[Brl-monitor] The braille Monitor, July 2019
Brian Buhrow
buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org
Wed Jul 3 11:29:31 PDT 2019
BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 62, No. 7 July 2019
Gary Wunder, Editor
Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash
drive, by the
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Mark Riccobono, President
telephone: 410-659-9314
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National Federation of the Blind
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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
© 2019 by the National Federation of the Blind
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Vol. 62, No. 7 July
2019
Contents
Illustration: Art Coming Out from Behind Glass Displays
Creating a More Perfect Union: The Role that a More Perfect JTB Law
Symposium Can Play
by Gary Wunder
When Two or More are Gathered: The Power of One with a Multiplier
by Adelmo Vigil
The Injustice of Disability-Based Subminimum Wages
by Justin Salisbury
The Gem of Rocky Bottom
by Shelley Coppel
Dr. James Nyman: An Unconventional Man Embracing Unconventional Solutions
by Fredric Schroeder
The Buzzsaw, the Plumber's Skillet, and the Montana City Hardware Café
by Dan Burke
The Best of Both Worlds: The QBraille XL Almost Perfectly Blends a Braille
Display and a USB Keyboard
by Karl Belanger
Recipes
Monitor Miniatures
[PHOTO CAPTION: Ten-foot tall blowup of President Mark Riccobono's open
letter to museum leadership]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis, John Olson, and others pose with display of a
tactile map]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis and others stand in front of the open letter at
the 3DPhotoWorks display]
Art Coming Out from Behind Glass Displays
John Olson and 3DPhotoWorks have worked together with the National
Federation of the Blind for several years now. From the tactile timeline at
the 2015 National Convention to the Newseum exhibit of tactile photography
in 2018, they have been working to make art accessible to the blind. And
their work has not gone unnoticed.
On May 20, 2019, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) had its trade
show in New Orleans, and the National Federation of the Blind and
3DPhotoWorks were there. They brought the bas-relief versions of
photographs with touchpoints that activated audio descriptions of elements
of the photos that debuted at the Newseum, large quotes from Federationists
posted visibly, and a ten-foot blowup of President Riccobono's open letter
to museum leadership about the importance of finding ways to make art
accessible for the blind and visually impaired.
And the museum community is listening. Leadership for the AAM spoke
about ways that they are trying to make its collections more accessible for
the disability community as a whole: special hours with lowered light and
sound levels for patrons who are autistic or have sensory processing
disorders, websites or apps designed to work with screen readers for the
blind, along with less high-tech methods of accessibility. And it's not
just American museums, either. The Singapore Museum has commissioned three
artists to make touchable adaptations of its own works (with more planned),
and the Louvre has commissioned small low-relief models of parts of its
exterior for exhibits about the museum's history.
Creating a More Perfect Union: The Role that a More Perfect JTB Law
Symposium Can Play
by Gary Wunder
The work of Dr. Jacobus tenBroek's life extended far beyond people
who are blind. He was concerned with all of those who were disenfranchised
by society as evidenced by his writings and his service. He wrote The Right
to Live in the World and made frequent contributions to other publications
of the time. He also served on the California State Social Welfare Board
and for a number of years served as its chairman. To honor and further his
work, the National Federation of the Blind holds the Jacobus tenBroek Law
Symposium. It speaks to discrimination experienced by all people with
disabilities, and its goal has been to have speakers representing those
whose voice society has not heard or heeded.
But as progressive as we have tried to be, our efforts in being
inclusive and fully representative have sometimes fallen short of the ideal
Dr. tenBroek's work created. Our work to be inclusive has taken many forms.
First, we recognized that our organization did not always welcome people of
color and to say through word and action that this was unacceptable. Of
course, this was well-intentioned but not enough. We then created a group
to deal with issues faced by people of color, but in retrospect we worked
so hard at emphasizing our commonality as blind people that we did not
fully appreciate or embrace the issues that needed to be addressed that
were unique to those of us of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual
orientations, or any of the other characteristics that provide different
perspectives.
Embracing includes actively recruiting and accepting the talents of
the groups who have for too long been on the fringe of our organization. We
continued our evolution with the creation of the Underserved Populations
Committee, but what we have come to understand is that failing to reject a
group isn't the same as embracing and really listening to its members. We
reorganized the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in 2017 to reflect new
thinking, emphasis, and direction. Next we crafted a policy statement that
put in writing our expectations of one another, and in 2018 we published
our code of conduct which again was a combination of codifying in formal
policy what we have long strived to do in practice.
While we would prefer to believe that we are ahead of the curve and
are able to see and bring about the changes required in our treatment of
one another as equal members, sometimes internal processes are not enough,
and we need to listen to the outside world. This presumes that the outside
world also respects what we do and offers its criticism because it believes
we are open to and able to change our behavior. We believe that this was
the case when we received an open letter suggesting that our symposium has
not worked hard enough to hear the voices of those who have for too long
gone unheard, unheeded, unrepresented, and consequently underappreciated
and underutilized in our movement.
Below is an open letter to the tenBroek Disability Law Symposium
Steering Committee, and following it is a response from President
Riccobono. After his response we are including a list of activities that
will take place during the national convention intended to do a better job
of listening to and being influenced by all of the intersectional voices
that are a part of our role as the leading consumer organization of the
blind. Our approach will be to continue to actively work to further the
rights of blind people and to put equal energy into seeing that we warmly
embrace and listen to all of the groups that make up the community of blind
people we wish to serve and represent. Here is the open letter:
An Open Letter to the tenBroek Disability Law Symposium Steering Committee
April 5, 2019
Dear Steering Committee Members:
We write this letter in our personal capacities as lawyers, law
students, and advocates dedicated to disability rights advocacy. We are
current and former attendees of the tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, some
of us for years, others in years past, and some for the first time. Some of
us have also served on the Steering Committee. A few have desired but have
never been able to attend. We come from different backgrounds, specialties,
and areas of practice within the broad realms of disability rights and
disability justice. What brings us together to write this letter is our
concern about the systemic problems that exist within the tenBroek
Disability Law Symposium regarding diversity, inclusion, and social
justice.
We do not take lightly the decision to write a public letter such as
this one. This, however, is a topic that has been brought up year after
year, privately, and both formally and informally to members of the
planning committee and other voices of influence within the conference.
Unfortunately, these efforts have proven unproductive at best. Eventually,
when dealing with matters of such importance to the community we claim to
represent, a public approach becomes necessary.
The Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium is a space of great
potential as an important gathering of disability rights lawyers,
advocates, and other professionals to discuss matters pertaining to
disability law. Unfortunately, like so many spaces in disability advocacy,
this Symposium has excluded voices of color and LGBTQ voices in favor of
predominantly white, cisgender, male voices. As an example, in 2019, during
the first day of the Symposium, there were no speakers of color during the
plenary sessions and only one during the breakout sessions.
Over the years, sessions about topics that disproportionately and
predominantly impact people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, and
other marginalized communities have been led by all-white, predominantly
cisgender male panels. These topics include immigration, intersectionality,
incarceration, the school-to-prison pipeline, and international disability
rights, among many others. Rarer still are moderators, keynote or plenary
speakers, and panelists with lived experiences related to these issues,
which many other conferences and symposia have long-since begun to include.
Some of these directly affected people included in other conference spaces
include people who have been homeless or who have been targeted for
criminalization-both issues that were discussed at length during this
year's conference with no representation from affected persons.
This leads to an environment at the conference that is largely
unwelcoming to people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, and people
from other marginalized identities with disabilities in the profession. In
past and present conferences, many of us have witnessed or experienced time
and time again, unintentional and intentional prejudice on the part of
tenBroek participants and organizers, often in the form of jokes and
demeaning comments. Many participants with marginalized identities who have
attended tenBroek in the past have stopped attending precisely because of
these issues-leaving feeling unwelcome in this space and by extension, in
the movement and profession.
When these issues are brought up, the response is often a demand for
"non-white" lawyers to "step up" or "help out," with little or no
acknowledgement of the work marginalized people have been putting in to
engage with and shift these problematic dynamics. In truth, it is people in
positions of power who must take proactive action to remedy these kinds of
systemic problems. Shifting the burden of responsibility, rather than
assuming it, unjustly puts the onus on marginalized people to remedy that
which they often have no structural power to change.
For too long, the burden of improving diversity and responding to the
nature of intersectional identities has rested on the most marginalized
among us, and it is not acceptable. Other times when these concerns are
raised, we have been met with vitriol, defensiveness, or excuses (e.g.,
personally attacking people who raise concerns or claiming that
underrepresentation is only because lawyers of color are not interested in
participating) or have tried to shut down conversation by claiming that the
act of identifying these problems is "uncivil."
This prevalence of racism, misogyny, anti-LGBTQ oppression, ageism,
defensiveness, and exclusion is unacceptable within any activist community.
It is anathema to the very core of the values of the disability community.
At a minimum, we believe that the following changes must take place
for tenBroek to begin rectifying these wrongs as it aspires to honor
Jacobus tenBroek's legacy of full and meaningful inclusion:
1. The conference's steering committee and other groups planning the
conference need to be composed of at least 50 percent people of color
with disabilities.
2. The conference must make a commitment to not accepting or hosting
panels or break-out sessions that are all-white or all-male.
3. The conference should commit that at least 50 percent of the total
speakers during the symposium will be people of color.
4. The conference must make a commitment to hosting greater discussions
and sessions about issues that impact the community intersectionally,
including training for participants on these incredibly important
topics.
5. The conference must commit to include in panels voices with lived
experience, meaning those who are directly impacted by discrimination,
violence, and oppression, and not just those who represent them.
6. The conference must take proactive steps to bring younger attendees of
color and/or with other lived or marginalized experiences, such as
waiving or reducing conference fees and providing travel scholarships
as appropriate to expand participation.
7. The conference must restructure plenary sessions to be led by a
diverse group of qualified facilitators, including people of color,
women, people with various disabilities, and LGBTQ people.
We write this letter from a place of love and deep concern for the
future of the symposium, and the disability rights profession and disabled
communities after years of frustration. We cannot engage in the same
practices, year after year, while expecting advancement for our profession,
communities, or movements. As the advocates who claim to represent such an
incredibly diverse community, we must evolve if we wish to remain part of
the movement.
Sincerely,
Nancy Alisberg
Zainab Alkebsi
Alexis Alvarez
Ma'ayan Anafi
Torie Atkinson
Sam Bagenstos
Rabia Belt
Zoe Brennan-Krohn
Lydia X. Z. Brown
Debbye Byrne
Claudia Center
Natalie M. Chin
Sarah Colby
Sam Crane
Richard Diaz
Esperanza Dillard
Nida Din
Tim Fox
Dustin Gibson
Karla Gilbride
Pilar Gonzalez
Deepa Goraya
Kelly Israel
Scott Huffman
Caroline Jackson
Jinny Kim
Rachael Langston
Martie Lafferty
Talila A. Lewis
Katherine Mathews
Jennifer Mathis
Caitlin Parton
Katherine Pérez
Jamelia Morgan
Tifanei Ressl-Moyer
Gena Rinaldi
Amy Robertson
Rebecca Rodgers
Victoria M. Rodríguez-Roldán
Mehgan Sidhu
Ariel Simms
Brianna Terrell
Michelle Uzeta
Shira Wakschlag
Stephanie Woodward
Silvia Yee
Here is the letter President Riccobono wrote in response:
April 12, 2019
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the National Federation of the Blind Board of Directors,
this letter is to thank the signatories for raising the issues detailed in
"An Open Letter to the tenBroek Disability Law Symposium Steering
Committee" dated April 5, 2019. We acknowledge and take responsibility for
the concerns raised regarding the Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law
Symposium. In this response, we hope to clarify the evolution of the
disability rights efforts we are involved in and to make some initial
commitments to evolving the Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium
specifically.
We understand and take responsibility for the fact that individuals
have been harmed by the actions that we have or have not taken. The letter
also makes it clear that hostility and misdirected blame have been unfairly
targeted at the segments of the population that are most underrepresented
at the symposium. We commit to seeking more effective ways of listening and
acting on concerns raised in the future and more fully pursuing the
standards of equity and social justice that Dr. tenBroek championed. We
apologize for our role in creating, explicitly or implicitly, a hostile and
exclusionary environment in our law symposium. We have heard the urgent
need for stronger representation of people of color, people who identify as
LGBTQ, people from other marginalized identities with disabilities, as well
as voices with lived experience regarding the topics being discussed. The
commitment of the National Federation of the Blind to diversity is real,
and we are prepared to evolve the Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium
to ensure that it leads the way in broadening the diversity of disability
rights generally. We invite, and in fact need you to be a part of this
evolution.
As President of the National Federation of the Blind, I have the
ultimate responsibility for the programs we conduct and the environment
that we create for guests to our events in and outside our building. The
Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium is one of the most important
events that we organize and host, and I am deeply disappointed that we have
missed the mark in meeting the highest expectations for the symposium. The
steering committee, along with a number of the Federation's volunteer
members and Federation staff, helps to guide our work on the symposium. It
is worth acknowledging that our steering committee members have volunteered
dozens of hours of their time to share their ideas, connections, and
insights to continue building the symposium into a dynamic community. We
believe that they are also people who work from a place of love, and I know
they share my disappointment that an important set of voices in our
movement have been unintentionally or unconsciously unwelcomed and
excluded. We acknowledge that we have work to do in formalizing the process
for engaging individuals including people of color and people who identify
as LGBTQ on our tenBroek steering committee. We are further committed to
more clearly articulating the role of the steering committee and ensuring
that they, like leaders of the Federation, remain guided by the diversity
statement found in the NFB's Code of Conduct.
We would like to take this opportunity to make it clear that while
the National Federation of the Blind has been a strong supporter of the
development of the Disability Rights Bar Association, it does not dictate
the policies and practices of that entity. The National Federation of the
Blind has supported that community through financial and in-kind support,
and many of our members are active in the DRBA. However, the Federation
does not direct the priorities of that organization. We have tried to
create synergy through the tenBroek Symposium by providing space and
resources to programs like DRBA and, more recently, the Deaf Law Day, to
bring the community together rather than divide it. It is clear from the
letter that our collaboration in these activities has created uncertainty
about how they are planned and organized and who has responsibility for
them. On behalf of the National Federation of the Blind, we plan to seek
ways to make the processes more transparent and to share the priorities of
diversity and inclusion with programs that are conducted in partnership
with the symposium.
Seven specific items were identified as necessary reforms for us to
achieve the quality of community at the Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law
Symposium that we all want to experience, and we commit to considering
those as important guides in shaping the symposium of the future. It would
be disingenuous to make a complete commitment to achieving each of the
reforms by the time of the 2020 symposium-especially after just one week of
reflection. While this symposium is a critical forum in the disability
rights movement, it is only one piece; the broader success will take the
continued commitment and engagement of many more organizations. However, we
ask you to recognize that our organization has made a significant
commitment to this work. We know that it is going to continue to take real
work to evolve the symposium effectively, and it is our intent to make
changes for long-term growth not simply for short term effect. We ask that
you hold us accountable, and we welcome your assistance and active
engagement as we move down that path.
There are some immediate steps we are taking to begin this process.
These are initial action items, and do not represent the entire scope of
the work that lies ahead.
1. We are reviewing the evaluation questions for the law symposium-this
is why we have not yet sent out the program evaluation. We are
examining the evaluation to make sure that it captures information
about improvements that are needed. We intend to specifically include
a feedback loop regarding diversity and recommendations for changes in
the symposium that can accelerate improvements. Moreover, the
evaluation summary will be written by someone who was not involved in
the planning of the symposium in order to make sure that I, as well as
our paid staff and the volunteer steering committee, receive the best
unfiltered information about how we can do better.
2. We have begun a conversation with the existing steering committee
about the future of that group and how we will change the appointed
participants in the next couple of months. It is not that we intend to
only listen to the existing committee, but we believe we also need to
actively engage them because of the time, energy, and expertise they
have put into our symposium.
3. We will seek to rebuild the steering committee to be more inclusive of
the diversity of characteristics and perspectives that we want
reflected in our symposium.
4. We have shared your letter with the board of directors of the National
Federation of the Blind as well as the co-chairs of the Federation's
Committee on Diversity and Inclusion. I will be engaging the committee
to seek further suggestions for how we can help make systemic changes
in the pipeline of individuals going into disability rights work, and
we will commit to share what actions our organization is taking during
the next symposium.
5. I will be reviewing with our staff the allocation of resources we put
into the law symposium. Every year we invest significantly in the
symposium. We have granted many appeals for discounts in registration
to allow a broad cross section of participation. I am not aware of any
appeal for assistance that we have turned down. It is possible that
our organization should be putting even more of our resources into
this event. I am committed to doing a deep dive into the details of
the resources we have committed to determine if we can do better as an
organization. In turn, I also welcome the participation of other
national disability rights organizations in assisting us to find ways
to provide grants for individuals to support their attendance at the
symposium. I hope that we might all agree that the effort will be more
successful if it is supported across the community and not simply by
the National Federation of the Blind.
6. We have begun examining the structure of the Jacobus tenBroek
Disability Law Symposium and our process for soliciting program items.
It is our hope that we will be able to provide a clearer call for
papers for the symposium for 2020 and that we can engage you in
helping us devise strategies for expanding the pool of submissions. We
will also be considering whether a different format for the symposium
will be more effective in expanding the voices included. Finally, we
intend to build mechanisms into the symposium for active feedback
regarding the continued growth and improvement of the forum as well as
the broader disability rights community.
Those are our near-future steps, and we are certain that much more
work will be needed. We are confident that we do not know all that we need
to and that we are not aware of all of the people that are best suited to
help. We take responsibility for our symposium, but we sincerely do need
your help. We need to know where you can help and what your interests might
be. We are certain that it will be impossible to fully implement every
suggestion in the short term, but we know that we are bound to fall short
if we do not receive your input. Please consider sending your thoughts
directly to officeofthepresident at nfb.org with the subject line "#JTBLaw
Recommendations" so we can consider them.
I close with again thanking you for your direct approach. I have
attempted to be open and honest and invite you to continue the dialogue. I
am certain there is more to learn together, and I hope that you will take
away from this letter my sincere openness to continuing to build upon the
legacy of Jacobus tenBroek in a way that each of us can be proud.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
New Diversity Initiatives That Will Occur at the 2019 National Convention
Sunday, July 7
5:30 to 7:00 PM Mujeres of the Federation
Join us for a keynote from a dynamic Latina leader. This session will
provide inspiration and mentorship opportunities for the next generation of
blind Latina trailblazers. ¡No te lo pierdas!
7:00 to 9:00 PM Black Leaders Advancing the Federation
Celebrate the numerous contributions of black Federation leaders. Let's
inspire youth through personal empowerment, leadership development, and
mentorship. All are welcome to attend.
Monday, July 8
4:30 to 6:00 PM Asian Membership Development
Contribute and gather ideas on how to provide culturally relevant outreach
and support to the Asian community. Your thoughts are critical in shaping
the course of this initiative.
7:00 to 9:00 PM Diversity and Inclusion Committee Meeting
We are providing an avenue to share experiences, explore strategies, and
generate ideas to support NFB diversity efforts. Get involved in this
aspect of our movement.
Tuesday, July 9
7:30 to 8:30 AM Presidential Diversity Morning Mixer
This gathering provides an open opportunity to engage with national leaders
to chat about diversity and inclusion topics. Please drop in and share your
ideas, suggestions, and thoughts about our continued efforts to broaden the
participation and advancement of blind people from diverse backgrounds in
our movement. Facilitator: Mark Riccobono, President, National Federation
of the Blind
Thursday, July 11
6:00 to 7:00 PM Intersectional Meet-Ups
Participate in a series of special topic community conversations that
include:
. Tropics A - Masculinity, blindness, and Latino culture: Explore
these topics and learn how others negotiate these various
identities.
. Coral B - Blindness and interracial relationships: Share
experiences around dating, marriage, family dynamics, and social
perceptions.
. Shell Seekers A - Marriage and dating as a blind person in the
Asian/South Asian community: Discuss cultural practices, social
expectations, and their relationship to blindness.
Moving Forward
These meetings at the 2019 National Convention and changes in the
steering committee and other processes for the Jacobus tenBroek Law
Symposium are obviously not the end of the journey. They are the next steps
taken on the path to being as inclusive and as representative as we can be.
The Federation embraces all members as family, united in the desire to make
the world a better place for all blind people and determined to see that
blindness will not be the defining characteristic of our lives. But in
focusing only on the characteristic of blindness we will not lose sight of
the other facets of our Federation members that will enrich our
organization with their diverse identities of race, gender, sexuality, and
life experience as we work together in challenging the barriers that would
prevent us and future blind people from living the life we want. We look
forward to these ongoing efforts to uplift our diverse perspectives and
showcasing our span across a broad cross-section of society, because we are
the nation's blind. We will be listening to Federationists and supportive
outside voices alike as we determine the next steps to take in traveling a
more inclusive path.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Adelmo Vigil]
When Two or More are Gathered: The Power of One with a Multiplier
by Adelmo Vigil
From the Editor: Adelmo Vigil is the president of the National
Federation of the Blind of New Mexico and has worked for a long time for
the New Mexico Commission for the Blind. Less known are Adelmo's early
years and overcoming the obstacles that could have cost him two wonderful
careers. Here is what he has to say:
When I think about why I am in the National Federation of the Blind,
my greatest reason is that I want to give what has been given to me.
Because I have been blessed, I want to share that blessing, and my hope is
that telling this story continues my payment.
I started school in the small town of Amalia in New Mexico where my
family lived. I could not see well enough to read, and everybody knew this.
But what none of us knew was what to do about it. It wasn't until I was
thirteen that the nurse at my school said I needed to go to the school for
the blind, and for two years they continued trying to have me read print.
At age fifteen a doctor examined my eyes and said, "I am sorry to tell you
that you are going to have to learn Braille." She thought she was giving me
bad news, but I was happy-very happy. She was saying I could learn to read,
and I thought about all that had been out of my reach before. I would learn
Braille, and to my heart and mind this was a dream come true, something I
thought impossible. I could learn through reading and not rely entirely on
listening and memorization. I could look at things I wrote and not be
counted off if, in my nervousness, I forgot. I would be graded on what I
could think about and write and not on my memory as I pretended to read.
So after two years at the school for the blind, at age fifteen I
finally learned to read for the first time. Blessed: it is what I felt then
and what I still feel today. I learned to run track, and, most important to
me, I learned to wrestle. I didn't know it at the time, but being a
wrestler would one day give me a fantastic opportunity and a way to make
some money.
One of my jobs at the school was to help with the younger children.
Again this was a blessing because I realized that I liked working with them
both in the dormitory and in the gym teaching the younger ones how to
wrestle. This is when I decided I wanted to teach, and I've never regretted
that decision.
Walking across the stage during high school graduation, I knew what I
wanted to do. I wanted to take the next step to becoming a teacher, and
that step was going to college. I enrolled in Western New Mexico University
located in Silver City. I started in 1973, and the campus was my home until
1977. No one expressed any reservations about signing me up for education
classes, so I was on my way to becoming what I wanted most to be, a person
who could be to others what some wonderful people had been to me.
In my third year I happened to meet a man in a speech class we were
taking, and we struck up a conversation. His name was Travis Columbus, and
this stranger who was fast becoming a friend said he was a schoolteacher in
the Silver City school district. When I said I was in training to do the
same thing and would soon be ready to student teach, he said that he would
be glad for me to work in his third-grade class. He even went so far as to
check with his principal to see if this generous offer would be supported,
and the principal was enthusiastic about keeping Travis's commitment.
Before I knew it, I was sitting in front of my advisor reviewing
graduation requirements. Both of us knew student teaching was next, and he
said he would be contacting the school for the blind to see if they would
take me. As politely as I could, I said that I didn't want to teach at the
school for the blind. I had already worked with blind children and liked
them, but I wanted to teach sighted students. He said, "No one will take
you. Blind teachers do not teach sighted students." When I said I had a
teacher willing to take me, he sounded surprised, but to his credit he took
the phone number of my teacher friend and said he'd get back with me. Since
I was the one who had the most interest in getting this done, I said I'd
see him the next week, and this I did. I was pleasantly surprised to find
that he had indeed contacted Mr. Columbus and his principal. Both were as
good as their word, and my advisor seemed surprised.
I did my student teaching and came through with flying colors. Then
came the harder job of finding work. Since I student taught in the Silver
City school district and this was where my wife Soledad and I had located,
I started by looking there for a job. But as the season for getting a
contract wound on, I decided I had to act. As July turned into August my
hope began to turn to a firmer realism. I started by talking with the
principal of the school at which I had interned. He said I had not been
contacted because my name did not appear on the list principals used for
hiring. He suggested I set up a meeting with human resources. This I did,
and though the director gave me an interview, I never felt like he was
serious. The interview ended with him telling me he would get back to me,
and when I never heard anything from him, I sadly concluded I was right.
I got myself a meeting with the superintendent of the Silver City
district, and my friend Travis was on my side again, picking me up from
home and driving me to the meeting. The superintendent met with me, and to
his credit he was honest. "When people open your application and see that
you are blind, they just don't think it is worth the risk," he said. I
asked if he knew about affirmative action, and he said that indeed he did.
"Affirmative action is why we try to find people with Hispanic surnames." I
wondered whether Vigil wasn't a Spanish surname, but I didn't say anything
because he had already given me the reason why I wasn't being taken
seriously for any of their positions.
Disappointed but thinking ahead, I asked the superintendent what he
thought I should do. He said I should go visit each of the principals so
they could get to know me, and maybe that would allay some of their fears.
Once again Travis was there to pick me up. I told him what the
superintendent had said, and Travis immediately said, "Well, let's go see
the principals." So we went to the elementary schools in Silver City. There
were at least three of them, and we went to each one. They all knew Travis,
and with his help I got a meeting with officials of each of them. The thing
I most appreciated about Travis was that he accompanied me, but he never
tried to speak for or answer any of the questions asked of me.
The principals all gave the same story when it came to why I wasn't
getting called. They said my name wasn't on the list of available
candidates distributed by the personnel director, so they weren't even
seeing me, let alone passing me up. We asked one of the principals if we
could have a copy of that list, and he said yes. I am glad he didn't get in
trouble for that, but I am very grateful he gave me the list.
So the next place we went was to see an attorney. He advised we would
have to go through the human rights commission and file a grievance. This
we did, and that started a process of investigating the school district to
see why they did not hire me.
The district stuck to their guns, but in the meantime I kept looking
for work. Soledad and I went down to the college administration offices to
look at postings. We found two openings, one in Shiprock and the other in
Cimarron. Neither opportunity was close to Silver City, but I thought,
"Well, I've got to do something." I called the district in Shiprock and
told them I was interested in the job. I talked with the personnel
director, and he said, "Can you be here by Friday?" This was on a Monday, I
had no idea how I was going to get there, but, of course, I said sure.
Shiprock is about 350 to 400 miles from Silver City, and our car was not in
any shape to drive that far. When I told the dean of the University I was
applying there and had an interview, much to my surprise he said, "Well,
we're going to fly you over there." I don't know how they did it, but they
flew me there, and I was picked up by a former student. I spent the night
with him, and the next day I went to the interview.
But forgive me-I'm getting a little ahead of myself. You see, after
my phone call on Monday, I started thinking about the length of the trip
and all of the trouble people were going to on my behalf. So I called the
personnel director in Shiprock, and I said, "I want you to know that I'm
blind."
He said to me, "Mr. Vigil, that doesn't matter. To me what matters is
that you have gone through school just like everybody else. You've gotten
your education just like everybody else, so I'm not at all concerned about
you being blind."
Little did I know that by that time he had received all kinds of
calls, faxes, and letters from people in Silver City who were supporting
me. This included the university dean and the basketball coach who was the
housing director. He was a good friend of mine who was always there with
me. There were other people I had worked with, and it was very inspiring to
see how all of them believed in me.
When I got to the interview, I was carrying a letter from the
principal, as well as another letter from someone I can't remember now. The
principal said, "Well, I've never had so much correspondence about a
candidate as I have for you." In his interview he told me that I would be
teaching remedial math in the elementary school. He said that, because the
school was on the reservation, housing would be provided, and he told me
the apartment in which I would be living. So after he says all this, he up
and asks me, "Now, do you want to come and work for us?" I said yes, he
said okay, and then he asked when I could start. So a week later there we
were, Soledad, me, and my son all moving to Shiprock.
I taught remedial math for three years, and I was then transferred to
teach the third grade for another six. I then taught first grade for a
year, and the second grade for yet another six. I also coached the junior
high and high school wrestling teams.
While I was teaching at Shiprock, the Silver City school district was
still holding on to its notion that blind people should not teach in their
classrooms. They therefore kept up the fight to keep me out of the public
schools. Finally, during one of the board meetings, a board member said to
the superintendent, "I see that Travis Columbus is supporting Adelmo. He
works for us; why is he doing this?"
The superintendent said that he didn't know. The chairman of the
board then said that he would go and talk with Travis. He told Travis, "You
know that Adelmo is suing the district, and we notice that you are
supporting him." Travis said, "Indeed I am, and I will continue to support
him because I believe in his capability to teach. You are sending away an
excellent teacher who can really help our kids. I know that I work for this
district, and if you guys don't think it is right for me to support Adelmo,
then I will move to a different district." So the chairman of the board
went back to the next meeting and told the superintendent, "You know, what
you need to do is settle this now. Travis is not backing down, Adelmo is
not backing down, and we're going to lose."
So the superintendent offered me a job back in Silver City, they paid
for my attorneys, and this was the settlement to which we agreed, though I
did not take a job there. I was already working, was enjoying teaching at
Shiprock, and I didn't really think that I would be treated fairly by an
administration and a school board that I had put so much time and energy
into suing.
In all of the time I spent at Shiprock, I worked in several schools.
Although the work was good, and I got good reviews, there were a few bumps
along the way. The first principal I worked under would let me teach, but
he wouldn't let me engage in any of the activities that were assigned to
other teachers. I could not do lunchroom duty. I could not supervise
recess. I couldn't do anything that involved supervising the kids outside
my classroom.
I heard about another principal who worked in the district, and his
school was just three miles down the road. I heard that he was very open-
minded and willing to work with people, and in fact he hired a woman who
was in a wheelchair. She said that she really enjoyed her job, so I met
with that principal and asked for a transfer. When I went for my interview
with Mr. Baxter, I made it clear to him that if I got the job there, I
would want to have duties just like all of the other teachers. His words I
remember to this day: he said, "Adelmo, if you're going to be working here,
you're going to have all of the duties that teachers have, just like
everybody else."
I said, "Thank you. I appreciate this." Two days later, the principal
at the school at which I worked came up to me and said, "Well, Mr. Baxter
is going to take you, but I want you to know that I really had to twist his
arm to get him to do it." Of course I knew this was not true, and I worked
for Mr. Baxter until he retired.
In the new school I still taught third grade with all the duties
required of all teachers, and Principal Baxter was true to his word. He
required me to take on all of the responsibilities given to other teachers,
and he liked my work so much that he started assigning me other outside
activities. I really enjoyed it, but eventually I had to admit to myself
that I was becoming involved in too many things. I decided that he and I
had to have a talk. I told him that I thought I should not take on anything
else because I didn't want the children I was teaching to suffer. He
agreed, but I still remained very involved in all of the school's
extracurricular activities.
When they moved the third-graders to a different school, I went as
well. To put it mildly, the principal and I were locking horns, so
eventually I transferred back to the original school where I had started
all of this, and by that time the school had a new principal, Mrs. Eva
Stokely. I taught first grade for a year, and about halfway through it Eva
retired, and a new principal took over. Her name was Genevieve Jackson. I
had known her previously. She had a blind daughter, and I helped her learn
Braille. So after a year teaching first grade, I asked her if I could move
to the second grade. I found the first graders very sweet but a little too
immature. She said that indeed she thought there would be an opening in the
second grade, and, true to her word, I was transferred.
One of the things I remember most fondly about working for this
principal was that, every time she was out, she left me in charge of the
school. She would tell the other teachers, "Mr. Vigil is in charge. If
anything comes up, you guys let him know." So teachers who were working
with kids having trouble brought them to me, I would take action, and I
would report to her the next day she got back.
These added responsibilities were not only important to me in my
career advancement as a schoolteacher, but they were also helpful in
convincing me that I had some interest and aptitude in administration. So
after teaching second grade there for six years, I applied for a job at the
orientation center run by the New Mexico Commission for the Blind. The job
was in Alamogordo, Dr. Schroeder hired me, and I worked at the commission
from 1993 until 2007, the year of my first retirement. I had a lot of
different jobs before my retirement, and I became the deputy director in
1997.
I liked the work at the commission so much that I have now retired
three times from it. After my first retirement, when they called to ask
that I help in teaching cane travel, I accepted. Dr. Eddie Bell had always
encouraged me to get certification in the field, so in 2009 at the National
Convention in Detroit I took the tests for the National Orientation and
Mobility Certification (NOMC) and passed. I have been certified ever since.
But retirement was still calling to me, and so I retired for a second time.
Surely twice was enough, but no, not so fast.
When the director of the New Mexico Commission for the Blind, Greg
Trapp, needed my help, I signed on again as the administrator of the
orientation center and worked there until 2012. After helping the new
director through the transition for a year, I retired from the commission
for the third time. But I guess I am still not settled with my retirement
because I do consulting and teaching for different states, working as a
cane travel instructor. I tell people that I have done pretty well at
everything I worked at except retirement.
In 2012 I was elected as the president of the National Federation of
the Blind of New Mexico, and in 2016 I was elected to the national board,
so I now find myself with a job which sees to any unfilled time in my semi-
retired state. That job is helping blind people achieve their potential
through self-organization and a little bit of advocacy.
My wife and I both retired in 2013, though she seems to have been
better at staying retired than I have. We enjoy it very much. I have been
asked several times if I would like to return to the New Mexico Commission
for the Blind. I tell them that I have loved working there, but I really do
want to be retired. Still it is hard for me to keep my hand out of holding
down some kind of paying job. Since last May I have been working part-time
as a cane travel instructor and helping the administration of the Freedom
Center for the Blind in Alabama. It is certainly not full-time work, but it
keeps me traveling, and there is enough work to do that I can clearly say I
am not yet fully retired.
I enjoy time with my family. Of course, there is my wife Soledad, and
we have two children. Currently the oldest is forty-two and the youngest is
thirty-nine. My wife and I have seven grandchildren and one great-
grandchild. They help to round out what has been an absolutely wonderful
life for me.
I feel fortunate that blindness did not stop me from living a first-
class life. The teenager who could not read went to a school for the blind
where they taught me how to do it. There I saw the miracle that teachers
can perform in the lives of their students and was able to become a
teacher. Seeing that administrators could help even more people, I was
pleased to serve in that capacity, and now, as grandpa and great-grandpa, I
clearly see that I still have the capacity to combine love and service.
It's funny how doing something for others can so enrich our own lives, and
I will be forever grateful to all of the people who have had a part in
helping me truly live a life that the odds were against me living. When a
man has enjoyed the love of a good woman, a fine marriage, several
challenging careers, and the joy of being a parent, grandparent, and great-
grandparent, what more can he ask? Blindness has not been the
characteristic that has defined me. The desire to succeed, the
determination to think ahead, the making of good friends who care about me,
and an organization that stands for all of this and lets me help in its
noble work makes my life a joy I dare not take for granted. I put my energy
into this organization and share this story with you because I want to
expand that sharing. I want people to know that hope is not a fantasy and
that dreams are not silly things that happen to us when we are asleep.
Dreams can drive us, and acting on those dreams really can get us where we
want to go. Let's go there together and bring with us everybody we can.
----------
Leave a Legacy
For more than seventy-five years the National Federation of the Blind
has worked to transform the dreams of hundreds of thousands of blind people
into reality, and with your support we will continue to do so for decades
to come. We sincerely hope you will plan to be a part of our enduring
movement by adding the National Federation of the Blind as a partial
beneficiary in your will. A gift to the National Federation of the Blind in
your will is more than just a charitable, tax-deductible donation. It is a
way to join in the work to help blind people live the lives they want that
leaves a lasting imprint on the lives of thousands of blind children and
adults.
With your help, the NFB will continue to:
. Give blind children the gift of literacy through Braille;
. Promote the independent travel of the blind by providing free, long
white canes to blind people in need;
. Develop dynamic educational projects and programs that show blind
youth that science and math are within their reach;
. Deliver hundreds of accessible newspapers and magazines to provide
blind people the essential information necessary to be actively
involved in their communities;
. Offer aids and appliances that help seniors losing vision maintain
their independence; and
. Fund scholarship programs so that blind people can achieve their
dreams.
Plan to Leave a Legacy
Creating a will gives you the final say in what happens to your
possessions and is the only way to be sure that your remaining assets are
distributed according to your passions and beliefs. Many people fear
creating a will or believe it's not necessary until they are much older.
Others think that it's expensive and confusing. However, it is one of the
most important things you will do, and with new online legal programs it is
easier and cheaper than ever before. If you do decide to create or revise
your will, consider the National Federation of the Blind as a partial
beneficiary. Visit www.nfb.org/planned-giving or call 410-659-9314,
extension 2422, for more information. Together with love, hope,
determination, and your support, we will continue to transform dreams into
reality.
Invest in Opportunity
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. You can live the life you
want; blindness is not what holds you back. A donation to the National
Federation of the Blind allows you to invest in a movement that removes the
fear from blindness. Your investment is your vote of confidence in the
value and capacity of blind people and reflects the high expectations we
have for all blind Americans, combating the low expectations that create
obstacles between blind people and our dreams.
In 2018 the NFB:
. Distributed over seven thousand canes to blind people across the
United States, empowering them to travel safely and independently
throughout their communities.
. Hosted forty-eight NFB BELL Academy programs, which served more than
three- hundred-and-fifty blind students throughout the United States.
. Provided over one hundred thousand dollars in scholarships to blind
students, making a post-secondary education affordable and attainable.
. Delivered audio newspaper and magazine services to 118,900
subscribers, providing free access to over four hundred local,
national, and international publications.
. In the third year of the program, over three hundred fifty Braille-
writing slates and styluses were given free of charge to blind users.
Just imagine what we'll do next year, and, with your help, what can
be accomplished for years to come. Below are just a few of the many
diverse, tax-deductible ways you can lend your support to the National
Federation of the Blind.
Vehicle Donation Program
The NFB now accepts donated vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats,
motorcycles, or recreational vehicles. Just call 855-659-9314 toll-free,
and a representative can make arrangements to pick up your donation-it
doesn't have to be working. We can also answer any questions you have.
General Donation
General donations help support the ongoing programs of the NFB and
the work to help blind people live the lives they want. Donate online with
a credit card or through the mail with check or money order. Visit
www.nfb.org/make-gift for more information.
Bequests
Even if you can't afford a gift right now, including the National
Federation of the Blind in your will enables you to contribute by
expressing your commitment to the organization and promises support for
future generations of blind people across the country. Visit
www.nfb.org/planned-giving or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422, for more
information.
Pre-Authorized Contribution
Through the Pre-Authorized Contribution (PAC) program, supporters
sustain the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind by making
recurring monthly donations by direct withdraw of funds from a checking
account or a charge to a credit card. To enroll, visit www.nfb.org/make-
gift, and complete the Pre-Authorized Contribution form, and return it to
the address listed on the form.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Justin Salisbury]
The Injustice of Disability-Based Subminimum Wages
by Justin Salisbury
From the Editor: This article first appeared on May 21, 2019, in
Community Voices, a publication which describes itself as "kind of a cross
between Letters to the Editor and op-eds. This is your space to talk about
important issues or interesting people who are making a difference in our
world." It is produced by Honolulu Civil Beat, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt news
organization dedicated to cultivating an informed body of citizens, all
striving to make Hawaii a better place to live. We appreciate the
permission to reproduce this article.
Monitor readers will be familiar with Justin Salisbury, who regularly
contributes articles. He is an active member of the National Federation of
the Blind of Hawaii and teaches cane travel at the Ho'opono Center for the
Blind. The National Federation of the Blind has a long history of opposing
subminimum wages for blind people, and Justin is one of our finest warriors
in the battle. The beauty of his work, and in fact his very being, is that
he leads with his head and his heart, and they are both on the same page.
Here is what he had to say:
I am writing an open message to workers with disabilities earning
disability-based subminimum wages, as well as their friends and families.
It becomes necessary to use such public media as the Civil Beat because it
is a channel that flows above the walls of segregation. Technology today
gives us options that are better than a message in a bottle.
You see, workers with disabilities in sheltered workshops are
segregated from the rest of society, a concept all too familiar to the
people of Hawaii because of the way that plantations kept workers
segregated. As a matter of housekeeping, not all sheltered workshops pay
subminimum wages, but these wages are paid in sheltered workshops.
Imagine visiting Hawaii as an outsider back in the height of the
plantation days and seeing the workers with bottles around their necks. If
you, as the outsider, wanted to know what was best for the plantation
workers, would you ask the plantation owners, the lunas, or the workers?
Surely, some were confused about this at some point in time, but most
of us would agree today that the plantation workers knew what was best for
them. They may not have complained-they may have even made peace with their
poverty and suffering-but they were not treated with aloha.
Some privileged people argue that the plantation workers were not
forced to work on plantations, but they often believed they had no
alternative. Eventually, they organized with elected leaders, rose up, and
got off the plantations.
When people unfamiliar with the sheltered workshops want to know what
is best for the workers with disabilities inside them, they all too often
direct their attention to the disability agencies and the leaders of the
workshops themselves. These workshops and agencies will always protect
their own interests first, just like any other institution.
People with disabilities have organized, and we continue to become
more active in our own quest for liberation. When the workshops and
agencies tell us why we should like being treated as second-class citizens
and paid seven cents per hour, our elected leaders push back.
Sometimes, when people get up to speak publicly on something, we feel
compelled to give the audience some highlights of our credentials so that
people might listen to what we have to say. I have felt this urge many
times. Since I have worked in the disability field since 2008, I have often
felt like it would help my credibility to tell people, "I work for agency
X."
In fact, this is the anti-credential. What is really a credential is
the fact that hundreds of people with disabilities voted for me through a
democratic process so that I could speak for them. This makes me beholden
to the voters who elected me, not beholden to someone who might be
contributing to my paycheck.
Payment Alternatives
Sheltered workshops try to market themselves as part of the
vocational rehabilitation system as if they are preparing the workers for
mainstream jobs. This claim has long been rejected by organizations of
people with disabilities.
Sheltered workshops confuse rehabilitation with entertainment, as if
we are capable of nothing else besides being entertained by smiling
caretakers who give us the illusion of working. This confusion was flushed
out as a conflict of interest in the public hearing testimony on Governor's
Message 734.
Some of the able-bodied leaders and managers of sheltered workshops
may have missionary mentalities, where they believe that they are doing
what is best for us. Missionaries must be careful not to look down upon the
people they serve and impose their own values and expectations upon those
"lower" beings. Sometimes, missionaries can be too fixated upon the good
feelings of accomplishing what they set out to do rather than truly giving
the people what they request.
I'm here to talk about alternatives to the payment of subminimum
wages. Some of them are quite simple and can be done essentially overnight:
Internships and apprenticeships: These allow entities to train people
for jobs while paying them less than the minimum wage. I have personally
done paid and unpaid internships, and there are many people in these
arrangements at any given time in Hawaii. The sheltered workshops can use
paid internships, or even unpaid internships, to organize their agreements
with the workers with disabilities who are currently receiving disability-
based subminimum wages. Whether or not someone has a disability, if they
are not productive enough to be paid a full wage for that job, you can make
them an intern or apprentice and pay them less while you train them into
it. This is what the sheltered workshops claim to be doing anyway. Some
people might say that this is pointless because it will have the same
outcome, but organizations of people with disabilities say otherwise. The
resounding message is that we want to be treated equally. If we are paid
less because we are learning, that's fine, but it should have nothing to do
with our disability. In fact, many organizations of people with
disabilities take no stance on whether a minimum wage should exist at all,
but, if it is going to exist, it should not discriminate.
Actual rehabilitation programs: The types of interventions necessary
for each disability vary, but there are rehabilitation programs for every
kind. For example, blind people attend adjustment to blindness training at
a residential training center like the state's Ho'opono Services for the
Blind.
Higher education: people with disabilities can go to college or trade
school to prepare for a career of their choice.
Competitive, integrated employment: Instead of going into a
subminimum wage job, it is entirely possible for many people with
disabilities to walk right into a regular job.
Real pay in the sheltered workshop: Many sheltered workshops pay
regular wages to workers with disabilities and do not hold the special wage
certificate allowing them to pay subminimum wages.
For the first time in eighty-one years of advocacy, there is finally
a congressional committee hearing on a bill to end the payment of
disability-based subminimum wages.
The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a full committee
hearing on the Transformation to Competitive Employment Act, H.R. 873, on
Tuesday. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has repeatedly cosponsored this
legislation, and former Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa did, too.
I am hopeful that, with enough support from good leaders in Congress,
the bill will pass, and the practice will end.
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The Gem of Rocky Bottom
by Shelley Coppel
From the Editor: This article is reprinted from the Winter 2018 issue
of the Palmetto Blind, the newsletter of the National Federation of the
Blind of South Carolina. Our work with seniors is exciting, and the
cooperation between our senior division and our state affiliate is
exemplary. Here is what Shelley has to say about last year's event:
On October 14, 2018, a group of twenty-three staff and students
(seniors this time) enthusiastically descended upon Rocky Bottom Retreat
and Conference Center of the Blind for a week of amazing training. The NFB
Seniors Division partnered with the National Federation of the Blind of
South Carolina to offer a first-rate training for a segment of our
population who otherwise don't have an opportunity for specific skills
training for loss of vision.
We recruited seven individuals as staff: Frank and Shelley Coppel of
South Carolina; Tom and Linda Anderson from Kansas; Liz Lewis and Michael
Hartz from North Carolina; and Ruth Sager from Maryland, who is the NFB
Seniors Division president. We also recruited the assistance of Christine
Filter, a registered nurse who has served us for many years as our camp
health nurse; a kitchen crew like none other headed up by Lenora Robertson,
Ellen Taylor, Ora Bell, and JW Smith; and several volunteers. We also
needed drivers since we required a golf cart to take us up and down the
steep hill from one of the sleeping lodges. This lodge has a kitchen most
like the one you would have in your home, which served as our training
kitchen. Other classes that we offered were cane travel, organizational
skills, Braille, iOS training, and a group where we discussed the effects
of vision loss on our lives.
As we settled in the first evening, we discussed the schedule, were
introduced to one another, found out where we each would reside for the
week, and had a wonderful meal for our weary, excited guests. They
represented nine states and ranged in age from the mid-forties to eighty-
seven.
Monday morning began with a hot breakfast for fortification to begin
our rigorous schedule. Sleepshades were passed out as were long white
canes. Our classes were one-and-a-half hours in length, and we planned four
classes in a day. Everyone participated in all of the classes. As the week
progressed, folks were using their shades voluntarily and showing good cane
skills as they navigated the paths, found their class sites, went grocery
shopping, navigated an apple orchard, and found a pond where wonderful
stories were swapped over a great fishing experience. Every afternoon we
ended our day with a discussion time. We talked about the successes of our
day and answered questions about the tough business of losing vision and
how to deal with this personally. We also talked about how to advocate for
ourselves and the way to bring those closest to us to an understanding of
what help we really need, because sometimes we decide to struggle through
an issue and find our own alternatives. On Thursday evening we made a
bonfire and roasted marshmallows to eat s'mores. What a perfect ending for
a week of great achievement.
Two of our students completed the Braille alphabet including numbers
and punctuation. Many thanks to the NFB Seniors Division for coming to
South Carolina and using our facilities at our beloved Rocky Bottom Retreat
and Conference Center of the Blind. We look forward to many more
opportunities to be of service to other state affiliates and national
divisions of the National Federation of the Blind.
From the Editor: Now that Shelley has told you about how last year's
senior retreat went, here is the flyer for the 2019 event:
National Federation of the Blind Seniors Division Annual Retreat
When: September 15 to 21, 2019
Where: Rocky Bottom Resort and Conference Center for the Blind,
Sunset, South Carolina. Rocky Bottom is a camp owned and operated by the
South Carolina affiliate of the NFB. This camp is located on Sassafras
Mountain, the highest point in the state. It is a modern facility with a
dining hall and several lodges for sleeping and holding classes. Retreaters
will share a room with a colleague. Paved pathways connect buildings in
this rural mountain setting. Fishing can be done on the property. Other off-
site activities may be planned during the retreat.
Eligibility: Must be legally blind and have a strong desire to learn
nonvisual techniques taught by blind instructors. Preferred age over fifty
but some exceptions can be made. Candidates must be able to administer
their medications and know the dosages and times they should be taken. We
can suggest labeling methods and organizational skills but cannot
administer medications. We will have a nurse on-call throughout the
retreat.
Classes Offered:
. Traveling with a rigid, straight white cane
. Daily Living Skills
. Organizational Skills and Tactile Labeling
. Beginning Braille
. Some Devices and Aids Found Useful
. Cooking Techniques and Preparing Food
. Discussions: Living with Low Vision and Blindness-Our Attitudes and
Perceptions and the Misconceptions of Others about our Disability
Process and Cost: Please contact Ruth Sager, president, NFB Seniors
Division by email at rsager78 at gmail.com; by mail at 7634 Carla Road,
Pikesville, MD 21208; or by home phone at 410-602-9030 to obtain an
application. Fill out the application, and return it to the above address
by August 10, 2019. Upon receiving your application, you will be contacted
by an instructor or Seniors Division board member to schedule a telephone
interview. This interview is designed to help us make your retreat
experience as beneficial for you as possible. We want everyone to
participate in all of the activities, but we will try to tailor some
classes to fit your specific needs.
Candidates will then be notified if they are successful retreat
participants. The cost per attendee is $300. This cost covers room and
board, any activities which take place during the retreat, transportation
from the nearest airport (Greenville-Spartanburg) and after the retreat,
transportation from Rocky Bottom back to the airport. All other expenses
incurred will be covered by the candidate.
After you have been notified that you are a successful retreat
participant, the $300 check should be sent to: NFB Seniors Division, c/o
Ms. Duncan Larsen, Colorado Center for the Blind, 2233 Shepperd Avenue,
Littleton, CO 80120, no later than September 1, 2019.
For more information, please contact Ruth Sager as listed above.
----------
Dr. James Nyman: An Unconventional Man Embracing Unconventional Solutions
by Fredric Schroeder
From the Editor: When I heard about the death of Dr. James Nyman and
saw nothing in the way of a tribute, I decided to write one myself. I
interviewed about four people and begged others for a brief submission. One
of those I asked was Fred Schroeder. He gave me much more than a few
thoughts; he provided a tribute that I cannot match. I am grateful to those
who gave me interviews and will briefly summarize what you told me.
People who worked for Dr. Nyman or who were students while he was the
director remember him as a challenging man. At times he seemed more like
the questioning, demanding professor he had previously been and less like
an agency administrator. Words such as argumentative and curmudgeon are
frequently used to describe him, but these characteristics have a positive
side as well. They relate having to argue hard for what they wanted,
sometimes being frustrated when they got less than they thought they had
won through agreement, but everyone I talked with is unanimous in their
belief that Dr. Nyman must be judged on the result of what he created. In
that light he wins unanimous support. He hired the first blind mobility
instructor and liked the results so much he did it again. He started the
orientation center in Nebraska, and he staffed it with people who believed
in the Federation philosophy. Though he excelled in and respected academia,
he rejected the idea that his instructors must have a master's degree.
Instead he hired blind and sighted people based on their potential to be
trained to instill a positive view of the students in themselves. His
accomplishments can easily be seen through those who have gone on to be
positive agents of change in the field and whose names are well-known to
Monitor readers. Some of the changes were subtle: a woodshop that was never
used before Dr. Nyman came to the agency that became the confidence-
bolstering facility it was meant to be. The criticism he took for requiring
staff to train under training shades and having students use them
throughout their stay was significant, but he held firm. While he was not
what many would consider a smooth traveler, using a shorter cane than many
of his staff and students, on most days he ran the two-and-a-half miles to
work. In so doing, he generated positive press about the mobility of blind
people and helped establish a number of contacts through others who were
running enthusiasts.
Here is what Fred has to say:
Dr. Nyman became director of the Nebraska Commission for the Blind
and Visually Impaired (at that time, Nebraska Services for the Visually
Impaired) in 1974. He brought Federation philosophy to the work of the
agency at a time when the Federation was viewed with suspicion and outright
hostility by other rehabilitation programs for the blind. The level of
animus toward the Federation cannot be overstated; it was pervasive,
intense, and deeply personal.
A decade and a half earlier, Dr. Jernigan had taken over the Iowa
Commission for the Blind and set a new and dramatic standard in the
rehabilitation field. In short order Dr. Jernigan developed a program of
services rooted in Federation philosophy that completely eclipsed the work
of other programs for the blind. By the mid-70s, we had Iowa and (to a far
lesser extent) California and finally, with Dr. Nyman's appointment, we had
Nebraska-that was it.
So, what did Dr. Nyman do? At one level what he did was simple. He
set about injecting our philosophy into the work of the agency in much the
same way Dr. Jernigan did in Iowa, but it was not easy. It took courage and
a deep and abiding belief in the ability of blind people to live as others.
In 1978 I graduated with a master's degree in special education and
was completing my professional training to teach orientation and mobility.
At the 1978 national convention, Dr. Nyman sought me out and offered me a
job. That took courage. He did not know me, and his agency was still in its
early stage of development with critics on all sides. Yet, he hired me to
teach cane travel at a time when the orientation and mobility profession
would not certify blind people to teach cane travel; and I was not the only
blind Federationist he hired. He hired me and others because he believed in
blind people and was prepared to put his beliefs into action, even when it
was not popular, even when it caused conflict and hostility.
One day Dr. Nyman called me into his office. He said he had received
a call from the governor's office. The governor's chief of staff told Dr.
Nyman that a state car was seen entering a large parking lot at a high rate
of speed, performing a number of figure eight turns and leaving. Of course,
Dr. Nyman knew I had taken a student on a drop route, an exercise in which
students are deliberately disoriented and dropped off to find their way
back to the agency. The figure eights were to heighten the drama, to make
the whole experience more daunting so when the student made it back safely
it would mean something profound. Dr. Nyman asked me what I thought he
should tell the governor's chief of staff. I said he should say we had a
blind client lying on the back seat of the car and were trying to get him
as lost as we could so we could drop him off and tell him to find his way
back without assistance.
I knew Dr. Nyman understood what we were doing and why, but I did not
realize at the time what he was up against. The agency was still relatively
new, and we had critics. While it is hard to imagine, I am sure Dr. Nyman
had to wonder how to balance our philosophy against the need to maintain
our fragile support. In other words, it would have been so much easier to
say, let's take things a little slower, let's not be quite so aggressive.
Let's take a safer and far less stressful approach and not be quite so
radical. But, of course, that is not what he did. He believed in blind
people, and he supported blind people in every way he could.
When Dr. Nyman hired me to teach cane travel, I had not finished the
master's program in orientation and mobility. He granted me leave with full
pay for two consecutive summers to finish my master's program even though I
did not need the master's to teach at the agency. He did it because he
believed in me and because he believed that we needed to support one
another in standing up against discrimination. Again, I did not need the
master's degree to teach in Nebraska, but blind people needed to stand up
to the established orientation and mobility profession-a profession that
believed it knew better than we what blind people could and could not do.
Dr. Nyman's legacy endures. Nearly a half century later, the Nebraska
Commission for the Blind continues to be a leader in rehabilitation of the
blind, but that speaks only to professional accomplishment, not to his
personal human qualities.
Many who knew Dr. Nyman were terrified of him. He was a crusty and
sardonic fellow who enjoyed mental sparring to the point of intellectual
gymnastics. But that did not mean he was unkind or uncaring; just the
opposite. One day many years later, I called Dr. Nyman, and when he
answered the phone, I said, "Dr. Nyman, I presume." He retorted something
to the effect, "That is quite a presumption and one you would be hard put
to defend." I said, "You presume I wish to defend my presumption, an
indefensible presumption if I ever heard one."
It is easy to look at where we are and forget how we got here. Dr.
Nyman's life reminds us of the power of courage and the power of justice.
It reminds us that change is born of pain and strife. It reminds us that
our obligation is to do what we can, do what is right, not just what is
easy. I do not remember Dr. Nyman ever praising me, but I felt his kindness
and support and feel it to this day. He gave me a job when I had none, and
he gave me his friendship and loyal support for all of my adult life. Would
that I could do as much!
Rest in peace.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Burke]
The Buzzsaw, the Plumber's Skillet, and the Montana City Hardware Café
by Dan Burke
From the Editor: This is a story Dan Burke wrote a long time ago. Why
it has been so long in getting to us I cannot say, but I doubt it was the
US Post Office or a slow internet connection that caused the delay. No
doubt it was Dan going about living his life, thinking only after hearing a
conversation that this might just serve to show blind people what blind
people can do in the same way that these travelers were showing sighted
residents of Montana. Here is Dan's story:
Five of us start out in the 7 a.m. darkness of a late October Montana
morning: four men and one woman, four white canes, and one guide dog. We
have a goal and directions from the motel clerk where we're staying to
attend an affiliate board meeting: Walk straight out from the door, and
you'll hit the driveway out to the road. It's a different driveway than the
one you took to dinner last night. Bear to the right, and you'll find the
edge of the drive; there's a line of boulders bordering it. Cross the two-
lane and turn right. Pretty quick you'll come to another driveway going off
to the left. Turn in there. No, that first building won't be it; that's the
bank. Keep going past there, and after a while the oil ends, so keep going
on the gravel. When you get down there, you'll know it; there'll be a bunch
of pickups parked in front.
We start, make the driveway, and find the right edge. I look for the
border of boulders, mostly out of curiosity. Now we're across the road,
staying close together, and turned right. There is no traffic, not even the
sound of a vehicle on I-15 a quarter mile east. Walking in the shoulder
gravel-shore-lining-the driveway is there after maybe thirty feet. A voice
calls out from the motel parking lot.
"That's it, turn left there."
Kind of figured, but the reinforcement is not resented. Another four
steps and the voice calls out again: "Now turn right!"
This jog was not part of the original set of directions, a detail
easily overlooked, especially by someone unused to giving directions to
anyone but sighted people-no matter that we asked for clarification and
repetition. In fact, a sighted person would be told simply, "You can see it
just down there." There's nothing out here to block the view, so maybe you
would have seen it already, and the only conversation necessary would
center on whether it was a good place for breakfast-in this instance a
matter not in doubt. The watchful eye of the motel clerk may be little more
than recognition of doubt about her verbal instructions. In any case, we
turn right.
We continue down this drive, taking up the whole thing, some following
the crown, some shore-lining the edge of the pavement, some just following
the flow. There is light chatter in the rear of the procession, comments on
the chill of the light breeze that greets our faces. Soon there is a
flapping and slapping of nylon rope and metal coming up on our left.
"Flag," Jim Marks observes just behind me. "That'll be the bank."
Jim and I have traveled together often and over all kinds of terrain,
and this observation is one of the things that always makes exploring with
him such a pleasure. On an unclaimed afternoon in Washington, DC a few
years ago, we walked from the vicinity of the White House back to the Mall
and up to the Vietnam Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and then off to find
the relatively-new FDR Memorial-the existence of which very few seemed to
be able to fix in their minds well enough to give us much in the way of
directions. We kept on, kept asking until a British tourist along the
Potomac asked:
"FDR?"
"President Roosevelt," I said.
"Churchill's buddy," clarified Jim.
The tourist seemed to scratch his head, considering as he slowly
rotated it before he finally noticed the sign beside us. He happily
announced that we were there.
After examining the gigantic Braille on the wall and the bronze
sculpture of the fedoraed, pince-nezed President in his wheelchair, we set
off back to our room at the Capitol Holiday Inn, trying to make it before
dark. All day long we traded observations, identified landmarks, and taught
each other a thing or two about traveling in a strange city.
But we are in Jim's home territory now. His family homesteaded about
thirty miles east of here five generations ago, and Markses are spread out
all over this area. We already made a bit of a splash: Our outing to the
Montana City Grill last night netted two sightings by members of Jim's
family living in this unincorporated township, which has become something
of a bedroom community for the state capitol.
Since Montana City is unincorporated, there are no sidewalks, no
streets in the usual sense of a city street, few right angle-turns, stop
signs or streetlights-all things city travelers rely on as landmarks. On
the other hand, this is pretty tame stuff. Tomorrow at this time Jim will
be out in the hills and gulches where his family has lived for more than a
century, quietly stalking elk with family members and neighbors on opening
day of hunting season.
Now another driveway turns off to the left. We hear a low buzzing
sound, steady, on the far side of the drive, and I detect a rectangle of
light as we come up on it, a bank sign, likely. We press on and before long
find the end of the oil, and then my cane sweeps across the gravel. The
track's not difficult to follow, and I start looking for signs of parked
vehicles. A car or two passes on the road above and to our right, and I
listen to see if any turn in ahead of us, revealing our destination. None
do, but I already suspect this is the only way in anyway. Still, no traffic
comes down our track to give additional clues.
We are staying together, though spread out across the gravel drive,
heading slightly downhill. Then the road starts to level out a little, and
then from ahead a new cheerful voice: "Good morning!"
"Get a call?" I ask in response, smiling in the dark.
"Sharon called and said you were coming," confirming only that this is
Montana small-town life. Then we are threading our way through parked
vehicles to the sidewalk running along the front of the building.
"I'm not sure how to give you directions," our guide confesses,
trying to worry us between parked 4-wheel drives and around posts.
"Just keep talking," we assure her." We'll be right behind you."
Inside, only three or four of the twenty tables are occupied. We sit
at a table covered with a vinyl tablecloth loaded with creamer and
condiments and place settings.
"Anybody want coffee?" I am already turning my mug over, examining
the print with my fingers.
"What does the cup say?" I ask the hostess as she comes around to
pour.
"Montana City Hardware Café," comes the half-expected answer.
"I'm putting water on the table," the waitress announces. "Yours is
next to your coffee," she says, and I hear the soft thunk as it comes to
rest on the cloth.
The south end of the building is the café. The north end is the
hardware store, where you can buy galvanized nails, fence supplies,
batteries, and alfalfa pellets for your horse on your way out after
breakfast. In fact, my one previous visit here with friends who live in the
area ended in just such a transaction. Now, I've got t-shirts from various
trips-Washington, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago-but nowhere does Hard Rock
Café food come close to the food served here. This is a Montana original.
Our waitress starts through the specials, then reads the descriptions
of the other items. But I want more than just what's in each dish.
"What are the names of these?" I ask, and she begins to read the
names along with the descriptions.
Ted Robbins orders the Mechanic's Skillet. Appropriate enough: Ted
has been blind for a quarter of a century, and though he retired from his
northern plains farm a few years ago, he still tears into his vehicles to
do necessary maintenance. Lately he replaced the struts on his van. We
order one special, a couple of Plumber's Skillets with sausage and eggs and
onions and green peppers on a bed of hash browns, and one Buzzsaw featuring
homemade biscuits and sausage gravy.
The place is filling up. As Federationists, we know that wherever we
go in our home state, we are seen, and we are teaching a different lesson
about what it means to be blind. Maybe this wide, friendly spot in the road
will buzz about us after we're gone. Maybe not: Maybe some will imagine us
as especially intrepid-surely blind people don't wander into the Hardware
Café often. But somewhere in the back of their minds we hope they will
recognize an important fact: That we're pretty much like them; we're after
a good meal in a warm place where the customers and staff josh amiably and
folks can enjoy the company of good friends. Certainly we are treated
respectfully, not hovered over, yet get plenty of good information from the
waitress; we're just another table of hungry Saturday morning breakfast
customers. As is often the case, the most important lesson we're called
upon to give today as blind people is simply showing up.
By the time my Plumber's Skillet lands in front of me, I'm good and
hungry. The board met till ten last night, and we have about six hours
ahead of us today. I dig in a little too enthusiastically at first, but
soon slow down to enjoy the food and one of Ted's salt-of-the-earth
stories.
When my check comes, I pick it up, extend my cane, and move around
the table and then off of the carpet of the room onto the tiled area by the
entrance to where I suspect the cash register counter will be. It turns out
to be a table with two middle-aged women, who set me straight.
"Sometimes," I explain, "you gotta get lost before you know where you
are."
After everyone pays, we make for the door. The hostess who met us out
front on our way in is quickly there.
"Do you need any help getting back?" she asks.
"We won't have a problem."
We thank her and make our farewells. Outside, traffic is beginning to
move on the road and on the Interstate. The dull first light of morning is
in the sky, revealing the shapes of the Elkhorn Mountains around us. We
start off up the gravel drive, fortified, satisfied we have done a small
part of the day's work of changing what it means to be blind.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Karl Belanger]
The Best of Both Worlds: The QBraille XL Almost Perfectly Blends
a Braille Display and a USB Keyboard
by Karl Belanger
From the Editor: This blog post first appeared on Friday, January 4,
2019. It will be clear to anyone who uses a Braille display on his or her
computer that memorizing the keystrokes used to simulate Windows commands
can be difficult, but this innovative technology doesn't require it. This
excellent writeup comes from Karl Belanger, a technology specialist who
works for us in the Jernigan Institute. Here is his post:
Have you ever found yourself struggling to remember the series of
commands needed to perform a keyboard shortcut on your display? Have you
ever needed to do a command that isn't configured on your display? Have you
found yourself switching back and forth between your computer keyboard and
your display to accomplish your work? If so, then the QBraille XL from HIMS
may just be the perfect device for you.
The QBraille XL is a forty-cell display that takes a standard Perkins-
style Braille keyboard and adds all the function and navigation keys of a
standard keyboard. The result is that you can type in Braille while being
able to perform all the shortcuts and commands you're used to with the
standard keyboard keys. For example, Control+F is done by holding the
control key and pressing the dots for the letter f, and commands like
Control+Tab or Alt+F4 are done using the same keys you are used to. This is
made possible by some software that makes the display appear to a connected
device as both a Braille display and a regular USB or Bluetooth keyboard.
Even if you haven't configured the display with your screen reader, the
navigation keys and computer Braille input will work perfectly, though you
will not have Braille output. The QBraille also has a small suite of
internal applications. I won't be focusing too much time on these since
they are very similar to those found on the Braille Edge. The only new
internal application that the QBraille has is a DAISY reader for reading
textbooks from services like Bookshare. The QBraille does not have speech
built in, so the DAISY reader is Braille only.
The Hardware
The edges of the QBraille are fairly clean, with the only thing on
the left side being the power button and the front and back edges
completely empty aside from a small hard reset button near the right of the
back edge. The right side has a USB-C port for charging and connections
over USB, and behind that an SD-card slot. A card must be installed for the
notepad and DAISY reader to function. On the top front of the unit is a
forty-cell display, with the standard panning and cursor routing keys that
are common to all HIMS displays. Above the display is the keyboard. The
main portion of the keyboard is a standard Perkins keyboard that any
display user will be familiar with. On the same row as the spacebar are
several keys. From left to right there is control, function, Windows, and
alt. To the right of the spacebar are another alt, applications, and the
right control key. On the far right are the arrow keys just as on a
standard keyboard. Above the arrows is the standard six-pack of keys that
you find on most keyboards. This is arranged in two columns of three keys
with insert and delete on the top row, home and end below insert, and page
up and down below the delete key. Above the Braille keys is a row
containing escape on the far left, then the standard F1 through F12 keys.
Below F1 are Tab, Caps Lock, and Shift. Below the Escape key are the paring
and mode buttons which have various functions when you're connected to a
device. The QBraille also comes with a protective case that looks fairly
sturdy and fits the device very snugly.
The Software
The QBraille will take a little under thirty seconds to start up, and
it will display progress messages on the display. Once it starts, you will
be at the main menu. The menu has several options: notepad, DAISY reader,
applications, options, and information. The applications folder contains an
alarm, clock, calculator, and calendar. As mentioned earlier, if you have
used or read about the Braille Edge in the past, these will be quite
familiar to you. You will first want to go into the options menu to set
your preferred Braille language and grade, whether you want sounds to play,
and other settings. Most of the QBraille's magic happens in the
connectivity mode. When you select connectivity from the main menu, you
have a choice between USB, Bluetooth keyboard, or Bluetooth display. If you
choose one of the Bluetooth options, you will be placed into pairing mode,
then into terminal mode once a device is paired. If you select USB, you are
directly placed in terminal mode. Once you have at least one connection,
pressing the pairing button plus F1-F12 switches between Bluetooth
connections, and pairing+Escape switches to the USB connection. The
QBraille supports up to six unique devices, with a display and keyboard
connection for each, for a total of twelve Bluetooth connections plus a USB
connection. All the major operating systems and screen readers are
supported.
Using the QBraille with Other Devices
Setting Things Up
If you're using a USB connection, the keyboard mode is active
immediately. In this mode you can use all the standard function keys and
type in Braille, but there will be no Braille output. In order to make
things fully functional you will need to download the HIMS USB driver if
you're on Windows and configure your screen reader to use the display. Once
this is done you will automatically be put in hybrid mode. In this mode the
display will output Braille normally, and the keyboard will operate in the
keyboard mode. To have the keyboard work through the normal Braille display
drivers, press the mode button to turn hybrid mode off. To set up a
Bluetooth device, you will first need to select Bluetooth display and pair
it as you would any display, then select Bluetooth keyboard and pair that
as well. Once this is done you will be in hybrid mode. Once you have at
least one connection, you will need to use the pairing and function keys to
switch to an empty slot to pair either a new display connection or a new
keyboard connection. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a way to view
a list of established connections, nor a way to clear one specific
connection. During testing, one of the keyboard connections automatically
connected to someone else's Mac, and the only way I found to clear it was
to reset all pairing information through the options mode.
Using the QBraille XL
Once you're connected, you have two options for how to work with the
display. If hybrid mode is off, the QBraille functions like any other
display, using the command set in your screen reader of choice. However, if
hybrid mode is on, all the function keys behave as they would on a regular
keyboard, and Braille input works a little differently. Pressing the
pairing and mode buttons together toggles between the various available
input modes. For me, the choices are computer Braille, US uncontracted, US
contracted, UEB uncontracted, and UEB contracted. For computer Braille, the
keys are directly sent through to the device. For the others, the text is
sent when the spacebar is pressed. This seems to work well, and I haven't
experienced any issues with lag or missed characters when typing quickly
into a document. This does have one drawback, specifically when using
single letter navigation when browsing a web page. When entering a letter,
such as h for heading, the QBraille will enter the word "have" if you're in
contracted mode, unless you use the letter sign. Even so, or if you're in
uncontracted mode, the space is still entered which can cause unwanted
actions. The best thing I've found to do if you want to browse a web page
in hybrid mode is to change the input mode to computer Braille. Then the
letters behave exactly as desired. I also noticed an issue with hybrid mode
on an iPhone, where using the Voiceover quicknav commands that require
multiple arrow keys don't work. The arrow keys simply get sent one right
after the other. Another thing to be aware of is that performing some
shortcuts requires a bit of hand gymnastics because of how the keys are
placed. For example, doing Insert+N to open the NVDA menu requires you to
reach for the insert key with your pinky while pressing the Braille keys
with the rest of your hand, which could be a problem for someone with small
hands. I might try the Windows sticky keys feature in this circumstance.
HIMS might also consider adding an on-device solution for this.
Final Thoughts
The QBraille XL is a solid device that makes using a computer much
more pleasant to use. On mobile devices it also allows for the benefits of
both a Braille display and a Bluetooth keyboard. The internal applications,
while basic, provide a nice way to take some notes, read a book, or use the
basic scheduler. The experience is not perfect as mentioned earlier, but
the few caveats do little to mar what is overall an excellent device. Since
it's a forty-cell display with an expanded keyboard, some may consider it a
bit too large for everyday carry outside of a laptop bag or briefcase, but
given that its major draw appears to be for working with a computer I don't
see the size as a major concern. If you're an office worker, or do any
significant work on your computer, the QBraille XL is worth a serious look.
----------
Recipes
Recipes this month come to us from the National Federation of the
Blind of Nevada.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Aaron and Terri Rupp with their children.]
Strawberry Kale Salad
by Terri Rupp
Terri Rupp is the president of the National Federation of the Blind
of Nevada, is a wife and mother, and is the author of a blog called Blind
Mom in the Burbs.
Note: There are no measurements in this recipe. The person preparing
can choose the amount of each ingredient to his/her liking.
Ingredients:
Kale
Strawberries
Feta cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method: Tear the kale leaves into small, bite-size pieces. Lightly
sprinkle salt, pepper, and olive oil onto the kale and gently massage. Let
the massaged kale sit in a covered bowl for at least an hour in the
refrigerator. The longer it sits, the better. When you are ready to serve
the salad, toss in finely sliced strawberries and feta cheese. Enjoy!
----------
Kalua Pork
by Aaron Rupp
Ingredients:
4 pounds pork rump roast or picnic shoulder
4 teaspoons of liquid smoke
4 tablespoons of kosher salt (coarse salt)
Shredded cabbage
Method: Rub pork with liquid smoke and salt. For extra flavor insert
garlic into the meat. Tightly wrap with four layers of aluminum foil. Bake
at 400 degrees for four hours. Once pork is done, serve shredded on top of
a bed of shredded cabbage.
For every extra pound of pork, increase everything in the recipe to
equal the weight of the pork, including the baking time. The only thing you
do not increase is the temperature at 400 degrees.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Regina Mitchell with her husband Stan]
Citrus-Scented Orzo
by Regina Mitchell
Regina Mitchell is currently the Southern Nevada chapter president
and affiliate board member. She has been married for thirty-four years to
Stan Mitchell and mother to her teenage daughter, Journi Mitchell. She's a
foodie and loves mystery movies. Her passions are travel, healthy eating,
and an affinity for running, although she still craves a few Cheetos. She's
also on the hunt for the best cupcake and doesn't believe ketchup should be
anywhere near breakfast foods.
Dressing Ingredients:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
3 tablespoons orange juice (1/2 orange)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method: Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Cover with
plastic wrap and set aside.
Orzo Ingredients:
1/2 pound orzo
1 16-ounce can chicken broth (low sodium)
1 cup water
4 whole scallions, minced (white and green parts)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade (ribbons or strips)
Method: In a large saucepan add chicken broth and water. Allow to
come to a boil. Add the orzo and cook ten to twelve minutes. Remove the pan
from the heat. Drain the orzo in a strainer or colander if needed. Pour the
citrus vinaigrette (dressing) over the warm pasta, this will allow the
dressing to absorb into the orzo. Let cool to room temperature. Garnish
with scallions and basil.
Orzo is actually a tiny rice-shaped pasta, slightly smaller than a
pine nut. Orzo is ideal for soups and wonderful when served as a substitute
for rice. Add the dressing when the orzo is still warm so the dressing is
absorbed into the pasta. This dish is even better when made in advance;
just check the seasonings and add the basil leaves at the last minute.
You can serve the orzo hot or cold, as a side dish, and as a
component in casseroles, soups, and salads. Orzo usually comes in a basic
pale-yellow color, but it is also available in a tricolor variety that is
commonly used in rotini and other pasta types. The dressing can also be
used on salad. Enjoy!
----------
Lemon Shortcake with Macerated Seasonal Berries
by Regina Mitchell
Macerated Seasonal Berries Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries or
boysenberries)
1 cup simple syrup (1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Place in a saucepan;
simmer until sugar dissolves. Cool)
Method: Place berries in a large bowl. Add simple syrup to taste,
start with 1/2 cup of syrup then add as desired. Cover with plastic wrap
and set aside while preparing and baking the shortcakes.
Lemon Shortcake Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon and level)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
2 whole lemons, zested and chopped
1 cup sour cream (not low-fat)
1/4 cup whole milk
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water or milk (for egg wash)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, for sprinkling
Note: For a shortcut-purchase store-bought shortcakes or sweet
biscuits from local grocery store or fresh bakery.
Method: Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, sift the flour with
the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in 1/4 cup sugar. Cut in the
butter with a pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse meal. Stir
in the lemon zest, sour cream, and milk. Scoop the dough into six high
mounds evenly on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Brush the tops with the
egg wash. Sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of sugar. Bake until
lightly browned, about fifteen to twenty minutes, until the outsides are
crisp and the insides are fully baked. Transfer the biscuits to a rack.
Cool slightly before splitting.
Place biscuits on a dessert plate. Spoon the macerated berries over
the biscuits. As an alternate you may spoon a dollop of fresh whipping
cream or non-dairy whipped cream on top of macerated berries. Enjoy!
----------
Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
Come to the Carnival:
The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults is celebrating
its 100th anniversary by bringing to the 2019 National Convention the best
indoor carnival ever. It will have games, prizes, and the premier of a
special book, Pedro and the Octopus. The book was written by Deborah Kent
Stein and illustrated by Ann Cunningham. When his big sister, Lena, warns
Pedro that octopuses have lots of sticky arms for catching kids, he isn't
too sure that a family trip to the beach will be fun. Pretty soon, though,
he gets caught up in the excitement of walking in the sand with his long
white cane, finding shells and stones to put into his pail, and playing in
the waves. With its print and Braille text, and Ann Cunningham's
captivating illustrations that appeal to both vision and touch, this unique
picture book can be enjoyed by both blind and sighted readers.
At the carnival, the American Action Fund will be giving away 100 of
these books, and the book will also be available for sale in the
Independence Market at a cost of thirty-five dollars.
The carnival will be held on July 9 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Please
check the convention agenda for the room location.
Come and help the American Action Fund celebrate a century of service
to the blind and have a great time in the bargain.
Regional Seminar for Blind Parents in August:
The NFB of Colorado is hosting what we envision as a regional seminar
for blind parents and are inviting parents and grandparents from around the
country to come out August 23 and 24 for the event. The seminar will take
place at the Colorado Center for the Blind in Littleton.
The seminar will include discussions of our legal rights, tools for
self-advocacy, and resources provided by the NFB. We will have tracks for
parents based on the ages of children (infants, school-age and tweens and
teens) that include everything from introducing important soft skills to
hands-on use of accessible equipment and alternative techniques. We'll also
have a dedicated track for grandparents and activities for your kids
running at the same time.
We'll have plenty of opportunities for discussion among participants,
networking with other blind parents, and get a keynote address from Melissa
Riccobono, first lady of the NFB.
The agenda will be posted by mid-June on
theblindcoloradan.blogspot.com as well as on the Colorado Info channel on
NFB-NEWSLINE®.
The cost of the event is $25 per person or $50 per family, with
registration available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/blind-parents-
seminar-tickets-61853819439.
For more information, contact Maureen Nietfeld at 215-353-7218.
>From Imagineering Our Future:
This originally appeared in the May 16, 2019, Imagineering Our
Future, and it is an eloquent reminder about the role advocacy plays in
being a Federationist:
President's Letter
Dear Friends,
In the National Federation of the Blind you frequently hear about the
big, bold, advocacy initiatives we are taking on-such as getting the
Marrakesh Treaty ratified by the United States. While those efforts are
important, the critical aspect of what we do happens at the individual
level, where we teach blind people to be their own best advocate.
We recognize that as a blind person, if you know the laws and
understand your rights, you are the most authentic spokesperson for
yourself. Thus, much of our work centers around training each other to self-
advocate and backing each other up with more support as needed. We know
from our decades of experience that both are essential.
My wife Melissa, who also happens to be blind, and I often have to
attend educational team meetings to advocate for our two daughters who
receive services in the public schools because of their blindness. Thank
goodness we both have received training from the National Federation of the
Blind network, and fortunately we have each other and the support of our
friends in the Federation. If we did not have that background and support,
those meetings would be even more emotionally taxing than they already are.
Melissa also spends a lot of her time going to meetings to support other
families, But, despite our best efforts, we know there are so many families
and blind people who are not yet connected with us; as a result, they are
fighting against the artificial barriers all alone.
Advocacy is one of the most important reasons for us to connect with
blind people and their families. When we do, we teach them that they are
not alone, we empower them with the tools to raise their own expectations,
and we connect them with an unparalleled network that will be a lifelong
resource for them to continue to be strong advocates for themselves.
As part of our network, you are an important component of this self-
advocacy training and support program. Thank you for your role in raising
expectations for the blind every day.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
Advocacy-Our Vision and Objectives
The National Federation of the Blind has been advocating and teaching
self-advocacy for more than seventy-eight years. At first we worked to gain
economic security for blind people. The next generation focused more on
civil rights. Now we are well known for our efforts to protect students,
veterans, blind children, blind workers, and senior citizens losing vision.
Along the way NFB taught tens of thousands of blind people to advocate for
themselves politely, persistently, and persuasively.
The third pillar of our strategic plan aims even higher. Our vision
reads:
The National Federation of the Blind is the leading advocate for all
blind Americans in areas such as education, employment, transportation,
voting, and civil rights. Blind people, their families, agencies for the
blind, corporations, and the government turn to our organization for expert
advice on programs, skills building, encouragement, nonvisual access, and
technology that levels the playing field for blind people.
Our objectives are:
. To strengthen the advocacy capacity of National Federation of the Blind
members;
. To establish and strengthen our relationships with industry and federal,
state, and local government officials; and
. To increase public support to achieve acceptance, full integration, and
equal opportunity of blind people.
We will reach our goals with love, hope, and determination. You can
read
our strategic plan in the February 2019 Braille Monitor or online at:
https://www.nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/publications/bm/bm19/bm1902/bm19
0202.htm
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.
New and Unique Travel Site for the Blind:
On June 3, 2019, Holman Prizewinner Stacy Cervenka launched the Blind
Travelers' Network, an online platform to connect blind and visually
impaired people with information and resources for nonvisual accessibility
in countries around the world. The platform hosts blog posts, reviews,
discussion boards, and event listings to help users expand their horizons,
leave their comfort zone behind, and explore new places.
Never before has there been a website exclusively dedicated to the
global travel opportunities for blind people; the Blind Travelers' Network
underscores the growing ability of blind people worldwide to explore
independently.
Cervenka, who is blind, birthed the idea for the platform after she
and her husband Greg, who is also blind, sought to enjoy a leisurely
horseback riding lesson at a ranch, only to encounter obstacles and
disrespect in response to their blindness. The staff infantilized the
couple and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act; Cervenka took
legal action and wanted to share her experience with other blind people.
"I wanted to post about our experience on Yelp, but I knew that it
could be months or years before another blind person wanted to go horseback
riding at this stable and, by then, my review would likely be hundreds of
reviews down the page," Cervenka said. "I wished there was a centralized
place where I could post a review of this stable where other blind people
who needed to see it could do so."
With the creation of the Blind Travelers' Network, there now is, and
it contains information about traveling with a cane in China, paragliding
in Torrey Pines, and beach-going in Sydney. The platform was also
influenced by Cervenka's experience planning a cruise for her honeymoon,
where the largest online aggregate of cruise information provided her ample
detail about various cruise lines, cruise ships, and ports of call, but
none about nonvisual accessibility. She realized that there was a need for
a central platform with this information. Cervenka has also used social
media to share her travel experiences with other blind people, who have
historically contacted her directly with questions. Now, she hopes to scale
this level of communication and community-building with the Blind
Travelers' Network and also to make this information publicly available.
The Holman Prize, of The LightHouse for the Blind and Visually
Impaired in San Francisco, selects three winners a year to challenge
conventions of blind ambition and perceptions of blind ability. Created
specifically for legally blind individuals with a penchant for exploration,
the Prize provides financial backing-up to $25,000-for three individuals to
explore the world and push their limits. To visit the Blind Travelers'
Network, go to blindtravelersnetwork.org.
For all inquiries, please contact press at lighthouse-sf.org.
Maryland Settles Discrimination Case by Blind Inmates for $1.4 Million:
National Federation of the Blind Assisted Blind Inmates Challenging
Disability Discrimination
Annapolis, Maryland (June 5, 2019): Nine current and former Maryland
prison inmates have settled their discrimination lawsuit, Brown v.
Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, for $1.4 million in
damages and attorneys' fees. The Maryland Board of Public Works has just
approved the settlement payment. Under the settlement, the Maryland
Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) will modify
prison procedures and provide assistive technology for the blind to comply
with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.
The lawsuit, brought with the assistance of the Baltimore-based
National Federation of the Blind and the Prisoner Rights Information System
of Maryland (PRISM), alleged that DPSCS denied the blind inmates access to
prison jobs, kept them in prison longer, denied them access to prison
programs and information, and put them in danger because of their
disabilities. Specifically, because they were blind, the inmates were
housed at a medium-security prison, even when they were eligible for lower
security or for programs at the state's twenty-six other facilities. Blind
inmates were also excluded from the prison work programs that allow
prisoners to learn job skills and earn higher wages and credits off their
sentences.
The suit further alleged that the blind prisoners did not have equal
access to prison services and privileges available to other inmates because
the prison communicates with inmates primarily in print, but made no
accommodations for inmates who could not see. The ADA, enacted in 1990,
prohibits discrimination against inmates with vision disabilities and
requires state agencies, including prisons, to ensure "equally effective
communication" with blind and low-vision inmates. The plaintiffs in the
case alleged that the prison's discrimination denied them the ability to
communicate and endangered their safety. They had to rely on other inmates
to help them navigate prison facilities, read their mail (including
attorney-client communications), read the rules in the inmate handbook, use
the commissary and prison library, file grievances and requests for medical
attention, and more. Not surprisingly, this subjected them to mistreatment
by other inmates, who took advantage of the blind prisoners' need for help
by extorting money, commissary items, and even sex.
Some of the changes that DPSCS will make under the settlement
agreement include:
. Setting up computers with text-to-speech screen reader software,
document scanners, and other assistive technology in the prison
library, classrooms, and other locations to allow blind prisoners
to conduct research and read and prepare documents independently;
. Ensuring that blind inmates have access to qualified human readers
and scribes who meet certain security and disciplinary criteria;
and
. Providing training for blind inmates in skills that will allow them
greater independence.
"These blind inmates do not seek special treatment," said Mark
Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. "They seek
only equal and independent access to the same facilities, services, and
privileges that are available to other inmates. Lack of that access has not
only denied them their rights but led to a nightmare of extortion, threats,
and violence. We are happy the Department of Public Safety and Correctional
Services has agreed to make changes and hope that corrections officials
throughout the nation take note. The National Federation of the Blind will
continue to fight for the rights of our blind brothers and sisters,
including those behind bars."
Background: A National Problem
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, about 7 percent of
state and federal prisoners have vision disabilities, significantly higher
than the 2 percent of people not in prison. As people age in prison, that
number increases to 15 percent. According to the report "Making Hard Time
Harder" by the Amplifying Voices of Inmates with Disabilities Project at
Disability Rights Washington, "While prison is hard for everyone,
incarceration is even more challenging for inmates with disabilities.
Research shows that inmates with disabilities are sentenced to an average
of fifteen more months in prison as compared to other inmates with similar
criminal convictions. The time they serve is also harder, with more
sanctions imposed and less access to positive programming than other
inmates."
Abused, Depressed, and "Frightened All the Time"
Gregory Hammond, one of the plaintiffs, lost his sight in prison due
to multiple sclerosis. He says of his experiences: "I wanted to work in one
of the vocational shops at the prison to reduce my sentence and learn some
skills for when I got out, but they said blind people weren't allowed to
work in the shops. They assigned me an inmate walker to guide me around
instead of letting me use a white cane or teaching me how to navigate
myself. Then they made me share a cell with him and he stole from me
because I was blind and couldn't see my things. He assaulted me because I
bumped into his TV, and I couldn't defend myself. And I had to depend on
him for everything-going out of my cell, reading mail or rules, writing
medical slips. I even had to pay him to write the medical slip to get help
for the injuries he gave me. But they still would not give me a single
cell. Later, when my MS acted up, no one would write a medical slip for me,
so I was paralyzed in my bed overnight. Inmates I had to pay to read my
mail for me even went after my family. One threatened to hook up with my
mother because, while he was reading my mail, he saw a picture of her.
Another wrote obscene letters to my little sister because he got her
picture and address from reading my mail. I couldn't ask them to write
grievances about themselves, even if I could have afforded to, and the
computers in the library weren't accessible for the blind, so I couldn't do
anything. I was mentally abused and powerless, and it changed me. It made
me depressed. I was scared and frightened all the time. And it's hard to
cope when you are a grown man and you have to depend on someone else,
another inmate, to help you, and he's just taking advantage of you."
Messages of Joy:
I have compiled a short book of my favorite scriptures on joy. This
book is about twenty pages, and I hope it will be a blessing to you. It is
available in grade one Braille, grade two US Braille, and grade two Unified
English Braille. The cost is $12, including shipping.
Please call or email me to order this book. My phone number is 804-
328-1831, and my email is luv2beasinger1 at gmail.com
Blind Employee Sues Los Angeles County for Discrimination:
National Federation of the Blind Supports Sharon Watson in Fight for Her
Legal Rights
For Sharon Watson, a blind licensed clinical social worker with the
Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health since 2004, it was bad
enough that the county deployed software-the Integrated Behavioral Health
Information System ("IBHIS")-that wouldn't work with her text-to-speech
screen reader in 2014. The department has made matters even worse by
refusing to provide Dr. Watson with a dedicated, qualified reader to help
her complete the administrative tasks that she can no longer accomplish
independently. And to add insult to injury, Ms. Watson has faced
discriminatory accusations related to her job performance, even though her
alleged low productivity has been caused by the county's failures to
accommodate her disability.
After trying to resolve the situation with the county for the past
five years, Ms. Watson filed suit this week in the United States District
Court for the Central District of California. Her lawsuit alleges
violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the California Fair Employment and Housing
Act. Ms. Watson seeks a court order requiring the county to provide her
with a qualified reader with the sole or prioritized task of assisting her,
declaring that the county has violated state and federal law by deploying
the inaccessible IBHIS system, and awarding her compensatory and punitive
damages as well as attorneys' fees. She is being represented by Anna R.
Levine and Timothy R. Elder of the TRE Legal Practice, with the support of
the National Federation of the Blind.
"The National Federation of the Blind is dedicated to promoting
accessible technology in the workplace and beyond and to fighting for the
legal rights of blind employees," said Mark Riccobono, President of the
National Federation of the Blind. "We will not tolerate a situation in
which Los Angeles County deploys inaccessible technology, refuses to
accommodate a blind employee affected by that unlawful decision, and then
threatens her career and livelihood by blaming her for problems of its own
making."
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.
APH Cassette Recorder Wanted:
I am looking for an APH recorder that plays and records four track
cassettes. If anyone has one of these they can part with, please call
Ronnie Palmer at 615-765-7375.
----------
NFB Pledge
I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National
Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for
the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to
abide by its constitution.
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