[Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, May 2015
Brian Buhrow
buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org
Fri May 1 23:34:07 PDT 2015
BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 58, No. 5 May 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
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Letters to the President, address changes, subscription requests, and
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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,
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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
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
National Convention Preregistration Form
Please register online at <www.nfb.org/registration> 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. 58, No. 5 May
2015
Contents
Illustration: STEM2U Hits Boston
Jumping the Fire
by Patti Chang
Improving and Augmenting the ADA, Rehabilitation Act, and IDEA-A Vision for
the Next
Twenty-Five Years: Disability and the Law of the Poor
by Marc Maurer
Television Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow: The Way It Was,
the Way It Is, and the Way It Will Be
by Gary Wunder
My West Virginia Experience
by Donald C. Capps
Blind People and Talking Dogs
by Dick Davis
Highlighting the Innovative Work of Another Affiliate: The Illinois
Internship Program
by Patti Chang
Is Literacy Really for Everyone?-The Numbers Tell a Different Story
by Donna W. Hill
Illiterate No More
by Ronald A. Owens
The Barrier of the Visible Difference
by Kenneth Jernigan
Go-Carts and Scholarships
by April Scurlock
My Journey Toward Winning Friends and Influencing Others
by Kelsey Nicolay
Crafting Your Diamond: The 2015 NOPBC Conference
by Carlton Walker
Federation Favorites
by Joe Ruffalo
Recipes
Monitor Miniatures
STEM2U Hits Boston
[PHOTO CAPTION: Isabella Cherin uses a mortar and pestle.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Alan Quan, Alex Brown, and Jack Veliquette examine a
taxidermied bear cub.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Harley Fetterman, Kristie Hong, Precious Perez, Gregory
Dodge, and the other apprentices leave the museum to enjoy dinner out in
Boston.]
As an extension of the NFB's National Center for Blind Youth in
Science initiative, in partnership with museums and science centers, STEM2U
offers participants the opportunity to engage in accessible STEM learning
at some of the country's largest museums and science centers. Students will
also have the opportunity to provide feedback to staff and educators about
how the museum could better meet their nonvisual learning needs. In this
way participants will act as both learners and teachers. In March Boston
welcomed twenty elementary students in grades three through six, and ten
students grades ten through twelve for a weekend of science exploration.
The students enjoyed a variety of activities at the Boston Museum of
Science, from careful laboratory work involving chemicals and equipment, to
tactile examination of fossil and animal specimens. After a long day's
work, the group enjoyed the chance to walk around a bit as they headed out
to dinner.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Patti Chang and her son Johnathon]
Jumping the Fire
by Patti Chang
From the Editor: Often when we talk about changing attitudes, we are
embracing that large segment of humanity called the public, but, more often
than we would like, one of our biggest challenges is changing the attitudes
of people who make up our family. Has the sighted man who marries a blind
woman sold himself short? Has the blind woman who marries the sighted man
failed to acknowledge her betters as she pretends to be an equal in the
family? These questions are difficult enough to answer in one culture where
so many common values are shared, but what happens when, as in America,
people of differing cultures and religions become couples, transcending the
beliefs of those who raised them and, accepting as normal, people and
situations never conceived of by their parents or siblings? How much more
difficult is it when one must not only represent the capabilities of a
blind person, but also prove herself as a foreigner who married into the
family?
At one level what is offered here is simply a tale of a busy woman
who finds herself even busier; but at a deeper and more emotional level, we
see that there is a testing, a determination to see that blindness or its
supposed limitations do not take center stage when what belongs there is
the celebration of a life and the traditions that must be maintained to
recognize the transition of the soul from this plane to another. Patti
Chang chairs the NFB Scholarship Committee and is a member of the national
Board of Directors. Here is how she tells this remarkable story:
Our household is multicultural. I am from a small town in Northern
Michigan and am truly named after a dairy company which used to haul our
cows' milk to market. My husband possesses dual citizenship--Belizean and
American--but is of Chinese ancestry. He was born in Honduras. We raised
our children and live in Chicago. This makes for some unusual
circumstances.
In April of 2013 I traveled to Baltimore to chair our scholarship
committee meeting. Everything was ordinary on my trip out: I used my cane
to navigate from my home to the airport and checked flight status with
VoiceOver on my iPhone. All went according to plan, and then the real work
began. Lorraine Rovig, other National Center staff, and I prepared for the
committee's arrival by organizing and reviewing files. I used my handy
slate and stylus to take notes to train our print readers.
But then everything morphed. My husband called to let me know that
his ailing father had died and that the funeral would be on Sunday in
Belize City, Belize, in Central America. Since our scholarship meeting ends
on Saturday evening, I proceeded to book airline travel for my husband
Francisco, our children Johnathon and Julia, and me from three different US
cities to Belize.
My spouse and our daughter traveled to Belize on Wednesday. On
Friday, as our scholarship committee work got into full swing, this email
waited in my inbox:
On Apr 26, 2013, at 12:04 a.m., Francisco Chang wrote:
On Sunday Fabian, being the oldest son, and Robert, being the
oldest of the grandchildren, will go with the funeral director and
pick up Papi's body from the morgue at 8:00 a.m. They will bring the
body to Fabian's house. Throughout the whole trip Fabian or Robert
will need to talk to Papi's body in Chinese, telling him where he is
going, especially if it is over a bridge as water is bad.
Up to 10:30 a.m., visitors can come to view the body. Family
members can place something personal and special inside Papi's coffin.
After 10:30 or 11:00 all the family members will gather together
around the coffin in a horseshoe-shaped formation, gather hands, and
Juan will lead a prayer. This prayer is not traditional Chinese, but
Juan wants to have one. The reason for the horseshoe is because
traditionally no one can stand at the feet of the body. Then we all
sit together and have a meal with Papi.
At about 12:30 p.m. we all go to Holy Redeemer Church in the
following order: Fabian family, Francisco family, Juan family, and
then Wilfredo family. Mami will be in Francisco's car because we have
more room. We will sit in church in that order too.
The coffin will be brought into church feet first, with Robert
leading, carrying a picture of Papi. When mass begins, two family
members will cover Papi's face with a white veil. Then the coffin
cover will close.
All the male family members will have a black band around the
left arm placed halfway. All the daughters-in-law and Mami will wear a
small white circular cloth in shape of a flower in their hair that
Sunday and for the next forty-nine days. You can sleep without it. The
granddaughters will wear a blue one for the next twenty-one days. At
the end of those periods the cloth is discarded.
After mass Robert will leave carrying the picture in front of
the coffin. All the sons and Richard and Chris will be pallbearers.
Lisa had hoped Johnathon would be a pallbearer.
We all will go to Homeland, a private cemetery up the Western
Highway. All family members face away when the coffin is being lowered
into the ground. Then all take some soil and throw it into the hole
over the coffin. There will be two urns with incense, a pot of tea,
and a pot with liquor. One of the urns will be left at the grave, and
the other Fabian will take to his house as there is where Papi's
spirit will reside as he has that special altar they brought from
China for worshipping the ancestors. Fabian will take some of the soil
from the grave in the urn.
Juan or I will make an announcement to everyone at the cemetery
that there will be food at the hotel, but people need to leave after
two hours. Then all family members will go back to Fabian's house.
Along the way we will stop at the shop so that Fabian can remove the
black ribbon that is tied over the entrance to the shop.
Before climbing up the stairs to Fabian's house, there will be a
small shallow bowl with fire going that everybody will need to jump
over. This is meant to get rid of any bad spirits from the cemetery,
and we don't want to bring them home. All the male members then remove
their arm bands, cut a small piece, and throw away the rest into the
garbage. The small cut piece is kept by the sons for forty-nine days
and twenty-one days by the grandsons. At the end of these periods the
piece of cloth is discarded.
Because Papi died on Monday, the following Monday, that is,
after a week, Fabian needs to make sure to keep all the lights in the
house on so that Papi's spirit can find the house. At 10:00 p.m.
everyone needs to go to sleep because Papi is looking to make sure
everyone is okay and sleeping before he ascends to the next level
towards joining his ancestors. I believe there are three levels
because Mami will place three sets of clothes in the coffin. One set
Papi will wear in the coffin, and the others are there for Papi's
journey.
By the way, the coffin will be placed lower than the ancestor
altar in Fabian's house because he has not reached the ancestors yet.
Francisco Chang
Sent from my iPad
Admittedly a couple of things in this email caused me concern. First,
how was I, an attorney, going to be taken seriously with a flower in my
hair for the next forty-nine days? And how was I supposed to "jump a fire"?
My orientation and mobility training had left that one out.
I left our National Center by van at 4:00 a.m. for the trek to Philip
S. W. Goldson International Airport by way of Miami International Airport.
Anxious about my tight time schedule, I was relieved when we departed on
time. My change of planes left me twenty minutes between flights, so, for
the first time ever, I requested airport assistance in Florida. Of course,
the first time I requested assistance, the help failed to materialize at
the gate.
Thankful for my confidence that I could find the gate myself as an
independent traveler, I proceeded, heart pounding, to the concourse. It
would not be good for me, the only American daughter-in-law, to miss the
funeral. It would be disrespectful in the extreme!
I asked a passerby if he was going my way. When I heard he was young,
I explained my situation and begged him to "pleeease run with me." He did:
all the way from E16 to E1. The gate agents held the door when they saw me
running, and I never even caught the full name of my Good Samaritan. I
waved and jogged my way onto the plane.
When I arrived in Belize, an employee of our family business, Maria
Chang & Sons Co., met me after I cleared immigration and customs. My mother-
in-law, who is not generally demonstrative, hugged me as I arrived at the
shop where the coffin rested before the funeral.
Self-conscious about my borrowed black dress and my tendency to stand
out in the crowd, my nerves were on edge. I was the only Caucasian at many
events, not to mention the only blind person.
Belize is not what you might call a disability-friendly country.
There are no wheelchair ramps, and I have seen Braille on only imported
elevator panels, so one must use the cane carefully to locate oft-present
holes and barriers. But, since most people are unfamiliar with blindness,
they tend to leave one to manage and are not overly solicitous.
The church service mixed Belizean, Catholic, and Chinese customs. A
Garifuna band played and sang for us. The eulogies were touching. They
helped to explain the complexity of Arturo Chang the businessman, the
community volunteer, and the family man. The respect shown to my father-in-
law was enormous. All of his sons, their wives, and all twelve
grandchildren attended, despite the fact that five grandchildren were
facing exams at various universities in the US.
We all processed to the cemetery in order of Papi's sons' births.
Many of us dropped liquor and other items into the grave. My children
comforted their father in the cemetery. The priest delivered a traditional
message of resurrection. We all turned away from the burial site at the
right moment.
Slides of Papi and the whole family played during the meal after the
graveside service. People quietly left on cue after two hours.
Finally we returned to Fabian's house after taking the ribbon down at
the shop. But, remember I had to jump that fire. And, I was now wearing a
long-past-my-knees black dress, which did not belong to me. I discouraged
one relative or another from grabbing my arm. I managed to linger long
enough that almost everyone in this large extended family preceded me. I
stretched out my cane to figure out where this fire was, and I guessed
based on the size of it as to how high it might be. I hiked up my dress,
and I cleared it with room to spare. Juan or Willie made some wisecrack
about my showing a lot of leg, but I was content--no burns on me or the
dress. I could now recover from my three hours of sleep in the past forty
or so hours.
Jumping the fire stands for me as a challenge no one could have
prepared me for, but my independence and ability to believe that where
there is a will there is a way can help in any situation. Those attitudes
are attributable to my upbringing and the National Federation of the Blind.
I know that blindness is not the characteristic that defines me or my
future. I can live the life I want. Blindness will not hold me back.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Marc Maurer]
Improving and Augmenting the ADA, Rehabilitation Act, and IDEA-A Vision for
the Next Twenty-Five Years: Disability and the Law of the Poor
by Marc Maurer
From the Editor: This address was presented to the 2015 Jacobus
tenBroek Law Symposium, held at the Jernigan Institute March 26 and 27,
2015. It is interesting that Former President Maurer is often asked to
predict the future and to provide his thoughtful perspective about how we
will make it better. Here is what he said:
In contemplating the shape of disability law twenty-five years in the
future, two forces are primary. One of these is the attitude within society
regarding the importance of people who possess disabilities. This attitude
will inevitably be reflected within the statutes adopted by legislative
bodies. The second is the attitude of those who have disabilities with
respect to society and the decision-making which arises from this attitude.
If this decision-making is sufficiently bold, the attitude of society will
change, and the laws will be modified accordingly. People who have
disabilities must be prepared to assume positions of leadership in shaping
the law of the future. In other words, contemplation of the nature of the
law in the future is more a matter for decision than prediction.
A principle of American law is that it applies equally to all people
all of the time. The famous statement of John Adams is that ours is "a
government of laws, not of men."[1] However, one of the characteristics of
law is that it classifies and categorizes the people to whom it applies. If
we know the classification to which you belong, we know what rights you
have and how you may be treated. One of the classifications is poverty.
Beginning in the 1500s, during the reign of Henry VIII, the British
government (which gave the United States its form of jurisprudence) adopted
laws directed toward the relief of the poor.[2]
In 1601, during the reign of Elizabeth I, Parliament adopted the Act
for the Relief of the Poor, a compilation of many of the statements
regarding the poor adopted earlier and a provision to institute a tax for
the poor.[3] The ostensible purpose of the act, as its title suggests, was
to provide relief for the poor, but the mechanism of the law was to
establish institutions in which those who might otherwise have been beggars
on the streets, or vagrants, could be required to work-often at menial
trades. Some writers have declared that the jail and the workhouse were the
same place.[4] Under Elizabethan law those who would not work could be
punished for not doing so.[5]
In 1966 Dr. Jacobus tenBroek wrote, "Not all who are poor are
physically handicapped; not all who are handicapped are poor."[6] However,
the coincidence of poverty and unemployment of the blind is enormous. To
illustrate this coincidence, Dr. tenBroek stated that under 10 percent of
blind Americans receiving Aid to the Blind were employed.[7] Furthermore,
Dr. tenBroek also asserted that there are two forms of law: one for the
wealthy and one for the poor.[8] The law that applies to people with
disabilities is shaped in part by the categorization arising from the law
of the poor.
The Rehabilitation Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education
Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act are not based upon identical
legal theories, but they have characteristics in common. Consider, for
example, the Rehabilitation Act.[9] The Poor Law adopted during the time of
Queen Elizabeth I established the principle that poor relief would be based
upon individual needs, individually determined by a parish official. Relief
could be granted only if an official believed the persons receiving it
deserved to get it. The statute did not offer an entitlement to the poor.
The Rehabilitation Act takes the same approach. Each client is offered the
opportunity to create an Individualized Plan for Employment,[10] but the
practice in most jurisdictions is to limit this plan by arguments that
demand of each client that money be saved on every aspect of
rehabilitation.[11] Only the least expensive access technology can be
provided; only the junior college can be made available because the expense
will be less than that associated with a four-year institution; freedom of
choice offers the opportunity to receive orientation and adjustment
training at any center of the client's choosing, but the least expensive
state-run training program must be used to save funds. The test is not what
will work best for the client, but what will be cheapest for the
administration. The Rehabilitation Act authorizes the provision of many
services but guarantees none of them. Clients do not have the right to
training. Rather, they have the right to complain if the training program
is inadequate. Requiring this process of the clients ensures not a
successful rehabilitation outcome but a continuance of the client in
poverty.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act has a similar
philosophy.[12] Each student is guaranteed an Individualized Education
Plan, which offers the student a Free Appropriate Public Education.
Although the language of the act suggests that this plan is to be tailored
to the individual needs of the student, convenience for the administration
is more often the standard employed than success for the student. Decisions
interpreting the act declare that specific services are not guaranteed.
Students get "appropriate" "educational benefits." No standard of
excellence is required. The law does not guarantee service. Rather, it
guarantees the right to complain if the services wanted are not
available.[13]
The Americans with Disabilities Act[14] does guarantee something-at
least in theory. Although it does not prohibit paying disabled workers less
than the federal minimum wage, this act says that discrimination based on
disability is prohibited, and it offers a method for challenging
discrimination. However, the Supreme Court has declared that the
protections of this act do not extend to compensation in the form of money
damages paid by states.[15] People who possess disabilities are not
classified among those who may expect payment from state governments when
discrimination occurs. Furthermore, the special classification of the
disabled includes a heavy emphasis on safety. A person possessing a
disability may be refused employment if there is a perception that the
environment of the job will be a threat to that person's safety.[16]
Disabled people do not have the same rights of participation that others
possess.
I think the law must adopt the fundamental principle that, when you
pay for something, you are entitled to get it. This principle should apply
whether the individual pays directly or has somebody else make the payment.
I think the law should abandon the practice of adopting rights for disabled
people without creating a corresponding set of remedies. When I was in law
school, I learned of the concept of rights without remedies, and I was
shocked. What value is a right that cannot be enforced? I wondered. We are
paying for rehabilitation; it seems to me that we have a right to get it.
We are paying for education; I think we have the right to get that also.
The educational experiences offered to disabled people in the United States
are severely restricted. This is a form of discrimination. The Americans
with Disabilities Act should apply, and the remedies should offer enough
revenue to pay for an equal education. These remedies should apply not just
to private entities but also to programs within government.
The law of the rich stands for the proposition that those who do not
provide the goods and services for which payment has been made face
substantial damages or go to jail. The law should be at least as useful to
the poor as it is to the rich. We know that those who misrepresent in the
securities industry, in banking, and in selling property must pay
reparation for the damage they do. We need a change in classification for
disabled people so that the law of the rich applies. Those with
disabilities have talent, and we should have as much right to use it as
anybody else. These are the objectives we must seek to have incorporated in
the law within the next twenty-five years.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Gary Wunder]
Television Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
The Way It Was, the Way It Is, and the Way It Will Be
by Gary Wunder
Since I was a young boy, people have reacted with astonishment when I
say that I enjoy watching television. Sometimes this is because they are
genuinely surprised, and at other times it is because they wish to point
out to me that a totally blind person saying he watches television is
absurd. To those who seem truly to be confused, I explained how sound and
dialogue often provide enough information for me to enjoy the same shows
they do: to fall in love with Jenna Elfman in her role as Dharma, to want
to hug the aspiring actor who struggles to get his big break as the
character Joey does on Friends, and, yes, to boldly go where no man has
gone before (split infinitive and all) as I ride along on the Starship
Enterprise.
Discussing television from the perspective of a blind person can lead
down many paths. One can talk about the relative merit of television over
books, about the great wasteland that television is versus what it might
be, about the change in programming that relies more on spectacular visual
effects and less on sound and dialogue to describe what is happening. All
of those are things that are likely to interest Monitor readers, but in
this article I want to focus on how usable the television is and the
tendency of many to regard the process of dealing with the hardware to be
so difficult that they have simply given it up, preferring other means of
entertainment.
My earliest memory of the television came when my parents caused a
stir among our neighbors by being the first on the block to purchase a
colored television set. All of the electronics came in a nice wooden piece
of furniture, and our RCA model had two knobs that figured prominently on
the front: one knob turned the television set on and off and raised or
lowered its volume; the other changed the television channel. To be sure,
there were many other knobs and switches located behind a hinged panel that
could be accessed to make changes in the picture, but these were knobs I
was supposed to stay away from, and frankly I had little interest in them.
Once the newness had worn off the set and we were allowed to touch
it, operating the television was an easy matter. There were three
television stations in Kansas City, Missouri, that could be reliably
watched. The National Broadcasting Company could be found on channel 4, the
Columbia Broadcasting System on channel 5, and the American Broadcasting
Company on channel 9. Moving from channel 4 to channel 5 meant rotating the
channel knob clockwise one click. Going to channel 9 from channel 5 meant
rotating four more clicks in the clockwise direction. When I came upon the
television and didn't know what channel it was on, rotating the channel
knob made it easy to figure out. Channels on which no station could be
received produced static, so rotating the knob through those channels,
whether clockwise or counterclockwise, eventually got me to one of the
watchable channels. But on cloudy days the television world expanded, and
we could pick up a channel in the distant city of St. Joseph or even a
station from Topeka, Kansas, a feat that seemed all the more spectacular
because we were picking up a signal from another state. There were, after
all, twelve channels one might get, the sets of that time being able to
receive channels 2 through 13.
Like radio before it, television demanded a certain loyalty of its
audience. Those who were dedicated to a program might set aside an hour
every week when they would make every effort to be home, would decide to
ignore the ringing phone, and would answer the door on the condition that
the person they were allowing in would be quiet until the next commercial
break. Missing a show was serious business for a real fan, the only
equivalent today being a sports event one must watch live lest she be told
the score before watching the game. Missing an episode of Bonanza meant a
lost opportunity for conversation the next day, and the chance to see the
show might or might not be possible until sometime in the summer if it made
the rerun schedule.
The success or failure of a television show sometimes had less to do
with its interest and value than it did with when the show was scheduled.
Since there were only three television networks competing for the loyalty
of viewers in prime time, a new show placed opposite an established one
might not get enough viewers to test its worthiness. A show that enjoyed
success and was thought to have loyal followers in a different time slot
might be moved to one which was dominated by another show on a different
network with the hope that it would draw off some of their viewers.
Although the realist in each of us understood that success or failure was
all based on market share, many a viewer's heart was broken when their
favorite show was canceled or when they had to decide among competing
shows, all of which they liked.
Whether one had a colored television or a set that could display its
picture only in black and white, every television received its signal
through an antenna. Sometimes it was mounted on the roof of the house, but
for most people a little gadget called rabbit ears, with a platform
containing two antennas and a cable to connect to the television, was
enough. It was a given that, beyond the purchase of the television, the
electricity to run it, and the more-frequently-than-one-wished maintenance
required to keep it in working order, watching television was something one
could do free. The first time my family saw an advertisement for cable
television, I remember the laughter that ensued. Why would people pay for
signals they could easily grab right out of the air? These must be people
who were long on money and short on sense.
Within a decade it was clear that those who really liked television
were doing more than watching the three or four channels available in their
communities. Cable companies began offering programs from stations one
could not hope to get, no matter how sensitive his television receiver or
how high the antenna. It was amazing to visit someone's home and find that
she was watching the superstation, WTBS in Atlanta, Georgia, when at our
home the passing of an airplane or inclement weather could interfere with
the television program we were attempting to watch from a station less than
thirty miles away.
Over time television antennas began to disappear, and cable TV came
to be regarded as one of the utilities one paid. Not only did the cable
companies provide access to distant stations, but they began carrying
networks whose only purpose was to provide cable content. Sometimes
connections to the cable company still relied on using the channel selector
of the television in choosing a program, although televisions changed to
accommodate the larger number of offerings, since almost no one was
satisfied with just receiving channels 2 through 13. Sometimes a cable
provider would install a box that was used to control the selection of the
channel, but normally these were required only if one wanted the extras-
premium services such as movie channels or ones offering viewing of live
concerts. Usually these boxes could be easily operated, with a button to
move up, a button to move down, and a remote control that would allow
direct entry of a channel using a number pad familiar to those who had a
touch-tone telephone.
Each little advance made the television incrementally harder to use,
and before long the addition of a videocassette recorder meant that the
television lover had to understand the interaction among three remote
controls, two externally connected devices, and an increasingly complicated
television set. Most video recorders did not speak their menu choices, so
setting up future recordings was difficult and a harbinger of what was to
come.
Over time the television devotee has been transformed from a passive
watcher who was told when to show up and how often, into a television
consumer who now decides what he will watch and when. At least this is so
if one can see. Unfortunately the blind of America have come to find the
television more frustrating than rewarding. Options that we watch others
exercise simply are not available to us, and, although most of us believe
in interdependence as well as independence, it is hard to stomach being the
breadwinner of the family but having to ask a grandson to turn on the
television so that Grandma and Grandpa can enjoy an evening of
entertainment.
The magic this article wishes to be revealed can be found in the work
of Comcast to make its set-top boxes accessible for blind people. This does
not require the use of special equipment for the blind but special
programming that can be turned on or off from any state-of-the-art Comcast
cable box. In the same way that one buys an iPhone from the same store as
the sighted and turns on the features he needs, the Comcast box that sits
near the television of the blind person is the very box that can be found
in the homes of millions of Comcast subscribers. Information that makes the
box talk is requested using a special key sequence, and any updates that
are made to the talking set-top box are made not with hardware changes but
with changes in software communicated from the cloud.
When someone who has a Comcast set-top box decides that she likes a
program, she can search for that program using on-screen menus and select
it for recording. She doesn't have to be home for the recording to
commence, and she doesn't have to be there to turn it off at the conclusion
of the television show. Of course, she can be home watching something else,
no longer being restricted to one favorite television show in a given time
slot. Given that most services that bring entertainment into the home have
hundreds or even thousands of offerings, it is possible that she might wish
to record more than one show, and this she can do with a Comcast set-top
box, which will allow her to record up to four shows simultaneously. Even
if she does not wish to record the show she is watching, the set-top box is
making a temporary copy of that show, which means that she can pause it to
take a telephone call, rewind ten seconds if she misses a key phrase or
event, and, woe to the advertisers, even skip past commercials if she has
paused long enough that the show is significantly ahead of where she is
watching.
Most of the features we have discussed assume that our Comcast
subscriber has exercised the forethought to determine what it is he would
like to watch. No longer is this required. Using a service which Comcast
calls "On Demand," he can search back through previously-aired television
shows, select the ones he wishes to watch, and have them presented as
though they were live. The on-demand service offers not only television
shows, but movies, documentaries, and music. Some of this is free (paid for
by the monthly subscription), and some of it is available for rent or for
purchase. A rented movie will cost less than one that is purchased, and,
once it is rented, one must watch it within twenty-four or forty-eight
hours. A television season, movie, or concert that is purchased is
available any time from the service and may be watched as often as one
wishes.
In deciding what one wishes to watch or record, the Comcast set-top
box provides several options. A person who knows he likes content on the
Disney Channel can scroll through the offerings of that network and either
watch past episodes or make selections for ones to be recorded in the
future. Alternatively, if one knows that he is going to be home on Tuesday
night, he can scroll through a list of that evening's television shows and
decide what to watch. If he has heard about a television show people are
discussing at work but has no idea what time it comes on or which channel
will broadcast it, he can do a title search using the keys on his remote
control pad. If a blind watcher wishes to find shows that are audio
described, Comcast has a category for these, and soon described video will
be announced while scrolling through any category one wishes to browse.
In an interview with Ray Foret, a particularly enthusiastic customer,
he told the Braille Monitor, "In my opinion this will totally revolutionize
the way that blind Comcasters experience TV." When asked what drawbacks
he'd encountered in this newfound accessibility, he said, "When you've been
denied something for so long, and then you find that you can do it, you
will do as I did for a couple months, and you will really go overboard with
it." The lure of an on-demand service which allows renting or purchasing
favorite movies and TV shows can quickly become an expensive indulgence to
any new user of such a service.
As impressive as all of its gains in accessibility thus far have
been, Comcast intends to take the business of accessibility even further.
Some people have limited use of their hands and do not have enough
dexterity to handle the remote controllers that are filled from top to
bottom with buttons. Others have difficulty cognitively navigating the menu
structure required to make selections. To help more of its subscribers,
Comcast is developing a remote control with larger buttons--ones that are
dedicated to the most commonly used features. The company is also
anticipating an upcoming release of a remote control that will contain a
microphone so that one can make his wishes clear by voice. This function
will do more than recognize speech; it will also employ artificial
intelligence that will allow for complex searches. A person will be able to
say "give me a list of all movies about baseball," and the artificial
intelligence will scan not only the title of each movie but its description
to determine whether or not it should be on the list from which the
television watcher can select a movie. Some of this functionality is
already available if a Comcast subscriber has an iPhone, since it can be
used to control the set-top box and can even be used when the subscriber is
away from home to watch previously recorded movies from wherever he may be.
The remarkable thing about what Comcast has done isn't just that it
has given its blind customers what they are paying for. Its import goes far
beyond areas of the country in which it is licensed to do business. It
clearly shows that programming made available by cable, satellite, and
other methods of long distance transmission can be made accessible to the
blind, that the concept of a talking set-top box to verbalize on-screen
menus is not unknown or impossible to do, and that it does not impose an
unfair burden on those who are paid a significant monthly premium to bring
entertainment into our homes. It also demonstrates the benefit of
collaborating with the National Federation of the Blind in discussing the
design and development of the interfaces and the speech that makes this
possible. Television plays far too important a role in our society for
blind people to write it off or for the industry to write off blind people.
Thanks to those at Comcast who understand this and who have risen to the
challenge of making television once again accessible and enjoyable for the
blind.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Donald Capps]
My West Virginia Experience
by Donald C. Capps
From the Editor: As we prepare to celebrate the National Federation
of the Blind's seventy-fifth anniversary, this article from Donald Capps
captures what it was like to be poor, blind, and a citizen of West Virginia
almost sixty years ago. When we see a man who has enjoyed extraordinary
success in marriage, in raising a family, and in getting and holding a job
as an executive in one of the nation's premier insurance companies, the
question naturally arises as to why he would choose to give so much time
and energy to helping his fellow blind. The answer emerges when we look at
the importance of key experiences in his life that helped in forging a
solid commitment to change. No one in the National Federation of the Blind
represents this long-term commitment better than Dr. Donald C. Capps. He
was the longest-serving member of the NFB Board of Directors and the
president for many years of the NFB of South Carolina. Here is his story
about being asked by Dr. tenBroek to serve on a Federation taskforce, what
he saw, and the role it played in helping him decide that working for the
betterment of his fellow blind would be a major life calling:
I first met our NFB founder and first president, Dr. Jacobus
tenBroek, at the 1956 convention in San Francisco, but it really was in
1958 that I got to know him. In November of that year he called me to ask
if I would participate in a week-long survey of programs for the blind in
West Virginia. Colonial Life granted me the time, and we were off to be a
part of the survey team.
Governor Underwood wanted the NFB to conduct a survey in his state,
and it was our pleasure to meet him at the capitol in Charleston, where he
provided me with a statement giving us authority for the team to do its
work. We were assigned the Beckley area, with the responsibility of calling
on low-income individuals and families, people who would now be covered
under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. At that time the
program recipients we surveyed were on the Aid for the Needy Blind program.
We found ourselves visiting with blind people who were in terrible
poverty. The most devastating involved a visit with three blind brothers
who lived in an abandoned coal mine shack. It was cold, since our visit was
in November. When we knocked, one of the brothers came to the door and
advised us that all three had pneumonia, and, of course, they appropriately
denied our entrance. Asked about what assistance the three of them were
receiving, he replied, "No assistance of any type." He also stated that
each of the three brothers owned only one set of overalls, which required
washing the clothes at night for wearing the next day. A chill went up and
down my spine because I knew these three blind men would probably die if I
did not get them some help. I returned to Beckley, called upon the welfare
department, and forcefully told them to get help for these needy blind men.
I later checked to verify that a doctor had called upon them, providing
medicine and other much needed help.
Almost invariably, blind welfare recipients lived under horrible
conditions. We traveled to where we were told that a blind teenager lived
with her grandparents. Upon arriving at the mountain shack where the ground
served as a floor, we met with the teenager and her grandparents. We were
also greeted by a goat which lived in the shack. This was a most troubling
case, and again I returned to the welfare department in Beckley to get help
for them. After making calls all day long, we returned to our hotel each
evening and did a memorandum on every case we worked that day. Betty cried
every night at what she witnessed. Adding to her sadness was the fact that
Beth was only three months old and Craig only three years of age, and she
and I missed them terribly.
While I have related here two of the dramatic instances of poverty
and squalor we saw and reported, there were many, far too many. I knew
about the inequity faced by the blind, but, if I needed any experience to
cement my commitment to a life of work for the blind, the West Virginia
experience certainly accomplished that mission. While this was at times
frustrating and heart-wrenching, I thank Dr. tenBroek for giving me a life-
changing experience that still remains vivid in my mind more than fifty
years later. His faith in asking me to go, Betty's commitment, my
commitment, and the approval of my employer helped me answer again and
again the question of why I should give so much of my life and my energy to
the National Federation of the Blind. Anytime I found my energy starting to
flag, the answer why I should keep on giving rang clear when I visited
those memories of that week in West Virginia. There I could make visible
the warmth, the love, and the caring of the National Federation of the
Blind in the lives of people who needed what we had to offer. Before he
ever chose the title for his 1979 banquet speech, I knew that part of my
life's work was to help Dr. Kenneth Jernigan help other blind people on our
journey to "the top of the stairs," and, as we approach our seventy-fifth
anniversary, it makes my soul rejoice to know that Betty and I have been
blessed to have done some of the work that has shaped what the National
Federation of the Blind is today and what it will be for the blind of
tomorrow.
----------
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: Dick Davis]
Blind People and Talking Dogs
by Dick Davis
From the Editor: Dick Davis chairs the National Federation of the
Blind's employment committee and will soon retire from BLIND, Incorporated
after a long and distinguished career in work with the blind. He is the
assistant director for employment at BLIND, Inc., and as a sighted advocate
he wrote a response to the question of why there aren't more blind
executives. Undoubtedly many issues come into play when talking about
employment and advancement, and I hope that this piece will start an in-
depth discussion about what we can do to realize the dream of Dr. Jacobus
tenBroek and other founders who believed that a job, a home, and the right
to participate in the community were the reasons for the creation of the
organization and the movement it represents. Here is Dick's take on the
issue:
I like the article Michelle Clark recently posted on the NFB Jobs
Listserv, "Where Are the CEOs and Executive Managers with Disabilities?" by
John D. Kemp, president and CEO of The Viscardi Center. You can read it at
<https://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2015/03/13/where-are-the-ceos-and-
executive-managers-with-disabilities/>.
Mr. Kemp, who has four prostheses, asks a valid question: why are
disabled people being left out of executive and management jobs?
I think it is because most people look at blind and disabled
individuals as "talking dogs." What do I mean by that? There is an old
saying, sometimes attributed to Mark Twain, that the remarkable thing about
a talking dog is not what it says but the fact that it talks at all. Public
expectations are so low that anything a person with a disability can do is
thought to be remarkable. But "talking dogs" never make it to the higher
echelons of any organization. They are curiosities at best.
A few years ago one of our local television stations did an article
on Disability Employment Awareness Month. It featured an enclave of
developmentally disabled people who were able to get part-time jobs
cleaning the equipment in a local gym. The anchors were so touched that
they almost cried. I didn't throw a shoe through our TV screen, nor did I
attempt to explain to the station that what they had done was worse than if
they had done nothing at all. Weren't those disabled people remarkable? No,
they weren't. They were "talking dogs," trotted out once again so that
people could marvel at the little things they could do.
We must really ditch this charity thing. No employer hires a person
because it feels sorry for him or her. And the ADA, although helpful from a
legal sense, has not been the employment panacea that many people thought
it would be. In my opinion the diversity movement has more potential,
because employers have not been trained to hate the diversity movement like
they have the ADA. The healthy thing about the diversity movement is that
it teaches that difference is not a weakness but a strength, and blind
people are definitely perceived as different.
My belief is that blind people are stronger than sighted people,
because what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Dealing successfully with
blindness through effective training makes a person more creative, more
organized, more persistent, tougher, a faster computer user (no mouse to
slow you down), and better in a whole host of other ways. Blind people are
definitely the better hire. If you really think about it, you will come to
realize it is true. Many sighted people lack those mind-and-character-
building experiences and in my opinion are weaker as a result. So instead
of thinking of blindness as a disability, maybe we should think of
sightedness as one instead. In my opinion blind people belong at the top.
----------
Highlighting the Innovative Work of Another Affiliate
The Illinois Internship Program
by Patti Chang
From the Editor: In the April issue we highlighted several programs
of the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina and asked that
other affiliates with programs they thought worthy of note send us an
article or encourage us to do an interview for one.
Patti Chang is the past president of the NFB of Illinois and a member
of the NFB Board of Directors. She also chairs the NFB's scholarship
committee. She has risen to the challenge and has identified a program we
definitely need to know about. It is an example of hands-on service, giving
students job experience, offering important mentoring, and clearly
demonstrating for them the value of the National Federation of the Blind.
Here is what she says about something special that's happening in Illinois:
Since we are spotlighting innovative affiliate programs, I can't
resist telling you about our internship program. As far as I know, Illinois
is our only affiliate hosting sponsorship of students to work. We sponsor
high school and college students by funding summer internships for up to
six weeks. We will pay $250 per week. A mentoring component enhances the
value of the work experience.
Students apply by filling out an application which is very similar to
our state scholarship form. They submit the same sort of essay and letters
of recommendation. This program puts less emphasis on academics and allows
us to assist non-college-bound students as much as those who are
academically inclined.
The scholarship committee is responsible for choosing our winners and
for mentoring the internship recipients. Once winners are chosen, they can
find their own placements, or we can assist. Emphasis is placed on finding
placements which relate to career goals and finding mainstream employers.
Students are expected to file regular reports that analyze their employment
and discuss any blindness-related adaptations or issues. Mentors discuss
the reports with the students. One recipient, Michelle Wesley, received a
job offer from her employer to continue after her internship in a
veterinarian's clinic. Another, Casandra Certeza, is studying for her
graduate degree now.
The most recent recipient of an internship stipend, Ms. Ashley
Griggs, wrote as follows to the donor who sponsored this program:
Dear Mr. Lanston:
This internship has meant a great deal to me. I would like to
thank you sincerely for your assistance in this endeavor. I chose to
intern at a Montessori school in the three-to-six-year-old classroom.
The children and staff were lovely people, and I think we all learned
from each other. The teachers and students learned a little about
working with a blind individual, while I learned more about myself and
my career path. This may sound overly dramatic, though I don't mean it
to sound that way; however, I have truly discovered what I am meant to
do in life as a result of the eight weeks I spent working at the
Montessori Academy of Chicago.
I am currently pursuing a music degree, but I am cognizant of
the fact that I will need some form of supplemental income while I am
establishing myself as an artist, in other words, a day job. I have
been interested in the Montessori method of education for a few years
now. I thought teaching young children in that setting would be
perfect because many of the learning materials are tactile, but also
because I approve of the behavior this method instills in children.
The other aspect of this is that I also write songs for children.
Before this internship I thought of a career in children's music as a
side career, and my music geared toward adults would be the more
prominent aspect of my artistry. After playing music for these
children and seeing how happy it made them, I knew this was what I was
actually meant to do.
The feelings of happiness were definitely reciprocated as well.
Their reactions filled me with so much joy, more than I ever got
playing for adults. Yes, the teachers were great about showing me
around the classroom and explaining all the learning supplies; and
yes, I am going to pursue Montessori teacher training because of this
internship, but that is not why I am thanking you. It is that
reciprocated joy I spoke of that will stay with me for years to come.
Adults feel strange asking questions about blindness. Adults won't
give you a straight answer about a song you played. They'll say it's
great no matter what so as not to hurt your feelings. Not kids! They
say what is on their minds, which is why I love working with them.
This experience marked a turning point in the way I think about my
future and my career. I will never forget it. Again, I am truly
thankful for your financial assistance.
As Ashley's letter shows, this program doesn't just give the interns
experience to put on their resumes. It can change the direction of their
careers. Finding a job requires diligence and persistence, developing a
good resume, and interviewing well. Our applicants gain valuable experience
in these areas. We all know that sometimes blind people find it especially
hard to get a foot in the door to gain that all-too-valuable work
experience. This is a bridge which works to help students help themselves
earn that first reference from an employer. Please feel free to contact
Debbie Stein, who administers our Illinois program at
<dkent5817 at worldnet.att.net>, or me at <pattischang at gmail.com>. We are
happy to brag about its success and give you tips based on our experiences.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Donna W. Hill]
Is Literacy Really for Everyone?-The Numbers Tell a Different Story
by Donna W. Hill
From the Editor: This article was originally posted on November 10,
2014 by Donna on her blog. Some of our readers will know Donna Hill as the
author of The Heart of Applebutter Hill, a young adult novel which
prominently features a blind character. Others will recognize her as an
active member of the National Federation of the Blind who lives in
Pennsylvania. Here is what she has to say about literacy and the blind:
Which minority has the greatest disparity between literacy,
unemployment, and income on the one hand and intellect, talent, and
willingness to work on the other? Why are a few of its members medical
doctors, engineers, scientists, and lawyers, while most have never had a
full-time job? The answer is able-bodied working-age blind Americans.
When I started developing my "Libraries and Literacy" page for this
site, my intent was to thank some of the libraries that carry The Heart of
Applebutter Hill. I collected photos from my library visits and quotes
about literacy from famous people. As I proceeded, I realized that I
couldn't help looking into the disparity between the situation of blind
Americans and that of the general population and how literacy and the
availability of books in accessible formats affect that disparity. This
article is based on my research. You will find links to sources cited in
this article under the References heading at the end.
Literacy: What It Is and What It Is Not
To understand what is happening to blind Americans, it is important to
know what literacy is. It is commonly defined as the ability to read and
write-a definition that raises more questions than it answers. What is
reading? What is writing? To hone in on the essence of literacy, however,
we need only look to its Middle English roots, which-according to Merriam-
Webster-mean "marked with letters." Literacy is an understanding of and
fluency in language based on its primary building blocks-letters,
punctuation, and sentence structure.
The parents of a sighted child would be justifiably horrified and
outraged if their child was denied education in reading and writing print.
"Johnny is a wonderful listener. He doesn't need print," just doesn't fly
in the sighted world.
But, for a variety of reasons (most of which boil down to a lack of
understanding and low expectations), blind children are routinely steered
to audio learning. Recorded books and synthesized speech have their place
in a blind person's toolbox, and they are essential for the vast majority
of students with print disabilities-including sighted students with
learning disabilities such as dyslexia. Nevertheless, Braille is the only
alternative giving true literacy on a par with print.
Braille provides immediate access through the fingers to what sighted
readers see with their eyes. Punctuation, spelling, paragraph markings, and
other essential components of the written word are apparent through touch,
since Braille is read by characters, words, and lines just like print is
for sighted readers. Braille, which is now available in downloadable
digital formats for high-tech refreshable Braille reading devices, is also
the only option for people who are deaf and blind.
Here are a few numbers that demonstrate how literacy and access to
books affect blind people:
Income and Poverty: Blind Americans Are Twice as Likely to Live in
Poverty
. In 2012 the median annual household income of non-institutionalized
blind Americans (aged twenty-one to sixty-four) was $33,400. 31.2
percent were living below the poverty line (National Federation of the
Blind-NFB).
. According to a CNN report on census statistics for 2012, median
household income for the American population as a whole was $51,017,
and 15 percent were living in poverty.
. The lost productivity in the US due to blindness and eye diseases is
estimated to be $8 billion per year (National Braille Press-NBP).
Literacy: Blind Students Are Three Times More Likely to be Illiterate
As you read this section, keep in mind that, of the less than 40
percent of blind American adults who are employed, 90 percent read Braille
(NBP).
. 60,393-Total number of blind students in the US enrolled in elementary
and high school (NFB).
. 5,147 (8.5 percent)-Number of students for whom Braille is their
primary way to read (NFB).
. Twelve percent of blind American students are taught to read Braille;
and being given the chance to become truly literate (NBP).
. Using the same standards applied to sighted students, no fewer than 88
percent of blind students are illiterate. In contrast, according to
<https://DoSomething.org>, only 25 percent (one in four) American
children grow up without being taught to read.
Books: What's Available for Print Readers and What's Accessible for
Those with Print Disabilities
. 36 million-the approximate number of books and other print materials
in the collection of the Library of Congress (according to LOC.gov)
with 12,000 added daily.
. 300,000-approximate number of titles available from Bookshare, the
world's largest accessible online library for people with print
disabilities. Bookshare provides its collection in several
downloadable formats, including DAISY text, synthetic speech, and
refreshable Braille.
. 80,000-approximate number of titles available from Learning Ally-
formerly Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic-the world's largest
library of human-narrated audiobooks, as of October 30, 2014
(according to a Learning Ally customer representative).
. 80,000-books in audio format available through the National Library
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a division of
the Library of Congress (according to a November 3, 2014, email from
NLS's research department). This doesn't include books in an older
rigid-disc format that is seldom circulated.
. 31,338-books available in Braille from NLS. Note: NLS also has a
Braille music collection of 22,775 titles, 4,892 audio recordings, and
662 scores in large print.
NLS provides professionally-recorded books as downloads, on digital
cartridge, and (until the entire collection is digitized) cassette tape.
Some books are available in hard copy and downloadable Braille and in large
print. NLS chooses books based on the New York Times bestsellers list and
books with significant national press coverage. Regional NLS libraries
record some titles of local interest. Borrowing from the NLS is free to all
Americans with print disabilities.
According to the World Blind Union (WBU), over 90 percent of
published books cannot be read by people who are blind or have other print
disabilities. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 39 million
people worldwide, including 1.4 million children under fifteen, are
irreversibly blind. This does not take into account the visually-impaired
and learning-disabled populations for whom reading print is not possible.
Only 320,000 people with visual impairments and other print disabilities in
approximately fifty countries have access to Bookshare's collection.
Easy Ways to End the Book Famine for People with Print Disabilities
Send an email, make a phone call, or write a letter to support the
Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who
Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled. The Marrakesh
Treaty is an effort to update international copyright laws pertaining to
reading materials in accessible formats. Urge your national senators to
support ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty, which will facilitate access
to published works for people with print disabilities.
A project of WBU and the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO), it was signed by seventy-two nations including the US in 2013. But
a signed treaty is just a piece of paper. It needs to be ratified by twenty
nations to become international law. So far only India and El Salvador have
ratified it (WBU and WIPO).
Join the DAISY Planet
Follow what's going on worldwide in the struggle for accessible books
by visiting the DAISY (Digitally Accessible Information System) Consortium.
The DAISY Consortium is a global group of organizations working towards
creating the best way to read and publish. Read their awesome newsletter,
The Daisy Planet <http://DAISY.org/newsletters>.
References
National Braille Press:
<http://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/braille/needforbraille.html>
National Federation of the Blind: Blindness Statistics:
<https://nfb.org/blindness-statistics>
CNN on 2012 Income and Poverty Statistics:
<http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/17/news/economy/poverty-income/>
Eleven Facts about Literacy in America | DoSomething.org:
<https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11-facts-about-literacy-america>
Library of Congress: <http://www.loc.gov/about/fascinating-facts/>
Bookshare: <https://www.bookshare.org/cms/about>
Learning Ally: <http://LearningAlly.org>
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped:
<http://www.loc.gov/nls>
World Blind Union: <http://www.worldblindunion.org/English/our-work/our-
priorities/Pages/right-2-read-campaign.aspx>
World Health Organization:
<http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs282/en/>
WIPO - Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons
Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled:
<http://www.wipo.int/wipolex/en/wipo_treaties/text.jsp?file_id=301016>
----------
[PHOTO/CAPTION: Ron Owens]
Illiterate No More
by Ronald A. Owens
From the Editor: Ron Owens is a member of the Board of Directors of
the National Federation of the Blind of Arkansas. His state president
describes him as a quiet man, but this quietness only enhances the power of
his words when he chooses to speak. She says she would like a hundred more
like him, and from our brief conversation I am inclined to agree. Here is
what Ron has to say about his introduction to blindness, the technology he
has learned to use, and the skills that have played an important part in
his once again finding independence:
I am legally blind with the eye condition retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
As a person whose vision has deteriorated over time, I have come to
appreciate the tools that are available to us as blind people. Adaptive
technologies have greatly improved my life. Screen-reading technology
allows me to access computers as well as an iPhone, and with my stick
(white cane) I am able to navigate around in unfamiliar places. While these
technologies allow me to venture out from my own little world, perhaps the
best tool I've come across is Braille. I believe that the learning of this
skill is probably the most useful. To illustrate my point, I would like to
relate an experience I went through at the beginning of my walk with
blindness.
Over two decades ago, when I was starting to lose my vision, I
accompanied my wife to a conference that she had to attend for work. Since
the conference was on multiple days, we were staying in the hotel where it
was being held. On the last day we checked out of our room, and my wife was
going to attend the last of the seminars as I waited in the lobby of the
hotel. Before the meetings that morning, my wife showed me to the door of
the men's room in the lobby so that I could use the facilities. Afterward I
settled in to wait out the morning. The day wore on, and as Forrest Gump
said, "I [had] to pee!" So I headed to the restroom. I found the door,
pushed it open, walked in, and turned left, just as I had done earlier that
morning, but this time the way was blocked by a wall. I felt around,
thinking perhaps that I was just not in far enough; feeling along the wall,
I was completely confused, because I knew that another door had been there
a few hours ago. I just could not understand how a full wall had been
erected. I got my answer in a few seconds. A door behind me opened, a woman
walked out, saw me, and went out the door I had just entered through a
moment before. I was in the foyer of the women's restroom! I exited very
quickly and found the chair I had been sitting in before I had gone to the
restroom. I was completely embarrassed. A couple of minutes later a
security guard walked by. He did not say anything to me, but I was
reasonably sure that the woman reported that a pervert was in the ladies'
room. I waited for my wife to come back to the lobby before returning to
the men's room. I guess I did not need to use the restroom as badly as I
thought.
You are probably wondering what this has to do with reading Braille;
well I did not know how to read it at the time. If I had been able to read
those little dots on the wall, I would have saved myself some
embarrassment. It took several years before I finally learned to read,
because I simply had no idea where to go to learn. A couple of years ago I
attended World Services for the Blind, where I was taught the fundamentals
of Braille. Learning this form of communication was not easy for me, and,
while I am still a novice at reading Braille, I am of the opinion that it
is a must-know skill to live a fulfilling life as a blind person. Even
though I am still not an efficient reader (I have calluses on my fingers
from working with my hands and playing the guitar), being able to read is
as liberating and rewarding as when I learned to read print as a child.
The development of new products and the advancement of adaptive
technologies will continue to make life more enjoyable for the blind, but
the learning of Braille should remain in our box of tools. I do not know if
an app exists to tell people which restroom they are about to enter. It is
conceivable that there is one, but there are times that it would not be
practical. Can you imagine rushing up to the restrooms, about to break out
into "the pee pee dance," fishing out your phone, unlocking it, scrolling
through all the apps until you find the right one, opening it up, waiting
for it to load, getting the sign in the frame, and praying that you're at
the right door? Running a finger along a line of Braille is a lot more
straight-forward and incredibly faster.
If you or someone you know is facing blindness, I would encourage
serious consideration be given to learning Braille. Finding resources may
seem daunting, but the reward is worth the effort. A good place to start is
with the National Federation of the Blind. I wish I had learned earlier. If
I had, many times I could have enjoyed outings to places, such as a trip to
Washington, DC, where plaques on the monuments are written in Braille. Some
restaurants also have Braille menus that allow us as blind people to have a
more independent life. Braille resources can be found and used in our daily
life to help in our quest to "Live the lives we want!"
In conclusion, I would like to thank Mr. Jeff Weiss, my Braille
teacher, for being patient as I struggled through the lessons. I would also
like to leave you with a quote from a very intelligent woman with whom I
was briefly acquainted, who has been an inspiration to me. Her name was
Mrs. Gracie Jackson, and her gift to me was this quote: "I was not
illiterate as a sighted person, and I will not be illiterate as a blind
person." This was and is my vow. Let it be yours as well.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Kenneth Jernigan]
The Barrier of the Visible Difference
by Kenneth Jernigan
From the Editor: This article is taken from the Kernel Book entitled
Gray Pancakes and Gold Horses, published in 1998.
Catchy titles and clever phrases are the stuff of big business. As
every advertising agency knows, fortunes are made or lost by the way the
public reacts to a jingle or a slogan.
Once I heard a liquor distributor say that his company had a
thoroughly mediocre wine that was going nowhere, and then somebody got the
bright idea of giving it a sparkly name (I think it was Wild Irish Rose).
After that, he said they couldn't make enough to meet the demand, operating
three shifts a day.
Whether that story is true or false, the underlying message is right
on target. It is not just what a thing is but how it sounds and feels that
sets the tone and gives the value.
When most of us come across the term "visible difference," we think
of the trademark of the beauty expert and cosmetics manufacturer Elizabeth
Arden. "Visible Difference" is the brand name of moisturizers, lotions, and
other products. But for the blind the term means something else. It
represents a barrier and a hurdle to be surmounted. Let me illustrate.
When I was a boy of about four, my mother and I were sitting in the
front bedroom of our home. Even though more than sixty-five years have
passed, I still remember every detail. It was a summer evening just after
dark. My father and brother were sitting on the porch, and the night sounds
(the frogs and crickets) were coming into full chorus. It was oppressively
hot with a lot of dust in the air.
In those days we didn't have electricity, so my mother had just lit
the oil lamp. The smell of the burning kerosene began to blend with the
regular odors of food and plant life that permeated the four-room house. Of
course, all of the doors and windows were open.
When my mother finished lighting the lamp and adjusting the wick, she
sat down and put her arm around me. Then she kissed me on the left side of
my face. Since she was sitting on my left, this was a natural (almost an
automatic) gesture. Then she said:
"Do you like for mother to kiss you?" Now, this put me into a real
dilemma-for I very much liked for mother to kiss me, but I felt shy and
embarrassed to say it.
Hunting a way out, I thought perhaps I could say yes by shaking my
head. From conversations I had heard, I knew that other people shook their
heads to mean yes or no, but I didn't know which way the head should move
to indicate which meaning. It had never before occurred to me to wonder
about the matter since I had never needed to know. My mother or anybody
else around the house would undoubtedly have been perfectly willing to tell
me if I had asked, but that didn't help in the situation I was then facing.
Using the best logic I could muster, I thought that since my mother
was sitting on my left, maybe if I moved my head that way, it would
indicate yes. Unfortunately it didn't, and my mother (not understanding my
embarrassment and lack of knowledge) thought I was saying no. She was hurt
and cried, and I didn't know how to explain.
So what is the moral of that little story, that minor tragedy of
childhood? It is not that blind people are less competent than others of
their age and circumstance. It is not that blind persons are slow learners
or inept. It is that sometimes something that can be seen at a glance must
be learned a different way by a blind person. The learning can be just as
quick and just as effective, but it won't happen unless somebody thinks to
explain, to help the blind child cross the barrier of the visible
difference. There is no great problem in knowing how to shake one's head or
in doing a hundred other things that sighted children learn without ever
knowing that they have done it. It is only that the blind child must either
be unusually persistent and inquisitive or have somebody constantly at hand
who thinks to give information. Otherwise, insignificant details will
multiply to major deficits.
And this is not just a matter of childhood. After seventy years I
keep learning new things about the barrier of the visible difference.
Recently when I told a blind friend of mine who is a lawyer about my head-
shaking episode, he asked if I knew how you are supposed to hold your hand
in a court when you are told to raise your right hand. I said that I had
never thought about it but had always assumed that you simply raise your
hand about your head, which is what would seem logical in the
circumstances.
"No," he told me, "that isn't the way it is done. You raise your hand
to shoulder level with the palm out." He went on to tell me that when he
was being sworn in to be admitted to the Bar, he had raised his hand above
his head and that later, one of his classmates had told him how the
customary ritual is performed.
It is important to understand the significance of this incident.
There is nothing better about raising the hand to the shoulder than over
the head. It doesn't make one a better lawyer or a better witness in court.
My friend is an excellent attorney, and I have testified in court on more
than one occasion. We are simply dealing with a custom of society, a
visible difference.
More than anything else (at least, unless one is aware of it and
thinks about it) meaningless visible differences can lead to confusion and
misunderstanding, and sometimes even to misplaced feelings of superiority
or inadequacy. A thing that looks beautiful to the eye, for instance, can
feel ugly and dirty to the touch. Again, let me illustrate. Once when I was
four or five, my mother and father took me to the county fair. This was a
big event.
We lived about fourteen miles from the county seat, and we didn't
have a car. Very few people did in those days, so friends and neighbors
pooled their transportation and helped each other with rides.
On this particular occasion my mother and I were standing at one of
the booths at the fair. In retrospect it must have been one of those places
that give prizes for throwing darts, tossing rings, or something of the
sort. Regardless of that, the woman in charge gave me a small statue of a
horse. As I think back on it, she may have done it because I was blind, or
simply because she thought I was a cute kid. For purposes of my story, it
doesn't matter.
The horse must have been quite pretty, for both the woman and my
mother kept exclaiming about it. It was apparently covered with some sort
of sparkly gold paint. To the eye I assume that it was extremely
attractive, but to me it just felt dirty and grungy.
Now, I had never before had a small gold horse or, for that matter,
any other kind of horse, or very many nice toys of any kind-so I was
pleased and ecstatic with my treasure. But I thought I ought to clean it up
and try to make it look nice.
Therefore, while my mother and the woman were talking, I busily
scratched all of the rough-feeling gold paint off of it. It was quite a
job. By the time I had finished, my horse felt clean and attractive. I was
proud of it. Imagine, then, my disappointment and chagrin when my mother
and the woman noticed what I had done and were absolutely dismayed. I
couldn't understand why they were unhappy, and they couldn't understand why
I felt that the horse was better for my effort. Again, I had bumped head-on
into the barrier of the visible difference.
Unlike the head-shaking incident, this was not exactly a matter of
learning correct information. If a thing looks better to the eye and feels
worse to the touch, that doesn't make it better or worse. It simply means a
different point of view, a visible difference.
I thoroughly understand that we live in a world that is structured
for the sighted, so if a blind person intends to get along and compete in
society, he or she must learn how the sighted feel and what they think is
beautiful and attractive. But this has nothing to do with innate loveliness
or quality. It is simply a visible difference.
As a matter of fact, although I wouldn't scratch the paint off of it
if I met it today, that horse of my childhood would feel just as dirty to
me now as it did then. A few years ago when I went to Athens, I was invited
(no, urged) to handle a variety of sculptures. They may have looked
beautiful, and I have no doubt that they did; but they didn't feel
beautiful-at least, not to me. They felt dirty, and I wanted a good hand-
washing after feeling them. Hopefully this does not mean that I am either a
barbarian or a boor, only that my way of appreciating beauty may have
something to do with the fact that I touch instead of look.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that it is only the blind who get
stuck on the barrier of the visible difference. The sighted do it, too-
repeatedly, every day. Recently when I was in the hospital, I was being
taken to the x-ray department for tests. On the way I had to stop to go to
the bathroom. As I came out, a hospital official (I think she was a nurse)
saw me and exclaimed, in what I can only describe as panic:
"Catch him! He's going to fall. His eyes are closed."
My wife explained to her that I am blind and that my eyes are usually
closed. It made no difference.
"It doesn't matter," she said. "Hold him. His eyes are closed. He
will fall." This woman is not abnormal or unusually jumpy, nor (at least,
as far as I can tell) is she stupid. She is simply so accustomed to the
fact that sighted people look about them to keep their bearings that she
cannot imagine that sight and balance have nothing to do with each other.
If I had thought it wouldn't have upset her, I would have asked her if she
believed she would be unable to stand up in a totally dark room.
During that same hospital stay, when I stepped into another bathroom,
the nurse turned the light on for me even though I told her in a light and
pleasant tone that I didn't need it. She said she would turn it on anyway.
It was clear that she felt uncomfortable to have me in the bathroom in the
dark. Obviously this is not a major matter. It simply shows that we feel
uneasy when something violates (even benignly) our routine patterns.
And these are not isolated instances. Every day letters and articles
come to my attention to prove it.
A journalist from Ohio writes to say that the blind need special
fishing facilities-and he will lobby the government to help make it happen.
He doesn't say why we can't fish in the regular way like everybody else,
which many of us do all the time.
A locksmith from Wisconsin believes the blind would benefit from
specially shaped door knobs (oval and textured, he thinks), and he is
willing to design them. A pilot from Pennsylvania thinks we should solve
any problems we have with the airlines by setting up an airline of our own,
and he will help fly the planes.
A man from Minnesota believes that blind alcoholics cannot benefit
from regular programs used by the sighted and suggests separate services.
Some years ago the Manchester Union Leader, one of New Hampshire's most
prominent newspapers, said that the governor of the state was so bad that
only the deaf, dumb, and the blind could believe that he was competent.
These few illustrations are not a complete list, of course, but only
a sampling. Moreover, I am not talking about all of the sighted. An
increasing number are coming to understand and work with us. They give us
some of our strongest support. Nor am I saying that the sighted are hostile
toward us. Quite the contrary. Overwhelmingly the members of the sighted
public wish us well and have good will toward us. It is simply that they
are used to doing things with visual techniques, and when they look at a
blind person, they see something to which they are not accustomed-what I
call the barrier of the visible difference.
Most sighted people take it for granted that doing something with
eyesight is better than doing it some other way. Visual techniques are
sometimes superior to nonvisual techniques, and sometimes not. Sometimes
the nonvisual way of doing a thing is better. Usually, however, it isn't a
matter of better or worse but just difference.
This brings me to my experience with the National Federation of the
Blind. I first became acquainted with the Federation almost fifty years
ago, and it has done more than anything else in my life to help me gain
balance and perspective--to understand that the barrier of the visible
difference need not be a major obstacle, either for me or my sighted
associates.
With more than fifty thousand active members throughout the nation,
the National Federation of the Blind is leading the way in making it
possible for blind people to have normal, everyday lives. We of the
Federation seek out parents and help them understand that their blind
children can grow up to be productive citizens. We work with blind college
students, giving scholarships and providing successful role models. Blind
seniors make up an important part of the organization, helping and
encouraging each other and exchanging ideas and information. We develop new
technology for the blind and assist blind persons in finding jobs.
All of this is what we of the National Federation of the Blind do to
help ourselves and each other, but the chief value of the organization is
the way it helps us look at our blindness and the way it helps sighted
people understand and accept. We who are blind know that with reasonable
opportunity and training we can earn our own way in the world, compete on
terms of equality with others, and lead ordinary, worthwhile lives. We do
not feel that we are victims, or that society owes us a living or is
responsible for our problems. We believe that we ought to do for ourselves
and that we also should help others. These attitudes are the heart and soul
of the National Federation of the Blind. They constitute its core beliefs
and reason for being.
We go to meet the future with joy and hope, but we recognize that we
need help from our sighted friends. If we do our part, we are confident
that the needed help will be forthcoming. We also know that both we and the
sighted can surmount the barrier of the visible difference and reduce it to
the level of a mere inconvenience.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: April Scurlock]
Go-Carts and Scholarships
by April Scurlock
From the Editor: April Scurlock lives in Mount Ida, Arkansas, and she
teaches fifth and sixth grade mathematics at the Mount Ida Middle School,
where she has worked for eleven years. She is the president of the Arkansas
at-large chapter and the second vice president of the affiliate. She won a
national scholarship in 2012 and works hard to support the organization
that granted it to her. Her state president says she is indispensable, and
those who know her wish she could grace every affiliate. Here is what she
has to say about winning an NFB scholarship:
As a teacher I get to take my class on a field trip at the end of the
school year. My class always goes to the local go-cart track, where we play
putt-putt golf, ride bumper boats, and drive go-carts. Many of the parents
in our community are aware of my blindness, so it is funny to watch their
reaction when they see me get in a go-cart to race against my students.
Even the students are shocked to see me in a go-cart. The funniest part of
the entire experience is that I usually end up winning the race. I am not
sure if I win because they feel sorry for me or because I am so
competitive.
I do not believe I would have had the courage to continue teaching
and racing go-carts if it were not for the National Federation of the
Blind. I came to know the NFB back in 2012 when my DSB (Division of
Services for the Blind) rehabilitation counselor gave me an NFB scholarship
form and told me I should apply. After researching this scholarship, I knew
there was no way I could win it-the previous winners were so impressive,
and this was my first time applying. For goodness sake, I had never even
heard of the NFB until that moment. So, with hesitation, I set out on the
journey to fill out the application and compete in a process I was certain
would eliminate me. Once I had everything completed and mailed in, I forgot
all about it...again I knew I had no chance of winning.
One night the phone rang while I was cooking dinner. I was hesitant
to answer because the caller ID was some crazy number that I didn't
recognize. When I answered, I was thinking, should I pretend to be someone
else? When the gentleman on the other end of the line asked to speak to me,
reluctantly I replied that it was I.
He said, "My name is John Halverson, and I am a member of the
National Federation of the Blind scholarship committee. I just have a few
questions to ask you." So he asked me some questions, and after my replies
he informed me that I was indeed a 2012 winner of a NFB scholarship. I was
so stunned that I was screaming and accusing him of lying, and he kept
reassuring me that I really was a winner. My husband and boys ran into the
kitchen, thinking I had burned myself. Finally, Mr. John congratulated me
on my winning and said he would see me in July in Dallas.
For anyone who does not believe that first-time applicants can win
this scholarship, I am here to show you that what you believe is wrong. Do
not doubt yourself; you can do it. You have to believe in what you are
doing and know you are bettering yourself as a blind person.
The National Federation of the Blind is one of the most outstanding
organizations for blind people anywhere. I am thankful to my DSB counselor
for introducing me to the NFB. I have many close friends that I made while
being in Dallas for a week at the national convention. It is amazing what
the NFB can do for you. It helped me believe even more in myself as a blind
person. Instead of hoping that I can do great things in my life, I know I
can do great things in my life.
Thank you, NFB, for changing my life for the better. Happy seventy-
fifth anniversary!
----------
My Journey Toward Winning Friends and Influencing Others
by Kelsey Nicolay
From the Editor: In the April 2013 issue we ran an article by Shawn
Mayo entitled "An Ordinary Sort of Courage." It is difficult to acknowledge
that doing some things as a blind person does require courage without
blowing out of all proportion the small things we do and making them look
fantastic or heroic. It takes a bit of courage to venture into a setting
where people tell you they have never been around a blind person or that
you are the first blind person to ever attempt to participate in their
organization. Kelsey Nicolay demonstrates such courage, and here is her
story:
As a college graduate with a degree in communication, I thought I was
prepared for the workplace. Over a year out and still unemployed, I decided
to listen to my cousin who is a training consultant for Dale Carnegie when
he suggested I go through their program. He told me that, even though I had
solid communication skills, I would still benefit from the course. It was a
difficult decision, partly because I would have to depend on my family to
transport me.
After much thought and discussion my dad and I decided that I should
go through the program since I would acquire skills to prepare me to handle
the stress and challenges of the workplace. In addition, the course served
as an opportunity to network with the other participants in order to help
me gain employment.
Prior to the talk with my cousin, I did not know much about the
program, only that it had something to do with public speaking. From the
very beginning the staff felt they would be comfortable having me in class.
"I can handle it," said Elaine Dwyer, Dale Carnegie instructor, when
informed by my cousin that I would be enrolling in her course. Due to
company policy, I was not given the name of my instructor, so I was not
able to communicate with her ahead of time. The training consultant had to
facilitate the entire enrollment process, including the initial discussion
with the trainer. Still, I felt confident that my instructor would be able
to explain my learning needs and the accommodations I might need.
The first class was an orientation. The participants were introduced
to the Dale Carnegie program, the areas of instruction, etc. Our activities
involved demonstrating some basic communication skills such as self-
introduction techniques. Each student was then asked to practice these
skills in front of the class. My classmates were willing to help me move
around when needed.
During the first few classes students were introduced to fundamental
communication skills such as name recognition, conversation starting, etc.
The majority of this instruction was oral, therefore all the participants
were expected to memorize the sequences or sayings without having them
written down. However, at times a participant manual was used. I was able
to obtain an electronic copy, which I could pull up in class as needed. I
was able to locate the other books on Bookshare, so I could read them
independently between classes. At times, when materials were not available
electronically, I asked a family member to serve as a reader. As the course
progressed, there were some aspects which presented challenges. For
example, during one class the instructor made up actions to go with a story
in the book with which the students were asked to become familiar. The
purpose of adding the actions was to help students add enthusiasm to their
communication. Neither I nor the instructor considered how I would
participate. Therefore, she asked one of the graduate assistants to try to
describe what the instructor was doing, but the graduate assistant could
not describe the actions fast enough. Once the class learned the actions to
go with the story, the students were asked to perform it in small groups. I
did not do the physical gestures. Instead I was able to participate by
helping recite the words. "I realized I should have followed up with you,"
Ms. Dwyer said after class that night. From this experience we learned that
it is important to anticipate challenges and plan accordingly.
During a later class the students were asked to learn several silly
skits to demonstrate being flexible in response to change. This time the
instructor and I talked about the best way to handle the situation. We both
agreed that having me work with another person would be the way for me to
participate fully. The person I worked with verbally described what the
instructor was doing while she was demonstrating the skit to the class.
When the class was learning the skit, my partner would physically guide me
through the routine. Once again the class performed in small groups. My
partner helped me perform my skit with my group. Since I had more than
words to go on and had actually rehearsed the motions and knew how they
felt to perform, I was more comfortable with learning the actions.
As part of the course each participant was required to give a weekly
talk. The talks focused on gaining the cooperation of others, demonstrating
leadership, and enhancing relationships. During my speeches I focused on
dealing with the vocational rehabilitation agency and how I had applied the
principles learned in class to help me get the service I needed. My
classmates were not familiar with the system, but, after listening to my
talks, they had a better understanding of some of the difficulties I face.
Although I had difficulties in some areas, I was much more comfortable in
others, particularly learning things by rote. For example, during one class
period the instructor wrote a saying on the board. I asked my neighbor what
the instructor was writing, and she quietly whispered it to me. The
instructor went through the saying out loud, but having my neighbor whisper
it to me ahead of time helped to solidify it in my memory. Therefore, it
was easier for me to recite the saying when students were asked to do so
later in the class period.
Before I knew it, it was graduation night, a night in which all our
accomplishments would be recognized. Each student was required to give a
final talk in order to receive his or her certificate. Prior to each
student's speech, the instructor talked briefly about him or her,
mentioning a highlight from his or her talk. I was a little nervous at
first, but, when it was my turn to speak, I stood up and confidently gave
my speech. When I finished speaking, my family came up to present me my
certificate, just as the other participants' families had done. In the end
my family and I decided that the process was worth it, even though they had
to drive me there and back every week. My advice to readers is that, if a
Dale Carnegie class is offered in your area, do not hesitate to
participate. The skills you learn will help you in every aspect of your
life.
----------
Crafting Your Diamond: The 2015 NOPBC Conference
by Carlton Walker
As the president of the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children (NOPBC), a division of the NFB, I have the privilege of writing
this essay inviting you to the NOPBC's Annual Conference which will be held
at the NFB National Convention Sunday, July 5 through Saturday, July 10,
2015, at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Florida. In addition to serving
as the NOPBC president, I am employed as a teacher of the blind and
visually impaired in Cumberland and York counties, Pennsylvania, and I am
an attorney with my own solo practice. But, by far, my heart and mind are
dedicated to the NFB and the NOPBC-I relish the opportunity to share with
others and learn from friends.
As I write this essay, I am enjoying a much-anticipated and long-
awaited vacation with my husband, Steve, and our daughter, Anna Catherine.
I am stretched out on a comfy sofa in a lounge area on our cruise ship, the
Norwegian Sun. We enjoy getting away on vacation, and a cruise offers us
just what we like: lots of choices and few demands. On these cruises we
cannot help but learn about all the shopping opportunities in the Caribbean-
and chief among these is shopping for diamonds.
This seemed quite apropos, given that we will be celebrating the
seventy-fifth anniversary of our National Federation of the Blind this
year. From the gem-buying workshops I have attended, I discovered that the
"Four Cs of Diamond Buying" apply to our blind children as well. While the
diamond's four Cs are cut, carat, color, and clarity, the four Cs of
rearing a successful blind child are competence, confidence, creativity,
and community. Competence requires the acquisition of, practice with, and
mastery of nonvisual skills and tools, such as Braille, the long white
cane, and access technology. Confidence provides a platform upon which
these skills may be used. Creativity brings in the beauty of the individual-
a diamond unlike any other who uses these skills in new and exciting ways.
Community represents giving back-competent, confident, creative blind
children and adults are full members of their communities and contribute to
the growth and strength of them.
While I cannot afford to purchase a diamond, I believe that our
children, blind or sighted, are the most precious gems we will ever
encounter. Like diamonds, they are strong and possess qualities that some
might not expect. Diamonds are known for their beauty, but they are
actually quite valuable for industrial uses that have no relation to their
physical appearance. Similarly, even though outsiders may not understand
it, our children help us and others to experience and see our world in ways
we would surely have missed without them. And, like rough, uncut diamonds,
our children's beauty and value cannot be fully realized until they
experience the empowerment of nonvisual skills that let them shine.
Please join us at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, Florida, July 5 through
10, for our annual NOPBC conference. As noted above, we will also be
celebrating the seventy-fifth anniversary of the NFB. Learning and fun,
friends and family, love and laughter-you will find each of these in
abundance throughout the convention, both with other parents of blind
children and with blind adults-our children's role models. Come meet us in
Orlando as we learn the tools, techniques, and philosophies that will allow
our diamonds to sparkle now and throughout their lives.
Schedule of Events for Adults, Children, and Youth
Please visit <www.nopbc.org> for activities, updates, and registration
information
Sunday, July 5
9:00 AM to 4:45 PM Full-Day Seminar-General Session and Workshops
7:30 AM to 8:45 AM Registration
Parents, children, and youth are invited to start the morning
together at the "Crafting Your Diamond" Seminar. At 10:45 a.m.
children preregistered with NFB Child Care will be escorted to the
children's activity in the child care rooms and youth ages eleven to
eighteen will be escorted to the Youth Track activity rooms.
9:00 AM to 10:45 AM General Session
Welcome with NOPBC President Carlton Walker, Kid Talk with NFB
President Mark Riccobono, keynote address, student panel, and more!
10:45 AM Children and Youth Are Escorted To Activities
11:00 AM NOPBC Children's Activity (ages five through twelve)
in NFB Child Care
Please visit <www.nopbc.org> for activity details.
11:00 AM NOPBC Youth Track Activity (ages eleven through eighteen)
11:00 AM to 12:15 PM NOPBC Concurrent Workshops for Parents and Teachers
Session 1
Additional workshops sponsored by Professionals in Blindness Education
(PIBE) and the National Blindness Professional Certification Board
(NBPCB) will be available during each time slot for parents and
teachers to attend.
Learn to Play and Play to Learn
Facilitating your child's learning and play. Instructor: Heather
Field, Special Educator
The National Reading Media Assessment (NRMA) and the National O&M
Assessment (NOMA)
What's in these new, cutting edge assessments? Will they benefit your
child? Instructors: Sheena Manuel, TBS, NOMC, Outreach Specialist,
Professional Development and Research Institute on Blindness (PDRIB);
Casey Robertson, TBS, Faculty, PDRIB
Using Readers
Learning the critical skill of using a human reader for academic and
personal tasks. Instructor: Carol Castellano, Director of Programs,
NOPBC
The ABCs of Braille
A hands-on workshop that will teach the beginning of Braille reading
and writing. Instructor: TBA
12:15 PM Lunch on your own. Pick up children from Child Care.
1:30 PM Child Care Reopens
2:00 PM NOPBC Children's Activity (ages five through twelve) in
NFB Child Care
Check <www.nopbc.org> for details.
To participate, child must be signed up for child care for
this day.
2:00 PM to 4:45 PM NOPBC Youth Track (ages eleven through
eighteen)
2:00 PM to 3:15 PM NOPBC Concurrent Workshops for Parents and
Teachers
Session 2
Ages and Stages
Facilitating the child's progress toward the next logical step in
development. Instructor: Natalie Shaheen, Director of Education, NFB
Jernigan Institute
Standardized Testing and Testing Accommodations: What You Need to Know
What are the issues with Smarter Balanced and PARCC? What testing
accommodations will work for your child's success? Instructors: Mehgan
Sidhu, General Counsel, NFB; Valerie Yingling, Paralegal, NFB; Carlton
Walker, TBS, President, NOPBC
Independence Skills for Real Life
What skills does your child need for an independent future and how can
you cultivate them? Instructor: TBA
Technology: Accessible Apps
What's new in accessible apps? Instructor: Jeremiah Beasley, Blindness
and Low Vision Assistive Technology Specialist, Wisconsin Center for
the Blind and Visually Impaired; Board Member, NOPBC and NFBWI
3:30 PM to 4:45 PM NOPBC Concurrent Workshops for Parents and
Teachers
Session 3
Additional workshops sponsored by PIBE and the NBPCB will be available
for parents and teachers to attend.
Independent Movement and Travel for Very Young Children and Children
with Additional Disabilities
Working toward maximum independence and self-determination for your
child. Instructor: Denise Mackenstadt, NOMC
Make-and-Take Graphics
Learn the basics of making tactile graphics for children and create
one to take home. Instructor: Carlton Walker, TBS, President, NOPBC
Independent Living Skills and Independent Movement and Travel for the
School-Age Child
High expectations, real-life goals, and how to achieve them.
Instructor: Mary Jo Hartle, NOMC, TBS
Using College Disability Support Services (DSS)
How DSS offices provide accommodations and how to access and use them
effectively without losing your independence. Instructor: TBA
5:30 PM Pick Up Children from Child Care Promptly!
5:30 PM to 7:00 PM NOPBC Family Hospitality
Relax, snack, chat, meet new families and teachers, and connect with
old friends. Veteran attendees will be on hand to welcome you and
provide information. Co-sponsored by PIBE.
7:30 PM to 9:00 PM NOPBC Board Meeting
8:00 PM to 11:00 PM NABS Student Social (ages fourteen to eighteen)
Monday, July 6
Child Care is CLOSED on this day.
8:45 AM to 10:30 AM Cane Walk Session I
11:00 AM to 12:45 PM Cane Walk Session II
Wondering if your child should use a cane? Curious about how a cane
works? Learn and experience the Discovery Method of travel at these
special workshops. Parents, teachers, blind/VI children, and siblings
are welcome. Coordinator: Jeff Altman, NOMCT, CVRCB
11:00 AM to 12:30 PM Tween Room Open (ages eleven to fourteen)
Text or call Penny Duffy at (603) 892-6355 for location. Feel free to
bring your lunch.
2:45 PM to 4:00 PM NOPBC Youth Style Show (Rehearsal begins at
1:00 PM)
Our young blind models and NFB stars strut their stuff on the runway.
Come enjoy the fashions and music and support NOPBC, tickets $5 at the
door. Coordinator: Kim Cunningham, second vice president, NOPBC
5:45 PM to 6:15 PM NOPBC Breaking Barriers Funathlon
Swim through shark-infested waters, race through an alligator-infested
swamp, shoot down barriers to independence (on hotel grounds-no danger
involved). Join us for this fun-filled family fundraiser, $5 to
participate. Raise money for NOPBC by collecting pledges-please bring
pledge sheets (at end of this article) and donations to the event.
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM Parent Leadership Program (PLP)
Has the NOPBC helped you and your family? Would you like to get more
involved? Come learn about leadership opportunities in your state.
Coordinator: Carol Castellano, director of programs, NOPBC
Tuesday, July 7
In the morning visit the Exhibit Hall and the Independence Market;
attend the NFB Board of Directors meeting-it's open to all. In the
afternoon, drop the kids off at their activities early and come to the
NOPBC annual meeting.
12:45 PM Child Care Will Be Open Early This Afternoon
Give your child lunch, then drop him/her off early at child care so
that you can attend the NOPBC annual meeting which begins at 1 PM.
NOPBC Children's Activity (ages five through twelve) in NFB Child Care
Takes place during Child Care afternoon session. To participate, child
must be signed up for child care for this day. Visit <www.nopbc.org>
for details.
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM NOPBC Youth Track Session (ages eleven to
eighteen)
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
Annual Meeting:
Options and Opportunities
Attention parents and teachers! Be sure to attend this important
meeting featuring the 2015 Distinguished Educator of Blind Children;
an update from the NFB Jernigan Institute; the latest information on
accessible textbooks, art, games, and technology; writing contest
winners, Parent Power, Kid Power; and NOPBC business and elections.
Special bonus: meeting attendees receive a priority entrance ticket
into the Braille Book Fair.
5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Braille Book Fair
To celebrate the NFB's seventy-fifth anniversary, the American Action
Fund has generously donated 750 print-Braille books to this year's
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
deliver them to the post office for Free Matter shipment to your home.
Books are free; donations are encouraged to support our Braille
programs. Co-sponsored by NOPBC and NAPUB. Coordinator: Krystal
Guillory, teacher of blind students, NFB of Louisiana BELL
Coordinator.
7:30 PM to 9:00 PM Dads' Night Out
All dads, sighted and blind, are welcome at this NOPBC-sponsored
event. Call Bill Cucco at (201) 602-6318 for location.
Wednesday, July 8
7:00 AM to 9:00 AM NOPBC Board Meeting
9:30 AM to 12:00 PM NFB Convention Opening Session
Be there for the bang of the gavel and the roar of the crowd. See the
NFB Convention Agenda for program details. NFB general sessions take
place all day Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Many additional events
and meetings take place before the morning session, at lunchtime, and
in the evenings.
12:15 PM to 1:45 PM Tween Room Open (ages eleven to fourteen)
Text or call Penny Duffy at (603) 892-6355 for location. Feel free to
bring your lunch.
7:00 PM to 9:45 PM NOPBC Concurrent Workshops
7:00 PM to 8:15 PM Adopting a Blind/Visually Impaired Child
A look at the adoption process from initial considerations to real
life at home from experienced adoptive parents. Instructors: Sandy
Bishop, adoptive parent, POBC of MD; Merry-Noel Chamberlain, TBS,
NOMC; and Marty Chamberlain, adoptive parents, POBC of NE
7:00 PM to 8:15 PM IEP Workshop for Parents of Blind/VI
Students
The basics of IEP development and how to be an active and effective
participant. Instructor: Dan Frye, attorney, executive director, NJ
Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM NOPBC Craft and Game Night (ages five to
twelve)
This activity is for children whose parents are attending NOPBC
evening workshops.
7:00 PM to 10:00 PM NOPBC Youth Track Activities (ages eleven to
eighteen)
8:30 PM to 9:45 PM Staying Calm
How to get through an IEP meeting without raising your blood pressure
and losing your cool and your mind! Instructor: Sharon Maneki,
advocate, president, NFB of MD
Thursday, July 9
12:15 PM to 1:45 PM Tween Room Open (ages eleven to fourteen)
Text or call Penny Duffy at (603) 892-6355 for location. Feel free to
bring your lunch.
7:30 PM to 9:30 PM Parent Leadership Program-PLP
Has the NOPBC helped you and your family? Would you like to get more
involved? Come learn about leadership opportunities in your state.
Coordinator: Carol Castellano, director of programs, NOPBC
Friday, July 10
12:15 PM to 1:45 PM Tween Room Open (ages eleven to fourteen)
Text or call Penny Duffy at (603) 892-6355 for location. Feel free to
bring your lunch.
12:30 PM to 1:45 PM NOPBC Brainstorming Session
Come share your ideas and help to plan next year's conference.
Insider Information
The NFB National Convention is a complicated week of events. This
insider information can help you stay organized and take advantage of
the many opportunities that will be available. The NOPBC Conference
takes place within the NFB National Convention. The NOPBC conference,
the NFB National Convention, and NFB Child Care have separate
registration fees. To receive our special hotel room rates, you must
also register for the NFB National Convention.
Informal Trip Day-Saturday, July 4
A group of parents will be meeting informally in the hotel lobby to
take a trip to Wonder Works, an interactive indoor amusement park a
short distance from the hotel. All are invited. Please visit
<www.nopbc.org> for details.
Seminar Day Information-Sunday, July 5
On Seminar Day, Sunday, July 5, adults, children, and youth are
invited to start the morning together at the "Crafting Your Diamond"
Seminar. Children will have the opportunity to chat with NFB
President Mark Riccobono. At the end of the general session (10:45
AM) children preregistered with NFB child care will be escorted to
the children's activity in child care and youth ages eleven to
eighteen will be escorted to the Youth Track activity while adults
attend workshops. At the lunch break pick up your child from child
care for lunch on your own. After lunch there will be workshops for
adults, a children's activity in the child care rooms, and a Youth
Track activity.
Activities for Children and Youth, Child Care Information
. NOPBC daytime children's activities take place in NFB Child Care. To
take part in an activity, your child must be registered for child
care for that day.
. To register for NFB Child Care, called NFB Camp, visit <www.nfb.org>
and click on NFB National Convention.
. Child care is provided by the NFB for children six weeks to twelve
years old each day except Monday, July 6. Child care is also
available on Banquet night, Friday, July 10. Children must be
registered to attend.
. Other activities for children and youth include the NABS Social, the
cane walks, Youth Style Show, the Breaking Barriers Funathlon, Youth
Track activities, and Tween Room--open for chaperoned, informal
activities and snacks at various times during the week.
Special Events and Activities All Week Long
. Certain special NOPBC activities for parents, children, and youth are
listed only in the NOPBC agenda-for example, our workshops, cane
walks, children's activities, Tween Room, and Dad's Night.
. Other activities that you and your child might want to attend are
listed in the NFB National Convention agenda (this is a separate
document). Please register for both the NOPBC Conference and the NFB
National Convention so that you will be aware of all that is going
on.
. Register for the NOPBC Conference at <www.nopbc.org> or by completing
the form at the end of this article.
. Register for the NFB National Convention at <www.nfb.org>.
. Many activities will be going on at the same time. You and your child
might have to make choices. Read both the NOPBC agenda as well as the
NFB agenda so that you don't miss out!
REGISTRATION
NOPBC 2015 CONFERENCE-CRAFTING YOUR DIAMOND
Register online at www.nopbc.org or 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 |
|1 Adult |$30 |$40 |
|2 or more Adults |$50 |$70 |
|Child/Youth (up to |FREE |FREE |
|18 years) |Children are free, but | |
| |please list names and | |
| |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
_______________________________
Email ___________________________________ Alt. phone
____________________________
Child/Youth 1-Name (first and last), age, brief description of vision and
any additional disabilities:
____________________________________________________________________________
__
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Child/Youth 2:
_________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Please list additional children/youth on a separate sheet.
|How many people? |Prereg. by June|On-site |Totals |
| |15 |reg. | |
|1 Adult _____ |@ $30 |or @ $40 |= $______ |
|2 or more Adults |@ $50 |or @ $70 |= $______ |
|_____ | | | |
|Child/Youth _____ |FREE |FREE |= $__00__ |
|Total Registering | | |Total enclosed: |
|_____ | | |$______ |
For parents/teachers of blind children:
_____ I would like to receive the NOPBC free national magazine Future
Reflections.
_____ in print _____ as an e-file
_____ This is my first national convention. If not, how many have you
attended? _____
_____ I am a member of my state NFB/POBC.
_____ I would like to receive more information about 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.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF PARENTS OF BLIND CHILDREN (NOPBC)
Second Annual
BREAKING BARRIERS FUNATHLON
at the National Federation of the Blind National Convention
July 6, 2014, Orlando, FL
SPONSOR PLEDGE SHEET
Please make checks payable to NOPBC and bring to the event. Donations are
tax-deductible.
FUNATHLETE NAME: ______________________ Goal: $_______
ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________
PARENT'S EMAIL:
____________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
FUNATHLETE NAME: ______________________ Goal: $_______
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
Sponsor Name: __________________________________ Pledge/Donation Amount:
_______
Address:
____________________________________________________________________
Email:
______________________________________________________________________
----------
Federation Favorites
by Joe Ruffalo
With the seventy-fifth anniversary approaching, we at the Monitor thought
this extra-special recipe was worth sharing in addition to the usual
recipes. This unique treat is best served as an appetizer, but it can be
used as a dessert. No matter how you serve it, it's one that every
Federationist can prepare, share, and enjoy.
Ingredients:
A full cup of each of the following:
Desire
Determination
Positive attitude
Involvement
Philosophy
History
Method: Pour all of the above into a chapter and/or division. Stir with
love, hope, and determination to transform dreams into reality. Spread on
high expectations. Serve to all that are striving to live the life they
want. Serves the entire affiliate.
----------
Recipes
This month's recipes are offered by members of the NFB of Texas.
Coconut Candy
by Macarena Pena
Macarena Pena is the president of the Rio Grande Valley Chapter of the NFB
of Texas. This is her first year in that role, and under her leadership,
the chapter is thriving. Macarena works for the Division of Blind Services,
in Brownsville, Texas.
Ingredients:
2 cups of coconut
1 cup of crushed pecans
1 cup of finely crushed graham crackers
1 butter stick
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl mix the coconut, pecans, and
graham crackers. Melt the butter and add to the mixture. In a separate bowl
mix the milk, eggs, and the vanilla. Add the coconut mixture to the milk
mixture. Stir all ingredients together. Place in a greased rectangular
Pyrex dish. Bake in oven for thirty minutes. Allow to cool, and cut into
square pieces approximately two inches each. Enjoy!
----------
Crockpot Lasagna
by Stacie Hardy
Stacy Hardy is a member of the Houston chapter of the NFB of Texas. Here is
what she has to say: I received this delicious recipe from my guide dog's
puppy raiser. It is sure to feed an army and will win the hearts of
everyone who tries it! It is especially good as leftovers and freezes
great.
Ingredients:
2-3 jars of pasta sauce (I've typically used 2 16-ounce jars)
1 16-ounce box lasagna noodles, uncooked
24 ounces (approximately 3 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
8 ounces ricotta or cottage cheese (I've only used the ricotta)
1 pound ground beef, ground turkey, or Italian sausage (I've used ground
sirloin along with pepperoni)
Note: To make vegetarian lasagna, substitute spinach for meat
Method: In a large crockpot (at least six quarts), place one jar of the
pasta sauce. Begin making the lasagna layers starting with the noodles
followed by the meat and finally the cheese, I recommend breaking the
noodles in half. I've typically been able to make three layers. Once the
final layer has been made, cover with the second jar of sauce and grated
cheeses. Cook on low for four to five hours. Note: A smaller crockpot can
be used, but I recommend the larger one.
----------
Corn Casserole
by Stacie Hardy
This quick and easy recipe will be the talk of any pot luck dinner. It is
especially good as leftovers. You can be sure people will want the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 box of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix (only Jiffy will do)
1 cup (8 ounces) grated cheddar cheese
1 stick butter, melted
1 16-ounce can cream-style corn
1 16-ounce can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 8-ounce container sour cream
Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large
mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, bake for
forty minutes.
----------
Lucy Cake
by Stacie Hardy
This cake can be a refreshing dessert during the summer time or included in
traditional holiday meals. This recipe has become a family favorite thanks
to my aunt Linda.
Ingredients:
1 box Duncan Hines Golden Butter Recipe Cake Mix
4 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 4-ounce can mandarin oranges, undrained
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a
large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly. Pour into a lightly greased and floured
9-by-13-inch cake pan. Bake for thirty to thirty-five minutes.
Frosting:
1 8-ounce carton Cool Whip
2 cups chopped pecans
1 16-ounce can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 4-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
1 small package of Jell-O instant vanilla pudding
Method: Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix thoroughly.
Refrigerate overnight; this will allow the flavors to blend together. The
frosting is definitely my favorite part of this cake.
----------
Lara's Chili
by Lara Sowell
Lara is president of our Lone Star Chapter (at-large). She is active in her
community, her church, and the NFB. She teaches Latin at Regents Academy,
in Nacogdoches, Texas.
Ingredients:
3 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
1/3 cup chopped onions (optional)
2 cans RoTel
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can beef broth
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 15-ounce can of tomato sauce
1 6-ounce can of tomato paste
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (I mostly use the kind that is already
chopped up)
2-3 tablespoons ground cumin
2-3 tablespoons chili powder
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Method: Brown and drain the beef. If you like, you can add about 1/3 cup
chopped onions and a dash of salt and pepper for added flavor as you do it.
Combine beef with rest of ingredients to cook. I like to put it in the
crockpot on low all day while I am at work, but in a pinch I cook it on the
stovetop and simmer for thirty to forty minutes. I like to serve it over
rice. Jasmine fragrant is my favorite; it is in the Asian section at Wal-
Mart. I top with grated sharp cheddar cheese. Makes twelve servings of
about one cup each.
----------
Milagro Meat Loaf
by Norma Crosby
Norma Crosby is president of the NFB of Texas, and a proud charter member
of the Lone Star Chapter. This recipe is one of her family's favorites. It
is named after the small Milagros "miracle" charms that are often sold
outside major churches in Mexico. This is no ordinary meat loaf.
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 red or green bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
1 pound of lean ground beef
1 pound of lean ground pork
1 1/2 cups of dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup of tomato-based barbecue sauce (I use Stubb's Original)
3 tablespoons of sour cream
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
Milk (as needed)
Additional barbecue sauce (optional)
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a heavy skillet. Add
onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are softened.
Stir in the salt, cayenne, cumin, and black pepper. Sauté for an additional
two to three minutes. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, and add all the
other ingredients, except for milk. Mix thoroughly with your hands. The
meat should feel moist, but not soupy. If it feels too dry, add milk a
tablespoon or two at a time until the consistency seems right. Mound
mixture into a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan. Bake uncovered for forty minutes.
Then, raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees, and bake for an additional
twenty to thirty minutes. If you like, brush the top of the meat loaf with
additional barbecue sauce during the last ten minutes.
----------
Braggin' Rights Chicken Fried Steak
by Norma Crosby
Ingredients:
2 pounds of round steak, cut about 1/2 inch thick, and tenderized twice by
the butcher
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 tablespoon Tabasco (or other hot sauce)
2 garlic cloves, minced
Vegetable shortening for deep frying
Method: Cut the steak into four equal portions. Pound the portions until
each is about 1/4 inch thick. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. In a
separate dish, stir together the baking powder, baking soda, pepper, and
salt. Then mix in the buttermilk, egg, Tabasco, and garlic. Dredge the
steaks in flour. Then dunk them in the buttermilk mixture. Then dredge them
in the flour again. Pat the flour into the steaks until the surface feels
dry. Add enough shortening to an iron skillet or heavy Dutch oven to allow
for deep frying (about four inches deep). Bring the oil to a temperature of
about 325 degrees. Deep fry the steaks for about seven to eight minutes.
Push the steaks down or turn them as they bob to the surface. Serve with
cream gravy (following recipe).
----------
Cream Gravy
Submitted by Norma Crosby
This is a must-have with your chicken fried steak.
Ingredients:
1/4 cup of pan drippings
3 tablespoons of flour
2 cups evaporated milk
1 cup unsalted beef stock
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Method: After cooking your chicken fried steak, use a strainer to pour off
most of the fat left in the pan. Leave about 1/4 of the drippings in the
bottom of the pan. Return any browned cracklings that remain in the
strainer to the skillet. Place the skillet over medium heat, and stir in
flour. Stir constantly to avoid lumps. Add evaporated milk and beef stock.
Simmer until the liquid is thickened and the raw flour taste is gone (about
three minutes). Stir the gravy up from the bottom frequently, scraping up
any browned bits. Add salt and pepper to taste. The gravy should have a
peppery taste. Add more if needed. Spoon over chicken fried steak, and
enjoy.
----------
Easy Cowboy Cornbread Casserole
by Barbara Shaidnagle
Barbara is a member of the Houston Chapter of the NFB of Texas.
Ingredients:
Corn Bread
2 packages of Mexican-style cornbread mix
1 can of cream style corn
Eggs
Milk
Center
2 pounds hamburger meat
2 cans RoTel
1 can ranch-style beans
Chopped onions (as desired)
Bag of shredded cheese
Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown the ground beef, drain the
grease. Add RoTel, onions, and ranch style beans, simmer for ten minutes.
Make the cornbread according to directions on the back of the bag, add can
of cream of corn, and half of the bag of cheese. Grease the bottom of a 8-
by-12-inch casserole dish. Pour half of the cornbread mix to the bottom of
the pan. Add the meat mixture, then put the other half of the cheese on
top. Cover the meat mixture with the other half of the cornbread mixture.
Cook for forty-five minutes, or until you can poke a toothpick in the
middle and have it come out clean.
----------
Carrot Salad
by Una Lau
Una Lau is a member of the Houston Chapter of the NFB of Texas.
Ingredients:
2 10-ounce bags shredded carrots, available from the produce department
1 cup (or approximately 3 handfuls) raisins
2 tablespoons poppy seeds (available in the spice aisle)
1 lemon, juiced
2 oranges, juiced
1/2 cup (or approximately 2 handfuls) light brown sugar
Salt (to taste)
Method: Combine all ingredients well, using your fingers to toss and coat
the carrots thoroughly. Transfer to a travel container or serving dish. As
the salad sits, the raisins will plump a bit and carrots will take on a
citrusy taste.
----------
Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
Child Care in Orlando 2015:
If you are a child between the ages of six weeks and twelve years,
NFB Camp is the place to be during convention sessions. We have qualified
child care professionals providing activities, games, field trips, and a
variety of fun experiences for the children. Michelle Chicone, teacher of
blind children, will also be working with children and consulting with
parents throughout the week.
More information and registration details can be found on the NFB
website at <www.nfb.org>, or you can call Carla McQuillan at (541) 653-
9153.
Braille Book Fair 2015:
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 2015 Braille Book
Fair sponsored by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children.
Our primary goal is to get more Braille books into the hands of children,
youth, and beginning adult readers, so here's what we need most in our
books in good condition: print-Braille picture storybooks, leisure reading
(fiction or nonfiction) books, cookbooks, and books about sports.
Children are so hungry for their very own books that every year,
despite generous donations of books, most of our books for young children
are gone in less than an hour. So begin your search through the boxes in
your basement and spare room and get those books shipped to UPS, Braille
Book Fair, Attention: Milton Bennett, 8901 Atlantic Avenue, Orlando, FL
32824.
This note comes from this year's coordinator, Krystal Guillory. If you have
any questions, contact her at (318) 245-8955 or <kguillory at lcb-ruston.com>.
The Braille Book Fair has become one of the highlights of the
convention for many teachers, parents, blind kids, blind parents, and adult
beginning Braille readers. But the event could not take place without the
help of many dedicated, talented volunteers. And that's where you come in.
As a past worker, or simply interested supporter of the Braille Book Fair,
I hope you can either volunteer, or give me the contact information for
someone that you recommend.
You do not need to work the entire afternoon or evening, but I do ask
that you try to work an entire shift. We especially need for people who
help customers to come before we open the doors at 5:00 p.m., and to commit
to staying until at least 6:30 p.m.
We need volunteers throughout the afternoon and evening for the
following shifts and work responsibilities:
10:00 AM to Noon: Open boxes, sort boxes, unpack boxes. Sort and clean-up
empty boxes for re-use, tape together new boxes.
Noon to 2:00 PM: Open boxes, sort boxes, unpack boxes. Sort and clean-up
empty boxes for re-use, tape together new boxes.
2:00 to 3:30 PM: Sort books, pair up volumes, weed out and/or toss unusable
books or other materials. Some good Braille readers are especially needed
for this shift. We also need runners to take boxes, books, etc. to other
locations in the room as they are needed.
3:30 to 4:30 PM: Continue sorting, display books on tables, store overflow
books on floor and under tables. Some good Braille readers are especially
needed for this shift. We also need runners to take boxes, books, etc. to
other locations in the room as they are needed.
4:30 to 5:00 PM: Choose a section of tables to work, familiarize yourself
with the titles, and shift volumes around if needed. Some good Braille
readers are especially needed for this shift. We also need runners to take
boxes, books, etc. to other locations in the room as they are needed.
5:00 to 7:00 PM: The Event, Job A: Assist customers with locating books,
and make sure customers take all volumes of a title. Act as a "talking
sign" for categories on your tables. Serve as a mentor to those who look as
if they need assistance. Place more books on the tables as space becomes
available. Some good Braille readers are especially needed for this shift.
We also need runners to take boxes, books, etc. to other locations in the
room as they are needed.
5:00 to 7:30 PM: The Event, Job B: Pack books up for customers for shipping
to their homes. Write labels, stamp "Free Matter" on boxes, tape up boxes,
and stack boxes.
6:30 to 8:00 PM: (We are frequently done by 7:00 PM.) Clean up trash. Toss
or box up leftover books. Label boxes for shipment back to NFB. Stack boxes
and/or move them for later pick-up by UPS.
If you are interested in volunteering for the Braille Book Fair,
email Krystal Guillory at <kguillory at lcb-ruston.com> or call (318) 245-
8955. In your message, please give your name, your cell phone number that
you will have at convention, the state you live in, the shift you would
like to work, and your Braille skills (including if you read by touch or by
sight as a sighted person). If you are a parent of a blind child under the
age of eighteen (or still in high school or below), we know that you will
want to attend the NOPBC Annual Meeting which takes place just before the
Braille Book Fair, but we would welcome your help either during the event
or on the clean-up shift after the event.
Cancer Survivors, We Are Here:
The National Federation of the Blind Cancer Survivors Support Group's
purpose is to help all cancer survivors get well, stay well, provide
preventive measures, create a platform for cohesive dialogue and help
provide accessibility to information that may enhance the lives of cancer
survivors.
Our primary goal is to make sure that blind cancer survivors have
information in accessible format, i.e. Braille, large print, or electronic
format. Membership is free so join today by emailing Isaiah Nelson at
<isaiahn57 at icloud.com> or call (803) 735-0821.
The National Federation of the Blind Cancer Survivors has launched a
mailing list. The list is sponsored by the National Federation of the
Blind. To join the list, go to <http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-
cancer-survivors_nfbnet.org> or send an email to <nfb-cancer-survivors-
request at nfbnet.org> and put "subscribe" in the subject line. If you have
technical problems, please contact David Andrews at
<david.andrews at nfbnet.org>.
Stay in the know on cancer information, conference calls, events,
resources etc. A monthly prize will be given to the NFB Cancer Survivor who
participates on the mailing list.
Participants may win only once per year.
The first twenty-five members of the National Federation of the Blind
Cancer Survivors Support Group to register for the National Federation of
the Blind 2015 National Convention in Orlando, Florida, will receive a
special gift at the meeting of the NFB Cancer Survivors Support Group. To
redeem your gift you must show your 2015 National Federation of the Blind
National Convention registration badge at the meeting.
Show your support for the NFB Cancer Survivors by joining us at our
"Fiesta Table" at the 2015 National Federation of the Blind Banquet,
Friday, July 10, 2015. Banquet tickets are only $60 each. If you can't
attend, sponsor a Federationist by donating $60 to the National Federation
of the Blind. If you want to join the NFB Cancer Survivors at the "Fiesta
Table," be sure to get your banquet ticket to Isaiah Nelson for the
exchange by 12:00 PM on Tuesday, July 7. NFB Cancer Survivors who RSVP by
June 5 to dine with us at the "Fiesta Table" will receive maracas to shake
and let the world know "We Are Here!" RSVP by emailing
<isaiahn57 at icloud.com> or call (803) 735-0821.
The NFB Cancer Survivors Support Group will host its annual meeting,
date and location to be announced, so be sure you are signed up for the NFB
Cancer Survivors mailing list. The first fifty attendees of the NFB Cancer
Survivors meeting will receive gift bags. We will customize your bag with
your choice of Braille or large print literature if you RSVP for the annual
meeting by emailing <isaiahn57 at icloud.com> or call (803) 735-0821.
We want your "Fighting Cancer Story" to create a book of support for
those walking the cancer journey with us. Forward your story today to
<issiahn57 at icloud.com>. We want to meet you.
The 6 Dot Dash Comes to Your Community:
On June 7, 2015, the National Federation of the Blind will once again
be holding its 6 Dot Dash: A 6K to Advance Braille Literacy! Although not
everyone will be able to join us at our headquarters in Federal Hill to
participate in our third annual 6 Dot Dash through the Inner Harbor in
downtown Baltimore, anyone can still participate as a virtual runner to
assist members and friends of the National Federation of the Blind by
making a donation to ensure that blind students have access to the
necessary services and supports to cross the literacy finish line. Just
follow these simple steps to register as a 6 Dot Dash Virtual Runner or to
become a member of a team.
First, go to our Dot Dash webpage at <www.nfb.org/dot-dash>, and read
the information about our event. Click the "Register Today!" link to begin
the registration. Rather than completing the runner registration
information, go directly to the "Enter donation" edit field, and enter the
amount of your donation. Then click the "Order Now" link.
On the next page you should enter your name, email address, credit
card information, and billing information so that we can process your
donation. Then, under the "Ticket 1 - Donations/Additional Donation"
heading, enter the name, phone, email, and mailing address of the virtual
runner. If you are a member of a team, be sure to enter or select your team
name in the dropdown box after supplying the information requested under
the "Other Information" heading.
Finally, you should check the "I agree to the above waiver" checkbox
in order to authorize payment on the credit card. Then click the "Pay Now"
link to make your donation and register as a virtual runner to help blind
students cross the literacy finish line.
Research has demonstrated that blind people who know and use Braille
have higher rates of employment, self-confidence, and general social
integration. Yet, only 10 percent of blind children are receiving
instruction in Braille in public schools. Additionally, there are not
enough programs to teach Braille to blind adults. We need to move quickly
to reverse this trend and establish stronger literacy programs. The 6 Dot
Dash is one means of ensuring that we do not leave the blind behind.
For decades the National Federation of the Blind, the country's
oldest and largest organization of the blind, has been the leading champion
of Braille literacy. Offering a wealth of resources and knowledge, the
NFB's Braille literacy program is the most comprehensive of its kind. Every
day the NFB raises the expectations of blind people, because low
expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams.
Assistive Technology Trainers Division to Meet at National Convention:
The Assistive Technology Trainer's Division will meet on Tuesday,
July 7, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Join us for lively discussions about the
current state of Google Docs, NVDA, Windows 10, working with people who
have multiple disabilities, and other subjects of interest. Dues are $5.00.
Registration will begin at 6:30 p.m., and the meeting will start promptly
at 7:00 p.m. We look forward to seeing you there.
Video Educates Policemen in Albuquerque:
During the 2014 White Cane Banquet in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Police
Chief Gordon Eden agreed to the creation of a video explaining the White
Cane Law which will be shown to rookie officers. Don Burns, co-chair of the
White Cane Committee and the person who arranged for the police chief to
attend the banquet, was the spokesperson on the video. Because of
scheduling problems the video was not created until March 12, 2015. During
this meeting Don went through the law in detail, outlining how it was first
passed in New Mexico as the result of efforts on the part of President
Lyndon Johnson and New Mexico's then-Governor David Cargo. This was a
bipartisan effort and was the beginning of annual acknowledgements by the
president, most governors, and many local mayors.
The National Federation of the Blind has perpetuated the annual
observation of this important law. October 15 has been designated as White
Cane Safety Day, and numerous efforts by Federation chapters throughout the
country describe how the law protects the rights of blind people using
either white canes or guide dogs as they traverse public streets. It also
protects the right of such individuals seeking entrance to restaurants or
other public facilities.
The video will be shown not only to officers in training but will
also be seen in all substations twice a month. Chief Eden also supports us
and joins in our concerns about quiet cars. Another issue addressed at the
banquet was the lack of a question about the white cane in the current
drivers' manual. He has agreed to work with us to see that this manual is
updated.
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.
GE Works to Design Braille Kit for Artistry Electric Range:
The simplicity of GE's Artistry series of appliances-an affordable
suite of appliances targeted to first-time homebuyers and millennials-lends
itself to a unique market segment: the visually impaired. Working with
students from the Kentucky School for the Blind, GE engineers and designers
in Louisville, Kentucky, developed an accessory kit of Braille overlays for
the new Artistry electric range controls that allows the visually impaired
to use its cooktop and oven functions.
According to an American Foundation for the Blind article, stoves are
the least accessible class of appliances. Many ranges today have smooth
push buttons on a back control panel. The ADA-compliant Artistry range
offers front-control knobs that are within reach and a straightforward
design that lends itself to a Braille accessory kit for the blind or
visually impaired.
"Both my parents taught special education," says Lee Lagomarcino, a
GE product manager who initially championed the project and observed
Kentucky School for the Blind students interacting with ranges. "As we
developed the Artistry electric range, we knew its simplicity made it more
universally appealing and ideal for a Braille application."
Students from the Kentucky School for the Blind helped the GE team
determine what was needed-a high, medium, and low heat setting for the
cooktop, and a low, 350 degree, and broil option for the oven. With those
readily accessible features to serve as a baseline, the oven can be
adjusted to a recipe as needed.
A focus group of students at the school came up with ways to make
ranges more user friendly-using puffy paint and brightly contrasting colors
to showcase their ideas. GE took those ideas and turned them into the
custom-designed Braille kit. Students also tested the initial designs for
ease of use.
Kentucky School for the Blind Program Coordinator Paula Penrod said,
"Many times, manufacturers will introduce a new product, then seek comments
from consumers with disabilities. Consumers who are blind and visually
impaired have unique needs when using appliances. By working with GE during
the production stage, our students were able to demonstrate the type of
Braille modifications that would be most helpful. We appreciate GE for
seeking our students' input on the front end of GE's Artistry range
project."
As a thank you to the Kentucky School for the Blind and its students
for their help, GE donated a full suite of Artistry kitchen appliances to
the school's campus on Frankfurt Avenue in Louisville, Kentucky.
The GE Artistry electric ranges and Braille kits are available in
black and white and can be purchased nationwide where GE appliances are
sold. For help locating a dealer, go to <www.GEAppliances.com> and use the
Dealer Locator tool or call the GE Answer Center at (800) 626-2000. The
estimated retail price of the Artistry electric range is $599, and the
Braille kit is $15.75, however, prices may vary by retailer.
In addition to the Braille kits for ranges, GE offers a standard
Braille kit for common buttons on its microwave ovens. The kit can be
ordered where GE appliances are sold.
Department of Education Improves Accessibility of Student Loan Process:
Paragraph 3(b) of the agreement entered into between the US
Department of Education and the National Federation of the Blind provides
as follows:
The department shall, beginning as soon as practicable, but no later
than ninety days after the effective date of this agreement, start to
conduct outreach to blind and visually impaired borrowers. Through these
efforts the department shall provide information about and solicit input
concerning the accessibility of its websites and those of its servicers,
the procedure for requesting alternative formats for student loan-related
materials, and how to report problems with accessibility. The outreach
shall be conducted using the department's websites, as well as by posting
notices in such publications as the Braille Monitor, as well as through
other publications for blind, visually impaired, and large-print readers
and newsletters published by the National Library Service for the Blind and
Physically Handicapped. Copies of all draft outreach materials shall be
provided to counsel for complainants for prior review and comment no later
than sixty days after the effective date of this agreement. Counsel for
complainants shall provide any feedback within forty-five days.
The department, consistent with its commitment to making its student
loan resources and services accessible to all borrowers, has begun the
implementation of its new standards for web accessibility; telephonic
access; Word, PDF, and hard copy documents, forms, statements, and
publications. The new standards are designed to:
. make student loan-related website materials accessible to blind
and visually impaired borrowers;
. enable visually-impaired borrowers to obtain their student loan
statements, notices, and written communications in an accessible
format;
. enhance borrowers' ability to request student loan-related hard
copy documents and publications in alternative formats;
. enable them to independently complete, sign and submit certain
student loan-related forms online.
Students and borrowers are encouraged to contact their loan servicers
to obtain information regarding the availability of alternative formats.
To locate loan servicer information on your federal student loan, log in to
the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) or contact the Federal
Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at (800) 4-FED-AID-(800) 433-3243-
Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 10:00 PM Eastern time. For additional
contact options and other general information, visit
<https://www.StudentAid.gov>.
To report problems regarding the accessibility of student loan
websites, documents, forms, statements, or publications, borrowers may
either: submit a complaint through a link on the department's website; or
file a formal complaint with the department pursuant to 34 C.F.R § 105.41.
New National Library Service for the Blind and Handicapped Website:
That All May Read is the long-standing motto of the National Library
Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of
Congress, a free library service. People with temporary or permanent low
vision, blindness, or other physical disabilities that prevent them from
reading or using printed materials are eligible to enroll in the Braille
and Talking Book program, which offers a wide variety of reading materials
at no charge.
The new NLS website, <www.loc.gov/ThatAllMayRead>, has information
about the service and features a video with nine NLS patrons talking about
their experiences with the program. The website will be updated regularly,
so check back frequently to see what is new. Encourage those who may be
eligible for NLS services, or who know people who are, to visit the site
and learn more. Spread the word so that all may read.
<#ThatAllMayRead>, the motto of the NLS, <@The Library of Congress>,
is the new campaign theme describing NLS's Braille and Talking Book
program. Follow us on Facebook or Twitter as well as using the main website
to keep informed about what's new with the NLS.
Computers for the Blind Receives Grant from the Delta Gamma Foundation:
Computers for the Blind (CFTB) a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization
located in Richardson, Texas, is pleased to announce the receipt of a
generous grant from the Delta Gamma Foundation to provide seventy-five
accessible desktop computers and monitors for $40 to people who are on SSI
due to their blindness. The regular fee for a desktop is $110. Laptops are
$160.
For more information about the machines distributed by Computers for
the Blind, see the April 2015 issue of the Braille Monitor.
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.
Spread the Word with The Heart of Applebutter Hill:
Please purchase the educator-recommended novel The Heart of
Applebutter Hill, which features a fourteen-year-old blind heroine, for
your local public and school libraries and as gifts. Doing so will help in
several ways: it will raise awareness about the capabilities of blind
people, the challenges we face, and the common humanity we all share; if we
sell enough copies to garner some significant national press coverage, NLS
will include it in their collection; if not, every dime I receive from
sales is going to a fund to have it Brailled and distributed to blind
students to encourage Braille literacy.
The Heart of Applebutter Hill is available in print and Kindle from
Amazon: <http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1483948226>, or through most online
ebook outlets, including: Nook Book <http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-
heart-of-applebutter-hill-donna-w-hill/1115426305?
ean=2940016415000&itm=1&usri=2940016415000>; Apple iTunes
<https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-heart-of-applebutter-
hill/id651693834?mt=11>; and Smashwords (7 formats including .epub, .rtf,
.mobi and .pdf)
<http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/313071?ref=DonnaWHill>.
Readers with print disabilities can find The Heart of Applebutter
Hill on Bookshare: <http://www.bookshare.org/browse/book/639304>.
Audio Described Workouts:
Descriptive exercise routines are now available from BlindAlive.
Current offerings include two levels of cardio, two sculpting with weights,
a boot camp-style workout classes, and a stability ball workout, with
others planned for the near future. Workouts can either be downloaded to
your computer or purchased on CD. For more information, you may visit
BlindAlive on the web: <www.BlindAlive.com>, send email to
<support at BlindAlive.com>, or leave a message for a return call at (570) 212-
9979.
For Sale:
HIMS Braille Edge 40-cell Braille display and a HumanWare BrailleNote
QT 32-cell Apex with compatible Sendero GPS. Both come with AC adapters,
have been used sparingly, have excellent Braille cells and batteries, can
work independently as notetakers, have the latest firmware, and work very
well with Voiceover and most Windows screen-reading software. Asking $1,700
for each, including shipping. Email David Van Der Molen at
<dvm975 at gmail.com> if interested.
----------
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.
-----------------------
[1] John Adams, The Works of John Adams, Second President of the United
States, (Charles Francis Adams ed., Little, Brown & Co., 1856) 106,
http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/2102.
[2] Paul Slack, The English Poor Law, (Cambridge University Press, 1995)
1531-1782.
[3] The Poor Relief Act, 1601, 43 Eliz., c. 2 (Eng.).
[4] Jacobus tenBroek, California's Dual System of Family Law: Its Origin,
Development, and Present Status, 16 Stan. L. Rev. 257, 316 (1964).
[5] Jacobus tenBroek & Floyd W. Matson, Hope Deferred: Public Welfare and
the Blind 40 (University of California Press, 1959), 40.
[6] Jacobus tenBroek & Floyd W. Matson, The Disabled and the Law of
Welfare, 54 Calif. L. Rev. 809, (1966).
[7] Jacobus tenBroek & Floyd W. Matson, The Disabled and the Law of
Welfare, 54 Calif. L. Rev. 809, 810 (1966). ("[I]t remains a fact that only
a very small fraction--perhaps five or six per cent at most--of those with
serious physical handicaps are gainfully employed in ordinary open
occupations, with an additional two or three per cent at work in specially
subsidized sheltered employment."); U.S. Census Bureau, American
FactFinder, 2013 American Community Survey Table B18130,
http://factfinder.census.gov/ (last visited March 11, 2015) (The Census
Bureau's 2013 American Community Survey contains a table which expresses a
statistic that may indicate substantial progress from the time that Dr.
tenBroek was writing. This document indicates that 28.7 percent of persons
with disabilities aged 18 through 64 are below the federally-established
poverty level.)
[8] Jacobus tenBroek, California's Dual System of Family Law: Its Origin,
Development, and Present Status, 16 Stan. L. Rev. 257, 258 (1964).
[9] Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. §§ 701-793.
[10] 29 U.S.C. § 722.
[11] See, e.g., Wasser v. New York State Office of Vocational & Educ.
Servs. for Individuals with Disabilities, 373 F. App'x 120, 121 (2d Cir.
2010); Yochim v. Gargano, 882 F. Supp. 2d 1068, 1073 (S.D. Ind. 2012);
Truss v. State, Dep't of Human Servs., No. M199901317COAR3CV, 1999 WL
1072583, at 2-5 (Tenn. Ct. App. Nov. 30, 1999).
[12] Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1400-1485.
[13] Bd. of Educ. of Hendrick Hudson Cent. Sch. Dist., Westchester Cnty. v.
Rowley, 458 U.S. 176, 187-209 102 S. Ct. 3034, 3041-3052 (1982).
[14] Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101-12213.
[15] Bd. of Trustees of Univ. of Alabama v. Garrett, 531 U.S. 356, 360, 121
S. Ct. 955, 960,23GÄË5
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óàÒàóŸóªó?ó?}k}Y}óª (2001).
[16] Chevron U.S.A. Inc. v. Echazabal, 536 U.S. 73, 76-87, 122 S. Ct. 2045,
2047-2054 (2002).
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