventually repeal Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. I am happy to announce that this resolution has already passed out of the assembly in the California legislature and has since moved on to the Senate. On June 25 it passed the relevant committee in the Senate of the California legislature, and we are eagerly awaiting it to get to the floor of the Senate. Congratulations, California. As outlined by this report, we are making great strides to ensure that Americans with disabilities are paid the fair wages we deserve. I thank each and every one of you for allowing jobs such as mine to exist, and I also thank each of you who've contacted your member of Congress in some way, shape, or form. I can email and visit the offices of national legislators, but only you, the constituents, can truly make legislators care about the issues that you care about. At the beginning of this report I mentioned that gaining new cosponsors is my favorite part of the job. I have experienced this ninety- four times. We have ninety-four cosponsors on HR 831. Now this is good, and every once in a while it's good to give ourselves a pat on the back, but we need more. We have to get more, and I challenge you to get this bill up to one hundred cosponsors by July 26, the anniversary of the ADA. Six more, let's do it! Who's with me? [Convention hall erupts with applause and shouts of support] When you email your members of Congress, when you email their legislative aides, please copy me on those emails. I ask you to do this because then we can have a dialogue between you, me, and the legislative aide, you being the constituent, me being able to answer any questions that they may have, and the legislative aide having the power to get the member of Congress on the bill. If you ever have any questions, email or call me. I look forward to hearing from you. No one does it like us. Together we will pass HR 831, and we will ensure that we too are insured the economic independence that every other working American enjoys every day. [PHOTO CAPTION: Lauren McLarney] Lauren McLarney: Good afternoon, everybody. I want to start out by saying that I'm so glad Rose is on the team, partly because she's really smart, and also because it's a little easier to share clothes with her than it is with Jesse because he's so tall. I am here to give a TEACH Act update, and for starters can you remind me what the TEACH Act stands for? Yes, it is Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education. What does the bill do? It creates guidelines. The bill calls on the access board to create voluntary accessibility guidelines for electronic instructional materials used in postsecondary education and incentivizes colleges and universities to use only technology that conforms to those guidelines with a safe harbor from litigation. The reason we need this bill is that the overwhelming majority of electronic instructional materials, learning management systems, lab software, PDFs, ebooks-I could go on and on-but these are mostly inaccessible, even though it is easy to make them accessible, and the law calls for schools to use only accessible things. We know that the reason for this disconnect is that there is no criterion in the law to facilitate that. This bill creates that missing criterion, and it does it in a way that stimulates the market, facilitates the mandate, reduces costs of lawsuits, and does all of that without creating any new requirements for schools or any mandates on technology companies. There's nothing to dislike about this bill. I said it at the Washington Seminar, and I'll say it again: there are no cons to this bill. It's a no-brainer. Consequently, we have forty-eight cosponsors in the House which, for a new bill, is very good. We have Republicans like Coffman from Colorado. We have McAllister from Louisiana. We have Representative Jolly from Florida, who will be here to speak to you tomorrow. We have Don Young from Alaska, who is the most senior Republican in the House, and we even have Paul Ryan from the Senate, who was once a vice presidential candidate. He wrote on change.org that he publicly supports the bill. Speaking of change.org, I want to tell you something. Thanks to your advocacy, the change.org petition for the TEACH Act has over 160,000 signatures from across the country and is one of the most successful legislative campaigns that site has ever had. We've had the same kind of success in the Senate. We have six cosponsors, and I know that sounds small, but they are one great combination of people. We have Senator Hatch from Utah, who is a senior conservative; Senator Warren from Massachusetts, who is a freshman liberal; Senator Ayotte from New Hampshire; and we have Senator Bennett from Colorado. Recently everybody has been saying that people from Capitol Hill can't get along, but at the same time we got two new cosponsors: Senator Markey from Boston and Senator Marco Rubio, the Tea Party darling from Florida-and those two people came on at the same time, so that tells you something about how popular this bill is. Just two weeks ago Senator Harkin's staff contacted us. Two years ago I showed them this bill, and they said, "You guys have to go back and rework this bill because it's not strong enough, and it doesn't do enough." Two years later they contacted us; they wanted us to come in and take a look at the Higher Education Reauthorization draft. They took the TEACH Act verbatim and put it in that bill and dropped it last week. We've gotten press in USA Today, op-eds published in the Boston Globe, on the front page of the Salt Lake Tribune, and in Inside Higher Ed, and we have support from every major disability group in the country. We have AAPD, MAD, Nickel, Hearing Loss, ACB, AFB, our partner AAPD-even the Home School Legal Defense Association, the same group that tried to defeat the CRPD [the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities] officially endorses the TEACH act. So you might be asking, why isn't it law yet? Why hasn't it passed if it's so great? Well, number one, this is a Republican Congress, and there is a stigma against education issues. It's mostly based on misunderstanding, so, if we can get to those offices, we can win them over, and we're doing that, but we need to do it better. A lot of the Republicans in Congress are new, and we need to build relationships with those offices before going to sit down in front of them and get them to see how great the bill is. Second, sometimes people just object for the sake of objecting. Some people are just difficult. I know it's a shock that politicians may be difficult, but some of them are. They give all sorts of goofy reasons and questions such as, "What do the schools think? Would this inconvenience them? We've heard that they might not like it." My favorite line is, "We have decided not to cosponsor at this time. We ask that you please bear with us." Another of my favorites is "We are still reviewing." Ladies and gentlemen, this is only a four-page bill. No matter how frustrated we get, the bottom line is that we have to have patience and win them over. But what we really need more than patience is persistence and passion. Because the truth is that, no matter how good this bill is, this bill will not pass itself. Every time an office asks if this inconveniences schools, they are basically saying that they are okay with inconveniencing blind students. They are saying that you should settle for a so-so accommodation, that you should settle for partial access. Every time they fail to cosponsor and don't give you a reason, they are saying that they are okay with things as is and that they want you to settle for the status quo, settle for just getting by, settle for mediocre expectations-and we don't settle-that's not what this organization is about. I think it's really easy for some of these people to say that you should settle because they've never lived it. The truth is that I haven't lived it. I don't know what it feels like to get to college and not be able to use the materials. I know what it feels like not to use them-but not to be able to use them-I haven't experienced that, and that's the problem faced by every single blind student in this country-they have experienced it, and they're asking for decisions from those who have not. We have to tell them that we're not going to settle for so-so accommodations, we're not going to settle for partial access, because we know that blindness is not what holds us back. We know that just enough is never acceptable. We are not going to settle for anything less than living the lives we want. I want everyone to understand that, as good as this bill is, it is not going to pass itself. There is a song by a country group called SugarLand, and they talk about not settling. I think it says it all-about what we need to feel. If you are a college student and taking classes, please stand up. If you are in high school, it is likely you will go to college, so you, too, should stand. I'm going to tell you the lyrics, and I want you to repeat them because this is the message that needs to be in your head and your heart if we're going to pass this bill, if we're going to get through college, if we're going to get through life without buying it when people tell us we have to settle. Please repeat after me: I ain't settling for just getting by. I've had enough so so for the rest of my life, Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high. Just enough ain't enough this time. I ain't settling for anything less than everything! [PHOTO CAPTION: Jesse Hartle] Jesse Hartle: Good afternoon. I want to take a quick moment on behalf of the Advocacy and Policy Team to note that Rose, John, Lauren, and I have the opportunity to come before you every year, but I want to recognize the members of our team who don't have that opportunity to speak to you: Scott White, Nijat Worley, Bob Watson, Bill Jacobs, Carylin Walton, Chris Danielsen, Jessica Freeh, Mya Jones, and Lorraine Rovig. All of these people deserve your recognition for the work they do. [Applause] "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." This is the pledge of the National Federation of the Blind. Two words make our pledge more than just words on a page. Those two words are "participate actively." The National Federation of the Blind stands up and actively participates in changing what it means to be blind in America. Fifty years ago Dr. tenBroek spoke during the banquet at the national convention, and he described what Federationism means. In part he said: Federationism is an indispensable means of collective self- expression, a megaphone through which the blind may speak their minds and voice their demands-and be assured of a hearing. Federationism is a source of comradeship, the symbol of a common bond among the blind. Federationism is a tool of political and social action, an anvil on which to hammer out the programs and policies, projects and platforms that will advance the mutual welfare and security of the blind as a group. It is the restoration of pride, the bestowal of dignity, and the achievement of identity, and an opportunity to demand for the conferral of rights too long withheld and hopes too long deferred. Federationism is a dedication, a commitment of the mind and heart, an act of faith, and an adventure of spirit, which issues a call to greatness and a summons to service on the part of all of those who volunteer to enter its ranks. Dr. tenBroek's words describe the essence of the Federation philosophy. Those in this room hold that philosophy, and we know it to be true, but there are many not in our ranks who don't know that the blind speak for ourselves. Many of those find themselves in the halls of Congress. Some of those members of Congress believe that they know better than the blind what we need. Still other members take no stand on our issues. An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by another object. An object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an object of greater force. Lauren, Rose, and I need the full power of the Federation to act as that force which will redirect those members who think they know what the blind need and to energize those members who are inactive to follow the voice of the blind, that is, the voice of the National Federation of the Blind. The right to access information is a fundamental right, however, most often permission by rights holders to reproduce published works in accessible formats has traditionally been denied or has taken far too long to acquire. Today in the United States of America blind people are denied access to published works around 95 percent of the time, and yet we are a leader throughout the world. For blind people in developing nations access to published works occurs less than 1 percent of the time. The National Federation of the Blind began to work with the World Blind Union to develop treaty language that will solve the book famine around the world. Scott LaBarre has carried the torch of the Federation philosophy, taking on those who challenge the need for such a treaty. On October 2, 2013, the United States of America became a signatory of the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works to persons who are blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled. This treaty will allow for the cross-border sharing of materials in accessible formats. Currently the State Department and the Patent and Trade Office are working to develop the treaty package that will be transmitted to the Senate to begin the ratification process. Once this takes place, it will be up to us, the members of the National Federation of the Blind, to secure the sixty- seven Senate votes needed for ratification of this important piece of equality. But I thought you should know what others are saying about our chances to succeed on the Marrakesh Treaty. They are saying that no disability treaty will be ratified if it isn't ratified in the next six weeks. They are saying that some members of the Senate will never vote to ratify a treaty that deals with the United Nations. They are saying that, if the Republicans take over the Senate this fall, we shouldn't even try. They say that the blind don't have enough clout on Capitol Hill to get this done. Stroll with me down memory lane for a moment if you will. In 1995 the House of Representatives was set to vote on the careers bill. It was going to the floor, and they said it's too late, you can't stop it. In the early 2000s we were told that we wouldn't be able to get access to materials for students in K-12. When the House Appropriations Committee voted to underfund the digital conversion of the Talking Book Program of the National Library Service, we were told that we would never be able to increase the funding enough to keep the program on track and on time for the digital conversion. We were told that we wouldn't be able to get legislation through the Congress that would require hybrid and electric vehicles to make a sound that would allow blind people safe and independent travel, and most recently we were told that we would never be able to change the language contained in Section 511. I don't know about you, but I think we have a pretty good track record of doing things we're not supposed to be able to do. Make no mistake, though: this effort will require the active participation of every member of the Federation. My question to you is, are you ready to get access to published works? Are you ready to stand up and take on those who say this treaty is not necessary? Are you ready to show the world the power of the collective action of the National Federation of the Blind? [The Convention's unambiguous response was yes.] Well, I have good news for you: we don't need to wait for the ratification package to go to the Senate. We have an opportunity to teach the Senate something about our power right now. The Senate has been a roadblock to equality for our blinded veterans as it relates to participation in the Space Available Program. Last summer I stood before you shortly after the United States House of Representatives passed its version of the fiscal year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, which incorporated our language to include 100 percent service-disabled veterans on the list of those who can participate in the program. Our Senate leader on this issue, Senator Jon Tester of Montana, filed an amendment to the Senate version of the defense bill. It contained the same language that the House included in its bill, and Senator Tester was joined on his amendment by Senator Chambliss of Georgia, Senator Heller of Nevada, and Senator Baucus of Montana. However, that amendment was not allowed to be debated during Senate consideration of the defense bill. In fact Senate leadership said that no senator could offer an amendment on the floor. Because of this procedural decision, Senator Tester was not able to get matching language in the Senate bill. Giving the difference in language as justification for its action, the conference committee stripped our space-available language out of the final bill passed on December 19. Well, you know what they say: sometimes you may lose a battle, but, when it comes to equality for the blind, we will never lose the war. On January 4, 2014, we renewed our efforts to build cosponsor support for HR 164. On that day the bill had 171 cosponsors listed in support of extending the Space Available Program to those who became disabled defending our liberties. On May 22 that number had increased to 233 members of the House of Representatives, and on May 22, for a second time, the House of Representatives voted to include Congressman Bilirakis's language from HR 164 as part of its national Defense Authorization Act. It is now time for the Senate to feel the force of the National Federation of the Blind. We must stand up and defend the rights of blinded veterans-just as they stand up and defend the rights of blind students to enact the TEACH Act, just as they defend the rights of those who are being paid less than the federal minimum wage when they advocate for the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. If your senator is not a cosponsor of S. 346 at this time, we need your help to get them signed on to this legislation. Together we speak as one voice in the National Federation of the Blind. Together we all go up, or we all go down. In everything that matters we are one. Together we will be victorious, and together we will ensure that disabled veterans take their seats on space available flights. [Applause] I pledge to you to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, equality in the workplace, by eliminating the disgraceful language contained in Section 14(c) from the history books of American law; to achieve equality, equality for disabled veterans who became disabled on the front lines defending our freedoms; to achieve opportunity, opportunity for blind students to be challenged by the coursework in colleges and higher education, not to be challenged by how well they can access information through inaccessible technology, a situation that will be remedied by the enactment of the TEACH Act; to achieve opportunity to increase our access to knowledge by leading the charge on Capitol Hill for ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty; and lastly to achieve that security, the security that can only be attained by reaching our status as first-class citizens. We are now being challenged, and we will continue to be challenged by those who want the blind to stand down, to accept less in life and like it, to simply exist. We will not simply exist; we have the right to live on full and equal terms with our sighted peers. My brothers and sisters in the Federation, no thought can serve as a better roadmap for success on our legislative agenda than was expressed by Dr. Maurer at the 2002 national convention, and I will leave you with these words of wisdom: We know our strength, and we know what we must do to bring full equality to the blind. We must be willing to work with every ounce of good that is in us; we must be willing to sacrifice for that which we know is right; we must be prepared to meet the challenges wherever and whenever they arise; and we must never interrupt our march to freedom. This is our obligation; this is our opportunity; this is our commitment. We have the power composed of ability, confidence, public understanding, and love; and we will not fail. Tomorrow is ours, for we will never rest until it is. Come, join me, and we will make it come true! God bless you all. ---------- iCanConnect: National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program by Joe Naulty From the Editor: Joe Naulty is the president of the Deaf-Blind Division of the National Federation of the Blind. Currently the division he heads is working hard to influence an important federal program, and here is what he would like readers of the Monitor to know about it: The Deaf-Blind Division of the National Federation of the Blind has initiated communication with each state affiliate regarding the equipment and services available through the iCanConnect Program. People with vision and hearing loss whose income will qualify them may be eligible to receive equipment, training, and support to connect with family, friends, and the community. iCanConnect is a federally funded program made possible by the Twenty- First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010. Project partners are the Federal Communications Commission, Perkins School for the Blind, and the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults. To be eligible, the individual must: . Have combined hearing and vision loss verified by a doctor or professional service provider. . Be able to be trained to use adaptive technology that makes it possible to use telephone, computer, or other communication equipment. . Meet the program's income guidelines. Hearing Guidelines . Chronic hearing disabilities so severe that most speech cannot be understood with optimum amplification, or . Progressive hearing loss having a prognosis leading to the above condition. Vision Guidelines . Visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with corrective lenses, or . A field defect such that the peripheral diameter of visual field subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees, or . Progressive visual loss with a prognosis leading to one or both of the above conditions. Many types of equipment are available including, but not limited to, refreshable Braille devices; computers; software; mobile devices; phones, and signalers. There is an assessment component to this identification process. To assist in determining which equipment is right for the individual, an iCanConnect specialist will assist in identifying, installing, and providing training for the equipment that meets the individual's needs. A wide range of communications technology-hardware and software-is available to suit the varying needs of those who have combined hearing and vision loss. There is also specialized equipment such as screen enlargement, screen readers, or Braille displays. A program specialist can help identify equipment to meet individual needs. Training is available once the new equipment arrives. The Federal Communications Commission is currently in the process of making iCanConnect a permanent program. The Deaf-Blind Division of the National Federation of the Blind has information on iCanConnect in large print and Braille. Call (321) 768-9500 or email ; the information will be provided. To access iCanConnect directly, go to . At the top of the page select "choose your state"; then select the state where you live from the drop-down menu. Information pertinent to each state is provided. Learning more about the iCanConnect program is the key to navigating the application and communicating individual needs. Just get started. This is a wonderful opportunity to get needed technology for those who qualify. Sources: Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, Massachusetts. By phone (800) 825- 4595 or TTY (888) 320-2656 New Jersey Affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind, Sounding Board, Spring, 2014 (973) 743-0075 ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Amy Mason] Deaf-Blind Communication Technology by Amy Mason From the Editor: Amy Mason works in the International Braille and Technology Center and frequently writes about and evaluates technology. Here is an in-depth review of techniques used by deaf-blind people to communicate with others. The piece is long, but this is information everyone needs to understand as we reach out to all blind citizens. Here is what she says: Author's Note: This article is based heavily upon a presentation for the 2014 CSUN Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities by my friend and colleague Scott Davert and me. Scott is a deaf-blind technology teacher and an expert in the field. I wish to thank Scott for all of the information he shared, making that presentation and this article possible. His personal experiences with the technology in question and vast knowledge of the area of deaf-blind communications in general made both this article and the presentation far stronger than they otherwise would have been based only on my own research. Deaf-blind communication can be a tricky topic to tackle, since there are a number of solutions which meet different needs for deaf-blind users. Some tools are intended for face-to-face communication, while others are meant for communication at a distance. Certain tools that will work for some users will be woefully inadequate for others. Deaf-blindness, like deafness or blindness alone, is measured on a spectrum. A person may be totally deaf, totally blind, low vision, hard of hearing, or any combination of these four states. Additionally, some deaf-blind individuals will have been deaf first and be familiar with alternative techniques which focus on vision, while others may have been blind first and are therefore more comfortable with solutions that rely on hearing. Deaf-blind people may also have other advantages or disadvantages that must be considered when choosing a solution, such as poor reading skills or a higher level of tech savviness. Therefore, the spectrum of needs which must be met by solutions for deaf-blind communication are quite broad. In this article we will focus on technology-based solutions to deaf- blind communications which are specifically designed to facilitate face-to- face communications: their costs, potential benefits, and detriments. Other major methods of communication will be briefly touched upon in order to provide a clear picture of the landscape of deaf-blind communications at this time. It is important to understand that a wide range and variety of tools for amplification and focusing of audio, such as hearing aids, loupes, and FM transmitter systems are available. However, the Access Technology Team is not sufficiently familiar with such devices to speak about them in detail. In the same vein magnification may be used to great effect by deaf- blind people with some residual vision, but these topics will not be discussed in detail except where they intersect with tools specifically intended to meet the communication needs of those who are deaf-blind or as ancillary add-ons to other services that are being used by this population already. When considering any technological solution to a problem, it is always important to remember that nontechnical solutions also exist and that in some situations these solutions can be the best tools for the job. In the case of deaf-blind communication, the low-tech/no-tech tools on the table are communication cards and Support Service Providers. Since this article deals primarily with technical solutions, these options will be only briefly discussed. A communication card is a simple Braille/print or large print card, usually laminated, which asks a specific question or requests assistance concerning a specific item or task. For instance, to get help in crossing a street, a user might lift a card which reads, "I am deaf-blind and need assistance to cross this street. If you can help, please tap me on the shoulder." Other cards might include the user's preferences for ordering coffee or determining on which track a train will be arriving. Simple question/answer pairs can be handled by sliding paper clips under the appropriate answer. Communication books are a collection of these cards that can be used by a deaf-blind user to meet common needs. Communication cards are fairly inexpensive to create or purchase. They often meet the need of the user far more quickly and simply than more complex solutions, and, if damaged or lost, they can be easily and inexpensively replaced. However, they are limited by their linear nature. A user cannot carry on a long, complex, or detailed conversation or transaction with a communication card or booklet. However, for simple, often repeated tasks, they provide a fast and generally effective way for a user to get his or her needs across. Support Service Providers (SSPs) are professionals who have been trained in skills such as tactile sign, close up visual sign, and other communication strategies. They work with deaf-blind people to gather visual and auditory information from the environment and often act as sighted guides. These people may-depending on the preferences, skills, and abilities of the deaf-blind person-provide close visual sign or tactile sign interpretation services, type messages to the user using another technological tool, or speak into an FM system or another amplification device. The advantages to this solution are that the deaf-blind person has a great deal of flexibility in receiving information about the environment from working with the SSP, and trained SSPs are capable of assisting with very complex or lengthy transactions. The major difficulties with this system include the fact that SSPs can be difficult to locate and expensive to hire. Furthermore, SSP assistance may not be desired for dealing with matters of a sensitive or personal nature. Many deaf-blind people use computers to meet longer-distance communication needs. Some of the services regularly used include different IM [instant messaging] clients, SMS text messaging, Skype (for text chat or video in the case of low-vision users) or other video and text chatting services, and email with their preferred screen-access software, Braille display, or magnification package. The use of full-sized computers for face- to-face communications is somewhat limited, however. The one notable exception to the above statement is the Interpretype DBCS 2.0 package sold by Freedom Scientific and Interpretype. This package consists of a pair of laptop computers, a carrying case, a Focus 40 Blue Braille display, JAWS (installed on one computer), and the Interpretype software. These computers come already paired and set up to talk to one another, according to the documentation, though this has not been verified by the Access Technology Team. One machine is already loaded with JAWS and paired with the Focus. The two machines connect using a special USB cable, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi, and they can be used for face-to-face communications. Furthermore, the Wi-Fi connection can be used to connect up to one hundred unique clients with the Interpretype software installed, according to the Interpretype website. The Interpretype system is quite powerful since it is based on a full Windows system; however, in order to use the package for face-to-face communications, the deaf-blind user must carry around a pair of computers and a Braille display. For anything but the longest sessions of face-to- face conversation, this seems like a lot of trouble, setup, and wait time for minimal payoff in comparison to other options on the market. Furthermore, nowhere in its promotional materials was there any mention of the specifications of the computers, other than to say that they are "full- featured." This solution may be beneficial if it is intended for semi- permanent placement, such as in an office or educational setting, but for portability it seems a very poor choice due to the need to carry so much equipment, wait for both machines to boot, and have a large enough area to set up and hold a conversation. Furthermore, since only one of the devices contains screen-access software, a deaf-blind owner of the system would have to go through the additional step of adding such software to the second machine in order to maintain her own equipment. The software can be purchased separately and added to a user's existing computer system if preferred. Pricing for Interpretype fluctuates depending on the options required by the user. Contact Interpretype for more information, including pricing. Some deaf-blind users already own or would benefit from having access to an electronic Braille notetaker. These devices replicate the basic functionality of a personal data assistant (PDA) by providing functions such as a calendar, an address book, a calculator, basic note taking, and book reading. They may also offer instant messaging, email, basic web browsing, and other online services. Many of these devices can also be upgraded to offer GPS navigation. Because these devices are highly portable; can function as Braille displays for computers, phones, and tablets; and are often carried regularly by their users, they make ideal candidates for face-to-face applications. FaceToFace PC Communicator is a software package installed on the user's PAC Mate and a Bluetooth enabled computer. The package allows the user to connect a PAC Mate to the computer using the included compact flash Bluetooth module. In the case of the PAC Mate and a computer, the computer is designated as a "server" and the PAC Mate is designated the "client." Once this is set up, the PAC Mate user is able to send messages between the PAC Mate and the computer. Two users with PAC Mates can also use this software to talk. When two PAC Mates are paired, one device needs to be set as the server, the other as the client, and the communication proceeds as above. This software allows the user to save conversations for later review. Furthermore, a user can create preset messages in order to send frequently used questions or statements easily and quickly. Unless a user already owns a Mate and does not intend to upgrade soon, there are no compelling reasons to recommend this product. The PAC Mate is an older technology, missing many of the portability and hardware benefits of newer tools, and any system based upon it is going to be equally outdated. Due to the need for pre-installation of the FaceToFace software on the PC, a deaf-blind user would have to carry around not only the PAC Mate, but also a laptop for any impromptu communication sessions and would be limited to many of the space and time constraints that plague the use of the Interpretype. If, however, a user already owns a PAC Mate and wishes to add this functionality to it, the FaceToFace PC Communicator package can be obtained from Freedom Scientific for $495. The Deaf-Blind Communicator (DBC) is a package built by HumanWare intended to offer a simple solution to the need for portable face-to-face communications. It consists of two pieces of hardware: an older Windows Mobile 6 cell phone with a full QWERTY keyboard and a BrailleNote mPower. These two devices are set up to communicate with one another over Bluetooth. When the phone is first turned on, it immediately boots into the communications software and offers a greeting message that explains that the owner of the system is deaf-blind. It then asks the recipient to take the cell phone and use it to communicate with him or her. The deaf-blind user reads messages on the mPower's Braille display and can reply to the sighted user by typing on the notetaker's keyboard (both Perkins and QWERTY are available), while the sighted participant uses the screen and keyboard of the cell phone to read and write messages to the deaf-blind person. Either the notetaker can be left in Deaf-blind Communicator mode, which offers only the basic deaf-blind communication tools of the face-to- face application (SMS and TTY) functionality, or it can be set to a more advanced user mode, which allows the user to take advantage of the full range of software available to users of the BrailleNote, such as basic Internet browsing, email, notetaking, book reading, and personal management functions. This allows it to be very simple or more robust depending on the needs of the user. Once again the DBC is unfortunately based heavily on outdated technology. With the exception of the DBC, a user can no longer purchase a BrailleNote mPower from HumanWare, and Windows Mobile 6 has not been relevant or widely available for several years. Since this system offers a truly portable design and a simple setup compared with many of the other tools on this list, it would be an excellent choice for users if the technology were not already so outdated. As time goes on, these devices will become harder and harder to maintain, repair, or replace, so those buying one now would be doing themselves a great disservice. This is expensive technology, and, if it cannot be expected to work and be maintained for at least the next several years, it is not a good solution. For more information or to purchase the Deaf-Blind Communicator, contact HumanWare. A system with eighteen Braille cells retails for $6,379, and one with thirty-two cells of Braille is $8,239. HIMS, like HumanWare and Freedom Scientific, has also begun to offer its deaf-blind communications solutions. They are based upon the Braille Sense line of notetakers. However, unlike its competition, HIMS has chosen to offer the basic notetaker with a couple of relatively inexpensive add- ons and no specialty software. The Braille Sense U2 and U2 Mini are the most recent Braille notetakers to come out of HIMS and are equipped with all of the software that a user would come to expect from a recent notetaker, but they also have some unique features that make them compelling options for deaf-blind users. First, each of these devices is equipped with a vibration motor in order to provide tactile feedback, which can replace system sounds for all important notifications on the device. Second, the Braille Sense with a thirty-two-cell display and Perkins-style keyboard includes a small, one- line LCD, which can be flipped to face away from the user, thus allowing a sighted user to view what is being written on the notetaker. The other devices in the line, as well as this device, can also be connected to a small USB-powered LCD visual display in order to offer the same functionality. Thus, with the addition of a Bluetooth or USB QWERTY keyboard, two users-one deaf-blind and reading the Braille display, the other sighted and using the LCD, or blind and using audio, or sighted and deaf-can take turns typing back and forth in the word processor of the Braille Sense in order to conduct face-to-face communication. Like every other solution in this article, this solution has advantages and disadvantages. The greatest advantage is portability. The entire system consists of one Braille notetaker, a small QWERTY keyboard (which can be purchased from HIMS or other retailers as suits the individual), and a visual display that is about the size of a Snicker's candy bar. Reliability and relative ease of setup are also major advantages, since users are able to connect everything with wires if they so choose. Avoiding the fight with Bluetooth connectivity may suit some users very well and can speed initial setup of the conversation. Unfortunately the very small screen of the notetaker and the close proximity of the built-in LCD screen on the Perkins style U2 can make reading the conversation less comfortable for the sighted participant. The fact that both users are navigating and manipulating the same document to review and read new content may also pose challenges until they get used to one another and find a method for sharing the visuals (in this case this includes Braille) since each will see only a single line of text at any given time. All in all, this is a fairly simple solution to the problem of face- to-face communications and may suit some users very well. If it sounds like a good option, a user can contact HIMS Inc. to discuss different packages. Prices are as follows: 32-cell Braille Sense U2 with Perkins Keyboard, including a USB keyboard: $5,685; including a Bluetooth keyboard: $5,740; 32-cell Braille Sense U2 with QWERTY keyboard, including a USB LCD display and USB keyboard: $5,789; with Bluetooth keyboard: $5,844; 18-cell Braille Sense U2 Mini, including a USB LCD display and Bluetooth keyboard: $4,244. The LCD screen can be purchased by itself for users who already own a compatible HIMS notetaker for $99. Apple's iOS devices are extremely powerful tools for users who are blind and deaf-blind. With VoiceOver screen-access software, Zoom magnifier, and support for Bluetooth Braille displays built into the platform, it has been widely adopted in education, professional, and personal environments. Due to the flexibility of the operating system, the size and portability of the devices, and the robust accessibility features, many apps in countless categories have been made accessible to deaf-blind users, including a number for both long distance and face-to-face communications. On iOS, like the PC, many users will find benefit in a number of mainstream tools for communicating over long distances. These include texting applications, email, instant messaging software, and video- conferencing tools like FaceTime and Skype. Deaf-blind users also have a few unique options for face-to-face communications. Furthermore, outside the realm of interpersonal communications, deaf-blind users will also find many accessible apps for reading books, keeping up on news, social networking, entertainment, health, and productivity. iOS is available on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, and each of these may have advantages for certain users. Deaf-blind users with some usable vision may find that the larger screen of the iPad allows them to accomplish more visually than the smaller screens of the iPhone and iPod Touch. The iPod Touch is less expensive than other devices and may be a good choice for a device that is being shared regularly with strangers; and the iPhone, beyond telephone services, also offers GPS, mobile data, and vibration. These advantages having been stated, it is important also to consider some of the disadvantages in using iOS as the user's primary platform for face-to-face and other communications, not necessarily to dissuade the user from iOS, but simply to ensure that he or she is aware of what to expect when using the device. Trouble with Braille displays with iOS devices can pose significant frustration for deaf-blind communications. Because a user needs to use Bluetooth to connect the device, he or she may require assistance to pair or reconnect the Braille display with the iOS device initially. If a user cannot hear VoiceOver, there is no way to complete this task independently or repair a connection if something goes wrong. Second, typing Braille in iOS is subject to some challenging quirks. To illustrate: if a user is not a fast Braillist and has contractions turned on, he may find that iOS will automatically translate the word he is writing, whether or not it is complete. If the word to be written is "frustrate" and it takes some time for the deaf-blind person to enter the letter "u" following the "r", the word will appear as "friendustrating." Furthermore, if he attempts to fix a typo and does not place a letter sign in front of the character he adds to the end of a word, that character will be translated as though it was typed by itself. So, if a user types "hikd," erases the d, and forgets to enter a letter sign prior to typing an e to make the word "hike," he will find that the word is translated in iOS as "hikevery." Another concern for users of iOS devices as face-to-face tools is that i-devices are quite small, mobile, and expensive. Unfortunately, iPads and iPhones are quite popular with thieves, and the deaf-blind user may be understandably disinclined to hand an expensive device to a stranger. This can be partially mitigated by using a case which keeps the iOS device on a retractable leash or tether. An example of one such product is the T-Reign ProLink Smartphone case, available on Amazon. This is not an endorsement of the specific case, but merely a suggestion to mitigate some of the concern of using an iOS device for face-to-face communications. Unfortunately, a foolproof method for protecting one's device does not exist, and this suggestion is simply one solution to such conundrums. A third disadvantage to using an iOS device as a communications tool is that it may be more involved than a user needs or desires. For some users iOS may be overwhelmingly complex, and, although many users with practice come to appreciate the flexibility that is possible using these systems, it is important to point out that it will not be the right solution for everyone. Despite these concerns and those inherent in the options listed below, many deaf-blind users will find an iOS device an excellent tool for communications as well as access to information and other services. Many users may find that all they need for impromptu face-to-face communications is their iOS device and a paired Bluetooth Braille display. The basic setup involves deaf-blind users' ensuring that the print keyboard is available on screen (or pairing a Bluetooth keyboard) at the same time that their Braille device is paired, opening a file in an application like Notes or another suitable writing program, typing a welcome message to the person they wish to communicate with, and handing that person the iOS device. The primary advantage to this option is that, after a user has done some initial setup on the device, it is quite simple to implement and requires no training or purchases beyond the iOS device and Braille display that the deaf-blind person already owns. It is extremely portable and fairly easy to set up on the go. Furthermore, it can be used to facilitate communications with either blind or sighted people with little if any change to the setup. Finally, the user has a full record of the conversation saved in the device after its completion. Unfortunately some limitations to this approach must be considered above and beyond those inherent in using the iOS platform for face-to-face communications. First, users may have difficulty explaining to the people they are communicating with how to type on an iOS device which has VoiceOver enabled. Because VoiceOver changes the way that gestures are interpreted, a sighted user who is unfamiliar may be unsure about how to proceed when using the phone while VoiceOver is enabled. One method that partially mitigates this concern came about with the advent of iOS 7. Initially a user could set the keyboard to a mode called "Touch Typing," which would allow a user to place a finger on the screen, and, when he or she lifted, it, the letter would be typed. The problem was that, until iOS 7, "Touch Typing" had a noticeable delay, which would cause quickly typed keystrokes to be rejected by the device. Although other parts of the phone will still be difficult to navigate for those unfamiliar with VoiceOver, the sighted person reading the display will now find it much easier to type on the screen. A second option which may suit some users is to offer the person they wish to communicate with a Bluetooth keyboard. This means the user has to carry one more piece of technology and ensure that it is ready to use, but it also makes many of the people the user wishes to communicate with more comfortable, especially if they are not tech savvy or if the conversation is expected to be long. If a user chooses to build his or her own solution in this way, he or she may find some other tools beneficial. For instance, one can use iOS's built-in text shortcuts to create one's own macros and preset commonly used phrases. To do this, the user can go to Settings, General, Keyboard, Add New Shortcut and follow the prompts to add the text he wishes to use, as well as the shortcut for implementing it. Second, some users have reported that the "Notes" app provided by Apple can become sluggish when used for longer conversations and recommend experimenting with other applications to find one that works better for lengthier documents. One that has been positively reviewed is AFB's AccessNote, which can be purchased for $19.99 in the app store and offers extra keyboard and Braille display shortcuts to improve note taking for blind iOS users. HIMS Chat is a face-to-face communications solution offered by HIMS. It can be downloaded free in the iOS app store and is intended to be used with the HIMS Braille Sense or Braille Edge. Despite the fact that it is intended to work with the HIMS devices, it will also work with any other Braille display that the user owns. HIMS Chat's main menu consists of several buttons: New Conversation, Greeting, Macros, Saved Chats, and Documentation. In Greeting, a user can set the message he or she wishes to use to open a conversation with the sighted user. It defaults to a basic message which explains that the user is deaf-blind and can communicate using the iOS device. The Macros tab also allows users to create a number of preset messages. Conversations can be saved, and the app seems like it would be a fairly good solution. Unfortunately the HIMS app has one major flaw; it simply does not work reliably. In testing the app, we found that it would often lose focus and would leave the user somewhere other than the editing area. This meant that it was not always possible for the user texting with a Braille display to get a message typed. Macros also did not appear to work when tested. At times the Braille display would not match what was being spoken by VoiceOver, and it simply did not work as intended. Most frustratingly, the bones of a good face-to-face application are there, with support for lots of macros, an optional conversation history, easy-to-start operation, and a fairly straightforward interface. If HIMS were to iron out the bugs in the application, it would be an excellent tool, but, as it stands now, it's not worth the download. The HumanWare Communicator is a face-to-face solution sold by HumanWare. Like HIMS Chat, it offers a programmable greeting and macros. When a deaf-blind user wishes to start a conversation, he or she can activate the New Conversation button. Once this is activated, the user feels the phone vibrate. At the same time it will be producing an audible ringing noise to attract the attention of the person to whom the deaf-blind user is handing the device. Once that person has touched a finger to the Okay button on the bottom of the screen, the communications window pops up. The deaf-blind user can then enter the message he or she wishes to communicate, using the Braille display, and the sighted user will see it appear on screen. Once the deaf-blind user has asked his or her question, the sighted user will be instructed to place a finger inside the text box to begin typing a reply. The keyboard will come up on-screen, and the sighted user is then able to type normally. Conversations can be saved for later perusal, and the app includes decent documentation. HumanWare Communicator is relatively simple to set up; it offers large, eye-grabbing text for the opening message and tactile and audible indications that the deaf-blind user is attempting to begin a conversation. It has full support for up to one hundred macros (designated "me-00" through "me-99"). As such, it is a relatively powerful solution, with some nice features, which will be of benefit to many users. It does have a few drawbacks to be aware of, however. First, although VoiceOver can read the characters on the on-screen keyboard, it is clearly meant to be used by a sighted correspondent, and using the application with a blind user who is sharing VoiceOver causes the app to misbehave rather badly, including missing input, unintentionally moving focus for the deaf- blind user, and toggling the on-screen keyboard unexpectedly. Second, a bug introduced in iOS 7 causes the on-screen keyboard to pop up regularly when a blind user is using a Braille display. Since the keyboard covers the text area the blind user is typing in, one may find that he or she is not always able to read the text he or she is inputting or may find that the focus has shifted to the keyboard instead of moving to the Send button when attempting to navigate to it. This bug has been dealt with in iOS 7.1 and 7.1.1, but, for users who have not yet updated, it may be a concern. The HumanWare Communicator can be purchased as a standalone app in the Apple app store or can be bundled with a package containing either a BrailleNote Apex or a Brailliant BI Braille display and an iPhone 5 or iPod Touch. Prices are as follows: HumanWare Communicator App only: $99; BrailleNote Apex (32 Braille Cells) Communicator package with an iPhone 5: $6,395; with an iPod Touch: $5,995; BrailleNote Apex (18 Braille Cells) with iPhone 5: $4,795; with iPod Touch: $4,395; Brailliant (40 Braille Cells) with iPhone 5: $3,895; with iPod Touch: $3,495; Brailliant (32 Braille Cells) with iPhone 5: $3,495; with iPod Touch: $3,095. Android is a particularly difficult platform to discuss, because no deaf-blind communication solutions at present are marketed specifically for it. Furthermore, BrailleBack, the Android Braille driver, is badly hampered and not robust enough to be used by people who would rely on it solely or primarily for interacting with the device. For the majority of deaf-blind users (at least those reliant on Braille), it is wisest to steer far clear of Android at this time. That said, there are some things about Android that might make it an appropriate option to consider for users with very specific needs. Some deaf-blind people with enough vision to navigate a smartphone and few to no Braille skills might prefer an Android phone due to their ability to choose high-contrast or larger print launchers and make other customizations that are not possible on iOS devices. One such launcher is the "BIG Launcher," available for $10 from the Google Play Store. For more information on BIG Launcher, visit . Looking again at the customization of Android as its primary advantage over iOS, a deaf-blind user might find that Mobile Accessibility from Code Factory on an Android device is a simpler solution than dealing with the full interface of either stock Android or iOS devices. With quite decent Braille support in its own apps, Mobile Accessibility might be a smartphone solution that would be less intimidating for users who are fluent in Braille, but not as technically fluent. Mobile Accessibility contains phone, SMS, "Where Am I," simple GPS information, web browsing, email, calendar, alarms, settings, and access to other applications installed on the device. Mobile Accessibility's Braille support is fairly easy to use and very consistent, however, it does not work outside the suite of bundled applications, so a deaf-blind user considering this solution is essentially restricted to these applications only. Mobile Accessibility is sold by Code Factory and can be purchased from the Google Play store for $99. Some carriers subsidize the price of this application, so it is worth the user checking to see if their carrier is one that does. For more information on Mobile Accessibility visit . The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program is a pilot created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in order to meet the requirements of the Twenty-First Century Video and Communications Accessibility Act by ensuring that deaf-blind people have access to the Internet and other communications technology. The program provides up to $10 million a year to provide low-income deaf-blind people with access to hardware, software, and training solutions to ensure their ability to communicate. Many of the devices in this article, as well as others that may be of use, will be available to participants in the program. The pilot will be run through 2015, at which point a more permanent solution is expected to be implemented. The NDBP is managed by different entities in each state. More information, including the names of agencies managing the program, can be found at . The solutions for deaf-blind communications in this article offer a number of different approaches to the fundamental question of deaf-blind communication. Which is right will need to be determined by each user. It is expected that a mixture of different solutions will best meet most users' needs. For many tasks a simple communication card might work; for others something more freeform, like many of the computer, iOS, and notetaker-based face-to-face packages, will suit, and for some the best solution may be working with an SSP. As with most alternative techniques, some experimentation on the part of the user will be the best way to determine a solution or set of solutions that will work. Please feel free to contact the Access Technology Team of the National Federation of the Blind using the Technology Answer Line (410) 659- 9314, extension 5, or email us at if you have any further questions about the technologies discussed in this article or any other access technology solution for the blind. Other Resources CODE FACTORY, S.L.; C/ Major, 19, 2-3, 08221-Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain; Email: ; Website: Freedom Scientific, Blind/Low Vision Group; 11800 31st Court North, St. Petersburg, FL 33716-1805; Phone: (727) 803-8000; Toll-Free (800) 444-4443; Fax: (727) 803-8001; Tech support for all products: (727) 803-8600; Email: use Web form; Website: HIMS, Inc.; 4616 W. Howard Lane, Suite 960, Austin, TX 78728; Toll-Free Phone: (888) 520-4467; Technical Support: (512) 837-2000; Fax: (512) 837- 2000; Email: ; support at hims-inc.com; Website: HumanWare; HumanWare USA Inc., 1 UPS Way, P.O. Box 800, Champlain, NY 12919; Toll-Free: (800) 722-3393; Fax: (888) 871-4828; Email: ; Website: Interpretype; 3301 Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Road, Suite 200, Rochester, New York 14623; Toll-Free: (877) 345-3182; Phone: (585) 272-1155; Fax/TTY: (585) 272-1434; Email: ; Website: National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program; Phone (800) 825-4595; TTY (888) 320-2656; Email: use Web form; Website: ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Richie Flores] Bringing Beep Baseball and Much More to the Dominican Republic by Richie Flores >From the Editor: Richie Flores has served as president of the National Federation of the Blind of Austin, Texas, has coordinated youth programming, and has played beep baseball with the Austin Blackhawks for quite some time to raise awareness of the blind in his community. Here is what he has to share about a recent international awareness mission sponsored by the National Beep Baseball Association: I have dedicated most of my life to educating my world regarding the capabilities of the blind. I also play beep baseball. This summer I got to do both when the Austin Blackhawks, the most celebrated beep baseball team in America, were invited to play a game in front of thousands in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Vladimir Guerrero, Albert Pujos, and Pedro Martinez began their careers on the same Quisqueya Stadium ball field, where we took part in one of the most empowering steps toward first-class citizenship for the disabled. The team's interactions with political leaders and the mass media, coupled with amazing international sportsmanship, redefined "blind" that day for a Caribbean nation. How did beep baseball come to the Dominican? It's a terrible story with a hopeful ending. It starts with a horrific carjacking that blinded a young engineer named Francina Hungria. That tragedy led to the creation of La Fundacion de Francina Hungria. Ms. Hungria's survival brought about a revival-a true desire in her country for better understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities. The fundamental mission of La Fundaci?n Francina Hungr?a is to take part in projects that demonstrate the potential of blind people. With the support of the vice president, Margarita Cede?o de Fern?ndez, Ms. Hungria hosted the Austin Blackhawks for five days of national awareness and education. Not only did we Blackhawks tap our canes upon the historical floor of the Presidential Palace in Santo Domingo, but we got to have a face-to-face meeting with the vice president, who confided in us that she produced Braille business cards during her election campaign. She believes in literacy, and she believes in blind people. That faith was apparent in the treatment the Blackhawks received. All five days we rode in a bus chartered by the vice president's transportation staff, expertly maneuvered by soon- to-be team favorite Miguel (the most incredible driver in Santo Domingo). Each morning we dodged in and out of the chaotic traffic of the city to arrive at various newspapers to support Ms. Hungria's mission to tell the world about what blind people can do, what we think, and what we want. One such newspaper, El D?a, led an interactive interview with our team in which the topic discussed was our vocations. In true blindness public relations fashion, we proudly announced our individual careers. We are business owners, state employees, warehouse workers, accountants, counselors, students, and proud parents-the Austin Blackhawks have it all. Seven of the nine legally blind players who attended this awareness mission trip are employed. The other two are current college students, one of whom recently earned his associate's degree in physical education; the other is certified in crossfit training and can almost certainly outlift most who are reading this article. One of the most memorable moments for me was on the television show Divertido con Jochy. This was a nationwide variety television show similar to our own Michael and Kelly (with a Jimmy Fallon edginess). We were dancing for disability awareness alongside La Fundacion de Francina Hungria. Thousands saw the show, which translates to "Fun with Jochy." Through these fun activities we made an impact. Then it was time for the game. Los Hurricanes Del Caribe (Caribbean Hurricanes) are the new beep baseball team in Santo Domingo, and much of our media tour was spent publicizing the Cl?sico Beep B?isbol. The gentlemen on the Dominican team were excited to learn from us of the security, equality, and opportunity that can be possible for their country's blind citizens. Together with Francina, they are encouraged to open minds on disability. In the Cl?sico Beep B?isbol over four thousand watched as the Blackhawks and the Hurricanes demonstrated beep baseball. Faith Penn-a close personal friend and a female ballplayer-actually smashed a beep ball pitched by Cy Young-winning pitcher Pedro Martinez. Beep baseball's own Hall of Fame pitcher, Kevin Sibson, pitched to a blindfolded, hard-hitting outfielder named Moises Alou. This event was bigger than a game; it was a rally for empowerment. Thousands cheered the players and learned about their potential. If you can play baseball blind, they realized, then you can hold down a job under the same circumstances. I had tears of joy as both teams shook hands, slapped backs, and hugged each other in joint respect for moving forward toward acceptance and inclusion in front of thousands of our sighted peers. Together, Francina Hungria's nonprofit, the Austin Blackhawks, beep baseball, and the organized blind movement made a difference one groundball and one life at a time. ---------- Giving a Dream One of the great satisfactions in life is having the opportunity to assist others. Consider making a gift to the National Federation of the Blind to continue turning our dreams into reality. A gift to the NFB is not merely a donation to an organization; it provides resources that will directly ensure a brighter future for all blind people. Seize the Future The National Federation of the Blind has special giving opportunities that will benefit the giver as well as the NFB. Of course the largest benefit to the donor is the satisfaction of knowing that the gift is leaving a legacy of opportunity. However, gifts may be structured to provide more: . Helping the NFB fulfill its mission . Realizing income tax savings through a charitable deduction . Making capital gain tax savings on contributions of appreciated assets . Providing retained payments for the life of a donor or beneficiary . Eliminating or lowering the federal estate tax in certain situations . Reducing estate settlement costs NFB programs are dynamic: . Making the study of science and math a real possibility for blind children . Providing hope and training for seniors losing vision . Promoting state and local programs to help blind people become first- class citizens . Educating the public about blind people's true potential . Advancing technology helpful to the blind . Creating a state-of-the-art library on blindness . Training and inspiring professionals working with the blind . Providing critical information to parents of blind children . Mentoring blind job seekers Your gift makes you a partner in the NFB dream. For further information or assistance, contact the NFB planned giving officer. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Eve L. Hill] Minimum Wage Guarantees for Disabled Workers-A Report from the Department of Justice by Eve L. Hill From the Editor: Eve Hill is well known to those who attend the convention or read accounts of it in this magazine. She has worked for the law firm of Brown, Goldstein and Levy, as the director of the Office for Disability Rights for the District of Columbia, as the senior vice president for the Burton Blatt Institute, and now for the United States Department of Justice. One of the reasons she is a regular fixture on our convention agenda is that she always has something of interest to say. Here is what she said on the morning of July 6, 2014: I'm so happy to be here, back at the National Federation of the Blind. Thank you for having me. It's a little intimidating seeing you all out here, but I'm going to try and be calm. On February 12, 2014, President Obama issued Executive Order 13658, establishing a minimum wage for contractors. The executive order generally raises the minimum for certain federal service contractors and subcontractors to $10.10 an hour beginning January 1, 2015. The purpose of the executive order was to increase the morale of employees and in turn increase their productivity and efficiency. And whose pay and morale are most likely to be increased by this? People who are blind and have other disabilities, because their pay is now lower than anyone else's. So what does the executive order mean to people with disabilities? The executive order specifically says that covered federal contractors who have special minimum wage certificates under Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act must comply with the executive order. Now, as you all know, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to pay wages below the prevailing wage and below the minimum wage to workers with disabilities. Section 14(c) can be used by federal contractor employers and nonfederal contractor employers. Many of the employers who take advantage of Section 14(c) are segregated sheltered workshops, and 20 percent of them are federal contractors who participate in the AbilityOne program, which gives them a contracting preference if their worker population is 75 percent people with disabilities. So, not only are they relatively segregated, but they also get the benefit of paying below minimum wage. And once an AbilityOne employer is approved and its services are placed on the procurement list, that contract is often renewed automatically. The executive order does not change the Fair Labor Standards Act itself, because that would require legislation, so these AbilityOne employers can still pay workers with disabilities a percentage of the prevailing wage, which is usually for service contracts set by the Service Contracts Act and the Department of Labor. They're mostly higher than the federal minimum wage and often already higher than $10.10, but, because of the interplay of 14(c), those contractors have, until now, been able to pay below $10.10 and even below the minimum wage. But under the executive order, employers under new covered-service contracts, including AbilityOne employers, must pay their workers, including workers with disabilities, at least $10.10-$10.10 becomes the floor. About fifty thousand people with disabilities under AbilityOne contracts currently make below the minimum wage. Most of those, however, work on product contracts, which aren't covered by the executive order. So, according to the Office of Management and Budget, the vast majority of people with disabilities working on service contracts already make $10.10 an hour. But, if it applied to current contracts now, the executive order would apply to thousands of people with disabilities who are currently working on AbilityOne service contracts and currently making less than $10.10 an hour, and even less than minimum wage. The executive order applies only to service contracts by executive agencies, not independent agencies, but it strongly encourages independent agencies to comply as well, and it applies only to new contracts. It doesn't apply to contracts being applied outside the US, and it doesn't apply to federal grants. So what's happening now? The executive order requires the Department of Labor to issue regulations by October of this year. On June 17 the Department of Labor published a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement the executive order. Comments from all of you-all of you and the rest of the public-are due by July 17. I can't say much about the rulemaking because it's not my rulemaking and because the process has started, so I'm not allowed to give a lot of information beyond what's in the notice of proposed rulemaking. I understand that Pat Shiu spoke about this from the Department of Labor already. I'm a little afraid that because of that limitation my presentation may be a little boring. So, if I start to get interesting, you'll know I've gone off script. The NPRM would define a new contract covered by the executive order as one that results from a solicitation issued after January 1, 2015, or a contract that is awarded outside the solicitation process on or after January 5, 2015. This includes new contracts and replacements for expiring contracts, and under the NPRM the executive order would not apply to automatic renewals of contracts that were issued before January 2015. What Dr. Maurer really asked me to talk about was how this fit and how this represents an evolution in federal policy. Both Section 14(c) and the AbilityOne program came from statute originally enacted in 1938. How many of us were around in 1938? Well, you may recall that the statutes were well before the enactment of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. They were before reasonable accommodations were required of public and private employers. They were before Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act required affirmative action by federal contractors to hire and retain people with disabilities. They were before the development and widespread implementation of supported employment services and supports. At the time of those statutes, people with disabilities were largely presumed unable to work in integrated competitive employment. At that time people with disabilities were assumed to have access to charity and public benefits sufficient to meet their needs, so why did they need wages? All I clearly disagree with. But much of that has changed. The ADA now prohibits employers from discriminating against applicants on the basis of their disability and requires them to provide reasonable accommodations. Section 503 now requires affirmative action to hire and retain people with disabilities. Supported employment services have been recognized in the Developmental Disability Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 1984 and are now widely available. People with disabilities have consistently demonstrated that they-we-are capable of working in integrated, competitive employment. People with disabilities are unwilling to rely on charity and public benefits, but insist on making a real living and contributing to their families and communities. So the executive order is recognizing that people with disabilities work hard and that they need and deserve the same living wage as people without disabilities. [Applause] As I often say, we are not leprechauns; we do not have a pot of gold. If you can't live on less than $10.10 an hour, neither can we. People with disabilities, like other employees, will improve their morale, their efficiency, and their productivity when they are paid fairly. The executive order is consistent with and builds on other federal policies that recognize that people with disabilities are capable of competitive integrated employment and are entitled to be free of discrimination, to be accommodated, and to be fairly paid for their work. This is not the beginning of this federal recognition-it's been coming. In 2001 the Federal Rehabilitation Services Administration program eliminated permanent placement in sheltered workshops (or so-called extended employment in the agency's lingo) from the agency's list of services it will fund. The Rehabilitation Services Administration remains committed to supported employment in competitive integrated settings as an effective service for clients of state VR programs. The agency's regulations define supported employment for people with disabilities to mean competitive employment in integrated settings or employment in integrated work settings in which individuals are working toward competitive employment, consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed choice. Similarly, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, referred to as CMS, which oversees the Medicaid program providing long-term services and supports, has embraced supported employment services and declared that prevocational services provided in sheltered workshop settings should be time-limited and designed to lead to integrated employment. They cannot be services without placement. Their informational bulletin in 2001 said that "Medicaid community services funding is not available for the provision of vocational services delivered in facility-based or sheltered workshop settings where individuals are supervised for the primary purpose of producing goods or performing services. Those services should be designed to create a path for integrated community employment where the individual is compensated at or above the minimum wage, and no less than a customary wage or benefits shall be paid for similar work by individuals without disabilities." The Department of Education has also recognized the importance of supplementary aids and services, including supported employment, as part of in-school transition services for youth, to enable students to work in integrated settings both while they're in school and after they are out of school, and it defines transition services to include supported employment. Even Congress is getting on the bandwagon and is considering restricting eligibility for subminimum wage work through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. I'm sure that Dr. Maurer thought, when he asked me to speak about the subminimum wage, that would stop me from talking about all the great things DOJ is doing, but ha-it will not! This work also has a significant overlap with the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division's efforts in implementing the ADA's integration mandate, the Olmsted Mandate as we call it in the employment arena. Because many of the entities that employ people below minimum wage under 14(c) are segregated sheltered workshops. Olmsted requires that state services be provided in the most integrated setting appropriate for the individual, and that includes not just residential services, not just healthcare services, but employment services as well. So we recently reached a statewide settlement with Rhode Island to transform its day services program from one that relied primarily on segregated subminimum wage sheltered workshops and segregated day programs to one that relies on integrated competitive supported employment and integrated day services. We are also in litigation on the same issues in Oregon. Now we have the additional benefit of Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. So we've been talking about the push, where we push people to provide the services people with disabilities need. Now we're on the pull side, where we want employers pulling to hire people with disabilities. Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act has new regulations that require federal contractors to implement affirmative action programs to get over past discrimination, to hire people with disabilities, including a utilization goal in all job classifications to have 7 percent of their employees be people with disabilities. These regulations also require data collection so contractors can keep track of how well they are doing. We all know that what gets counted gets done. I'm personally involved in three interagency groups that are working on increasing the integrated competitive employment of people with disabilities and particularly people with significant disabilities, who should not be left out of this. Like the executive order itself, these changes in federal policy are not just about justice-wouldn't it be nice if that was all that we needed. They are about the bottom line for business and for the country and for people with disabilities, and we're already seeing results on the business's bottom lines. Employers are looking for people with disabilities. Employers who have already been committed to inclusion are benefiting. At a summit I was at just a week and a half ago on the employment of people with disabilities in Rhode Island, large, medium, and small businesses all made it clear that they believed their employees with disabilities contributed positively to their workplaces, not just through their productivity and doing a good job, but also through their reliability, their positive morale (many of these employers became a no whining zone), and even their accommodations, which often made the workplace more safe and efficient for everybody. As a result, from employers large, small, and medium, we heard over and over again their commitment to the same jobs, the same standards, at the same pay for their employees with disabilities. Even businesses are starting to notice that they've been contracting with sheltered workshops to do some of their work- sometimes as what they thought of as a good thing-their diversity in contracting programs. Then they shockingly found that those workshops were paying below the minimum wage to people with disabilities who can work and should be paid. So some of them are now considering demanding that all of their contractors and subcontractors pay at least the minimum wage. [Applause] Some are now hiring out of the workshops that they used to contract with and are choosing to do the jobs in-house at regular wages. From a societal standpoint federal policy focusing on competitive integrated employment is also paying off. Studies keep showing that supported employment services offer a great return on investment. Supported employment services return an average of $1.46 for every dollar in taxpayer investment. People with learning disabilities return as much as $2.20 for every dollar. That is a fantastic return on investment; think about what it would be like if you invested in the stock market at that rate. And that's not counting the benefit to the workers with disabilities themselves, who make a great deal more money in competitive integrated employment than in sheltered workshops. That's buying power that they and their families can use to buy products and services from companies that hire people with disabilities. But that benefit is more than money. Even though money is important-I like it-I have met several people in Rhode Island who used to work in sheltered workshops during the course of the last year and who now work in competitive integrated jobs. I've seen them each several times over the past year, and every time I've seen them, they've changed. One man, Stephen, who worked for about $2 an hour for thirty years, now works for minimum wage in an office and is taking computer classes. Just as important, he has come out of his shell and is a passionate, funny speaker, talking about employment of people with disabilities. And Pedro, who went straight from a school-based sheltered workshop-who knew this was still happening-to an adult sheltered workshop and earned $0.48 an hour. Now he works at a restaurant kitchen and was recently chosen as employee of the month. He doesn't use a job coach anymore. In fact he teaches his former job coaches how to teach others. Lewis used to make below minimum wage in the workshop. Now he works full-time in an office for more than minimum wage. He is a whiz at Excel, he drives to work every day (having gotten his license), he wears a necktie (which he hates), and he has decorated his office with Red Sox paraphernalia-he's a big fan, and I'm a Mainer [from Maine], so I'm with him-sorry Broncos and Seahawks. Different sport, but, seriously, all Boston. And when the Red Sox won the World Series, he bought his father and his uncle (also avid fans) championship t-shirts with his own money. Since Peter left the workshop, he has a full-time job doing janitorial work-not a group of people with disabilities doing janitorial work after the office has closed-he does it as part of a group of people without disabilities. He makes above minimum wage and works full-time. He bought a car, took driving lessons, got his first parking ticket the last time I saw him (which he can pay), and has gotten engaged. And then there is Orquedio, who goes by Q for obvious reasons. He made $2.85 an hour in the workshop. Now he works in an auto garage. His work and his accommodations showed his boss how to make the garage more efficient for everybody who works there. He takes two busses to work every day, he is always the first to arrive, and he arrives in snowstorms when nobody else makes it in. I saw him a week or so ago at the summit I was talking about, and when we first saw him in the workshop, he was very shy and didn't want to talk to us. Then the next time I saw him, when he was working in the garage, he would say a little bit to me, a couple sentences about rotating tires on a car-I have always wanted to know how to do that. Last week at the summit he spoke on a panel in front of two hundred and fifty people, and I swear he's gotten taller. Why-with all of this good news on how much this benefits society, how much it benefits the employers, how much it benefits the people with disabilities-why are over 200,000 people with disabilities still in sheltered workshops and 200,000 more in the segregated day programs, not working at all? Why are people with disabilities still making less than minimum wage? You don't know either? Why do we as a community still tolerate segregation and poverty based on disability-just on disability? You don't know the answer to that one? Why are the unemployment rates still so high for people with disabilities, three times as high as for people without disabilities, two times as high even if you're a college graduate? Are we less competent? [Convention answers no] Are we less confident? [No] Do we have low expectations for ourselves? [No] Are we afraid of hard work? [No] But do we have low expectations of employers, businesses-I'm afraid we may. Do we have low expectations of government? [Yes] Do we have low expectations of service providers? [Yes] That may be. But we are at a tipping point. We can accept the argument that we'll be the last ones hired as the economy continues to recover. We can accept that we'll be paid less because we are lucky to be working at all. We can accept charity and poverty because they are safe. Or we can stand up and insist on high expectations for ourselves, for our employers, for the businesses we buy from, and from our government. And they will respond! Thank you all very much. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Michael Curran] Free Global Access for the Blind to the Computer by Michael Curran From the Editor: Nonvisual Desktop Access (NVDA) is a popular screen- reading program available to the blind without charge but with the request that we donate to its continued development. The NFB has assisted in its funding, but even a little from each user will help substantially in the ongoing development and maintenance of the product. Attempts to lower the cost of screen-reading solutions are not new, but few of them have been as popular as this program, and the developers are committed to see that their work continues to make NVDA a robust product and to investigate other areas in which expansion will help in our access. Here is what Michael Curran said on the morning of July 6 at the 2014 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind: Thank you, everybody, thank you for having me. The NVDA screen- reading software is changing the lives of blind and vision-impaired people across the globe by providing them a free alternative to commercial screen readers that may be either too expensive or not available in their location or language. It is enabling these people independently to use computers to produce written content; read news; socialize; shop and bank online; and, most important, participate actively in education and employment. It is developed by users, for users. It is used by both the young and old; it's used at home, at school, at university, at the workplace, and on the go. It supports over forty languages, and it can be run portably without the need to install it. NVDA is open source software. We have received contributions of code documentation and translations from over 140 people across the world. NVDA is downloaded roughly 60,000 times per release, with over 17,000 users depending on the product every day, spanning over 160 countries. Since NVDA is free for anyone, the greatest impact is for people living in developing countries, where it is often impossible to access a commercial screen-reader. However, even in the developed world, NVDA is having a significant impact. The second-highest country for NVDA use is the United States, suggesting that even here there are people for whom NVDA is a necessity due to the prohibitive cost of other products. Over the past several years we have continued to strive to ensure that NVDA is a fully featured solution, not only for those who have no other option, but also for those who simply like choice. For anyone who hasn't looked at NVDA in the last two years or so, some of the major changes and improvements have been a repackaged download allowing you to install or create a portable copy (all from one file); automatic updates, ensuring that you have the latest and greatest NVDA when it becomes available; support for NVDA add-ons, allowing you to add optional features created by others in the community; support for Asian character input and improved support for reading right-to-left languages such as Arabic; support for Microsoft PowerPoint, allowing you both to read and to edit PowerPoint presentations (special thanks go to the NFB and several other blindness agencies for contributing financially to this project); Microsoft Word enhancements, including support for form fields and revisions and comments; and a configurations profile manager, allowing you to create and switch between multiple configurations for different applications or situations. Other developments have included support for touchscreens on Windows 8; computer Braille input; support for many more Braille displays; customization of keyboard, Braille display, and touch commands; enhancements and fixes to webpage and PDF content; stability fixes; and much more. As a small taste of what's coming for the next release of NVDA, some enhancements you can look forward to, particularly with Microsoft Office are support for the Outlook Calendar; less verbose reading in the Outlook inbox and other message lists; commands to read the current comment in Microsoft Word and Excel; Microsoft-Word-specific enhancements, including reporting of paragraph indenting, distance from the left edge when pressing tab, feedback in speech and Braille for most formatting shortcut keys (bold, italic, underline, etc.); automatic column- and row-header reading for tables where the author has specified headers compatible with JAWS; improved automatic column- and row-header reading in Excel, including setting headings for multiple regions, and per worksheet storage, again compatible with JAWS. Some other features that should be available in the not-too-distant future are improved support for rich-text editing in web browsers, further enhancing the accessibility of products such as GoogleDocs, Office 365, and other content editors; and access to complex math equations in web browsers and Microsoft Office via Design Sciences MathPlath Alpha, allowing for meaningful navigation within equations, with feedback in both speech and Braille. In conversations almost ten years ago my close friend James Tay and I talked about the possibility of a fully featured screen reader for Windows. Due to the high cost of commercial products, there was unfortunately a fair amount of illegal use of the existing commercial products. Given the importance of access to computers, it was difficult for many to resist doing this. However, both of us realized that, in addition to the obvious legal and ethical reasons against software piracy, this approach simply ignores the underlying problem of screen reader cost and availability. Blind people, regardless of their economic status, should not have to break the law just to be able to use computers and gain independence. [Applause] The idea of a free screen reader was not new. There were several free screen readers for Lenox, and Apple at that time was introducing VoiceOver for the Mac. There were even some free options for Windows, but at that time they were mostly limited or abandoned. Another group had a similar idea to ours, but their project never seemed to get off the ground. In April of 2006, while just out of university and also out of a job, I decided to start working on the NVDA screen-reader software. I certainly wasn't the best programmer around, but previous life experience and participation in Blind Citizens Australia taught me that, if you want or need something, someone has got to start it sometime. Although perhaps a little skeptical about the chance of success at first, James Tay joined me on the project in July of that year, and together we have worked as the lead developers on the project for the last eight years. There were many reasons why we developed NVDA as a free and open source project. The first was because this enforced the ideal that it should always be freely available to anyone who needs it. Second, based on our previous experience with open source software, we knew that a project of this size and complexity could really benefit from input and contributions from the community. Finally, we believed that for too long screen reading techniques had been locked up in the proprietary world. Each time a new screen reader project was started, programmers had to reinvent the wheel. There was no reference, no baseline from which to start, and NVDA would be a chance to open this up and allow the blind and visually impaired community to learn and access from code knowledge and techniques that help them access computers each and every day. [Applause] Although we understood well the issues around screen reader costs for ourselves and for others in situations similar to our own, we did not appreciate at first just how much more of an impact NVDA would make on the blind in developing or non-English-speaking countries. In these countries commercial screen readers can be up to four times the price that we are used to, and sometimes the commercial screen readers are outdated or just not available in that language. This further spurred our efforts and led to a framework for translating NVDA into any language by anyone so that everyone, regardless of language, can benefit from access to computers. We realized it was now imperative that we put in place an infrastructure to ensure NVDA's long-term continuation. In 2007 James Tay, several other blind people, and I founded NV Access, an Australian-based nonprofit organization, to develop and promote NVDA. NV Access raises funds through grants, donations, contracts, and potentially other avenues in the future. Among other things NV Access employs us to work full-time on the project, provides the technical infrastructure for the website and other online services, and allows us to offer related services such as support and consulting. NVDA is now a world-renowned screen reader used by tens of thousands, but its impact reaches far beyond the direct benefits to its users. It has helped to change the landscape of an industry where fully featured free or low-cost products were previously considered an unrealistic dream. It has provided greater competition in the assistive technology space, thus driving continued development and innovation. Both NVDA and NV Access have played a continuing part in pushing the accessibility industry forward, especially in the area of web accessibility. Because NVDA is free and unrestricted, more developers are able to test with a screen reader when implementing accessibility into their products, lowering even more barriers to accessibility. All of this ensures the importance and relevance of our work now and into the future, even despite the emergence of other free options such as Window-Eyes for users of Microsoft Office. Today NV Access still continues actively to develop NVDA. With the rapid pace of technology developments we must continually update NVDA to ensure compatibility with the latest versions of Windows or other popular third-party applications. Aside from NVDA development we are also focusing on several other areas in order to increase awareness and uptake for those who truly need it. In order to achieve our mission, NV Access needs to grow as a business and be sustainable into the future. Also we need to grow the ecosystem of the products and services around NVDA. Thanks to a grant from the Nippon Foundation, we have recently hired a general manager, who is focusing specifically on these issues. The lack of official training material and technical support is something that many people have identified as a barrier to NVDA uptake. We recognize the importance of this and are working towards a solution. The hope is first to have a set of official text-based training materials in the not-too-distant future with the aim of also putting into place a certification system around this training to ensure quality from those offering training in their local communities. Ensuring the existence of training will allow the NVDA user to work more effectively with the product, get beginning users up to speed faster, and also quash a fair bit of ignorance around NVDA's current capabilities. We are also seeking to partner with various blindness agencies, rehabilitation organizations, and companies, including organizations here in the US, who could offer end-user technical support to NVDA users in their own communities and around the world. We already have a corporate support model in place which allows these organizations to receive second-level technical support, training, or custom development from NV Access for a monthly fee. Another major barrier to uptake is of course the speech. NVDA comes with the eSpeak speech synthesizer built in. It's extremely responsive and can speak in many languages. I myself use eSpeak all the time, and many others also do, especially in developing countries where other synthesizers are not available. However, we are very much aware of the reluctance of those who hesitate to use eSpeak apparently due to its robotic or metallic nature. Perhaps the most popular speech synthesizer among screen reader users is ETI Eloquence from Nuance. IBM also incorporated the same engine in their IBM text-to-speech product. Unfortunately we have been unable to license this for NVDA, despite several attempts to negotiate with both Nuance and IBM. Furthermore, both products are considered end-of-life. Nuance continues to wholesale Eloquence but does not really provide support or updates, while IBM text-to-speech can no longer be purchased at all. Perhaps more unfortunately we are aware of a significant number of users who choose to use the synthesizers illegally. NV Access certainly does not condone this process. One potential solution we are pursuing is attempting to restart research into formant synthesis by developing a prototype flat synthesizer. If successful, it could be a replacement for those who cannot adapt to eSpeak but have been comfortable with the sound of eloquence and DECtalk. Like NVDA it is being developed as open source software, ensuring that others can contribute and that the future of the product is not dependent on just one company. The prototype synthesizer is already available in English and can be found on our extra voices webpage under the name of NV Speech Player. The aim of NV Access has always been to lower the economic and social barriers associated with accessing information technology for people who are blind or vision impaired. The company is thus dedicated to the ideal that accessibility and equitable access are a right and should be available to all no matter their language, location, or economic status. NV Access upholds this ideal through its continual commitment to keep NVDA freely available to all blind and visually impaired people who need it; however, in order to achieve this ideal, the blindness community must work together. We welcome open and candid discussion with all in the blindness community, including the NFB, on ways we can ensure NVDA's continuation. There are still many blind people in the US and elsewhere who don't have access to computers or the Internet for lack of screen readers. In the twenty-first century for some this means the inability to participate equally in education, the inability to get a job, or the inability simply to socialize. We believe that everybody, blind or not, has a duty and a right to contribute to society in some way. We implore organizations such as the NFB to ensure that all blind people have the necessary tools to do so. Let us also make sure that at least some of these tools are owned and controlled by the blindness community. Access to technology is essential, and we as blind people must play a significant part in shaping the future of that access. I'd like to thank our current primary sponsors, who include Adobe, the Nippon Foundation, and Google. I also want to acknowledge past support from Microsoft, and especially past support from Mozilla, with whom we share many values. Finally I'd like to think the NFB for the opportunity to speak today and for your support of the NVDA project. You can find out more about NDDA or NV Access or download a copy of NVDA from . Thank you. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Parker] The Blind at Speed by Dan Parker From the Editor: Those who attend concerts know that the way one makes an entrance is important in setting the stage for the show. Not since former President Maurer entered the hall driving a small crane has the convention of the National Federation of the Blind witnessed the spectacle of the kind that started the Sunday morning session of the 2014 Convention as Dan Parker entered the hall on his motorcycle, reached the stage, and turned off his machine after two short revs of the engine. Here is what he said to the convention: Good morning, Federationists. I hope the smell of a little racing gas is okay this early in the morning. My name is Dan Parker, I'm from Salem, Alabama, and I'm honored to be here to share my life story. I look at my life in the same way that I look at chapters in a book. Chapter one was before blindness, and chapter two is after blindness. In chapter one I was born in Columbus, Georgia, raised by a racecar driver, and my father (who is seventy-one) still races today. In my adult years I studied machine work, welding, fabrication, and built race cars and motorcycles all across the United States and as far away as the country of Qatar. In 2005 I was the ADRL Pro Nitrous Champion, reaching top speeds of 224 miles an hour in the quarter mile. On March 31, 2012, I started chapter two. It was like any other day I'd been through a thousand times before. My team and I went to Steele, Alabama, to test a brand-new racing engine that was 864 cubic inches plus four stages of nitrous oxide. On the third pass the car made a horrible right turn. It cut the car completely in half-from the dash forward there was nothing-No motor, no transmission, no steering wheel, nothing. Two weeks later I woke from an induced coma at the University of Alabama, and my family and girlfriend realized that I was totally blind. It took months of physical therapy, rehab, and numerous surgeries for me to get to a point in my life where I could think about trying to get out of the house, much less race again. During one of those sleepless nights a dream came to me, and that dream was that I would not let blindness define me and stop my racing. I had always known about the famed Bonneville Salt Flats, which are in Wendover, Utah, 120 miles west of Salt Lake City, where men have been setting land speed records since the 1930s. Cars have traveled at speeds over 650 mph, and motorcycles have been over 300. This was my new goal in life: to become the first blind man to race the Bonneville Salt Flats. [Applause] I had a goal, but I didn't have a path to get there. I had to figure this out. Through some research I was lucky enough to learn about the Blind Driver Challenge, Mark Riccobono, and the programs of the NFB. When I first called the NFB, I thought they might think I was crazy, but I got Joanne Wilson on the phone, shared my story with her, and she got me in touch with Mark Riccobono. I went to the NFB, met with Mark Riccobono, Dr. Maurer, and we decided this was an achievable goal. In ten short months we embarked on an aggressive mission to build the first motorcycle to race the Bonneville Salt Flats by a blind man. We started the project, and, as with many aggressive projects, friends and family asked me if I was crazy and was trying to get myself killed. I explained to them, "This ain't about dying; this is about living." I had a lot of volunteers come to the house, and I'm proud to say that I fabricated and designed about 50 or 60 percent of the motorcycle myself. I still run my milling machine, my lathe, and all my bending equipment. I built my jigs on the frame machine and did everything to build this motorcycle. For those who can't see it, the motorcycle is a red three- wheel bike, two wheels on the back, a real aerodynamic body, with a 70 cc engine and a five-speed transmission. Realistically it has a top speed of about 85 mph. A few weeks before the Salt Flats in August, we got the motorcycle together, and it was crunch time-it was time to test. My engineer, Patrick Johnson, who built the guidance system along with me and the team, met at an airport in North Alabama to test. The first day we had some problems, but we came back, regrouped, redesigned the guidance system, and, with one week to go, we tested successfully at the airport. I was successful on the very first pass and did so 100 percent independently. [Applause] When we got to Bonneville, Mark Riccobono was there with us, and we had to demonstrate our capabilities and to prove to racing officials that blindness was not the obstacle that was going to stop us. The race officials were absolutely impressed with our entire team, our organization, how we went about it, the guidance system-everything-and they granted us permission to race the Salt Flats. On the morning of August 26, 2013, we embarked on a mission that was successful. At eleven o'clock in the morning we made a pass down the Salt. The Salt is ten miles wide by twenty miles long, so you have two miles to accelerate on the short course, one mile to drive at average speed. I started off at mile marker one, accelerated at mile marker two, and between mile marker two and three I did not vary four feet from center with the audible cues that my guidance system gave me. I averaged 55.331 mph, setting a record for the fastest blind man on the Salt Flats, along with being the first blind man on the Salt Flats. That night at dinner Mark Riccobono, Bill Clap, my team-everybody was celebrating, and we said to ourselves "This morning on the way to the Salt, we were saying that we could; tonight we're saying that we did!" In the next few months my life had slowed down a lot, and I had to reflect on what the next chapter was going to be. I was reading a book by racing legend Smokey Yunick. Smokey, in his later days, was a little depressed about the way his life had went-was wanting to give up-and his wife brought him home a picture frame with a message in it: "A man without a problem to solve is out of the game." I think Smokey's wife put it in a picture frame because she knows us men: if she didn't nail it to the wall, we'd forget about it. But, if you think about that message, a problem to solve is a challenge, and if you're out of the game, you're on the sidelines of life. My current challenge is that I am now at the Louisiana Center for the Blind receiving proper training-that's right, LCB. That quote stands true for all of us. We all have a problem to solve to better ourselves every day, to reach out to other blind people, and to prove to ourselves and to prove to society that infinite possibilities are only defined by ourselves, not others. So when we leave here tomorrow and everybody starts heading home, I wish you all would take that one quote with you: "A man without a problem to solve is out of the game," and everybody here, we're going to stay in the game. Thank you very much. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: The book For the Benefit of Those Who See: Dispatches from the World of the Blind] For the Benefit of Those Who See: Dispatches from the World of the Blind by Rosemary Mahoney Reviewed by Barbara Pierce Little Brown and Company New York Boston London, Copyright 2014 From the Editor: Barbara Pierce needs little introduction to readers of the Braille Monitor. Her service as its editor means that her influence on what we have published about blindness and the organized blind movement is unparalleled. Here is a book review she has recently written, one so compelling that I read the book before we could publish Barbara's observations. Here is what she says: Reading this book is a little like accidentally overhearing someone talking about one. The old saw has it that you never hear any good about yourself. That was certainly my experience of this book. Rosemary Mahoney had a brief brush with blindness after an injury in college which affected her profoundly. She says that it was like being trapped in a coffin, a fate worse than death. Why she was attracted to write about blindness is not at all clear to me. It must be like the attraction one's tongue feels exploring a sore tooth. Four or five years ago she accepted an assignment to write a magazine article about Braille without Borders, the school for the blind in Lhasa, Tibet, founded by Sabriye Tenberken, the blind German woman who with her sighted Dutch partner, Paul Kronenberger, founded the school. In 2014 she arranged to teach English to blind students in a school for the blind in Trivandrum, Kerala, in south India, another school established by Tenberken and Kronenberger. In this book she talks at length about her stay at Braille without Borders and her experience teaching in India. She is explicit about wanting to learn everything she can about how blind people think and talk and carry out the functions of daily life. In addition she manages to work in bits of the history of the blind and to explore the problems of regaining sight after years of blindness. I suppose that there is nothing wrong with such goals, and she seems to me to have done a pretty good job of reading and summarizing the literature about the contemporary understanding of the visual cortex and how it gets reassigned in blind people. This is the reason people have a difficult or impossible time making visual sense of the world when they regain sight. The distressing part of the book for me was her fixation on what blind eyes look like. Sabriya Tenberken, whom the author very much admires, has beautiful blue eyes that look directly at the person with whom she is conversing. Sabriya also moves swiftly and unerringly through downtown Lhasa, never bringing her cane in contact with any obstacle. The other blind people are not so lucky in Mahoney's handling. In her descriptions their eyes twitch, are white or grey, or show other signs of their dysfunction. She describes in detail the various glasses that people wear. It never occurred to me that people might be taking painful note of my eyes. She made me wonder how distasteful people find my gaze. It is hard to find the words to describe how disconcerting all these descriptions were. So much of the book was devoted to these descriptions: I believe that every blind person discussed in the book is subjected to a minute description of his or her eyes. Perhaps to compensate for all this implied criticism of her blind students, she cites examples of superhuman feats of blind people's sense of smell or listening. Sometimes these are plausible. One student recognized her in the computer room because her typing on a keyboard was faster than anyone else's. That seems reasonable, as does the students' recognizing her footsteps by their speed and absence of cane tapping. But smelling a glass of beer in a large room filled with people seems implausible. Mahoney includes a number of what must be transcriptions of students telling their stories. These are quite moving and capture the range of backgrounds of the students in the Indian school. Clearly the author comes to love and respect the people with whom she is working, but one is left with the impression that she continues to feel superior to them-there but for the grace of God go I. Mahoney's boyfriend, who suffers the same dismay when confronting blindness as Mahoney does, visits her at the close of the book. He is appalled at the distance she has traveled in accepting blindness and blind people. But the reader is still convinced that she wants no part of experiencing blindness firsthand. The book is gripping and a quick read. Mahoney is an interesting writer. But when all is said and done, much of my fascination with it was like probing a canker sore. In short, reading the book was painful and disconcerting. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Doris Willoughby] The GED and Alternatives by Doris M. Willoughby From the Editor: Doris Willoughby has had a distinguished career as a teacher of the blind and as an author of books about how to teach the blind. In June she wrote an article expressing concern about problems in accessing the GED for those wishing to take this high school equivalency test. This is what she has learned in the interim: Following up on a Monitor Miniature in June, I continue to seek information about the new GED test and accessibility. I do not yet know of a blind person who has actually taken the test since the changes occurred in January 2014. However, here are some pieces of information I have gathered: . The new version of the test is only offered in electronic form. . The individual applicant must arrange and order the test directly from its publisher. The publisher will then arrange with a local entity to provide a setting where the test can be taken. . Three companies publish the test: PearsonVue, Educational Testing Service, and McGraw/Hill. . Websites include and . . There are a great many complex diagrams and illustrations. . The education authorities of the various states decide which version(s) of the test will be officially recognized in their venue. Some states are considering alternative tests, online tests, etc. . Obtaining approval for using an accessible test is complicated because so many different entities are potentially involved. In researching these matters, it is difficult to find a live person to talk with. Generally it appears that one should look online. However, the websites quickly ask for the name of the applicant; if the researcher is a teacher or other person, it may be difficult to proceed. For these and other reasons some applicants may want to look into alternative paths to high school equivalency. Some school districts and other educational entities offer an adult high school. A particularly viable alternative is the Hadley School for the Blind, a free correspondence school, which is a source of many educational opportunities. After my previous Miniature was published, I was delighted to hear from Karen Woodfork at Hadley. She called me and introduced herself as the coordinator for high school diplomas. She explained that Hadley offers many alternatives leading to a diploma. A student may take all his/her courses from Hadley or arrange a combination with the local school district. Ms. Woodfork and others can be contacted at: or by telephone at (800) 526-9909. I will continue to collect information and would be pleased to hear from others with suggestions on this important issue. I can be contacted using email by writing to Doris M. Willoughby at , or by telephone at (303) 424-7373. ---------- Recipes This month's recipes come from members of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon. Moscow Mule Punch by Tamera Snelling Tamera Snelling is a licensed massage therapist, practicing in Oregon and Arizona. She is a musician and an avid gardener. She won a National NFB scholarship in 1999. Tamera is an active member of the Rose City Chapter. Ingredients: 1 bunch fresh mint 1 cup sugar 1 cup water 24 ounces vodka, apple flavored 24 ounces ginger beer 1 cup lime juice Method: Combine the water, sugar, and mint in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Let stand one hour. Remove the mint leaves and pour the syrup into a punch bowl or pitcher. Stir in remaining ingredients and chill. Serve over ice and garnish with sliced lime, mint leaves, and sliced ginger root. Serves eight to ten. Tamera Snelling says: "Every summer when the mint begins to smell wonderful, I look for recipes that use it. With a patio party coming up, I tried this one. It was a hit." ---------- Mediterranean Marinade by Carla McQuillan Carla McQuillan is the president of the NFB of Oregon and was formerly a national board member. She is the executive director of Children's Choice Montessori Schools in Oregon and serves as the director of child care services during the national convention. She says about this recipe: "This marinade is great for grilling fish, beef, lamb, chicken, or vegetables." Ingredients: 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup dry white wine 4 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon dry oregano or 1/2 cup fresh- oregano chopped 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground pepper Method: Combine all ingredients. Marinate meat for at least one hour, or overnight. Grill on the outdoor or indoor grill. Vegetables can be brushed with the marinade right before grilling. ---------- Basic Quiche by Carla McQuillan Quiche is an easy, healthy, and inexpensive way to use leftovers, or start from scratch. Ingredients: 1 single pie crust 6 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk 1 cup filling (see filling suggestions below) 1 cup shredded cheese Salt and pepper to taste Method: Warm milk in a saucepan but do not scald. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano to taste. Slowly incorporate the milk into the eggs, whisking as you do so. Spread filling and cheese evenly over the bottom of the unbaked pie crust. Pour the milk and egg mixture evenly over filling. Bake at 375 degrees for thirty to forty-five minutes, or until the center is set. Slice into six pieces. You can serve it hot or at room temperature. Filling can be meat, vegetables, or a combination of both. I even used leftover Chinese food once. Here are some classic quiche fillings: bacon, sausage, seafood, chicken, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, and potatoes, but almost anything will work. ---------- Double Chocolate Bundt Cake by Carla McQuillan Ingredients: 1 package dark chocolate cake mix 1 small package instant chocolate pudding 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1 cup sour cream 4 eggs, beaten 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips. Method: Thoroughly combine the wet ingredients. Stir in the cake mix and pudding until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be thick. Grease or coat with cooking spray a bundt or angel food cake pan. Spread the batter evenly around the pan. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour. The cake should be rounded in the middle, and a toothpick should come out clean when inserted. This cake is excellent served with vanilla ice cream and a fresh raspberry sauce. ---------- Mediterranean Olive Bread by Carla McQuillan Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups white flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1 envelope dry yeast 1/2 teaspoon salt Scant cup warm water 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing 1 cup pitted black and green olives, coarsely chopped Method: Combine yeast, water, and olive oil. Stir to dissolve yeast. In a large bowl combine the flours and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour. Add the water and blend to make a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about ten minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap-cooking spray works well for this. Let rise in a warm place for one hour. Turn out onto a floured surface and punch down and flatten. Sprinkle on the olives and fold and knead to distribute the olives. Let rest for five minutes, then shape into an oval loaf. Place on a greased baking sheet. Make 6 deep cuts in the loaf. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap and let rise again for thirty to forty-five minutes, or until doubled in size. Brush with olive oil and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Note: This bread is good with a dipping sauce of olive oil, salt, crushed garlic, and balsamic vinegar. ---------- Diabetic-Friendly Oatmeal Cookies by Robert Jaquiss Robert Jaquiss has been an active member of the Federation since 1990. He currently serves as the secretary of the Oregon affiliate and the secretary-treasurer of the At Large Chapter. Robert has his own business, Tactile Graphic Solutions LLC. On occasion, Robert will be found in the kitchen whipping up a batch of cookies or making some other diabetic friendly item. Robert reports that these cookies, because of the use of raw sugar and whole wheat flour, do not cause trouble with his blood sugar. Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup Sucanat 1 cup Sucanat with honey 2 large or 3 small eggs 2 tablespoons vanilla 3 cups whole wheat flour 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 2 1/2 cups oats Method: In a large bowl cream butter, Sucanat, and Sucanat with honey. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Sucanat is much coarser than sugar, so make sure it is mixed well. I melt the butter in a microwave for one minute. This makes the mixing easier. In a separate bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter-egg mixture. Stir in rolled oats and mix well. Scoop onto baking tray and bake for twelve minutes at 350 degrees. Yields: two dozen cookies. Notes: When using raisins, I let them soak several hours before using them. Adding soaked raisins makes the dough sticky. A cup of shredded coconut is also a tasty addition. The dough is very stiff, so use a heavy duty mixer. It does not spread much on a cookie sheet, so 1/2 inch is a good thickness. Optionally, 1-1/2 cups of raisins, semisweet chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or a combination may be added. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family New Chapter: On Tuesday, July 22, 2014, the San Diego chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of California was born. The elected officers are president, Lisa Irving; vice president, Kyle Woodard; secretary, Allison Depner; treasurer, Debbie Ciampoli; and board member, Joseph Burton. Elected: The annual convention of the NFB of North Dakota was conducted on September 13. The board of directors elected was as follows: president, Amber Kraft; vice president and treasurer, Milton Ota; secretary, Caroline Congdon; and board members, Candace Rivinius and Duane Iverson. In Brief Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for space and clarity. National Association of Blind Merchants Announces Lone Star BLAST 2014 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Cheryl Gross Merchant Relations National Association of Blind Merchants Phone: (866) 543-6808, extension 10 cherylgross at blindmerchants.org The National Association of Blind Merchants (NABM) announced today that the President of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), Mark Riccobono, will provide the opening address at Business, Leadership and Superior Training (BLAST). NFB President Riccobono will bring his insight, humor, and inspiration to conference attendees at the leadership breakfast Wednesday morning, November 19. NABM, a division of the NFB, encourages you to place your hotel reservations and register now for the powerful BLAST training conference in November 2014. Lone Star BLAST 2014 will be held at the Austin Renaissance Hotel from November 18 to 20. This year's BLAST has expanded its scope. There is great excitement building around the Blind Entrepreneurs Succeed Today (BEST) mentoring program for blind clients of vocational rehabilitation who may be considering or embarking on a career of entrepreneurship, either within Randolph-Sheppard or other forms of self-employment. Many state agencies are providing stipends for clients to attend the BEST track at BLAST. Interested consumers and rehab counselors should get in touch with our office for details. Nicky Gacos, president of the National Association of Blind Merchants, said: "In coordination with Business Enterprises of Texas and the elected committee, we are planning the biggest, boldest, most far-reaching training for blind entrepreneurs and state agency personnel. It will be a BLAST as big as Texas." NABM and the National Federation of the Blind Entrepreneur Initiative will jointly stage the conference. The group has already begun planning the biggest trade show in its history, working in conjunction with the RSA Buying Group and the Committee of Blind Operators of Texas. NABM is also pleased to announce that, in coordination with the National Counsel for State Agencies for the Blind, BLAST will again this year feature a day-long training event exclusively for State Licensing Agency staff. The association is also working with NCSAB to offer continuing education for attorneys working with state VR agencies and Business Enterprise programs. Those sessions will take place on Tuesday, November 18. BLAST seminars will begin the morning of Tuesday, November 18, with business development training on the morning of Wednesday, November 19. The trade show will take place Wednesday afternoon. There will be a full day of targeted education related to personal and professional growth on Thursday, November 20. Thursday evening, BLAST will conclude with an all-star Lone Star BLAST banquet and celebration featuring guest speaker/performer, blind American Idol finalist Scott MacIntyre. Room reservations at the luxurious Austin Renaissance are available now at the unbelievable rate of $129.00 per night plus applicable taxes. There are a limited number of executive suites available on a first-come, first-serve basis at $149.00 per night. Rooms are available from Sunday, November 16, through Saturday, November 22, 2014. Reservations should be made online at , or by phone at (800) 468-3571. Explain to the agent that you are registering for Lone Star BLAST under the National Association of Blind Merchants group. You must mention Lone Star BLAST to get the discounted rate. The Austin Renaissance is located at 9721 Arboretum Boulevard, Austin, TX 78759. This year BLAST registration will be $200.00. Remember that the BLAST registration fee covers BLAST activities, excluding out-of-hotel tours or events that may be offered. Your registration fee covers training, training materials, welcoming reception, leadership breakfast, trade show and trade show reception, evening banquet, and a "lunch and learn," featuring an address from Dr. Marc Maurer, Immediate Past President, National Federation of the Blind, on Thursday, November 20. Register now at . For questions or assistance with hotel reservations or Lone Star BLAST registrations, please call (866) 543-6808. Austin is the home of the most diverse and lively music scene in the world. NABM invites you to come for the high-caliber training, networking, and Texas hospitality. In an email to constituents, President Gacos said: "If you plan to attend any national training conference in 2014, make it the Lone Star BLAST!" Think training! Think opportunity! Think Austin, Texas! Think BLAST! We Need Your Help: The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults has back issues of books from the Free Braille Books Program that it would like to get into the hands of children who would love to have them. These books have been returned to us but are in excellent condition. All of the books are in contracted Braille, and they are at two reading levels. The first level is for children in grades kindergarten through second grade. The second level is for children in grades three through six. If you would like to have some of these books sent to you from the Free Braille Books Program, please send an email to or . To sign up for the new books in the current year, please visit . You may also call (410) 659-9314, extension 2287. All blind youth, blind parents, teachers of the blind, schools, and libraries serving the blind are eligible to participate in this program. Cherokee Braille Code Developed: A Cherokee Braille code has been developed by Tamara Kearney of the Commonwealth Braille & Talking Book Cooperative. This code permits the reading and writing of the Cherokee syllabary in Braille for the first time. The Cherokee Braille code permits the "blind as well as the sighted to be able to read and write in their native language," Ms. Kearney said. "It's exciting that our Cherokee citizens who are visually impaired can now read stories in their first language," said Roy Boney, language program manager. "We provided copies of our Cherokee syllabary, sample text, and other items to make Braille in Cherokee a reality. We want to stay in the forefront by offering the Cherokee language on as many written tools as possible to preserve and protect our native tongue." The full description and use of the code can be found at: or . The Cherokee syllabary stands as one of the major advancements in literacy among the native peoples of North America. It was invented by Sequoyah (c. 1770-1843) between the late 1810s and early 1820s. The creation of the syllabary is noteworthy in that Sequoyah could not previously read or write in any script. It remains today the only example of a modern writing system developed independent of a previous background in an existing writing system. The Cherokee Braille code was developed by Tamara Kearney, who is also the developer of the Inuktitut Braille code used by the First Nations people of Canada's far north. Cherokee Braille is supported in version 2 of Braille2000, a commercial Braille production system offered by Computer Application Specialties Company of Lincoln, Nebraska. This computer program permits the publication of Cherokee Braille from existing and future Cherokee texts. In addition translation tables have been developed for the open source Liblouis computer Braille translation system. It is hoped that other Braille translation systems will also include Cherokee as an option. For more information write Commonwealth Braille & Talking Book Cooperative, 605 Robson Street, Suite 850, Vancouver BC V6B 5J3, Canada, or email . 2015 Writing Contest Theme Announced: "75 in 75" is catching on everywhere within the Federation family. We all want to live the life we want, to build the Federation, and to take our part in the cause. Some of us are getting pretty creative as to how we do this. The Writer's Division has found its own way to honor the anniversary of the National Federation of the Blind. The yearly writer's contest is making a major change, at least for 2015, so start getting those fingers limbered up and those creative juices flowing. Details will come later in the year, but prepare yourself now for what is to come. Are you ready for this? The yearly writing contest will, for the first time ever, have a required theme. All submissions will need to somehow incorporate the theme of seventy-five in the piece. It does not necessarily have to be about the anniversary of NFB. It could just be the number; or perhaps the diamond anniversary, seventy-five steps to your destination; or even seventy-five balloons. Thinking of past entries, I might even add that seventy-five aliens would work. Seriously, let your imagination take over. Write the piece you want. Just remember to include the theme of seventy-five, and remember that this is inspired by the seventy-five years of the great work that has been happening within and because of the National Federation of the Blind. Ski for Light to Celebrate Its Fortieth Anniversary in Colorado; Applications Being Accepted: Ski for Light (SFL) will return to one of its favorite venues to celebrate its fortieth year in 2015. The SFL International week will be held in Granby, Colorado, from Sunday, January 25, through Sunday, February 1, 2015. Join over two hundred active blind and sighted adults from across the US and around the world who pair up for what many have called the experience of a lifetime. We will stay at the Inn at Silver Creek and ski at nearby Snow Mountain Ranch. We have returned again and again because the combination of great skiing and the comfortable event hotel is hard to beat. The Inn at Silver Creek offers more than two hundred rooms, an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, both indoor and outdoor hot-tubs, and plenty of convention and meeting space. Snow Mountain Ranch, near Winter Park and part of the YMCA of the Rockies, has 100 kilometers of wonderfully groomed trails. It is consistently rated one of the top Nordic venues in the country. Ski for Light Inc. is an all-volunteer nonprofit that teaches the basics of classic cross-country skiing to adults who are visually- or mobility-impaired, while giving participants who have already learned the basics of the sport the chance to improve their skills or to just have fun skiing with a trained guide. The total cost of the week per person is $850 for triple-occupancy, $900 for double-occupancy, or $1,225 for single- occupancy. This includes room and all meals for the entire week, round-trip transportation between the Denver airport and the Inn at Silver Creek, all trail fees, and all afternoon and evening activities. Skis, boots, and poles will be provided free of charge to first-time blind or visually- impaired participants. Partial stipends based on financial need are available for guides and first-time and second-time participants. Apply early for our exciting fortieth anniversary event. Applications are due by November 1, 2014. Those who apply after November 1 will be accepted only if space permits, with priority given to first-time applicants. For more information and to submit your application, please visit the fully accessible website at . If you do not have web access or need more information, please contact the chairman of the Visually Impaired Recruitment Committee, Bob Hartt, Alexandria, Virginia, by phone at (703) 845-3436, or by email at . 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. Brooks Technology Talking Infrared Thermometer Now Available: The Brooks Technology model IRT-1 Talking Infrared Thermometer is a new and unique device designed for use by the blind. Because it uses infrared technology the user can measure temperatures of many different objects without contact and from a safe distance. The user can now do things with much more confidence. It's essential when cooking to make sure oil and food temperatures are in a safe range, something you can only guess at without this device. Do you have a flat cooktop stove? How do you know the pan is centered over the burner or even where the burner is located? Many folks will use their hands to feel the heat from the burner, which may be adequate for some, but people with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy cannot feel heat and risk serious injury in attempting to do so. The IRT-1 has a scan mode to safely do this for you! Simply hold the SCAN button while moving the thermometer a safe distance above the cooktop, a beeping tone will vary from slow to fast as you zero in on the source of the heat. The fastest beeping is the location of the burner. So, what are people using the device for? Here's a quick list: cooking oil in the pan, locating burners, refrigerator and freezer temperatures, air conditioning vents, heating vents, outdoor grills, bath water, coffee, tea, soups, stews, and bread rising in the oven. There is even a blind auto mechanic that uses his to check engine temperatures. Your imagination is the limit! For more information check out our webpage at , email at , or call (408) 781-4577. Braille Micrometers for Sale: I have a set of Braille micrometers for which I no longer have a need. There are four in the set: sizes 0 to 1 inch, 1 to 2 inches, 2 to 3 inches, and 3 to 4 inches, and they are zeroed in. I would like to find a new home for them. They are valued at $800. I will take $400 or best offer. If interested, please call Al Hicks at (801) 595- 8078. ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Fri Oct 31 16:40:26 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 16:40:26 -0700 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, November 2014 Message-ID: <201410312340.s9VNeQdC014754@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 57, No. 10 November 2014 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 Mark Riccobono, 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 Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice Watch and share our videos: YouTube.com/NationsBlind 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 KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT; BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND-IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES. ISSN 0006-8829 ? 2014 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. 57, No. 10 November 2014 Contents Illustration: Pre-K at Play Heritage for the Blind Ads for Car Donations Raise BBB Concerns The Blind Gun Designer: The Genius of Mikhail Margolin by Greg Trapp Fred Gissoni Dies by Gary Wunder Fred Gissoni: A Man of Change by Larry Skutchan What is the Cost of a Free Product? by Tim Connell Improving Disability Employment: A Pathway to Success for Employers and Workers by Patricia Shiu Reflections of a White Cane Guy by David Cohen Bringing Our Animals to the Zoo by Marion Gwizdala NFB's iOS Resolution: Some Perspective and Context by Jonathan Mosen Advice to the Rookies from a Rookie by Jamie Allison Normal by Daniel B. Frye Coming to See the Unfairness of Paying Less than the Minimum Wage by Cindy Bennett Blindness Cured? And Thank You for It by Eric Woods Recipes Monitor Miniatures Pre-K at Play Each year schools in Baltimore take one day from their busy school year and send their youngest children out on the town to observe organizations doing good work in the community. Oriana Riccobono's teacher asked if the National Federation of the Blind would be willing to host her class. Of course the answer was yes and the children spent more than two hours learning about how blind people do things that the children are accustomed to doing with vision. [PHOTO/CAPTION: There are hula hoops on the ground in patterns that represent the shapes of Braille cells, and the Pre-K children are standing in the hoops to match the print letters shown on the papers inside them. [PHOTO/CAPTION: Children have their hands and arms stuck through two holes cut in the middle of a presentation board, attempting to fill a cup with beans nonvisually. [PHOTO/CAPTION: A group of children "fishing" for paper fish in a kiddie pool.] Heritage for the Blind Ads for Car Donations Raise BBB Concerns BBB advises donors to consider alternatives to Heritage for the Blind for car donations From the Editor: For several years now members of the National Federation of the Blind have been hearing advertisements about Heritage for the Blind. Being familiar with most service providers and charities in work with the blind, many of us have called this organization, only to find those answering our calls to be quite vague about program offerings. Generally we are asked to leave a number and promised a callback. If we get one, we find that we are offered no specific services but instead are referred to other organizations, foremost among them the National Federation of the Blind. Our research suggests that Heritage for the Blind provides little if anything in the way of direct services, and it appears others share our concern about a charity that has so much money that it can afford to purchase commercial rates on the major radio networks, offer free vacations to its donors, and still purport to have money left over to provide services to blind people. Here is what the Better Business Bureau had to say about them on September 11, 2014, in a press release that ran on their website and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch : Better Business Bureau (BBB) is advising motorists who are planning to donate vehicles to charity to consider alternatives to Heritage for the Blind, a national charity that has been soliciting car donations in the St. Louis area. The charity recently sent mailers to area residents asking for vehicle donations. The mailers urge recipients to "provide help for the visually impaired" by calling a toll-free number and arranging to donate their vehicles to the organization. The ads show a Heritage for the Blind truck towing a car and suggest that potential donors ask about a free three- day vacation voucher. BBB believes the ads have the capacity to mislead consumers. In addition, BBB also warns that the charity omits important information on its website and fails to adequately explain how it is spending its money. Charity officials have declined to respond to BBB requests for information. "BBB has tried to get Heritage for the Blind to open up about where its money is going without success," said Michelle Corey, BBB president and CEO. "This organization has said, basically, that it is too much trouble to respond. When a tax-exempt charity that solicits the public takes that position, it is a cause for concern." The nineteen-year-old, Brooklyn, New York-based charity raised $14 million in the five years prior to January 2013, according to Form 990 reports to the Internal Revenue Service. From January 1 to December 31, 2012, the most recent information available, the charity reported nearly $4.2 million in contributions. Almost all of the money came from its vehicle donation program. The IRS records show brothers Shrage and Steven Toiv, the charity's top-paid employees, received salaries of $135,000 each that year. Heritage for the Blind has not responded to requests for information from BBB's Wise Giving Alliance. As a result BBB has been unable to determine whether the charity meets BBB's Standards for Charity Accountability. Charity participation in a review is voluntary, but BBB encourages participation to demonstrate transparency and strengthen public trust. The charity also declined to discuss its operations in an email to St. Louis BBB, saying, in part: "Heritage for the Blind is in full compliance with all statutes and regulations of every state in the nation, as well as those of the Internal Revenue Service, and is current with all required filings. However, as much as we may like to, Heritage for the Blind simply does not have the resources to respond to every detailed request we may receive from non-governmental groups and organizations." In its 990 IRS report and information on its website, Heritage for the Blind says it produces and distributes large-print and Braille religious and non-religious publications, operates a phone referral and support program, offers educational information to consumers, and provides a medical alert service called "Freedom Carephone." However, it has declined to release any details on how much money is going to each program and who it is serving. Specific BBB concerns include: . Potentially misleading advertising. The charity's mailers and other promotional literature asking for car donations refer to a "free three-day vacation voucher," "free vacation vouchers," and a "free vacation" for those donating vehicles. However, the company that is partnering with Heritage for the Blind to provide the vouchers says, "there are fees associated with this offer, so obviously this is not a 'free' trip. Our offers generally are 70 to 90 percent off the going retail rate." . Omission of important information on the charity's website. Based on reports to the IRS, one of the charity's programs involves the production of large-print publications. It appears that most of those publications are religious materials distributed to the Jewish nonprofit group, Jewish Heritage for the Blind. That information is not included on the charity's website. . Donations to a family member's nonprofit organization. In its most recent 990 report, Heritage for the Blind reports that it donated $110,000 in large-type religious publications to Jewish Heritage for the Blind. The disclosure notes a family relationship between the two groups, but does not detail the relationship. Rabbi David Toiv is listed as director of Jewish Heritage for the Blind. Neither Jewish Heritage for the Blind nor Heritage for the Blind has responded to BBB requests for information. . Heritage for the Blind's business relationship with the medical alert company Freedom Phone, a business owned by Shrage Toiv. While the exact nature of the relationship is unclear, Heritage for the Blind notes that it provides "Freedom Carephone services for those in need." Freedom Phone is owned by Shrage Toiv, and it is unclear whether Freedom Phone donates the medical devices or sells them to the charity. Heritage for the Blind's IRS 990 report for 2012 says that the charity spent nearly $3.9 million that year, with $1.8 million allocated to fundraising, and $1.7 million allocated to program services. But BBB says Heritage for the Blind has repeatedly declined to detail its program service expenditures. Carole Bellman, St. Louis BBB's director of charity review, said the charity's refusal to break down where its money is going means that donors are left to wonder how the money is being spent. "For people to be able to trust a charity, they have to know how their money is being used," she said. "Any charity that keeps that information secret is doing a disservice to itself and donors." A BBB employee phoned the charity requesting assistance for a sight- impaired relative. A charity representative told her that it could help her access a variety of services, including books for the sight-impaired, help with technology, monetary grants, and a folding white cane. The charity then sent a packet of information that included two "talking alarm" key chains (wholesale cost $2 to $6), a plastic "vision simulator card" (distributed by the Ohio Optometric Association), a Braille alphabet card (produced by American Foundation for the Blind), and a listing of St. Louis area organizations that assist the blind and visually impaired. In June 2010 New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced that Heritage for the Blind was among sixteen charities, fundraisers, and individuals subpoenaed as part of what he called a wide-ranging investigation of the charitable car donation industry. An official with the attorney general's office said last week that he is "not aware of anything current in regards to Heritage for the Blind." National Federation of the Blind is a seventy-three-year-old national nonprofit that works as an advocate for the blind. Its past president, Marc Maurer, said he had worked with several staff members of his organization trying to research Heritage for the Blind. "We have been trying to track down what they do, with no success," he said. He said researchers who called the organization for help often were referred to the National Federation of the Blind. In October 2012 the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota asked that Heritage for the Blind stop fundraising in that state until it registers with the Minnesota attorney general's office and "demonstrates . . . that it actually provides useful services to blind Minnesotans." It also called on media outlets to cease carrying the charity's advertisements until it met those conditions. BBB has these tips to consumers considering donating a vehicle to charity: . Research the charity, making sure it is tax-exempt and asking what programs will be supported by your donation. The charity should be able to provide detailed information about the charity's operations. Tax-exempt charities have an ethical obligation to be transparent with the public. . Find out how the charity benefits financially from the resale of the car. . For tax records take a photo of the car and keep copies of current classified ads or guide value estimates for similar vehicles. (For more deductibility information, get a copy of IRS Publication 561, "Determining the Value of Donated Property.") . Understand deductibility details. Most cars donated to charity are sold at auction, and the donor's tax deduction is limited to the gross proceeds from the sale. The charity must provide that amount to the donor in writing. Donors can claim the car's full fair market value only in certain conditions, such as when a charity uses a car in its program or gives it to needy individuals. . Check IRS guidelines in A Donor's Guide to Car Donations (Publication 4303), at . If you are claiming a car donation of over $500, you will need to complete and attach IRS Form 8283 to your tax return. If the car is worth more than $5,000, you will need a written professional appraisal. . Transfer the car's title to the charity's name and keep a copy of this record. The title change will help you avoid potential problems if the car is somehow parked illegally by the organization or is involved in an accident or other mishap before the charity sells it. . Check out a charity by going to or call (314) 645- 3300. The BBB is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. All BBB services to consumers are free of charge. BBB provides objective advice, free BBB business reviews on more than four million businesses, 11,000 charity reviews, dispute resolution services, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. Please visit for more information. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Greg Trapp fires a C96 Mauser Broomhandle.] The Blind Gun Designer: The Genius of Mikhail Margolin by Greg Trapp >From the Editor: Greg Trapp is the executive director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind, a position he has held since 1999. Prior to becoming commission director, he was a senior staff attorney with Disability Rights New Mexico. He has taught disability law as an adjunct professor, and he is a past president of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind. He is also a longtime member of the National Federation of the Blind. Here is what he has to say about a blind person who succeeded in a field many would consider unlikely-he found success as a gun designer. The question of blind people and guns continues to be hotly debated. On August 4, 2014, a video commentary was posted on NRA News in which the commentator said, "Every law-abiding, blind individual should be able to have whatever guns they want." The commentator was Dom Raso, a defense instructor and former Navy Seal. The video was ridiculed by Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense. Apparently unfamiliar with the NFB's Blind Driver Challenge, not to mention bioptic driving, she sarcastically asked, "Should we let blind people drive, too?" The attitude of the general public toward the blind was further demonstrated when the Huffington Post responded to the commentary by conducting a survey asking if it "should be legal for the blind to own guns." Only 23 percent of respondents said it should be legal for the blind to own a gun, while 51 percent said it should be illegal, while the rest were not sure. The results of the survey may have been different if the people surveyed had been told about and shown the alternative techniques used by blind shooters or about blind people who successfully engage in activities related to firearms. They could have been told about Carey McWilliams, a blind hunter and author of Guide Dogs and Guns. They could also have been told about Jim Miekka, a blind stock trader and inventor, who can accurately fire a rifle with a photodiode scope he invented. Had they Googled "world's best target shooter," the first result they would have found was for Miekka, and they would have learned that he can hit a 4mm target at 100 yards. They could also have been told about Mikhail Margolin, the remarkable blind Russian gun designer who successfully worked during a career that started in the reign of Joseph Stalin and continued into the rule of Leonid Brezhnev. This article examines the life and contributions of this brilliant Soviet gun designer. [PHOTO/CAPTION: The Margolin MCM target pistol] [PHOTO/DESCRIPTION: The semi-automatic handgun has a long and thin barrel, with a high front sight at the end of the barrel. The equally high rear sight is mounted on a stationary bridge through which the slide passes as it ejects the fired cartridge case. Though strange in appearance, the high sights were largely responsible for the accuracy of the pistol.] Mikhail Vladimirovich Margolin designed several successful firearms, but he is today best remembered for the revolutionary MCM .22 caliber target pistol. The pistol was first made in 1948, and variations of it are still being made today. It was called the Margolina tselevoy, or the target pistol by Margolin. The pistol was designed for use in the highly competitive field of twenty-five meter target shooting. A modified version of the pistol was also used as a prop in one of the most memorable scenes in the original Star Wars movie. In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, the rebel star ship carrying Princess Leia had just been captured and boarded by Darth Vader. The beautiful Princess Leia is shown hiding the plans of the Death Star in R2-D2. Afterwards she is in action, and in her hand is a blaster that she uses to down one of the storm troopers. The blaster was actually a modified version of the unusually-shaped Margolin MCM target pistol. The Margolin thus joined the famous C96 Mauser Broomhandle, which was the basis of Han Solo's blaster, as a prop in one of the most famous movies of all time. Margolin was born in the early 1900s, a time of rapid progress in science and technology. Many revolutionary new firearms were being designed, primarily in the United States and Germany. These revolutionary designs were made possible by advances in metallurgy and the perfection of smokeless powder. Smokeless powder burned cleaner and was more powerful than black powder, making it possible to design reliable semi-automatic and fully automatic firearms. The preeminent gun designer of the age was the American John M. Browning, who designed firearms that were so advanced that some of his designs are still used by the United States military. Unlike the United States, Imperial Russia had long struggled to expand the capacity of its domestic small arms industry, and its arms designs had lagged behind those of its foes. After the start of the First World War, Russia found itself short of its 1891 Mosin-Nagant rifles, forcing Tsar Nicholas II to order 2.3 million rifles from the United States. The shortage was so critical that many Russian soldiers were sent to the front with orders to get their rifles from fallen soldiers. Desperate for arms, Russia pulled its obsolete single-shot 1870 Berdan rifles from storage and issued them to soldiers headed to the front. In addition to the ancient Berdan rifle, Russian soldiers were issued a bewildering variety of modern and obsolete firearms. These firearms continued to be used in the Russian Civil War, which took place from 1917 to 1922. The C96 Mauser Broomhandle was one of the firearms used during the Russian Civil War. Called the Broomhandle because of its unusual grip, it was the favorite gun of the Bolshevik Commissars. Margolin was a soldier during the Civil War, and it was as a result of this military service that he gained a familiarity with this vast variety of weapons. It was also during the Russian Civil War that Margolin sustained a head wound and lost his vision. Margolin's response to becoming blind was described by Victor Maryanovsky in a 1958 issue of GUNS Magazine: "First came the study of Braille. Friends helped him to study mathematics, mechanics, and strength of materials, all essential subjects for the arms designer. His wife read aloud to him from textbooks and books on the history of firearms. He collected guns and enlarged his knowledge of various weapons systems. Most important was his splendid memory: within a few years he was a match for any engineer. As for firearms, there was no disputing his superior knowledge. He got acquainted with the latest models of weapons and took them apart dozens of times in order to let his sense of touch give rise in his mind to a mental picture." Despite his great knowledge and enthusiasm, Margolin did not meet with initial success as a gun designer. He had difficulty communicating his designs, which he tried to do by hand motions. Ironically, it was this failure that led to his success. According to Maryanovsky, "Unable to draw the gun parts on paper, he had to explain his ideas by gestures. A solution to Margolin's deep personal problem of communicating by his hands was found unexpectedly, at a sanatorium where the striving inventor had gone, depressed, to rest. He was bored by idleness. 'Suppose you try clay modeling, that may be interesting,' suggested his roommate." That simple suggestion transformed Margolin from a depressed patient into a successful gun designer. Margolin went on to use more durable and harder forms of clay as well as aluminum and wood to create models of the guns that he had envisioned in his head. This led to his first successful designs in the 1930s, a semi- automatic sporting rifle and a fully automatic .22 machine gun for use in military training. Maryanovsky describes it as follows: "As a result a day came to Margolin of great honor, one which the most highly skilled gunsmith could be proud of. The blind man was invited to work at designing offices in the big government small arms factory at Tula." At Tula Margolin studied with some of Russia's greatest gun designers. One of those was Fedor Tokarev, the designer of the Tokarev TT- 33 pistol. The TT-33 was intended to replace the aging 1895 Nagant revolver. Margolin designed a modified version of Tokarev's TT-33 pistol that enabled it to fire lower power cartridges and be used as a training pistol. Margolin also worked on a .22 sport pistol that was based on the TT- 33 frame. The pistol was approved for production on June 21, 1941. However, the pistol was never produced. On June 22, 1941, Germany invaded Russia, bringing the Soviet Union into the Second World War. During the war Margolin worked as an ordinance engineer and served as an air raid warden. Describing a German bombing raid on Moscow, Maryanovsky wrote that, while on duty on the roof of one of Moscow's big buildings, Margolin picked up a fallen German incendiary bomb and threw it from the roof to the street, where it burned harmlessly. Writing of another incident during the war, Maryanovsky wrote Margolin went "in the ruins of a lodging house demolished by bombs" and "lead 120 old people, women, and children to safety." When the war was over, Margolin abandoned the pistol design he had worked on before the war and instead designed what would become the Margolin MCM. The gun was designed between 1946 and 1948, and the first pistols were built in 1948. The new Margolin MCM gained international attention in 1954, when it was used at the 36th World Championship shooting competition in Caracas, Venezuela. Describing the Russian team as they were about to compete, Maryanovsky wrote, "They could not boast of great achievements in pistol competition; they had nothing to match the German Walther or the American Colt for rapid-fire shooting. Then Nikolai Kalinichenko took his place at the firing line. The first shot scored, and the next . . . In two days of shooting, sixty shots, Kalinichenko scored 584 points, beating the world record set by Benner, the American. The team record was carried off by Soviet marksmen, who scored 2,317 using the new pistol of Mikhail Margolin." The world record success of Margolin's pistol was due to the use of several revolutionary design features. The gun was designed so that balance weights could be attached to steady the pistol during firing. The pistol could also be equipped with a muzzle brake to reduce the tendency of the gun barrel to rise during shooting, a movement called muzzle climb. The muzzle brake is at the end of the barrel, and it directs some of the expanding gas upward and to the rear, which helps counteract the muzzle climb. Margolin also designed a version of his MCM with an aluminum slide. The slide is the part of a semi-automatic pistol that moves backward and forward with each shot, ejecting the empty bullet case as it goes backward, and chambering the new bullet as it travels forward. The lighter slide helped the shooter hold the gun steady during firing. Margolin also designed the sights to improve accuracy. He placed the rear sight on the frame, creating a bridge through which the slide passed. Margolin's design was very different from traditional pistols in which the sights were mounted on the slide. Mounting the sights on the slide reduces accuracy, since the slide is a moving part that could be slightly out of alignment with the barrel. By placing the rear sight on a stationary bridge above the slide, Margolin greatly improved the accuracy of his pistol. [PHOTO/CAPTION: The 1895 Nagant revolver] [PHOTO/DESCRIPTION: This unusual handgun was used extensively by the Russian military during World Wars I and II. The revolver's most distinctive feature is the seven-shot cylinder. The flutes between each chamber do not extend to the end of the cylinder, but are instead hollowed out depressions in the middle of the cylinder. The cylinder also moves forward when the gun is cocked, sealing the gap between the cylinder and the barrel. This keeps high-pressure gases from escaping, and increases the velocity of the fired bullet. The unique design of the cylinder contributes to the strange overall appearance of the revolver.] The innovative design features of the Margolin created a very unusually-shaped pistol, including the abnormally high sights. This unusual shape is likely responsible for some of the comments that attribute the appearance to the designer being blind. However, Margolin's design should be judged in the light of its Russian contemporaries, and most Russian guns of the time tended to be unattractive and even strange looking by American standards. For instance, the Margolin would look right at home if it was placed next to the 1895 Nagant revolver or the PPS-43 submachine gun or the 1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle. One of the comments that attributes a design feature to Margolin's blindness can be found on the Wikipedia page that describes the Margolin MCM, which states: "The designer himself was blind. The most critisized [sic] characteristic-the elevation of the plane of sight-so also [sic] be explained: the designer could not aim his pistol." Besides being a poor speller and not including a citation, the person who made this entry is not recognizing that the criticized "plane of sight" is actually a deliberate design feature that contributed to the success of the pistol. In addition to the bridge that made the rear sight stationary, the unusually high sights enabled the shooter to hold the pistol a little lower and bring the barrel more in line with the shoulder. This gave the shooter a slightly improved ability to control the pistol in rapid fire competition. The high line of sight is a design feature that the Margolin had in common with the AK-47, the famous assault rifle designed by Mikhail Kalashnikov. The AK-47 was designed between 1946 and 1948, the same time as the Margolin MCM. Just like the Margolin, the high sights of the AK-47 lowered the barrel and put it more in line with the shoulder, helping to reduce muzzle climb. Margolin's willingness to alter the barrel height to compensate for the problems of muzzle climb was further demonstrated in the design of his next pistol, the even more revolutionary "upside-down" pistol. According to Maryanovsky, "The pistol which emerged was radically different from any firearm ever before designed in the world. Called the MTsZ-1, the five-shot competition 3.1 is built with the slide and barrel below the hand, the magazine feeding inverted from above. This caused the 'kick' of the gun to strike downward, aiding rapid fire control." The pistol was used by Soviet shooters at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. After the Olympics, rules were issued that banned the MTsZ-1 pistol. There were only about 125 upside-down pistols made, and it remains one of the most fascinating and unusual guns ever designed. Mikhail Margolin was a brilliant gun designer who just happened to be blind. It is ironic that Margolin was able to achieve such great success as a blind gun designer in the Soviet Union, and yet today many voices are being raised in the United States that question the ability and right of blind persons to handle and even own guns. The remarkable career of Mikhail Margolin illustrates the point that blind people can successfully work in a wide range of professions that many might not think possible, including as scientists, medical doctors, nurses, chiropractors, mechanics, and yes, even as gun designers. References Cherry, P. (2011, February 3). MC-3: The first upside down gun, American Rifleman, Maryanovsky, V. (1958, September). The man to beat in Moscow, Guns Magazine, MCM pistol. (2014, January 21). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 03:57, September 2, 2014, from ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Fred Gissoni] Fred Gissoni Dies by Gary Wunder Before the time of Braille and speech notetakers, blind people who used Braille wrote their first draft on a Perkins Brailler, their second draft on the same machine, and then, when they had the document as perfect as they could envision it, they set themselves to typing that Brailled document in print so their sighted instructor could read it. If the phone rang while you were typing and you stopped to answer it, you had to remember where you stopped typing: was it before or after the comma, did you space after it, and how could you know for sure without asking Mom, Dad, Sister, or Brother for help-help you would sometimes have to pay for from siblings intent on supplementing their spending money. When people of that day thought of science fiction and how there could be a useful invention for the blind, we envisioned a machine that would let us type a document in Braille and have it magically turned into print. Never in our wildest imaginings did we think this might somehow involve a computer, and the concept of a word processor had no meaning for us. Sometime during the early 1980s we began hearing about devices that had Perkins-style keyboards and could produce refreshable Braille (a new concept at the time), and the buzz was that these machines could be plugged into computer printers to generate printed documents from works created in grade two Braille. Prototypes were being built by the Kentucky Department for the Blind, and the word on the street was that two blind men were at the center of these inventions-Tim Cranmer and Fred Gissoni. Deane Blazie, the inventor of the spectacularly popular Braille 'n Speak, recalls visiting with Fred and Tim to examine a machine they had constructed using a VHS cartridge for its case. He recalls that the machine was called a PortaBraille and that it could keep a document in memory only as long as it remained turned on. Their meeting was to discuss how to use this Perkins-style Braille keyboard to do document navigation, and the design that evolved out of their two-hour meeting is so much a part of every Braille notetaker that we take it for granted in the same way we expect the arrow keys on the keyboard to react in moving a cursor on a computer screen. In writing this tribute, it occurred to me that what was missing was personal knowledge of Fred. A recurrent theme in interviews I did spoke to Fred's sense of humor and his friendship with Tim Cranmer. I was told that one evening Fred and Tim were at a banquet together and that Fred unexpectedly rose, struck his cup with a spoon until the room was silent, and then said that he would like to introduce an unscheduled presentation. The story is that he announced the topic, specified its length in the evening's agenda, and then, without warning, introduced Tim Cranmer as the presenter. I was led to believe that Tim took the podium and delivered his speech. The audience was never aware of the joke Fred had played on them and on his friend Tim. My interview with Deane Blazie was immensely helpful, but he suggested I talk with others who also had a warm friendship with Fred. Knowing and admiring Larry Skutchan, I called to interview him, but he gave me much more than an interview. He said that, if I could give him a couple of weeks, he'd be delighted to write a tribute. I argued that I needed something in four days. He gave me a draft in two, sent a revised draft in two more with a request that I give him another day or so, and sent his final revision one week to the day after we talked. I hope you will agree it was worth the wait, and I want to thank Larry publicly for an outstanding piece. It is a wonderful tribute to Fred, an interesting insight into the work that goes on at the American Printing House for the Blind, a tremendous review of some of the history surrounding problem- solving strategies for the blind, and a moving glimpse into the heart and mind of a really good man who took the time to put down the words that appear in the following article. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Larry Skutchan] Fred Gissoni: A Man of Change by Larry Skutchan >From the Editor: Larry Skutchan graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and holds the position of product manager for the Technology Product Research Department at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH). There he manages a team of engineers devoted to accessible technology. He is well-known in technology circles for creating the Automatic Screen Access Program (ASAP) screen reader and for initiating one of the first podcasts devoted to issues of interest to the blind--the Blind Cool Tech podcast. Here is what he has to say about his mentor, his friend, and one of the most inspiring people to have touched his life: There are very few times in a person's life when another person can change it profoundly in a positive way. Fred Gissoni affected the lives of countless people, but his pioneering work is appreciated most by people who are blind. As a young, inquisitive man who had been blind for only a few years, I benefited immensely from his innovations, just as the thousands of other individuals with vision impairment did; but Fred affected my life in a much more personal way. After graduating from college in the early 80s, I began exploring the capabilities of the personal computer (PC)-called a microcomputer back in those days. I had a degree in English and planned to attend law school, so you can imagine the pure excitement I experienced at using a tool that allowed me to read and edit papers on my own. Believe it or not, a blind student either paid someone to type or got very good at it. There was no room for mistakes. On the typewriter there was a backspace, but it did not erase what you had wrongly typed, and the concept of inserting a paragraph in the middle of a document was a dream, not a function. The efficiency of a PC seems so simple and expected today, but in the early 80s it was a liberating, exciting, and enlightening sensation to be able to organize and manipulate thoughts and ideas so simply. As I explored the landscape of accessible computers, I realized I had accidentally made some pretty cool tools that others could use and began looking for ways to spread the word. Back in Kentucky, Fred, Wayne Thompson, and Tim Cranmer (and Tim's assistant, Deane Blazie) were already applying simple, practical solutions to obstacles for people who were blind. These guys comprised the technical unit at the Kentucky Office for the Blind (OFB). Tim had adapted the ancient and effective abacus for efficient use by those without sight, and Fred spread the word. It was a simple solution to a real problem, and one wonders why someone did not think of it before. That could be said about nearly everything Fred and his team invented, innovated, or adapted. Fred's wife Betty was teaching living skills and wanted a way to pour a liquid into a cup with precision. So the technical unit invented the Say When. The device beeped when the liquid level reached the sensor. Even the name evokes a smile and fond memory of his humor and wit. Later, Fred, Wayne, and Tim put together commercial parts to make something called the Kentucky Light Sensor, a device that blind people have used for everything from determining a burning light in their house to identifying an incoming call on a switchboard. I have and use one to this day, and it is still sold in the NFB Independence Market. None of these innovations seem very dramatic, but they all exemplify the ability to match ideas with components to create logical, sometimes technological solutions to real problems. I really don't remember in which magazine I first advertised the Words program, but, regardless of which it was, Fred ordered the very first one. The technical unit at OFB also used technology to find jobs for Kentucky citizens who were blind or visually impaired. Their purchase of Words was a solution to a problem, and, along with an Apple computer and a speech synthesizer, it made an excellent tool for medical transcribers throughout the state. Fred and Wayne conveyed the transcriber needs to me, and I would bang them into the software with ease. Most memorable were the phone conversations about interfaces and ideas on effectively applying this new microcomputer technology. It was very exciting stuff. We were crazy with ideas. Before we knew it, the word processing software navigated and spoke by sentences rather than the arbitrary and useless restriction of screen lines. I still look forward to the day when all screen readers support that feature. These are the kinds of conversations Fred and I had. We calculated and laughed at the number of minutes in a day, or hours in a month, or years in a life that got wasted by redundant and inefficient user interfaces, especially on things like email, where you might have to listen to the word "subject" before every subject line. Our conversations led to features in the ASAP that analyzed the context of the active screen area and spoke only the differences. It was an amazing experience that made interaction with the PC dynamic and productive. Discussions in later years focused on how to cut through the web clutter and get the right information delivered in the right order and at the right time. We have no illusion that we have accomplished that one yet. Meanwhile, the APH also saw the possibilities of this revolution in technology and began looking for someone to guide it in software design. Naturally, as the best source for information, they consulted Fred, and he recommended me. I was still interested in law, but programming seemed much more fun and practical. I fell in love with the idea of what APH was about, and they seemed interested in what I could do. Thanks to Fred, I accepted a job offer as a systems programmer in 1985 at APH and began working on educational software for the Apple. Perhaps one of the more complex of Fred and Wayne's projects was the design of a talking tablet (called a personal data assistant back in the day). The Kentucky PocketBraille had a Perkins-style Braille keyboard and a speech synthesizer. It also had the audio, electronics, and software to allow one to type in Braille and use synthesized speech for navigation through the document and user interface. They paired the concept with a refreshable Braille display-the Tiflatel from Italy-to make what was possibly the very first Braille notetaker. Since these designs were all conceived as part of their work at OFB, they made the designs public property, making this one of the earlier examples of open-source software. Every note-taking device available today borrows elements from the Kentucky PocketBraille. I accepted the position at APH and moved my family to the Silicon Valley of universal design, right in the middle of a beautiful city on its rise to a metropolis. As an acquaintance from Houston described it, Louisville is the smallest big city. At the same time it is the biggest small town. I believe its diversity may have played a hand in how APH came to be established, serving the regional needs of blind students even before the federal government recognized it as a national institution in 1879. That is probably how Tim Cranmer and Fred Gissoni began directing technical developments at the Department for the Blind. Fred and Betty welcomed us as family. We spent more than a few nights in front of the computer, playing Eamon on the Apple II. It was quite interesting. Fred and Betty were the kind of people who helped everyone. Betty's guide dog Ozzie had a built-in tiled water bowl in the kitchen: just another example of their kindness and tendency to adopt unique solutions to solve problems. Pamela Rader, an APH customer support representative, told me she first met Fred on the sidewalk outside APH when she began attending the Kentucky School for the Blind. He coaxed out her interest in broadcasting and audio engineering. I never appreciated the depth of Fred's personality and talent until he came to work at APH as a customer service representative after retiring from OFB. He loved talking people through the technical problems they encountered in trying to unleash the magic of their technology. He was not afraid to talk you down when you got too emotional, and he told us programmers what he thought, too; it was usually right on target. If he didn't know something, he knew how to find the answer. Fred's genius extended beyond the innovation phase of an idea; he knew how to explain new concepts that made it easy to understand, and his generosity extended to spending his time to help. If you perform a search of his name online, you will see countless examples of innovations and solutions he provided. Thousands of teachers and students still appreciate his every word, through clearly written or recorded instructions on dozens of processes and products. I do not think anyone can know the extent of Fred's influence in the advancement of both simple and technical solutions to meet the needs of blind people. I loved to solve problems with him. The solutions were always so simple. For example, we both delighted in the technique of knowing when to empty the dishwasher; always put a new tablet in the dishwasher after you've put the clean dishes away. If the tablet is gone, the dishes are clean; it's that simple. It was the simple, elemental ideas-the "that is so obvious" ideas- that pay tribute to innovators like Fred; and he had thousands of them. Perhaps the most endearing characteristic of his personality was the enthusiasm and enjoyment Fred brought to every aspect of his life. I am sure it is online somewhere, but Fred and Wayne wrote a whimsical article that described an innovation that let the user shake Braille dots onto a page from a salt shaker. Of course it was fanciful, but it displays the kind of spirit, fun, and extraordinary thinking that led to many innovations. More important, it exemplifies the character and attitude of a man who recognized that blindness was nothing more than an inconvenience: a man with a knack for finding ways to eliminate those inconveniences one step at a time. As I reviewed background for this piece, I ran across an article written by Deborah Kendrick. In it Fred said that he considered introducing me to APH to be one of his most important accomplishments. What an honor that is coming from a man with so many! Fred, I commit to carry on your fortitude, devotion to service, and practical innovation, as long as it meets the criteria you outline in Deborah's article. Today at APH a dedicated group of engineers share his vision and continue to apply technology to evermore interesting problems. "Pass it along" was Fred's motto. We can all honor his memory with similar gestures of generosity and compassion. Thank you, Fred. Your life has influenced and changed our lives forever. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Tim Connell] What is the Cost of a Free Product? by Tim Connell >From the Editor: A longstanding debate has flourished among blind people about the technology we use. One objection is its cost and, closely related to that, its difference from what people who are not blind are purchasing and using. All of us are looking for bargains, and it is never easy to ignore a sentence in which the word "free" figures prominently. Also attractive is using the same technology that sighted people use, because it is usually less expensive, readily available, and easier to replace if it fails. About a year ago we ran an article reflecting the opinion that screen readers cost too much and that there were alternatives. In that piece we mistakenly said that the price of one of the more popular screen readers was several hundred dollars more than it actually was. In making apologies to the screen reader developers, we asked if their company might like to make a case for the for-profit companies that have traditionally brought screen-reading solutions to the blind. They said they would think about it, but no article ever came. Just last month we published an article featuring the presentation made by NV Access at the 2014 NFB Convention. Again a good case was made for blind people having a low-cost or free screen-reading solution, and the National Federation of the Blind was recognized and thanked for our support of the project. But a lack of thought-provoking material supporting the concept of a for-profit company engaging to meet the special needs of the blind has meant that the Braille Monitor has been uncomfortably silent about the tradeoffs there might be if we embrace these free or low-cost solutions at the expense of those we have traditionally relied on. The one exception is Resolution 2014-03, "Regarding Principles That Should Govern the Purchase of Screen-Access Technology for Vocational Rehabilitation Clients," reprinted in the August-September 2014 issue. What appears below is a piece that attempts to look at all of the funding models for developing and purchasing screen readers around the world. It forces the reader to examine more closely the proposition that the lowest price is always better and that free unquestionably wins the day. It also suggests that we closely examine the concept that, because specialized technology is more expensive and necessarily different from what the sighted use, it should be avoided, especially if the cost of that decision is reflected in lower productivity. Tim Connell is the founder and managing director of Quantum Technology and has been an active contributor to the field of assistive technology for thirty years. Quantum developed the first talking typewriter, called SpeakWriter, the Braille-n-Print, the Mountbatten Brailler, Jot-a-Dot, and Pictures in a Flash (PIAF). He is also a director of the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Sydney and lives with his wife and two adult children. Here is what he has to say about special devices used by the blind, the various ways their development and distribution can be funded, and the benefits and perhaps unforeseen pitfalls that might be inherent in those now gaining in popularity: Recently I moved back into the suburb in which I grew up. It has been astounding to witness the changes that have occurred in the last fifty years. I remember a shopping center that consisted of a large number of small family-run businesses, but, as has happened in most Western countries, there is now just a single large supermarket, and the small shops have disappeared. Supermarkets have brought many improvements to the retail arena: lower costs, longer opening hours, and online shopping, to name a few. The downside is a loss of customer service and the personal relationships you had with your vendors. I mention this because what really interests me is the process of change-how change can involve many small incremental steps, none of which by themselves seem all that important. I think there is a direct analogy with the world of assistive technology (AT). Until recently all AT has been developed and provided by small specialty companies. With greater frequency we are starting to see large corporations becoming involved and an increasing number of so-called free AT options. Perhaps it is timely that we examine what that means for our field. What are the implications for individuals with a print disability (low vision, blindness, dyslexia) of being able to access free AT? I was drawn to this topic by the recent announcement from GW Micro that its screen reader, Window-Eyes, would now be available to download at no cost if you owned a copy of MS Office. While this is technically not a free product, it has created a great deal of discussion and debate, with many calling it a game-changer and a new era for assistive technology. I don't happen to think that is the case, and I will discuss why later. There are also other ways that free options are also starting to appear. . The App Model: The meteoric rise of the iPad has been discussed at some length, and the number of free or very low-cost apps is increasing daily. New Android and Windows platforms are adding hundreds of thousands more. . The Philanthropic Model: The screen reader NVDA is an excellent example of this, in which philanthropic spending from large corporations such as Mozilla and Microsoft has supported the development of a competitor to commercial screen readers. . The Health Insurance Model: In some European countries access to vision aids is largely provided through health insurance companies, using a levy paid by all taxpayers. . The Universal Design Model: This is where products are designed from the beginning with the intention of being accessible to all. The screen reader VoiceOver on Apple products is an example of this. . Various Models of Direct Government Funding of AT: Pretty much everyone has welcomed the advent of these free options and believes they are giving rise to more options and greater choice for individuals with a print disability. What hasn't been discussed is the possibility that these free options may ultimately have unintended consequences and that there may actually be a high cost for a free product. That cost may involve the loss of specialty providers and an increased dependence on large corporations-what I would call a supermarket model for AT delivery. Over the thirty years I have been involved in AT, we have travelled an enormous distance from a time when access to information was limited or non-existent, to a world where limitless amounts of information are available. Thirty years ago a person who used Braille needed a large garage or warehouse to store a modest library. Today all of us can access huge libraries just using the phone in our pockets and a refreshable Braille display. It is easy to forget just how far we have come in such a short period and to overlook the incredible changes in opportunities and expectations that people with a print disability now have, all thanks to the small specialty providers that make up the AT industry. I am confident that history will record this period of technological development and the rise of AT as one of the key factors in the emancipation of people with disabilities worldwide. So, if we are going to move to the supermarket model for AT, we need to be really sure what it is we are leaving behind. Let's start by looking at access to the personal computer (PC), a foundational part of almost every blind person's technical life. The PC market has been dominated by Microsoft, both in the operating systems used and by the suite of programs that turn our PCs into productivity tools. Approximately 90 percent of desktop computers around the world use a Windows operating system (compared to Apple's iOS operating system with around 7.5 percent. Microsoft has a range of productivity tools known as MS Office, which has a market dominance of approximately 85 percent. MS Office accounts for 29 percent of Microsoft's overall revenue and approximately 60 percent of its profit. These are staggering numbers and explain why so many corporations are keen to knock Microsoft off its perch. There have been many attempts to do just that by developing alternative products to MS Office. For a little over twenty years we have had access to a free alternative, now known as OpenOffice Apache. OpenOffice has direct product alternatives, such as Writer for Word, Calc for Excel, and Impress for PowerPoint. However, in twenty years a completely free alternative to MS Office has been able to attract only a 3 percent market share. Other free alternatives such as LibreOffice, NeoOffice, and KOffice have been even less successful than OpenOffice, garnering a combined market share of 5 percent. More recently GoogleDocs has started to pose more of a challenge, and the whole move to cloud-based computing is throwing up lots of competition for Microsoft. However, it is also throwing up many challenges for screen readers and is a far more complex environment than desktop computing. We are not assured at this stage that we will be able to maintain the same level of accessibility in the cloud as we have at the desktop. The bottom line is that until now Microsoft has been able to achieve such market dominance while there has been a fully featured free alternative. We (the 85 percent of us) have chosen an expensive tool like MS Office over a free tool that is nearly as good. If you Google OpenOffice and read the multitude of reviews and comparisons, you will find this phrase repeated often: "nearly as good." However, you won't find a review that claims OpenOffice is the "best." To me this highlights a key problem in our understanding of the role of AT. Up to this point I believe we have always been guided by what is best. We have seen the development of solutions that may not be affordable to individuals, like the early refreshable Braille displays. However, they opened the door to innovation pathways that have resulted in lower prices and vastly improved products. The very first video magnifiers were commercialized by Bernd Reinecker in Germany in the late 1960s. His first system cost twenty thousand marks (approximately ten thousand euro), which was the equivalent of an above average annual salary. That is not a tenable proposition for a large multi-national company today. Our current specialist solutions have all been created by small teams of highly innovative technologists who have applied themselves to solving access issues for a very small population. Low volumes have meant high costs, and those costs have become the focus of our attention. Very few people argue that the free products are better than the commercial products; the argument is nearly always about the cost. So, if we accept that we always want to maintain the best options as one of the choices people have, shouldn't our focus now be on the core issue of funding? When we make that our focus, it is pretty clear that we have failed to make funding the paramount issue of accessibility. Far too many organizations and agencies have embraced the attitude of scarcity, and, rather than take a rights-based approach and demand more funding, they now promote a free and low-cost approach as the best way to represent the rights of their members. However, those rights are enshrined in law, and we need to base our claims for increased funding on the clear economic benefits of having a more able and productive community. Lack of funding of the best technology solutions is the true barrier to equality of access. At the beginning of this article I described various models of delivering free products. I'd like to take a look at each of them in more detail. While the benefits may be obvious, the potential pitfalls may not. The App Model Technology and apps have and will continue to have an enormous impact on the way we access information. They are rightfully being called transformational technology. Many apps are free or cost just under a dollar and are therefore available to all. However, apps, by their very nature, have limited functionality, and a suite of apps is needed to replicate the functionality of many existing AT products (it is estimated you would need fourteen apps to get close to the functionality of WYNN, for example). [WYNN is software developed by Freedom Scientific to assist people who have learning disabilities that affect reading.] Individual apps may be brilliant, but collectively they don't offer anywhere near the same level of functionality, due to factors such as a lack of uniform design standards (in menus, gestures, orientation, etc.) and a lack of support and training. One area that apps have made an enormous impact on is in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), particularly communication tools. An iPad with various apps is providing an alternative for a fraction of the price of traditional communication tablets. As a result we have seen the decimation of the traditional AAC business model, with estimates that there are now fewer than a third of the AAC companies that existed ten years ago. For the wider print disability field small touchscreen computers and apps may one day provide an equivalent level of access, but they are currently not a solution that will provide true equality of access in education or employment. Anyone claiming otherwise is doing a great disservice to the people he or she is professing to serve. These may serve well as a great personal device, but they are not computers. A recent report on the effectiveness of federal government funding, as featured in the Department of Education's evaluation of the MSSAID Program, November 2013, described the increased use of iPads in classrooms as follows: Mainstream technologies with applications that match specific needs are replacing the former specialized, clunky equipment that was provided for the individual student according to their disability. The subtle but critical shift to the technologies enabling learning as opposed to addressing the "deficit" of a disability is no longer highlighting the student as being different. Are we to interpret this report and others like it to say that it is more important for students with disabilities to look normal than to have the best tools to address their specific disability? Is this progress? There are many other examples that could be provided in which devices like iPads are being promoted as a generic fix for inclusivity and accessibility. The Philanthropic Model The work that the developers of NVDA have done is exceptional. On a small budget they have developed a really good product and have provided a free screen reader to many thousands of people around the world who couldn't previously afford one, especially in developing countries. Their technical skills and dedication are to be applauded; however, I have a problem with the funding model they have chosen. Philanthropic funding is at best a fragile beast, and it often doesn't extend to covering services like training and support, which can be the most important components of accessibility (especially in education). The bigger issue of equity and why we accept such a fundamental right as access to a computer to be at the whim of philanthropic generosity should be of tremendous concern. Do we welcome it simply because the recipients are people with a disability? Why is this particular group of people not worthy of a business model that guarantees standards of support, service, and viability? The developers of NVDA need investors, not handouts. The Health Insurance Model For people in markets that are largely unfunded (such as Australia, USA, UK, and Canada), the idea that you can get the equipment you need through your health insurer seems very attractive. In these countries the health insurance companies call for tenders for commonly used items such as video magnifiers and Braille displays and are able to negotiate incredibly low prices through bulk national purchasing. On the face of it this seems like a win-win situation-universal access to AT at the lowest possible prices. However, what has happened under the insurance model is that the choice of options for individuals is greatly restricted; in fact, it is only the products that the insurers support that are viable. There are very limited opportunities for innovative products to enter the market, since they are often more expensive and not supported by the insurers. And one of the most damaging features is that the role of assessment has been pretty well bypassed. The role of specialists is marginal when they can recommend only those options that are supported by the insurers. In most unfunded markets the European insurance model seems attractive. Yet it is achieving much poorer outcomes for individuals and is putting a brake on innovation, affecting long-term prospects. The European insurance model is very much a case of "be careful what you wish for, lest it come true." In Australia we are starting to see health insurance companies provide rebates on classes of products rather than individual items, though at this stage they are only small. This is a far better design, since it leaves the choice of device up to the user, supports normal commercial competitiveness, and ensures that assessments are based on individual needs and a wide choice of products. The Universal Design Model Universal design began as a concept in architecture-that buildings should be inherently accessible by all-but has evolved now to mean access to all products, to learning, and to information. In 1963 Selwyn Goldsmith wrote a book called Designing for the Disabled, one of the earliest treatises on universal design. Goldsmith is remembered for the creation of the curb ramp-now a standard feature of the built environment. Curb ramps, ramps to buildings, ramps on buses that kneel for wheelchairs-all are good examples of universal design that are part of our standard expectations for how the world should work. Typically any discussion of universal design considers both the specialist tool and the wider environment in which it has to work. So with the wheelchair we looked at how to change the environment so that a wheelchair can more easily access it. For the hearing aid we looked at how we could change the environment by putting hearing loops in schools, buildings, and cinemas. Universal design has been all about designing the world so that it includes the specialist device. However, the argument that is emerging within the print-disability field is that we should get rid of the specialist tool altogether so that the environment is accessible to all. At the heart of this argument is the proposition that the differences of being blind, for example, are small enough that they can be catered to in a one-size-fits-all product. This idea seems reckless. The discussion of universal design has moved away from the myriad of other access issues that still exist-things like accessible white goods [home appliances], accessible transportation, accessible signage and public information, or even accessible education and the design of curricula. Instead we have various prophets going around deliberately promoting the end of specialist AT products and providers and talking about liberating people from the high cost of specialist tools. The cost of screen readers has become a bigger issue than all the other accessibility challenges facing every person with a print disability. What happens if universal design ends up giving us less functionality or features than the specialist products? To what extent can we sacrifice efficiency in order to minimize our appearance of difference by using technology different from that used by sighted peers? It all comes down to whether we can trust the likes of Apple, Microsoft, Google, and the new players that will arrive in the next decade. Over the long term how important is the 1 percent of the population who are visually impaired, or a subset of that being people who depend on Braille, or a subset of that again, people who are deaf-blind or have multiple disabilities? Should we start trying to assess what level of specialist support to those groups will be lost? There is a clear-cut economic argument called majority rules that will eventually win the day, and a large multinational corporation is never going to provide the same level of nuanced accommodations that a specialist provider will. Proponents of the universal design model argue that they are not promoting the end of specialist tools; they want a world where people can have both. Whether that is possible remains to be seen, but I suspect we will continue to see the incremental loss of small specialist providers, just as we have seen in the AAC sphere. The recent fate of GW Micro offers clear evidence of this. People too often conclude that the high price of specialist AT products springs from extortionist pricing policies, instead of the real costs of providing the best specialist solutions to a very small population. Shrinking what is already a very small commercial market will simply make it unviable for many more companies. In the absence of funding, however, a free product like Apple's VoiceOver is attractive, and there are many people extolling its virtues without asking how free it is given how much you pay for the Mac versus an equivalent PC. It is a very good accessibility solution straight out of the box, but it is not without problems. VoiceOver is not a separate program but an integral part of the operating system, which means that bugs and fixes occur only when the operating system is upgraded. There was a significant bug in the way VoiceOver handled Braille translation that took nearly three years to fix. It took over a year for a bug that moved you backwards on a webpage when you chose to go forward. Plenty of other examples provide a sharp point of differentiation between VoiceOver and the products produced by the developers of JAWS and NVDA, for example, who provide regular updates and fixes. Even the most ardent supporters of VoiceOver admit that sometimes the little things seem to get overlooked, or features that seem obvious never arrive. (For example, see the article written on the AppleVis website by the editorial team in April 2014.) While Apple is riding the crest of an economic wave, these little things may be just annoyances. It is yet to be seen how many of these little things would exist if they were struggling financially and if they would again abandon accessibility as they did in the 1990s. VoiceOver may be a good product for the person who wants to use email and browse the web. But it is not a solution for anyone who works with complex Excel files, writes in various programming languages, manages networks, or plays any number of other real-life employment roles. It would be devastating if it was the only screen reader around. Microsoft has chosen to go down a different path altogether, with the arrangement mentioned previously to provide Window-Eyes to anyone who has purchased MS Office. Many commentators are calling this a universal design solution, but that is the case only if Microsoft is going to incorporate Window-Eyes code into its own operating system, and at this stage there is no evidence of that happening. A more cynical suggestion has been that the deal came about as a means of complying with legislative and consumer pressure on Microsoft to do more about accessibility. A possible outcome of this deal is that philanthropic funding will be harder to secure because an equivalent free product exists, putting a great deal of pressure on NVDA. So the first consequence of Microsoft's move could be the demise of a product that many argue is better than Window-Eyes. Once again we have a short-term gain, with some people able to access a free screen reader, but at a longer-term cost of having less diversity and product choices and less competition driving innovation. The Government Funding Model Many models for government funding exist, some good and some bad. The best ones are based on outcomes and not on upfront costs. The best ones value the long-term social and economic benefits of enabling all people to participate in employment and education. In March of 2014 a program of support for people who are blind was announced by the government of Colombia. The local blindness consumer group made a convincing argument that many blind people in Colombia could not afford accessibility tools needed for education and employment. They argued that, by empowering them with the right tools, together with training and support, the government could save money by helping people move off social welfare. The Colombian government agreed and provided US$3 million for a package of support that includes a copy of either JAWS or MAGic, training centers in fifteen cities around Colombia, and hotline phone support for all users. In the first few weeks of being implemented, over thirty thousand people in Colombia had downloaded a copy of JAWS or MAGic. The bulk of the cost for this effort was in training and support and not in the purchase of the software. The government could have chosen a free solution but realized that the success of the program depended on having a business model that focused on outcomes and which guaranteed training and support. This initiative by the Colombian government shows us another way for consumers to have a free product. Summary A growing number of people in the print-disability field are not happy with the status quo and with the fact that specialist products are expensive and not available to all. The prospect of cheap or free products has become the goal that many individuals as well as some agencies are now supporting. When I started to think about this subject, my first question was, "Who is going to support an argument against free products?" "Not many people" is the answer. So perhaps the days of specialist developers and vendors really are numbered. In a world where many problems still exist, particularly in employment, some people need to assign blame and prefer to view the specialist providers as the problem. The cost of a commercial screen reader is viewed as the problem, and getting something free would help solve that problem. However, I keep returning to the supermarket analogy and have come to the conclusion that those small steps of change that occur incrementally mean we may not know what has been lost till it is too late. We may not really be aware of the change that is currently underway in the AT market. The point that is being missed is that it is not the cost of the product that should be our focus, but the ability of the product to fully meet the needs of each individual. Does a keen fisherman get all of his fishing gear at Kmart, or does he go to a fishing gear specialist? Do elite athletes buy all their sporting gear from Target, or do they go to specialist suppliers? Is price going to be the driver to make people successful, or is it getting the best possible solutions that will determine whether people can achieve their potential? I would like to see a robust and informed debate on this issue, focusing on achieving the best possible outcomes for people with a print disability. At the heart of that debate are funding and finding business models that support choice, training, and ongoing support, as well as nurturing innovation. Agencies in particular should be at the vanguard of this debate, ensuring the best long-term outcomes for their members. Championing something that is "almost as good" is actually a major step backwards; if it wasn't, we would all be using OpenOffice. Product cost is not the issue that should define this debate; it is real life outcomes. Generally our attitudes about technology are that we feel comfortable with what we know. However, what we don't know is just around the corner, and in ten years we may find we have completely new ways to interface with technology, like holographic displays or other systems that rely more on vision or cognitive ability. If it comes to a choice between large multi- national corporations or small teams of dedicated and innovative technologists to ensure true accessibility, I know whom I would rather have in my corner. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Patricia Shiu] Improving Disability Employment: A Pathway to Success for Employers and Workers by Patricia Shiu >From the Editor: One of the most moving presentations at the 2014 National Convention to come from a governmental official was presented by the head of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance, part of the United States Department of Labor. The crowd was quite moved by what she said, but she wanted more than emotion-she clearly came to urge that we stimulate America's economy by going out and getting jobs, that we take advantage of the new hiring goals promoted by the administration, and that we use her office to see that blind people are given a fair chance at good jobs. Here are her remarks as they were heard on July 4, 2014: Thank you very much, Marc, and happy Independence Day, everyone. Today we don't just remember a revolution. Today we issue our own call to action. My name is Pat Shiu, and I am here to recruit you! Yesterday the Department of Labor announced that 288,000 jobs were added to the US economy in June. That's the fifth straight month in which we have added more than 200,000 net jobs. Ladies and gentlemen, that's the best stretch of job creation since the Clinton administration. So I am here to recruit you because our economy is growing. Jobs are coming back, and I want all qualified workers to compete for those jobs- including people who are blind, people who are deaf, people who run on prosthetics or roll in wheelchairs, and especially people who have been discouraged from applying for far too long. To them and to you I say, "The water is warm. Come on in." For the past four years my colleagues and I have been making the case to lawmakers and employers that we have a serious problem in America: that the laws designed to ensure equal opportunity for workers with disabilities aren't working; that a nation in which four out of five workers with disabilities are so discouraged by their employment prospects that they've given up on even looking is a nation in crisis. We made our case effectively and, thanks to the leadership of President Obama-who campaigned on a promise to address this crisis-we did something about it. On March 24 a new rule went into effect that calls on companies with federal contracts to achieve a 7 percent employment goal for qualified workers with disabilities in every job category and across their workforces. Now we can start counting and measuring and really checking to see which employers are taking their affirmative action obligations seriously and which ones are not. So I've come here to Orlando to recruit you-and the communities you represent-to the American labor force. We need you. We need the skills, the talents, the ingenuity, and the hard work of millions of qualified individuals with disabilities who want a chance to succeed, an opportunity to contribute, and a means to sustain themselves and their families. Today we celebrate our Economic Independence Day. I am honored to have this opportunity to speak with all of you. On behalf of President Obama and Secretary Perez, I congratulate you on this convention, and I thank you for your advocacy on behalf of the blind. I especially want to thank National Federation of the Blind President Marc Maurer and your executive director and advocate-in-chief John Par? for inviting me and for their leadership of this organization. Marc and John and the entire NFB team are champions for the more than fifty thousand members of this organization. I am grateful for their support-and your support-of our work at the Labor Department. We are the department of good jobs for everyone. We are the department of opportunity for all. For more than a century we have held firm to our mission of preparing the workforce of tomorrow while ensuring that today's workplaces are safe, healthy, fair, and accessible. And key to that mission is economic independence. Economic independence doesn't mean that we don't rely on each other. It doesn't mean we don't help each other or that we don't build structures, both public and private, to support our mutual aspirations. Government is not irrelevant to the process. But nor are we the only player. The very best solutions to our common challenges require partnership among government agencies, private employers, community advocates, academic institutions, and working families. I believe economic independence is ultimately about freedom: freedom from artificial barriers that impede our ability to live and work; freedom from prejudice and discrimination that diminish us as people; and freedom to pursue happiness, and to do so on our own terms. These are freedoms I have worked to advance for my entire career. Before I joined the Obama administration, I spent twenty-six years as a civil rights lawyer, advocating on behalf of students and workers who simply wanted a way in the door and a chance to succeed. My clients with disabilities wanted the ability to go to school, to get a job, to know the dignity and self-worth that come from doing meaningful work. Understanding those aspirations was a perfect precursor to my current job. In 1965, a year after the Civil Rights Act became law, President Lyndon Johnson signed an executive order requiring companies with government contracts to build workforces that reflect the diversity of the taxpayers funding those contracts. Almost a decade later Congress and President Nixon expanded that mandate to include people with disabilities and specific groups of veterans. Enforcing those laws is our job at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. Yes, it is a long and cumbersome name, but it's also a pretty apt descriptor of what we do. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is a civil rights agency in the Labor Department tasked with protecting workers, promoting diversity, and enforcing the laws which require companies that profit from taxpayer dollars to prohibit discrimination and to take affirmative action so that all workers get a fair shot and a fair shake in the workplace. We enforce those laws for the benefit of the nearly one quarter of American workers who are employed by or seek jobs with companies that receive about $500 billion in federal contracts and subcontracts. My position is pretty simple: being a federal contractor is a privilege, not a right. The price of that contract is compliance with our civil rights laws. In other words, diversity and inclusion programs are not optional. They are required. And OFCCP exists to enforce those requirements. Strong, effective enforcement begins with good policy. And when I arrived at OFCCP, I found that many of our regulations were sorely outdated and in need of updates. That was especially true when it came to the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act, known as VEVRAA. As I mentioned earlier, our updates to the Section 503 and VEVRAA regulations became effective on March 24, after an extensive and highly inclusive rulemaking process that took almost four years. We developed two rules with a specific set of interests in mind: first and foremost, to improve employment opportunities for qualified workers with disabilities and protected groups of veterans, including veterans with service-related disabilities; second, to update antiquated provisions in the existing regulations, including aligning them with the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 and its revised, much broader definition of disability; third, to provide businesses with real metrics by which to measure their affirmative action efforts; fourth, to give my investigators a tangible way to evaluate compliance with the law when they review contractor establishments; and fifth, to facilitate the success of both workers and businesses by increasing the access employers have to a large, diverse pool of qualified workers whose talents may have been overlooked or left untapped for too long. I want to spend a few minutes talking about two key aspects of the rules. Real Metrics First, you should know that these rules are historic because they set- for the first time ever-targeted goals for the employment of veterans and individuals with disabilities in the contracting workforce. These goals are similar to the metrics that have long been used to measure progress in hiring women and minorities. I believe that what gets measured gets done. To that end, the Section 503 rule establishes an aspirational, 7 percent utilization goal for the employment of qualified individuals with disabilities in each job category of a contractor's workforce. The VEVRAA rule establishes a national hiring benchmark-currently 7.2 percent-or a more flexible option employers can develop using parameters we have laid out. If every contractor subject to these rules were to achieve the metrics we established, nearly 600,000 people with disabilities and 200,000 veterans-including 84,000 veterans with disabilities-would be added to or identified in the American workforce. And that's just in the first year. Consider what a remarkable achievement that would be. And just so we are clear-and because words matter-both the disability goal and the veteran benchmark are aspirational. Contrary to what some observers have said, they are absolutely not mandatory quotas. Rather they are management tools for employers and a way for the rest of us to hold business leaders accountable to doing what they commit to do when they agree to do business with our government. A goal is a means to an end. It is not an end in and of itself. If the metrics are not achieved, contractors will be expected to examine their employment policies and practices to figure out why. Then they have to come up with specific plans to address any barriers to equal opportunity. Failure of a company to achieve a goal is not a violation in and of itself. But failure to try is. Voluntary Self-Identification Another major provision of the new Section 503 rule is the requirement that contractors invite job applicants voluntarily to self- identify as individuals with a disability when they apply for a job. This is in addition to the long-standing requirement that contractors invite new hires voluntarily to self-identify after they receive a job offer. Under the new rule contractors must on a regular basis invite their employees to self-identify voluntarily. After all, disabilities are not static, and a person's status may change over time. I believe that providing workers with multiple opportunities to self-identify voluntarily is a good thing. When we first proposed these self-identification provisions, I overheard a business consultant speaking to a group of contractors about this issue: "Is OFCCP obsessed?" he asked. "They want us to ask our employees if they have a disability when they apply for the job, after they get the job, and again and again while they are on the job. Workers are going to think we care!" I felt like yelling out, "Bingo!" This is how things change. This is how workplaces become more welcoming. You and I know that workers are safer in the workplace when they understand their rights under the law and feel confident that those rights will be protected. In time these invitations to disclose demographic information or to self-identify voluntarily will be seen as inclusive, not intrusive-as a means to promote, not to pry. And, since it's come up again and again, let me make two points here: The invitation to self-identify is 100 percent voluntary. We have made that explicit on the self-ID form and encouraged employers to make it clear in the context they provide when disseminating the form; and the self-ID form does not ask any worker to disclose what disability he or she may have. There are three options for the worker to check: Yes, I have a disability; No, I don't have a disability; and I don't wish to answer. This is going to be tough for some employers and for some workers. I get that. And I have always said that operationalizing the Section 503 rule will be a process, not a switch. Some employers will be uncomfortable asking the question. Some workers may be uncomfortable answering it. With time that will change, just as it is changing for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. But it won't change on its own. It requires a cultural change that has to be led by the community, embraced by employers, and mandated by the government. That is why we need to start a revolution. In order for our new rules to have the desired impact, employers have to make a serious effort to achieve the goal. But workers also need to meet them halfway. That's why I need your help to spread the word among your colleagues and across your communities that the voluntary self-ID form is a lever of power. It's a way to gather critically important data and to ensure that every worker is counted. It is a way to show employers that, if they build it, you will come. Two days ago we marked the fiftieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. The activists and visionaries who fought for that law were willing to sacrifice their very lives in the pursuit of justice. Their sacrifices made us a stronger, more just nation and paved the way for the Rehab Act, the ADA, and many advances in the rights of women, immigrants, the elderly, LGBT Americans, and so many others. The anthropologist Margaret Mead famously said that we should "never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Of course she was right, except that it doesn't have to be a small group. It could be a big group. It could be this group. It could be the three thousand people at this convention. It could be the fifty thousand members of the NFB. It could be the fifty-seven million Americans with disabilities. Progress doesn't happen in a moment. It happens in a movement. Our country needs you to build that movement, to lead that revolution. We need you to be the heroes and she-roes who will get us to the other side. All it takes is for you to bring your whole selves to work, to demand access, and to be counted. I am asking you to show by your example that people with disabilities-obvious or hidden-can ignite this revolution and help us change the culture of our workplaces. I will promise you this: at OFCCP we will have your backs and stand with you every step of the way. When you check that box and allow yourselves to be counted, you will serve notice that you are a part of our economic growth, that you will share in our collective prosperity, and that you are committed to our common destiny. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your leadership. Have a safe and happy Economic Independence Day! ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: David Cohen] Reflections of a White Cane Guy by David Cohen >From the Editor: This article is reprinted from the Fall 2014 issue of the Buckeye Bulletin, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. I enjoy and can relate to the humorous dialogue that plays in David's head, while admiring and always trying to follow his prescription for reacting kindly to those whose only motive is to act kindly to me. The only growl in my own internal dialogue while reading what follows is the allusion to Braille on ATMs-something that seems every bit as logical to me as print on those same keys, and the only question in my mind is why we have had to fight so hard to make them speak what is so clearly placed on the screen. Here is how this humorous piece was introduced by the Buckeye's editor, Barbara Pierce: Editor's note: David Cohen is a longtime Federationist. When he was young, we helped him get to BLIND Incorporated in Minneapolis for blindness training, and he has been putting that training to good use ever since. He now lives in the greater Dayton area again. He recently sent a very funny post to the Ohio listserv. We asked him to expand a bit on that reflection for the newsletter. His thoughts are amusing, but they also provide an insight into the reflections and reactions of a competent blind person with an irreverent sense of humor. This is what he wrote: Yesterday afternoon I walked to a shopping center/mall near my home in Kettering to buy some bed sheets. After making my purchase, I decided to check for a DVD title at another store inside the mall called Second & Charles, a used book, music, and movie place. I turned into the store and heard a woman's voice saying hello to me. "Hi, Second & Charles?" I asked, raising my eyebrows to her for confirmation. "Yes," she said; "You've got it." "Do you work here?" I asked. She said, "No," so I continued in the direction of the main customer service counter, not breaking stride. From behind me the woman who'd greeted me was giving me the standard audible play-by-play, less the crowd noise, "Right, now left," etc. I turned to face her and smiled, mouthing the words "I'm okay, thanks." You got to handle the public sometimes with kid gloves, as y'all probably know. I continued on my way. From behind me this woman called to me, "I gotcha. My ex-husband is a white cane guy." I laughed aloud, and without turning held my left arm up with a thumb's up sign for her to see. I can do without all the euphemisms spoken to avoid saying "blind." Still, if the word "blind" was good enough for the Bible, the Quran, the Hindu Vedas, etcetera, shouldn't it be good enough for speakers today? But this white cane guy label-I can really get used to this. I like it. I can see it working for me. "What's your sign? You act like a Virgo." "Nope, nope. I'm a WCG [white cane guy]." "Single WCG seeking SWF (single white female). Must like dogs, fish fries, college football, and Braille literacy." "Oh there's a white cane guy at our office. I know exactly what you're talking about." Text message: LOL! [laughing out loud] BTW [by the way] the WCG [white cane guy] called, LVM [leave a voicemail]. RE: Friday BYOB [bring your own bottle]. So White Cane Guy leaves the mall with a sack containing bed sheets and a DVD purchase of Sean Penn's All the King's Men in hand. This mini- mall has a sidewalk extending the entire width of the front of the building, but the sidewalk is not even close to being a straight shot. The pathway is also cluttered with anything the designers salvaged after the project's completion. This sidewalk also has more curves than a full Braille cell, so I walk in the frontage road along the curb, shorelining the outer edge of the sidewalk. I am several shop door entrances along my shorelining route and have just passed another because I hear the squeaking hinges of one of these glass doors opening behind me, and a man's voice calls to me, "You're in the street, you know that, right?" he says, stating the obvious. I know that as a blind person I am a living message board for postings of the obvious and have learned to handle this maturely 90 percent of the time. "The sun is out; that's my foot you're standing on; the bus is here; I'm standing in front of you now; it's raining; you're breathing and standing upright. . . . that's Braille; you have a pulse." Again I raise my left arm, plastic sack in hand. I turn my head slightly and, again smiling, tell the fella, who is watching me as if I'm the end of a parade route, "There are fewer obstacles out here." "No kidding," the fella cries out with surprise, and the sound of his voice is delighted with this insight on my behalf. "Oh yeah? You're right ha ha ha ha," and again White Cane Guy has brought a bit of pleasure into the life of Joe Citizen, and maybe, just maybe I'll meet him again someday. Personally I think it is very difficult to communicate with the many unknowns who enter my sphere of being. I alluded to this earlier when I said sometimes I've got to handle people with kid gloves. It is such a fine line to walk when so many situations like this one imply and assume minute examination, so routinely you know you're being watched with intrigue. I don't think folk realize that I know by their sound and movement that they are watching me and that such focused attention on me walking through a tile-floored mall or looking for a urinal in the men's room is like the pressure of shooting free throws in March during the NCAA college basketball tournament with twenty thousand voices screaming at you when your team is down two points and only seconds remain on the game clock. Seriously, I think blind people and disabled people in general should be highlighted on ESPN for all that we do so silently as such pertains to what the professional sporting experts call "being in the zone," not to mention handling your emotions in hostile environments as the sporting vernacular often states is necessary. The depth of the mall parking lot extends northwards to my right side and beyond its sparse occupancy I can hear the street I will eventually need to cross. This is my landmark, and, no matter how out of the zone I get, I can always reorient myself by listening for the ever-present sound of this heavily-traveled road in Kettering. But again allow me to digress for a personal reason and say that I do not-do not-like it when someone tells me or asks me if I am disoriented or lost. I'm not, although I may acquiesce and say "Yes ma'am," or "Yes, sir, I am," in order to keep the world moving, but what I am telling myself is that I am only temporarily misplaced like car keys or a smartphone. Blindness is, like our organization has said for many decades, a nuisance, and well you know this. Here's the deal: I'm shorelining the curb of the sidewalk at the front of the shopping mall. The incoming traffic from the main road and the exiting shoppers with their groceries from Trader Joe's and tennis shoes from New Balance are driving in both directions slowly to my immediate right side, and I need to get across this access frontage road and through the parking lot to the sidewalk along the main road. Unfortunately there is no pedestrian sidewalk extending through the parking lot, and my hot air balloon is at home in the garage-the cloth ripped by the clawed feet of a crow who perched atop me when I floated over the local amphitheater to listen to Jackson Browne perform several years ago. But this is no problem because at the end of this sidewalk curb there is a stop sign for the access frontage road. In fact there is a four-way stop here, so I can put it on cruise control and listen ahead for engines rolling to a stop and then moderately accelerating after the pause to know where I need to be. Voila! White Cane Guy is planning his work and working his plan. "Oh I am so fortunate to have received good training and to have experienced the know-how of others before me who were doing then what I wanted to do and am doing now," I think to myself. I'm not kidding. On my worst days I can, if I am able to muster the attitudinal strength, accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, and latch onto the affirmative as Johnny Mercer sang. I cannot always find and do this, but at least I know it's possible, and I have my memories to serve in this capacity if I feed them properly. So I'm marveling in my aptitude for cane travel, and my cane tip is metronomically playing the soundtrack to my travels. I've found the four- way stop thanks to one automobile's exit route, and I've followed this vehicle's trajectory of departing sound all the way to the sidewalk along the busy road. I'm asking myself if I should wash these new sheets first or do the man thing and simply spread 'em and do laundry when absolutely necessary. The answer comes to me in 1.5 seconds. I arrive at my corner mentally ready to listen for and align myself to the passing traffic at this intersection of four lanes north and south and four lanes east and west each direction also engineered with a filter lane, so the width is actually five lanes. I stand and listen... listen... I am listening, yes listening, and a crow flies overhead and announces itself as Jimmy Cagney. "Huh," I thinks to myself, "This light sure is taking a long time today." I listen to one, two, three, six cars roll up, stop California style, and accelerate around the corner in front of me. "The traffic light must be out of order," I tell myself because White Cane Guy is not only omnipotent, he's a traffic engineer on his day off. A seventh car rolls up next to me and stops, then accelerates, and the cross traffic in front of me continues passing at forty miles per hour. "The sun! Where is my sun?" My internal problem-solving voice asks, and I turn around only to realize it's clouded over since I last knew where the heck I was and began daydreaming about my White-Cane-Guy aptitude. Another car rolls up next to me, and now White Cane Guy is going to interact with citizenry. I turn to my left to face the paused vehicle and make the universal hand-and-arm motion for someone to roll his or her window down, but I remember that I have been here forty-four winters and that this one-time universally recognized signal may be lost on someone of the everything-electronic world, or worse, the hand gesture may suggest something offensive to someone visiting the Kettering Towne & Country Mall from one of the other six continents. For all I know, I might be signaling like a prostitute does in Paraguay and end up with two halves of a broken cane and a blackened eye and still waiting to cross this street. Instead I lean into the space between myself and the idling car and mouth words silently in just the same way I did inside Second & Charles when the unknown woman declared me White Cane Guy. "Is the traffic light out of order?" I mouth, pointing my outstretched arm up into the air where my mind has told me most certainly the traffic light should be hanging. The car's tires squeal twice front to back and spit gravel, and I'm wondering how ridiculous I look to the passersby still moving at forty miles per hour on the other side of the street. "Something's wrong here," I finally admit. "Anything's possible. White Cane Guy has walked into the women's restroom before, and he's also walked past his own driveway," I remind myself. I gather my secret strength-my brain-and I really tune in to my surroundings. Wait a bloody second here. I've awakened. There's no persistent ringing of the superfluous street-crossing signal that White Cane Guy knows to be an invention of the same conspiracy that put Braille on drive-thru ATM machines, limited Braille on McDonald's drink lids, and probably funded the training of the rehab counselor who asked me, "What is that thing?," when I pulled my slate and stylus from my pocket to write down his office information twenty-five years ago. "I'm south of where I need to be," my brain and true Orient Express tells me. Oh joy, joy, joy, joy, and joy. I win again!-temporarily misplaced just like any sighted person who exits the mall and cannot remember where the car is parked. I must have been curving westward. "That crow was telling me this, and I did not listen. That crow has been watching me silently from above for years, observing me and learning how a blind person does what a blind person does and therefore has never needed to ask me questions for which answering the obvious makes no sense other than to communicate the simple truth that what White Cane Guy does is the only answer to all mysteries herein." I'm two blocks south of where I need to be, and I get on with it. I reach the corner where I believed I was, and on my approach I'm hearing the familiar traffic signal noise and send out apologies and gratitude to the conspirators who inadvertently gave a practical use for my ears after all. ---------- 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 ensures 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 and training 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! ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Marion Gwizdala] Bringing Our Animals to the Zoo by Marion Gwizdala >From the Editor: Marion Gwizdala is the president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users and has played a significant role in increasing the membership of the division and strengthening the ties between it and other work that occurs in the Federation. Here is what he has to say about recent negotiations on behalf of guide dog users who wish to visit zoos accompanied by their guide dogs: On Wednesday, August 6, 2014, Merry Schoch, vice president of the Florida Association of Guide Dog Users, and I met with the executive management team of the Lowry Park Zoological Garden, also known as Lowry Park Zoo. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss how Lowry Park Zoo and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) can work with the National Association of Guide Dog Users to provide people with disabilities who use service animals an optimal experience when visiting US zoos. We have been interested in this project for quite some time, so I am pleased that all the necessary elements are in place to make this a reality. Due to the unique challenges of displaying live wild animals, the issue of access for those accompanied by service animals has been an area of concern for quite some time. Before the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there were no nationally recognized policies or practices concerning service animals in zoos, leaving each exhibit to develop its own policies for such access. Some states that have places that keep and display live animals for public enjoyment or education had provisions to deny service animals admission. The state of Florida had such a provision that we worked to have repealed following the enactment of the ADA, since the Florida act violated the ADA's implementing regulations. Since then there has been some litigation to clarify the rights of access to zoos by service animal users. Despite these cases many zoos continue to have policies, practices, and procedures that are not congruent with the ADA, ranging from restricted access to specific areas to a requirement for a chaperone while on the property. The impetus for this specific project and our collaboration with AZA came when Dr. Don Woodman, a veterinarian and zookeeper from St. Petersburg, Florida, visited the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York, and was denied access. He was raising a guide dog puppy at the time, and New York statutes allowed service dog trainers the same access as disabled individuals accompanied by their trained service dogs. Dr. Woodman was told that even a fully trained service dog had limited access to the exhibits. He suggested we contact AZA, and the rest of the story unfolds from there. I want to acknowledge the support and encouragement of Steve Olson, vice president of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and Mark Trieglaff, president of ACTServices, an ADA consulting firm specializing in work with zoos. It is through Mr. Olson's suggestion after attending the 2013 annual meeting of the National Association of Guide Dog Users in Orlando that we are embarking upon this project. Mr. Trieglaff also attended this meeting, solidifying his commitment to ensuring the least restrictive access to zoo exhibits. I appreciate Mark's introduction to Craig Pugh, with whom he had worked while at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, Illinois. I commend Mr. Pugh's energetic and enthusiastic support of our efforts, as demonstrated by his willingness to dedicate more than two hours of his time to meet with us. In addition, he encouraged the attendance of three of his executive management staff and affirmed his commitment to the long-term goals of this project in their presence. I was also very encouraged by Mr. Pugh's willingness to lead by example, allowing us the opportunity to take a critical look at Lowry Park Zoo's policies, practices, and procedures and then to follow through by making immediate changes based upon our input. It was very refreshing that the management team valued and respected our experience and suggestions. We were encouraged by the willingness of Dr. Larry Killmar, Lowry Park Zoo's vice president of Animal Science and Conservation, to think outside the box and even more to recognize the value of our expertise. We were especially impressed with Dr. Killmar's understanding that no simulation experience, such as blindfolding sighted people or putting ambulatory individuals in wheelchairs, can replicate the experience of the disabled person, underscoring the importance of our involvement in the creation and implementation of the project. We also want to give credit to Tony Moore who presented some issues from an operational perspective. As Lowry Park's chief operating officer he is acutely aware of the practical issues faced by the staff with direct visitor contact. We realize that, in order to shift the paradigm of what constitutes reasonable access to people accompanied by service animals, we need to address the real concerns that are unique to live wild animal exhibits by creating sound solutions to these issues and concerns. As we progress on this project, anticipating the objections will help us advance solutions. When we first conceived of this project, our vision was to create and market a video program for dissemination among AZA members. When we shared this vision with the team, Ruth Myers, the grants manager for Lowry Park Zoo, helped us expand our perspective by raising our sights from a stand- alone video program about the rights and responsibilities of service dog users to a more comprehensive curriculum of instruction for live animal exhibits on the importance of effective policies, practices, and procedures, of which the video would be one element. She suggested we increase the scope of the project as well as the budget. Since the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences is one of the most obvious funding sources for this project, and Ms. Myers is a former grant reviewer for IMLS, her expertise will help us create the best possible proposal for this project. As the team began to consider the expertise of each member at the table, the need for a comprehensive training program involving all stakeholders began to unfold. Many specimens in a wild animal exhibit may never have seen a dog or may view the dog as predator or prey. This could result in dire consequences. Therefore, one element of a comprehensive curriculum will involve systematically desensitizing exhibit animals until they no longer have negative reactions to the dog's presence. Such a desensitization program could also be a valuable training tool for those preparing puppies for guide dog work. Another element of the curriculum will obviously involve training of the staff responsible for direct guest relations. These employees will need to understand the rights and responsibilities of those who use service dogs, what is considered appropriate service dog behavior, and how to deal with those circumstances in which the right to be accompanied by the service dog is denied, either because of the service dog's behavior or the special circumstances of the exhibit. Those of us who use service dogs also need to understand the unique challenges of exhibiting live wild animals. Our goal is to afford service dog users an optimal experience while visiting a zoo; however, there is a need to responsibly balance our rights of access with the rights of others. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires places of public accommodation to modify their policies, practices, and procedures, unless doing so would create a direct threat to the health or safety of others that cannot be eliminated. Our goal is to help zoos learn how to eliminate the threats by desensitizing their animals to the presence of a dog. At the same time we need to remember that we are dealing with wild animals, and this may not always be possible. In such cases we are offering alternatives in an effort to help all service dog users have the optimal experience they are seeking. Dr. Killmar said that the San Diego Zoo has a web-based instructional platform where this curriculum could be made easily accessible to all personnel whose agencies subscribe to this service. As a member of the board of directors for the Florida Association of Museums, Mr. Pugh also said that this project could be a springboard for training other museums in the way to make their collections more accessible to the blind and otherwise disabled. By the time you read this article, we will have already begun our pilot training program with Lowry Park Zoo. We are beginning the process of preparing the grant proposal and identifying the necessary resources to carry out this project. These resources include videography and editing technicians, other types of service animal users, volunteers to assist in desensitization programs, other marketing channels, curriculum development, grant research and writing, and additional funding streams. As we move forward on this initiative, we intend to keep everyone abreast of the developments. The success of this project will depend upon a team effort. This team will likely expand as more zoos embrace the concepts for which we are advocating. The team will include more people becoming involved in staff training, those willing to invest time in the process of systematic desensitization, input on how our efforts are making a difference and where they need improvement, and other needs we will identify as they arise. If you have suggestions for this initiative or have a talent or expertise you would like to offer to the project, please feel free to contact us. Our email address is . You can also call us through the NAGDU Information and Advocacy Hotline at (888) NAGDU411 or (888) 624-3841. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Jonathan Mosen] NFB's iOS App Resolution: Some Perspective and Context by Jonathan Mosen >From the Editor: The name Jonathan Mosen is probably familiar to any of you who have owned a HumanWare product or a product from Freedom Scientific or have read advertisements from National Braille Press that feature books Jonathan has written about using the iPhone without vision. He lives in New Zealand and is a keen follower of everything happening in matters regarding the blind around the world. In this article, taken from a blog entry he made some time ago, he discusses the art of advocacy, negotiation, and determining what blind people need and how we should go about asking for it. What prompted his reflections was NFB resolution 2014-12, which said, "that this organization call upon Apple Inc. to work with the National Federation of the Blind to create and enforce policies, standards, and procedures to ensure the accessibility of all apps, including core apps distributed by Apple in the base iOS distribution, and to ensure that accessibility is not lost when an app is updated." Its passage seemed right and proper to some, and downright ungrateful to those who tend to see Apple as the leader in accessibility and consider anything we say about them as singling them out for criticism. The resolution also sparked discussion about the role of the National Federation of the Blind in bringing lawsuits to promote accessibility, with some coming down on the side of the Federation's being too eager to sue and others concluding just as strongly that the organization is not aggressive enough. Jonathan does not attempt to deal with this latter controversy, but he does a splendid job in talking about advocacy, responsibility, and respecting oneself enough to know that at times there is no substitute for confrontation, albeit polite and respectful. Here is what he says: Being a member of a minority is exhausting at times. Ignorance, discrimination (both inadvertent and deliberate), and barriers preventing us from realizing our full potential are problems we encounter regularly. These issues aren't unique to blind people or even to disabled people. I'm mindful as I write this of the recent fiftieth anniversary of the Civil Rights Act in the United States. It's a significant piece of legislation. It required bravery on the part of the legislators who passed it. Its principles met with considerable resistance, some of it violent. This post is a long one, because I believe the issues of self-advocacy, collective advocacy, what is worth fighting for, and what is not are all important to our sense of self-perception and our expectations of what constitutes our rightful place in society. I'd like to illustrate both the challenges and potential of advocacy by recalling a few issues on which I've worked over the years, remind you of the advocacy of other minorities, then take a look at the National Federation of the Blind's resolution on the accessibility of iOS apps in that context. Maybe before you took time out to read this post, you spent some time today reading a book. Perhaps it came from Bookshare or a special format library. We now have access to eBooks, and it's worth noting that access to the Kindle app was achieved after considerable collective advocacy efforts. Nevertheless, special-format libraries and repositories continue to play an important part in blind people's exercising our right to read. It wasn't always this easy for special-format organizations to get their material to you. In 1994 as the manager of government relations for the organization then known as the Royal New Zealand Foundation for the Blind, I oversaw a campaign of advocacy that took advantage of New Zealand's Copyright Act being rewritten. We believed that if an author published a book, it was being published for all the people to access. The status quo at that time was that, if the special-format library in New Zealand, and for that matter most other countries, wanted to make a book available in Braille or on talking book, they had to write a letter to the copyright holder asking for his or her permission. Sometimes those letters would sit on someone's desk for months and months. Eventually the library would get a reply. Most of the time the reply said "yes;" sometimes the request was declined, meaning blind people were deprived of access to that book. It seemed wrong to me that the process of making the book available in a special format, which is time-consuming in itself, was delayed by the need to seek permission. It was absolutely abhorrent to me that publishers felt they had the right to say "no." We began an advocacy campaign asking for a clause to be added to the Copyright Act giving blanket permission for recognized organizations for people with print disabilities to make books available in special formats, without having to seek the permission of the copyright holder first. The response of the publishers was ferocious. They blasted me and the campaign for a culture of entitlement. Worse, they called me a thief. One day I got a call from the representative of publishers who said, "So tell me, do you steal from everyone, or just from publishers?" There's no doubt we had gotten the publishers angry. But we calmly made our case to the people who mattered-legislators. We pointed out that the publishers weren't being required to pay for their material to be made available in special formats, that access to the printed word was just as important as access to the built environment. The legislators agreed, and the law was passed. It was groundbreaking, and in subsequent years I was approached by a number of organizations in multiple countries, including the United States, about how we concluded that advocacy effort successfully and how they might go about doing something similar. Ultimately that concept has now been enshrined in an international treaty. Something considered by some to be radical, over-reaching, and exhibiting entitlement just twenty years ago is now considered sound public policy, even by the publishers. Not long after that campaign was concluded successfully, I was being asked to front up on a range of current affairs shows over my campaign to repeal the law that arguably prohibited any blind person from serving on any jury. I debated the issue on radio with our minister of justice, who was staunchly opposed to any change in the law. In the most exciting of these appearances, I was debating one of New Zealand's top criminal lawyers, who was both patronizing and adamant on the subject. Sight, he said, was essential to serve on any jury. I put my case politely but forcefully. Afterwards the talk shows were full of it. There were a good number of people who talked about political correctness gone mad, asking why the Foundation was paying big money for this clown to alienate people, saying they'd never donate to the Foundation again. No matter how psychologically prepared you are for the onslaught, it's not easy being in the center of that kind of firestorm. However, legislators were watching. Enough had been persuaded by the logic of my argument that the law was changed. Now it's totally a non- issue. I could fill screens and screens with examples like this--examples of taking advocacy stances that were right but unpopular. All the vitriol I went through is totally insignificant compared with what racial minorities, such as blacks in the US, went through to secure their right to equality. There was no shortage of people who said, "If we don't want to serve blacks, that's our right. If we don't want blacks at our school, that's our right." If brave, great civil rights leaders had listened to those who were worried about how many white people civil rights campaigns were offending, what a much less equal world we'd have. Sometimes you have to take a stand, knowing it will offend. That's not to say you deliberately seek to offend. One is better respected, and furthers one's cause, when one is resolute but courteous. In the context of the resolution passed by NFB over the weekend asking that Apple require all iOS apps to be accessible, it really saddens me to see the number of young people on social networks, enjoying entitlements very hard fought for, slamming what they perceive to be the culture of entitlement pervasive in the resolution. Ironic, and sad. People seem to forget that in 2008 we had access to iTunes, at least in Windows, only thanks to the diligence of one man, Brian Hartgen. I seem to recall a lot of people complaining extremely vociferously about the cost he was charging to get some recompense for the hours and hours it took to make that dog's breakfast of an app usable. When Apple embarked on iTunes U and educational institutions began adopting it, iTunes became subject to federal law. The NFB of Massachusetts sued Apple, and also put pressure on universities not to use iTunes U until iTunes was fully accessible. NFB won that suit. Now blind people with a range of screen readers benefit daily from that advocacy, which some people criticized at the time. Can we express gratitude and request change at the same time? Yes, of course we can. NFB gave Apple an award in 2010 for the remarkable, life- changing introduction of VoiceOver to iOS. But we are customers. The money we pay for an iPhone or iPad is no less of value than the money a sighted person pays. We're perfectly entitled to strive for access to as many apps as we can get. Since the resolution was published ahead of the debate, a move for which I thank NFB since the debate was interesting, people have asked why Apple is being singled out. I think the reasons for that are twofold. First, more blind smartphone users are using iOS than any other platform, by virtue of how well Apple has done. Apple can and should be proud of that. Second and most significantly, no other app repository imposes as many criteria on app developers. Apps are rejected from the App Store for a bunch of reasons. Apple can decide the app adds no particular value. It can reject it for security reasons. It can decide the app is in bad taste or not family-friendly enough. Those of us who've been around a while may remember all the hassles Google had getting the Google Voice app into the App Store. So then the question is, why shouldn't accessibility be of greater concern? Some have said that the resolution's scope is totally unrealistic. They say that calling for all apps to be accessible is just nonsense. It can't be done, and it would be hard to police even if it could. Let me take the first part first. It can't be done? Yes, I agree with that. It can't. There are some apps so visual in nature and purpose that you're never going to make them accessible. If that's the case, why do I support the resolution? I support it because it's important to understand how advocacy works. You go into a negotiation with your very best case scenario on display. In an ideal world we'd like all apps to be accessible. I have no inside information, but I have concluded many successful advocacy campaigns, and I have no doubt that NFB will already be clear about where they'd be prepared to give ground. If Apple comes to the table, its starting position is likely to be that whether a third-party app is accessible or not is a matter for the developer in question, not Apple. Apple may well also have a compromise position of some kind in mind. It's an absolutely standard negotiating position. Second, how practical is the resolution, given that there are approximately 1.5 million apps in the store? There are plenty of automated testing tools in use in IT companies. They can certainly test for textual labels on buttons, although I agree it would have to be a clever testing tool to try and ascertain whether the text was helpful. Tricky, but Apple has some of the best software engineers in the world. I can remember some years ago when web accessibility campaigns were in their infancy. Many people were complaining then about how unnecessary and politically correct web accessibility was because they just knew blind people would never go to their website anyway. Then Dreamweaver, a popular web authoring tool, added warnings when developers tried to save a page that contained links or graphics without ALT text. A warning would pop-up telling developers that it looked like they were about to create an inaccessible page, and did they really want to do that. Adding a similar warning to Apple's developer tools could make a huge difference. It's true that automated testing tools and warnings when developers create an app are not a panacea. Perhaps some additional blind people might be employed to further Apple's efforts here. And, if a few more of the capable, tech-savvy blind people I know who are struggling to find work could get those jobs, I'm all for that. Some people have said how sad it is that NFB is showing such ingratitude, that they're alienating developers, the very people we need to have on our side. As you may know, I set up a company earlier this year, Appcessible, where a bunch of blind people help app developers with accessibility. It's rewarding work, and I find it satisfying because, if I see a problem, I always try to find a constructive way of being part of the solution. But no matter how hard we at Appcessible try, how hard you try as an individual who contacts a developer, it's a humongous task. You'll have successes, and you'll have setbacks, but there's a wider principle to be defended here. The status quo is that app developers can say, "If we don't wish to accommodate blind people, that's our right." Sound familiar? It should. It's a similar argument to that which was used against blacks in 1964. Deaf people have been criticized for their efforts to have every single movie captioned on Netflix. Wheelchair users were criticized for getting legislation passed requiring all public buildings to be physically accessible. Building owners objected, saying no disabled people come here anyway, so why should I bother? The irony is, disabled people didn't go there because they couldn't. Many app developers either don't know blind people are using VoiceOver, think we only use special apps, or think that we don't want to use their particular app. We're a low-incidence population, so misconceptions are common. And that's yet another reason why this resolution has been a great move. I've read a number of tech publications this morning where a story about the resolution is running. I figured it would get out there eventually, which is why those who thought the resolution made no difference were naive and didn't understand the media clout of an organization like NFB. Of course there are those reacting badly. As I've sought to illustrate, nothing worth winning in this world was ever won without objection, so I'm relaxed about that. But you know what's good? People are talking about app accessibility in the mainstream. Some of the commenters are educating the ignorant about how powerful VoiceOver is, what blind people are doing with iPhones, and how relatively easy it is to make an app accessible. Sure, there'll be people who will never be persuaded, but today more people are a little more informed about accessibility than yesterday. Some have objected strongly to a quotation in the Reuters piece on NFB's resolution in which an affiliate board member mentioned the potential of a lawsuit on this issue. I listened to the debate carefully on Saturday, and the question of a lawsuit didn't come up. I also know from experience that, once a story gets into the wild, news agencies will contact people they have on file, who may not necessarily be an authorized spokesperson for the organization. That's just the nature of the media. Once the story gets out there, you can't control who they talk to. I realize I've written a bit of a novel here, but I really want to try the best I can to illustrate to younger people in particular why many of the accommodations they enjoy today, such as the course they're studying, the job they're doing, the vocational choices they have, were achieved over the opposition of some often powerful forces. We need to be far less worried about what others think and more concerned with a considered position on what we believe the place of blind people in society to be. Do we have sufficient self-worth that we're willing to do what it takes to achieve equality, even when it necessitates ruffling a few feathers, or are we content to languish in our mediocrity and accept being rebuffed? In this case I think NFB made the right call. Maybe Apple will come to the table, maybe it won't. But already more people are aware of accessibility than they were before this resolution. If Apple does engage, the outcome won't be that every single app will be accessible, but with good will on both sides, progress will be made. Then, in twenty years, people will be trying to remember why it was ever contentious. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Jamie Allison] Advice to the Rookies from a Rookie by Jamie Allison >From the Editor: Jamie Allison is a member of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina, the president of the Cherokee County chapter, the coordinator of their recently concluded BELL program, and, from what I can tell, a delightfully well-organized human being who believes that good organization can maximize one's enjoyment of our convention and has taken the time to share some of her tips. Here is what she says: I was proud to represent my local chapter and my state at the 2014 National Convention, celebrating the 74th anniversary of the Federation's founding, this year in Orlando, Florida. I was encouraged to submit a request for the Jernigan Scholarship and was honored to receive it. I also had the mentorship of several experienced Federationists who have attended national conventions in the past. I learned an immense amount of information during convention on a variety of subjects, but more importantly, I learned more about my own potential as a blind person. I often thought about and even dreamed of attending a national convention in the years prior to my attendance in 2014. Now that this dream has been realized, I want to share some of what I learned with the next class of rookies. First, accept from the beginning that you can't possibly do it all. I found that, even with meticulous preplanning and prioritizing, there is no way to do everything that is available. Begin studying the agenda once it has been released. It will take several readings in order to get a feel for the choices you will be making. I would also advise making an individualized itinerary. I did this with a simple Microsoft Word document containing the times and locations for the events that I felt were most important. Later I Brailled an abbreviated hard copy of this information to carry with me. This made things a bit simpler for me because I didn't have to consult the entire agenda to refresh my memory on when and where my priority events would be. Think of your itinerary as a fluid plan. Give yourself the flexibility to adjust it as needed. Items that don't seem interesting at first may become more inviting after hearing about someone else's experience with them once you're at the convention. You may also find that some of the ones you thought were good choices may not be as good after all. Look for the ones with repeat sessions and schedule them around the ones that don't repeat. Have a place to keep all of your materials for the convention within easy reach. I created a Dropbox folder for electronic files of agendas, itineraries, and other information. I also kept my Braille agenda and a folder with hard copies of such documents in one place in my hotel room. I did not have to take every document to every event, but having one place to store them made it much easier to put my hands on them when needed. You will definitely want some sort of bag to carry things from one event to another. Thankfully, tote bags were a frequent free item. Some of the state affiliates sold small drawstring backpacks in the exhibit hall. I bought one to use during the week and noticed a lot of other people doing the same thing. Plan ahead for what you need to pack. Casual clothing will get you through the better part of the week, but you do need to dress appropriately for the banquet. Don't forget to bring a swimsuit if you plan to go to the pool. Towels and linens are usually provided, so concentrate on the other things you will need. Remember to leave some room in your suitcase in case you do any shopping, either at the exhibit hall or away from the convention. UPS boxes were also sold in the exhibit hall. I found that to be very helpful because I sent some of the bulkier items home that way, rather than putting them into my luggage. However, I did have to remember to drop it off at a designated time and place before I left. You also need to consider the fatigue factor. The convention is more like a marathon than a sprint, especially if you plan to be there from seminar day through the banquet. Try to get extra rest in the week or two prior to the convention, and allow yourself a couple of recovery days afterward if you can. If you are not directly responsible for overseeing the travel, try to get some sleep while en route and as you go home. Don't forget to plan some blocks of time when you can relax during convention week. If you are the type of person who needs a break from the crowded meeting rooms, elevators, and restaurants, plan some times when you can be by yourself for a few minutes. Bring lunch up to your hotel room or better yet, make a trip to a nearby store and grab items you can use for impromptu meals once you're there. This is a much less expensive option than buying all your meals at the hotel, as well as providing an opportunity for a break for yourself. Make use of the pool area and exercise facilities in between or after meetings. This is very important to help balance the amount of time you spend sitting in one place. As contrary as this idea may seem, this will actually help keep you from feeling the fatigue as badly. I would also advise you to be mindful of your sleep schedule. It is hard to turn down the request for a late-night visit with a friend you just met or to cut the conversation short if you're doing some networking. If you are one of those fortunate souls with a high energy level and can function on a handful of hours sleep for a few consecutive nights, you'll most likely be fine-maybe a little frazzled by the last day or two. For those of us who have medical conditions that affect rate of fatigue, it is vitally important that we pay attention to what our body is telling us. You may have to pare down some of the items on your itinerary or leave the evening's activities before you're really ready, but it would be no fun to spend the last couple of days stuck in your room from being sick as a result of overdoing it. If you take medicine, be sure to bring enough with you for the entire trip and perhaps some extra in case there are unforeseen delays. Don't forget to stay hydrated. There is a lot of sitting, but you must sometimes walk a considerable distance between events. It might be helpful to bring bottled water with you for seminar day or evening activities. There were plenty of water stations just outside the convention hall during general sessions, so it isn't necessary to buy bottled water during those unless you really don't like moving from your seat during meetings. It's also perfectly fine to get up during meetings to stretch or use the restroom. Just be as discreet as you are able. I found it easier to do this if I chose a seat near the back of the room, at the end of a row, and preferably near a corner. This may not work if you wish to sit with your state's delegation. If you have a guide dog, I would also caution you not to position your dog directly next to a doorway, since there will be people needing to get in and out of the room. And, of course, be mindful of noise-emitting devices during sessions and meetings. It is wise to bring a set of headphones for your phone or notetaker. If you must take a call, please leave the room. A good piece of advice I give to families with more than one adult attending is that you have the advantage of doing some turn taking. If two items are happening simultaneously that are both important, families have the ability to "divide and conquer." It's also possible for one parent to stay in the room with a child that may be over-tired or fussy while the other attends meetings. Those roles can be swapped so that both spouses get a break and the chance to do things. I would also encourage first-time attendees to go to the Rookie Roundup. You will receive a warm welcome, lots of useful information, and a ribbon for your name tag that lets others know you are a first-timer. I also would encourage you not to overlook the other seminars held just before and during the general sessions. I attended many of the NOPBC (National Organization of Parents of Blind Children) and PIBE (Professionals in Blindness Education) sessions and found them very useful. The cane walk and the Braille book fair should definitely be on almost everyone's itinerary. Also know ahead of time that many state affiliates and divisions use the convention to fundraise. You will be asked many times if you would like to purchase an item, make a donation, or buy a raffle ticket. I was told to budget ahead for this, and that was extremely helpful. It's very hard to refuse, especially when it's a cute child making the request, and it often is. I kept a ziplock bag with my budgeted amount of money for this in one- and five-dollar bills. It went with me almost everywhere. Then, when I purchased tickets for a raffle, the tickets also went into this bag so that they didn't get lost in the shuffle. This was helpful in several ways, not only as an organizational tool, but as a way to gauge how much money I had spent for this type of thing. When I started to run low, I was more conservative in my purchasing. When I ran out, I didn't feel bad about declining a purchase, knowing that I had already used what had been budgeted for this. Once or twice I reached into my "miscellaneous" budgeted monies when motivated to help a certain division that I felt strongly about. This leads me to my next piece of advice. As soon as you know you are going, make a budget. Put it in writing in whatever format you're used to using and include everything-transportation, lodging, food, registration and banquet fees, donations and sales, miscellaneous spending, and admission costs for activities or meetings that require it. Ask veteran attendees how much one should budget for certain items. Increase that amount by a few dollars as a cushion. Have an emergency fund (or if you have the ability and don't mind doing so, assign a credit card to use) to cover anything that you may not have planned for. Once you decide how much you think you need to budget for each item, try not to exceed this amount significantly. Think about sharing the cost of the hotel room. This decreases the amount you pay for lodging significantly. Our state also rents a charter bus for its members who help fundraise to offset the cost during the year. Members can ride it to and from the convention at a reduced price. Be mindful of freebies. There will be many of these opportunities around, but you have to be observant to find them. I was able to RSVP for a free breakfast and information session put on by the American Foundation for the Blind. The food was delicious, and the information was interesting. There were also tote bags and other items at events or in the exhibit hall. Bookshare.org had freebies for its clients, which turned out to be extremely useful. I also encourage you to go to the banquet. If you plan to apply for the Jernigan Scholarship, this is a requirement. It is also one of the key portions of the convention, and you'll feel a stronger connection with the organization if you are able to attend. However, this is probably the most expensive item for the week other than lodging, transportation to and from the hotel, and food. It is worth the cost to attend, whether this is your first or your fiftieth convention. I hope the information that I have shared will make your first convention easier. I definitely encourage everyone to attend, especially if you have read about past conventions and thought it would be interesting or fun to go. Even if you already consider yourself an old pro at being blind, you will learn things that will challenge you to be more independent. There is something there for everyone, and I guarantee that by the end of the week you'll learn something new about yourself and your own abilities that will surprise you. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Daniel B. Frye] Normal by Daniel B. Frye >From the Editor: Dan Frye is the executive director of the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI), the state agency responsible for providing vocational rehabilitation, independent living, education, and eye-health services to blind and vision-impaired residents of New Jersey. Prior to his role with CBVI, Dan served for three years as the national manager of the Randolph-Sheppard Program and grants officer for the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and Adults at the Rehabilitation Services Administration. An active Federationist at the local, state, and national levels since his childhood in South Carolina in 1982, Dan worked on the NFB's national staff from 2005 to 2010 in our Affiliate Action Department and as associate editor and editor of the Braille Monitor. Finally, from 2002 to 2005 Dan served as national advocate for the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand (ABC NZ), where he used his skill as a Federation-trained advocate and graduate of law school to promote the legislative and political agenda of the ABC NZ membership. Throughout his adulthood Dan has been involved with Democratic politics, the Unitarian-Universalist community, and Lionism. He and his wife Renee reside in Newark, New Jersey. Here is what he says about his college experience and learning to fit in: Soccer was the dominant sport played and appreciated at Erskine College, the small, four-year liberal arts institution where I earned my undergraduate degree. During freshman orientation it was made clear to everybody, sports enthusiast or not, that support of, if not involvement in, Erskine's extracurricular point of pride was important. Much of community life and campus spirit were influenced by the success or failure of our Single A, championship-caliber women's soccer team. As a matter of course then, we were all made familiar with the location of the soccer field in the sleepy little town of Due West, South Carolina, and it was there that we, as newly admitted students to Erskine College, pledged our allegiance to the Flying Fleet. Founded in 1840, Erskine enjoys the distinction of being the oldest private college in South Carolina. It was and remains a small school, enrolling approximately eight hundred students while I was there. Generations of families sent their offspring to Erskine to study but also, it seemed to me, to honor their heritage and institutional tradition. In such an intimate environment, situated in a small southern town characterized by charm and a unique regional culture, the arrival on the scene of a blind freshman with no identifiable ties to the community must have been jarring for campus residents so steeped in an ethos of custom and conformity. Motivated in part by an adolescent desire to fit in, but also by an interest in demonstrating that there was nothing inherently abnormal about being blind, I immediately immersed myself in the college life. I sought and secured election to the Student Senate as a freshman and then served during my last three years of college on the Student Judicial Council, the entity charged with hearing and resolving student infractions. Loving to sing, I auditioned and was accepted as a member of the Erskine College Choraleers, a show choir that annually toured and served as a musical ambassador for the school. Wanting to develop my skill as a writer further, I volunteered as a reporter for the Erskine College Mirror and was ultimately given the opportunity to write my own weekly column, "Spotlight," featuring accomplished members of the student body. In order to help pay my way through college, I worked as a tutor in the Office of Academic Counseling Services. Among all these obligations I worked in time to study so that I could actually earn the degree for which I came to college. Gradually I managed to integrate into the social microcosm of Erskine life with a measure of success. Along the way, though, I had to engage in a great deal of public education about blindness. I explained and demonstrated, for instance, that I could independently carry my own tray in the college cafeteria without problem or incident. Additionally, professors prompted by a misdirected sense of benevolence, would occasionally offer to exempt me from performing assignments which they believed to be beyond the ability of a blind student. I would explain that it was important for me to complete comparable tasks in order to receive credit for my coursework. These and other lessons helped to increase the respect for and expectations of blind people in the Erskine community. On a crisp fall Friday evening in my senior year of college, I was walking up Main Street in pursuit of a sub sandwich for supper at the Station, a refurbished gas station turned take-out deli. As I walked this familiar route, I could hear music wafting from the seminary as I passed and loud cheering from the soccer field about a half mile away. Otherwise the evening was quiet, and I was intent on grabbing a bite to eat and relaxing after an intense week of school. The streets and sidewalks were vacant except for an occasional passing car. My mind was far away in thought as I soaked up the familiar sounds and smells of my fourth autumn in Due West. Suddenly my attention was captured by a persistent honking horn and shouted inquiries from several rather intoxicated students visiting from a neighboring college. Out of the opened window of their noisy automobile, they asked, "Hey, where's the soccer field?" I stopped, gave them the driving directions, and they were off as abruptly as they had appeared. As I finished my walk and returned to my dorm room, I reflected on the simple but significant interaction that had occurred earlier. Sighted people, driving along, observed me comfortably engaging in my community and asked if I could be of assistance to them. I responded appropriately with the desired information, and we went our separate ways. Frequently as a blind person I have been subtly discouraged from contributing to the social intercourse of my world by those who harbor low expectations of blind people or who simply are unaware of our community's diverse aptitude. Often the reservation stems from a desire to make things as easy as possible for the blind person or from a general sense of discomfort caused by limited exposure to blind people. In short, misinformation, low expectations, and a genuine kindness are regularly the culprits for our restricted opportunity to contribute in an unobtrusive way to the normal course of affairs. The final factor in this diminishment, as I pondered this topic on that memorable Friday evening, has to be our own complacency resulting from teaching that encourages blind people to accept assistance more often than we are urged to give it. So I resolved that evening to carry my luggage, answer questions in a crowd, help others as it was needed, and generally not take for granted the importance to a blind person of acting normally. I recognized then and there the value of engaging in such simple but significant social interactions as a way to advance our integration as blind people into the larger world. The direction I offered to the soccer-seeking students, while not profound, may have helped them understand the innate normalcy of blind people. I was glad to have been there to answer their question. ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Cindy Bennett] Coming to See the Unfairness of Paying Less than the Minimum Wage by Cindy Bennett >From the Editor: Cindy Bennett is the recently elected treasurer of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington, a winner of a 2014 National Federation of the Blind Scholarship, and a woman whose intention is to work in the field of adaptive technology for the blind. Every challenge she has in getting equal access to her coursework serves as one more affirmation that she has chosen the correct field and that the efforts of her labor and the intelligence she brings to the world are being properly focused. Because she is socially conscious enough to be concerned with more than her own narrow self-interest, Cindy shares her budding awareness about the unfairness of paying less than the minimum wage in an email post to the National Association of Blind Students (NABS) listserv. Here is what she says: The first I heard about the fair wages initiative was at the 2011 National Convention. It was my first convention, and I was astonished that we cared about solving a problem experienced by those with disabilities who did not have hope of gaining anything better based on their lack of potential. I heard about the initiative again from our national representative at the NFB of Minnesota state convention and at the North Carolina state convention; I was attending BLIND Inc. and had the good fortune to attend both. Anil Lewis happened to be in Minneapolis for some reason and ran a seminar for the students at BLIND Inc. Surprise! It too was on the subminimum wage issue. I was annoyed at this point. I felt like people were yelling at me to just believe that it was wrong, and I didn't listen because my only experiences with people tagged as having multiple disabilities were at events where they were tokens for fundraising purposes or visiting a class or something. I was a National Association of Blind Students representative at the NFB of Michigan convention later that fall, and Anil Lewis was the national representative. I had finally had enough, so I cornered him and asked him why the NFB expected its members to take action based only on moral arguments, when no one had ever presented me with any facts on which to act. Since then I have seen numerous emails and stories filled with facts and figures that expose the fallacy that special wage certificates are in place for the good of those with disabilities. Not only did my confrontation help to change my mind about the rightness of pressing for the minimum wage for everyone, but it also convinced me that this is an organization in which what I say means something. I expressed a concern to a national leader, he listened and understood the value of what I and others were suggesting, and then he acted to address our concerns. If it isn't abundantly clear from what I've already said, I too, at first was very skeptical about the relevance of this issue in the National Federation of the-let's hear it-Blind-not Blind with other disabilities-and about whether it was actually unfair, discriminatory, and immoral. Many entities justify their special wage certificate because they claim they are a training center for people with disabilities. If that is so, then you would expect trained people to depart such a center or at least move up in the ranks. At our NFB training centers, our students don't stay forever. Although we don't train students for one specific job, we have success rates of over 90 percent of our graduates finding jobs or going to school within a year of graduating from a center. I will echo others in noting that several students at our training centers have disabilities in addition to blindness. In contrast, only 5 percent of workers at these so-called sheltered workshops/training centers with their special wage certificates ever seek other employment. Another argument is that passing legislation will mean that all people with disabilities working under the Section 14(c) provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act will lose their jobs. I agree with Arielle Silverman, the former president of the National Association of Blind Students, when she observes that, if employers do this, it is because they are prejudiced against workers with disabilities. It is obvious that these companies operate just fine, given they are able to pay exorbitant executive salaries. A great example of this phenomenon occurred at the state convention of the NFB of Washington in 2012. BISM in Maryland, the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, and the Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind voluntarily forfeited their special wage certificates and committed to pay all workers at least the minimum wage. We thanked the CEO of the Seattle Lighthouse at our convention. He gave a report, as he does each year, and mentioned that the company was operating on a $54 million budget. He later mentioned that the transition would be difficult because it was costing the Lighthouse $60 thousand a year to raise everyone's wage to at least the minimum. A little math easily shows that this is just over one-tenth of 1 percent of their $54 million operating budget. If a company is having difficulty making less than a one-tenth of 1 percent increase in its cost, then they have bigger problems. I would contend that the real transition is in attitudes rather than finances. Paying people ethically does not cost these companies; these are not mom- and-pop shops employing people with disabilities at subminimum wage; these are often conglomerate workshops that take advantage of the provision to get nice perks like preferential contracts, which means they have to do less work to receive more business, and people with disabilities are an easy ticket to such a provision. For those that think this plight affects only those with multiple disabilities, you should be informed that our own NABS president, Sean Whalen, worked for subminimum wages at a sheltered workshop. He is now pursuing a master's in public policy from Harvard, but at the time his community believed that such a job was his only hope. He talked about this in his 2012 presidential report at the annual business meeting of NABS at the national convention. Similarly, there was a news special done months ago about a couple in Montana working for subminimum wages. If they have additional disabilities, they did not choose to disclose anything other than blindness in the news story. However, I think this is irrelevant. We just had a discussion on the listserv of the National Association of Blind Students about working harder to include people who have disabilities in addition to blindness in the NFB. This fight is a direct way we are doing this. We believe that people with all types of disabilities can achieve adequate productivity in society with the proper training and opportunity. We highlight this in many of our major speeches. In an article about Walgreens hiring people with disabilities, mention is made of using simple organization strategies like colors, food items, or animals to help people whose understanding is not adequately communicated through lettered signage. The Walgreens article also mentioned several times that hiring people with disabilities was an experiment, and, if the workers did not meet their standards, they would let them go. My favorite part of the article, the one that really resonates with me as an accessibility researcher, is that the methods used to assist those with disabilities actually helped everyone. Another thing I have wondered is whether some of these people with disabilities even understood what minimum wage is at the time they agreed to work for it. There is an inherent problem with this. We have legislation protecting those who cannot manage their own lives against abuse, and, if caregivers can be convicted for squandering their clients' money, how can a business be given the opportunity to take direct advantage of someone who doesn't know the system? What is more is that this idea is unrealistic. Many earners of subminimum wage know it and are brainwashed to believe they are not worth more. I heard these exact words said by a woman who attended the NFB of Oregon state convention. She interrupted Parnell Diggs's update about the fair wages initiative to say that she had other disabilities and mental health instability that prevent her from being productive enough to be worth paying the minimum wage. It sure seems like her employer does not fit the propaganda about the happy places that just love giving people with disabilities opportunity and increasing self-esteem. They have clearly exaggerated what society already tells her: as someone with a disability, she really isn't worth much, and she should be thankful for the charitable saviors who give her some way to spend her sad life. I don't see anyone going through tests to gauge whether they are worth anything. All workers except people with disabilities are entitled to the minimum wage if they get a job. So this is about equality. And, if there is someone who-after being put through appropriate training and after being given appropriate opportunity-does not perform to company standards or who chooses not to work, then, disability or not, I do not believe he or she should be working at that job. I think that this will constitute a small minority of people with disabilities. The essential question is whether it is okay to give someone something to do just to keep him or her occupied, when others doing that same something are given a proper wage. I have to wonder how unproductive these employees actually are. I wonder if the issue lies more with the inside-the-box training that is too often provided, in lieu of training that really meets the needs of the disabled people seeking work. It is true that some employers pay their workers without disabilities based on productivity; it's called commission. Right-to-work states also require service industry workers like restaurant servers to count tips as part of their wage. But this has nothing to do with Section 14(c), which discriminates against a select group of individuals simply because they have a disability-not because they are less productive, but because they are disabled; productivity tests are implemented as a mechanism to determine wages; the certificates are not made for "less productive people." It wasn't long ago that we treated other groups like this. I have watched several World War II videos about how to train a woman to work. They became popular when many women went to work to replace the men who had gone to fight. The videos were littered with misconceptions such as the need to be softer on a woman, the importance of not expecting as much out of her, and remembering not to expect her to understand higher level thinking. This sounds inane now, but we are still behind as a society when it comes to the perceptions of what people with disabilities can contribute to the workplace and society. Some think it is utopian to think that legislation will solve the problem, and in some ways it is. And that is why the NFB also does other things, such as creating quality training for blind people and working with other companies and organizations who exemplify similar ideals to prove that the legislation should create rather than stifle opportunities. Some companies will choose to continue their prejudiced behavior against people with disabilities, but I would like to learn more about how realistic this is. It sounds to me like preferential contracts are pretty desirable, and any reputable companies that laid off a ton of workers with disabilities would get deplorable publicity. If you think the NFB is crazy for believing in the capabilities of the disabled, then consider that President Obama included workers with disabilities in his recent executive order raising the minimum wage for all workers under federal contracts. Similarly, over fifty organizations made up of and for people with disabilities have joined the NFB in the effort to phase out Section 14(c). So I challenge anyone who justifies the subminimum wage to take a good hard look at the sheltered workshops which employ it-their tax-exempt status, their preference in getting government contracts, their charitable solicitations, and their inflated salaries, and then tell me with a straight face that you believe it would be a hardship to pay at least the minimum wage to the blind and the otherwise-disabled who live in our world, share our expenses, and have the same hopes, dreams, and aspirations as do the rest of us. We can do better; we will do better! ---------- [PHOTO/CAPTION: Eric Woods] Blindness Cured? And Thank You for It by Eric Woods >From the Editor: This article is taken from the 2013 Holiday Issue of the Blind Coloradan. Included is the editor's note written by Kevan Worley. Here is Kevan's introduction: Eric Woods is a longtime Federationist and a member of the NFB of Colorado board of directors. As a blind adult he has been an industrial arts instructor. He has worked as a counselor and role model for hundreds of blind youth. Many of our readers know Eric as a guitar player, singer, and songwriter. Eric regularly performs in the Americana group Stray Dog. We are thankful for Eric's reflections during this time of celebration and Thanksgiving. Here is what he says: It being the holiday season, and especially Thanksgiving, I find myself, as many of us do around this time of year, putting the giving of thanks that is in my heart into words. I've had what most people around the world would consider to be a blessed existence, at least comparatively so- decent up-bringing, opportunities, plenty of good food and friends, and sometimes more than enough beer. For all these things I am quite thankful. But as I get older, not only in my overall years of life but also in the increasing number of years which I have been blind, I find that my hopes for the future and my thankfulness for all I've been lucky enough to receive have simplified some. I imagine that this is not altogether uncommon. When I was a little boy, I had such dreams: dreams that very few could ever obtain, but the stuff that makes youngsters bounce around and would likely lead to discouragement if I dreamt them at a later age. I wanted to win Wimbledon. I wanted to play second base for a World Series winning ball club. I wanted to be a rock star and have countless busty chicks trying to tackle me on the street. Nobody will be surprised to realize that not even a whiff of these or similar dreams came true, though I once was knocked over by two women coming out of a Walmart. Gradually we all realize the differences between dreams and reality. I had given up the pie-in-the-sky sort of dreams for a regular existence, and I was fine with that. I was about where I wanted to be at that stage in my life when I went blind. After going blind, I wanted to be cured, and, God knows I would have been thankful. Of course I was cured shortly thereafter- at least I began the curing process, though I didn't quite understand how all that was happening at the time. Initially I wanted my eyes back in good working order, but really that was just the physical cause of my problems, not the underlying manifestation of my situation. I wanted to feel normal again. It wasn't that I couldn't see a book or a newspaper; it's that I suddenly had no means of reading any longer. It wasn't that I couldn't see the grocery store; rather, it was that I had no way of getting there. I wanted to feel good about myself, and I didn't. I wanted to feel optimistic about the rest of my life, and I couldn't. I wanted to be a normal guy again, and I didn't know how. God never chose to give me my sight back. Doctors couldn't medicate or operate my eyes back into usefulness. Scientists and engineers had no solutions. After some time of feeling despair and desperation, I did find a cure of sorts. My eyes are not healed, but the hole I felt in my soul over the loss of sight I experienced as a young man has been filled with countless caring men and women. I have known them for many years now. I am thankful for them. I feel good about myself. I read books and newspapers again and feel optimistic about my remaining time. I am a normal guy. Thank you, National Federation of the Blind, with all your individual, local, state, and national components. You have done this for me. I will never be able to thank you enough. ---------- Recipes This month's recipes are offered by members of the NFB of Pennsylvania. Sugar Melts by Antoinette (Toni) Whaley Antoinette (Toni) Whaley is the current treasurer of the NFB of Pennsylvania. She is also the treasurer of NAGDU and the president of the Pennsylvania Association of Guide Dog Users. This recipe comes from her Aunt Babs. Ingredients: 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup confectioner's sugar 1 cup oil 2 eggs 4 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract 1/2 cup almonds or walnuts, finely ground Method: Cream the butter, sugars, and oil. Beat until well blended. Add one egg at a time, blending well after each addition. In another bowl combine flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Add to butter mixture, and mix until blended. Add extract and nuts, and mix well. Cover and place into refrigerator for two hours or overnight. Form dough into one-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place on lightly greased baking sheet. Using a glass with a decorative bottom dipped in water and sugar, press into cookies. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for twelve to fifteen minutes or until brown around the edges. Makes about 100 cookies. ---------- Sour Cream Pound Cake by Antoinette (Toni) Whaley Ingredients: 1 cup butter 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup sour cream 2 cups sifted flour Filling Ingredients: 1/2 cup nuts, finely chopped 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 tablespoons sugar Method: Cream butter, sugar, and eggs together. Add sour cream and beat on medium speed. Sift all dry ingredients together and add to egg mixture along with vanilla. Mix well. Pour half the batter into a greased and floured tube pan. Combine nuts, cinnamon, and sugar. Sprinkle the nut mixture on the batter. Pour remaining batter on top. Place in a cold oven and then set the oven to 350 degrees. Bake fifty-five minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from pan immediately onto cooling rack. ----------- Firecracker Casserole by Michelle McManus Michelle McManus is the president of the Happy Valley Chapter of the NFB of Pennsylvania and is an affiliate board member. She has also been one of the co-chairs of our BELL program in Pennsylvania for the past two years. Ingredients: 2 pounds ground beef 1 large onion, chopped 2 tablespoons chili powder 2 to 3 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1 15-ounce can ranch-style beans 6 corn tortillas 1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese 1 10-ounce can RoTel tomatoes 1 can condensed mushroom soup Method: Brown ground beef and onion in a large skillet. Add chili powder, cumin, and salt; stir well. Spoon the meat mixture into a 9-by-13- inch baking dish. Layer beans, tortillas, and cheeses over the meat. Pour RoTel liquid over cheese. Chop RoTel tomatoes and spread over cheese. Spread soup over all. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for one hour. Note: I use refried beans. I'm not sure if these are "ranch-style beans" or not, but they taste great. This recipe takes awhile, but it's worth it. ---------- Broccoli Salad by Eileen Hunger Eileen Hunger is the treasurer of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chapter of the NFB of Pennsylvania. Her husband Kirk is the president of this chapter and serves as a board member for the affiliate. Ingredients: 3 to 4 pounds of fresh broccoli broken into small florets-use only florets or use some stems too after peeling and dicing them 1 large onion, diced (a red onion adds color) or 8-10 scallions/green onions, diced 1 cup raisins (or more to taste) 1 pound bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled Method: Rinse broccoli and drain thoroughly so that the dressing will adhere. In a large bowl, mix all of the above ingredients together. Dressing Ingredients: 1 to 2 cups of mayonnaise (to taste, how creamy do you want it?) 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (how sweet do you want it?) 2 tablespoons vinegar Method: Mix ingredients together in small bowl. Pour over and stir into the large bowl of prepared salad ingredients. Can be made one day ahead of time, but must be kept refrigerated. ---------- Mama Eileen Rosa's Marinara Spaghetti Sauce by Eileen Hunger Eileen says about this recipe: "Growing up in Brooklyn and living next to an Italian restaurant was a very fragrant experience. This is one of the jewels I gleaned from the real thing." Ingredients: 4 sliced or pressed garlic cloves 2/3 cup olive oil 2 28-ounce cans diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons dry parsley 1 teaspoon basil 1 tablespoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 small can tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon oregano Method: In a large skillet (or Dutch oven if doubling recipe), lightly brown garlic in olive oil. Remove from heat to avoid splatter and add diced tomatoes. Return to low heat, add and stir in the remaining seasonings, except the tomato paste and oregano. Allow to simmer uncovered for twenty minutes. Then add the tomato paste and blend it into the sauce. Now add the oregano and simmer for the final ten minutes. If the oregano is added too early, it makes the sauce bitter. Recipe can easily be halved when feeding only two or three, or doubled for a gang. ---------- Candied Sweet Potatoes by Eileen Hunger Ingredients: 6 sweet potatoes or yams 1 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup water 4 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt Method: Cook yams in their skins in boiling salted water until nearly tender. Prepare a shallow, well-greased baking dish while yams boil. When yams are nearly tender, drain, peel, and cut into one-inch slices and place in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a separate small saucepan, cook together brown sugar, water, and butter for several minutes until it slightly thickens and starts to coat a spoon. Stir in lemon juice. Pour over cut yams. Bake at 375 degrees for forty-five minutes to an hour, basting occasionally. Note: If you are making this recipe a day or two in advance, bake for only thirty minutes. Remove from oven and turn each slice over in the sauce, cover, and store in refrigerator. On serving day bake sweets at 375 degrees for thirty minutes, basting occasionally. ---------- Easy Chili Cheese Nacho Dip by Emily Angelcyk Emily Angelcyk is the president of the Pennsylvania Parents of Blind Children and also serves as a board member of the affiliate. Ingredients: 1 8-ounce package Philadelphia cream cheese 1 can of Hormel Chili No Beans (original or spicy) 1 bag of shredded Mexican or taco cheese Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Spread chili on top of the cream cheese, cover chili with shredded cheese-however much you desire. Heat thoroughly in oven approximately twenty to thirty minutes. ---------- Cheesy Chocolate Chip Dip by Connie Schwartzfeld Connie Schwartzfeld is the second vice president of the NFB of Pennsylvania and the president of the Erie County Chapter. Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese 1 stick butter, softened and blended 3/4 cup powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips Method: Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate for two hours. Then shape into a ball and roll in nuts if you wish. Chill at least one hour. ---------- Oven-Roasted Chicken Thighs by Joe Drenth Joe Drenth is the past treasurer of the NFB of Pennsylvania and, aside from being a former national scholarship winner, he serves as the webmaster for the NFB of Pennsylvania. Here's what he said about this recipe: "This recipe produces delicious roasted chicken thighs through a simple process of searing and baking. It works very well with the inexpensive thighs, often available for around a dollar per pound. The skin gets crusty while the meat is moist and flavorful." Ingredients: 4 to 7 chicken thighs (with bone and skin) Seasoned salt (like Lawry's) Large skillet, preferably oven-safe Broiler pan and aluminum foil if skillet is not oven-safe Heavy-duty oven mitts Method: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Arrange the shelves to provide ample height for the middle shelf. If the skillet is not oven-safe, line the drip-collecting tray of a broiler pan with aluminum foil, crimping it securely around the edges before setting the slotted rack on top of the tray. A brownie pan with edges also works, but do not use baking sheets because the juices from the chicken will run off the sheets into the oven. If the pan is heavy, preheat it in the oven so it will be hot when needed. Heat a lightly oiled skillet on medium-high until a drop of water sizzles and snaps on contact with the skillet (about ten minutes). Wash chicken thighs (with bone and skin) based on how many can easily fit in the skillet, then dry thoroughly with paper towels. Any water that contacts the hot skillet will pop and splatter hot liquids. Carefully place the thighs in the skillet with the prettier side down (for presentation purposes, since it will attain the best color). Wear long oven mitts and possibly eye protection, since there will be oil and water splatter. Let the thighs sear for five minutes without moving them, then carefully flip them over with tongs or a spatula and sear the other side for five minutes. Sprinkle seasoned salt over the thighs to taste. If the skillet is oven-safe, place it directly on the middle shelf of the oven; otherwise carefully transfer the thighs from the skillet onto the broiler pan and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for thirty to thirty-five minutes. Wearing thick oven mitts, carefully remove from the oven and let the meat rest for five minutes. Note: To use this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sear for only three minutes per side and bake for twenty to twenty-five minutes. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family National Association of Guide Dog Users Launches Innovative Mobile App: The National Association of Guide Dog Users Inc., a strong and proud division of the National Federation of the Blind and the nation's leading service animal advocacy organization, is excited to announce the release of the NAGDU Guide and Service Dog Advocacy and Information mobile app. This new iOS app provides comprehensive information about the rights and responsibilities of service animal users under state and federal law. This app contains the entire text of the implementing regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerning service animals, along with the complete texts of every state law about the rights of access for the disabled. Also included in this app is specific guidance concerning service animals in settings in which those of us who use guide and service dogs experience the most challenges, such as airlines, restaurants, hotels, taxicabs, and health-care facilities. In addition, those who face discrimination because of their service dog can use the app to call a special advocate trained to resolve such issues. The app is provided for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users free of charge as a public service by the National Association of Guide Dog Users. You can find the app by going to or by simply searching for "NAGDU" in the Apple app store. This mobile app grew out of the NAGDU Information and Advocacy Hotline, which currently fields nearly 1,100 calls per year. We believe that having the information in text format in our pockets will help resolve access issues before they escalate to the level of needing intervention. If you do need help, the National Association of Guide Dog Users and the National Federation of the Blind are here to help. Future plans for the app include creating an Android version, adding more industry-specific guidance, including more information about the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA), and adding a feature that will sort state laws based upon one's current location. We are also seeking input from users about other features that will enhance the app's function and effectiveness. You can offer your input by sending a message to . Newel Perry Inducted into APH Hall of Fame: In May of 2014, Dr. Newel Perry (1873-1961) was inducted into the American Printing House for the Blind's (APH) Hall of Fame. This high distinction is awarded to leaders and legends in the blindness field, and Dr. Perry's admittance to this elite group has been long overdue. Fans of the history of the National Federation of the Blind may know him as the mentor of our founder, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, but his impact on the American disability rights movement extends far beyond that. Among his many accomplishments, Perry was the first blind graduate of the University of California at Berkeley (1896), earned a doctorate in mathematics at the University of Munich (1902), and successfully lobbied the New York state legislature to sign into law the first bill appropriating reader funds for blind college students (1906). In his capacity as a teacher at the California School for the Blind (1912-1947), he tutored the best and brightest students and is credited with preparing seventy-eight graduates to find work in a variety of fields during a time period when most blind people were considered unemployable. Perhaps most importantly, however, Dr. Perry founded the California Council of the Blind in 1934 and encouraged the young tenBroek to found the first national organization of the blind in 1940, giving blind people everywhere the power of collective action to advocate for their rights. Established to honor his memory in 1955, the NFB bestows the Newel Perry Award on individuals, sighted or blind, who have demonstrated courageous leadership and outstanding service in the blindness field by working in partnership with the National Federation of the Blind. For more information on the life and work of Newel Perry, the APH has published an extensive biography at . Also in 1961, tenBroek eulogized his mentor and life-long friend in a speech called "Newel Perry: Teacher of Youth and Leader of Men," which is available at . Elected: The National Association of Blind Office Professionals (NABOP) is pleased to announce the following officers for 2014-2016 term: president, Lisa Hall (OH); vice president, Nancy Coffman (NE); secretary: Joanne Jordan (VA); and treasurer, Debbie Brown (MD). Anyone wishing to learn more about our division can contact Lisa Hall at 7001 Hamilton Avenue, Unit 2, Cincinnati, Ohio 45231-5262; or call (513) 931-7070 or cell (513) 550-5155; or email at . To become a member send $5 to Debbie Brown, 11923 Parklawn Drive, Apartment 104, Rockville, MD 20852; or contact her by phone at (301) 881-1892; or by email at . The last meeting we had at our 2014 convention was great. All participants at our meeting learned what was new in technology and training opportunities. We hope to see everyone next year in Orlando, Florida, in July 2015. In Brief Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for space and clarity. National Braille Press Invites You to Apply for the Opportunity to Win up to $20,000: Louis Braille was an innovator-and this award seeks to identify and inspire future innovation. Potentially the award process will inspire new strategic directions for National Braille Press. The project must demonstrate some aspect of tactile literacy for blind people and promote Braille literacy or access to information. The Louis Braille Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation was developed to inspire innovators to continue the promotion of Braille literacy for blind and deaf-blind people worldwide. The award is open to individuals, groups of individuals, or companies who have developed an innovative and accessible product in one of the following categories: professional software and apps, educational software and apps, gaming software or apps that promote tactile and Braille learning, and Braille or tactile-related hardware. Applications must be received by January 7, 2015. For more information and to download the application, please visit or contact Ximena Ojopi at (617) 266-6160, extension 412. The Touch of Genius Prize for Innovation is provided through support from National Braille Press and The Gibney Family Foundation. Computers for the Blind Announces Twenty-Fifth Anniversary: Computers for the Blind (CFTB), which was formerly The Texas Center for the Visually Challenged, is a volunteer organization devoted to providing computers to persons who are blind or visually impaired. It is our hope that each person who is visually impaired may experience the information age in a positive and productive manner. We believe technology opens new worlds and creates opportunity for greater personal freedom. Computers for the Blind has partnered with Goodshop.com to help do more for our cause. Along with helping save you money with online deals to stores like Dell, HP, and Tech Armor, Goodshop will also make a donation for every purchase you make. It doesn't get much easier than that! A licensed copy of MAGic, which retails for $395, is now included in Computers for the Blind desktops and laptops. The desktops are available for $110 and the laptops are $160. The computers also include the following: Accessibility software: . JAWS for Windows demo version (screen reader) . NVDA (screen reader) . Licensed version of MAGic without speech (screen magnification) . Just Write Checks . TypeAbility typing tutorial (demo version) Additional software: . Windows 7 . Windows Microsoft Security Essentials . Internet Explorer . Windows Live Mail 2012 . 388 electronic books . Word processor and spreadsheet . Instruction tutorials and FAQ articles The minimum configuration for our Pentium 4 Dual Core 2GHz refurbished computers is: . 2GB of RAM and 80 GB Hard Drive . CD-R/RW and DVD-ROM . Sound card, speakers, broadband network card . Keyboard and mouse . 17- to 21-inch LCD monitors If consumers want to upgrade, they can obtain the following from Freedom Scientific after obtaining a computer: MAGic with Speech, MAGic keyboard and two SMA upgrades for $199 (which is about a 50 percent discount); or a licensed version of JAWS Home version for $716 (a 20 percent discount). Please note that these discounts are only available to consumers and not to state agencies. We do, however, accept purchase orders for our computers. Finally, thank you for sharing the news about the computers for $20 for SSI recipients. We received hundreds of calls, and these are no longer available. However, we intend to write a much larger grant next year and will let you know if it is approved. New Fiction by Blind Author: The Soul and the Seed is the first book in an intense new urban fantasy/contemporary dystopian series. The story centers around Aranka, a girl who describes herself as "relatively normal" until those who hold true power in today's society decide she is a threat. The United States and the rest of the modern world is dominated by a clandestine power that usurps the wills and emotions of individuals, but very few people know the truth. >From the outside Aranka's world appears to be today's world. And yet she is imprisoned and forced to watch as her friends are killed one by one, all because they are different in a small physical way and because they can't be easily controlled. It is only a matter of time before it is her turn to die. The Soul and the Seed, called "terrifyingly taut tension" by reviewers, can be found at: . The Soul and the Seed is a gripping tale for adventure, science fiction, and fantasy readers. It is also a story with high emotional impact and deep themes about physical differences and social exclusion. The author, Arie Farnam is a legally blind writer who grew up in eastern Oregon and moved to Europe "primarily for the public transportation." In 2000, she became the first successful international conflict correspondent with a significant physical disability. While reporting from Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and the Ukraine among other international crisis areas for The Christian Science Monitor and Business Week, Farnam also directed two documentary films The Eye of the Storm (in Kazakhstan) and Walls (in the Czech Republic). Along with writing and publishing The Soul and the Seed independently, she also photographed and designed the cover. She is a former NFB scholarship winner and her documentary films were assisted by an equipment grant from the Oregon Commission for the Blind. ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Tue Dec 2 01:57:02 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2014 01:57:02 -0800 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, December 2014 Message-ID: <201412020957.sB29v2ud014877@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 57, No. 11 December 2014 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 Mark Riccobono, 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 Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice Watch and share our videos: YouTube.com/NationsBlind 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 KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT; BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND-IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES. ISSN 0006-8829 ? 2014 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. 57, No. 11 December 2014 Contents Illustration: Training the Trainers: The NFB Jernigan Institute Sets the Standard Convention Bulletin 2015 An Apology to Our Readers and an Author A New Obstacle for Students with Disabilities by Kyle Shachmut Should TEACH Act Language Appear in the Higher Education Act? NCDAE AND WebAIM Weigh In by Cyndi Rowland Mark Riccobono: Educator, Leader, and Visionary A New Era in Mobile Reading Begins: Introducing the KNFB Reader for iOS by James Gashel 2015 Washington Seminar: What's New in the Rooms and Reserving Yours by Diane McGeorge Ode to the Code: How One Student Came to Love Braille by Kaitlin Shelton The Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards by James Gashel The Police Chief of Albuquerque Met the Blind of New Mexico by Peggy Chong Social Security, SSI, and Medicare Facts for 2015 by Lauren McLarney The Tactile Fluency Revolution: Year Two by Al Maneki The 2015 Blind Educator of the Year Award by Edward Bell Can You Hear Me Now? by Darlene Laibl-Crowe Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award for 2015 by Cathy Jackson Recipes Monitor Miniatures [PHOTO CAPTION: Microsoft's Christopher Gallelo presents on Office Online] [PHOTO CAPTION: The Assistive Technology Team's newest member, Karl Belanger, presents on Windows 8] [PHOTO CAPTION: Google's Lia Carrari presents on Android] [PHOTO CAPTION: An attendee takes notes as Google's Roger Benz presents, wearing a t-shirt that had "Google" in Braille on it.] Training the Trainers: The NFB Jernigan Institute Sets the Standard On October 15, 2014, the NFB Jernigan Institute's Access Technology Team sponsored a two-and-a-half day seminar to train the trainers. Presenters included representatives from Google, Microsoft, and other top- flight technology developers. Participants who wished to enhance their training skills came from rehabilitation agencies, K-12 schools, and colleges and universities. Some were new to technology for the blind, while others were technology experts. All participants received hands-on training, thanks to equipment available through the International Braille and Technology Center and with the generous support of the technology companies whose products were featured in the training sessions. [PHOTO CAPTION: Palm-lined drive leading to front entrance to Rosen Centre Hotel] Convention Bulletin 2015 Rosen Centre Hotel It is time to begin planning for the 2015 convention of the National Federation of the Blind. We are returning to Orlando for our third stay at the beautiful Rosen Centre Hotel this year, July 5 through 10. Once again our hotel rates are the envy of all. For the 2015 convention they are singles and doubles, $82; and for triples and quads, $89. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which currently is 13.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested. Please note that the hotel is a no- smoking facility. For 2015 convention room reservations you should write directly to the Rosen Centre Hotel, 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. You can call the hotel at (800) 204-7234 after January 1. At the time you make a reservation, a $95 deposit is required for each room reserved. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card immediately, just as would be the case with a $95 check. If a reservation is cancelled before Monday, June 1, 2015, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made. Guest room amenities include cable television, in-room safe, coffeemaker, mini-fridge, and hairdryer. Internet access is available in each guest room, and currently it is offered without charge. Guests can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-site spa. The Rosen Centre Hotel offers fine dining at the award-winning Everglades Restaurant. In addition, we will have an array of dining options from sushi and tapas to pool-side dining to a 24-hour deli. See later issues of the Monitor for details and information about other attractions in the Greater Orlando area. The 2015 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will be a truly exciting and memorable event, with an unparalleled program and rededication to the goals and work of our movement. Make plans now to be a part of it. Preconvention seminars for parents of blind children and other groups and set-up of the exhibit hall will take place on Sunday, July 5. Adjournment will be Friday, July 10, following the banquet. Convention registration and registration packet pick-up for those who preregistered will begin on Monday, July 6, and both Monday and Tuesday will be filled with meetings of divisions and committees, including the Tuesday morning annual meeting, open to all, of the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind. General convention sessions will begin on Wednesday, July 8, and continue through the banquet on Friday, July 10. Saturday, July 11, will be available for tours for those who enjoy getting to know something about our convention city. To assure yourself a room in the headquarters hotel at convention rates, you must make reservations early. The hotel will be ready to take your call or deal with your written request by January 1. Remember that as usual we need door prizes from state affiliates, local chapters, and individuals. Once again prizes should be small in size but large in value. Cash, of course, is always appropriate and welcome. As a general rule we ask that prizes of all kinds have a value of at least $25 and not include alcohol. Drawings will occur steadily throughout the convention sessions, and you can anticipate a grand prize of truly impressive proportions to be drawn at the banquet. Prizes should be sent to Peter Cerullo, First Vice President, National Federation of the Blind of Florida, 19 Tropical Drive, Ormond Beach, FL 32176. Peter can be reached on his home phone by dialing (386) 265-2527, and can be contacted using email at . The best collection of exhibits featuring new technology; meetings of our special interest groups, committees, and divisions; memorable tours suggested by the host affiliate; the most stimulating and provocative program items of any meeting of the blind in the world; the chance to renew friendships in our Federation family; and the unparalleled opportunity to be where the real action is and where decisions are being made-all of these mean you will not want to miss being a part of the 2015 national convention. We'll see you in Orlando in July. ---------- An Apology to Our Readers and an Author >From the Editor: In the May 2011 issue we published an article entitled "Over There" and listed its author as Robert Kingett. The author was actually CathyAnne Murtha, a person known to many as the owner and operator of the Access Technology Institute and the website . CathyAnne says she wrote this article while in college. In a conversation with Robert Kingett, he admitted that the article he submitted was not his but indeed was written by Ms. Murtha. We regret the incorrect attribution of this piece and are glad to credit CathyAnne Murtha with this fine composition. Here is the article she wrote, which, unlike the plagiarized version, acknowledges the fine work of her guide dog Shadow. Over There by CathyAnne Murtha As my guide dog and I stood in line at the checkout of the River City Market at CSUS, I asked the cashier what I considered a simple question: "Where are the napkins, please?" Her response was hurried, but sincere, "Over there." Emerging from the light rail for the first time, I managed to catch the attention of a passer-by, "Please sir, can you tell me where I might catch bus 63?" A kind voice offered a pleasant response before disappearing into the cacophony of the early afternoon, "You can catch it...over there." So many things reside over there-napkins, bus stops, pencils, pens, clothing racks, department stores, and even my shoes! A never-ending supply of important and indispensable items and locales all reside in this place that is shrouded in mystery and intrigue. I stand in perplexed silence after learning that something is "over there." It's a place I have never been and have no hope of finding on my own. My guide dog is skilled at finding chairs, stairs, elevators, escalators, helping me cross streets, and can even find me the Diet Pepsi display at Food Town; however, when I tell her to find "over there" her little bottom hits the floor and a small whimper tells me that she is as confused as I. We will not be going "over there" today. "Over there" has caused me a bit of vexation, a lot of confusion, and, on occasion, made my heart race. I have discovered that "over there" can be a dangerous place. One day, while crossing a street, I heard a driver's irritated voice shout out a warning of a truck bearing down on me from over there. Shadow artfully dodged the oncoming vehicle and pulled me to the safety of the curb; our hearts were both racing as we took a few moments to compose ourselves. Close encounters with "over there" can be frightening experiences. Although many blind people have wondered about the exact location of "over there," few have dared to venture forth in an exploration of the mysterious place. One day, while standing in line at the supermarket, I asked the clerk where I might find the aspirin. With a cheery smile in her voice, she informed me that the aspirin was located "over there." With a weary sigh, I decided that I would take the extra step that would unravel the mystery, which had vexed my compatriots since the beginning of time. Taking a deep breath, and attempting to look nonchalant, I smiled at the clerk, "Where," I asked, "is over there?" I imagined the girl's shocked expression. I felt her sharing condescending and concerned looks with her fellows in the store. The silence grew palpable as they mulled the possibility of allowing a blind person access to the forbidden land. She had no choice; she would have to tell me how to find "over there!" I had won! Exhilaration swept through me as I waited in breathless anticipation. A victorious smile crept to my lips, my hand tightened on the handle of Shadow's harness; we would soon be going "over there!" The clerk's voice reeked with resignation as the decision was made, "That way," she said. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Kyle Shachmut with his wife, Laura and his three daughters: Madeline (1), Abigail (5), and Elizabeth (3)] A New Obstacle for Students with Disabilities by Kyle Shachmut >From the Editor: The following article was originally published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. It was posted online on September 12, 2014, and published in print on September 26, 2014. Its author, Kyle Shachmut, is a leader in the National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts, a doctoral student in educational media and technology at Boston University, and a technology consultant for the Lynch School of Education at Boston College. He can be reached at . The article served as a catalyst to dramatically raise the profile of the issue of accessibility in higher education to a large, more general audience of stakeholders across the country. It was written before and has helped to initiate the negotiations that will be required in arriving at language that will pass the Congress and become the law of the land. The Chronicle of Higher Education is the number one source of news, information, and jobs for college and university faculty members and administrators. In print the newspaper is subscribed to by more than 64,000 academics and has a total readership of more than 315,000. Online The Chronicle is published every weekday and is the top destination for news, advice, and jobs for people in academe. The Chronicle's audited website traffic is more than 12.8 million pages a month, seen by more than 1.9 million unique visitors. In other words, this message was widely distributed and to the people who needed to hear it. Here is what Kyle said: It is well documented that students with disabilities are facing barriers in their pursuit of higher education, and institutions are having a difficult time fulfilling their legal obligation to ensure equal access. So it was surprising last month when the American Council on Education (ACE), in a letter to Senator Tom Harkin about the proposed reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, completely dismissed a provision that would make it easier for its member institutions to meet the needs of students with disabilities. The provision, Section 931 of the draft document, calls for guidelines to ensure that students with disabilities have access to "electronic instructional materials and related information technologies" that are "consistent with national and international standards." Colleges that do not use materials that conform to the guidelines may opt out by showing that they offer students with disabilities access to instructional and technological materials that are equivalent to those used by nondisabled students, a standard the institutions should already be meeting. Yet, according to the American Council on Education in its letter, this provision "creates an impossible to meet standard for institutions and will result in a significant chilling effect in the usage of new technology." It would "seriously impede the development and adoption of accessible materials, harming the very students it is intended to assist." That statement indicates either a profound lack of understanding about what the provision actually does, a total lack of awareness that the majority of their member institutions are failing to meet existing legal obligations, or an insulting lack of interest in finding a solution for students with disabilities. Most people assume technology expands opportunities for students with disabilities. While the potential exists, it can be realized only if technology is designed and coded with equal access in mind. Despite years of public-awareness campaigns, legal challenges, and advocacy efforts, many commonly used technologies built or purchased by colleges-email systems, learning-management systems, library databases, classroom materials- actually do more to prevent students with disabilities from equal participation than paper-based systems ever did. And partial solutions, like coding written material so a blind student can read the text cover to cover, are no longer equivalent. Being able to highlight, take notes, skip around, and integrate external content are essential functions of today's digital instructional materials; thus, blind students are denied equal access by the very technology that could have ensured their full participation. Federal laws mandating equal access in the classroom for students with disabilities were written long before digital technologies were integral to the educational experience, but their meaning has not changed. Four years ago the US Departments of Justice and Education clarified the expectations for institutions of higher learning by stating that requiring the use of "an emerging technology in a classroom environment when the technology is inaccessible to an entire population of individuals with disabilities-individuals with visual disabilities-is discrimination ... unless those individuals are provided accommodations or modifications that permit them to receive all the educational benefits provided by the technology in an equally effective and equally integrated manner." Since that guidance was issued, countless universities have upgraded or rebuilt core technology systems, but few have done so with consideration for this accessibility requirement. What lost opportunities! And those that attempt to wedge the paper-based accommodation model into today's digital ecosystem are simply leaving disabled students in the dust. Because of this growing chasm of access, legal disputes and civil- rights complaints have occurred with increasing frequency. Most of these disputes end in agreements where colleges commit to honoring their existing legal requirements to make accessible all technologies they deploy, procure, or recommend. Predictably, language from the aforementioned guidance appears in almost all of these settlements, including the most recent one between the Department of Education and the University of Montana. That agreement, in March, states that materials are considered accessible when "individuals with disabilities are able to independently acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services within the same time frame as individuals without disabilities, with substantially equivalent ease of use." In 2008 Congress authorized the Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials to examine barriers caused by inaccessible technology and to recommend solutions. The commission's number one recommendation was to create guidelines that would stimulate the market for accessible materials. This noncontroversial, common-sense, and data-driven solution is the basis for a bipartisan bill pending in both the House and Senate called the TEACH (Technology Education and Accessibility in College and Higher Education) Act. The act served as the model for Senator Harkin's provision on accessible instructional material in the Reauthorization Act-the provision that ACE rejected. With all of these problems and all of these promises, I assumed ACE would welcome the TEACH Act or any provision that results in a similar solution. Instead, the organization says voluntary accessibility guidelines will create "an impossible to meet standard." Is ACE just confused? The Teach Act and the proposed language to which ACE has objected merely call for voluntary guidelines for accessibility. If colleges opt in, they would ensure access via the market of accessible materials and assuage any legal concerns about complying with accessibility requirements. If they opt out, they would be free to use their own methods, but they would still be subject to the same requirement for ensuring equal access that they are today. Why would this be "impossible?" Or does ACE assert that its member institutions are resolving disputes by agreeing to legal standards that they cannot meet? I also challenge ACE to prove its assertion that guidelines would chill the development of new technology. Have building designs ceased to evolve and architects ceased to innovate since guidelines for accessibility- think curb cuts, ramps, and elevators-were mandated by the Americans with Disabilities Act almost twenty-five years ago? Of course not. Scare tactics are not a valid reason to deny inclusivity. Finally, ACE has demonstrated little desire to engage on the issue of expanding access. It has been almost a year since the four-page TEACH Act was introduced in the House, yet this empty statement objecting to Senator Harkin's provision is the group's first and only public statement on accessible instructional materials. As a blind student and professional in higher-education technology and an advocate for the disability community, I think we deserve a productive dialogue-not stall tactics and unsubstantiated claims about ensuring access for students with disabilities. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Cyndi Rowland] Should TEACH Act Language Appear in the Higher Education Act? NCDAE and WebAIM Weigh In by Cyndi Rowland, Ph.D. >From the Editor: This position statement was posted in a blog on the website for the National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE) on October 15, 2014. It goes over in detail what the newest development with the TEACH Act is, the arguments both for and against it, and the reasoning behind the stance the NCDAE and WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) are taking in the fight. For those who are not familiar with WebAIM, it is a nonprofit organization based at Utah State University that has provided accessibility solutions since 1999. The author, Cyndi Rowland, is the associate director at the CPD [Center for Persons with Disabilities]. She directs several grants that focus on the use of technology and the preparation of personnel. She is the executive director of WebAIM, which offers training, technical assistance, and services to make the web a more accessible place for individuals who have disabilities. Here is what she has to say: Since their inception, both WebAIM [Web Accessibility in Mind] and the National Center on Disability and Access to Education have worked together with higher education on the issue of web accessibility. We believe that, while accessibility is not easy to do, it must be accomplished if individuals with disabilities are to participate fully in civil society. Recently important conversations of digital accessibility have emerged in US higher education. They were prompted by the inclusion of language from the bipartisan Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACH) Act into the proposed reauthorization of the Higher Education Act; known as the Higher Education Affordability Act (HEAA), see Section 931. As a result, position statements made by the American Council on Education and EDUCAUSE, along with a legal analysis provided for six education associations against the inclusion of TEACH language into HEAA, ignited a firestorm. This debate has been seen in news articles, commentary, blogs from groups, blogs from individuals, podcasts, and alternative position statements. Both the National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE) and WebAIM would like to share our thoughts on this complex subject. Nobody at NCDAE or WebAIM is offering a legal opinion; rather, our thoughts come from working with institutions of higher education on matters of accessibility for fifteen years. TEACH Act, a Primer Note: This TEACH Act should not be confused with a previous piece of legislation using the same acronym that deals with the use of copyrighted materials in distance education. The current Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACH) Act had its origins in the previous Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, which established the Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) Commission. The AIM Commission detailed recommendations to Congress and to the Secretary of Education in December of 2011. One such recommendation influenced the creation of the TEACH Act. This proposal was introduced to the House by Representative Tom Petri (R- Wisconsin) in November of 2013 and introduced to the Senate by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). The bill had extraordinary bipartisan support, including fifty-two cosponsors of the bill across party lines. It was referred to committee in February of 2014 and has yet to move out for a vote. Because of the AIM Commission Recommendations, authors of the TEACH Act were able to respond to some issues plaguing accessibility in higher education. One issue is the fact that accessibility guidelines are not unified as campuses try to make content accessible (i.e., some conforming to Section 508, others to state guidelines or standards, others to differing versions of WCAG [Web Content Accessibility Guidelines], and others who blend accessibility guidelines uniquely for their campus). This creates enormous headaches for vendors and for campuses seeking conformance to their own guidelines in a purchasing context; if you cannot purchase digital materials that follow your own technical standard, it will be nearly impossible to reach your accessibility goals. Another issue is the enormous liability perceived by many in higher education for anyone who acknowledges that they need to work on digital accessibility. The TEACH Act proposal provides a mechanism for unified accessibility guidelines to be created in harmony with national and international standards. It authorizes the Access Board to be responsible for the work to establish and keep guidelines current (i.e., initial guidelines to be completed in eighteen months, as well as reviews to be completed every three years). Those institutions that wish to embrace TEACH guidelines can do so, yet there is nothing in the Act that would compel them to do so. Since institutions are not required to conform to TEACH, they can continue to use their own set of guidelines if they wish. However, for those that choose to become a TEACH Act institution, they must implement the guidelines into every aspect of the campus digital architecture. The voluntary nature of embracing TEACH comes from this language: Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require an institution of higher education to use electronic instructional materials or related information technologies that conform to the accessibility guidelines described in section 2 if the institution of higher education provides such materials or technologies, or an accommodation or modification, that would allow covered blind individuals and covered individuals with a disability to receive the educational benefits of such materials or technologies- (1) in an equally effective and equally integrated manner as non- disabled or non-blind students; and (2) with substantially equivalent ease of use of such materials or technologies. Thus, an institution has the choice to embrace TEACH Act guidelines or to continue to do that which they are doing now to assure conformance to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. One incentive for an institution to embrace the TEACH Act is the Safe-Harbor provision of the Act. It protects those institutions that embrace TEACH by considering that they in fact conform to the non-discrimination provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and also the Americans with Disabilities Act where digital access is concerned. So, in summary, the TEACH Act proposes to establish clarity of guidelines, provide market-driven solutions to challenges in accessibility, provide legal protections for those institutions who embrace TEACH, all the while being entirely voluntary for the higher education community. What's the Controversy? Those opposed to TEACH in HEAA generally cite at least one of five issues: . This program exerts increased federal regulation that will overburden higher education . This program will result in the demise of technology innovation on our nation's campuses . There is not a reason for TEACH Act provisions since we have existing laws that are sufficient to address the issues . The language of TEACH Act creates a different legal standard for institutions who choose to not embrace the guidelines . The Access Board is ill-equipped to do the work Federal Regulation First and foremost, many in higher education shiver at the thought that increasing issues of compliance are put into reauthorizations of the Higher Education Act. Opponents to adding accessibility regulation into the HEAA indicate it is becoming a junkyard of federal oversight, where items are simply tossed in because they can be. Proponents to regulation being included for digital access indicate that this is a proper use of federal oversight. The thinking is that if those in higher education did not want to be regulated on this issue, they have had nearly twenty years to get in front of it in a way that regulation is not needed. This is especially important considering the topic; that failure to provide access to electronic materials violates protections against discrimination for persons with disabilities and is an issue of civil rights. Also, proponents of TEACH language appearing in the latest HEAA draft indicate that it would make sense that something that came from the previous reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (i.e., the work of the AIM Commission) would return to inform a subsequent reauthorization of the Act. Demise of Technology Innovation Opponents to the addition of TEACH language in the HEAA indicate that when an institution chooses to adopt TEACH guidelines, this will be the end of technology innovation in higher education; that is because institutional technologies would need to conform to the guidelines. One example that has been seen in posts is the use of 3-D technologies in biology textbooks. Opponents indicate that the campus would be unable to use this innovation. Proponents see it differently. While they concede that in the short term some technologies would not be used as developed, they believe innovation overall is enhanced as entrepreneurs, visionaries, and vendors solve problems. This could drive greater technology innovation than ever before. The market-driven approach to innovation could not be created whatsoever if there were not a large playing field (i.e., a large swath of higher education entities) as potential new customers for these innovations that address electronic access. Proponents cite the rich innovations that have already been developed by individuals or groups whose focus is to address accessibility. They express confidence that technology innovation will continue to enrich higher education in ways we can't yet know. It is important to note that the language of the proposal allows for accommodations or modification as long as they are "equally effective . . . equally integrated . . . [and have] substantially equivalent ease of use." Existing Laws are Sufficient Opponents to this action indicate that we have existing laws that are sufficient for today's needs (i.e., Sections 504 and ADA). They do not see a reason to create additional burdens for any institution. In cases where discrimination may be present, opponents to adding TEACH language into HEAA indicate that we have processes in place to address it (i.e., through OCR [Office for Civil Rights] complaints and the courts). Proponents consider the failure of higher education to become accessible over time to be one reason this action is needed now. They cite the uptick in litigation and the failure of judgments to broadly influence the higher education system as another reason something new is needed. It is true that many institutions wait until they receive requests, or worse, until there is a formal complaint lodged before action is taken. This creates an untenable position for individuals with disabilities who are always put in a position to have to request or complain, and usually put in a position to wait for that which they need. This creates lags in their educational experiences that affect outcomes. Creates a Different Legal Standard If an institution chooses not to embrace TEACH guidelines, they must then provide materials and technologies (or accommodations and modifications), in an "equally effective and equally integrated manner as non-disabled or non-blind students; and with substantially equivalent ease of use of such materials or technologies." The current legal standard of Sections 504 and the ADA reference the use of reasonable accommodations or auxiliary aides and services that result in "effective communication" provided in a "timely" manner. Opponents to adding TEACH language into HEAA believe that this could fundamentally shift the legal standard. We could not find an opinion from proponents on this specific point, so it is not known if they agree or not. There is discussion, however, that important differences in the language used in TEACH are the result of the need for institutions to be proactive, rather than reactive in their approach to accessibility. The Access Board is Ill-Equipped Those opposed to adding TEACH language into the reauthorized HEAA cite that they are uncomfortable that the Access Board was named as the responsible federal agency. They do not have confidence that the Access Board could complete the work as envisioned in TEACH; to create initial standards within eighteen months and engage in cycles of review each three years. There is a reason for this concern-a refresh of Section 508 standards began in 2006 and has not yet been completed. Proponents feel they are the best equipped to address harmonization of the guidelines, and feel that if the Access Board is given resources to perform a statutory duty on a specific schedule, that they could accomplish the task. Our Position Let us begin by stating that those in higher education want the very best outcomes for all their students. This is why they have gone into the field. While we have read some harsh criticisms of individuals in the postsecondary community, NCDAE AND WebAIM respect the challenging work that goes into enterprise-wide web accessibility, and we acknowledge that this is often times a bumpy journey. With that said, we have also heard many reasons why institutions choose not to tackle accessibility in a proactive manner. Sometimes it is due to competing institutional priorities and shrinking budgets. Other times accessibility is put off because there is a lack of accessible products. (Moreover we have heard vendors remark that accessibility is not part of their development cycle because it's not a feature request from their customers.) We have also heard institutional administrators quietly craft a strategy of waiting until there is a complaint sufficient to take action on accessibility writ large. Taken together, there is a broad segment of the higher education community who has decided, consciously or not, to leave the important work of accessibility as an after-the-fact accommodation of a student's request. The model of post-hoc accommodations in the digital world could never be the long-term solution, it creates a false sense of protection for institutions that are under increasing legal peril, and it continues to plague those with disabilities today. It is our opinion that the HEAA is an appropriate vehicle to place a regulatory issue of this importance. It would elevate the urgency to make intentional decisions on accessibility for each institution. And, let us not forget, it is voluntary. Market driven approaches were a brilliant strategy that helped the federal government as it implemented its own procurement policies under Section 508. If the lack of accessible products at the time, or the fear that it would stifle all innovation had been the reason not to move forward, we would not be where we are now; we currently have many accessible products and the attention of federal vendors. Bringing together a single harmonized standard that vendors would use in higher education would likewise create important innovation and product delivery. All journeys begin with a single step. We believe that innovation will not suffer; rather it will be enhanced as new energies go into thoughts about access for all. We cannot comment on whether or not the TEACH language provides a different legal standard. While the spirit of it does not seem to do so, legal eyes are the best to weigh in on the issue. While placing this work into the hands of the Access Board worries some, it is our belief that given appropriate resources and statutory authority, they are the best fit for the work. We do think that eighteen months to promulgate the guidelines may be too aggressive. It is more likely that the committee they will appoint would complete draft guidelines in eighteen months, and then the work to promulgate rule would take another eighteen to twenty-four months (or more if the Section 508 work is a peek into a typical process). Finally, we see a gaping hole in the language inserted into the HEAA. When the ADA was passed into law, massive changes reverberated throughout our society not unlike that which will happen in higher education if this goes into effect. The establishment of transition planning was a brilliant idea that should be considered here. At the time, if you were a business trying to conform to the ADA and you were sticking to reasonable timelines of your own posted transition plan, you were held harmless for that period. Some institutions of higher education may need the option of creating a transition period as they adopt the TEACH guidelines. Of course all other existing laws would be in force (i.e., Section 504 and ADA), but the slow and arduous work will have begun: the work to ensure that accessibility of digital materials is in place for all in higher education. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono] Mark Riccobono Educator, Leader, and Visionary >From the Editor: At the 2014 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind, two new members were added to the national board of directors. One of them is President Riccobono, the other James Brown. Since we recently ran "Who are the Blind Who Lead the Blind," it seemed prudent to run profiles of these members as separate articles, and here is the one for President Riccobono: Born in 1976, Mark Riccobono is the only child of two hard-working parents of modest means. Both were high school graduates, and, although they encouraged their son and gave him an example of what persistence and hard work could do, they had no experience of higher education and no familiarity with blindness. Riccobono was diagnosed as legally blind at the age of five, glaucoma being the disease that took his sight. Although he knew he had a vision problem, as a child he never felt limited in what he could do. Being an only child just meant he relied more on friends, and his elementary years have left him with good memories. He benefited from going to his neighborhood school because his contact with children was not just at school but in play, birthday celebrations, and school holidays. His low vision meant he sometimes had to work harder, but the print was large, he got a seat in the front of the room, his teachers did what they could to help, and his friends were comfortable with their buddy who didn't see quite as well as they did. "I was comfortable in my own skin, and that made others around me comfortable as well." The obstacles he faced and the fact that he had some limitations simply emphasized that he should do what his parents did when things got tough: they just worked hard and powered through, and powering through became an indispensable part of his personality. Riccobono got a very good elementary education, but found himself in a rough middle school. It was probably what would be called a failing school today. Many of his elementary school friends went to other middle schools, so his social network began to evaporate. Now there were new friends to make and already established groups who had reservations about adding new members to their circles, and this further added to what was already a difficult transition. The year before he entered the school there had been a stabbing, and little emphasis was placed on academic success. This was the place where he learned to stay under the radar, to isolate himself from others, and to decide his place was in the back of the classroom, where he was less likely to be noticed or called on. There were no services to deal with vision loss, and the only accommodation he can recall receiving was a special lock for his locker that he could operate. Without a good way to read and to see the blackboard, he learned to rely on memory, but even a good memory could not consistently deliver good test scores, and he believes that sometimes he was simply passed. Riccobono remembers that he was sometimes challenged to do better and that often it was the math teachers who would ask more of him. But he was all too frequently allowed just to exist there in the back of the room with the students least likely to raise their hands, shout out answers, or be called upon by the classroom teacher. Riccobono describes this as learning to "be a passenger in my own life." To add to the difficulty of middle school, surgeries for glaucoma in eighth grade not only caused him to miss school, but eventually cost him a significant amount of the little vision he had. An uncle who observed these futile attempts asked his nephew, "What are you going to do if it doesn't work? What will you do if you don't get vision back?" "I began to ask myself with each surgery whether we might not be chasing the unreachable dream," Riccobono said. A surgery performed to burn off some of the scar tissue proved to be too effective, destroying the vision in his left eye and eventually causing it to shrink. So Riccobono went into high school totally blind in one eye and with little vision in the other. In Milwaukee one could choose a high school based on its specialty, and Riccobono chose the one that emphasized business and becoming an entrepreneur. Unbeknownst to him when he made his choice, this school had a resource room for blind students. This was the first time he had considered that there might be others facing the challenges that made school difficult. Riccobono is glad he chose to attend the high school emphasizing business. The teachers saw potential in him, and, for the first time in a long time, he found himself surrounded by people who believed he had capacity. "High school was better than middle school had been; it had some very good teachers who believed in my capacity, and it had people who worked to mentor me. They didn't understand where blindness fit into my career possibilities, but they knew how to teach, saw potential in me, and were determined to cultivate it." He joined DECA, an association founded in 1946 to prepare emerging leaders and entrepreneurs. In this organization he engaged in competitions in public speaking, marketing, and creating a business plan. As a high school senior he was involved in statewide competition, where he won first place in public speaking and earned himself the opportunity to compete in national competitions representing the state of Wisconsin. During that same year he started a school based business selling sports cards based on a business plan he developed the previous year. After high school Riccobono arrived at the University of Wisconsin with a folding cane, a laptop computer with no screen-reading or screen- enlargement software, and a closed circuit television to enlarge paper documents. "I had to study a lot because I read slowly and memorization was the key to any success I might enjoy." But even with the extreme focus he placed on academics, Riccobono hit the wall in his sophomore year and almost failed a computer class because he had no access to the machines. Eventually his rehabilitation counselor sent him for a technology evaluation, and the use of speech and other technology was recommended. At this point Riccobono started reaching out to other blind people, knowing that, if some of them were successful, they had to be doing something he was not. He knew that the barriers he was facing were real and that he was making a significant effort to overcome them, but he was learning that effort alone was not enough: he needed techniques, strategies, and building on the experiences of others. So it was that he came to find the National Federation of the Blind, won a state scholarship, and attended the national convention in 1996. "A lot of what I heard at the convention resonated with me-gave me real hope-but I wasn't sure it was real because I hadn't had the chance to test it myself. But whatever skepticism I had, the truth is that my predominant emotions were excitement and hope that what these people were saying was true. For the first time in my life it was clear to me that in this group it didn't matter how much or how little I could see. In this group no one ever asked or tried to limit where I could go. For the first time I didn't feel as though I had to decide what I would or would not do based on my vision." In the summer after he found the Federation, Riccobono learned Braille, started using the white cane, and came to understand that blind people used other techniques that might help him. He immediately began testing what the Federation said about blindness and encouraged other students to do the same. In the fall of 1996 he founded and became the first President of the Wisconsin Association of Blind Students (a division of the NFB of Wisconsin). He also began rebuilding his dreams. He secured employment with the disability resource center on campus and coordinated the delivery of accessible materials to other students. Riccobono also began expanding his participation in the campus community, knowing that blindness was not the thing that held him back but rather his own low expectations learned over many years. Among his new activities Riccobono became the first blind person at the university to be certified to independently sail one-person sail boats in the Hoofers Sailing Program on Lake Mendota. Riccobono finished college in May of 1999 with a degree in business administration, majoring in marketing and minoring in economics. He interviewed with Sears in his senior year of college and already had a job offer in hand when he graduated. While attending the Washington Seminar, people asked what he intended to do between his graduation in May and the start of his new job in August. They suggested he use this time for training. Finding the advice sound, he attended the Colorado Center for the Blind. There he worked on attitudes and skills and had a chance to test some of the Federation ideas he had thought about with such hope. He found they had verity in his life. After training with Sears, Riccobono moved to Oak Creek, Wisconsin, where he rented an apartment about three blocks from where he had grown up. At this point he was feeling good about himself: a college graduate with a job, living on his own, and the recently elected president of the National Federation of the Blind of Wisconsin, having won that post in 1998. Before his election a proposal had been advanced to close the state's school for the blind. Riccobono was appointed to serve on an advisory committee charged with transforming the institution from a school to a center where ten programs serving the blind would be housed, one of them being the school for the blind. Riccobono learned from the Federation that his true passion was not necessarily business (although he exhibits the thinking of an entrepreneur in everything he does) but rather education and building innovative educational programs. When the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired was established, Riccobono was hired as its director shortly before his twenty-fourth birthday. He headed an agency with a budget of six million dollars and began to implement programs that required more of staff and students, consistent with the expectations of blind people he found in the Federation. He worked at the Wisconsin Center for three and a half years, and an audit ordered by the implementing legislation gave the new center good marks and was the best the school had received in over a decade. But Riccobono found making changes at the center painfully slow and thought that his focus on improving education would be better served by working on a national level. Having concluded that Riccobono possessed some skills that would be valuable at the Jernigan Institute, President Maurer hired him, and he and his wife Melissa (a strong leader, advocate, and educator in her own right) moved to Baltimore. After working for some time in education, he became the executive director of the Jernigan Institute, a position he held until his election as the president of the National Federation of the Blind in July of 2014. In his Federation work he has led a number of critical initiatives including: establishment of the National Center for Blind Youth in Science, building a national mentoring program, expanding Braille literacy programs including the NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning program, development of cutting-edge technologies including a car that a blind person can drive (the NFB Blind Driver Challenge?), many advocacy priorities, affiliate- building projects, and serving as a point person for key relationships with NFB partners. Mark and Melissa have three children: Austin born in December 2006, Oriana born in May 2010, and Elizabeth born in June 2012, all of whom are growing up in the Federation. Their daughters both carry the same eye condition that Mark has, but they will have greater opportunities than their dad because of their connection to the National Federation of the Blind. With the emphasis on social media, YouTube, and communication that goes beyond the written word, his family and their activities have been more visible than those of earlier leaders. "While as a family we draw some lines, we are generally pretty comfortable with letting people know what we are doing, the message being that we lead normal lives and do the same things others with children do. We try to show people what we have learned- that blindness does not prevent us from being the kind of parents we want to be and from living the lives we want." Riccobono is always building-his social media presence frequently shows him engineering new creations out of Legos with his children. When asked about his responsibilities as the newly elected president of the National Federation of the Blind and whether it is scary trying to fill the shoes of former President Maurer, Riccobono says, "It isn't so much trying to fill someone's shoes as building on a foundation. It is a tremendous responsibility to figure out how to go farther, to strengthen the movement, to lead in such a way that we go forward and build on what we have been given. My challenge is to meet the expectations of folks who have given a lot and have been around a long time, to meet their expectations and let them know they are still wanted, valued, and needed, while at the same time recognizing that the world is changing, that the organization must continue to evolve, and assuring people that these requirements are not in conflict but a part of continuing to exist and thrive. I worry less about the shoes I must fill or the comparisons that will be made than I do about figuring out how to lead us in the miles we must go, preserving the resources we have, while spending enough of them to make the world what we want it to be. I feel grateful that Dr. Maurer recognizes my challenge-he has had to face it in his own transition and presidency, and I feel confident that most of our members understand this too. The nature of this office demonstrates daily just how far we have to go, and, although we have a tremendous organization and significant resources, we have just a fraction of what we need to do the work that remains. "In accepting the presidency of this organization, I pledged to give all of my energy, my creativity, and my love to our movement. This is how I intend to pay it back, pay it forward, and make a future full of opportunity for blind people. I have no illusions that this will be easy, but I have every expectation that it will happen when all of us pull together to create the kind of future in which we truly live the lives we want." ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: James Gashel] A New Era in Mobile Reading Begins: Introducing the KNFB Reader for iOS by James Gashel >From the Editor: James Gashel needs little introduction to our readers. He is the secretary of the National Federation of the Blind, has been involved with the project to bring reading technology to blind people since 1975, and, when that technology could fit into a pocket, Jim urged us all to go totally mobile. Here is an article about the latest release of the KNFB Reader, a truly innovative and useful piece of software that once again allows for on-the-go reading. "If you have an iPhone you can have a reader too." This is what I said on Sunday, July 6, 2014, as I addressed attendees at our seventy-fourth annual convention and announced that the KNFB mobile reading technology would soon be coming to the iPhone. The wait for this to happen was about over. The chain of events leading to this announcement extends back almost four decades. It is said that history informs the present and nowhere is that more true than in the history of reading for the blind using text recognition and synthesized speech technology. Providing the iPhone with a high-quality text-reading app did not occur in a vacuum, and it could not have occurred at all without a whole series of events building on one another. For me it all started in March or April of 1975. I can't remember the exact day when Ray Kurzweil entered the Washington office of the National Federation of the Blind and sat across the desk from me. I had taken the position as chief of the Washington office in January 1974, so when I first met Ray, I was just a few months into my second year in that position. Ray was and still is just a year or so younger than me, although both of us are forty years older than when we first met on that spring day in 1975. He said he was a graduate of MIT, and he had started a small company called Kurzweil Computer Products. Then what he said next was nothing less than astonishing to me. He said he had invented a machine that could read printed text to blind people, and he speculated that this would have great promise for changing the way blind people would get information in the future. More than what he said, what struck me was the matter of fact way in which he said it-almost like creating this life-changing technology was something he did on a Sunday afternoon with not much else going on that particular day. For my part I wanted to believe the story he was telling me, but I still approached the prospect of an actual reading machine with a healthy dose of skepticism. This was the mid-1970s, and much of the technology that had been invented for the blind was not too advanced. There were cassette tape players and talking book machines, and there was even a device called the Optacon, which used a small camera and activated vibrating pins to form the shape of the printed letters as seen by the camera. Some people really liked it, but it fell far short of being an actual reading machine. The machine he described used a computer, which I knew to be something that only large institutions had. Ordinary people did not have computers, so how could ordinary blind people have a reading machine? Besides, I wondered how well it would really work. As Ray and I talked, I thought of several other technologies for the blind that were said to have great potential and then failed to live up to their promise. Would this reading machine turn out to be something like that? Ray said his machine was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, just outside of Boston, so two weeks later I went for a visit. I knew I didn't know anything about computers, but I did know Alan Schlank, and I knew he programmed computers for the Pentagon; so I took Alan with me to see what we could learn about this machine. What we observed that day held true to the promise-the machine did recognize print and speak the words-but it was certainly not ready for prime time either. There were lots of wires and gismos connected together, but everything was spread out on tables and racks in a small room, and nothing was in a case. This was technology in its most basic development stage, but it did do what Ray said it could, and there was nothing else like it anywhere in the world. I think it was about two months later that I first introduced Ray Kurzweil to Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, then president of the National Federation of the Blind. It was our 1975 convention, held at the Palmer House hotel in Chicago, and it was Ray's first NFB convention. Ray said he had been looking for money to bring the reading machine from the laboratory to the market, but everybody he talked to just wished him well and sent him on his way. The question was, would the NFB help to make the dream of a reading machine come true, and the answer was an unequivocal yes: we would and we did. As our effort to raise funds went forward in the fall of 1975, word of the machine that could read to the blind began to circulate, building interest and enthusiastic support for the project. Ray likes to tell the story of how Walter Cronkite, the legendary anchorman of the CBS Evening News, learned about the reader and allowed it to read and speak the words of his signature sign-off for the program: "That's the way it was, January 13, 1976." Speaking these words to conclude his nightly broadcast to America was a personal privilege that Walter Cronkite reserved for himself, and, as he later recalled, he had not allowed neither man nor machine to take his place with the single exception of that night in January. Although I was at the controls to make the reader speak, it was the reading machine and not James Gashel that spoke the final words to conclude the broadcast. First introduced to the market in 1978, the Kurzweil Reading Machine continued to attract much interest, albeit with a $30,000 price tag. Buying one was beyond the reach of most blind people, but it was possible for blind people around the country to encourage its purchase by libraries and agencies for the blind so that we could begin to take advantage of the access it provided to the printed word. Still, the product was popular. Even today I hear from blind people who had their first experience with the Kurzweil Reading Machine at a local library, school, or rehabilitation agency. During the 1980s and through the 1990s, the reader (using different product names) got smaller in size and less expensive to buy, just as Ray had originally predicted. Then, as personal computers gained in popularity in the 1990s, with scanners available as well, what we knew in the 1970s as the standalone Kurzweil Reading Machine became computer software and sold for $1,000-far more affordable than the $30,000 machine twenty years before. But the evolution of mobile reading for the blind was yet to come. In October of 2001, as we were breaking ground for the Jernigan Institute and planning its ground-breaking projects, Ray Kurzweil declared that the time was drawing near when the scan-and-read technologies of the last thirty years could be converted to run on mobile devices and used for reading on the go. We asked when this could happen, and Ray responded in his unassuming low-key way that his current models suggested the technology could be available in about four and a half years give or take six months. Trusting Ray and this prediction, the NFB and Kurzweil Technologies started development of a handheld carry-around reader in 2002, not knowing what hardware would eventually be available to power it. In July, 2005, we had a handheld reader we could demonstrate. I told Ray that the test would be if either Marc Maurer or I could get the reader to recognize and speak text in front of our national convention. I explained that the audience would not believe that the technology was real if Ray or one of his engineers aimed the camera and took the pictures; it was necessary that a blind person do the demonstration. So, with my heart in my throat, I stood before the convention, holding the reader with print on the table below, hoping to hear it read text. This was the first time in history that a blind person would be standing up in a public setting, aiming a camera at a printed document, and then letting the audience listen to the result. Just imagine my feeling of absolute pride and joy when the reader started to speak the text of the afternoon agenda, and the audience erupted with one of the loudest convention cheers on record. Obtaining reasonably accurate text-to-speech results when using a computer and scanner was certainly a challenge not to be sneezed at in 1975, but designing the technology so blind people could take pictures and still get highly accurate reading results was a challenge of a much higher magnitude. When using a scanner, the page can easily be lined up with or without sight, and the document is always well lit to provide a uniform and high-quality image for text recognition. Not so, however, when a camera rather than a scanner is used to capture an image of a page with text, and especially not so when the person aiming the camera at the text can't see to focus it. This is something Ray pointed out at our first meeting to discuss the details of the mobile reader project. During that meeting and since, he emphasized the importance of creating high-quality pictures of text using image preprocessing technology as being absolutely essential to improve text recognition accuracy. The first mobile reader developed through the Kurzweil NFB collaboration was software running on a personal data assistant connected to a digital camera. The combination of these components sold for $3,495 beginning in July, 2006. We were right on schedule with Ray's October 2001 prediction. Then, eighteen months later, Nokia released the N82 cell phone, complete with a five megapixel camera with a very bright xenon flash, making this an ideal single unit platform for the smallest and least expensive mobile reader ever. Within a year of its release this reader, running on the Nokia N82 cell phone, was speaking in eighteen different languages and even translating from one language to another. With the image preprocessing technology working under the hood, the reader, called the KNFB Reader Mobile, attracted worldwide attention and praise for its ease of use and accuracy. Still, at a price of around $1,700, which included the phone, the KNFB reading software, and screen-reading software, the cost presented an economic barrier for many who wanted and needed a high-quality reading device. In June of 2009 Apple made history by adding screen-reading software called VoiceOver to the operating system used to power its iPhone 3 GS. For the blind this meant that a fully-accessible smartphone could be obtained for around $200 as compared to buying any of several other available smartphones for twice as much or more after adding in the additional cost of screen-reading software. Besides, word spread that VoiceOver actually worked very well to make the flat screen iPhone a thoroughly usable device right out of the box. No wonder blind people were joining the lines of enthusiastic buyers which form outside Apple stores worldwide every time a new version of the iPhone is released. But for those who wanted a smartphone with the ability to take pictures and read text on the go, the advent of the fully accessible out of the box iPhone turned out to be a mixed blessing, since Apple's choice of camera technology was far behind the excellent cameras used in the more expensive and less accessible Nokia phones. Running the reader software on the iPhone was not a problem, but the iPhone's camera just would not produce an image of sufficient clarity for accurate text recognition, resulting in the truth contained in the well- known adage pertaining to computers: garbage in, garbage out. In June 2010 there were widespread rumors that a better camera would be available in the iPhone 4, scheduled for release later in the month. So, camping chair in hand, I took up my position immediately outside the front door of the AT&T store in my neighborhood when the store closed at 9:30 at night. I wanted to be and was first in line to get my hands on one of these new phones, which we were hoping could also be used as a reader. When the store opened at 7:00 AM the next morning, I got my iPhone 4 and immediately turned it over for review, hoping that a reader would result. It did not. Although the camera hardware in the iPhone 4 was improved as compared to its predecessors, it was still not possible to sharpen the image of text by adjusting settings in the camera software, so the garbage in garbage out problem continued. These were dark days indeed for those of us who wanted the ability to take pictures and read text with our iPhones, finding instead that, in order to have a suitable device for reading on the go, we had to continue carrying one phone for a reader and another for all other capabilities of a smartphone-far from an optimal solution. Still the good old KNFB Reader Mobile running on a Nokia N82 cell phone remained the gold standard in mobile reading technology, never mind that Nokia stopped making the N82 mid- way through 2009. Lacking a suitable platform, the reader, once popular in the golden age of the Nokia phone way back in 2008, had become virtually obsolete except among those of us who had the good fortune to obtain it before the iPhone became accessible and captured the market. The break which led almost immediately to the KNFB Reader iOS app came in September 2013 when Apple announced its coming release of iPhones with better cameras, faster computer processors, and greater control over certain camera settings made possible in the newest version of its mobile device operating system called iOS 7. The specifications looked very promising, but I remembered my high hopes for having a reader on the iPhone 4. A small company in Belgium called Sensotec had been wanting to produce a reader for the iPhone, so plans were made to do so if good text recognition results could be obtained from the new iPhone 5 S running iOS 7. I remember taking the first pictures with a prototype version of our text reading app in late November 2013 and realizing at that time that the iPhone could be a reader too. My thought was that, for blind people to accept it, we needed a reader that would meet or exceed the standard set by the KNFB Reader Mobile running on the Nokia N82. Anything less would disappoint potential users and might not be worth the effort. Several text reading apps had become available for the iPhone, but most had failed or nearly failed due to poor performance and lack of interest. The problem (if you can call it a problem) was that the standard for high-quality reading on the go had been set when Kurzweil Technologies and the NFB joined forces to create the KNFB Reader Mobile reading technology. To gain widespread acceptance, performance of the app on the iPhone would have to meet the KNFB Reader standard or exceed it. Has that goal been achieved? Let the users speak for themselves. What follows are unsolicited comments compiled by the Apple App Store and on the KNFB Reader Users list. Wow. This single app is a life changer for blind people. It recognizes text extremely accurately and quickly. It's far faster than using my flatbed scanner with Kurzweil and is as fast or faster than OpenBook with the Pearl document camera. I have taken twenty or so pictures since downloading, even of my computer screen, and have been continuously amazed with the results. If you are debating getting it, don't. It's the real thing. It's what we have been waiting for! NFB and good old Ray have done it again. I have used several OCR applications on different platforms. Some of them worked well, but, on iOS, I have generally had very poor results with them until KNFB Reader came along. I stuck a regular office memo under the phone and gave this app a try, and it read the memo almost perfectly on my first attempt. My camera technique isn't all that good either. So I must say that these guys hit one out of the park with this one. I bought it, used it, and love it. Talk about a product that is simply amazing: it's everything it was promised to be. This is the app I have been waiting for for the past five years- and it has not disappointed. I have used the previous KNFB Reader mobile device, and this app for iPhone is much easier to use. It is intuitive. It takes pictures and reads the print from round spice bottles, small round medicine files, on the back of plastic pouches, in glass picture frames, and off of my laptop computer screen. [While the reader does have the ability to capture some text from round bottles, sometimes several shots are required to determine their contents, and the Reader should not be regarded as a substitute for other devices that read prescriptions or bar codes.] I have many scanner apps on my iPhone, and none of them are accurate. But this one is accurate at least 98% of the time. Love it, love it, love it. These comments represent the overwhelming sentiments of those who have purchased the KNFB Reader. In mid-October the app was upgraded for use on Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 plus, as well as being supported for use with the iPhone 4 S and the 5th generation iPod Touch. Plans are in the works to release a version designed for use on newer models of the iPad with better cameras, as well as on Android phones and tablet devices. More information about how the KNFB Reader works is available by visiting the KNFB Reader website at , where you can also find video and audio demonstrations. A thorough and well-crafted review of the product also appeared in the November issue of Access World with the title "KNFB Reader for iOS: Does This App Live up to All the Hype?," written by Bill Holton. It can be found at . Speaking in English and eleven other languages on the day it was launched, the KNFB Reader will soon be able to be used with dozens of other languages, including Japanese, Russian, and Chinese, with translation from one language to another. Maintained by KNFB Reading Technology and Sensotec with the support of the National Federation of the Blind, the KNFB Reader for iOS can be purchased and downloaded from Apple's worldwide App Store distribution system. At a price of $99.99 it is an understatement to say that, with added capabilities yet to come, the KNFB Reader for iOS has already opened a new era in read-on-the-go technology for people who are blind by raising the bar for high-quality performance and by lowering the price of the technology that makes it possible. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Diane McGeorge] 2015 Washington Seminar: What's New in the Rooms and Reserving Yours by Diane McGeorge >From the Editor: The following message comes from Diane McGeorge, who organizes much of the logistics of Washington Seminar: This is a reminder about making your hotel reservations for the 2015 Washington Seminar. Our deadline with the hotel is December 19, 2014, and, although I know most of you are busy as we approach the holiday season, we would certainly appreciate getting your reservations as early as possible. Sleeping room rates are $180 for single, double, triple, or quad rooms, and the tax rate is 14.5% per night. The address of the Holiday Inn Capitol is 550 C Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. We would like to have representation from all fifty states, so please encourage members from your state affiliates to attend. The Holiday Inn Capitol in Washington DC has undergone a great number of changes since our last visit, including becoming completely non-smoking. All of the sleeping rooms have been completely renovated, giving them a classy and fresh look and feel. The rooms with two beds have been upgraded from double beds to queen beds and can no longer accommodate rollaway beds. All king rooms will have walk-in showers instead of bathtubs with showers. All rooms will also have laptop-sized safes in the closets. All of the meeting rooms have also been renovated, and along with the new look are new names. We will no longer have any meeting rooms or office space on the second floor. The former Apollo and Mercury rooms are now sleeping rooms and are no longer available to us. The communication center and office for our Washington Seminar will now be found in room 353. The Columbia Ballroom is now called Capitol Ballroom, and the Discovery Ballroom is now called Congressional Ballroom. Saturn/Venus is now called House Room, Jupiter is now called Senate Room, and Mars is now called Caucus Boardroom. The hotel restaurant, too, has undergone changes. The buffet has been moved to provide more guest seating. The Deli Express is no longer. In its place you will find a new public seating area, complete with device- charging stations. You will find the new Lobby Market to the right as you face the front desk. You will be able to grab snacks there 24/7. They are expected to provide frozen dinners, ice cream, little boxes of cereal, milk, and that type of thing. They are hoping to have coffee in the lobby as well. With all of these changes, the hotel has removed soda and snack machines on each floor, but you can still find ice machines on each level. Keep in mind that Starbucks will still be in place, so you can get your coffee as well as their usual fare. I hope you have made your requests for meeting room space, since these meeting rooms fill up very quickly. If not, please notify us prior to December 10, giving us the name of your meeting, the number of people you expect in attendance, and the type of room setup you wish to have. Following is the information I will need to make your hotel reservations: . Your dates of arrival and departure. . First and last names of any roommates that might be sharing with you-please spell first and last names of each person sharing the room, and please include arrival and departure date for each person. . Please specify how many beds you wish to have in the room, either two queen beds or one king bed. . Please indicate if you need an accessible room. . Rollaway beds are $15 per night, but can now only be used in a room with a king bed, since the regular rooms will have two queen beds and will no longer accommodate a rollaway bed. . Refrigerators are standard in all guest rooms at no additional charge. . Per the hotel contract, individual cancellation must be made seventy-two hours prior to date of arrival to avoid one night's room plus tax cancellation charge. You must get in touch with Lisa Bonderson or me to make changes to your reservation as soon as possible to avoid such a charge. Please do not contact the hotel to make your reservations. I submit all the reservations for the Washington Seminar. You may call (303) 778- 1130, extension 219, to make your reservation, or you may email your reservations to Lisa Bonderson at . We will confirm receipt of your reservation either by return email or by telephone, so be sure to give us your telephone number and your email address. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Kaitlin Shelton] Ode to the Code: How One Student Came to Love Braille by Kaitlin Shelton >From the Editor: Kaitlin Shelton is the president of the Ohio Association of Blind Students, won a national scholarship in 2013, and just won her second scholarship from the Ohio affiliate. At the state convention she played Federation songs on the guitar, although she plays other instruments as well. Kaitlin offers her perspective on Braille, Braille literacy, and how she struggled to accept both. Here's what she has to say: Today I am an avid Braille reader. I love reading novels on my BrailleSense or in hard copy and couldn't imagine life without literacy. Some would say I'm even a bit too stern about Braille because I tend to avoid other forms of reading like audio and readers since a part of me considers using those methods of reading to be cheating, but you really just can't replace Braille and the independence that comes along with it. >From the way I talk, you're probably assuming that I've had a Braille- filled childhood and parents who fought long and hard to secure the privileges of reading for me, but that wasn't the case. One day in pre-K I was pulled out of class by a woman from the county for an assessment. We sat in the hall, and she introduced me to the Perkins Brailler for the first time. We Brailled a few letters, and I was starting to get the hang of it, but she took me back to class, and I never saw her again. County officials determined that I saw well enough that reading Braille might not be the best option. I was sent along to kindergarten with the notion in my parents' heads that I would read large print. Kindergarten came and went, and I started the first grade in the fall of 2000. My teacher, a creative and wonderful woman named Mrs. Murphy, noticed that there were a few problems with my academic performance right from the start. For one thing I could read print, but it was painfully slow and tedious. Since I have nystagmus and a very small focus in the one eye that has vision, I had to scan each letter individually before I could identify the word I was reading. I was also missing out on a lot of the incidental learning that the sighted students gained from seeing things like alphabet posters, number charts, and other visuals on the walls of the classroom. Mrs. Murphy decided that this needed to change. She researched the problem and decided that it was time for me to switch from reading print to reading Braille. This terrified my parents, especially my mother. She had been told that, since her child had vision, everything should be done to allow that vision to be used and that using it would help me be more like my peers. In a roundabout way she had been told that reading anything other than print would make me look blind. Under these conditions she was against the idea of my learning Braille. She thought, "Who does this teacher think she is?" But Mrs. Murphy followed her instinct and fought for me to learn Braille. She sat my mom down and told her that I was a bright student; there was no reason why I should be reading below grade level and falling behind my peers if it didn't have to be that way. She explained that for me Braille would be the great equalizer. The books would grow longer and more complex, I'd be expected to read more for my classes, and without Braille I would continue to function at a lower level than my sighted classmates. She also made the point that the doctors had no idea how long I would have usable vision and that it would be much harder to learn Braille as a middle school or high school student than it would be at six years old, when reading instruction was part of the curriculum. My mom finally agreed that I should start learning Braille, so my instruction began. But that wasn't the half of my struggle to become Braille literate. By that time the idea that reading print was what made me the same as my friends had already wedged its way into my six-year-old brain. When my books that had pictures on the covers and looked just like everyone else's were taken away, I was absolutely distraught. The Braille books I was given in their place were bland, bulky, and very different. I didn't like being the only one in my class to have books like them, so I resisted the instruction. The Perkins Brailler was also something I came to despise. Before I used the Perkins, I used a grease pencil to write. I'd often lift my face from the page to have black grease smeared all over myself, but I figured that I was at least doing what my friends were. The Brailler was heavy, bulky, and loud. We were supposed to be very quiet during spelling tests, and using the noisy machine made me feel self-conscious. Many of my spelling tests were not completed because I would get frustrated or upset and begin to cry or throw a temper tantrum in the middle of class. I remember being carried out of the room into the hall by my aide, sobbing out "I hate Braille." Though I laugh about it now, it was a serious self-esteem issue for me at the time. As the year went on, I started to devise other methods for avoiding the Brailler. Once, when my aide had left me alone in our Braille room to grab something, I shoved everything I could get my hands on into the Brailler. Pencils, paper clips, and thumbtacks were among the items that the aide tried to fish out of the Brailler, but it needed to be sent off to be repaired. Unfortunately for me, the county brought a spare Brailler to the school for me to use while the one we had was being fixed, and I think that was when I realized that I wasn't going to avoid Braille. It was clear to me that it would now be a part of my life, and I would just have to deal with it. In the second grade, after I had been reading Braille for a year, my attitude about Braille began to change. My skills had improved to the point where I could start reading the same stories as my classmates, so, even though I still didn't have my pictures, I could at least read the same Junie B. Jones and Magic Treehouse books. My mother had become a staunch supporter of Braille and began purchasing the print copies of books I read so she could read with me. Each Christmas after that, until I became a member of Bookshare and NLS, I received several Newberry Award-winning books from Seedlings in Braille. I soon started reading books above my grade level, and by the third grade my favorite books included The Trumpet of the Swan, Matilda, Charlotte's Web, James and the Giant Peach, and some books in the Goosebumps series. Over the next several years I began to advocate for Braille along with my mother. Together we established a Braille book library for blind children throughout Ohio, and several of my Seedlings Books remain in that library today. Whenever I hear a parent of a blind child say that he or she uses audio and the computer to read, I always ask, "What about Braille?" And then I try to educate them about how it has enriched my life and the lives of other blind people. As Mrs. Murphy said, for blind people Braille is the great equalizer. It is what makes us literate, and, although technology and audio can certainly be useful and do serve their purposes, they can't replace Braille. I know that I would have at best struggled through high school and performed less successfully than I have and at worst not finished high school and found some small job which doesn't require literacy skills. Fortunately, I can say that, not only am I well versed in the literary code, but I also use the music Braille code for my studies as a music therapy major and know the scientific and Nemeth codes as well. In the Federation we hear about parents fighting their school districts for Braille instruction all the time. My situation was the opposite, and I shudder to think of where I would be today if my parents had never changed their minds about Braille. I am glad that both my parents and I have come to see Braille, not as something which makes me different from my sighted friends and classmates, but as something which lets me compete and perform to the same standards. I consider myself to be extremely lucky, not only because I learned Braille at all, but because most kids like me with usable vision are denied the right to receive a comparable education to those of their sighted peers. If it weren't for Mrs. Murphy's insistence, I would never have discovered the necessity and joy of Braille literacy. It is fitting that my birthday is the same as Louis Braille's, January 4, because I owe so much to him-as we all do-for the code which has made me who I am today. ---------- 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 and training 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! ---------- The Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards by James Gashel >From the Editor: James Gashel is secretary of the National Federation of the Blind and chairs the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards committee. Here is his announcement about the 2015 Bolotin Awards program: The National Federation of the Blind is pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards. These prestigious awards, granted each year as funds permit, recognize individuals, corporations, organizations, or other entities for outstanding work of excellence on behalf of the blind in the United States. The public recognition ceremony will be held during the 2015 annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Orlando, Florida. Each recipient will be given a cash award in an amount determined by the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee and will also be honored with an engraved medallion and plaque. Dr. Bolotin was a pioneering blind physician who practiced in the early twentieth century, and the awards which now bear his name are made possible through the generosity of his late nephew and niece. Their bequest, the Alfred and Rosalind Perlman Trust, allows the National Federation of the Blind to recognize and support the most outstanding individuals and projects working to improve opportunities for blind people in the United States, consistent with Dr. Bolotin's pioneering example. As chronicled in his biography, The Blind Doctor by Rosalind Perlman, Bolotin fought ignorance and prejudice to gain entrance to medical school and the medical profession. He became one of the most respected physicians in Chicago during his career, which spanned the period from 1912 until his death in 1924. He was particularly known for his expertise in diseases of the heart and lungs. Bolotin used his many public speaking engagements to advocate for employment of the blind and their full integration into society. Interested in young people in general and blind youth in particular, Dr. Bolotin established the first Boy Scout troop consisting entirely of blind boys and served as its leader. Jacob Bolotin's wife Helen had a sister whose husband died suddenly, leaving her to raise a son, Alfred Perlman. The Perlmans moved in with the Bolotins when Alfred was eleven, and for four years (until Jacob Bolotin's untimely death at the age of thirty-six), "Uncle Jake" became Alfred's surrogate father. Alfred later married Rosalind, and the couple worked on a book about Dr. Bolotin's life. After Alfred's death in 2001, Rosalind dedicated the rest of her life to completing and publishing the book. Then, upon her death and as part of her will, Rosalind left a bequest to the Santa Barbara Foundation and the National Federation of the Blind to produce Dr. Bolotin's biography and establish the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award program. Her book, The Blind Doctor: The Jacob Bolotin Story, has been published by and is available from Blue Point Books . Award Description In 2015 the National Federation of the Blind will again recognize individuals and organizations that have distinguished themselves in accordance with the criteria established to receive the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award. The committee will determine both the number of awards and the value of each award presented. The Federation determines the total amount to be distributed each year based on income received from the trust supporting the award program. The award categories for each year are blind individuals, sighted individuals, and organizations, corporations, or other entities. Individuals may apply on their own behalf or may submit a third party nomination, or the committee may also consider other individual or organizational candidates. Who Should Apply? Individuals: Only individuals over eighteen years of age may be considered for a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award. Applicants must demonstrate that they have shown substantial initiative and leadership in improving the lives of the blind. Examples of such initiative include but are not limited to developing products, technologies, or techniques that increase the independence of the blind; directing quality programs or agencies for the blind; or mentoring other blind people. All individual applicants or third- party applicants nominating other individuals must demonstrate that the work to be recognized has been conducted within the twelve months preceding the application and/or that the work is continuing. Applications by or on behalf of individuals must include at least one letter of recommendation from a person familiar with or directly affected by the work to be recognized. Organizations: Organizations may apply for a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award in order to further programs, services, technology, or techniques of unique and outstanding merit that have assisted and will continue to assist the blind. Applications from third parties nominating an organization will also be considered. The organization category includes corporations, nonprofit organizations, or other entities, such as a specific division within an organization. Organizations or third-party applicants must demonstrate that the programs or services to be recognized include substantial participation by blind people as developers, mentors, administrators, or executives, and not merely as clients, consumers, or beneficiaries. For example, an organization operating a program for blind youth might demonstrate that a substantial number of the counselors, teachers, or mentors involved in the program are blind. The organization or third-party applicant must demonstrate that it has substantially aided blind people within the twelve months prior to application and that an award would support efforts to build on previous successes. The application must also include at least one testimonial from a blind person who has benefited substantially from the programs or services. To qualify for an award both individuals and organizations must be headquartered in the United States of America, and their work must primarily benefit the blind of the United States. Procedures More information, including an online application, can be found on the National Federation of the Blind website at . Online submission of nominations, letters of support, and other relevant materials is strongly encouraged, but applications sent by mail and postmarked by the deadline will also be accepted. The 2015 deadline for application submission is March 31. Recipients chosen by the committee will be individually notified of their selection no later than May 15. Receipt of all complete applications will be acknowledged; only those applicants chosen to receive an award will be contacted by May 15. All decisions of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award committee are final. The awards will be presented in July during the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Individuals selected to receive an award must appear in person, not send a representative. Organizations may send an individual representative, preferably their chief executive officer. Recipient candidates must confirm in writing that they will appear in person to accept the award at the National Federation of the Blind annual convention. Failure to confirm attendance for the award presentation by June 1 will result in forfeiture of the award. Ineligible Persons Those employed full-time by the National Federation of the Blind may not apply for a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award for work performed within the scope of their employment. Students may not apply for both a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award and a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship in the same year. ---------- The Police Chief of Albuquerque Met the Blind of New Mexico by Peggy Chong >From the Editor: Peggy Chong loves history and is an amateur historian who has made frequent contributions in these pages. Here is what she has to say about spreading the news about the White Cane Law to a prominent official in the state where she and her husband Curtis now live: On Saturday, October 18, 2014, Federationists gathered at the Uptown Sheraton Hotel in Albuquerque to celebrate the passage of the White Cane Law here in New Mexico. This is much more than a law that allows us to travel independently on our city and country roads. It is the civil rights legislation here in New Mexico that guarantees blind people access to all buildings, streets, activities, and employment opportunities in our state. Our banquet was sponsored by the NFB of New Mexico, Albuquerque Chapter; the Parents of Blind Children Division; and the West Mesa Chapter. Caroline Benavidez, president of the West Mesa chapter, was our emcee. The first part of the agenda was a history of white cane laws in New Mexico presented by Peggy Chong. Francine Garcia read the 2014 White Cane Proclamation signed by Governor Susana Martinez earlier in the month. Our guest speaker was Albuquerque Police Chief Gorden Eden, whose topic was quiet cars and how they affect us all. He related his personal experience being hit by a quiet car at his own home by a family member. It was refreshing to have a police representative identify with our issues as a fellow Albuquerquean and not think of us as amazing, brave, or leading lives too scary for him to imagine. He offered our chapters an opportunity to come and record a video message concerning the White Cane Law that all the police officers of Albuquerque can view as part of their daily updates. We agreed to take him up on his offer later in November. All agreed that Chief Eden did a great job and is a friend to the blind of our city. A certificate of appreciation was presented to Chief Eden after his presentation. The certificate was done in both print and Braille, and Albuquerque President Daphne Mitchell read the Braille version to him. Again this year we hosted the White Cane Essay Contest. Gail Wagner presented the winners with their cash prizes and read the winning entries to the audience. This year's essay contest winners were first place in the adult category, Veronica Smith, and second place, Monica Martinez. In the children's category Faith Switzer took first place and Ari Benally second place. When we adjourned the festivities, many Federationists lined up to thank Chief Eden for coming and staying during the entire event to meet many of our members personally. All left the banquet with renewed energy for the National Federation of the Blind. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Lauren McLarney] Social Security, SSI, and Medicare Facts for 2015 by Lauren McLarney >From the Editor: Every December we publish the Social Security figures that have been announced for the coming year. Here is the 2015 information as prepared by Lauren McLarney, manager of governmental affairs, in our NFB Advocacy and Policy Department: Another year, another set of annual adjustments to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Medicare programs. The updated amounts for 2015 are listed below. These numbers include new tax rates, higher exempt earnings amounts (substantial gainful activity), and cost-of-living increases. They also include deductible, premium, and coinsurance amounts under Part A and B of Medicare. Tax Rates FICA and Self-Employment Tax Rates: The FICA tax rate for employees and their employers is a combination of payments to the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Fund, and the Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Fund, from which payments under Medicare are made. In other words, the tax rate is the combined rate for Social Security and Medicare. The total tax rate for 2014 was 7.65 percent for employees and their employers and 15.3 percent for self-employed workers. These percentages are unchanged for 2015. Please note that as of January 2013 individuals with earned income of more than $200,000 ($250,000 for married couples filing jointly) pay an additional 0.9 percent in Medicare taxes. The tax rates listed above for 2013 and 2014 do not include that additional 0.9 percent. Ceiling on Earnings Subject to Tax: In 2014 the ceiling on taxable earnings for contributions to the OASDI Trust Fund was $117,000. For 2015 the maximum amount of taxable earnings will be $118,500. All earnings are taxed for the HI Trust Fund. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Quarters of Coverage: Eligibility for Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits is partially based on the number of quarters of coverage earned by any individual during periods of work. Anyone may earn up to four quarters of coverage in a single year. The rationale behind the quarter-of-coverage concept is that a person must have contributed to the system before being eligible to collect benefits from it. The quarters of coverage are a way of measuring how much one has contributed to the system. In 2014 a quarter of coverage was credited for earnings of $1,200 in any calendar quarter. Anyone who earned $4,800 in 2014 (regardless of when the earnings occurred during the year) received four quarters of coverage. In 2015 a quarter of coverage will be credited for earnings of $1,220 during a calendar quarter. Four quarters will be credited for annual earnings of $4,880. Trial Work Period Limit: The amount of earnings required to use a trial work month is subject to annual increases based on changes in the national average wage index. In 2014 the amount was $770. This amount will increase to $780 in 2015. In cases of self-employment a trial work month can also be used if a person works more than eighty hours, and this limitation on hours worked will not change unless expressly adjusted. Exempt Earnings: The monthly earnings exemption is referred to as Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). This is a measurement used to determine whether a beneficiary is earning enough income that he or she may be deemed ineligible for benefits and is calculated as a person's monthly income before taxes, minus any unearned (or subsidy) income and any impairment- related work expense deductions. In 2014 the SGA for a blind person receiving disability benefits was $1,800. In 2015 this number will increase slightly to $1,820 per month. This means that in 2015 a blind SSDI beneficiary who earns $1,821 or more a month (before taxes but after subtractions of subsidy incomes and impairment-related work expenses) will be deemed to have exceeded SGA and will likely no longer be eligible for benefits. Social Security Benefit Amounts: There will be a 1.7 percent cost-of- living adjustment (COLA) for beneficiaries in 2015. Increased payments to beneficiaries will begin in December of 2014 and will apply to everyone receiving benefits in 2015. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Standard SSI Benefit Increase: Beginning January 2015 the federal payment amounts for SSI individuals and couples are as follows: individuals, $733 a month; SSI couples, $1,100 a month. Student Earned Income Exclusion: In 2014 the monthly amount was $1,750, and the maximum yearly amount was $7,060. In 2015 the monthly amount will be $1,780, and the maximum yearly amount will be $7,180. The SSI program applies strict asset limits of $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 for couples, which can be changed only by Congress. Medicare Medicare Deductibles and Coinsurance: Medicare Part A coverage provides hospital insurance to most Social Security beneficiaries. The coinsurance amount is the hospital charge to a Medicare beneficiary for any hospital stay. Medicare then pays the hospital charges above the beneficiary's coinsurance amount. The Part A hospital inpatient deductible was $1,216 in 2014 and will increase to $1,260 in 2015. The coinsurance charged for hospital services within a benefit period of no longer than sixty days was $0 in 2014 and will stay at $0 in 2015. From the sixty-first day through the ninetieth day, the daily coinsurance amount was $304 a day in 2014 and will slightly increase in 2015 to $315 a day. Each Medicare beneficiary has sixty lifetime reserve days that may be used after a ninety-day benefit period has ended. Once used, these reserve days are no longer available after any benefit period. The coinsurance amount paid during each reserve day used in 2014 was $608. In 2015 the coinsurance for each reserve day will be $630. Part A of Medicare pays all covered charges for services in a skilled nursing facility for the first twenty days following a three-day in- hospital stay within a benefit period. From the twenty-first day through the one hundredth day in a benefit period, the Part A coinsurance amount for services received in a skilled nursing facility was $152 in 2014 and will increase to $157.50 for 2015. Most Social Security beneficiaries have no monthly premium charge for Medicare Part A coverage. Those who become ineligible for SSDI can continue to receive Medicare Part A coverage premium-free for at least ninety-three months after the end of a trial work period. After that time the individual may purchase Part A coverage. The premium rate for this coverage during 2014 was $426 a month. In 2015 the premium rate for Part A coverage will reduce to $407. The annual deductible amount for Medicare Part B (medical insurance) in 2014 was $147. That amount will not change in 2015. The Medicare Part B monthly premium rate charged to each new beneficiary or to those beneficiaries who directly pay their premiums quarterly for 2014 was $104.90 a month, and again that amount will not change in 2015. For those receiving Social Security benefits, this premium payment is deducted from your monthly benefit check. Individuals who remain eligible for Medicare but are not receiving Social Security benefits because they are working must directly pay the Part B premium quarterly-one payment every three months. Like the Part A premiums mentioned above, Part B is also available for at least ninety-three months following the trial work period, assuming an individual wishes to have it and, when not receiving SSDI, continues to make quarterly premium payments. Programs That Help with Medicare Deductibles and Premiums: Low-income Medicare beneficiaries may qualify for help with payments. Assistance is available through two programs-the QMB (Qualified Medicare Beneficiary program) and the SLMB (Specified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary program). To qualify for the QMB program in 2014, an individual's monthly income could not exceed $993 and a married couple's monthly income could not exceed $1,331. To qualify for the SLMB program in 2014, an individual's monthly income could not exceed $1,187 and a married couple's monthly income could not exceed $1,593. A note on the Medicare website says: "These amounts may increase in 2015." Under the QMB program states are required to pay the Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance expenses for Medicare beneficiaries who meet the program's income and resource requirements. Under the SLMB program states pay only the full Medicare Part B monthly premium. Eligibility for the SLMB program may be retroactive for up to three calendar months. Both the QMB and SLMB programs are administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in conjunction with the states. The rules vary from state to state, but the following can be said: Resources, such as bank accounts or stocks, may not exceed $7,160 for one person or $10,750 for a family of two. There is yet a third program called the Qualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI) Program, and resources cannot exceed $4,000 for one person and $6,000 for a married couple under that program. Resources are generally things you own. However, not everything is counted. The house you live in, for example, doesn't count; and generally one car also doesn't count. If you qualify for assistance under the QMB program, you will not have to pay the following: Medicare's hospital deductible amount, which will be $1,260 per benefit period in 2015; the daily coinsurance charges for extended hospital and skilled nursing facility stays; the Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) premium, which will be $104.90 a month in 2015, unless you are currently receiving benefits from Social Security and the agency is automatically withholding your Part B premiums; the 2015 $147 annual Part B deductible; and the 20 percent coinsurance for services covered by Medicare Part B, depending on which doctor you go to (these services include doctor services, outpatient therapy, and durable medical equipment). If you qualify for assistance under the SLMB program, you will be responsible for the payment of all of the items listed above except for the monthly Part B premium, depending on your circumstances. If you think you qualify but you have not filed for Medicare Part A, contact Social Security to find out if you need to file an application. Further information about filing for Medicare is available from your local Social Security office or Social Security's toll-free number (800) 772- 1213. Remember that only your state can decide if you are eligible for help from the QMB or SLMB program and also that the income and resource levels listed here are general guidelines, with some states choosing greater amounts. Therefore, if you are elderly or disabled, have low income and very limited assets, and are a Medicare beneficiary, contact your state or local Medicaid office (referred to in some states as the Public Aid Office or the Public Assistance Office) to apply. For more information about either program, call the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its toll-free number (800) 633-4227, or go online to . ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Al Maneki] The Tactile Fluency Revolution: Year Two by Al Maneki >From the Editor: Al Maneki has had a distinguished career and in his retirement has turned his focus to improving the education of blind children by addressing the issue of tactile drawings. His work with E.A.S.Y. is well-known to readers, and here is his latest update on their efforts: Welcome to the second year of the tactile fluency revolution. The National Federation of the Blind proclaimed the start of this revolution at the tactile graphics workshop held at our 2013 convention in Orlando. As a cornerstone of this revolution, we adopted Resolution 2013-08, committing us to teaching Braille and tactile graphics simultaneously. Despite a number of production delays, during the past year E.A.S.Y., LLC brought the inTACT Sketchpad and Eraser to market just in time for sale at the 2014 NFB Convention. E.A.S.Y. representatives spent the past year promoting the tactile fluency revolution to people in the field of work with the blind. Our case for the need for tactile graphics was met with nearly unanimous support. Under the sponsorship of this resolution, E.A.S.Y. participated in NFB state conventions in Illinois, Texas, Utah, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. They held exhibits and workshops, and they spoke in some of the general sessions. In the summer of 2014 E.A.S.Y. conducted tactile graphics sessions at the NFB BELL summer programs held in Ohio, Utah, Pennsylvania, Maryland, District of Columbia, Virginia, and Texas. At the 2014 National Convention E.A.S.Y. conducted a tactile graphics workshop for NFBJI, and they spoke briefly at the NFB board meeting. They also spoke at the NOPBC and Science and Engineering annual meetings. For the second consecutive year E.A.S.Y. introduced tactile graphics to the youngsters in NFB Camp. In the summer of 2014 I personally conducted tactile graphics sessions in three NFB BELL classes, two in Maryland and one in the District of Columbia. I found it most refreshing to work with NFB BELL-age students, roughly age five to ten. Unlike blind adults, who reacted to our Sketchpad with a degree of hesitation, blind youngsters took up the Sketchpad with glee. While we received comments from the adults such as "I've never done this before," or, "I'm not going to be very good at this," the youngsters took up the Sketchpad with enthusiasm. As soon as we showed them how it worked, they were off and running. I developed a simple lesson plan for these three classes. When I arrived to teach the classes, students were already well drilled in the basic Federation classroom procedures, such as speaking out their names loudly and clearly in order to be recognized. Although there were a few complaints about using sleepshades, everyone complied with this requirement. After the round of introductions, the students examined their Sketchpads. Each contained a simple tactile image that they were asked to identify. We showed them how to use the drawing stylus and had them practice drawing random designs on fresh sheets of plastic. We then showed them quarter-inch-thick foam sheets in which we had cut out various simple shapes. These sheets were trimmed to fit snugly over the plastic sheet inserted in the Sketchpad. They were asked to trace around the edge of each cutout. They then exchanged pads to practice tracing different shapes. As a further exercise we handed out various geometric shapes: circles, triangles, etc, which students were asked to identify and trace. Unlike the foam sheets, these did not fit snugly over the Sketchpad. The students had to hold the shape firmly in place in order to trace around it. We had previously glued strips of rubber shelf liner on the back of each shape to help keep it in place as it was being traced. If time permitted, we allowed students to finish the session by drawing anything they wished. While some of these drawings were not recognizable to us, we appreciated their unrestrained creativity. Students took home all of their drawings. In these NFB BELL classes we did not show the students how to use the thermal Eraser. In the appendix we describe by brand name and manufacturers' links all of the materials we used for the NFB BELL classes. We also tell you how we constructed or adapted these products for use with our Sketchpads. We are giving you this information in the hope that it will inspire you to develop other aids and tools to teach tactile graphics. Please tell us about your successes, and also don't hesitate to share with us the things that didn't work for you. In the coming year we hope to participate in more NFB affiliate conventions to hold workshops and exhibits and speak in the general sessions. We plan to teach tactile graphics at as many NFB BELL classes around the nation as possible. We will develop augmented demonstrations of Braille and tactile graphics. Also in the first year of the tactile fluency revolution, we began the development of an interactive workbook to teach tactile drawing to students of all ages. It is being written to be used by teachers in the classroom or by parents to teach their children at home or even by students for self- study. Both the print and Braille editions will include a set of tactile worksheets, some of which are meant to be read-only but also many with pre- drawn exercises to be completed by the student. The exercises will range from the elementary, teaching the drawing of basic lines, curves, and shapes, to the more advanced in which objects are drawn by combining the elementary lines and shapes into figures, such as houses and cars. From the beginning this book is intended as a truly multimedia effort. The book will incorporate templates or stencils to aid in learning shapes by feel and how to draw them. Eventually we anticipate the development of other learning tools for the inTACT Sketchpad. As I am writing this article, the company is developing a set of plastic overlays to fit snugly over the top of the Sketchpad. To introduce blind students to the different types of triangles and quadrilaterals, each overlay contains cutouts of the different shapes. Each shape will have a Braille label to identify it. We will accompany these overlays with a study guide containing a set of definitions of each type of triangle or quadrilateral (e.g., equilateral, scalene, acute, rhombus, trapezoid, etc.) Students will learn to identify each form by examining the corresponding shape in the overlay. To reinforce learning, they may draw the border of each shape on the Sketchpad and shade in the area of that shape if they wish. After mastering the definitions of the various shapes of triangles and quadrilaterals, we will provide students with an unlabeled set of overlays. The study guide will ask students, for example, to pick out a particular shape such as a scalene triangle or rhombus. They will mark their choice by tracing what they think is the right cutout in the unmarked overlay. For additional self-study students will be asked other questions such as: "Is it possible for an equilateral triangle to be a scalene triangle?" "What is the difference between a rhombus and a trapezoid?" etc. This workbook is intended for demonstration only and not for general classroom use. Our overlays may be used with any teaching units on triangles and quadrilaterals. After students master these overlays, they will learn to construct triangles and quadrilaterals with the use of a ruler and protractor. Then they will be able to engage in activities of self-discovery, e.g., figuring out formulas for the areas of triangles and quadrilaterals and using triangles to build arbitrary polygonal shapes. These analytical efforts are in keeping with the goals of the common core state standards for mathematics. We plan to develop other learning aids and tools to accompany our Sketchpad. I have found to my disappointment that I cannot draw a neat circle with a compass. I have since learned that using a compass requires dexterity that is beyond the abilities of many people. We at E.A.S.Y. are giving serious thought to building a tool for drawing circles on our Sketchpad. This tool will be extremely valuable, enabling blind students to perform geometric constructions requiring arcs and complete circles, as well as Venn diagrams. A Venn diagram, consisting of a set of intersecting circles drawn inside a rectangle, is used to display relationships between sets of objects such as intersections, unions, set-differences, and complements. Too often the best that a blind student can do in place of a Venn diagram or other geometric construction is to render a cumbersome verbal description. With the superior design of our Sketchpad and the forthcoming digital functionality for it, it's not surprising that E.A.S.Y. is currently getting the lion's share of attention in tactile graphics. Yet, like other movements that apparently spring up overnight, the tactile fluency revolution has its share of progenitors. The Sewell Raised Line Drawing Kit and the APH DRAFTSMAN Tactile Drawing Board have been around for a very long time. Although some vision teachers are using them, they have not had much impact on tactile fluency. In particular Susan Osterhaus at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired has been a fierce advocate but gives us full credit for coming up with the term "Tactile Fluency." Ann Cunningham at the Colorado Center for the Blind has been actively engaged in teaching tactile art to blind people since 2009 with her Sensational Blackboard. When I saw her in Orlando, Ann told me that she was writing a book to teach art to blind people of all ages. We eagerly anticipate the publication of her book. On the academic side, Dr. Paul Gabias, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, has performed extensive research on tactile perception and its comparison with visual perception. We are at an opportune moment for significant advances in tactile graphics. Several independent events highlight the need for a unified approach for Braille and tactile graphics. These events are exactly what we need to stimulate major advances in tactile fluency. For example, in Orlando we heard from Christopher Downey, an architect who lost his vision suddenly in 2008. However, he continues to work as an architect by using improvised tactile systems. As a blind person he served as an architectural consultant to designing a rapid transit bus system for the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District in California. He served as a contract architect to the design of a 170,000-square-foot Polytrauma and Blind Rehabilitation Center for the Veterans Administration in Palo Alto. He is currently starting to design new offices for the Lighthouse for the Blind in San Francisco. As we listened to Downey's presentation, it became very clear to us that he would benefit immensely from the digital features that we plan to incorporate into our Sketchpad. Downey's story further reminds me of successful blind scientists I heard of in my youth. I was told back then that these folks were successful because they lost their sight after attaining their scientific reputations. By implication there was no possible way to attain scientific stature when starting out blind. Today we know better. We accept Christopher Downey's success story with the understanding and the belief that, if he made it, success in his field is possible for any of us. In year two the tactile fluency revolution is alive and well. It has been an unqualified success. Our greatest impact can be seen in the successes we have had with our NFB BELL students. This is the generation that will have boundless opportunities as engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and designers of all types. I'm convinced that computer- aided design software will be as useful to them as text-based applications are to us today. Even more encouraging, as they grow into adulthood, these students will be well versed in all of the skills of blindness as well as in living the Federation philosophy. This will enable them to compete on terms of equality. There is still much work to be done in reaching the goal of tactile fluency for everyone. We need all the help we can get. If you would like to join us, please get in touch with me: by email at , or by phone at (443) 745-9274. See you on the barricades! Appendix What Worked for Us Here are the items we used in our NFB BELL classes and two sessions of NFB Camp. We have not tested other items. When we found something that worked, we stopped looking and used it. This list is just to help you get started in teaching tactile graphics. We encourage you to look for other items and develop other teaching techniques. If you find anything you would like to share with us, either good or bad, please contact me, . The quarter-inch foam sheets were purchased at Michaels Craft Store: . Although this link refers to black sheets, when ordering, the color may be changed to white. We chose white over black due to odor and texture differences. The Craft Knife and extra blades: . Used to trim the cutouts on the foam sheets, was also purchased at Michael's Craft Store. Geometric Shape Templates are made by Learning Resources and were purchased from eNasco: . The Con-Tact Brand non-adhesive Shelf Liner, Grip Prints Liner, 12 in. x 10 ft. Almond was purchased at Home Depot. Tombow's Xtreme Adhesive was purchased at Michaels Craft Store but is also available online through Amazon.com. . Animal Zoo Foam Play Puzzle was purchased at Amazon.com but is probably available elsewhere. Geometric Shapes from Learning Resources was purchased from Amazon.com. This is a set of ten three-dimensional shapes, inviting students to explore geometry. Shapes have a common three-inch dimension to illustrate relationships between area, volume, shape, form and size. Plastic shapes include cone, sphere, hemisphere, cube, cylinder, rectangular prism, hexagonal prism, triangular prism, square pyramid, and triangular pyramid. Although we did not use these shapes in our NFB BELL classes, they appear to be a useful way to teach blind children about three-dimensional objects. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Edward Bell] The 2015 Blind Educator of the Year Award by Edward Bell >From the Editor: Dr. Edward Bell is an experienced educator in his own right. He was named Blind Educator of the Year in 2008. He chairs the 2015 Blind Educator of the Year Award selection committee. This is what he says: A number of years ago the Blind Educator of the Year Award was established by the National Organization of Blind Educators (the educators division of the National Federation of the Blind) to pay tribute to a blind teacher whose exceptional classroom performance, notable community service, and uncommon commitment to the NFB merit national recognition. Beginning with the 1991 presentation, this award became an honor bestowed by our entire movement. The change reflects our recognition of the importance of good teaching and the impact an outstanding blind teacher has on students, faculty, community, and all blind Americans. This award is presented in the spirit of the outstanding educators who founded and have continued to nurture the National Federation of the Blind and who, by example, have imparted knowledge of our strengths to us and raised our expectations. We have learned from Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, and Immediate Past President Marc Maurer that a teacher not only provides a student with information but also provides guidance, advocacy, and love. The recipient of the Blind Educator of the Year Award must exhibit all of these traits and must advance the cause of blind people in the spirit and philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind. The Blind Educator of the Year Award is presented at the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Honorees must be present to receive an appropriately inscribed plaque and a check for $1,000. Nominations should be sent to Dr. Edward Bell, Louisiana Tech University, PDRIB, PO Box 3158, Ruston, LA 71272. Letters of nomination must be accompanied by a copy of the nominee's current r?sum? and supporting documentation of community and Federation activity. All nomination materials must be in the hands of the committee chairman by May 1, 2015, to be considered for this year's award. For further information contact Edward Bell at (318) 257-4554, or . ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Darlene Laibl-Crowe] Can You Hear Me Now? by Darlene Laibl-Crowe >From the Editor: Darlene Laibl-Crowe is the vice president of the NFB of Florida Statewide Chapter. She was appointed by Governor Rick Scott in 2012 to the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to represent deaf-blind Floridians. Here is what she has to say about enhancing the experience of deaf-blind members as we in the National Federation of the Blind harness the power of conference telephoning to conduct some of our business: When the National Federation of the Blind of Florida Statewide Chapter was created in February of 2013, it became possible for those who live in Florida who do not live near a local chapter to become part of the Federation. The statewide chapter meets once a month by phone, unlike the traditional chapter meeting, where people are physically present. It has a once-a-year face-to-face meeting at the state convention. Now this avant- garde group is pioneering another approach by opening the door for those who are hard of hearing to participate in the conference call meetings more efficiently with captioning. As a hard-of-hearing person it is difficult at times to clearly understand what is being said on the phone, even more difficult when more than one person is talking. Here is a sample conversation for me on the phone with one person: Me: What? What was that you said? Could you please repeat what you said? Voice on the phone mumbles: Mmph...dis...mmph. Me (sighing): I can't understand you. Can you spell that please? Sometimes when talking on the phone I feel like I have a loose connection, since I can catch only bits and pieces of what the caller is saying. Now I can't speak for others who are hard of hearing, but this seems to be the norm for me. Fortunately, I am one of the lucky ones who have experienced the technology that is available to understand what is being said during a meeting and on conference calls. In 2012 Governor Rick Scott appointed me to represent deaf-blind Floridians on the Florida Coordinating Council for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (). Members of the board represent various state agencies and other organizations that serve the deaf, the hard of hearing, and the deaf-blind consumers of Florida. Some of the members are deaf and rely on sign language, and some are hard of hearing. The state provides accommodations such as interpreters, support service providers, and Communications Access Real-time Transmission, also known as CART. CART () is a form of captioning in which transcriptionists type into a program what is being said during a meeting or over the telephone. During the meeting I can read the conversation using my laptop on a website. This helps all of us on the board to understand clearly what is being said and to make professional decisions and comments. As I continued to meet with the statewide chapter, I thought to myself on several occasions, "How wonderful it would be if we had CART." But after some research I found that having CART was not an option due to our limited budget. In September 2014 I found out about C-Print (), which is similar to CART. I researched the organization, and they connected me to a listserv that transcriptionists used. I asked some key questions. How does C-Print work? Can it be done by phone? How much does it cost? I had many people contact me with some very good information and some reasonable quotes. Then one of the emails connected me to Strada Communications. According to CEO Chanel Carlascio, "Strada () is committed to giving back to the people and communities we work with every day. A portion of our proceeds is set aside to provide services for people who have been denied them in some way and for organizations that could not otherwise afford them. We are proud to partner with the NFB of Florida in this way," supporting NFB's philosophy to empower all who are blind, even those who also have hearing loss. Before the meeting there were some concerns that this type of meeting might be in conflict with NFB's rules. I quickly explained how it works. The meeting would proceed as normal with audio recording. The transcriptionists would type the conversation. When the meeting was over, we would receive a copy of the transcription. This would mean that we would have two forms of documentation for our meeting to prevent any misleading information. I also informed the members that there is one rule: all of us must state our name before we speak, so the transcriptionist can know who is speaking. A list of those attending the meeting was also sent to the transcriptionists before the meeting. Sunday night, October 19, 2014, statewide chapter president, Holly Idler began, "This is Holly. Welcome to the Statewide Chapter." During the call echoing or staticky phone lines were apparent, but overall the two transcriptionists, Joshua Kissel and Cora Sipe, were able to type the conversation as the meeting proceeded. We were able to read the captioning on the website () by using our computers and listening to what was being said. After the meeting there was much praise for how well the captioning worked. Brooke Evans, a statewide chapter member and also hard of hearing, stated: "It is a game-changer for the deaf/blind/hearing impaired. I'm very impressed with it. It is very good." The captioning can also be accessible for those who rely on Braille displays. For more information, or if you would like to visit our next meeting to learn more about captioning, please either contact me by phone at (386) 325-0218, or email me at . ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Cathy Jackson] Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award for 2015 by Cathy Jackson >From the Editor: Cathy Jackson chairs the committee to select the Distinguished Educator of Blind Children for 2015. The National Federation of the Blind will recognize an outstanding teacher of blind children at our 2015 convention next July. The winner of this award will receive an expense-paid trip to the convention, a check for $1,000, an appropriate plaque, and an opportunity to make a presentation about the education of blind children to the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. Anyone who is currently teaching or counseling blind students or administering a program for blind children is eligible to receive this award. It is not necessary to be a member of the National Federation of the Blind to apply. However, the winner must attend the national convention. Teachers may be nominated by colleagues, supervisors, or friends. The letter of nomination should explain why the teacher is being recommended for this award. The education of blind children is one of our most important concerns. Attendance at a National Federation of the Blind convention will enrich a teacher's experience by affording him or her the opportunity to take part in seminars and workshops on educational issues, to meet other teachers who work with blind children, to meet parents, and to meet blind adults who have had experiences in a variety of educational programs. Help us recognize a distinguished teacher by distributing this form and encouraging teachers to submit their credentials. We are pleased to offer this award and look forward to applications from many well-qualified educators. Please complete the application and attach the following: . A letter of nomination from someone (parent, coworker, supervisor, etc.) who knows your work; . A letter of recommendation from someone who knows you professionally and knows your philosophy of teaching; and . A letter from you discussing your beliefs and approach to teaching blind students. In your letter you may wish to discuss topics such as the following: o Your views about when and how students should use Braille, large print, digital recordings, readers, magnification devices, computers, electronic notetakers, and other technology. o Your method of deciding whether a child should use print, Braille, or both. o Your timetable for recommending that your students begin instruction in the use of a slate and stylus or a Braillewriter. o Your process for determining which students should learn cane travel (and when) and which should not. o When keyboarding should be introduced. o When a child should be expected to hand in print assignments independently. National Federation of the Blind Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award 2015 Application Deadline: May 15, 2015 Name: _______________________________________________________ Home address: _________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _________________________________________________ Phone: (H) ____________________(W) ____________________________ Email: ______________________________________________________ School: ______________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________ City, State, Zip: _________________________________________________ Use a separate sheet of paper to answer the following: . List your degrees, the institutions from which they were received, and your major area or areas of study. . How long and in what programs have you worked with blind children? . In what setting do you currently work? . Briefly describe your current job and teaching responsibilities. . Describe your current caseload (e.g., number of students, ages, multiple disabilities, number of Braille-reading students). Email is strongly encouraged for transmitting nominations; letters of support and other relevant materials should be included as attachments. Applications sent by mail and postmarked by the deadline will also be accepted. Send all material by May 15, 2015, to Cathy Jackson, Chairperson, Teacher Award Committee, or by mail to 210 Cambridge Drive, Louisville, Kentucky 40214-2809; (502) 366-2317. ---------- Recipes This month's recipes are offered by members of the NFB of Puerto Rico. Sancocho (Puerto Rican Stew) by Odette Qui?ones Odette is a founding member and hard worker of our affiliate. She is the loving mother of our first vice president, Lydia Usero. Ingredients: 1/4 cup olive oil 1 green bell pepper, chopped 1 red pepper, chopped 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 onion, finely diced 3 tablespoons culantro (also known as long coriander or Mexican coriander), chopped 2 cups corn kernels (frozen may be used) 1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut in cubes 2 green plantains, peeled and quartered 2 yautias, peeled and cut in cubes 1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and quartered 1/2 pound pumpkin, peeled and quartered 1 cup tomato paste 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon cumin 2 pounds boneless/skinless chicken thighs 2 pounds cubed stew beef 1 pound cubed pork shoulder 2 1/2 quarts cool water Salt and pepper to taste Method: Heat the oil in a deep kettle. Add peppers, garlic, and onions, cook for two to three minutes. Add the meat, culantro, celery, and oregano. Cook for fifteen to twenty minutes. Add remaining ingredients, then add enough water to cover the ingredients. Cook for two and a half hours or until the meat is tender. Note: For a thicker soup, mash some of the vegetables and stir them well into it. Sancocho is great for cold days. It goes well with garlic bread or our scrumptious tostones, delicious. Makes ten to twelve servings. ---------- Tembleque (Coconut Pudding) by Odette Qui?ones Ingredients: 1/2 cup cornstarch 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups coconut milk 1 can coconut water 1 small orange leaf Ground cinnamon Method: Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a pot. Slowly add coconut milk and coconut water, stirring well. Add orange leaf. Stir continually and cook at medium-high temperature until mixture boils. Lower temperature to medium, and continue stirring until it thickens. Take out the orange leaf and pour mixture into a glass mold, refrigerate. Sprinkle ground cinnamon over it before serving. Note: Tembleque is a dessert usually eaten during Christmas season in Puerto Rico. ---------- Codfish Serenade by Lydia Usero Lydia Usero is the first vice president of the NFB of Puerto Rico. Ingredients: 1 pound salted codfish fillet 1 pound peeled potatoes 1 red onion 3 avocados 5 hard-boiled eggs 1/2 cup olive oil Method: Wash salt from codfish with cold tap water. Boil and clean codfish. Cut into one-inch pieces. Peel and boil potatoes, then slice them and place them in a bowl. Slice hard-boiled eggs. Peel and cut avocados in cubes. Slice red onion. Place ingredients in the bowl with the potatoes and codfish, add olive oil, and mix with a plastic spoon. ---------- iGreen Salad by Lydia Usero Ingredients: 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, chopped 1/2 red onion, sliced 1 can sweet peas Parmesan cheese to taste Bacon bits to taste Mayonnaise Method: Mix everything except mayonnaise in a bowl, and put in the refrigerator. Add mayonnaise when serving. ---------- Cream Cheese Potatoes by Luz S?nchez Luz S?nchez is a member of the NFB of Puerto Rico and the wife of Eduardo Gonz?lez, NFB of Puerto Rico second vice president. Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds potatoes 1 quart heavy cream 1 pound package bacon, diced 4 ounces cream cheese Garlic to taste 1 ounce butter Method: Peel and slice potatoes, cook in heavy cream at medium-low temperature. Fry diced bacon slices with garlic. Mix bacon, butter, and cream cheese with potatoes and heavy cream. Cook for five minutes at low temperature. Serve with preferred meat or poultry. Serves seven. ---------- Strawberry Flan by Gladys Franco Gladys Franco is the mother of a young blind woman and a member of the board of directors of the NFB of Puerto Rico. Ingredients: 1 14-ounce can of condensed milk 1 12-ounce can of evaporated milk 1 10-ounce package of frozen strawberries in their juice 2 cups boiling water 1 large package strawberry Jell-O Method: Liquefy strawberries with evaporated and condensed milk in a blender. Pour Jell-O into boiling water and blend well. Mix all ingredients, then pour into a mold and put in the refrigerator until mixture jells. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family National Federation of the Blind 2015 Scholarship Program: Are you a legally blind college student living in the United States or Puerto Rico? This annual program offers thirty scholarships worth from $3,000 to $12,000 to eligible students, from high school seniors beginning their freshman year in the fall semester of 2015, up through grad students working on their PhD degrees. These merit scholarships are based on academic excellence, community service, and leadership. In addition to the money, each winner will receive assistance to attend the July 2015 NFB annual convention in Orlando, Florida, providing an excellent opportunity for high-level networking with active blind persons in many different professions and occupations. To apply, read the rules and the submission checklist, complete the official 2015 Scholarship Application Form (online or in print), supply all required documents, and request and complete one interview by an NFB affiliate president (unless the president requests a later date). Applications are accepted for five months, from November 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015. Go to for complete rules and requirements. Release of Unified English Braille Version of The McDuffy Reader: On October 14, 2014, the National Federation of the Blind announced the release of a new version of The McDuffy Reader: A Braille Primer for Adults by Sharon L. Monthei, which is designed to guide students through the Unified English Braille (UEB) code. The primer, first published by the National Federation of the Blind in 1989, has been used as an effective Braille teaching tool in many rehabilitation settings around the country. Ms. Monthei has revised this popular Braille instructional manual in light of the coming changes to the Braille code. By January 2016, Unified English Braille will be the official Braille code used in the United States. Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the Blind is proud to make this new instructional tool available to adult Braille students. With the rollout of Unified English Braille only a little more than a year away, we believe that programs that teach Braille to blind adults will find this new version of our classic Braille instructional manual to be an invaluable aid for their students." Jennifer Dunnam, manager of Braille programs for the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The McDuffy Reader has been a widely utilized and acclaimed guide for adults learning Braille for twenty-five years and counting. This update ensures that this excellent primer will continue to be a helpful resource for Braille students across the nation." The Unified English Braille Edition of The McDuffy Reader: A Braille Primer for Adults is the first UEB instructional guide for beginning adult Braille readers to be published in the United States. The book first presents uncontracted Braille, then the Braille contractions in logical groups. The author has crafted the text in the contracted section of the manual so that words are used only when students have learned all of the contractions that apply to them. The book contains eighty-nine Braille pages in one volume, which is comb-bound with plastic covers. The UEB edition of The McDuffy Reader is available from the National Federation of the Blind Independence Market for $20.00 plus shipping and handling. You may contact the NFB Independence Market by email at and by phone at (410) 659-9314, extension 2216. 2015 NFB Writers' Division Writing Contest: The annual youth and adult writing contests sponsored by the NFB Writers' Division will open January 1 and close April 1. Since it is the Federation's seventy-fifth birthday, the contest will, for the first time ever, have a required theme. All submissions will need to incorporate the theme of seventy-five. It does not have to be about the anniversary of NFB. It could just be the number seventy-five, or perhaps the diamond anniversary, or seventy-five steps to your destination, or even seventy- five balloons. In the pattern of past entries, seventy-five aliens would work. Seriously, let your imagination take over. Write the piece you want; just remember to include the theme of seventy-five to commemorate the seventy-five years of the work that has been happening within and because of the National Federation of the Blind. In the adult contests, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and stories for youth are open to all entrants eighteen and over. The youth writing contests, poetry and fiction, are to promote Braille literacy and excellence in writing. Each contest is divided into three groups by grade level-elementary, middle school, and high school. Prizes in the adult contest may be as much as $100; winners in the youth contest may receive as much as $30. All contest winners will be announced during the Writers' Division business meeting at the NFB National Convention, held in Orlando, Florida in July of 2015. In addition, the list of winners will appear on our website, , and their submissions will be considered for publication in our division's magazine, Slate and Style. For additional contest details and submission guidelines, go to . Elected: At the 2014 Illinois state convention, the following members were elected to the board of directors: president, Denise R. Avant (Chicago chapter); first vice president, Debbie Kent Stein (Chicago chapter); second vice president, Leslie Hamric (at-large chapter); secretary, Glenn Moore (Chicago chapter); treasurer, Patti Chang (Chicago chapter); board members, David Meyer (Chicago chapter), Bill Reif (Ferris Wheel chapter), Brian Sumner (Four Rivers chapter), Debbie Pittman (Chicago chapter), Adrienne Falconer (IABS), and Jesse Rogers (IABM). Elected: At the annual meeting of the Illinois Association of Blind Students, the following were elected: president, Brianna Lillyman; first vice president, Katie Leinum; second vice president, Sarah Luna; secretary, Julia Chang; treasurer, Glenn Moore; board members, Debbie Kent Stein, Adrienne Falconer, and Nadia Montanez. ------------- 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. Ideas Wanted for the Improvement of Web-based Technology: We welcome you to submit your best work on improving accessibility of the web, mobiles, and wearables for people with and without disabilities to the International Web for All Conference (W4A15), conveniently co-located with WWW15 and MobiSys15. W4A15 () will take place in Florence, Italy (May 18 to 20): . Intuit will award $2,000 and $1,000 to the best technical and communication papers . The Paciello Group will award the winners of the Accessibility Challenge . ABILITY Magazine will highlight the winners of awards in a special editorial . IBM will provide travel grants to both grad and undergrad students with disabilities . Google will sponsor six PhD students to participate in the Doctoral Student Consortium . Submission deadlines: January 23; notifications: 4 As you know, devices are getting smaller, and more of them are now wearable: smart glasses, smart watches, and smart clothing are all working their way into our lives and onto our bodies. These devices are online, web- accessible, and increasingly interconnected. As with many technologies that have come before, wearable devices present incredible opportunities for improving accessibility for people with and without disabilities, but also present accessibility challenges in ensuring that people are able to equally benefit from them regardless of disability, context, or situation. Acknowledging the importance of this topic, the theme of the twelfth International Web for All Conference is "The Wearable Web." Don't be deterred by the theme; we invite your best work on improving and understanding access for people across the accessibility continuum. Papers are expected to detail technical solutions and scientific insights into web, mobile, and wearable technologies addressing diverse user needs. Areas of interest include but are not limited to the following: age, cognition, culture, education, emotions, dexterity, disability, diversity, health, hearing, income, infrastructure, language, learning, literacy, mobility, situation, society, and vision. The keynote speech on the "Sense and Sensibility: Smartphones and Wearable Technologies to Support Seniors" will be delivered by Lorenzo Chiari who is a professor and the vice director of the Health Sciences and Technologies-Interdepartmental Center for Industrial Research at the University of Bologna. On the close of the first day, join us for an evening of wine, food, and live music-with a classical performance by Lia Martirosyan. The William Laughborough after-dinner talk "Riches Beyond Measure: A New Frontier in Web Accessibility" will be given by Kevin Carey, the chair of the Royal National Institute of Blind People, UK. Don't come just for W4A15-stay for the entire week! W4A is conveniently co-located with WWW15 and MobiSys15 conferences. MobiSys15 is the top research conference dealing with all aspects of mobile systems: . And WWW15 () is the best and the biggest web research conference attended by famous web researchers and practitioners, such as Sir Tim Berners-Lee (the inventor of the web). Among other events, we will hold a joint WWW/W4A panel session devoted to the "Wearable Web" theme. ---------- 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. From buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org Wed Dec 31 23:56:28 2014 From: buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org (Brian Buhrow) Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2014 23:56:28 -0800 Subject: [Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, January 2015 Message-ID: <201501010756.t017uST5009693@lothlorien.nfbcal.org> BRAILLE MONITOR Vol. 58, No. 1 January 2015 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 Mark Riccobono, 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 Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice Watch and share our videos: YouTube.com/NationsBlind 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 KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT; BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND-IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES. ISSN 0006-8829 ? 2015 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. [PHOTO CAPTION: Palm-lined drive leading to front entrance to Rosen Centre Hotel] Orlando Site of 2015 NFB Convention The 2015 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take place in Orlando, Florida, July 5-10, at the Rosen Centre Hotel at 9840 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32819. Make your room reservation as soon as possible with the Rosen Centre staff only. Call (800) 204-7234. The 2015 room rates are singles, doubles, and twins, $82; and triples and quads, $89. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 13.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested. The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $95-per-room deposit is required to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be refunded if notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before June 1, 2015. The other 50 percent is not refundable. Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations may be made before June 1, 2015, assuming that rooms are still available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon. Guest-room amenities include cable television; in-room safe; coffeemaker; hairdryer; and, for a fee, high-speed Internet access. Guests can also enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-site spa. The Rosen Centre Hotel offers fine dining at Executive Chef Michael Rumplik's award- winning Everglades Restaurant. In addition, there is an array of dining options from sushi to tapas to a 24-hour deli. The hotel has first-rate amenities and shuttle service to the Orlando airport. The schedule for the 2015 convention is: Sunday, July 5 Seminar Day Monday, July 6 Registration Day Tuesday, July 7 Board Meeting and Division Day Wednesday, July 8 Opening Session Thursday, July 9 Business Session Friday, July 10 Banquet Day and Adjournment Vol. 58, No. 1 January 2015 Contents Illustration: #GivingTuesday Winter Block Party Putting Names and Faces to Fight of the Blind for Educational Equality by Gary Wunder The TEACH Act: Frequently Asked Questions by Lauren McLarney The Marrakesh Treaty: From the Visually Impaired Persons Community's Perspective by Scott LaBarre President Obama Proclaims October 15 Blind Americans Equality Day Attitudes and Expectations in Education by Julie McGinnity James Brown: Father, Highway Administrator, and Leader Why Braille? by Deborah Kendrick The Secret to Winning a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship by Patti S. Gregory-Chang What I Have Given and Received from the Federation by Tom Bickford Constitution of the National Federation of the Blind as Amended 2014 Questions from a Curious Teen by Deborah Kent Stein The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund by Allen Harris Recipes Monitor Miniatures [PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis introduces the Baltimore Oriole Mascot] [PHOTO CAPTION: Tia Kirschner and baby Cole pose with the Oriole bird] [PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono poses with the Oriole bird while his family looks on.] [PHOTO CAPTION: Amy Mason, Karl Belanger, and Karl's guide dog, Quasar in the photo booth] [PHOTO DESCRIPTION: Amy Mason rocks a handheld mustache while Karl Belanger holds his guide dog, Quasar up to model a pair of star-shaped sunglasses in the photo booth] #GivingTuesday Winter Block Party On December 2, 2014, the National Federation of the Blind participated in #GivingTuesday by encouraging giving through a social media campaign, a leadership challenge, and a free event for the public at its headquarters in South Baltimore. Some of its top influencers, including NFB President Mark Riccobono, participated in the #GivingTuesday Leadership Challenge by calling their contacts to request donations to help the National Federation of the Blind reach a goal of 750 donations. To wrap up its #GivingTuesday campaign, the National Federation of the Blind hosted a free event at its NFB Jernigan Institute-the Winter Block Party. The Winter Block Party, held from 5 to 8 PM, offered free food, games, and music. Food and drinks were generously provided by Alex Elman Wines, Hersh's Pizza, Homeslyce Pizza Bar, Miss Shirley's Cafe, Matsuri, and Mother's Grille. In attendance were Congressman John Sarbanes and Baltimore City Councilman Eric Costello. We also had a photo booth and an appearance by the Oriole Bird! It was a great way to end #GivingTuesday! [PHOTO CAPTION: Jamie Principato] Putting Names and Faces to the Fight of the Blind for Educational Equality by Gary Wunder One of the most pressing issues facing the blind today is that it is difficult to receive an equal education, not to mention a quality education. This is true whether the difficulties face a blind student in elementary school trying to get Braille instruction, a high school student forbidden from taking a class because it is considered to be dangerous or too visual, or a college or university student attending a school where the instructional materials offered do not work efficiently (if at all) with screen-reading technology. As you read the following article, hundreds of Federationists will be preparing to go to Washington, DC, to participate in meetings with members of Congress, and one of the issues they will discuss is the Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACH) Act. Articles about it have appeared in previous issues of the Braille Monitor, and more about the act is also found in this one. But beyond the abstract language of current law, the discussion about proposed guidelines, and what electronic gadgetry is and is not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Sections 504 and 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, who are the people really affected by all of this? By the time you finish this article, you will know two of them, and never again will an article about inaccessible technology seem distant or unrelated to upholding the civil rights of blind people and providing equality of opportunity for the blind of America. You will meet two people whose lives will never be the same because of a university's refusal to make its software accessible and to ensure that the hardware it purchased was usable by blind people. All of this happened despite the requests, the pleas, and eventually the demands of two honor students who were forced to abandon their career goals, lose merit scholarships, and endanger the funding that is their right as citizens of Florida and the United States of America. Before telling their story, I want to acknowledge that this article is comprised of passages taken from legal briefs; settlement documents; spectacular quotes from Jamie Principato, one of the complainants advocating for her rights; and my own narrative, which tries to tie all of these elements together. In 2008 Christopher Toth, a young honors student who was the salutatorian at his high school, entered Florida State University (FSU). So outstanding were his grades that his tuition and books were covered by merit scholarships. He classified himself as an amateur computer programmer, someone who wrote programs for fun, but he realized that his success in writing useful applications might lead to a rewarding career. To obtain a bachelor's degree, Florida law requires every FSU student to complete successfully or test out of at least two college-level math courses by the end of the student's sophomore year. Half of these credits may be through the statistics department; the remainder must be earned from courses offered by FSU's department of mathematics. FSU will not permit a student to register for classes who has not received credit for two mathematics classes before the commencement of his or her junior year. In August 2008, as an incoming freshman, Toth met with staff at the FSU Student Disability Resource Center (SDRC) to register as a student with a disability. As required, he completed an intake interview with Tim Ebener, an adviser at the SDRC. As standard procedure the SDRC developed an individual accommodation plan for Toth. In it the university was to alert his professors to the accommodations required for each class. Toth's accommodation plan required a variety of classroom and testing accommodations, including that professors provide him with notes and handouts in electronic format prior to class sessions; copies of directions in auditory format; an in-class note taker, if requested; use of a tape recorder or laptop during class; accessible formats for tests; extended time on tests; and other accommodations. Because Toth's high ACT math score allowed him to skip more basic math courses, he enrolled in MAC 1140 (Pre- Calculus Algebra), a prerequisite for computer science courses, taught by Professor Mary Kutter. Given his previous success in this field, he anticipated no real problems with the course. He is a proficient Braille reader, and most would agree that mathematics is one course in which being able to see the problem in front of you is essential, whether that seeing is through the eyes to read print or through the fingers to read Braille. Professor Kutter announced on the first day of class that all students were to complete homework assignments and quizzes on the online eGrade system. eGrade is an online educational program used in math courses at FSU for homework, quizzes, and tests. Students solve problems presented online and submit their answers electronically. The beauty of the system for students is its ability to coach them as they learn. The advantage for instructors is that they do not have to grade each student's work. The advantage for both students and instructors is that grades are quickly available. When Toth opened the assigned eGrade website for MAC 1140 to complete his homework, he discovered that it would not work with his screen reader. Instead of the screen reader saying what was on the screen and presenting the multiple-choice answers to him, it failed to verbalize the content of any of the questions or answers. Toth immediately sent an email to his professor explaining the situation. He also contacted Tim Ebener at the SDRC. Professor Kutter informed Toth that she would look into the situation, as did Mr. Ebener. eGrade is custom software developed by FSU, so changing it did not involve convincing a vendor or software developer outside the control of the institution to do the work required to make it accessible. Given his background in programming and knowledge of screen- reading systems, Toth could both demonstrate the problem and recommend code changes to address it. During the first week of class Toth also requested that FSU provide him with the math textbook used by his fellow students. He asked that his copy be in Braille. FSU initially promised it but subsequently reneged. The university ultimately told Toth that, because the math textbook was not technically required for the course and because it could not easily be made accessible, he would have to do without it. The institution also breached its promise set forth in his accommodation plan, requiring Professor Kutter to provide him with notes in an accessible electronic format prior to the start of each class. Rather than make accessible the eGrade homework, quizzes, and tests provided to sighted students, FSU proposed that Toth depend on someone with sight, who would read the materials aloud. Such a human reader is an ineffective and inadequate method for communicating this information. Jamie Principato, who would soon join Toth in the struggle for accessible instruction in mathematics, says: "The school had a testing center for persons with disabilities that had all of the accessible technology and equipment that we would need, but they didn't want us using it for math because the math department was reluctant to release any tests to the disability services department." As a result of FSU's refusal to make the MAC 1140 course accessible, its failure to provide a Braille textbook, and its failure to abide by Toth's accommodation plan, he was forced to drop the class and receive an "administrative drop." Despite FSU's refusal to provide Toth with the necessary educational materials to pass MAC 1140, he was provided with accessible materials for his other courses, all of which he passed. In light of the lack of adequate accommodations for MAC 1140, he decided to enroll for the spring of 2009 in a less demanding class, MAC 1105, College Algebra, with Professor Penny LeNoir. Jamie Principato would join him in this class, and the treatment they received would be similar. As soon as classes started, Toth discovered that the same textbook was used for MAC 1105 and MAC 1140. Despite his request, FSU again refused to provide him with the Braille book he needed for the course. FSU also continued to refuse to make eGrade accessible and, instead, again insisted that he use a human reader for homework, quizzes, and tests. As inadequate as this accommodation would have been, FSU even refused to pay for a reader, insisting that the expense be borne by Florida's Division of Blind Services (DBS). By the time a reader was arranged, Toth had missed two weeks of course assignments and materials that had been available to his sighted peers. The reader FSU provided was a work-study student who had no mastery of the advanced math concepts needed to read or describe the course materials. The reader was made available for short periods only and at most came to read twice a week. When the reader was not available, Toth was forced to ask friends to log in to his account and read him the questions. As Principato observes, "When you are working with large polynomials and complex equations that the reader is trying to read to you, the outcome can be a disaster." Because of FSU's failure to provide accessible materials or an effective accommodation, Toth had to drop the course. FSU recorded this as a "WDA," indicating that he had withdrawn from the course. Clearly this reflected negatively on his transcript and would, if unchallenged, tarnish his academic record and reduce opportunities for additional schooling and employment commensurate with his real skill and ability. Not surprisingly, Toth grew increasingly discouraged and began to believe that he would be unable to major in computer science and would be unable to pursue the career that had long been his dream. His grades suffered, and he spent most of his time alone or talking on the phone to Principato. Because he expended so much energy unsuccessfully on MAC 1105 and grew depressed and frustrated, his other grades suffered. The drop in his GPA meant that he lost his Bright Futures scholarship. During his freshman year DBS covered his living expenses. When his GPA dropped in the spring of 2009, his DBS counselor informed him that, unless he was able to demonstrate an ability to succeed in his courses during the summer, the agency would not fund his living expenses or provide tuition assistance. During the summer term Toth enrolled in PSY2012, General Psychology and SOP3004, Social Psychology. He received accessible textbooks and course materials for each course and received an A in each class. DBS then agreed to pay for his coursework, and Mr. Toth enrolled for the fall of 2009. Jamie Principato entered FSU in the fall of 2009. She too had an agreement with the university's Student Disability Resource Center, but, when it came to accommodations in mathematics, the SRDC was no advocate. "I always got the impression when I talked with disability services that they weren't trying very hard. I hate to make that accusation, but they always seemed to be very passive in their communications with the math department. When I was able to read the email transcripts between them, their attitude in talking with the math department seemed to be that 'We know you don't want to do this, but we would certainly like it if you did.' Never did their communication say, 'This is university policy, and we expect you to work with us to see that these blind students get the materials and instruction they need.'" As with Toth, the mathematics department refused to honor Principato's SDRC-issued accommodation plan that allowed her to take weekly exams at the SDRC Testing Center. At the testing center she could have used ZoomText to magnify the test. Instead she was consigned either to a cramped room in the math department that was equipped with four computers that did not have ZoomText software or, in the case of the final exam, to the math department's faculty kitchen, where she attempted to concentrate while teachers ate and chatted. The mathematics department gave Principato paper copies of the tests, requiring her to use a hand-held magnifier to read the questions and record her answers. The department's testing room was poorly lit, and she had to sit and work between two computers that left her workspace completely in shadow, making it even more difficult for her to see the test questions. As a result she was unable to read many of them. In addition to the unequal opportunity they were given to take quizzes and tests, both Principato and Toth were denied the opportunity to participate with their sighted peers in quiz preparation sessions. These sessions occurred in the classroom on test days immediately before the examinations. Both were told that on testing days they had to report directly to the math department testing room. On a few occasions Professor Blackwelder [their mathemathic instructor] spent a few minutes with Ms. Principato reviewing math concepts and problems before her quiz began, but, because Professor Blackwelder used a pen and paper to illustrate the math problems, Ms. Principato could not see them, meaning the review was not effective. Professor Blackwelder also used PRS Transmitters, a brand of clickers, to take attendance for class and to award bonus points. Although another company sold accessible clickers, FSU acquired inaccessible clickers, thus preventing Principato and Toth from earning bonus points as their sighted peers could. But Toth and Principato knew that the lack of accommodations by the university did not free them from trying to implement solutions of their own devising. "While we were in the class, we made some effort to try to fix the problem ourselves. We couldn't make the software accessible, but we tried to find workarounds. I tried, for example, to find videos on the Internet of the math concepts we were supposed to be learning in class so that maybe we could at least learn the material. I would listen to those videos, replaying them over and over again, until I could actually write a transcript that would be useful as math notes. It got to the point where I was spending something like six to seven hours at least three times a week transcribing these videos and trying to make notes that both Chris and I could read and could use to study since we could not use the software and weren't getting notes for class. I was spending more time on this than I was spending in class, and it was exhausting! It was more effort than I was putting into any of my other classes, and I was still failing. "We tried to get materials to make the graphs in our class more accessible, because, even though they were providing readers for tests, they still didn't have a solution for the graphs and the images on them. These were just being described, and not very well at that. "So we got to be crafty-not crafty as in scheming but crafty as in creating what we needed using commonly available things. We got some wax- covered string and Braille paper and tried to make graphs as best we could from these materials to show the people in the math department how they could do it to help us with the tests. They weren't willing to do that, so again this was money and time and resources that we were putting into this, and we still weren't getting enough out of it. We still weren't actually learning the material. We couldn't follow along in class, we were missing homework assignments, we were failing quizzes, we were not getting any of the material, and, when we would go to our professor and try to negotiate some kind of arrangement with her where we could use more of the resources from disability services, she made it clear she was not interested. The more we communicated with the department, the more hostile the communication became. Eventually we got to the point where we were going up the ladder to the head of undergraduate mathematics. We explained the issue to him; he went to the people in the department, got their side of the story, wrote back to us and said that it sounded to him like we weren't trying hard enough. He also made the point that I was not blind because I had some vision. "Even though we could see that we were going to fail the class, dropping it would mean that we would lose funding. The Florida Division of Blind Services was paying my tuition, and they strongly frown upon dropping classes late in the semester because it meant that they would lose money. They refuse to pay for classes that a student has already tried to take once and failed or dropped." This would later be a point of contention between the legal team from the NFB and the rehabilitation agency in Florida. "At this point I felt like I was running out of options-I was really starting to feel trapped," Principato said. "This one class was going to derail all the plans for my future and my career." Toth and Principato each received a grade of D in MAC 1105, which is not a passing grade. "After I completed the semester I was removed from the honors program at the school," she says. "This was truly upsetting because my grades and the accompanying recognition of them were going to be my gateway into a research career. At the same time I was removed from the honors program, DBS was warning that they too would curtail my funding." The mathematics department's intentional refusal to provide accessible materials was the reason these two students found their support and career goals at risk, and this could not stand. Failing to get any satisfaction in accommodations, Toth and Principato began looking for ways to make their plight known to others in the system. "We started looking for a grievance policy; we thought that maybe there was somebody higher up in the university or in the math department we could go to who could make them move and make them do what they needed to do. But we couldn't find anything, at least not on the university's website or in documentation available at their offices. Nothing would tell us how to deal with this issue. "In my English class we had a project to do a research paper or an expos? on a topic, and I decided to do mine on what was going on at the math department at FSU. I figured that I was doing this research anyway and spending a lot of time trying to figure it out, so I might as well make this my English project. My thought was that in this way I would be able to draw attention to what was going on in other departments. I felt that maybe that would be a good move; maybe somebody else could give me some resources and help me figure out where to look for advice and help. I remember, when my English teacher was grading that paper, that he was really impressed with it and surprised to see what was actually happening at FSU. As part of my research for the paper, I used the lack of information that I was able to find on FSU's website about grievances. I cited disability law, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and I used examples of inaccessible materials throughout the university, but especially in the math department. My English professor told me that I should consider sending it to the Tallahassee Democrat, the local newspaper, and see if they could help. I didn't do that because I didn't want to draw so much attention to myself at the time. I didn't want this to become a publicity thing; I just wanted the issues to get fixed." Even as they tried to avoid a public relations fight with the university, Toth and Principato did start looking outside the university for ways they could make changes happen, and that's when they found the federal Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in the United States Department of Education. They learned that they could file a complaint against the governing board of FSU, and, shortly before Christmas of 2010, this is what they did. They were soon contacted by OCR and an attorney interviewed them by telephone. They were told that they could file a class-action complaint against the university. It would be on behalf of all students affected by the lack of accessibility. They agreed to file the complaint as the lawyer suggested and hoped things would change for them and other blind students. But, as exciting as this change might eventually prove to be, the reality for Principato and Toth was still bleak: lost scholarships, no honors program, and the threat that even the vocational rehabilitation agency would abandon them. To their shock and surprise the Office for Civil Rights told Principato and Toth that it could do nothing about the situation in which they found themselves because what they had filed was a class-action complaint that could not address individual issues. The findings could be and were used to force the university to make changes, but the OCR's influence would not alter anything these students faced as a result of the university's failure to make reasonable accommodations for them. At this point Principato and Toth decided to get a bit more vocal on their own behalf. "We tweeted a lot. Chris has a lot of presence on Twitter, and I have a lot of friends on Facebook. We wrote a lot about the issues. We posted to mailing lists about the issues. We posted to the National Federation of the Blind's student mailing list. We just tried to get the word out as much as we possibly could, because the more people who knew about it, the more people who might be able to help us find a solution and help us continue with our studies," Principato said. Through these activities the two were put in touch with Mark Riccobono and explained their situation. "We told him we had gone as far as we knew how to go, and we were still flunking out and weren't going to be able to continue because of the math class. That's when he put us in touch with the National Federation of the Blind legal defense team, and we started talking about the possibility of actually filing a lawsuit. "Suddenly this was getting really big really fast, and, while that was scary, it was also a relief at the same time because we knew we were in the right, we knew we were being wronged by our university, we knew that we weren't being given equal access, and we knew that something had to happen if we were to do anything about it." Toth and Principato began working with Brown, Goldstein & Levy in the fall of 2010. Getting the legal team the information they needed was easier because both students had realized early on that keeping copies of emails and other documents would be important in making their case to university officials. "We soon figured out that the professors were going to say one thing to us and something else to another department. For this reason we started saving emails and other documents. Once we filed the lawsuit, a lot of things changed for us at the university. We learned that Brown, Goldstein & Levy were going to have access to our email, and that was fine. Every time we got a message from FSU or sent a message to someone at FSU, we had to share it with them too. This was all during the discovery period. They wanted to see all of our Facebook and Twitter information because they knew we had been talking a lot about what was going on there. It got to the point where every time we would communicate with anybody on campus, we needed to take notes and contact Mr. Goldstein afterward and let him know what had happened. Every communication we had with faculty on campus was essentially related-it was always going to be about accessibility." Officials at FSU soon adopted the posture that any meetings they would have with Toth, with Principato, or with them together would require a second party from the university to observe and relate the content of discussions. "Filing a lawsuit changes the dynamic between a student and a professor. You can't talk with your professor without somebody acting as a witness and making sure that they have everything documented on their end too. It makes things very difficult." Soon even those who should have been advocates in the SRDC were siding with the math department. Principato says: "I would call it interesting now, but at the time it was frustrating to see factions forming within the university. I started to notice that there were people in the disability service office who were acting as though we were their enemy. They were especially hostile to us. They would try to get us into situations where we would say things that weren't true. They would try to get us to agree with them that we weren't trying hard enough. They would try to tell other people that we weren't trying hard enough and that the problems were really just us complaining too much about little things. I don't really have words to describe it-it was just terrible." Although there are laws against retaliating against students who file complaints, there can be no question that those complaining face greater scrutiny. Toth and Principato both witnessed this when any mistake they made in working with the SRDC was documented. Bringing a document for transcription an hour late would have initially resulted in a reminder about deadlines, but, after the filing of the suit, such incidents were magnified. Not only were Principato and Toth under greater scrutiny, but being in an adversarial relationship with their school changed how they felt about it and about being students there. Principato says, "We didn't really have much of a social life on campus after the lawsuit because we couldn't really talk with our fellow students about these matters. Neither could we walk around the campus and feel proud that we were at FSU. We couldn't go out on game day and take pride in our school. We didn't feel pride in our school; we didn't feel welcome at our school. "This got worse and worse as the discovery period dragged on. We were aware of communications our attorney had with people at FSU and with FSU's legal counsel, and all of the communication really was that we were in the wrong and that we weren't trying hard enough or that we didn't need what we claimed we needed. There was always something to try to make us look bad. But like we were being attacked from every angle: we were the plaintiffs; they were the defendants, so it was definitely not what we expected. "As I look back on it now, I look at what we had as extra homework. At the end of the school day we'd have to go and call up their paralegals to go over documents with them; fill out forms with them; help them find documents that we mentioned but that hadn't yet been produced by FSU - documents they needed to see to start preparing an argument. It was like we were taking law classes on top of the classes we were already taking, and, looking back on it, it was a great learning experience. But it was really stressful in addition to the stress of just being in college." Following discovery came depositions, and Principato and Toth were shocked and surprised once again. "We got to read all of the depositions that the FSU faculty and staff and the SRDC had done, and they lied. It kind of blew me away that, on top of all of these issues that we already had pretty well documented because of the findings of the Office for Civil Rights, the people from our disability services were saying they offered things they had not offered, saying we said things we did not say, and pretending we were getting accommodations we were not getting. Here we were, once again in a math class we had taken a year before, and the class notes were coming two weeks after the material we had been taught and had already been tested on. They did give us an electronic textbook, and, although this was of some help, it too came late and came in pieces, often after we had covered and been given exams on the material." Finally there came a time when FSU wanted to discuss mediation. Toth and Principato thought this was good. "If we could stay out of the courts, I was thinking this would be better for everybody involved. We were discussing settlement terms, and the thing that was a huge issue, the thing that mattered most to Chris and me during the mediation, was that the problems would be fixed for everybody. We didn't want to settle the lawsuit and have nothing more be said about it and then have some blind student, long after us-maybe a couple years down the line-run into the same problem as though they [the school] had forgotten what had happened. So we spent something like eighteen hours in mediation discussing our terms and arguing over what had to be fixed. We were really happy that we settled on terms that resulted in all of the math classes and the materials used for them being made accessible, as well as chemistry and biology and physics classes. We worked hard not only on math but on these other classes, because eventually these were all ones we would have to take. We also insisted that the grievance policy for the university, especially for discrimination complaints, be made publicly available and easy to find. We insisted that the resources in the disability student service center be made more accessible and easier for blind students to view on the internet." We asked Principato whether, after mediation, the university was interested in removing those failing grades from the transcripts of her and Toth. "Selectively. They did remove most of the failing grades that we received. The only thing I think they didn't remove were the withdrawals, which aren't so bad because they don't affect your GPA, but they do show that you took a class and withdrew from it. I don't think they provide any reason." When asked if there was any part of the settlement she wished had been different, Principato said, "In the FSU settlement one of the provisions is that FSU admits to no wrongdoing. I wasn't happy about that one, but our legal counsel explained to me that, when you are settling out of court, you are not usually going to get much better than this. The defendants are willing to agree to fix it, but they are not willing to agree that they did wrong." We asked Principato how the Division of Blind Services in Florida reacted to the settlement and whether at any point they ever became an advocate for Toth and Principato. "No they didn't. They didn't really have a lot of interest in taking a side. They would forgive a couple of things like when we had to take a math class over again, and, with some pushing from Dan Goldstein and his legal people, they agreed to pay for me to take the class over again, even though it is their policy that a student doesn't get to retake a class. Other than that they didn't want to be involved. They didn't want to help much, and they certainly weren't an advocate. If anything, they were an external stressor in addition to FSU-just another institution we had to worry about." When asked why she thought DBS would not help two of its students in what was clearly an inaccessible and increasingly hostile environment, Principato said, "Our Division of Blind Services counselor had an office in the university's disability services office, and she would be there a couple of days a week. When I was in there using resources or scheduling with them on those days, I noticed that she was very much a part of that office. She was very politically sensitive to the things that took place in that office, and I think she was more an ally to them than to us." In contrast to her feelings about the Division of Blind Services in Florida and its role in events, Principato came away from the fight with a new and fervent enthusiasm for the NFB and the legal team of Brown, Goldstein & Levy. "I feel like, if not for the support I got in fighting this battle, it never would have been fought, I probably wouldn't be in school right now, and I definitely wouldn't be in Colorado living a better life. I would probably have moved back with my parents or something. I can't really imagine what my future would've been like from that point if it hadn't been for Dan, if not for the legal team, and if not for the National Federation of the Blind funding this. I can honestly say that Dan is absolutely my hero, and his entire legal team is a bunch of superheroes. They do amazing things for people, and they do it well. We need people like that fighting the good fight. "My life is great now, and I actually attribute that to what happened at FSU, the help of the NFB and their legal team and what they gave me to take away from the whole situation. I moved to Colorado, and, though some course credits transferred to Arapahoe, essentially I found myself starting out as a freshman. At this point what really hit me was that the only reason I had originally chosen psychology to begin with was that I thought that as a blind student I was going to struggle in any science field that required a lot of math. Then at FSU I ran into a problem in psychology because it too required math. So I said to myself that if I could compromise and still run into problems, then maybe I shouldn't be compromising at all and should just take on the obstacles head on. Maybe I should do what I really wanted to do, even if that meant science and math. "So in my first semester at Arapahoe Community College, I just took my math class to see if I would find the same problems all over again. If I did, I would get out of it quickly before I made too great an investment. Of course there was the possibility that it might be different-I hoped that it would be-and it was different. I had a lot of support from my school and from my teachers. I actually did great in my algebra class and discovered a love of math that I didn't realize I had. That made me start thinking, "If I can take on FSU and essentially win that battle, I can probably do anything, and I'd like to study math as my career, or at least physics-and that requires a lot of math." So I am a physics major now, and I'm doing really well. The attitude of those who are supposed to teach us makes all the difference. When I started at this college, they told me pretty honestly that they were willing to help me and would do everything to make sure that these classes were accessible, but straight up they said that they wanted to warn me that they had never had a blind student excel past the first calculus class. At the end of this academic year they will be telling teachers and future students that they have had a blind student take every math class they have to offer and succeed at it, and I'm really excited about that." Principato plans to transfer to a four-year college once she has completed her associate degree. She is currently considering the University of Denver, the Colorado School of Minds, and the University of Colorado, Denver Campus. In reading this, one might be tempted to ask what has caused us to run an article about events that happened nearly five years ago? The answer is that a recent letter seemed so compelling that we did the work you have already read and thought you would want to know how at least one of our defendants now regards what was once her most serious challenge- mathematics. Here is what she wrote to Daniel Goldstein, and, after reading it, you can see why he sent the letter with this comment: "I am sharing the email below from Jamie Principato, who joined Chris Toth as our plaintiffs when we sued Florida State. Jamie was a nineteen-year-old freshman who had the presence of mind to file a complaint with the Department of Education without assistance; the Department of Ed did nothing until we came in. When I read something like this, I think I should be paying you for the privilege of working for the NFB. What a difference we made in just one life! I am standing a little straighter and taller today after reading this." Here is the letter Jamie wrote to Dan: Subject: First time looking back Good morning, Dan, I am on my way to the University of Denver this morning to give a talk at a conference of disability services specialists from institutions throughout the state of Colorado. The conference was arranged in light of a recent discrimination lawsuit filed against CU Boulder, and its focus is on avoiding litigation, which makes me feel a little nauseated every time I say it out loud. That said, I was invited to speak at this conference to give its attendants a look at litigation from the student's perspective, as well as to discuss ways in which a university can be proactive about accessibility (as opposed to simply reacting to the threat of legal action) and to highlight the difference that the right attitudes can make even when unforeseen circumstances do arise. In the weeks leading up to this event, I was asked a lot about my experiences at FSU, and in preparation for today's talk I went and dug out the settlement agreement, as well as the initial complaint. It occurred to me that I haven't looked at either of these documents since they were first written, and I felt a twinge of anger more than once as I recalled conversations with faculty, phone calls to DBS, and visits to the SDRC. I remembered the events that took place at FSU very well, but forgot much of what it was like to be there. If I hadn't been there, I don't know if I would have believed most of what I read in the complaint, and this gave me empathy for the group I'll be addressing today. It's hardest to believe that these events didn't take place very long ago. It's really strange to think back to a time when doing math meant feeling depressed and angry and frustrated; when walking around in the math department of my school meant high anxiety and a sense that I had to be on guard and defensive; when the thing I now consider to be the most beautiful thing in the universe, the stuff that holds it all together, was the stuff of nightmares for me. These days math is my deepest passion. I've been out of school for the summer, spending my break studying general relativity, abstract algebra, knot theory and multivariable calculus...for fun! I meet with my best friend and mentor, a mathematician, several times a week just to play with math and bounce around ideas. We're working together to use math to design a computer vision system that will allow a robot we've built to autonomously tend and harvest a potted plant (the application isn't important, though. We're using math to give a robot visual decision- making capabilities!). On the side, my friend is mentoring me as I try to find an algorithm that will allow a computer to recognize visually the algebraic properties of 3-D knots rendered down to 2-D photographs (this has applications in microbiology, where proteins can be identified by their mathematical knot-like qualities, and it's an open- ended problem in knot theory that hasn't been solved yet). The math department at my school is like a second home to me, and my teachers and mentors are as far from adversaries as can be. Most notably, this subject that used to cause me the most grief and stress is now my go-to for relief when I'm stressed. I write proofs and work novel problems in the morning as soon as I wake up. If I have to be up at seven for school, I wake up at five so I have time for this. Before I go to bed every night, I read a theorem or lemma or an article in some mathematician's blog to unwind. When my computer broke the other day while I was in the middle of an important project, I did algebra to cool down before trying to find another way to finish the work. Math went from the thing I hated most for most of my life to the thing I turned out to be fairly good at, and now it's the thing I love most and couldn't do without. When I think about it like that, all that fighting and grief in Tallahassee were more than worth it. UPDATE: I wrote this email this morning while I was getting ready for the conference, and my colleague came to pick me up before I could send it. I'm home now and just wanted to add that my presentation was a huge success. I got the impression from those who approached me afterwards that I accomplished the goal of helping them understand litigation from the student's perspective, what motivates a student to take such steps, and how the right attitude and culture within an institution can make all the difference in preventing such things. People who complained openly at the start of the conference about the cost and burden of accessibility audits to their department or of having to distribute their "intellectual property" when a student needs accessible notes were actively thanking me for helping them at the end of the talk to see the error in their reasoning. I was even invited back for another conference in October to give a more focused presentation on math accessibility in higher education. Since I hadn't sent this message yet, I thought you'd like to hear that the talk went well. I'm doing great now, academically speaking, but I haven't lost sight of the challenges my peers still face and will continue to do what I can to educate those around me, students and faculty alike. Best, Jamie ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Lauren McLarney] The TEACH Act: Frequently Asked Questions by Lauren McLarney >From the Editor: Lauren McLarney is the manager of Governmental Affairs for the National Federation of the Blind. Her passionate speeches about educational equality for blind students are always a convention favorite, and in this article she attempts to answer some commonly asked questions about the TEACH Act. Here is what she says: The Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACH) Act, HR 3505/S 2060, is a bill designed to address barriers to success that many blind students face because of inaccessible educational technology. The TEACH Act does three major things: 1) Authorizes the creation of voluntary accessibility guidelines for electronic instructional material and related information technology used in postsecondary education; 2) Incentivizes colleges and universities to use only technology that conforms to those guidelines with a safe harbor from litigation; and 3) States that, although conformance with the guidelines is optional, schools still need to meet their obligations to provide equal access-by following the guidelines or in some other way. For the first nine months the TEACH Act cruised along smoothly. But in September of this year controversy erupted. The higher education lobby spoke out against a provision in a bill proposed by Senator Harkin which was modeled after the TEACH Act, and a debate ensued in the press. Luckily the debate has evolved into a productive discussion between NFB, the higher education lobby, and our industry partners. We hope consensus can be reached so blind students get the relief they deserve. As part of an effort to keep everyone informed and set the record straight, the December Monitor included two editorial pieces: an op-ed from the Chronicle of Higher Education supporting the TEACH Act, and a blog evaluating the controversies surrounding the bill. Seeing all sides of the debate makes us stronger, more capable advocates, but there is always more to learn. So below are fifteen frequently asked questions about the TEACH Act to serve as an addendum to last month's articles. 1. Voluntary accessibility guidelines...what in the world are you talking about? Answer: Colleges and universities are required under Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to provide equal access to students with disabilities, which means using accessible instructional material or providing accommodations that give blind students equivalent access. Unfortunately, there are no criteria defining what accessibility means, so schools have no idea what products to use, what to demand from the market, or how best to comply with the law. Currently most schools deploy the old-fashioned, ad hoc accommodations model that was adequate in the print world but fails miserably in the digital world. The concepts of "accommodations," and "ad hoc" are not in dispute-everyone knows that accommodations are the way many entities choose to provide equal access, everyone knows that "ad hoc" means one at a time, and everyone agrees that that is the nature of how accommodations are provided. Therefore, the "accommodations model" generally has a positive connotation, and it is the individualized nature of accommodations that seems to be part of why everyone thinks the model is so great. But, in the context of digital technology for blind students, this system is not great, and it is the individualized nature of accommodations that is precisely why. Equal access in the digital world can only be provided when schools use mainstream, inherently accessible technology across the board-ad hoc treatment of blind students just will not do, just like temporary ramps for students with wheelchairs will not do. Consequently, the application of the ad hoc accommodations model in the digital world cannot continue; blind students are dropping out of school, and schools are getting sued. The TEACH Act creates the missing criteria in the form of guidelines, and then rewards schools that follow those guidelines with a safe harbor from litigation. Schools can continue to deploy the accommodations model, but most will probably choose the better route and the legal protections that come along with it. The more schools that follow the guidelines, the more the market will reflect that need. The goal is to stimulate the market, reduce litigation, and ultimately ensure equal access for blind students. 2. Will colleges and universities have to follow the guidelines? Answer: No, the guidelines are 100 percent voluntary. Offering immunity from litigation as a reward means that the guidelines will offer one path to compliance with the law, but it is not the only path. Some schools may ignore the guidelines or develop their own, but they forfeit the legal protection of a safe harbor by choosing those alternative routes. This conversation often gets derailed by fears about a school being at risk for litigation if it does not follow the guidelines, but this is a misguided concern. Schools are already at risk for litigation because the mandate for equal access applies right now. Even after the TEACH Act passes, the mandate will apply, and it will not be voluntary. 3. Where did the idea for guidelines come from? Answer: In 2008 the Federation successfully lobbied Congress to authorize the creation of the Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Material in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities (AIM Commission). The AIM Commission examined the status of accessible educational technology and the impact it was having on students with disabilities and then developed recommendations for how to address the matter. President Riccobono sat on the commission, offered valuable experience, and brought influence that was instrumental in the ultimate recommendations. The final report found that students with disabilities experience a daunting assortment of challenges, including blocked access to educational opportunities and even failure to graduate, solely because of inaccessible materials. The commission also found that "there is still persistent unmet need" and that steps must be taken to stimulate the creation of a viable accessible digital marketplace. Of the commission's nineteen recommendations, the first one calls for Congress to authorize the creation of accessibility guidelines. 4. Why are the guidelines voluntary? Answer: For several reasons: first, the AIM Commission recommended that Congress create accessibility guidelines, and "guidelines" are voluntary. Congress likes data, so we should not stray too far off course from what the AIM Commission Report recommends. Second, voluntary guidelines are more flexible than enforceable standards. Suppose a company develops a method of accessibility that the TEACH Act guidelines did not predict: surely VoiceOver was a surprise to technology experts when it first came on the scene. By keeping the guidelines voluntary, innovation in unique accessibility solutions can still be explored. If the guidelines were mandatory, this kind of innovation might be discouraged. Worse, regulations take a significantly long time to develop and upgrade. Technology moves faster than the rulemaking process, so there is a heightened risk of harm when those standards inevitably become outdated. Third, voluntary guidelines are more appealing to members of Congress who oppose federal regulation of education. Some members of Congress might feel differently, but even they are obligated to consider the opinion of the colleges and universities in their district or state, and many of those institutions express feeling overly burdened with bureaucratic regulations. The TEACH Act offers a voluntary solution that avoids those objections without compromising our objectives. Finally, voluntary guidelines achieve the same outcome as enforceable standards. If the TEACH Act created regulations, a school that uses technology that conforms to those standards cannot be sued for following the law. With the TEACH Act a school has the option of following voluntary guidelines and is rewarded with a safe harbor from litigation, i.e., they cannot be sued. Looks the same, right? 5. What are the differences among criteria, standards, regulations, and guidelines? Answer: "Criteria" are technical benchmarks that one uses to determine whether or not a product is "accessible" based on the intended function of a product. For example, criteria might designate that an e- reader is accessible only if it provides audio output, or web content is accessible only if the images are properly labeled and the page is compatible with screen-access software. Voluntary criteria are called "guidelines," and mandatory criteria are called "standards." In this context the word "standards" is also synonymous with "regulations," which are requirements/rules that specify how a covered entity must comply with a law. 6. What if the guidelines are not any good? Answer: The only way to ensure that the guidelines align with the Federation's concept of accessibility is to write them ourselves and put them into the bill, but ultra-prescriptive bills can be problematic. Our laws are living documents, and, while technology inevitably evolves, the words in those laws remain the same. As we have learned over the last seventy-five years of advocating, changing laws can take a long time. A sound solution takes a timeless approach and uses widely applicable language, which is why the current version of the TEACH Act calls on the Access Board to develop the guidelines and then update them every three years. But regardless of who creates the guidelines, there is an inevitable risk that the group might come up with something lousy. That risk is mitigated only by making the guidelines voluntary so additional methods of accessibility can still be explored. 7. How will this work-so the guidelines will be created, and then schools will have to change all of the technology on campus? Answer: No. The TEACH Act does not require retrofitting; in fact, the TEACH Act does not require anything. Remember: schools are currently required to use accessible material, and they will be required to do so whether the TEACH Act passes or not. If a school needs to retrofit its materials or revise its procurement policies, it is because it is not complying with that requirement. The mandate to provide equal access is not altered, strengthened, or removed by the TEACH Act. Rather, the TEACH Act guidelines will be a tool for schools to use to identify what material is accessible and what material is not, informing decisions that should facilitate better compliance with that equal access mandate. We expect that many schools will request TEACH-Act-compliant material from vendors and that streamlined demand will be met by manufacturers. Hopefully this transformation will result in such systemic change that schools never have to retrofit materials or provide accommodations because mainstream access is built-in from the start and already deployed across campus. 8. Why can't each state or each school create its own guidelines? Answer: Equal access mandates are national mandates, and the instructional material market is a national market. This calls for national guidelines. Every state could develop its own, but no manufacturer would make fifty different product lines, and there is no guarantee that federal agencies would even accept each state's criteria as sufficient. Furthermore, only Congress can authorize the safe harbor. Most important, blind students deserve equal access across the country, not just at a few select schools or in a few select states. 9. Aren't schools doing a good job of providing accommodations already? Answer: In the last four years more than a dozen lawsuits have been filed over schools using inaccessible instructional materials, and the problem is escalating. This is not entirely the schools' fault; institutions of higher education were mandated to use accessible material but not given any direction for how to do so. Other than a handful of schools, the overwhelming majority of colleges and universities are still confused about how to accommodate students with disabilities in a digital world. Consequently, most resort to the ad hoc accommodations model mentioned earlier, a model that worked only in the print world. Legislators are also ignorant about the needs of students with disabilities, assuming that wheelchair ramps on campus or the extra test time given to their friend with a learning disability means that their school is doing an amazing job of meeting requirements. The AIM Commission report tells us otherwise when it comes to accessibility, and if the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, this failure is solidified by the number of lawsuits and complaints that grow exponentially by the year. 10. How much is this going to cost? Answer: The bill currently calls for Congress to appropriate "such sums as may be necessary" to develop the guidelines. There is no dollar amount, and there is no score, which is Capitol-Hill-speak for "how much it will cost". However, the development of guidelines should not be an expensive endeavor. Not only is this a modest undertaking, the amount of money will be minuscule compared to the amount taxpayers lose to enforcement actions, investigations, and lawsuits against schools that are failing to comply with the mandate. Worse, every time a blind student changes majors, delays his or her education, or drops out of school, taxpayers take another major hit. People with disabilities have an 80 percent unemployment rate, and many of those people rely on government assistance for survival. There is no way to measure the untapped talents and lost productivity that result when an entire population fails to reach its potential, but tangible change can be made with this small investment. 11. Does this mean schools will need to have something readily available for a student with a severe disability even though they don't have such a student attending the school? Answer: Schools will not have to do anything that they do not already have to do when it comes to a student with a severe disability. The TEACH Act will make it easier for schools to identify which items are accessible to that student and which are not and hopefully will shift the paradigm from the ad hoc accommodations model to a mainstream access approach. Widespread use of TEACH-Act-compliant material will create a situation in which the arrival of a student with a particular disability does not call for any reaction because the school already deploys fully and inherently accessible material across the campus. This question overlooks something more critical: how does the school intend to provide accessible materials to this student when he or she gets there? Society would never accept temporary ramps that are deployed only when a student with a physical disability arrives on campus, and students with severe disabilities deserve the same treatment. When this question is posed, it is an opportunity to change attitudes about accessibility. 12. Will guidelines inhibit innovation? Why should schools be discouraged from using a cool piece of technology just because it is not accessible? Answer: First, accessibility and innovation are not mutually exclusive; in fact, the very first digital book was created by a blind person! Some of the most innovative products in the market (i.e., devices made by Apple) are the most accessible, and we expect the TEACH Act guidelines to stimulate greater production of these kinds of hardware and software. Since the passage of the ADA, we have seen the mainstream benefits of universal design and accessibility. Curb cuts that were originally designed for people with physical disabilities now benefit parents with strollers and travelers with luggage. Similarly, stimulating accessible technology can only enhance innovation, because an increase in the former will generate benefits for all and extend well beyond the intended audience of the disabled. Second, in the unlikely event that an emerging technology is totally inaccessible even after the TEACH Act passes, a school will still be allowed to deploy such material, as long as it provides equivalent access through an alternative accommodation. If an adequate alternative or accommodation cannot be found, the school is prohibited from deploying that technology-not because of the TEACH Act, but (say it with me now) because current law already prohibits that kind of discrimination. It is because of this requirement that, in the end, a decision to reject the guidelines and allow the market to stay saturated with inaccessible materials is what will ultimately inhibit innovation. And finally, which is more important for a school to do: use cool technology or provide an education to all students, regardless of disability? 13. Who is ACE? Answer: According to its website, the American Council on Education (ACE) represents the presidents of US accredited degree-granting institutions, and has a membership base of more than 1,700 member institutions. ACE is seen as an umbrella association, bringing together other higher education associations (community colleges, four-year public institutions, four-year private institutions, etc.) and representing the collective interests of those groups in the public policy space. When this article says "higher education lobby," interest groups like ACE are what we are referring to. Although many schools defer to their association on legislative matters, it is not uncommon for an individual institution to take an independent position. It is critical that blind students engage their institution directly, since those in leadership positions may not be aware of the problems caused by inaccessible materials or the debates that are ensuing at the national level. Just as the Federation represents the collective interests of blind Americans, ACE represents the collective interests of schools, and just as the individual blind members of NFB are the voice behind our actions, individual schools should be engaged in these important debates. 14. You keep saying the guidelines are voluntary, so why does the higher education lobby think the guidelines are mandatory? Is that the only reason they have opposed the bill? Answer: As stated above, the TEACH Act does three things: 1) authorizes the creation of guidelines; 2) incentivizes their use with a safe harbor; and 3) states that schools do not have to follow the guidelines, but they must still follow current law by providing equivalent access with an alternative or accommodation. The higher education lobby had concerns regarding items one and three. Regarding item one, the higher education lobby wants to explore a mechanism for developing guidelines that has input from their community. We can explore that option as long as the voice of institutions does not drown out the voice of blind students who are the actual people depending on the guidelines to protect their civil rights. Regarding item three, ACE feels that the TEACH Act establishes a bar for alternatives that is impossible to meet, thereby forcing schools to default to the guidelines. We profoundly disagree with this interpretation, and every major disability group and expert in the field agrees with our position. Our understanding of current law is based on the words found in that law, guidance issued by the federal government, and our understanding of the limitations of the accommodations model. But the nice thing about politics is that we can agree to disagree. There may be a way to reword that section to reflect our understanding of current law without inciting controversy. 15. Where do things stand with ACE right now? Answer: We are in the midst of a productive discussion, with the goal of reaching a consensus. It is too soon to say if that will be achievable, but we are encouraged by the schools' willingness to come to the table and admit that they need help meeting equal access mandates and providing accessible material to blind students. We know all too well the poor outcomes that result when lawmakers make decisions about blind people and for blind people without consulting the Federation. We practice what we preach. That is why we are leading this effort. That is also why we have reached out to ACE during the drafting of the TEACH Act, and why we hope our second dialogue will be successful. We will continue engaging in these important conversations until all blind students can freely pursue the education they need, to live the lives they want. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Scott C. LaBarre] The Marrakesh Treaty: From the Visually Impaired Persons Community's Perspective by Scott C. LaBarre >From the Editor: Scott LaBarre has been a staunch proponent of a treaty granting blind people and the organizations that serve them the right to share books in special formats for the blind. He has written extensively about this issue in these pages, but what he has to say here is timely and serves to remind us that the treaty for which we have worked so hard is not yet ratified. These remarks also show that Scott is not only a significant player in his work with the National Federation of the Blind, but what he thinks is important to the blind of the world. Presented to: Conference, Copyright Problems of Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Visually Impaired Organized by the Copyright Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), with the participation of Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, Azerbaijan December 1, 2014 I wish to begin by thanking the Copyright Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan for inviting me to speak and offer the perspective of the World Blind Union (WBU) and the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) of the United States on the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, and Otherwise Print Disabled. I bring you the greetings and best wishes of WBU's president, Arnt Holte from Norway; WBU's immediate past president and chairperson of our Right to Read Campaign, Maryanne Diamond from Australia; the president of the NFB, Mark Riccobono; and the immediate past president of the NFB, Dr. Marc Maurer. It is truly an honor and privilege to share these remarks with you and participate in this most important conference. Ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty is of paramount importance and will lead to invaluable benefits for the blind and visually impaired community. There has been a debate for millennia regarding the essence of human nature. According to John Locke, the great British philosopher and scholar, we are born a tabula rasa, a blank slate. Locke believed that the experiences we encounter from birth forward form the essential part of who we are. Although Locke had his own spin on it, his ideas were not entirely his own. This concept originates as far back as Aristotle, who talked about the unscribed tablet. This Aristotelian notion sharply contrasted with the previously held platonic notions of the human mind as an entity that pre- existed somewhere in the heavens, before being sent down to join a body here on Earth. A derivation of Plato's perspective is that our genetic makeup predisposes us to a certain pattern of life experience. According to Plato and others, the tabula isn't so rasa. We are talking about the classic argument of nature versus nurture. As with most things in life, the truth probably lies somewhere in between these competing theories. Regardless of where one's views fall on this topic, I do not believe anyone would argue with the concept that our ability to access information plays the single largest role in developing the people we become. The greater access we have to the vast array of information available, the greater our opportunity becomes to live full, enriching lives. Of course most of our collective knowledge is stored and kept by reducing it to the printed word. Whether that printed word is displayed through hard copy, text, or computer files does not really matter. Access to the printed word is absolutely critical. For the blind access to the printed word through published works has been a monumental battle. The sighted have no barrier to reading published works that is imposed on them by any physical characteristic. For the blind our lack of vision necessitates a different strategy. We must access the printed word in alternative formats or what the Marrakesh Treaty calls "accessible format copies." Personally, I have been involved in the battle for access since the young age of ten. Prior to losing my vision to a childhood virus, I absolutely loved reading. One of my greatest joys as a young child was going to my elementary school's library and perusing the thousands of books available there. To this day my memories of the library at Royal Oaks Elementary School, located in Woodbury, Minnesota, USA, are vivid and ones I recall with great fondness. When I lost my vision, I thought that the treasure trove of information available to me had been stolen, lost to me permanently. After a while I realized that all was not lost. By learning Braille, I recovered the ability to read for myself and once again go to sleep at night with a book in my hands. These books came to me through our Library of Congress's National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. In addition to the Braille texts I had access to books in audio form. At first these books came to me on vinyl records, later replaced by cassette tapes. Although my ability to read Braille and audio books allowed me to gain some independence back, it was not a complete solution. Even though I grew up in a wealthy nation with substantial resources, I had access to a tiny percentage of what my sighted peers took for granted. Our best estimates in the United States suggest that we have something less than 5 percent of published works available in alternative formats. In most countries the percentage of accessible works is lower, often much lower. That is why we have called this worldwide crisis "the Book Famine for the Blind." Moreover, international law has not allowed the cross-border sharing of accessible texts. This has led to duplication of effort and waste of resources by organizations that often have little in the way of resources at their disposal. Even when I could get my hands on accessible books, it often occurred long after my sighted friends had read the same information. I was always trying to catch up and struggling to keep pace. Many times my Braille or audio schoolbooks came to me months after my sighted colleagues had plowed through the information. Despite the barriers I faced, I regard myself as a fortunate and successful person. I am an attorney who runs and operates his own law firm. I have argued before courts all over the United States and had the privilege of engaging in international projects like the Marrakesh Treaty. We own our home in Denver, Colorado, and I have a beautiful wife and two terrific children. I attribute my success largely to my family. My mom and dad pushed the local school system hard to insure that I learned the alternative techniques of blindness like Braille and independent cane travel and to provide books in alternative formats. The National Federation of the Blind's positive philosophy on blindness has also been absolutely critical to helping me achieve success. Our official and heartfelt message is: "The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back." I am fortunate because I managed to gain access to a wide array of information, but it has always been a struggle. The vast majority of blind and visually impaired individuals tragically does not even have the access to enough information to place them on a path to success. That is why the WBU initiated the worldwide Right to Read Campaign. The adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty is an historic and landmark victory in this campaign. It will change the lives of the blind all over the world. Some in the United Sates have said to me that America does not really need the Marrakesh Treaty because we already have a well-established system for the reproduction of published works into accessible formats. Although it is true we have a good system, as I mentioned before, we have access to a tiny percentage of what the sighted population can gain instantaneously. Because of Marrakesh not only will we in the U.S. have access to what all the other English-speaking countries are producing in accessible formats throughout the world, we will also be able to put our hands on hundreds of thousands of books in foreign languages. This capacity would have been very helpful to me while attending college at St. John's University in Minnesota. Originally I had planned on a double major in government and Spanish. Ultimately, I dropped that Spanish major precisely because I could not get access to Spanish novels and other materials. The road to Marrakesh was long and at times arduous. I suppose that the first reason for such a difficult journey is that any process involving the United Nations brings with it the frustrating procedures and related eccentricities of the UN. For example, matters are rarely decided on up or down votes but rather through consensus. I recall one meeting in Geneva in which it took almost two whole business days to adopt the agenda for the meeting just because a handful of nations were resisting the order of items in the agenda. I also fondly remember how the United States introduced a proposal entitled "a non-paper" which was handed out in hard copy and contained eleven pages of print. The road has also been tough because this treaty represents the first time ever that an international instrument addressed exceptions and limitations to copyright law exclusively. Previously any international agreement granted exceptions and limitations only as part of a much broader scheme to protect the intellectual property rights of creators and other rights holders. As a result, you can imagine that rights holders of all kinds and sizes expressed great concern and fear about adopting a binding international instrument that did not set out to enlarge their rights but arguably to contract them. These rights holders were not so much afraid of market erosion from the blind, because we represent such a tiny percentage of the world's population; rather they feared that this was the proverbial camel's nose getting in under the tent. Well, my friends, on the desert plains of Marrakesh, we were able to accommodate that camel's nose, and it did not tip over the tent. Originally the world's largest corporations and associations either expressly opposed the treaty or offered alternative language to it that would have made the treaty unusable and ineffective. These entities included, but were not limited to, ExxonMobil, GE, Adobe, IBM, Association of American Publishers, International Publishers Association, the Motion Picture Association of America, and many, many others. Additionally, very influential blocks of nations like the European Union and United States were effectively blocking our efforts. How in the world could a group of blind people fight such large corporations and strong nations? It was because of the hope and belief the WBU and NFB possess in the capacity of the blind to change the world. The blind of the world were not willing to allow any amount of money or power to hold us back. Although efforts have been made on and off for nearly thirty years to help end the book famine for the blind, this particular treaty effort began in 2008 when the Federation met with the World Blind Union and Knowledge Ecology International in Washington DC. NFB's secretary, Mr. James Gashel, along with many others wrote the first draft of the proposed treaty text. My involvement began in 2009 when Dr. Maurer, President of the NFB at the time, asked me to appear at a hearing before the Register of Copyrights at the Library of Congress, where the U.S. government wanted to collect the opinions of U.S. blindness organizations about this treaty proposal. At first the United States government and the European Union attempted to convince us that we really didn't want or need a binding international treaty. We should first pursue a soft-law joint recommendation and then, some day way off in the future, seek a binding international accord. They tried to tell us that our problems would be solved more quickly that way and that treaties were difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. I don't believe that these governments meant to insult us, but, when you think about it, their message was incredibly insulting and demeaning. The message is that the blind can wait. Your problems are second-class problems and deserve second-class treatment. We in the NFB and WBU were not willing to wait, and we will never be willing to wait for first-class treatment. In the U.S. the NFB adopted a resolution in 2010 calling upon the U.S. government to work hard toward the adoption of a binding international norm, a treaty. Our work and our perseverance ultimately led to the United States changing its position and its support for the convening of a diplomatic conference to conclude a treaty. Bringing this treaty into reality required a great deal of leadership from WBU and its member organizations. Leadership requires creativity and the ability to think out of the box. As we headed toward Marrakesh, rights holders were doing their best to protect their own turf. In the U.S., for example, highly paid lawyers and lobbyists were bombarding the Obama Administration with letters and phone calls urging either outright U.S. opposition to the treaty or the introduction of language into the text that would greatly limit its effectiveness. We knew we had to find ways to push back. That is why we called upon our members to sign petitions and contact various legislators. That is why we ran messages calling upon Exxon and GE to stop locking books for the blind on our giant 12 by 40 foot NFB electronic billboard, a billboard seen by tens of thousands of drivers each day as they head up and down Interstate 95, a major freeway running along the East Coast of the United States. That is why we joined with BookShare, a leading authorized entity in the U.S., and worked with Stevie Wonder and his management team to get Stevie involved in the Marrakesh negotiations. Stevie is recognized as an ambassador of peace by the United Nations and originally appeared before WIPO's General Assembly in 2010 to call for adoption of this treaty. That is why we issued a joint statement with the Motion Picture Association of America calling upon international negotiators to get back to basics and get a meaningful treaty adopted. We came under sharp attack by civil society organizations and some blind individuals when we did this. These entities and individuals thought that we had betrayed trust and that a blindness organization should not work with an intellectual property rights holder at any time. As we started our travels to Marrakesh, thirty-seven distinct issues remained unresolved, without consensus, in the treaty text. To give you some perspective, at a diplomatic conference in Beijing, China, in 2012 to conclude work on a treaty for audiovisual performers, there was only one unresolved matter as the negotiators started that conference. As the diplomatic conference began, new, unresolved issues emerged, and it appeared that we were headed backward and that the conference would fail. At one plenary session of the conference, Mustapha Khalfi, minister of communications for the Kingdom of Morocco, who had been elected as president of the conference, delivered an impassioned speech urging the negotiators to get busy making decisions and to stop dreaming up new issues and controversies. He threatened to close all the airports and means of transportation out of Morocco until a strong treaty emerged. Stevie Wonder chimed in with a video message stating that he would come and perform for the conference only if a strong, meaningful treaty were adopted. Of course the WBU and Federation added our voices to this chorus and urged the negotiators not to let the blind of the world down. Late in the evening of Tuesday, June 25, 2013, we heard the words that we had all been hoping and waiting so long to hear. One of the negotiators from Brazil stepped out of the closed room, where a small group of key negotiators had been deliberating, and said, "You have a treaty." The hallway erupted in cheers and joy surged in our hearts. I was left speechless. Words could not express the scope of what we had accomplished. The Marrakesh treaty represents the first time that a binding international accord exclusively addresses the issues faced by the blind. Although my body was there in Marrakesh, my heart was with all my blind colleagues throughout the world. Credit for this historic accomplishment belongs many places: with the WBU and all its member organizations; with all the governmental delegations who found a way to work together; and with all the rights holders who ultimately found a way to advance our rights while protecting their interest. On Monday June 24, 2013, the WBU held a press conference in front of the Palais des Congr?s in Marrakesh, where Dr. Fredric Schroeder, first vice president of the WBU, spoke about the urgent need to end the book famine and to end it then. In front of Dr. Schroeder and the other speakers stood a pile of two hundred books, 198 of which were wrapped in chains and secured with a padlock, the two unchained books representing, of course, the 1 percent of published works to which we actually have access. The adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty represents the unlocking of the padlock. However, the chains are still there. Our freedom is still imprisoned. We must celebrate this great victory, but we must not rest. The book famine still exists, and our hearts and minds are starved for the information we need. Information is truly power. We must now work even harder to get all the nations of the world to ratify Marrakesh. The Marrakesh Treaty has sent the clear signal that access to information is indeed a fundamental human right. The treaty process has also confirmed that the blind, governments, and rights holders can work together effectively. We must now use the spirit of Marrakesh to lead us to implementation of the treaty's goals. By doing so, I am confident that we will eradicate the book famine, which will allow the blind and otherwise print disabled to achieve their rightful place in the world community. After all, we, the blind and otherwise disabled, have the right to live in the world. Speaking about this right, Dr. tenBroek, founder of the NFB, stated many years ago: "That right is as deep as human nature; as pervasive as the need for social existence; as ubiquitous as the human race; as invincible as the human spirit. As their souls are their own, so their destiny must be their own." I thank you for the opportunity to bring you our perspective. We look forward to working with all of you to bring the world's treasure of information to all, including the blind, visually impaired, and otherwise print disabled. ---------- President Obama Proclaims October 15 Blind Americans Equality Day: by the President of the United States of America A Proclamation >From the Editor: In 1964 the president of the United States declared October 15 to be National White Cane Safety day, and annually some version of the message Lyndon Johnson delivered has been reworked and sent by presidents of both parties. Recently White Cane Safety Day has been replaced by the phrase Blind Americans Equality Day. Whatever the title, the message is much the same. Here is what President Obama issued to commemorate October 15, 2014, as he called on Americans to value the potential and the contributions of its blind citizens: For half a century our Nation has set aside one day every year to honor the contributions of blind and visually impaired Americans. In that time we have built a more just and more inclusive society. We have torn down barriers to full participation in our democracy and economy-but more work remains to guarantee all Americans have a fair shot at success. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to equal access, equal opportunity, and equal respect for every person and continue our work to ensure that no one is excluded from America's promise. All Americans have a fundamental right to dignity and respect and to fully take part in the American experience. Every day, people with visual impairments and other print disabilities enrich our communities and demonstrate the inherent worth of every person. In our classrooms, blind Americans teach history and mathematics while fostering an early awareness of the innate possibility within each person. On canvas and through music, artists with visual impairments show us the world as they know it and broaden our understanding of our universe. Across our country Americans with disabilities contribute to our workplaces and our economy while securing stronger futures for themselves and their families. My Administration is dedicated to expanding opportunity because all people deserve the freedom to make of their lives what they will. We are building on the foundation of the Americans with Disabilities Act by strengthening the protections against disability-based discrimination and advancing programs that increase accessibility in the places we learn, work, and live. Because Braille is a key tool that unlocks learning for many blind and visually impaired students, my administration continues to support Braille instruction in classrooms throughout our Nation. We are committed to promoting access to employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities, ensuring new technology remains accessible so disabilities do not stand in the way of cutting-edge innovation, and- through new protections in the Affordable Care Act-preventing health insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, medical history, or genetic information. When our Nation is able to harness the full potential of all our citizens, we can achieve extraordinary things. On Blind Americans Equality Day, we resolve to live up to the principles enshrined in the heart of our Nation and do our part to form a more perfect Union. By joint resolution approved on October 6, 1964 (Public Law 88-628, as amended), the Congress designated October 15 of each year as "White Cane Safety Day" to recognize the contributions of Americans who are blind or have low vision. Today, let us recommit to ensuring we remain a Nation where all our people, including those with disabilities, have every opportunity to achieve their dreams. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 15, 2014, as Blind Americans Equality Day. I call upon public officials, business and community leaders, educators, librarians, and Americans across the country to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand fourteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty- ninth. BARACK OBAMA ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Julie McGinnity hugs Bill the guide dog] Attitudes and Expectations in Education by Julie McGinnity >From the Editor: Julie McGinnity is a graduate student in music and performance at the University of Missouri, Columbia. She is by any measure a successful student, having been a national scholarship winner and a tenBroek Fellow. In the following piece she wrestles with the questions that face all of us as we go about living our lives: to what extent is it the job of blind people to educate the educators, educate our employers, educate our public officials, and all before we can take advantage of what others take for granted? When does this need to educate those around us retard our progress and when does it strengthen us and teach assertiveness and out-of-the-box thinking that serves many of us well in this constantly evolving world? The answers are not easy, and Julie makes no pretense that they are. Here is what she says about education, what it offers, what it promises, and how often it falls short of what it can and should be for blind students: We are amazing. That's what they say. When we walk into their classrooms, they look at our Braille, the talking technology, and the canes and dogs we use to navigate the world, and they are in awe. "How can you do that?" "You are an inspiration." These statements become familiar songs in the soundtracks of our lives. Some of the instructors and professors we meet ask questions, and many make promises to accommodate. The world of education seems to be a place of endless possibility. We are positive that learning will occur, and it certainly does, but at what cost? Many of the professors who promise to send documents to us, keep us aware of projects and activities in the classroom, and prepare materials ahead of time soon begin to display their human frailty by forgetting their promises and good intentions and causing us to be left out. We do not blame them, and we shouldn't. Many of them genuinely want to accommodate us, but do they understand what it's like to be unable to participate? Have they ever been there? Have they felt that wave of dread when a new activity is announced, and we are consigned to the sidelines with the hope that we will be consoled by their heartfelt apology? No, they haven't experienced this, and I sincerely hope they never do. The experience of being overlooked in class preparation by instructors and professors requires that we learn to think on our feet, determine how a new activity can be made accessible, and have the confidence to implement our ideas on the spur of the moment. We have to be clever enough to anticipate, use our memories and listening skills to glean bits of the print documents that the other students have in their hands, and in many cases learn quickly enough to compete with and be a part of the class. Let's step outside this mindset for a minute. What would life be like if we didn't have to do all these things? What if we had the burden only of learning from what was presented? Perhaps it may seem unrealistic, but what if the teachers were so committed to our learning that they took the necessary steps to see that we could participate in every activity, had the class materials at the same time they were available to other students, and ensured there was a way for us to answer questions and make comments that was as easy for us as for other students? If we actually found ourselves in this situation, we would probably be confused. We wouldn't know what to do with ourselves. Willingly or not, we have accepted the double standard by which we operate as blind people. It begins with that fateful contradiction disguised as a compliment: "You are amazing." Once that idea has been put into our heads, we are condemned to live up to that belief and to be set apart from others. Many of us either feel as if we need to live up to this standard, or feel as though we need to succeed in spite of it. We reject the idea that we are amazing, but we work hard to be amazing. We embrace the idea that we are normal human beings, while simultaneously working harder than our colleagues to prove to them and ourselves that we are. We detest the unequal treatment that makes life harder, while thriving on the challenge it presents and quietly and secretly complimenting ourselves on being so resourceful. Our lives are as conflicted and filled with contradictions as those of our fellow travelers on this earth. We try to reconcile the love and protection of God with an understanding of the terrible things that happen in the world He oversees. We all struggle with the contradiction inherent in believing that we all have an opportunity to succeed in our country, while realizing that we are far from equal in where we start and what we have to work with in our lives. Perhaps we must distinguish between challenges and barriers, realizing that they may be different for each of us. Which of the challenges we face cause us unnecessary stress, which retard our progress, which cause us anxiety and self-doubt, and which prevent us from doing what we might to enjoy our lives to the fullest? These we must seek to eradicate from our lives and use all of our efforts to see that other blind people do not find them stumbling blocks. Should it be okay for blind students to be without Braille or materials in the classroom simply because we often surmount this inconvenience? Why are they allowing us into schools and universities and then condemning us to sitting on the sidelines or playing second chair to our colleagues? I ask you: what is the point? On the flip side, which of the challenges we face every day have served to shape us into more resourceful human beings, caused us to be less rigid in our thinking, pushed us to be more accepting of the weaknesses of others, and forced us to have greater respect for the diversity found in the world? We need to reevaluate how we treat blindness in education. It is easy to say that classrooms must be accessible and instructors need to treat their disabled students as equals. The reality is more difficult to swallow. Many teachers have different expectations of blind students that stem from their attitudes about blindness and people with disabilities. If this is the problem, it is truly our job to educate our educators as we seek to learn ourselves. Yes we really do get used to teaching the ones who are teaching us, but I wonder if this reality is a benefit to us in our endeavors as students. Can we truly learn at our best if we are constantly living in a world of caution and uncertainty because of the multitude of differing attitudes we find throughout our educational journeys? I am not here to convince you that the educational world is hopeless. Teachers are out there who understand-whole groups of them in fact. They can be found, and this realization, more than anything else, gives me hope. We need to identify those who see potential rather than inspiration in us so that we can finally be on an equal footing with our peers. You are not engaged in this struggle alone to find and educate understanding teachers. I am here, standing alongside you in our efforts to gain equality in the classroom, and seeking solutions to our challenges as blind students, and I am grateful to realize that we have an organization that is dedicated to educating these educators with us. It is time that we recognize this support and stop feeling as if we were carrying so much of the weight of these disadvantages alone. The truth is that the real problems of the blind student do not lie in our inability to see; they stem from the attitudes of those who teach us and provide our accommodations. Once we realize this, we are one step closer to using our God-given potential to succeed in whatever field we choose. Clearly there is no single path in navigating the road to education as a blind person, but at the very least we should network, strategize, and improve the maps as we continue to demand equality. We must make the best of the situations in which we find ourselves, but we must also find the energy and optimism to expect acceptance and equality. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: James Brown] James Brown Father, Highway Administrator, and Leader >From the Editor: James Brown was elected to the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind at its 2014 Convention in Orlando. He also serves as the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Tennessee. Here is what will appear in "Who Are the Blind Who Lead the Blind" when it is next published: James Brown was born in 1974. "I sometimes wished I had brothers and sisters, but, being an only child, I just went out and got me some. I've always been good at making friends, so being an only child didn't mean I was a lonely child." Brown started school with a vision problem but was not declared legally blind until the age of nine. No one really appreciated how difficult it was for him to read print, but reading would send him home at the end of the day with frequent headaches and migraines. "Vision simply wasn't talked about at my house, even though my mother suffered significant vision loss while pregnant with me." Brown says that she continued to drive on a limited basis, and never did she acknowledge that he might have trouble with his sight. He was always told to "look over there," or "read that," so "blindness" was the secret word never spoken. It is not surprising that Braille was never suggested or offered to Brown. He began his education at Lighthouse Christian, a private school he attended through the seventh grade. His need for large-print books that the private school didn't have eventually pushed him to go to public school for two years. As his vision continued to decline, Brown transferred to the Tennessee School for the Blind to finish his high school education. He was never encouraged to learn Braille, and, when he asked about it at the school for the blind, he was told that it would be inappropriate for him because he would end up reading it with his eyes. Interestingly, Brown went to school with Kareem Dale, a former official in the Obama Administration. Dale and Brown were the same age and had about the same amount of vision. Dale also asked for Braille and was granted it. Brown believes this is because Dale's grandparents were actively involved in their grandson's education and a part of the IEP process, while Brown's parents were not very involved. Both young men lost their remaining vision about a year after graduating from high school; Dale had a way to read-Brown did not. Brown found his time at the private school challenging, the years in public school less so, and his time at the school for the blind did not begin to challenge or stimulate him academically. When asked about his strengths in school, Brown says, "I was never exceptional at anything-maybe some of that was because I was trying to act sighted when I just didn't have the vision-but, while I wasn't outstanding in anything, I was fortunate to be good in just about everything. I didn't really take school as seriously as I should have, and I was not an honor roll student until college." Given these experiences, how did Brown decide to pursue a higher education? "Neither of my parents had a college education, and they really regarded it as something that only the exceptional could do or expect. Eventually I came to see that any real advancement for me meant schooling, and that meant going to college," Brown said. After high school Brown says he was ready for a little bit of life without school, so he worked at Custom Craft Cabinets. But after two-and-a- half years of sanding, wood planing, and attaching knobs, he realized the job would not pay enough to support him and his growing family. At this point he was a married man, having taken Crystal as his wife, and at that time they had one child, Christopher, who was born in 1994. They would also have another child, Joshua, who was born in 1996. "I was making about $9 an hour, and, although $9 meant more than it does now, it was clear to me that I could not raise a family on that kind of money. I figured out that the only way I was going to move up was by going to college, but, before I could do that, I had to learn some skills-how to use a computer, do word processing, and take advantage of the internet. My grades in college were good, but I had trouble with math. I was always good at it when I could see a little. Having no way to write down the problems, I could do only what I could keep in my head, and college algebra produced the only D on a transcript that was otherwise composed of A's. "My original goal was to attend law school, so I majored in political science. Before I graduated and applied to any of them, my cousin, who was then in law school, told me I better be prepared to go for a year or a year and a half without seeing much of my wife or my child. I decided that was not acceptable, given that I was newly married and had a young child, and that, if law school was to be something I did, it would have to come later." Given his change in career goals, Brown graduated from college and began applying for every job he could. The job he landed was as a transportation tech for the Tennessee Highway Department. He has since been promoted and now serves as a transportation specialist planner 3. In his job Brown conducts road safety audits. This involves analyzing safety data (the number of fatal crashes that occur on a given segment of highway) to determine their cause. If the analysis concludes that corrective action can be taken to eliminate or reduce the problem that contributes to the crashes, Brown must then determine how to fund the repairs. "If you look at the data and you see that most crashes happen when the road is wet, the corrective action is to add a high-friction surface to that part of the road. If you see a road which is well-traveled during the day but the majority of the fatal crashes happen at night, you then have to assume that night and the lack of light are playing a part in the fatalities. The answers are all there in the data, and my job is to figure them out." Brown came to know about the National Federation of the Blind when he won a scholarship in 2007, but winning didn't mean that he immediately became active in the organization. He relates that one of his first reactions when arriving at the convention in Atlanta was to observe to himself that "God didn't make three thousand blind people to be together. There were all these canes and dogs and people heading toward one another." At the same time he was thinking all of this, he couldn't help being impressed by all that the blind people who came to the convention were doing. At the bar where he sat, there was a lawyer sitting to his left, a television producer on his right, and next to him a scientist who was working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico. All were blind. But, no matter how impressed he was by the national convention and the leaders he met, the weight of home life, work, and his participation in a graduate program meant that it took him more than a year to connect with the Federation. "Because of problems going on in Tennessee at the time, I wasn't really too impressed with becoming a part, but the Affiliate Action Team kept me involved and kept showing me that what was happening nationally could and should be happening in my state. Going to the Washington Seminar was one of the ways they kept me involved, and the first one I attended in 2009 happened to involve our work with the quiet cars-the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act-something I felt I knew a little about." When Brown earned a master's degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, he decided he had more time for outside activities, and what he saw in the National Federation of the Blind helped to convince him that the work of the organization was worth his time and talent. "I liked what I saw in these people-they didn't hide from blindness, weren't ashamed to be blind or to say the word. The thing I appreciated most was that many of those I met walked the talk-they were real." Brown became the president of the Tennessee affiliate in March of 2012 and was elected to the national board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind on July 5, 2014. "I was extremely honored to have been elected, and I'll do my best to honor the trust that has been placed in me." When asked what he sees as the most important challenge facing the Federation, Brown says: "I think our most immediate challenge is to recruit young people and to train them to be leaders. Young people respect those who are older, but they also want people their own age. We have to let them know that the Federation is just as important for their generation as it was to those who created it and to those of us who work to sustain it. It takes work, persistence, and targeting our efforts, but we will persuade young people in the same way we were persuaded. They will become invested and committed, and all blind people will be the better for our ongoing work. I am proud to be a part of this organization and to see to this transition." ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Deborah Kendrick] Why Braille? by Deborah Kendrick >From the Editor: This article first appeared in the Fall 2014 issue of the Buckeye Bulletin, the newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. Here is what Editor Barbara Pierce had to say about it: Editor's Note: Deborah Kendrick is a member of the NFB of Ohio's board of directors and president of the NFB of Cincinnati. She is also an experienced user and teacher of Braille. We asked her to summarize the arguments for Braille that the panelists gave at a recent workshop for BSVI [Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired] counselors. This is what she wrote: Answers supplied by BSVI counselors recently in a brief survey regarding their attitudes toward Braille prompted me to weep. I didn't, though. Their attitudes are misguided. But they are the misguided attitudes rooted in good intentions. We blind people have not spent sufficient time providing them with the information they need, and that is what I commit to doing until the numbers of Braille-literate (and subsequently the numbers of employed) blind Ohioans increase. Very few counselors offer Braille to their consumers who are new to vision loss. Why? Mostly they believe it to be unnecessary due to technological advances and too difficult to learn. These are myths rooted in rumor rather than fact, and, while directing our attention elsewhere, we have not been fervent enough, constant enough to dispel and put them to rest. I had the opportunity to speak to Ohio's BSVI counselors at a workshop in August (along with three other adults who use Braille), and here are some of the facts we addressed in that presentation: Braille Means Jobs Although 70 percent of working-age blind and low-vision adults are still without jobs, 85 to 90 percent of those lucky enough to hold jobs are users of Braille. If you doubt this, count the blind people working in any group you know, and you will find proof of this statistic again and again. Replaced by Technology Braille has not been replaced by "technology." By this statement well- intentioned naysayers are probably referring to technology that speaks. While screen readers are essential to efficient management of electronic data, many blind professionals actually access that information using a combination of speech and magnification or speech and Braille. Sighted people love technology too, and they also have devices that talk. That talking technology has not replaced the need to see certain words at a glance or put down certain words in a flash for your own personal retrieval. All of those ordinary ways in which a sighted person uses print, ways as intrinsic and routine as breathing and ways not involving technology, are the same kinds of needs that spell independence for the Braille user. Examples: Braille labels on spices, cooking ingredients, electronics chargers, hand tools, small components of an art or craft hobby, file folders, or household products. How does a blind person distinguish the file folder containing his 2014 bank statements from the file folder containing drawings made by a grandchild? How does a blind person know which bottle contains insect spray and which furniture polish? How does a blind person pull the desired size knitting needle or socket wrench from an assortment? How does a blind executive refer to his agenda? Or a blind Girl Scout leader to her song lyrics? Braille is the answer to these and millions of other mundane situations where the only independent path to success is a few written words. Without Braille in such situations, that same competent blind person is on hold until someone else's sight is available. Who Can Learn? Braille is not the rocket-science-caliber code that some fancy it to be. It is comprised of sixty-three different characters (the number of permutations available when beginning with a six-dot cell). Yes, learning to use those sixty-three symbols according to the rules takes some study, but so does learning the ABCs of print. (Some would argue that print, with its infinite fonts and styles is far more difficult. Braille, after all, has its sixty-three shapes that never change.) I personally have taught people from the age of six to sixty-six to read and write Braille, and I have been acquainted with people both older and younger than those years who have become fluent. In approximately four months, assuming that the student is meeting with a competent instructor twice a week and given significant practice assignments between meetings, most individuals of any age can become fluent. In half that time, an individual could at least become familiar with basic Grade 1 Braille (alphabet and punctuation marks only), which at least enables the individual to label items, note a phone number for independent access, or make a list of bullet points for presentation. Connecting the Dots with Attitude For many adults losing vision and wanting to work, the BSVI counselor is the first expert encountered. Attitude is everything. If you believe your life will continue and be full without sight, it will be. If you believe you can continue to work, you can. And if you believe that reading and writing now depend upon learning a new system, a tactile system of reading and writing, well then, you will learn. If the adult in transition from sight to blindness is asked what she needs, chances are that she simply won't yet know what she needs and certainly won't know the power of Braille. If the new guide whom she now trusts to tell her, her BSVI counselor, presents the facts above and demonstrates a belief in Braille, she will learn. So...Why Not Braille? My challenge to counselors and rehabilitation professionals everywhere is this: encourage and support the use of Braille. Operate with the presumption that, if one needs BSVI services, one of those services will be Braille unless the consumer chooses not to learn it. If counselors believe that all blind people should learn Braille in the same way that sighted people should learn print, we will see those unemployment statistics plummet! ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Patti Chang] The Secret to Winning a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship by Patti S. Gregory-Chang From the Editor: Patti Chang is the chairman of one of the most important committees of the National Federation of the Blind. She and her committee are charged with advertising our scholarship program and choosing thirty students who evidence academic success, leadership, and a demonstrated commitment to helping others. Here is Patti's announcement about the 2015 scholarship program: Each July at our national convention the National Federation of the Blind gives a broad array of scholarships to recognize achievement by blind scholars. We offer thirty scholarships, and all are substantial and prestigious enough to warrant any student's time to complete and compete. Our $12,000 Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship is the largest. The NFB Scholarship Program is our investment in the future of blind people who demonstrate scholastic aptitude, leadership, and service. I encourage every blind college student to apply. I am sometimes asked what the secret is to winning an NFB scholarship. I am going to tell you the secret. First of all, applicants must meet the eligibility requirements to receive a scholarship. All applicants for these scholarships must be legally blind; must reside in one of our fifty states, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico; must be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time postsecondary course of study in a degree program at an accredited United States institution in the fall academic year; and, if chosen as a finalist, must participate in the entire NFB national convention and in all scheduled scholarship activities. Many think the key to becoming a winner is a high grade point average. Others believe it is based on participation in extracurricular activities. Still others think it is one's level of commitment to the NFB. While grade point average is important because it demonstrates the ability to learn and be successful academically, it is not the only attribute that influences the scholarship committee. Participation in extracurricular activities is important in portraying oneself as a well-rounded person; it is not sufficient in itself to justify a scholarship award. Committed members of the organization recognize the attributes that are important to committee members when determining who wins a scholarship. The scholarship program is a tremendous tool for us to develop future leaders of the National Federation of the Blind, but scholarship awards are not restricted to members of the organization. The National Federation of the Blind is an organization dedicated to creating opportunity for all blind people. Recipients of NFB scholarships need not be members of the National Federation of the Blind. Many of our past winners were not even aware of the NFB before they applied for our scholarships. When you check the lists of past winners, you will see that students of all ages and in widely differing fields have won over the years. The class of 2014 included students entering their freshman year, as well as older students who were nearly ready to write their PhD dissertations. Past winners are working toward credentials for employment in diverse fields. There is truly only one way to win an NFB scholarship: that is to apply. Each November the new, updated scholarship application forms are posted on the Web at , along with important information about the contest, links to information on past winners, and a page of frequently asked questions. The application form for 2015 is already online. It will remain up until March 31. The process can be initiated with an online application, which we prefer, or students can ask for a print application by contacting our scholarship office at or by calling (410) 659-9314, ext. 2415. A complete application consists of the official application form and a student essay, plus these supporting documents: student transcripts, two letters of recommendation, and proof of legal blindness. The student must also complete an interview with the president of the applicant's state of residence or the state where he or she will be attending school. High school seniors must also include a copy of the results of their ACT, SAT, or other college entrance exams. Unfortunately, some applications are incomplete, so the committee is unable to consider them fairly. Applicants must ensure that all of the required information and supporting documentation have been received by our scholarship office either online by midnight EST, March 31, or by mail postmarked by March 31. Students should carefully consider who can do the best job of writing their letters of reference. Letters should support the application by being full of facts and observations that will help the members of the committee see the applicant as a smart, active student and citizen. Students can write their essays using word-processing software. They should remember to use the spell checker (or a human proofreader) before uploading, printing, or copying and pasting it into the online application form. In an effective essay the applicant will talk about his or her life in a way that gives the committee insight into him or her. The essay should cover the ways in which one lives successfully as a blind person and describe one's personal goals for the future. Information about positions of leadership is especially helpful. Committee members give the essay a great deal of attention. The NFB scholarship committee is comprised of dedicated, successful blind people, who will review all applications and select the top thirty applicants for the scholarship class of 2015. Note that students submit just one application to the program; the scholarship committee will choose the thirty finalists from all applications received. These thirty scholarship finalists will be notified of their selection by telephone no later than June 1. Finally, during the annual convention held July 5 through July 10, 2015, in Orlando, Florida, the scholarship committee will decide which award will be presented to each winner. Attending and participating in the entire NFB national convention is one of the requirements to become an NFB scholarship winner. Of course attending the convention is also a significant part of the prize. The National Federation of the Blind's national convention is the largest gathering of blind people to occur anywhere in the world each year, with 2,500 or more people registered. Those chosen as scholarship finalists will have the opportunity to network with other blind students, to exchange information and ideas, and to meet and talk with hundreds of blind people who are successfully functioning in many occupations and professions. Our past winners often comment that the money was quickly spent, but the contacts they made and the information they gathered at convention have continued to make their lives richer than they had ever imagined. Often students apply more than one year before winning a scholarship, so applicants are encouraged to reapply. The NFB may award three or more scholarships to men and women who have already received one Federation scholarship in the past if their scholarship and leadership merit another award. Individuals receiving a second NFB national scholarship are recognized as tenBroek Fellows. The secret, if there is one, to winning an NFB scholarship is to read carefully the application on our website, and then provide all of the required information and supporting documentation before the deadline of March 31. However, I actually maintain that there is no secret. The only way to win an NFB scholarship is to apply. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Tom Bickford] What I Have Given and Received from the Federation by Tom Bickford >From the Editor: At the 2013 convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, Tom Bickford, a member of the National Federation of the Blind since the 1950s, related what he has gotten through his contact with the people and the programs of the National Federation of the Blind. Here is what he said: What is it that you get in the mail the most? Bills! Bills, advertising, direct requests for money. Yeah, you guys know. It was true sixty years ago-fifty years?-I don't know. In the early 1950s I was a student at Occidental College in Los Angeles. The state of California had a program to pay people to read my textbooks to me. The man who ran that program was Bob Campbell. You'll see his name in Federation history. He was also the president of the Federation affiliate, and it was obvious that he was using his student list to send out Federation information. We'll just forgive him for that. Toward the end of my college career I was talking with my rehab counselor, and he said, "You ought to go up to this orientation center in Oakland. They could teach you some independent travel skills." I had to admit he was right. So at the end of the school year I went up to Oakland. The most important person I met there was Kenneth Jernigan. He was still in his late twenties then. He was not the formal administrator of the program; he was the inspirational and philosophical leader, though. His ideas were what really made the program go. He taught a number of classes. Every morning he'd come over and work out with us in the gym, and I mean work! I can't name all the classes he taught. He taught a class called Business Methods and Procedures. Originally, it was just that, how to run a business. He'd done it himself. By the time I got there the class was about issues of blindness. "How do you feel about yourself as a blind person, and what do you think you can do?" And we came in, most of us, feeling pretty insecure. And then, "What do you think of other blind people? What do you think they can do? What do you think of the sighted public? What do they think you can do?" We covered all that specifically and in general. He'd pick on a particular student he thought was in a place in the development of his confidence, and he'd say: "Now Jack, how do you think of this? I'll set up a situation here. How do you justify that? Can't you think of something else? Why do you say that? What do you think of this other factor over here?" And he worked us over. I was not exempt from those work-over jobs. He did so many things to make us think about our positioning the development of our confidence and independence. I took other classes while I was there, one in cooking. I learned how to use kitchen equipment. I learned how ingredients work with each other. Over the years, when I lived by myself, I cooked for myself. Later on, when I got married, my wife and I had two daughters, but she wasn't always home, so I would cook for my family. And I can cook more than rum balls. There's a fruit cake over there from Barbara Pierce's recipe, and it's properly aged. It has brandy in it. That'll help it age. The other class I took that really made a difference in my life was cane travel: formally, two hours every morning, two hours every afternoon, and that was just the beginning. Any time we were walking around the building, the community, alone, with other students, we were using our canes, and that's the way to do it. Over the years people were asking me, "Gee, that's amazing how you travel. How do you do that?" I got tired of answering. I decided to write it down. Well, I got to writing, and I wrote this and that. After a while I realized, "I have a book here." So I sent my notes over to Dr. Jernigan (by that time we were both here in Maryland), and he said, "Yeah, go ahead and write the book." So I'm sitting on the sofa with a Braillewriter on my lap, Braille paper on my left, Braille paper on my right. I didn't have any computer skills at that time. It pays to have friends; Lloyd and Judy Rasmussen came to my rescue. We ran off a few copies, and we gave one to Debbie Brown. Debbie says, "You didn't think about this. Why don't you include this issue?" So I did. We sent it over to Mr. Jernigan, and his answer was, "All right, the next time you send this to me, I want a copy in Braille, a copy in print, and a copy in digital form." So we did. We did a little more editing, and now we have Care and Feeding of the Long White Cane: Instructions in Cane Travel for Blind People. The Federation made me a published author. Now let me go back to California in the 1950s. Mr. Jernigan was also president of the local chapter of the Federation, and we learned how the Federation worked. We wrote letters to Congress. We wrote letters to our state legislature. We got involved with anyone who was blind in the Bay area. We went up to Sacramento to sit in on legislative hearings. We went to the state conventions, and we got involved in those. Well, speaking of conventions, 1957 came along; the national convention of the National Federation of the Blind was in New Orleans, Louisiana. I couldn't find anyone to go with me, so I went by myself by Greyhound bus-three-and-a-half days. Now that's a long trip to go without a bath. I know other people have taken even longer trips and have even brought their children with them, but that was my first long trip. I learned a lot about the South. I learned a lot about the Federation. I especially learned a lot about myself, and that's another thing the Federation can do for you. At that convention Ken Jernigan wanted to introduce an official membership pin. He had six copies with him, and he gave them out. He had three left over. Someone said, "Auction them off!" The last one went five- ten-fifteen-seventeen dollars to Tom Bickford. I have it right here on my lapel next to my Whozit pin. My program at the orientation center was through, so I went back to my home area in Southern California. I joined the local chapter: The Associated Blind of South East Los Angeles County-what a name. I joined in and participated, and after a while they elected me secretary. I realized later that was my first office in the Federation. In those years there was a group of people inside the Federation who wanted to get rid of Dr. tenBroek. They were jealous of his long time as president; they wanted to take the Federation off in a different direction. That was the civil war, and some of it got nasty. I was in on that, and I gave and received blows. They never did get rid of Dr. tenBroek, and, after five years of fighting it, they finally went off and formed their own organization. That was the American Council of the Blind. Yeah, they like to fight. In 1958 Ken Jernigan went to Iowa to be the director of the Iowa Commission for the Blind, and he was mighty successful. He worked sixteen- hour days, making friends here and there: with the legislators, with the Temple Sisterhood, with anyone who had any chance to help him out in his work to help the blind. I heard about Dr. Schluntz, the blind chiropractor. By then he was already a millionaire. I thought some of those Iowans were doing pretty well. Mr. Jernigan called me up one morning from Iowa-I was still in California-and he said, "Tom, how would you like to come to Iowa and be a rehab counselor for me?" I most certainly would! So I got to Iowa in January of '59. Now I can talk Federation; I can live Federation; but I'm not the right kind of person to be a rehab counselor. It's not my nature. It became more obvious and more obvious, and we parted company on very cordial terms. We both knew it wasn't going to work, and he actually introduced me to a program at the University of Iowa that was for rehabilitation counselors. I can go to class, I can study, I can pass tests, but I'm still not a rehabilitation counselor. All right, the next big opportunity that came along was to go to Washington, DC to study Russian language and go to work for one of the security agencies. It happened again. I can study Russian; I can learn it passably well; and I passed the tests. But I didn't pass the big test: security clearance. About half of the students did. I was in the half that did not, so I had to go off and find a job somewhere else. While I was there, I joined the local chapter of the Federation, and I participated, and after a while they elected me president. Now I'm going to say this: I'm not the only former president in this room. Orlo Nichols was also serving his term for a while. His job moved from Washington to Baltimore, so he followed the job. That's why. While I was there, there were two men who were refused admittance to a movie theater because they had guide dogs. Oh no. How do we fight that? They were from Arlington. I thought, the congressman from Arlington is right here in Washington, Joel Broyhill. I got a copy of the Model White Cane law from Dr. tenBroek, and I gave it to Broyhill. Well, he wasn't going back to Arlington. He introduced it into Congress. All right, I'm in the Federation. I know what to do. I got a list of the other members of his committee (the Committee on the District of Columbia), and at the next convention of the National Federation of the Blind I went to the president of each state with a congressman on that committee, and I said, "We are asking you to ask your congressman to support this bill, and here's a letter outlining what we want him to do." The Federation came through. When I got back to Washington, Broyhill was amazed: "I've got people from all across this country supporting this bill." All right, the next step was to get members of my chapter to write up testimony. We had hearings in the House committee. We had hearings in the Senate committee. It was passed by Congress. It was signed by the president. Now we have Public Law 92-515. It's a civil rights law for the blind and physically handicapped. Since then it has been superseded by the Americans with Disabilities Act, but that's all right with me. I don't mind; that gives the whole country better protections. I got married in 1968. That spring Dr. tenBroek died, and Ken Jernigan, as vice president, succeeded to the presidency. The national convention was in Des Moines. During that convention two New Yorkers brought in a song they wanted to be the official National Federation of the Blind song, "Glory, Glory Federation." A lot of us know that. Just as we were about to vote on that, a young woman came running up the center aisle saying, "But I have a song too!" Mr. Jernigan says, "All right, we'll have a contest. We'll have a committee. Anyone who has a song can send it in to the committee, and we'll vote on it next year in South Carolina." My wife gave me an elbow in the ribs and said, "You ought to be on that committee." Oh well, that's what wives are for. I know what to do; I know how things go. I wrote a note in Braille and gave it to one of Mr. Jernigan's staff members I knew, and he passed it along. Next morning from the podium: "We'll have a committee, and it will be chaired by Tom Bickford." I hadn't expected that one. We had some good submissions. We had some not so good submissions. Now we've got a whole song book. There's Mary Ellen Thompson, who worked on the song book for us. I've come down to the end. The Federation has given me my life! What do I give in return? Money? Sure, give money. It takes money to run this thing. But how much do you give? That's between you and your conscience and your bank balance. What else do you give? Give your time. Look around this room: so many people. Half of these people are giving their time to make this program go. Give your talents. I have some. I don't have all. But give your time, give your talents, give your imagination, give your enthusiasm. I assure you that, in trying to do this, it has all come back to me-with interest. And now I'm deeper in debt than I was before. So I give more to try to pay off the debt, and it keeps coming back with interest. It's a debt that I will never pay off, but it's a debt that I will bear willingly, all my life. ---------- 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 and training 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! ---------- >From the Editor: At the 2014 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind, the Constitution was amended to create a chairman of the board of directors. So that members have the most up-to-date copy of one of our major operating documents, we are taking this opportunity to print the updated copy of this document. Constitution of the National Federation of the Blind as Amended 2014 ARTICLE I. NAME The name of this organization is the National Federation of the Blind. ARTICLE II. PURPOSE The purpose of the National Federation of the Blind is to serve as a vehicle for collective action by the blind of the nation; to function as a mechanism through which the blind and interested sighted persons can come together in local, state, and national meetings to plan and carry out programs to improve the quality of life for the blind; to provide a means of collective action for parents of blind children; to promote the vocational, cultural, and social advancement of the blind; to achieve the integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality with the sighted; and to take any other action which will improve the overall condition and standard of living of the blind. ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP Section A. The membership of the National Federation of the Blind shall consist of the members of the state affiliates, the members of divisions, and members at large. Members of divisions and members at large shall have the same rights, privileges, and responsibilities in the National Federation of the Blind as members of state affiliates. The board of directors shall establish procedures for admission of divisions and shall determine the structure of divisions. The divisions shall, with the approval of the board, adopt constitutions and determine their membership policies. Membership in divisions shall not be conditioned upon membership in state affiliates. The board of directors shall establish procedures for admission of members at large, determine how many classes of such members shall be established, and determine the annual dues to be paid by members of each class. Section B. Each state or territorial possession of the United States, including the District of Columbia, having an affiliate shall have one vote at the national convention. These organizations shall be referred to as state affiliates. Section C. State affiliates shall be organizations of the blind controlled by the blind. No organization shall be recognized as an "organization of the blind controlled by the blind" unless at least a majority of its voting members and a majority of the voting members of each of its local chapters are blind. Section D. The board of directors shall establish procedures for the admission of state affiliates. There shall be only one state affiliate in each state. Section E. Any member, local chapter, state affiliate, or division of this organization may be suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined for misconduct or for activity unbecoming to a member or affiliate of this organization by a two-thirds vote of the board of directors or by a simple majority of the states present and voting at a national convention. If the action is to be taken by the board, there must be good cause, and a good faith effort must have been made to try to resolve the problem by discussion and negotiation. If the action is to be taken by the convention, notice must be given on the preceding day at an open board meeting or a session of the convention. If a dispute arises as to whether there was "good cause," or whether the board made a "good faith effort," the national convention (acting in its capacity as the supreme authority of the Federation) shall have the power to make final disposition of the matter; but until or unless the board's action is reversed by the national convention, the ruling of the board shall continue in effect. ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND NATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Section A. The officers of the National Federation of the Blind shall be: (1) president, (2) first vice president, (3) second vice president, (4) secretary, and (5) treasurer. They shall be elected biennially. Section B. The officers shall be elected by majority vote of the state affiliates present and voting at a national convention. Section C. The National Federation of the Blind shall have a board of directors, which shall be composed of the five officers and twelve additional members, six of whom shall be elected at the annual convention during even-numbered years and six of whom shall be elected at the annual convention during odd-numbered years. The members of the board of directors shall serve for two-year terms. Biennially, during even numbered years, at the first meeting of the board of directors following the convention at which officers and board members are elected, the board of directors shall select a chairperson from among its members who shall not be the same person as the President and who shall serve without compensation. Section D. The board of directors may, in its discretion, create a national advisory board and determine the duties and qualifications of the members of the national advisory board. ARTICLE V. POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE CONVENTION, THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND THE PRESIDENT Section A. Powers and Duties of the Convention. The convention is the supreme authority of the Federation. It is the legislature of the Federation. As such, it has final authority with respect to all issues of policy. Its decisions shall be made after opportunity has been afforded for full and fair discussion. Delegates and members in attendance may participate in all convention discussions as a matter of right. Any member of the Federation may make or second motions, propose nominations, serve on committees, and is eligible for election to office, except that only blind members may be elected to the national board. Voting and making motions by proxy are prohibited. Consistent with the democratic character of the Federation, convention meetings shall be so conducted as to prevent parliamentary maneuvers which would have the effect of interfering with the expression of the will of the majority on any question, or with the rights of the minority to full and fair presentation of their views. The convention is not merely a gathering of representatives of separate state organizations. It is a meeting of the Federation at the national level in its character as a national organization. Committees of the Federation are committees of the national organization. The nominating committee shall consist of one member from each state affiliate represented at the convention, and each state affiliate shall appoint its member to the committee. From among the members of the committee, the president shall appoint a chairperson. Section B. Powers and Duties of the Board of Directors. The function of the board of directors as the governing body of the Federation between conventions is to make policies when necessary and not in conflict with the policies adopted by the convention. Policy decisions which can reasonably be postponed until the next meeting of the national convention shall not be made by the board of directors. The board of directors shall serve as a credentials committee. It shall have the power to deal with organizational problems presented to it by any member, local chapter, state affiliate, or division; shall decide appeals regarding the validity of elections in local chapters, state affiliates, or divisions; and shall certify the credentials of delegates when questions regarding the validity of such credentials arise. By a two-thirds vote the board may suspend one of its members for violation of a policy of the organization or for other action unbecoming to a member of the Federation. By a two-thirds vote the board may reorganize any local chapter, state affiliate, or division. The board may not suspend one of its own members or reorganize a local chapter, state affiliate, or division except for good cause and after a good-faith effort has been made to try to resolve the problem by discussion and negotiation. If a dispute arises as to whether there was "good cause" or whether the board made a "good-faith effort," the national convention (acting in its capacity as the supreme authority of the Federation) shall have the power to make final disposition of the matter; but until or unless the board's action is reversed by the national convention, the ruling of the board shall continue in effect. There shall be a standing subcommittee of the board of directors which shall consist of three members. The committee shall be known as the subcommittee on budget and finance. It shall, whenever it deems necessary, recommend to the board of directors principles of budgeting, accounting procedures, and methods of financing the Federation program; and shall consult with the president on major expenditures. The board of directors shall meet at the time of each national convention. It shall hold other meetings on the call of the president or on the written request of any five members. Section C. Powers and Duties of the President. The president is the principal administrative officer of the Federation. In this capacity his or her duties consist of carrying out the policies adopted by the convention; conducting the day-to-day management of the affairs of the Federation; authorizing expenditures from the Federation treasury in accordance with and in implementation of the policies established by the convention; appointing all committees of the Federation except the nominating committee; coordinating all activities of the Federation, including the work of other officers and of committees; hiring, supervising, and dismissing staff members and other employees of the Federation, and determining their numbers and compensation; taking all administrative actions necessary and proper to put into effect the programs and accomplish the purposes of the Federation. The implementation and administration of the interim policies adopted by the board of directors are the responsibility of the president as principal administrative officer of the Federation. ARTICLE VI. STATE AFFILIATES Any organized group desiring to become a state affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind shall apply for affiliation by submitting to the president of the National Federation of the Blind a copy of its constitution and a list of the names and addresses of its elected officers. Under procedures to be established by the board of directors, action shall be taken on the application. If the action is affirmative, the National Federation of the Blind shall issue to the organization a charter of affiliation. Upon request of the national president the state affiliate shall provide to the national president the names and addresses of its members. Copies of all amendments to the constitution and/or bylaws of an affiliate shall be sent without delay to the national president. No organization shall be accepted as an affiliate and no organization shall remain an affiliate unless at least a majority of its voting members are blind. The president, vice president (or vice presidents), and at least a majority of the executive committee or board of directors of the state affiliate and of all of its local chapters must be blind. Affiliates must not merely be social organizations but must formulate programs and actively work to promote the economic and social betterment of the blind. Affiliates and their local chapters must comply with the provisions of the constitution of the Federation. Policy decisions of the Federation are binding upon all affiliates and local chapters, and the affiliate and its local chapters must participate affirmatively in carrying out such policy decisions. The name National Federation of the Blind, Federation of the Blind, or any variant thereof is the property of the National Federation of the Blind; and any affiliate or local chapter of an affiliate which ceases to be part of the National Federation of the Blind (for whatever reason) shall forthwith forfeit the right to use the name National Federation of the Blind, Federation of the Blind, or any variant thereof. A general convention of the membership of an affiliate or of the elected delegates of the membership must be held and its principal executive officers must be elected at least once every two years. There can be no closed membership. Proxy voting is prohibited in state affiliates and local chapters. Each affiliate must have a written constitution or bylaws setting forth its structure, the authority of its officers, and the basic procedures which it will follow. No publicly contributed funds may be divided among the membership of an affiliate or local chapter on the basis of membership, and (upon request from the national office) an affiliate or local chapter must present an accounting of all of its receipts and expenditures. An affiliate or local chapter must not indulge in attacks upon the officers, board members, leaders, or members of the Federation or upon the organization itself outside of the organization, and must not allow its officers or members to indulge in such attacks. This requirement shall not be interpreted to interfere with the right of an affiliate or local chapter, or its officers or members, to carry on a political campaign inside the Federation for election to office or to achieve policy changes. However, the organization will not sanction or permit deliberate, sustained campaigns of internal organizational destruction by state affiliates, local chapters, or members. No affiliate or local chapter may join or support, or allow its officers or members to join or support, any temporary or permanent organization inside the Federation which has not received the sanction and approval of the Federation. ARTICLE VII. DISSOLUTION In the event of dissolution, all assets of the organization shall be given to an organization with similar purposes which has received a 501(c)(3) certification by the Internal Revenue Service. ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS This constitution may be amended at any regular annual convention of the Federation by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the state affiliates registered, present, and voting; provided that the proposed amendment shall have been signed by five state affiliates in good standing and that it shall have been presented to the president the day before final action by the convention. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Deborah Kent Stein] Questions from a Curious Teen by Deborah Kent Stein >From the Editor: Deborah Kent Stein is the editor of Future Reflections, but she is best known to the reading public for her many books of children's literature. Recently she got an email from a teenager in England and took the time to write a friendly and informative response that speaks well to who she is and to the organization she works so hard to support. Here's how she described the correspondence: As blind people we are frequently asked questions by friends, family members, and even total strangers. Although the barrage of questions can be annoying at times, each instance is an opportunity to reach the public with the truth about blindness. Recently I received an email from Gwen McKay, a thirteen-year-old girl in London, who is working on a school project about blindness. Perhaps our exchanges will give readers of the Monitor some ideas about responding to blindness-related questions: From: Gwen McKay To: Deborah Kent Stein Subject: Questions Hi, I found your name on a website from the National Federation of the Blind, and I wondered if I could ask you some things that I want to know. I have a project in which I decided to write about blind people. I am thirteen, and it would be great if I could have my questions answered by someone who is blind or if I could have a blind pen pal. This would mean that, when I present this, my class would understand more about blind people. You run such a good website that I would be willing to show my class. Gwen Below are Gwen's questions and my attempt to answer them: Dear Gwen, I'm glad to see that you and your class are interested in learning about blind people and how we live, and also that you find our website helpful. I have been blind all my life, so I will try to answer your questions. 1. Can a blind person dream? Yes, absolutely. Blind people dream just as sighted people do. People who had sight and then lost it usually have visual images in their dreams. For those of us who never had sight or who lost sight early in life, dreams involve hearing, touch, and just "knowing." For instance, I might dream of being in a cabin in the woods, but somehow I know it is the house where I grew up. I think this kind of knowing in dreams is also true for sighted people. 2. Could a blind person eventually learn to see with just their other senses? What I mean by that is that if they could use vibration and make out the objects. I'm not entirely sure I understand your question, but I'll try to answer it as best I can. Blind people identify objects by touch. Shape, size, and texture give a tremendous amount of information. Touch is our way of seeing, and most of us use the word "see" to describe the experience. For instance, I might say, "I saw my friend's new puppy, and it is so cute!" It would be awkward to say, "I touched my friend's new puppy," and I probably would never say that. 3. Is it possible to draw without seeing something before in your life with just a description? A lot of blind people enjoy drawing, and some are quite good at it. In my experience, drawing and sculpting (with clay or other media) depend on having firsthand experience with objects. It would be hard to draw a cat based purely on a description, but a blind person who is familiar with cats by touching them and who has some experience with drawing could probably draw one. 4. How come so many blind people can act so normal and live without aid? Do they have a secret? No, there's no secret to it. We live as normal people because we really are normal. The only way in which blind people are different from sighted people is our lack of sight. In every other regard we are just like the rest of the population. Some of us are intelligent, some are slow; some have a good sense of humor, others can't get a joke; some are athletic, others are couch potatoes. We learn to live full lives by using our hearing, touch, and common sense. Nearly everything can be done in ways that do not require eyesight. It's a matter of learning basic skills such as reading Braille, using accessible technology, and using a long white cane when traveling. It's also important to develop good problem-solving skills. 5. Can they memorize a route-let's say around a park-without actually seeing? For example, if I see something familiar, I would remember to turn or something. Blind people may memorize a particular route, such as how to get from home to school. The person might count the number of blocks and remember where to turn. A blind person may also learn the layout of a neighborhood or town in order to go anywhere she or he chooses. We use landmarks just as you do, but ours are not visual ones. For instance, some of the landmarks in my neighborhood are the playground where I hear kids playing basketball, the house with the picket fence that runs right along the sidewalk, the bubbling fountain in front of the bank, and the lumber yard with the smell of freshly cut wood. 6. Do they understand what colors are? Because I have never seen colors, I don't think I really understand what they are. However, I know the colors of many things: crows are black, leaves are green, and hair may be blonde, brown, red, black, gray, or white, or dyed any color a person desires. I also know that colors are highly symbolic in our culture, so that under some circumstances black represents mourning or sadness, white stands for purity, and red is associated with anger. I also have learned that certain colors go well with each other while other combinations clash, which is important information when picking out clothes. People who have visual memories can still picture colors, even if they haven't seen for many years. In that way color is still very much a part of life for many blind people. 7. What kind of jobs can a blind person have? Blind people work in almost every kind of job you can imagine. There are blind lawyers, doctors, teachers, social workers, architects, artists, musicians, scientists, auto mechanics, and factory workers. Many blind people work in the computer field, and many are homemakers raising children. New career possibilities are opening up all the time, and blind people are now doing lots of jobs that were once thought to be impossible. 8. Where do blind children go to school? In the United States most blind children go to regular schools with sighted children. A trained teacher of the visually impaired (TVI) visits them at school and helps them with any blindness-related problems that might come up. The TVI teaches the student Braille and helps her/him obtain materials in Braille or recorded formats. Some blind children attend residential, or boarding, schools for the blind. Sometimes a child goes to a residential school for a couple of years to learn Braille and other skills and then returns to regular school. I hope this information is helpful. Good luck with your project! You will find a great deal of information at the website of the National Federation of the Blind, . If you have further questions, let me know. Debbie From: Gwen McKay To: Deborah Kent Stein Subject: Re: Re: Questions Thank you so much for answering my questions. I am so glad that I could get all this information for my project, and it has been a great help. I'm sure all my class will be interested in this information, and I would love to show your website. I was so happy to see that you have answered me in less than a day and that all the answers are in detail. This will help everyone learn more about blind people and that they could live their lives even without sight. I think that Braille looks very interesting, and I have always wanted to be able to read the Braille on medicines and other things. For my project I am thinking about visiting the Venture Club for the Blind and Partially Sighted. For my project I am going to interview some blind people and ask questions similar to the ones I asked you. I was also thinking about seeing if they could draw objects. Do you think it is a good idea? Would they like to talk about these things, or would it be rude, I wasn't sure. Thank you sooo much once again; I really do appreciate it. Gwen From: Deborah Kent Stein To: Gwen McKay Subject: Your Project Dear Gwen, I'm glad you found the information helpful. Most of the time people don't mind answering questions about blindness if you ask in a way that is respectful. It's a good idea first to check with them if it's okay. Some people may be open to drawing things, and some people may not. They might feel embarrassed because they don't think they'll do a good job. There is a very cool drawing board you can buy that lets you make raised lines. It's called the Sensational Drawing Board, and you can buy it online. You can also make a drawing board by taping a square of window screen on top of several layers of newspaper. When you put a sheet of paper on the screen and draw with a pencil or pen or crayon, it makes a raised line that can easily be felt. Again, good luck with your project. Let me know how it turns out. Debbie ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Allen Harris] The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund by Allen Harris >From the Editor: Allen Harris is the chairman of the Kenneth Jernigan Fund Committee and was one of the people who came up with the idea of honoring our former president and longtime leader by establishing a program to promote attendance at the national convention, where so much inspiration and learning occur. Here is Allen's announcement about the 2015 Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Program: Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have not done so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship grant. Perhaps this July you too can be in the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida, enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at the largest and most important yearly convention of blind people in the world. The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an NFB national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel room for a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or an individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won't pay all the costs. Last year most of the sixty grants were in the range of $400 to $500 per individual. We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of the amazing experience that is convention week. Who is eligible? Active NFB members, blind or sighted, who have not yet attended an NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible to apply. How do I apply for funding assistance? 1. You write a letter giving your contact information, and your local NFB information, your specific amount requested, and then explain why this is a good investment for the NFB. The points to cover are listed below. 2. You contact your state president in person or by phone to request his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell the president when to expect your request letter by email, and mention the deadline. 3. You (or a friend) send your letter by email to your state president. He or she must add a president's recommendation and then email both letters directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee. Your president must forward the two letters no later than April 15, 2015. Your letter to Chairperson Allen Harris must cover these points: Your full name, and all your telephone numbers and label them-cell phone, home, office, other person (if any). Your mailing address and, if you have one, your email address. Your state affiliate and state president; your chapter and chapter president, if you attend a chapter. Your personal convention mentor and provide that person's phone number. Your specific request: Explain how much money you need from this fund to make this trip possible for you. We suggest you consult with other members to make a rough budget for yourself. The body of your letter should answer these questions: How do you currently participate in the Federation? Why do you want to attend a national convention? What would you receive; what can you share or give? You can include in your letter to the committee any special circumstances you hope they will take into consideration. When will I be notified that I am a winner? If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter with convention details which should answer most of your questions. The committee makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May 15, but you must do several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen. 1. Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for roommates of your own to reduce the cost.) 2. Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by May 31. 3. Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and advisor. 4. If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win a grant this year. How will I receive my convention scholarship? At convention you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your card will be listed in the letter we sent you. The committee is not able to provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and state affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds if you win a scholarship and to pay your treasury back after you receive your debit or credit card. What if I have more questions? For additional information email the chairman, Allen Harris, at or call his Baltimore, Maryland, office at (410) 659-9314, extension 2415. Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first convention on the national level and join several thousand active Federationists in the most important meeting of the blind in the world. We hope to see you in Orlando. ---------- Recipes This month's recipes have been submitted by members of the NFB of Rhode Island. Broccoli Casserole by Gail Blair Gail Blair is a longtime member of the Greater Providence chapter. Ingredients: 2 10-ounce packages frozen broccoli, cooked, drained, and chopped (I use the Asian veggie mix with broccoli, carrots, and watercress) 1 1/2 cups cooked rice 1 cup mayonnaise 1-1/2 cups shredded cheese, divided 1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup (cream of chicken works well too) 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 1/2 sleeves of crushed Ritz crackers 6 tablespoons butter, melted Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl combine broccoli, rice, mayonnaise, one cup of cheese, soup, and eggs. Mix well. Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup shredded cheese. In a separate bowl mix together crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter. Top the casserole with the crushed crackers and butter mixture. Bake for forty to forty-five minutes or until set and browned. If desired, add one-half to one pound diced, cooked chicken or leftover turkey to above. ---------- Taco Soup by Gail Blair Ingredients: 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 jar salsa 2 cans Ro*Tel diced tomatoes with green chili 1 envelope taco seasoning mix 1 can kidney beans with liquid 1 can black beans with liquid 1 can corn, drained 1 can of water 1 envelope ranch dressing 1 can cannellini beans with liquid Method: Combine all ingredients in pot over medium heat. Cook 30 minutes to heat through, stirring occasionally. If desired, add one pound browned ground beef or turkey or diced cooked chicken. ---------- [PHOTO CAPTION: Barbara Henry] Barbara's Fall Sweet Potato & Baked Apples by Barbara Henry Barbara Henry is an active member of the Mount Hope Chapter and recent LCB graduate. Ingredients: 4 sweet potatoes, cubed 1 cup walnuts, chopped 4 red apples, sliced and cored 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Method: Grease a baking pan with olive oil by taking a paper towel and dabbing the top of the bottle, then go around the baking pan. Put apples and sweet potatoes into the pan along with spices, mix everything together with your hands, make sure everything feels evenly coated. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover top of pan with aluminum foil. Cook in oven one hour. This can be eaten as a meal or a great side dish. ---------- Roasted Potatoes by Grace Pires Grace Pires is the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Rhode Island. She is married and has a seven-year-old son. Ingredients: Red bliss potatoes 1/2 cup oil 1 tablespoon powdered onion 1 tablespoon garlic Salt to taste 1 tablespoon paprika Method: Cut potatoes into quarters. In a small bowl combine oil, salt, onion, garlic, and paprika and mix well. (Put in enough paprika to turn the mixture reddish; the amount of garlic and onion depend on the quantity of potatoes.) Toss potatoes in the spices and mix thoroughly. Put potatoes on a tray and bake at 375 for about one hour. Use fork to check when done; potatoes should be dry and slightly crispy. ---------- Sour Cream Cake by Grace Pires This was one of my favorite cakes growing up. Ingredients: 1 package Duncan Hines Classic Butter Golden cake mix 1/4 cup of water 1/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup oil 4 eggs 1 8-ounce tub of sour cream Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients with electric mixer. Pour batter into a prepared bundt pan. Bake for fifty minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center of the cake. ---------- Monitor Miniatures News from the Federation Family Elected: The NFB of Arizona's East Valley Chapter held their elections and the following people were elected: president, Megan Homrighausen; first vice president, Mark Feliz; second vice president, Debra Smith; secretary, Jenny Kasl; treasurer, Carol Scharlat; board position one, Connie Ryan; board position two, Patrick Hamblin. Independence Market Corner: If you have left it to the last minute to get a Braille or large print 2015 calendar, the NFB Independence Market can help. The following 2015 calendars and planners are available for ordering: 2015 American Action Fund Braille Calendar This popular comb-bound, pocket-sized Braille calendar measures 6 by 6-1/2 inches. Each calendar page includes the days of the month and lists major holidays. A page for personal notes is in the back. This calendar is available free of charge. 2015 Large Print Calendar This spiral-bound, large-print appointment calendar measures 8-1/2 by 11 inches with inside pockets. Each month is displayed on two facing pages and features two-inch blocks for each day of the month. The months are tabbed and include a section for monthly notes as well as a three month calendar overview. The calendar costs $10.00 plus shipping and handling. 2015 Large Print Planner This organizer designed with low vision professionals in mind features easy-to-read large print. The spiral-bound 154-page planner with a black leatherette cover measures 8-1/2 by 11 inches. All calendar views are spread over two pages and include current and upcoming year at-a-glance views as well as twelve monthly and fifty-three weekly views. Pages for names and addresses, notes, and personal information are also included. The calendar costs $20.00 plus shipping and handling. New! 2015 Large Print Wall Calendar When fully opened this monthly wall calendar measures 22 by 17 inches. The daily boxes are 2-1/4 inch squares, and the numbers marking the date are 3/4 inch tall. The date markers are in the top right corner. At the bottom there are four lines for notes in between small versions of the previous and next month calendars. The calendar also includes an overview for the previous year and next year. The calendar costs $10.00 plus shipping and handling. Products, including the items listed above, may be ordered from the NFB Independence Market. For more information visit us online at , or contact us by email at or by phone at (410) 659-9314, extension 2216. Blind Teacher Honored by Local Television Station: Joe Grover is a blind teacher in the Caldwell, Idaho, Public Elementary Schools. In November he was selected by KBTV Channel 7 as the Seven's Hero. This TV station chooses a hero each week for doing community service of some kind. Joe supervises a group of boys called Guys and Ties who meet at lunch time. They are learning formal and adult behaviors and seem to be quite pleased about it. Of course, this is because Joe has the skill to help the kids enjoy what they are learning. Joe says, "It is a pretty cool program. I'm also very pleased that the focus was on the work I do instead of a blind guy doing the work." Joe Grover is also the newly elected vice president of our brand new Canyon County Chapter of the NFB of Idaho. Elected: The Fairfax chapter of the NFB of Virginia elected the following officers for the upcoming year: president, John Bailey; vice president, Cathy Schroeder; treasurer, Beverly Coney; secretary, Carolena Garrison; and board members, Ashley Bramlett and Jessica Diaz. John Bailey was elected as our chapter representative for the state board; Carolena Garrison was elected as the alternate board representative. 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. Blind Children and Teens with Recurrent Sleep Problems Needed for Clinical Research Study and Survey: Parents or guardians of children and teens who are blind with recurring sleeping or napping problems are needed to participate in a survey and/or take part in a clinical research study. The treatment being studied for children is approved for use in adults. For each completed survey, $24 will be donated (up to a total of $50,000) to organizations that support people who are blind. Eligible volunteers who take part in the clinical research study will be compensated for their time and will receive all study-related investigational medication and medical evaluation at no cost. Nighttime and daytime sleep problems occur in some individuals who are totally blind. This may be caused by the lack of light needed to reset the body clock. Survey participants need to be parents or guardians of children who are: less than eighteen years old, blind, and having recurrent trouble sleeping at night or daytime sleepiness or napping. If you are interested, please call toll free at (844) 361-2424 Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Eastern Time, email us at , or contact us online at . Outreach Ministry Offers Downloadable Braille Publications: Unity Message of Hope, a nondenominational ministry serving people who are blind or visually impaired, has a virtual library of downloadable Braille (.brf file) Unity publications, available free of charge to anyone with access to a computer, Braille notetaker, or digital talking book player. For more information call Message of Hope toll-free at (866) 421- 3066, or send email to . To download Unity books in .brf format, log on to: . Message of Hope also offers Daily Word, a nondenominational daily devotional publication, free of charge in Braille, on CD, or by email. For more information call (866) 421-3066 or send email to . A Notice to All SSA Employees with a Disability: Any disabled employee working for the Social Security Administration who was employed from January of 2003 to present and who applied for a promotion and was not granted it may be eligible for a settlement. Disabled employees seeking to file claims must meet the following class criteria: all current and former employees with a targeted disability as defined by the Social Security Administration, who applied for and made a best qualified (BQ) list for promotion, and were not selected at any time after August 22, 2003 and up to October 30, 2014. All claims must be submitted before February 23, 2015. While SSA is trying to locate affected SSA employees, both current and former, we need to get the word out to ensure that no affected person loses any right to a claim they are entitled to. The settlement also calls for complete overhaul of SSA's reasonable accommodation (RA) system to make key individuals accountable for all approvals/denials of RA requests. The settlement also calls for more career development for disabled employees and training for disabled employees as well as management. More information about the settlement and a claim form can be found at . Resources in Alabama Handbook Available: I have created a screen-reader-friendly "Alabama Resource Handbook" containing resources pertaining to the blind and visually impaired for use by consumers and professionals. This handbook is for the residents of Alabama and includes the many organizations for the blind and visually impaired covering areas such as employment, housing, transportation, and more. The handbook includes contact information on the local, regional, and national level. For more information on pricing and formats please contact Insightful Publications by email at or contact me by phone at (808) 747-1006. Hadley to Offer Free UEB Course: The Hadley School for the Blind is pleased to offer a new "Transitioning to Unified English Braille" course for professionals beginning in January 2015. The course will be available in print and Braille (online version is in development). Thanks to the American Printing House for the Blind (APH), this professional course will be tuition-free through the end of calendar year 2015. "As the use of technology in education increases, Braille becomes more and more important for students who are blind," says APH President Tuck Tinsley. "This course, `Transitioning to Unified English Braille,' the first of two courses to be developed by Hadley focusing on the new Braille code, will meet a critical need in our field's transition to UEB. Students, teachers, parents, administrators, university professors, pre-service teachers, transcribers, and others can be well prepared for the January 2016 UEB implementation date." The six-lesson course provides a structured approach to learning the difference between EBAE (English Braille American Edition) and Unified English Braille (UEB). Abundant examples and exercises will help students progress easily and transition to the new code. Prerequisites include strong contracted reading and writing skills in EBAE or SEB (Standard English Braille). "Hadley is proud to be at the forefront of providing training on UEB," says Hadley President Chuck Young. "Teaching the teachers Braille-to support their visually impaired clients and students-is central to our mission of promoting independent living through lifelong learning for people who are blind or visually impaired." "Transitioning to Unified English Braille" also will be offered to students in Hadley's Adult Continuing Education/High School Program and Family Education Program without charge on an ongoing basis. To pre-enroll in this "Transitioning to Unified English Braille" course due out in January, please contact Student Services at (800) 526- 9909 or by email at . You may also visit . For more information about the American Printing House for the Blind, visit . ---------- 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.