[Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, May 2020
Brian Buhrow
buhrow at nfbcal.org
Wed May 6 14:56:20 PDT 2020
BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 63, No. 5 May 2020
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
email address: nfb at nfb.org
website address: http://www.nfb.org
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National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998
THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE
CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE
EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES
BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT;
BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND-IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR
OURSELVES.
ISSN 0006-8829
© 2020 by the National Federation of the Blind
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Vol. 63, No. 5 May
2020
Contents
Join the Virtual 2020 NFB Convention
Federationism in the Time of the Coronavirus
by Chris Danielsen
A Timely Gift from a Talented and Generous Author
by Jonathan Mosen
Counseling and Coronavirus: A Perspective on Well-Being
by Candice Chapman and Jeannie Massay
Our Social Committee for Staff is Still Hard at Work
by The Social Committee
The NFB of Colorado Takes the Distancing Out of Social Distancing
by Jessica Beecham
Math that Feels Good: Enabling Sighted and Blind People to Share the
Mathematical Experience by Al Maneki
Steve Benson Dies
by Barbara Pierce
Doing What's Necessary
by Stephen O. Benson
Across Three Continents and Generations, A Candle of Hope is Ignited
by Syed Rizvi
A Taboo Topic for People Who are Blind...Hearing Loss *Gasp*
by Marsha Drenth
Learning to Lead One Step at a Time
by Brittany Ingram
Owning Your Voice
by Nina Marranca
The Blessed Blind Big Brother
by Shawn Callaway
Blueprint for Learning
by Stephen O. Benson
Recipes
Monitor Miniatures
Join the Virtual 2020 NFB Convention
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the annual
convention of the National Federation of the Blind, originally scheduled
for Houston, Texas, from July 14-19, is going virtual. Celebrating its 80th
year, the organized blind movement is delighted to take this opportunity to
connect blind Americans for the largest gathering of the blind in history!
The 2020 National Convention will include most of the elements
conventioneers expect, with some new twists. Members are requested and non-
members are invited to register at no cost for the convention in order to
get access to exclusive offers, convention announcements, door prizes, and
other content. But, not so fast! Where do we send door prizes? Send door
prizes to National Federation of the Blind, Attention: Convention - FS, 200
East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. Remember that you must register to
be eligible, so don't miss out.
Registration for the convention, as well as details of the convention
schedule and logistics as they become available, can be found at
www.nfb.org/convention.
Those who booked convention reservations at the Hilton Americas or the
Marriott Marquis in Houston will receive a full refund of any room deposit
collected. The hotel will contact you no later than May 1 to confirm the
amount to be credited. (Please be patient and wait to hear from the hotels;
they are severely understaffed during the coronavirus crisis.) Similarly,
if you previously registered for the 2020 convention online or through the
mail, you will be contacted about your registration fees and banquet ticket
purchases.
Mark your calendars for July 14-19, and plan to connect with your
Federation family across the country. Additionally, as local conditions
permit, Federation affiliates will organize in-person gatherings in
conjunction with convention events to enhance the convention experience.
The 2020 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will connect
blind Americans from anywhere and build opportunities everywhere. Make
plans to be a part of it, and join the largest gathering of the blind
anywhere!
Register for 2020 National Convention
Registrations must be postmarked by May 31. Please register online at
www.nfb.org/registration, or complete and mail all requested information on
the form below to: National Federation of the Blind, Attn: Convention
Registration, 200 E. Wells Street at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, MD 21230.
Registrant Name: __________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________________
City: _________________________ State: ________________ Zip: _______
Phone: ____- ____-______ Email: ____________________________________
Upon registering for the 2020 National Convention, more information
regarding the various formats and agenda will be provided as soon as it is
available. While registration is free, we welcome and encourage donations
to support our ongoing work to protect the rights of all blind Americans.
Please note that the most up-to-date information will be available at
nfb.org/convention. If you have questions, please contact nfb at nfb.org or
call 410-659-9314. We look forward to your participation.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Chris Danielsen]
Federationism in the Time of the Coronavirus
by Chris Danielsen
From the Editor: Chris Danielsen is the director of public relations
for the National Federation of the Blind, but that one line cannot begin to
convey who he is, what he does, and how very lucky we are to have him. In
the midst of this coronavirus pandemic, Chris has managed to outline almost
everything we are doing without making it so detailed that it would be
tiring to read and fail in its attempt to give an overview that hints at
and gives information as to where more detail can be had.
Everything we are doing, from the live online presidential release
with more than eight-hundred participants, to the affiliate activities that
combine education, physical fitness workouts, and just a chance for some
socialization and sharing among friends demonstrates what family members do
to reach out and help other family members. Here is one of the finest
articles I have ever been privileged to help in publishing:
Whatever else may yet happen in the year 2020, it has already seen
its defining event: the pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus, which
causes a respiratory disease imaginatively named coronavirus disease 2019
(COVID-19). Despite the clinical blandness of its name, this illness is not
to be belittled. At this writing there are over 369,000 cases in the United
States alone, resulting in over 11,000 deaths, as well as nearly 1.5
million cases worldwide with a death toll of over 76,000. That is why a
virus that some originally hoped would be confined to the discreet
geographical location where it was identified late last year has upended
the lives of virtually everyone in our nation. The way that we all work,
learn, and socialize has dramatically changed, with most of us staying in
our homes and venturing out as little as possible in order to slow the
spread of the virus.
Although the disease is killing only a fraction of the people who get
it, many of whom experience only mild cold or flu symptoms if any, that
number is nonetheless staggering, as is the number of people who experience
symptoms that are serious enough to require hospitalization. Therefore, the
vast majority of state governments have ordered increasingly tight
restrictions on human activity, shutting down many businesses entirely,
while limiting the scope of others and requiring everyone who can to work
from home. The order also extends to emptying primary and secondary schools
as well as college and university campuses. These orders have devastated
our economy, taken investments and retirement plans on a roller-coaster
ride, dramatically increased unemployment, overwhelmed our healthcare
system, turned grocery shopping into competitive hoarding, and stretched
the capacity of broadband internet connections, to name just a few results.
In short, there is not an individual, a business, or an organization
that is not affected by this serious and frightening outbreak, and that
very much includes the National Federation of the Blind. Fortunately, our
movement continues to demonstrate the love, hope, determination, and
resilience that have always been a part of who we are and how we operate.
With the steady and strong leadership of President Riccobono and our
National Federation of the Blind Board of Directors, as well as our
affiliate, chapter, and division leaders combined with the efforts of
countless members, we have done our part to slow the spread of the disease,
rallied to address the unique affects the crisis has on blind people, and
found innovative ways to continue our work and grow our movement during
this difficult and anxious time.
As the seriousness and scope of the coronavirus pandemic became
apparent in mid-March, the National Federation of the Blind quickly took
action to do our part in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Although we had
originally proposed cautious guidelines for holding traditional meetings as
late as March 11, it became clear the next day that our initial measures
needed to evolve. On that day, March 12, 2020, Maryland's governor and
others across the nation closed schools and issued further restrictions on
public gatherings. So, on March 13, the board of directors met and issued a
directive that all in-person Federation meetings at the national,
affiliate, and local level be immediately canceled or postponed. This
includes state conventions, local chapter meetings, division meetings,
fundraisers, and other events. Originally planned to be in effect until
Easter, this directive was later extended to May 31 or whenever federal,
state, and/or local social distancing restrictions are lifted, whichever is
later.
The following week, a third of the staff of the NFB Jernigan
Institute was shifted to emergency telework, both to accommodate specific
health and personal needs and to prepare should further restrictions
require our headquarters to be shut down entirely. On March 23, Maryland
Governor Larry J. Hogan issued an order that, in President Riccobono's
judgment, required us to close the NFB Jernigan Institute at 5 p.m. that
day. As mentioned, however, the infrastructure had already been put in
place for most staff to work remotely, so, with a few exceptions, the work
of the national staff began again the next morning and has continued ever
since. As always, this work follows the direction of our national elected
leaders and serves the needs of our affiliates, chapters, and members
across our movement.
It was clear from the outset that one of the most critical needs
during this crisis would be timely and accessible information about the
COVID-19 pandemic. Communications staff at the Jernigan Institute quickly
put together a list of resources, both from within and outside the
Federation. That list is still being updated and is available at
www.nfb.org/covid19. NFB-NEWSLINE was also ramped up to meet the emergency.
Blind people in all fifty states, DC, and Puerto Rico can access current
outbreak statistics and breaking news articles about the pandemic,
regardless of whether NFB-NEWSLINE is sponsored in their area.
While national-level information and breaking news are critical, most
decisions in response to the pandemic are being made at the state and local
level. Accordingly, affiliates also began immediately developing and
distributing their own collections of resources for publication on their
websites and disseminating to every blind person they can find. In addition
to identifying local and statewide information and resources, our
affiliates are directly assisting blind people with critical needs like
finding volunteers to drive them to medical appointments or to deliver
groceries or prescriptions. Our nationwide network has never been more
critical to meeting the needs of blind people, especially those who are
vulnerable due to age, underlying health conditions, or physical isolation
exacerbated by the limited availability of public transportation and ride-
sharing options. Therefore, as previously mentioned, our imperative is to
find and help as many blind people as possible, without regard to their
membership in the Federation.
Our Utah affiliate developed a list of resources and set up a
conference call to discuss strategic action, including the Utah Council of
the Blind and others in the effort. The National Federation of the Blind of
Colorado worked with the Colorado Center for the Blind to set up a hotline
for all blind Coloradans who have questions or need assistance. The Texas
affiliate is working with Lions clubs in rural areas of that vast state to
recruit volunteers who will help get groceries, medicine, and other
critical supplies to blind people who need them. The National Federation of
the Blind of Maryland started a coronavirus fund to help unemployed blind
people get essential supplies. These are just a few examples of the actions
our affiliates are taking to address the needs of blind people across our
nation in this time of need.
Our advocacy and policy team is closely monitoring federal
legislation that is intended to relieve the economic distress that the
pandemic is causing. This legislation will of course benefit blind people
in many ways, but it may harm us, intentionally or unintentionally, in
others. For example, an early legislative alert called our members to
action to stop a Senate proposal that the requirements of the Individuals
with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) be completely waived during the
crisis. As a result of members contacting their senators, the waiver
language was watered down to require only a study by the secretary of
education to recommend whether any limited waivers should be authorized. We
will continue to monitor developments in this area. We are also urging
Congress to adopt provisions that will specifically help blind people deal
with the setbacks the pandemic is causing. Randolph-Sheppard vendors, for
example, will suffer ever-increasing hardship if Congress does not take
action to support them, so our National Association of Blind Merchants
initiated a letter-writing campaign to ask Congress for an appropriation to
support the Randolph-Sheppard program. In addition, we are pushing for the
incorporation of our Access Technology Affordability Act into COVID-19
relief legislation so that blind people can acquire the technology they may
need in order to work from home or change jobs. We signed on to a cross-
disability letter urging healthcare providers to avoid using low
expectations and unfounded misconceptions about the lives of people with
disabilities in making critical-care decisions. More information about
public policy as it affects blind people during the outbreak is available
at nfb.org/covid19.
In addition to these nationwide efforts, our affiliates are working
closely with state rehabilitation agencies, departments of transportation,
health and safety agencies, and the like to ensure that blind people in
their jurisdictions have access to the services and supports they need.
Online accessibility is always a primary focus of our activities, but
it is especially important during this time of social distancing. Public
schools, colleges, and universities have closed their physical facilities
and moved to online learning. We know that access to course-management
platforms, accessible textbooks, and other materials is uneven to say the
very least. To combat this problem, we immediately launched an initiative
called #AccessibleNow to identify problems and to urge schools at all
levels to be proactive in meeting the needs of blind students. One of the
first components of this initiative was a Twitter chat that brought
together advocates, teachers, and blind students to discuss ways to improve
accessibility and accommodate students during the crisis. An email address,
accessiblenow at nfb.org, has been set up so that blind people can inform us
of barriers in education and beyond. Other accessibility issues that blind
people are facing include difficulty in applying for unemployment benefits,
small-business assistance, and other services that states are offering in
order to mitigate the devastating economic effects of mass business
closures. State and local COVID-19 response directives and other
information may also be inaccessible. The National Federation of the Blind
is combatting these problems at all levels.
While COVID-19 brings many challenges, it also presents opportunities
to reach out to more blind people. Early in our response efforts, President
Riccobono announced that any affiliate that wanted one would be given
access to a Zoom Pro account. Zoom is a powerful and popular audio-and-
video conferencing service that has been used at the NFB Jernigan Institute
for some time now. It is especially useful to our movement because it is
highly accessible. Many affiliates and divisions are taking full advantage
of Zoom not only for the conduct of virtual NFB business meetings, but also
to hold trainings, seminars, philosophy discussions, or just virtual social
gatherings.
With coordination and leadership from the NFB Jernigan Institute, a
distance education plan has been developed to provide blind children and
their parents with home-based activities covering Braille, independent
living, STEM subjects, arts and crafts, and more. This will help replace
some of the one-on-one instruction that blind children are not receiving
from teachers of blind students while schools are closed. The access
technology team will offer weekly "accessibility boutiques" to train
information technology workers and others on accessibility principles,
expanding a program of our Center for Excellence in Nonvisual Access that
until now primarily benefited people living and working in the Baltimore
area.
All of these activities are open to blind people, parents of blind
children, and other interested individuals whether or not they are members.
We are intentionally connecting with people we did not know previously and
who may never have attended a Federation event due to transportation
issues, health concerns, or other factors. It seems highly likely that we
will see substantial growth in our organization.
It is often said that a crisis is a time of challenge but also one of
hope and opportunity. No doubt, blind people and the National Federation of
the Blind will face additional challenges because of COVID-19. In addition
to those mentioned above, for example, we will need to be particularly
mindful of our financial situation because of the economic contraction that
is occurring, and the monetary contributions of those who can make them
will be more critical than ever. At the same time, we are expanding our
existing capabilities, learning new ways of doing things, and reaching new
potential members and partners. As we plan our first-ever virtual
convention, all of those processes will continue. There is every reason to
believe that, as we have in the past, we will emerge from this crisis
stronger and more resilient than ever. Let's connect and protect blind
people during the time of the coronavirus, and let's go build the
Federation.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jonathan Mosen]
A Timely Gift from a Talented and Generous Author
by Jonathan Mosen
From the Editor: Jonathan Mosen is a well-known name. He has had
articles in the Braille Monitor with some frequency, has had a lot of
visibility in his work with HumanWare, Vispero, and Aira, and is
appreciated for several books he has written that make the iPhone and other
devices much more useful to those not technically suited to read a manual
or lengthy help file. Jonathan is without doubt an activist, and he intends
to do good in the world. Here is just one manifestation of the spirit that
drives this man's life work:
Kia ora [be safe] everyone, from a beautiful Wellington, New Zealand.
As many of you know, I'm now CEO of a national organization here in
New Zealand. I'm no longer developing Mosen Consulting projects, but I keep
titles available as long as they remain relevant. Occasionally, I check in
to see what we have sold through our automated system. Having just done
this, I have noticed a sharp increase in the number of people buying my
audiobook on Zoom Cloud Meetings, Meet Me Accessibly, which is a three-hour
description of how to use Zoom on a range of platforms with a screen
reader. There has been a very sharp spike in sales in just the last few
days. Clearly, this is because more people are already working from home or
are preparing to do so.
I do not feel comfortable profiting from a need people have during a
crisis that is unprecedented in living memory. If people need access to the
material at a time like this, I can afford to give it away especially since
Mosen Consulting is no longer my primary means of making a living. I have
therefore refunded in full everyone who has purchased Meet Me Accessibly
during March and made it free on the website. You are welcome to download
it free and distribute it anywhere you want. The only thing I ask is that
you please not change any of the files and that it be distributed in full.
Download it free from http://mosen.org/zoom
I hope this helps in some small way during a very tough time for many.
There is no sugar coating the fact that we are living through a very
difficult period in history. But, if we follow quality advice, including
regular handwashing and levels of isolation appropriate for the degree of
outbreak in our country, we'll get through it. Let's all do our best to
stay safe, be mindful of the safety of others, and be kind.
Take care,
Jonathan
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Candice Chapman]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jeannie Massay]
Counseling and Coronavirus: A Perspective on Well-Being
by Candice Chapman and Jeannie Massay
From the Editor: Much of what we read today about the coronavirus
quite correctly focuses on what we can do to stay physically safe. On the
hierarchy of needs, that has to be placed at the top. But we also know that
this kind of social isolation is not normal, and in order to be mentally
healthy as well as physically okay, we need to think about strategies to
keep us feeling as well as we can.
This article comes from two wonderful counselors. Candace Chapman is
a former scholarship winner and now serves on the Scholarship Committee.
She is close to completing her doctorate in counseling. Jeannie Massay is
also working on her doctorate. Both of these women are actively involved in
practicing, their sessions occurring virtually instead of physically.
Although this is written in first person, as they request, keep in mind
that both of them concur in the opinions expressed. Here's what they say:
Just when you think you've got life all figured out, coronavirus comes
along and makes a mockery of your carefully laid plans. Seriously, who
could have seen a global pandemic coming? Certainly not me. However, if
being a member of a helping profession has taught me anything about life,
it's that if you aren't facing one challenge, you're facing another. This
knowledge gives me comfort, because just as I've overcome other challenges,
I stand a good chance to overcome this one. Just as in any other
challenging time in life, I'm relying upon the skills and strategies that I
practice myself and with my clients to stay positive, healthy, and
relatively happy. I hope that by sharing a few of these things with you,
you find some peace and comfort in these strange days. After all, this is
one of the most universal challenges that I can recall.
Establish a Routine
I know, I know. You're probably reading this going, "Thank you,
next!" Go with me here. People need structure in their lives; some more
than others. In times of difficulty and uncertainty, having structure can
often lead to peace of mind. Whether you're working from home or completing
online classes or trying to get out of your Netflix slump, establishing a
routine can be a way to preserve your mental health. I've been working from
home, so in order to maintain motivation, I "go to work." This simply means
I get up in the morning and prepare for my day as if I'm going to commute
to a building other than my home. So, I get up, complete my morning
routine, and then go to the space that I have designated in my home as
"work." I do everything in that space that I would do on a regular basis.
Whatever your current activities include, try designating spaces that mimic
life before corona. Replicating your regular routine will inject a sense of
normalcy that people, myself included, can appreciate. Maintaining your
normal routines can help keep depression and anxiety at bay. You may find
that you have a heightened sense of depression, anxiety, or both during
this uncertain time. This is absolutely normal. Make sure that you are
adding in more contact with friends and family in whatever ways that you
can. Establishing this as a part of your routine can make life a lot
better. If you find yourself feeling more depressed or anxious than usual,
try limiting the amount of media that you take in. There is news, but much
of it is constantly rehashing. If you hear this enough or it is
predominately what you hear, the world feels like it is limited only to the
virus. Don't let yourself be fooled and be hooked into this single track in
your thinking and feelings.
Exercise
Ah, I see you're more on board with this one. Whether you like it or
not, exercise is beneficial, not only for your physical health, but also
your mental health. You feel good, your mind is clear, and energy is
available in heaps. The other great thing about exercise is that it comes
in so many different forms. Whether it's taking a safe, socially distant
walk around your neighborhood or finding a routine on-line that you like
and burning calories in your living room, exercise is a good way to stay
healthy in both mind and body. I have personally enjoyed following an
exercise routine from one of my favorite professional dancers on Instagram.
I encourage you to get creative and search out something that makes
exercise enjoyable. One other thing to keep in mind: exercising outside
comes with the added bonus of vitamin D, which is also good for solid
health and positive mood. Sunshine is good for the soul!
Meditation and Mindfulness Activities
I have to admit, this is one of my personal favorites when it comes
to staying calm and healthy no matter what the circumstance. It's easy
enough to find a nice meditation app to follow along with, or you can find
a guide online and create your own. As with apps, there are tons of guides
available on the web, and just like with the exercise routine, find one
that works for you. Another great thing about meditation is that you can
combine it with lots of other activities that are also good for overall
well-being. I have found that yoga and meditation is one of the most
pleasant, relaxing self-care combinations I have in my self-care tool kit.
Some of the more well-known apps that focus on mindfulness and meditation
are Headspace, Sanvello, and Stop, Breathe & Think. When checking out
YouTube or internet searches for mindfulness or meditation, be patient. You
may not particularly enjoy every video you encounter. However, keep looking
until you find one that you will use and that you enjoy.
Aromatherapy Play-Doh
This activity is one that I first came across while preparing a
presentation on effective self-care activities for counselors. This
activity can use homemade Play-Doh, or the kind you can purchase at the
store. Once you've either purchased your Play-Doh or made some, find your
favorite essential oils, combine the scents you like, and add a few drops
to the Play-Doh. This aromatherapy Play-Doh is the gift that keeps on
giving. When you squeeze the Play-Doh, it acts in a similar way to a stress
ball, the oils are activated and you get their effect through your sense of
smell, and finally you have the scents from your oil selections on your
hands so that you can experience the positive effects long after you've
stored your Play-Doh.
Eat with Intentionality
Since we are somewhat stuck at home, it might be easy to just graze
through meals without thinking about eating regularly. Try to pay attention
to what and when you are eating. Making sure that you are getting good
nutrition not only helps your brain work better, but it also helps with
emotional regulation. Eat a variety of foods including sources of protein,
vegetables, fruits, and grains. I'm not saying don't add in a cookie or
brownie occasionally, because, hey, they're delicious! They should be
supplemental rather than the bulk of your intake for any given day.
Sleep
I know, you are probably thinking "Really?" and the response is
"Absolutely!" Maintaining a good sleep schedule is important to brain
health and emotional regulation. Our brains actually rid themselves of
neurotoxins while we sleep so that we can better function the next day.
While many of us are out of our normal routines, it is really important to
get the right amount of sleep and to establish a routine around sleep. That
means getting up at approximately the same time each day and going to bed
at approximately the same time each night. Try to unplug from your phone,
tablet, television or other activities that are stimulating about thirty
minutes before you go to bed. If you are having trouble getting to sleep,
the meditation and relaxation exercises that you have already checked out
will come in handy here.
There are tons of resources available to help you through this time of
uncertainty and confusion, and this is by no means comprehensive. I simply
have shared some of the most relevant things in my life and the lives of
those with whom I work. I'll leave you with one final thought: you are not
alone in this struggle. It's important to always remember that we are in
this together.
----------
Our Social Committee for Staff is Still Hard at Work
by The Social Committee
From the Editor: The staff at the National Federation of the Blind
Jernigan Institute is a positive, hardworking group. Part of staying
positive is to make an intentional effort to bolster staff morale. This is
the reason we have a social committee, and when the first Thursday came
around and all of us found ourselves working from home, the social
committee still found a way to reach out and encourage. Here is what they
sent to the staff on March 26:
Good afternoon, cooped-up colleagues,
This is a community service message from your social committee. Things
you should NOT do during the coronavirus pandemic:
Do not decide to Feng Shui your living room (you could pull your back
out.)
Do not kiss your Peapod driver because he found you some toilet paper.
Do not take up cooking now (your family will thank you later.)
Do not cut your own hair.
Do not chase your cat because you want cuddle time (you will REALLY
regret it.)
Do not tell your almost eighty-year-old mother that you are going to
start getting her groceries. (She looks confused, shocked, and then
mad all in a span of five seconds. Then she says "Girl, have you
completely lost your mind. You most certainly will not be doing
that!") True story.
We hope you have enjoyed this dose of levity and information courtesy
of the social committee!! We want you all to know that we are here for you
if you need us, just reach out.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jessica Beecham]
The NFB of Colorado Takes the Distancing Out of Social Distancing
by Jessica Beecham
From the Editor: Some people have it all: brains, talent, physical
attractiveness, and the ability to make a room light up whenever they
enter. All of this could be said about Jessica, but the thing I admire most
is that none of this makes any difference in the way that she approaches
each and every person she meets. She is not falsely modest, but neither is
she full of herself. She is a winner, and for those of us who get the
opportunity to be around her, she makes us feel like winners as well.
Her most recent assignment is taking charge of coordinating the
efforts of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado to take the
distance out of social distancing and replace isolation with stimulation.
Here is the article she has written about the efforts her affiliate has
made, and let us all be thankful for what they are doing and for what other
affiliates around the country are doing as well.
In March, COVID-19, which had been rearing its ugly head in the media
for weeks, suddenly struck society hard and fast. Many states began seeing
their first positive COVID-19 cases. Within the span of just over a week,
the sizes of recommended group gatherings went from fifty, to ten, to five,
to shelter in place and see only those who live in your home. Many of us
were deemed "non-essential" and were not allowed to attend work or had to
switch gears and adopt a work-from-home model. Others, we who were deemed
"essential" went to work in fear that we would contract this deadly virus
or potentially carry it home to our vulnerable family members. Students and
teachers alike scrambled to switch to virtual learning platforms. Medical
professionals scurried to secure testing supplies, ventilators, and
protective gear. Maybe most notably, stores across the nation hustled to
keep up with the mysteriously increasing demand for toilet paper.
While the whole country was taken by storm, members of the National
Federation of the Blind quickly began to realize that this crisis would
affect our members in unique ways. Grocery stores began to refuse to
provide shopping assistants due to lack of staff. Taking public transit
made adhering to social distancing guidance increasingly more difficult.
Medication and grocery deliveries were significantly delayed. People who
did get grocery deliveries were only receiving a portion of the items they
actually asked for. Students struggled with inaccessible learning
platforms. Blind people had to be concerned with whether we could get
tested for COVID-19 at drive-up facilities. Even more concerning was the
idea that if we fell ill and ended up hospitalized, would our medical needs
be deprioritized because of our blindness. In true Federation fashion, the
National Federation of the Blind stepped up and swiftly began addressing
these issues. While we do not claim to have most or all of the answers, the
National Federation of the Blind of Colorado has been working hard to do
our part.
Starting with the goal of continuing to serve blind people throughout
the state to the best of our ability, we developed a two-pronged strategy.
The first prong was to build a network to assist blind Coloradoans with
meeting essential needs like getting groceries, picking up prescriptions,
and finding rides to critical destinations. We recruited volunteers through
social media, leadership groups, and Lions across the state. We then began
matching blind people with volunteers through our hotline 303-778-1130,
extension 219 and email address assistance at nfbco.org. We used volunteers
from affiliate, chapter, and division leadership to call members as well as
people on the free white cane and slate and stylus lists just to check in
and make sure that their needs were being met. So far, we have gotten
tremendous feedback all around.
When asked to pick up groceries for an individual with type II
diabetes who felt unsafe going to the store, one volunteer responded,
"Thank you so much for thinking of me." Another volunteer wrote a letter to
his leadership group after giving one of our members a ride to dialysis to
say how rewarding it was to get out and help others during this time. He
urged other members of the group to register as volunteers.
One of our members said, "I was so stressed out about how I was going
to get my groceries. I did not know what to do. I almost cried with relief
when I was matched with a volunteer." Another individual shared that when
she had to move suddenly and unexpectedly that it would have been way too
overwhelming for her to manage without the assistance of one of our
volunteers.
Maureen Nietfeld, who spearheaded the hotline said that "It has been a
win-win situation. We have been able to assist blind people in getting the
critical help that they need, and our volunteers have felt more centered
through serving others during this time when we all feel so helpless and
vulnerable."
Our second goal was to unite our members around educational workshops
to decrease the feelings of isolation, help blind people live the lives we
want, and to seize this unique and unprecedented opportunity to build the
National Federation of the Blind. Each evening at 5 p.m. mountain time, we
host an educational workshop. Topics have run the gamut from weekly staples
like "Workout Wednesday" and "Philosophy Friday" to other items of interest
including accessible gaming; guide dogs; tech toys: the good, the bad, and
the ugly; essential oils 101; and much more.
In one of our "Philosophy Friday" calls, President Mark Riccobono
shared his thoughts on what it means to live the life you want. When one
individual shared that he tried and tried and never was able to get his
foot in the door to find a job and expressed that for him living the life
he wants would be financial freedom, President Riccobono very eloquently
explained that in part, our message is aspirational. Even if things are not
perfect now, we work hard to make them better for the next generation of
blind people.
In another call we discussed sighted privilege. Long-time
Federationists and non-members alike discussed "sighted privilege" and how
this impacts our movement. Long-time Federationist Jim Gashel says he is
"violently opposed" to the use of this terminology. He feels that it takes
away from the idea of blindness as a characteristic. At the same time,
others shared that the idea of "sighted privilege" was powerful in helping
them express something they have felt and experienced but had not worded
quite the same way.
We invited people from across the country to join us for these calls.
Before each workshop begins, all participants are unmuted, and we have a
lot of fun getting to know one another. Scott LaBarre, president of the
National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, said "While we are practicing
physical distancing in Colorado, we are certainly not practicing social
distancing. The Colorado affiliate is using this opportunity to grow closer
than ever; our efforts are allowing us to find new blind people, and the
National Federation of the Blind of Colorado is grateful for this
opportunity to serve."
To explore their online offering, send your request and your email
address to jbbeecham at gmail.com.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Al Maneki]
Math that Feels Good:
Enabling Sighted and Blind People to Share the Mathematical Experience
by Al Maneki
From the Editor: Al Maneki is a living legend. He has gone where few
blind people have gone before, into the field of mathematics, and beyond
this, he thinks it is a field in which more blind people should be
involved. He knows technology and the software sighted people use to
perform all of the mathematical functions required to be a skilled
mathematician. He continuously presses the National Federation of the Blind
to be a leading force in the incremental steps required to give us full
access to the tools of science, technology, engineering, art, and
mathematics. He is quick to credit the efforts of others in the work that
he does, and this you will clearly see in his article. Here it is:
Author's note: I want to begin this article by acknowledging the
valuable assistance of fellow team member Karen Herstein, who verified most
of the facts and citations given here. I also want to thank the other
members of the Nemeth Braille translation team: Martha Siegel, Alexei S.
Kolesnikov, Rob Beezer, and Volker Sorge, for reviewing the first draft and
making suggestions. I also want to thank David Farmer, director of
programs, and the American Institute of Mathematics, for its support and
assistance with our work on Nemeth Braille translation. As the author of
this article I assume full responsibility for any errors,
misrepresentations, and oversights. Readers who wish to contact me may do
so by email, apmaneki at earthlink.net. - Al Maneki
The Beginning
The press release issued by the American Institute of Mathematics
(AIM) on January 16, 2020, said in part:
Mathematics and science Braille textbooks are expensive and require an
enormous effort to produce-until now. A team of researchers has
developed a method for easily creating textbooks in Braille, with an
initial focus on mathematics textbooks. The new process is made
possible by a new authoring system which serves as a "universal
translator" for textbook formats, combined with enhancements to the
standard method for putting mathematics in a web page. Basing the new
work on established systems will ensure that the production of Braille
textbooks will become easy, inexpensive, and widespread.
This press release was issued in conjunction with the annual Joint
Mathematics Meetings (JMM) of the American Mathematical Society (AMS),
Mathematical Association of America (MAA), and several other professional
mathematics organizations. There was a special session at this year's JMM,
held in Denver, on open educational resources. A one-hour portion of this
session was devoted to talks by me and two of our team members on the
progress we have made so far. We will have more to say about AIM later in
this article.
The work described in this press release has been taking place quietly
but with considerable NFB involvement since 2017. Given the considerable
progress that has been made to date, the overwhelmingly positive response
to this press release and to our JMM talks from both the mathematics and
the blind communities, this is the right moment to inform readers of this
magazine about this effort. Let me emphasize here that it is still too
early for anyone to expect that mathematics textbooks can be produced on
demand and delivered promptly.
For a very long time the development of an easy, inexpensive, and
widely used piece of software to convert printed mathematics texts into
Nemeth Braille has been considered the Holy Grail of providing mathematics
textbooks to blind students. Marc Maurer, the Immediate Past President,
told me that years ago, he asked Abraham Nemeth and Tim Cranmer to work on
automated Nemeth Braille translation software. This was to no avail. Both
leading technology giants of that day did not take up Dr. Maurer's request.
Anyone who has experienced the pleasure of learning mathematics from a
hard copy Braille text can tell you how much simpler the learning process
and self-discovery can be. By keeping the fingers of one hand on an initial
calculation and by keeping the fingers of the other hand on a concluding
calculation, one can mull over the sequence of calculations that leads from
the first one to the final one. In the case of logical arguments, one can
mull over the sequence of logical steps that would lead from an initial
proposition to a conclusion. To save textbook space and to challenge
reader's mathematical abilities, textbook authors will frequently leave out
this intermediate material. Hard copy format of a mathematical text gives
the reader the necessary time to think about the material and fill in the
details left by the author to the readers.
In the case of tactile diagrams, a reader may use both hands to
explore the patterns and the relationships displayed by the entire diagram.
This type of exploration is simply not possible when a diagram is described
verbally. A verbal rendering of a diagram may introduce the describer's own
interpretations of that diagram, depriving the listener of the opportunity
for self-discovery of that diagram's content. This is not to say that the
use of refreshable Braille displays has no place in mathematics. We will
have more to say about refreshable Braille displays later in this article.
The Back Story
Our story begins with Natalie Shaheen, the project director for the
National Federation of the Blind's Spatial Ability and Blind Engineering
Research Project and the program director for the associated NFB EQ summer
programs, undertaking her doctoral studies at Towson University under Dr.
Jonathan Lazar. As Martha Siegel, professor emerita, Department of
Mathematics, Towson University, tells it, Shaheen and Lazar discussed the
difficulties and delays in obtaining a Braille textbook for a required
statistics course. This tale of woe is well known to many of us. Lazar
suggested that Shaheen take this matter up with Siegel.
The outcome of this conversation was an enraged Dr. Martha Siegel,
determined to do something about this. At this point, in early 2017, Siegel
and I had an extensive conversation and began to map out a strategy. Our
first collaboration was "Guidelines for Collegiate Faculty to Teach
Mathematics to Blind and Visually Impaired Students" which appeared in the
summer 2017 issue of Future Reflections, the NFB's quarterly publication
for Parents of Blind Children. See:
https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr36/3/fr360307.htm, or
https://www.maa.org/sites/default/files/cupm/FacultyGuidelinesForTeachingVis
uallyImpairedStudents.pdf
Siegel is the ideal spokesperson to promote our quest for the Holy
Grail of automated Braille translation software. She has boundless energy
and is totally committed to our Braille project. Siegel served as the
editor of Mathematics Magazine from 1991 to 1996 and as secretary of the
Mathematical Association of America (MAA) from 1996-2010. She was a faculty
member in the mathematics department of Towson University from 1971 until
2015, when she became professor emerita. From her extensive service, she
has many contacts in the mathematics community.
The Team and the Method
From the beginning, Siegel has held a firm mental image of how Braille
translation software might work. She realized that Braille translation from
all renditions of LaTeX and other presentation software languages would be
virtually impossible because we cannot anticipate the form and structure of
all presentation languages. Despite the overabundance of just LaTeX
versions alone, Siegel's plan was to develop a standard version of LaTeX to
provide the framework for Braille translation software. She insisted that
authors could be persuaded to write their textbooks in this standardized
LaTeX version, enabling straightforward Braille translations.
In the Summer of 2018, Siegel recruited Alexei Kolesnikov, a colleague
at Towson University. Although he had no prior experience with Braille
translation, he was very familiar with LaTeX. He realized, along with
Martha and me, that converting the words is easy: Braille is just another
alphabet. The hard part is converting the structure of the book in a
nonvisual way, converting the mathematics formulas, and converting the
graphs and diagrams. "Given the amazing technology available today, we
thought it would be easy to piece together existing tools into an automated
process," Kolesnikov said later.
Our approach to developing Braille translation software depended on
breaking up the overall problem into three distinct problems, then solving
each piece separately:
. First: The overall structure. A typical mathematics textbook uses
visual clues to indicate chapters, sections, captions, and other
landmarks. In Braille all the letters are the same size and shape, so
these structural elements are described with special symbols.
. Second: Accurately conveying complicated mathematical formulas. In
Braille, mathematics formulas are represented using the Nemeth Braille
Code. The existence of the Nemeth Braille Code simplifies the problem
of automated Braille translation for us, i.e., when the translation
software encounters a mathematical expression or formula, simply
convert it into its Nemeth equivalent.
. Third: Providing a nonvisual tactile way to represent graphs and
diagrams. The nonvisual representation of graphs and diagrams remains
a unique challenge. Many of the usual tools of presenting information
using color, thickness of a line, shading, etc., are not available in
tactile graphics. The tips of our fingers have a much lower resolution
than our eyes, so the size of the image must be bigger (yet still fit
on the Braille page). The labels that include a picture must be
translated to Braille and placed so that they do not interfere with
the drawn lines. Diagrams that show three-dimensional shapes are
particularly hard to read in a tactile format.
Our plan to develop a standardized version of LaTeX began to change when
Siegel introduced us to the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) in
January 2019, at the JMM which was held in Baltimore. AIM is an
organization devoted to advancing mathematical knowledge through
collaboration, to broadening participation in the mathematical endeavors,
and to increasing the awareness of the contributions of the mathematical
sciences to society. Since 2002 AIM has been part of the National Science
Foundation (NSF) Mathematical Sciences Institutes program.
One of the participants from AIM was Rob Beezer, a mathematics professor
at the University of Puget Sound in Washington state. His participation was
most fortunate for us. He had already developed an authoring tool which he
called PreTeXt, open-source software that contains all the properties of
the standardized version of LaTeX that we were hoping to develop.
In August 2018 Siegel and Kolesnikov initiated a call with Beezer and
David Farmer from AIM about PreTeXt. But it was the 2019 JMM where Beezer
spoke with Volker Sorge about Braille (more on Volker Sorge later in this
article). Later that day Siegel, Kolesnikov, Volker, Beezer, Farmer,
Herstein, and I gathered at a table where we were introduced to Brian
Conrey, AIM's director. Looking back, it would be fair to say that this is
when our Nemeth Braille team was formed and our collaboration with AIM was
solidified.
Beezer sees automated Braille translation software as a natural extension
of a dream he has been pursuing for several years: "We have been developing
a system for writing textbooks which automatically produces print versions
as well as online, EPUB, Jupyter, and other formats. Our mantra is 'Write
once, read anywhere.'" Beezer added Braille as an output format in his
system when we decided to use PreTeXt as our standardized file format and
authoring tool. According to Beezer's scheme, we may consider all the
Braille codes, Nemeth, music, etc., as just another presentation language
on par with EPUB, Jupyter, etc. What a novel view of Braille!
All the elements of the first problem will be handled through PreTeXt.
The non-mathematical elements in a PreTeXt file may be transferred as
inputs to Liblouis, an open-source Braille translator and back-translator.
The output BRF file for the translated mathematics textbook is created by
Liblouis.
The codes in the PreTeXt file identify the mathematical elements for us.
These elements are then inserted into a Nemeth Braille translator, and the
translated Nemeth Code is transferred into its proper positions in the BRF
file. For our Nemeth Braille translator, we are using MathJax, a standard,
open-source package for displaying mathematics formulas on web pages.
When we met Volker Sorge, a reader in scientific document analysis in the
School of Computer Science at the University of Birmingham, England, he had
already extended MathJax to produce accessible mathematics content on the
web through verbal screen readers. This MathJax accessibility was initially
introduced as part of a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation with
support from AMS and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
(SIAM). Sorge was added to our team when he agreed to extend MathJax
accessibility to include electronic Braille devices and hard copy Braille
printers. Sorge noted, "We have made great progress in having MathJax
produce accessible mathematics content on the web, so the conversion to
Braille was a natural extension of that work." Sorge is a member of the
MathJax consortium and the sole developer of Speech Rule Engine, the system
that is at the core of the Nemeth translation and provides accessibility
features in MathJax and other online tools.
When I inquired about the connection between AIM and MathJax, I got three
responses from Sorge, Farmer, and Siegel. Here are their direct quotations:
According to Sorge: "We (i.e., MathJax and Alex Jordan (mathematics
department, Portland Community College)) organized an AIM workshop on
mathematics accessibility on the web a few years ago. That's where Rob and
I started experimenting with Braille translation. But I assume most people
were aware of MathJax before that as it is the main solution to transform
and render math on the web."
According to Farmer: "I was going to say it as: AIM is not involved with
MathJax, but AIM is involved with Volker because of the workshop he co-
organized in May 2018."
According to Siegel: "And we are involved with AIM (and therefore
MathJax) because I saw that AIM had sponsored the workshop on web
accessibility for the blind, and I contacted Brian Conrey. MAA has been
recommending MathJax for a while."
Currently, we have no solutions to the third problem, i.e., the automated
generation of tactile graphs and diagrams. At best, graphs and diagrams may
be generated from PDF files and scaled to size to fit a standard 11" x
11.5" Braille sheet. Individual graphs and diagrams, once they have been
embossed, are then manually inserted into the proper positions in a Braille
volume that has already been generated from the BRF file. Alexei Kolesnikov
has done much of the work and gained valuable experience in producing
tactile graphs and diagrams. He has used a Tiger Max Braille embosser to
produce them. Converting the print labels into Braille labels also requires
an extra level of attention to details. All these difficulties will have to
be taken into consideration for us to automate textbook production
completely.
The Grant
The initial work for automated Nemeth Braille translation was funded
by a grant issued in 2019 to Towson University from the American Action
Fund for Blind Children and Adults. Under this grant, we began to develop
some of the methods for automated translation as stated in the three
problem areas. Kolesnikov downloaded a set of calculus II lecture notes
with the belief that if we could translate these notes, we would be able to
translate anything at an equivalent or lower-class level. Our translation
of the chapter on double integrals of functions over regions in these
lecture notes revealed several problems with the structure elements of
PreTeXt that were intended for Braille translation and the Nemeth
translation from MathJax. After several iterations of proofreading by
Herstein and myself, improvements and corrections were made to PreTeXt, and
some improvements were made to the MathJax Nemeth translator. I think we
have the PreTeXt translation software working quite well. But we don't have
all the features that we need in Speech Rule Engine and MathJax.
To avoid the difficulties inherent in embossing three dimensional
diagrams, we decided not to attempt a complete translation of these
calculus II lecture notes. However, we gained valuable experience in the
art and craft of automated Braille translation.
To complete work on the current grant, we began a Braille translation
of the open-source textbook, Abstract Algebra: Theory and Applications
(AATA) by Thomas W. Judson, written initially in PreTeXt. In the standard
mathematic curriculum, abstract algebra is taught at a comparable level to
or a slightly higher level than calculus II. As of this writing we have
Brailled the first five chapters, and Herstein and I are now proofreading
them. Diagrams have been produced for these five chapters. The diagrams are
accurate; but work is still needed to automate the process of producing
Braille labels and placing these labels in their proper positions, and if
necessary, providing additional text explaining what is in the diagram.
For the purposes of demonstration, we brought a Braille copy of
chapter two (with no diagrams) and a set of embossed diagrams from chapter
one (both items containing imperfections) of Judson's book to the JMM. The
other two speakers from our team were Sorge and Kolesnikov. The overall
response to our three presentations was most enthusiastic. Members of the
audience went away with a better understanding of PreTeXt, Nemeth Braille,
and the importance of hard copy Braille textbooks for blind and visually
impaired students. They sympathized with and supported the need for
PreTeXt. However, in addition to the target audience at JMM, we must
develop a greater appreciation for PreTeXt and Nemeth in the overall
mathematics community. This was the very reason for AIM's press release at
this time. The challenges of getting more textbooks authored in PreTeXt are
immense. There is the matter of inertia. Authors are accustomed to doing
what they have always done. Too often they don't want to learn anything
new. Textbook publishers must also buy into PreTeXt so that they will be
willing to mass produce books from PreTeXt files.
Now What?
Despite the overwhelming difficulties inherent in the
PreTeXt/Liblious/MathJax (PLM) approach to automatic translation, this is
our best strategy for getting Braille books produced rapidly. Eventually,
this approach can be made to work for books in all scholarly fields,
especially those involving heavy use of footnotes. While direct Braille
translations from presentation languages, such as LaTeX, may be desirable,
there seems to be the universal belief that Braille translation from any
presentation language is impractical. Since all textbooks written in any
presentation language contains so much code that is irrelevant to Braille,
the process of extracting the relevant material for Braille is daunting.
For this reason, there have been virtually no successful efforts at
translation from presentation language files.
In today's learning and research environment, downloading and
uploading of mathematical content to the web is absolutely essential.
Although many limitations are imposed using one-line refreshable Braille
displays, these are the only devices we have for web communications. We
will use them until better refreshable Braille displays become available.
We must continue to insist that all mathematical materials on the web are
nonvisually accessible.
In order to simplify the PLM translation software for the average
blind or sighted user, we must improve all the software components so that
file transfers and specification of parameters are easy to perform and
foolproof. We must also write good documentation to guarantee ease of use.
Of course, the procedures and use of PLM translation software will be
nonvisually accessible. I don't know when all of this will be finished. At
present, if anyone wishes to write a mathematics book in PreTeXt and to
translate it into Nemeth Braille, it would be best to get in touch with Rob
Beezer, email beezer at ups.edu.
For the remainder of this year, we hope to perfect our techniques in
order to produce an error-free Nemeth Braille copy of AATA with diagrams.
Also, on the calendar this year, there will be a one-week workshop on
Braille translation sponsored by AIM from August 3-7. At this workshop we
will reconsider all aspects of PLM translation software. We will pay
special attention to the problem of automating tactile graphics.
Ultimately, PLM translation software should be good enough so that any book
that is translated into Nemeth Braille from it will pass the proofreading
of a certified Nemeth proofreader. You can be sure that the NFB's technical
and mathematical expertise will be well represented at this workshop.
My Take
This work on PLM translation software has been a most pleasant
experience for me. It has brought back many of the memories of my student
days-the struggles and the triumphs of mastering mathematical concepts
without benefit of hard copy Braille textbooks. The work we are doing now
will make life easier for the next generation of blind students. Despite
the difficulties I faced, compared to the advantages that the upcoming
students will have, there is no doubt in my mind; I would do it all over
again just the way I did it. My accomplishments in mathematics are all the
proof I need.
I have been an NFB member for almost fifty years. Over this half
century, we have accomplished enormous successes because of both our
collective and individual actions. Just remember that PLM translation
software would never have been started if Natalie Shaheen hadn't taken the
individual action of paying a visit to Martha Siegel. My heart and soul are
inextricably tied to NFB. We are the only game in town!
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Barbara Pierce]
Steve Benson Dies
by Barbara Pierce
From the Editor: It is not easy to be a part of publishing a tribute
to Stephen Benson, in part because of how long we served together on the
national board and as state presidents, and in part because Steve's talents
and personality are not easily captured in one article. I think that our
former editor Barbara Pierce's article is a beautiful attempt. Since Steve
had more than twenty articles published in the Braille Monitor, I found it
difficult to choose the one to run with this tribute. Readers are
encouraged to search back issues to enjoy the writing, experience, and
perspectives of our departed friend. Here is what Barbara Pierce has to
say:
I must have met Steve Benson in 1975 when I attended my first national
convention. He was the host affiliate president, so he was a busy man at
that convention, and I really don't remember meeting him. In fact, it seems
as if I have always known Steve. At that time, he was teaching Braille at
the Hines Veterans' Hospital. He had to walk a careful line as a Federation
leader not to be seen to show preference for the NFB's philosophy. His
solution was to live what he believed and offer friendship to his students.
He also quietly passed along names of the veterans who were interested in
the NFB to Federation leaders in their states.
Steve was a wonderful traveler. He wrote a manual on cane mobility,
and he made a point of traveling everywhere with his long white cane. I
remember Dr. Jernigan telling me this after a meeting he had with Steve in
which they were planning the 1988 National Convention, which was in
Chicago. The Jernigans made arrangements to meet Steve outside the
restaurant. Mrs. Jernigan spotted Steve striding along about a block and a
busy intersection away. She reported to Dr. Jernigan that Steve came to the
intersection just as the light changed so that he could cross the
perpendicular stream of traffic without ever stopping. A blind walker can
do this if he or she is listening ahead and gets clear cues that the
parallel traffic is accelerating. Sighted people do this all the time, but
one has to be a good and confident cane traveler to pull it off and make it
look easy. Mrs. Jernigan reported the crossing to Dr. Jernigan, and he
filed it away in his facts about Steve. We all had a list like that.
David Andrews wrote to me with one of his memories that parallels my
story about Steve's incredible mobility. Dave said:
Among other things, Steve may have been the best totally blind
traveler I ever walked with. He was very smooth and always knew where
he was in relation to his environment. He and I were going to lunch in
downtown Chicago one day. He said let's go to such and such, I don't
remember the restaurant, but, being relatively new to Chicago, I just
said sure. We walked down a long block, and he stopped, turned in-and
walked straight to the right door. I asked him how long it had been
since he had been there, and he said "Oh, about ten years."
Steve was a fine Braille teacher and an avid Braille reader. When he
worked for the Chicago Public Library, he hosted an interview program in
which he interviewed authors. He loved that task. He wrote lots of press
releases for the library, and he brought that skill to the Federation. I
worked long and hard with Steve doing press for the NFB. He was charming
and articulate in interviews, and he was always ready to pick up the slack
and write when we needed articles.
Steve was what my mother called a "spiffy dresser." I could always
count on Steve to appear impeccably dressed and groomed. He wrote several
grooming articles to help parents of blind boys. These appeared in the
Braille Monitor, but I have always been sorry that we did not put together
the book for parents of blind children that I dreamed about doing. Several
of the pieces that Steve wrote were scheduled for that book.
When Steve fought his battle with lymphoma, he made a point of
sitting down with each of the people in the Federation with whom he was
close. He told us each how much we had added to his life and how much he
loved us. These were very meaningful conversations. Steve was modeling for
us how to build and nurture friendship. He kept his friends for a lifetime,
and he taught us how to tend our friendships. Recent months have been
difficult. Steve was necessarily living in the past, and in our
conversations I could see him disassociating himself from politics and
current events, which he loved. It makes me smile to picture Steve catching
up with Dick Edlund, Betty Niceley, Don Capps, and Dr. Jernigan and getting
to know Dr. tenBroek. Rest in peace and joy, my friend.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Stephen O. Benson]
Doing What's Necessary
by Stephen O. Benson
From the Editor: This is how Steve's article was originally introduced
when it appeared in the Braille Monitor.
Editor's Note: Sighted people are often curious about the simple
modifications that blind people make in order to get on with ordinary life.
Mostly they are not ingenious or complex. The simpler the better is a good
rule to follow, and blind youngsters are particularly clever at applying
the principle to their play.
Steve Benson, president of the NFB of Illinois and member of the NFB
Board of Directors, has struck up a friendship with one of his fellow
commuters into downtown Chicago. He has passed along Kernel Books, which
have been well received, but the woman recently expressed eagerness to know
how Steve has developed the little tricks that he uses every day. Steve
began thinking back to childhood and the modifications he and his friends
made that enabled him to join in neighborhood games. The following article
was the result. Here it is:
The Hawthorn was a fine old gray-stone, twelve-flat building in
Chicago's Lincoln Park area across the street from De Paul University. It
boasted polished, dark hardwood millwork; oak parquet floors; and formal
marble entrances. Sometime in the 1920s it was converted to a fifty-nine-
unit rooming house. It was there that my mother and I settled in 1943; I
was just a year-and- a-half-old.
Two significant things occurred at about that time: doctors at
Children's Memorial Hospital determined that I had retinitis pigmentosa,
and my mother became manager of the Hawthorn. Since we lived where my
mother worked, she was able to guide and mold her young son in ways she
could not have otherwise. The Hawthorn and its inhabitants had much to do
with who I have become.
When I entered first grade, I was unable to read standard print. So,
school officials placed me in what were then called "sight-saving classes."
I did not and could not fully understand the implications of that
placement. I could not identify facial features. I could not follow the
flight of a batted or thrown ball. I could not see a bird in a tree. I had
no idea what blindness was. At some point the notion of blindness was
raised, but I did not regard myself as blind, for I could see. Somewhere
along the line it was suggested that I was "half-blind," and that seemed
okay.
As I moved from second to third to fourth grade, my visual acuity
diminished while the print I was expected to read became smaller. Reading
became more and more difficult. I have very distinct memories of sitting at
my desk, staring out the window, trying to puzzle out the print figures on
the page in front of me. It was like reading gray print on gray paper. My
teacher printed my math problems in large figures in India ink, and still I
struggled. That was the middle of fourth grade, and it was another year
before I was transferred to a school where I could learn to read and write
Braille.
The prevailing theory then was that vision should be used until it was
absolutely necessary to learn Braille. That theory was based on age-old
misconceptions about blindness, and to a disturbing degree that misguided
theory persists today. Inevitably those beliefs colored my attitude toward
my loss of vision.
For all practical purposes my formal education began when I reached
the second half of fifth grade. Until that time I had never read a book
from the library; I couldn't. I began learning Braille in September of
1952. By January of 1953 I was able to read a biography of Andrew Jackson.
It was not easy. Many of the bad reading habits I had developed as I tried
to read print carried over to Braille. In fact, some of those bad reading
habits stayed with me well into adulthood.
Although schoolwork was difficult for me, I mastered a variety of
other skills at home with enthusiasm. Nick and I met in the backyard of the
Hawthorn when we were about three years old. Both of us lived in single-
parent households with no siblings, so we bonded like brothers. Though I
was legally blind, neither of us had any idea that my limited vision should
make a difference. Nick and I learned what my sight would and would not
allow me to do. We invented alternative techniques or devices that enabled
me to participate in virtually every childhood activity. Nobody instructed
us in the design of devices or techniques; we just did what had to be done.
The Hawthorn was loaded with kids. The backyard was thirty feet wide
and about a hundred feet long, all cement. It was like a Hollywood stage
set, ever changing. One day railroad tracks were drawn with chalk, complete
with switches and crossovers. Our wagons and tricycles traversed the cross-
country paths until it rained or until we tired of it; then the yard became
something else: a baseball diamond, a football gridiron, a site for statue
maker or red-light green-light, and more. I participated in all of these
activities. We organized teams and devised alternative ways for me to play
ball. I was fully involved.
At about the time Nick and I were ten, we met Tom, who lived in the
building next door. Nick, Tom, and I joined other kids in the neighborhood
in softball, touch football, basketball, and track events. In each of these
sports the alternatives we developed worked for me and for the rest of the
kids. In softball (using the sixteen-inch ball that is common to the
Chicago area), I was usually the pitcher. The catcher would position
himself behind home plate, clap his hands, and receive my deliveries. When
the pitches were too far out of the strike zone, he would tell me the
location so that I could make a correction. My objective was to hit the
corners so that the batter would be less likely to drive the ball up the
middle since I could not field a line drive in the conventional manner. I
also tried to keep the ball low so the batter would hit the ball into the
ground.
Batting presented a different set of challenges. I could not hit a
pitched ball with any consistency, so I balanced the ball on the fingertips
of my left hand and swung the bat with my right. I became surprisingly
skilled at hitting the ball, and I had the advantage of being able to place
my hits pretty accurately. But I must admit that I did strike myself out on
occasion, to almost everybody's delight. It was always challenging, and we
had great fun.
The alternatives we devised for softball were typical of what we did
for all sports. The modifications were really minimal. I played; I
prevailed; I experienced ignominious defeat; but I competed and am richer
for having done so.
Nick and Tom were extraordinary guys. They were imaginative, patient,
and willing to learn along with me. I guess the only thing they eventually
balked at was allowing me to work on their cars. They were adamant that
they didn't want me to hurt my hands. I was never able to persuade them to
change their minds. I suppose that by then we had begun to accumulate the
caution of adulthood.
Arts and crafts were a way of life for my mother. She got me involved
in puppetry when I was about six. By the time I was nine years old, I was
performing before audiences of up to three hundred. Later I performed as a
part-time professional puppeteer for seventeen years and was a charter
member of the Chicagoland Puppetry Guild. Mother organized talent shows in
which the kids in the building and the surrounding neighborhood
participated. We kids were involved in every aspect of the productions,
from printing and selling tickets to painting sets to setting up a hundred
or so chairs for the audience. I remember thinking about the shows that
this was not fun, but in retrospect those performances had tremendous value
for all of us, especially for a blind kid. We learned something about
teamwork and collective effort.
When I was about seven years old, my mother began to require me to do
certain chores around the Hawthorn. I installed rolls of toilet paper,
carried messages to the tenants, and counted linen and towels. As I grew
older and taller, I changed light bulbs, took telephone messages which I
typed, shoveled snow, and cleaned the yard and basement. By the time I was
twelve or thirteen, I collected rent, recorded payment, and issued
receipts. When I was sixteen, the building's owner paid me the staggering
sum of $50 a month for my toil. It was my first paying job.
At nine years of age several of my friends and I joined a local Cub
Scout pack. I was expected to participate in all of the pack projects,
including weaving a reed basket and making plaster casts of animal heads.
My lion's head turned out to be an astonishing shade of purple.
At eleven I joined Boy Scout Troop 300. All the boys and scoutmaster
were blind. That was my first contact with a blind adult. We were expected
to fulfill all of the requirements for promotion; there were no exceptions.
We made a crystal set radio and a one-tube radio, and they had to work. We
erected tents and cooked on fires we had to build. We learned to swim, and
we competed in aquatic events at Boy Scout camp. Scouting, puppetry, and
the backyard talent shows helped me build confidence.
My mother taught me how to use the public transit system in Chicago.
She understood the necessity for a blind person to master its use, so I
learned which busses and trains went where. During the summer of 1956 I
began learning to travel independently with a forty-six-inch white cane. My
travel teacher was blind. As a high school freshman, I was required to get
to and from school on public transportation. Mastery of independent travel
skills and good judgment were essential. These skills have enabled me to
travel confidently to thirty-four states for business and pleasure.
As I reflect on my childhood, it is difficult for me to imagine that I
missed much. Had it not been for my extraordinarily talented mother, who
had the sense to let me grow and learn, and had it not been for Nick and
Tom, who were not for the most part afraid of blindness, growing up would
surely have been different. Nick, Tom, and I are still friends. Our lives
bear the scars of experience, but we often recall the many events of
childhood that inspire a smile, a chuckle, or a back-slapping laugh.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Syed Rizvi]
Across Three Continents and Generations, A Candle of Hope is Ignited
by Syed Rizvi
From the Editor: This presentation was made at the mid-winter meeting
of the National Association of Blind Students on February 10, 2020. Syed is
the first vice president of the division, and here are the moving remarks
he made:
Good morning, everyone.
I would like to tell you all a story today about a woman named Seema.
It's World War II. The British Empire is stretched thin due to the war that
would supposedly end all wars. The empire has lost control of Southeast
Asia. India, once a great country, fractures into three separate countries.
Mohammad, living in India, flees to East Pakistan. While in East Pakistan
he attends medical school and becomes a doctor. East Pakistan falls and
becomes Bangladesh, so he flees again to West Pakistan, which is modern day
Pakistan.
As the country rebuilds, it needs doctors. He settles in a small
village called Phulerwan, appointed to live there by the government as a
rural doctor. While there, he builds his family. He gets married and has
four beautiful children: Asad, Huma, Seema, and Karar. But today we are
going to talk about Seema and Asad.
Seema was a bright child from birth. As she grew up, anything she put
her mind to and tried, she did well and excelled. As a rural doctor,
Mohammad would have to go to farmhouses and all over the countryside
visiting patients. Out of his four children, he would always bring Seema as
she always would bring light into the room. She was smart, intelligent, and
actually knew the backcountry roads better than he did, even as a little
girl. She excelled in academia but once she came to middle school, she
could no longer read the small text or see the blackboard. Mohammad didn't
understand what was going on. As a family practitioner, Mohammad knew basic
medicine, but he knew something was going on. He took her to the capital
city to meet with the best doctors. She was diagnosed with Stargardt's
disease. Living in the countryside in a Third World country, she didn't
have access to a lot of great resources. Eventually, she had to leave
school, and her bright light began to dwindle. Due to disability-phobic
attitudes, she faced abuse and discrimination.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, in-fighting began, and groups like the Taliban
and Al-Qaeda started spreading violence amongst the people. Seema's eldest
brother, Asad, wanted the best for his family, so while his wife worked as
a doctor in the main city of Karachi, she paid for him to be able to go to
Europe as the western world promised a more peaceful and equal life. While
in Western Europe, he studied to become an orthopedic surgeon. He brought
over his family, one by one, wife and his two children. While in Europe, he
realized, that as a foreign-born doctor, he could never become a full-
fledged attending doctor in the Irish hospitals since he wasn't an Irish
citizen. He wanted to live in a country where there was complete equality
no matter his origin or the color of skin. So, he looked toward America,
the promised land. The streets-he had heard they were paved with gold. He
moved to Connecticut. Once they moved to America, they had their third
child. Each of his three children all excelled. His eldest son was a
football player, an all-American kind of kid, was on the swim team, and
went to UMass Amherst and Johns Hopkins University. His daughter went to
Mount Holyoke, went to Tufts, and became a dentist. His third child-well
the signs started to pop up. But Asad ignored them because he couldn't
accept that they were there. His son would go to school and complain that
he couldn't see the board. He would complain that he wasn't able to see the
sheets or his work. Asad, being a doctor, knew how genetics work, and he
knew that since his sister had Stargardt's, it was possible that his son
could have it as well. But, again, that would be something too hard to
face. Finally, at some point, the reality had to be met. He took his son to
an ophthalmologist and specialist in Stargardt's, and he was diagnosed with
the disease.
Asad thought about his father's story: Mohammed, having to leave
India, going to Bangladesh, going to Pakistan. Then he thought about his
own story: having to escape from the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, going to Europe
and bouncing around from Ireland to Scotland, and finally to the United
States. He thought, "I'm forty-eight now. Why do I have to face something
like this? I have bounced all around the world and was promised the
American dream-that the streets would be paved with gold. How could this
happen here?"
As his son moved forward, they tried to help his problem by using
CCTV, using magnifiers, but nothing really helped. In high school he didn't
do as great as he could have, and he fell behind his older siblings. He
became depressed; older siblings were becoming doctors and dentists and
playing sports and he, he was barred from full access. For Asad, it was
like watching his little sister's life story play in front of his eyes all
over again. It was as if it was a nightmare that could never end.
But once his son began college, an organization reached out to him
when he applied for a state scholarship. That organization was called the
National Federation of the Blind. That small light that had dwindled away
was again ignited. His new Federation friends told him he could be anything
he wanted and that his blindness would not determine his future. He started
getting straight A's in college. He went from failing high school to the
Dean's List and then the President's List. His blind mentors and even
university staff told him, "Why don't you go transfer to a better
university? But first-we have a training center run by an entire blind
staff, where they train you within six to nine months to make it so that
your blindness can be reduced to a mere nuisance."
Like Mohammed and his father Asad, his journey began. Starting in
Massachusetts, he moved to Louisiana for nine months and got the training
he needed. From Louisiana he moved to Texas and attended a great
university. Whereas, before, he was barred from accessing every aspect of
life, now he was able to excel academically, socially, spiritually, and
religiously. In May, he's graduating. For four years he's been competing
for the number one men's powerlifting team in the United States. In May
he'll graduate with high honors. In June he's getting married. In the fall
he'll be heading to law school and will be living the life that Seema never
could. But, since we began with a tragic story, like all great stories,
there's always a happy ending. He still talks to Seema regularly on the
phone, and Seema says, "You know what? Everything that I had to go through-
it's fine. You are living the life I've always wanted, and that makes it
okay for me. I am happy through you." Ladies and gentlemen, Seema is my
aunt.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Joe and Marsha Drenth]
A Taboo Topic for People Who are Blind... Hearing Loss *Gasp*
by Marsha Drenth
From the Editor: Marsha lives in Pennsylvania and works as a social
worker providing instruction in assistive technology. She is the president
of the Pennsylvania Association of the DeafBlind and first vice president
of the national DeafBlind Division. She has been a Federationist since she
was three, the age at which she attended her first convention.
Issues faced by the deafblind are tremendously important, and Marsha
has written a wonderful piece. Enjoy:
First, you are probably saying to yourself that hearing loss is NOT a
taboo topic. You are also probably saying that you know many people who
have a hearing loss. But if they are a person who already is blind, do they
acknowledge or talk about that hearing loss? Do they--or maybe even you--
admit to the presence of hearing loss? Do you ask others to speak up when
you can't hear them? Or do you just ignore the problem, rationalizing that
it is not important to know what that person is saying, and go on with your
normal activities? Do you shy away from interacting with people who have
strong accents? Do you dislike crowds because they are too noisy and make
it difficult to hear people speaking to you? How does it apply to you and
others who are blind and who also have a hearing loss? Depending on the
severity of hearing loss, it can cause difficulty in communication,
independent living, navigation, social interaction, education, and
employment.
In most cases there are two different communities within which a
person becomes deafblind: the blind community in which someone loses
hearing and the deaf/hard-of-hearing community in which someone loses
vision. In other cases, some simultaneously obtain both hearing and vision
loss slowly or suddenly for various reasons. Deafblind individuals vary
greatly in their reason for the hearing and vision loss, communication
modalities for expressive and receptive language, education, orientation
and mobility, support systems, involvement, experiences, and exposure. A
combination of hearing loss and vision loss can happen at any point in a
person's life and affects all races, ethnic backgrounds, education levels,
genders, income levels, and pre-existing disabilities.
Why does this affect the greater disability community? As blind
people we use our hearing to the best of our abilities. By no means am I
saying that blind people always have supernatural hearing, nor do blind
people hear better than sighted people, but blind people learn to use their
hearing to its fullest extent. For example, when walking down the street,
blind people can hear buildings, doorways, trees, people walking by,
traffic, and so much more. As blind people, we are taught to listen for
traffic to make sure that it's safe to cross the street. As blind people we
can recognize voices and tell you who is nearby. As blind people we use our
hearing to locate other people and objects within our environment. Nothing
is wrong with this, since using one's hearing to compensate for the loss of
vision makes sense.
Unfortunately, this heavy dependence on hearing causes a blind person
to be extremely fearful of losing that hearing, similar to how a sighted
person is mortally afraid of losing their vision. Blind people cannot
imagine losing their hearing. They think the world will be over if they
ever lose it. Many times, people will say, "That will never be me; my
hearing will always be good." These and many other reasons cause us to
ignore the possibility that we could lose our hearing at any point in our
lives, often making it a taboo topic.
How do I know all of this? Because I was once one of those blind
people who refused to address the possibility of losing my hearing, and now
I am deafblind. Yes, it can happen to anyone, at anytime, anywhere, for a
number of reasons.
My story of hearing loss began in 2007. After living with blindness
most of my life, I started to become lost in familiar environments that I
frequented daily. I was connected with my local chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind, and many blind people told me that I just needed
more orientation and mobility training, not knowing that I had been using a
long white cane since I was five years of age. A friend who worked as an
O&M instructor suggested that I have my hearing tested. So I made the
appointment, telling myself that I was just having a lot of issues lately
and nothing was wrong. At the end of the hearing test, the audiologist told
me that I had hearing loss. My first reaction was that there was no way,
and that could not happen to me. It was true, however, and I was fitted for
hearing aids. I did not wear the hearing aids, though, because I did not
like the way they fit into my ear or how they made things sound. I was in
pure denial. I moved to Baltimore, Maryland, in September 2008, for a job
that unfortunately never materialized. I was still not wearing the hearing
aids for the same reasons, but I did notice that I could not hear voices in
loud places and could no longer hear the openings of doorways. I
participated in the 2009 NFB Youth Slam as a marshal, still not wearing
those hearing aids. I married my now husband in December 2009 and moved to
Pennsylvania. I was still not wearing the hearing aids, although I noticed
more changes in my hearing. In 2011 my hearing took a sharp downturn, and I
had issues hearing my husband in the same room, understanding speech,
hearing traffic, and using JAWS on my computer. I finally took the hearing
aids out of the box and put them into my ears. I still disliked how they
felt and how they sounded.
Between 2011 and 2013 I transitioned from a mild hearing loss to
profoundly deaf. In the spring of 2012, I transferred from the local
community college to Temple University to finish my degree in social work.
Dealing with a major hearing loss and attending classes at a major
university in the fall semester of 2012 and the spring semester of 2013
became overwhelming. Even with hearing aids and listening devices, I could
not hear my professors and classmates. I began to fear that I would not
hear traffic when crossing major streets in Philadelphia. Overall, life
became much more challenging, and I realized that my hearing-based skills
were insufficient for safely and successfully continuing my education. I
needed to learn deafblind skills.
Therefore, from November 2013 to July 2014, I attended the Helen
Keller National Center for Deafblind Youths and Adults in New York (HKNC).
HKNC is similar to an NFB training center in that it teaches Braille,
communication, independent living skills, technology, orientation and
mobility, and job readiness skills, yet it does so with deafblindness in
mind. For instance, HKNC offers communication training in tactile American
Sign Language using the hand-over-hand method for feeling what another
person is signing. Orientation and mobility is targeted directly at
teaching skills for deafblind persons to be independent, such as using
communication cards for receiving information about the environment when
Braille, spoken language, and sign language are not available. Every
consumer at HKNC faces the duality of hearing and vision loss, and sharing
this journey with others helps address the social and emotional aspects of
the struggle. Although I did not like being away from my family and
friends, my time at HKNC was probably one of the best things that helped me
during that time.
After completing my training at HKNC, I enrolled for my senior year
at Temple University. This last year of my undergraduate career was
challenging in a new way, since I was using tactile sign language
interpreters for communication and Computer-Assisted Realtime Translation
(CART) with a Braille display for reading what the professor wrote on the
board. I was blessed to have learned Braille at a young age since I was now
using Braille in class for CART and at home for reading my textbooks. I
took seventeen credit hours in both the fall and spring semesters, with an
additional two-hundred-hour internship each semester. In May 2015 I
graduated with my bachelor's degree in social work. In June 2015 I was
hired to be the program manager for the Pennsylvania Statewide DeafBlind
Support Service Provider program. During my four-and-a-half years in that
position, I met many individuals who were deafblind, both those who came
from the deaf community and others who came from the blind community; one
thing they all had in common was that it was taboo to speak about the
vision and hearing loss they were experiencing in their communities of
origin. Currently I hold a social work/teaching position in Philadelphia.
Our motto in the National Federation of the Blind is that blindness
is just a characteristic and that we as blind individuals can live the
lives we want. The same can be applied to people who are blind and have a
hearing loss. It is respectable to be blind, and it is equally respectable
to be deafblind.
Unfortunately, misunderstanding leads to many situations in which
blind people negatively judge deafblind people because they use different
O&M techniques, have different communication needs, or take more time to
collect information about their environment. Sometimes deafblind
individuals are avoided, ignored, brushed off, or excluded from important
conversations within the local, state, or national disability communities.
Much of the time deafblind persons are not sought out to give their
perspectives or feedback. This all leads to deafblind individuals believing
that the label "deafblind" means that one is a lesser person or that one is
exactly like Helen Keller or our modern day Haben Girma [first deafblind
graduate of Harvard Law School]. Just as it should not be taboo to talk
about blindness, it should not be taboo to talk about hearing loss with
blindness. So why is this topic not being discussed within the general
disability and NFB communities? Why do deafblind men and women feel like
they are at the bottom of the disability hierarchy? Why aren't more people
identifying as blind people who also have a hearing loss?
I identify as a person who is deafblind, and it is okay to have both
a hearing and vision loss. I am not a person who is afraid to ask for
people to repeat themselves. I am not afraid to say that I cannot
understand a person or ask him/her to please slow down his/her speech. I am
also not afraid to say that deafblindness is not always like what Helen
Keller experienced. I will tell people who I am and what I need. So should
you. The next time you cannot hear something or someone, speak up and make
your needs understood in a respectful, polite manner. Tell people that your
hearing loss causes some issues in this or that situation. This is the
first step on the path of freedom and independence. Be proud of who you
are, with or without a hearing loss. Hearing loss does not mean that you're
less of a person or that your life will be less. It simply means that you
will have different but wonderful experiences. It is okay for me to be
deafblind. It's okay for others to be deafblind. And it's okay for you to
be deafblind.
----------
Learning to Lead One Step at a Time
by Brittany Ingram
From the Editor: Brittany Ingram lives with her husband Isaiah and
her two-year-old daughter Marjorie. Brittany wants to go beyond her high
school diploma, and when family responsibilities allow, she wants to get a
college degree. She loves to read, and when the time comes, she will be
homeschooling her daughter. Her grandmother was told about the organization
when Brittany was in elementary school, so she has been a member since the
age of nine. She now serves as the president of the Fredericksburg Area
Chapter of the NFB of Virginia.
She likes to write poetry and stories, loves to read, and knits on a
knitting loom. Her favorite hobby is self-education, and she is, in her own
words, an autodidact. This article first appeared in the September 2019
issue of The Vigilant, the newsletter of the National Federation of the
Blind of Virginia.
The journey that has brought me to this point in my life, where I am
furiously trying to balance family, personal health, and volunteer
responsibilities, has been a long and tiresome road. I have been asked to
share some of my journey with you, and I hope I can do my story justice.
At first glance I am not an image of perfect leadership. I never
dreamed of really taking the world by storm or making a career out of
activism. I am quiet, reserved, introverted, a reader, and a thinker. I
enjoy a simple lifestyle that includes good homemade meals and playing with
my baby. So when I received a phone call that would uproot my quiet little
world, I was, you could say, blindsided.
I have been a member of the National Federation of the Blind since I
was nine years old. I lost my sight when I was five and was told when I was
six that I was broken. My blindness is due to childhood abuse which
resulted in Stevens-Johnson Syndrome. After being placed in foster care I
was told that, because my eyes were damaged, my family did not want me. Of
course this was completely absurd, and my grandmother was quick to gain
custody of both me and my little brother; but the words calling me unwanted
and broken have never really left me. And they were quite believable until
my grandmother decided to expose me to the organization where blind and
broken are as opposite as earth and sky.
I remember all the events of my years with the organization running
through my mind when the president of the historic Fredericksburg chapter
called me in July 2018. My daughter was about nine months old, and since
she had been born, I had only gone to one monthly meeting and had not even
thought to pay my yearly dues. For all intents and purposes, I was inactive
and focusing on learning to parent as a blind mother. So I was shocked to
say the least when I was asked to participate in the Virginia Chapter
Leadership Institute. I immediately thought I was the wrong person for the
job. I was not an example of strong blind independence, and I had a baby
girl who was starting to show signs of needing additional attention and
care.
Yet I thought of how much smaller and disinterested the chapter had
seemed the last time I had been there, and I started to feel both sadness
and resolve building up. For reasons I did not fully comprehend, they
wanted me to represent the Fredericksburg chapter in this leadership thing.
I sighed and agreed, just so long as it did not interfere with my parenting
duties. I made it clear that, as much as I loved and believed in the NFB,
my daughter came first. And so, I was in.
I have been on a roller coaster ride this past year. I started out
with very little confidence, ability, or even conviction. Doubts, second
guesses, and fear of imperfection and useless contributions have plagued my
heart and mind for months. But something strange and unexpected has also
been coming over me. It all started in December when a project was sent out
for the leadership members to complete in preparation for our first
gathering in January. It was a personality quiz that highlighted your
strengths, preferences, and overall character.
I was once again taken by surprise. Here was something that told me
what I was good at: organization, communication, and staying focused. I
felt like I was looking into the mirror for the first time. And as time
passed, I began to recognize those and other skills coming forward. I
noticed how certain traits translated beyond my leadership role and into my
role as wife and mother, friend and sister, and how it began to shape my
daily priorities. I was curious, and when that happens, there is only one
result; I go diving into books and research everything I can get my hands
on. How could I use these traits and skills in my leadership role to their
most productive uses? What really defines leadership, and do I have all the
qualifications? Is there a way to use my shortcomings and weaknesses as
effectively as I use my strengths and talents? The answers were right there
if I could only find them.
Here is what I have learned so far. I will probably never stop
discovering new philosophies, debatable definitions, and opinionated
preferences when it comes to leadership. But between the conversations with
the other participants, all the books and resource materials, and my own
revelations, I also am beginning to understand who I am and how I
personally portray the image of a leader. Everything in life is about
balancing priorities, knowing yourself well enough to know when to draw the
line in the sand, and not wasting any time on what you are not fully
passionate about. This past year I have not only made some great friends
through this program, but I have discovered who I really am, the kind of
person I want to model for my daughter, and the kind of partner I hope to
be for my husband. Doubt and fear are still a daily obstacle for me, but I
am learning to work with them and use them to my advantage-as reasons for
doing instead of reasons for running. I still have a lot to learn, a lot to
improve on, but leadership is no different from any other goal in life; I
just have to slow down, breathe deeply, and take the journey one step at a
time.
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Owning Your Voice
by Nina Marranca
From the Editor: Nina Marranca is a bright, witty Federationist whose
writing is both entertaining and educational. I particularly like the case
she makes for not remaining ignorant but embracing the things she needs to
learn. Nina is currently working on her bachelor's degree in psychology and
criminal justice at Medaille College and is simultaneously getting training
at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. Her goal is to get her PhD in
clinical psychology.
This speech was delivered at the National Association of Blind
Students Leadership Seminar which occurred just before the 2020 Washington
Seminar. Here is what she said:
Good morning everyone. For those of you who don't already know me, I'm
Nina Marranca. I'm from New York but am currently in training at the
Louisiana Center for the Blind. I'm studying psychology and criminal
justice. My goal is to make a career in the field of trauma-informed mental
health and to conduct clinical-minded research. But beyond those boring
details, I'm an extrovert, if you haven't figured that one out already.
Coffee is of equal importance to oxygen in my book, and when I'm not being
loud, which considering I come from a large Italian family tends to be
rare, you can find me reading or binge-watching murder shows. I've been
involved with the NFB for almost a year-and-a-half. I am very excited to
speak with you all today.
These remarks required a bit of reflection from me on the last year
and life in general. About a year ago I heard a dynamic and beautiful
person speak at the 2019 NABS Winter Seminar. She is a close friend of mine
and the same person who asked me to speak with you all as a matter of fact.
She told her story with such confidence and conviction. Her words were
beautifully honest, fueled with determination and a sense of individuality.
She talked about growth, self-discovery, and learning to view obstacles as
a source of strength, rather than reasons to doubt our abilities. When I
think of owning your voice, her speech still jumps to the forefront of my
mind. The energy in that room had been powerful; her speech made me think I
want to do that. I want to stand up and own my words like that. I want to
help others feel like that.
At this time last year, it wasn't that I had never advocated before.
Sure, I had spoken up during the run-of-the-mill daily interactions in a
coffee shop, on the bus, in the grocery store. The jobs I hold while in
school require me to talk with students and families on a daily basis about
a variety of services and individual circumstances. I didn't have a problem
asking questions or attempting to correct misconceptions. In short, if you
would have asked me back then if I owned my voice, I would've responded
quickly with "Of course I do." I only see now that I was wrong.
What does it mean to own your voice? I asked a group of students that
very question the other day. I received answers about realizing the impact
you can have, about being cautious with tone and dynamics, and even about
copyrighting one's voice so that you could, literally, own said voice.
Here's the thing: none of those answers were wrong. After explaining that I
was using their answers as a starting place when preparing this speech,
someone turned to me and asked: "Well, what does it mean to you to own your
voice?" Surprisingly, I had to stop and think. I wanted to pinpoint the
first time I felt that I could truly use my voice for more than just
yelling about which of my brothers ate the remains of a pizza that I had
counted on for lunch. So I thought about it, and it took me back to a
classroom, of all places. But in this instance, I was not the student.
I had just finished reading a story in Braille to a bunch of first and
second graders. It was the first time I did school outreach. Since then
I've talked in countless classrooms, auditoriums, and cafeterias. Those
presentations are beyond enjoyable, especially when you factor in the open
and honest nature of kids. They ask questions that adults will flinch away
from, apologizing and admonishing instead of praising curiosity and
stimulating acceptance. I'll get back to the importance of questions in a
moment, but first, I'd like to tell you all about my first experience
speaking in a classroom.
The kids were seated in a circle on a carpet. There were maybe ten or
twelve of them. Before reading, we talked. Little fingertips skimmed
Braille pages and held my cane, while small voices asked questions that
adults wonder but would never let themselves ask. After I read the story,
the little boy who had been showing the pictures in the book to his
classmates stood before me, nervously guiding my hand because he wanted to
show me the braces that covered at least half of his body. "That's so
cool!" I exclaimed. "You're like iron man, you know? You're a real
superhero. I think that's awesome!" His small hand slapped mine in a high
five, and I could hear the smile in his voice as he laughed. His classmates
watched on, in silent awe of my revelation that this little boy may in fact
wear gear that resembled a real-life superhero instead of gear that made it
no doubt difficult to run and play like everyone else.
It wasn't until after that I found out this little boy had been
struggling with being picked on by his classmates, with learning to use his
voice, with learning to accept that he was different from the other kids.
This little dude's name is Keath, and to this day, that memory sticks with
me. After leaving that day, my heart was content. Put simply, I was happy
and exhilarated all at once. It was the first time I truly felt I owned my
voice, and all of the credit goes to a superhero-loving six-year-old.
Since then I've spoken in countless classrooms, whether they are
filled with bubbly five-year-olds or students studying to become teachers.
However, I wouldn't be completely honest if I acted as if one experience
made me comfortable with owning my voice, in situations related to
blindness and in those that are not. Instead it has been a collection of
small moments that have transformed me from someone who found walking to
the corner or asking for assistance incredibly terrifying. It's been a long
process for me, and I am still learning. Just to name a few experiences in
which I feel that I have owned my voice offhand: advocating at last year's
Washington Seminar, hosting and producing a podcast with other students,
being a part of a panel discussion teaching families how to ensure equal
college education for students with disabilities, and preparing my research
papers for submission for publication. All of these things may seem
different on the surface, but all of them give me the feeling I had when I
spoke to kids in a classroom for the first time-a mix of contentment and
exhilaration. Owning your voice doesn't happen with one encounter; rather,
it's about finding where you feel content using your voice for good, for
change, to stand up for what you believe in.
Today I feel confident when standing in the face of adversity because
I know that I have the power through my voice to speak up. I have the power
to be a leader but also admit when I do not know something. That is why
questions are so important. The majority of misconceptions stem from a lack
of knowledge. However, when learning to own your voice, I urge you to
embrace this lack of knowledge instead of being disquieted by it; it is a
perfect starting place for growth and education. I encourage you to help
others ask questions and to recognize the importance of asking them
yourself. I have found that this is a huge part of owning your voice and
using it to the best of your ability.
I would like to bring up another point about owning your voice that I
personally struggle with. This may seem like common sense, but it is worth
mentioning. Owning your voice does not mean that you will always be the
perfect advocate, or mentor, or student, whatever your goal is, all of the
time. This is something I personally struggle with because I'm a major
perfectionist, and sometimes I feel like I should be able to advocate for
it all, fix it all, react in the best possible way all of the time.
Last summer several students and I were traveling back to an event
using Lyft. It had been a weekend filled with discussions on advocating, on
learning to use your voice the way you want to, whether that be through
leadership or something else. After first accusing us that we all were not
blind and lecturing us on proper passenger etiquette because you know, the
fact that every person had either a cane or a dog apparently didn't
solidify the whole blind thing for him, he stated: "You know, I think it's
great that you all are coming out. It's an inspiration." "So we're an
inspiration because we're living our lives?" I asked. "Yes, isn't that the
point?," the driver said before attempting to "educate" me about how the
efforts of blind people were heroic and inspirational because we clearly
shouldn't be traveling alone. I ended up snapping at the driver to stop
speaking to us. I was furious. You'd think most of my anger would be
directed at the driver, right? Oh, it was, and my friend found it helpful
to announce upon arriving at our destination "Yeah, I saw her inner Italian
come out for the first time." But I was actually mad at myself. How could I
mentor these students and teach them to use their voices for good if I
can't even do that with a Lyft driver? Doesn't that make me a hypocrite of
the highest degree?
This bothered me for a bit until I helped lead a group discussion that
got pretty personal. A student whom I'd been working with that weekend,
someone who had barely spoken a word the first night, was the top
contributor in this conversation. She shared experiences, listened to
others, and responded beautifully. She was coming out of her shell, and to
this day, I'm still witnessing this transformation.
I realized something that day. No matter how you choose to own your
voice, because it is your choice, you will not always use it correctly or
to the best of your ability. There will be times when you think: why do I
even bother? But there will be many more moments when you think: I did the
right thing; my voice had an impact here. I live for those little
victories. As you learn to grow and to find where you feel both content and
exhilarated while using your voice, remember that owning your voice is a
lifelong process. It can be fraught with uncertainty and discomfort. But
owning your voice also means you will experience countless small victories,
experiences that fill your heart and teach you lessons that will bring you
closer to the person you want to be. I challenge you to never forget the
impact of a single conversation. I challenge you to push yourself out of
your comfort zone in any way you feel best fits you. I challenge you to
find what you love, because in my experience, passion grants us the ability
to own our voice in a way that knowledge at times may not. And finally, I
challenge you to revel in the small victories, to surround yourself with
people who encourage you to own your voice in all that you do, and to
always, always aspire for more.
I would like to leave you all with a quote from Maya Angelou that I
feel sums up the nature of the process of learning to own your voice. She
says: "We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the
changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Shawn Callaway is pictured here with his much younger
brother and sister when they were children.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Shawn poses with his now adult siblings.]
The Blessed Blind Big Brother
by Shawn Callaway
From the Editor: Shawn Callaway is a husband, father, breadwinner,
the affiliate president for the District of Columbia, and a member of the
National Federation of the Blind Board of Directors. But before he became
all these things, he was a younger man, who had family responsibilities.
Like Shawn, I am the oldest sibling. As the oldest we are told we need to
model good behavior for the younger children, but it isn't until they
become adults that they tell you how they looked to us for guidance,
strength, and what they might become. Here is Shawn's experience:
For the first ten years of my life, I did not have siblings, and my
mother's siblings did not have children either. Even though I enjoyed the
extra attention from loved ones, I had a burning desire to be a big brother
and not an only child. In 1982 my wish was fulfilled after the arrival of
my little brother Anthony. In 1987 I was blessed with another sibling after
the arrival of my baby sister Fern.
During my pre-teen and adolescent years, being a big brother was
truly a joy and an honor. I participated in sibling activities such as
playing Nintendo with my brother and playing dolls with my sister. I was
often charged by my parents to take my siblings to the playground. Seeing
the smiles on my sibling's faces as they played on the monkey bars or in
the sandbox was a sight to behold.
Most importantly, as a big brother I was anointed to provide guidance
and advice when necessary. Often my brother would ask for advice, and we
would have discussions on subjects ranging from navigating friendships to
how to avoid getting in trouble with our parents. My sister was a toddler,
and she made sure that I coddled her when she wanted to be coddled. I also
read books to her when she wanted to be read to.
In 1990 I decided to attend college in South Carolina. Although I was
excited to move eight hours away from home, I felt some sense of sadness
because I truly missed my brother and sister. However, during my second
year in college my life dramatically changed. Due to a horrific accident, I
lost my eyesight and had to return home. As I traveled back from South
Carolina, there were many questions I asked myself. The primary question
was "As a blind person, how will my siblings treat me?" Even though my
brother and sister were nine and four, it truly mattered how they felt
about me as a big brother.
When I returned home, I was happy to learn that the relationship did
not change. At nine my brother understood that I was blind, and he quickly
adapted to it. On the other hand, my sister was too young to understand my
blindness, and it took time for her to adjust to my vision loss. It
happened at about four-and-a-half. One day she sat in my lap and asked me
to read her a book. I told her "Fern, I cannot read a book to you because I
am blind." My sister paused and said, "That's right, you are blind, so I am
going to get a book and read to you." This scenario warmed my heart, and I
was in for a wonderful supportive ride with my siblings. To them I was
still the big brother.
As the years passed, they continued to seek advice and guidance from
me. My brother would ask me questions about girls and sports. My sister
would ask questions about choosing a college and the process of buying a
home. More importantly, when I provided them with constructive criticism,
they were never dismissive of my comments or suggestions. In addition, if
my siblings had an issue with me, they had no problems expressing their
feelings.
Observers who are reading this article may say to themselves
"Siblings are supposed to be supportive and caring for their loved one who
has become blind or disabled." However, as a facilitator of a peer support
group for people experiencing vision loss, I have encountered siblings of
people who are blind or disabled who have received negative emotional
feelings because of their sibling's disability. These feelings include
resentment, embarrassment, and feeling as though they are a parent and not
a brother or sister. First, feelings of resentment manifest within a
sibling because they may feel that all of the attention has been diverted
to the disabled sibling. Once a family member acquires a disability, other
family members tend to focus on the disabled loved one at all times. The
ongoing special attention tends to occur because the parents may feel that
the primary focus should be on the disabled child. Also, special attention
toward the disabled sibling can occur at extended family outings and
reunions. This attention may cause a sibling to feel isolated and
withdrawn. Secondly, some siblings feel embarrassed being out in public
with their disabled sibling. The feelings of embarrassment further escalate
because the sibling watches people stare and whisper to themselves about
his/her disabled sibling. This may cause the sibling to feel ashamed and
unhappy about the unwanted attention. Lastly, some siblings feel
parentified because their disabled sibling is not independent and may
require constant assistance with daily needs. This is most common for the
sibling of an individual who has experienced vision loss. If you are a
blind person who has not obtained independent living skills, you are going
to be extremely dependent on close family members and friends. Therefore
the sibling is placed in a position of feeling as if they must always care
for the daily needs of his/her disabled sibling. This can cause high levels
of stress and anxiety.
As I continue to facilitate a peer support group, I have encouraged
siblings to locate and participate in support groups and organizations for
siblings of individuals with disabilities. Also, I have encouraged siblings
and other family members to seek family and group counseling to address
negative feelings developed from interacting with their disabled loved one.
Support groups and group counseling can assist siblings in releasing any
suppressed emotions they may possess toward their disabled sibling. Also,
disabled siblings will be able to freely express themselves about their
life as a disabled person. This is especially important if the sibling
recently acquired the disability.
Adjusting to having a disability is not only difficult for the
sibling who acquires it but for all family members and friends who play an
integral part in the life of the disabled sibling.
Recently I had a conversation with my siblings, and I asked them if they
experienced resentment, embarrassment, or feelings of being a parent
because of my blindness. My siblings emphatically said no to the above
questions and made it clear that my blindness was never an issue to them.
Credit for my siblings' feelings must be given to our parents. Whatever
situations or circumstances that have occurred within the lives of my
siblings and I, my parents have always made sure to treat us equally, and
neither my siblings nor I received more attention than the other. Also I am
truly blessed to have uncles, aunts, cousins, and close family friends who
have been supportive of me and have given my siblings the equal attention
and support they deserve.
Anthony and Fern are now thirty-seven and thirty-two years old
respectively, and they are leading productive lives. Anthony works for
Maryland Park and Planning as a recreational counselor providing guidance
and assistance to children with disabilities. Fern is a senior health
analyst for an agency in Washington, DC. My siblings have provided me
support as I continue my tenure as president of the National Federation of
the Blind of the District of Columbia. They have volunteered and
participated in several Federation events including fundraisers, community
outreach events, and state and national conventions.
Over the years I have received awards for my volunteer and advocacy
efforts for the blind and disabled community. The recognition ranges from
receiving the NFB of DC Community Services Division Oliver Washington
P.A.C.E Award to receiving a citation from United States Senator Chris Van
Hollen for my work in bringing awareness to the lack of employment
opportunities for blind people. However, my most cherished award was
received in a parked car in Washington, DC. My sister gave me a ride home
from a family event, and when I began to get out of the car my sister told
me to stick out my hand. When I reached my right hand toward her, it
touched her arm. On her arm were dots. I asked my sister, "Why do you have
dots on your arm?" She said, "The dots are a Braille tattoo that spells
love." I asked my sister what made her get a tattoo in Braille? She
replied, "It is to honor you and to show you how proud I am of you." She
also said that the tattoo is in recognition of the blind community. After
entering my home I sat on my couch, and tears began rolling down my face.
The tears represented the happiness I felt from my sister's recognition of
me, but the tears also represented my recognizing that I am a blessed blind
big brother.
----------
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 2019 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: Stephen O. Benson]
Blueprint for Learning
by Stephen O. Benson
From the Editor: The following is reprinted from the Braille Monitor,
October 1991, complete with its original editor's note.
Editor's note from Dr. Kenneth Jernigan: In many ways a great deal of
progress has been made by blind people in recent times regarding jobs,
better special tools and equipment, and increased understanding. But in at
least one critical area blind children growing up today are being very
badly short-changed in a way that was very nearly unheard of when I was a
child in the mid-1930s. In recent decades most blind children have not
routinely been taught how to read and write Braille. Many of these children
have now reached adulthood. I talk to them by the hundreds. Almost without
exception they feel they were betrayed by their teachers and the other
"experts" their parents trusted to plan their education.
We as blind people should not have to fight for blind children to have
the chance to learn to read and write Braille. Parents expect schools to
teach sighted children how to read and write, and there are laws requiring
that it be done. We want the laws to protect blind children, too. But the
"experts" often fight against such laws. They seem to think deciding
whether to teach a blind child to read Braille is very complicated. The
truth is that it is very simple. If a child can't see well enough to read
print easily, Braille should be taught. But that is not what usually
happens, and the blind child pays a heavy price for the rest of his or her
life.
Stephen Benson is totally blind and is president of the National
Federation of the Blind of Illinois. In "Blueprint for Learning," he
describes in vivid detail the "experts'" decisions which crippled his early
education. Unfortunately, his experience is still being repeated in
countless lives across our country. Here is what he says:
At one-and-a-half years of age my eye condition was diagnosed as
retinitis pigmentosa, which often results in total blindness. As I
approached first grade, my doctors and teachers (the team of professionals)
asserted that I should use my limited vision to its maximum for as long as
possible. My family was directed to enroll me in what was then called
"sight saving." Print was to be the medium by which I was to learn to read.
The sight-saving classroom was equipped with the best technology of
the day (1948): dark green chalkboards with yellow chalk, yellow paper with
heavy green lines, indirect lighting, desks with adjustable work surfaces
that allowed the student to bring reading and writing materials closer to
the face, and typewriters with large print. Each student wore prescription
lenses and had access to handheld magnifiers. In addition, we used large-
print textbooks. In third grade we learned to type by the touch-typing
method.
In my case and in countless others, neither equipment nor teaching
techniques would or could work. The techniques and the teachers' efforts
were misapplied. The prescription for sight-saving class was in error. From
the first day of class my limited vision prevented me from reading
effectively. Over the course of the next four-and-a-half years my visual
acuity decreased while the print I was expected to read became smaller.
I remember alternately gazing out the window and puzzling over a
printed page. By fourth grade my teachers had to print out my classwork by
hand, using large letters and India ink. With all of that I still felt as
though I was reading grey print on grey paper. Yet I remained in sight-
saving class until the middle of fifth grade.
The toll I paid for the professionals' decisions was high. I dreaded
reading; my confidence eroded; I feared blindness; I acquired bad reading
habits that carried over into adulthood. I never checked a book out of the
library. Why should I? I couldn't read it.
During the summer of 1952 the professionals finally admitted that
print might not be the right way for me to be getting an education. In
September of that year I was transferred to what we referred to as the
blind school, where I began to learn Braille. It wasn't difficult. My
teacher was competent. She knew Braille. She gave me positive
encouragement. My reading and writing speeds were slow at first; however,
as I gained proficiency and confidence, speeds increased. In January of
1953, at age eleven, I checked out and read a library book for the first
time in my life. It was in Braille.
Over the last forty years teams of professionals have continued to
make the same foolish and costly decisions, probably with greater frequency
as the years have passed. As a member of the National Federation of the
Blind's Scholarship Committee, I have met an astounding number of high
school and college students who, because they had some vision, were
deprived of Braille or were discouraged from learning it without regard to
whether the student could read print well enough to compete with sighted
peers. One scholarship applicant, not unusual, uses taped books and a
closed-circuit television magnifier. Under the best conditions she is able
to read for only a minute at a time and that with great discomfort. She is
enrolled as a part-time student in a community college, partly because her
vision doesn't allow her to meet the reading and writing demands of full-
time status. She has asked to be taught Braille, but her family and the
teams of professionals with whom she has worked have actively discouraged
it.
Too many parents assume that the "experts" must "know what's best,"
and will necessarily "do what's best for the child." Those assumptions are
often wrong and prove to be quite costly to the blind child. "What's best
for the child" is a catch phrase that too often translates into decisions
that are convenient for the teacher, school, or district and into efforts
to make the blind child's educational needs conform to budget priorities.
Was my experience forty years ago and that of the college student I
described mere coincidence? I don't believe they were. Nor do I believe
that de-emphasis on literacy (Braille) was or is accidental. De-emphasis on
Braille is disgraceful, just as de-emphasis on print would be. People who
have a good command of reading and writing skills tend to do better in
math, science, history, languages, music, and all the rest. People who can
read and write successfully have a better chance at competitive employment
and every other situation in life, for that matter.
The anti-literacy/anti-Braille position taken by so many educators of
blind children and adults has had wider negative impact than they might
imagine. Several years ago, I worked at an agency for the blind in Chicago.
In support of a program to teach Braille, I submitted a grant request to
the Chicago Tribune Foundation. The grant request was turned down. The
reasons, according to a foundation spokesman, were that Braille has nothing
to do with literacy; it is obsolete, and reading can be done by recordings.
I was disappointed that the program did not receive that support. I was
disgusted by the ignorance of the foundation personnel, but I was not
surprised.
For fifteen years I taught Braille for the Veterans Administration at
Hines Hospital. One of my assigned duties was to supervise Western Michigan
University interns (student teachers) studying to become rehabilitation
teachers. An alarming number of these interns didn't know Grade II Braille,
could not write with a slate and stylus, and had to be instructed in the
use of an ordinary Braille writer. One intern didn't know Grade I Braille,
though he had taken and passed a Braille course. Though I wrote negative
reports regarding their poor skills, all of these interns passed the
internship, and presumably all were certified by the Association for the
Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER).
If future generations of blind people (children and adults) are to be
literate, and if future generations of blind people hope to be competitive
in society, they must have access to the printed word by a method that will
allow writing as well as reading. It is time for educators to grit their
teeth and admit that a colossal error has been made. Then they must bring
themselves up to speed on Braille and all of its tools, mechanical and
electronic. It is time for educators to join us in our effort to require
that Braille be made available to any child who wants it and to participate
in making sure that sufficient funding is available to make mandates and
good intentions mean something.
----------
Recipes
Recipes this month were contributed by members of the National Federation
of the Blind of North Dakota.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jesse Shirek]
Steak Quesadillas
by Jesse Shirek
Jesse Shirek is the president of the National Federation of the Blind
of North Dakota and has this to share about himself: Anyone who knows me
well would tell you that I love to cook. One of the most motivating things
about cooking is the opportunity to experiment with ingredients. I am a
creative person and love to put my own twist on a recipe, so I'm sharing my
steak quesadilla story and recipe with you. It's become a go-to recipe in
our home, and I'm excited to share it with my Federation family.
When my wife Sherry and I were first dating, she came to visit me in
North Dakota from the East Coast over Easter weekend. One night we were
both starving, and earlier that day I made some pico de gallo. As you can
imagine we were craving some Mexican food to go with our chips and pico. I
thought I would try something for the first time. After throwing some
ingredients together and a few minutes of cooking we had a delicious meal,
and I had Sherry fooled into thinking I am an amazing cook. Please, don't
tell her how easy the recipe is.
Ingredients:
8 ounces cooked sirloin steak (you can substitute cooked pork or chicken)
1 red bell pepper sliced
1 onion sliced
8 ounces shredded cheddar or pepper jack cheese
4 8-inch tortillas
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Sauce: (you can substitute 1 cup salsa for the sauce)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper-optional
1 cup beef broth
Method: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine cumin, smoked paprika,
chili powder, and cayenne pepper in a small bowl; stir well and set aside.
Set frying pan on a burner and set it to medium heat, adding enough oil to
coat pan. Add onions and cook for ten minutes or until onions are soft,
stirring occasionally; add red peppers and cook for five more minutes. Add
sauce or salsa to the pan; stir and let most of the moisture evaporate from
the pan. Add the steak and stir for one minute. Remove pan from heat.
Arrange four tortillas on a baking sheet, and spoon the steak mixture on
one-half of each tortilla; top with cheese and fold each tortilla in half.
Bake for ten minutes or until tortillas are crisp.
----------
Pico de Gallo
by Jesse Shirek
Ingredients:
6 tomatoes diced
1 quarter onion diced
2 jalapeños cut fine
1 clove garlic minced
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Lemon juice added to your taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Method: Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir
well, and refrigerate for one hour. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla
chips.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Sherry Shirek]
Corn Casserole
by Sherry Shirek
Sherry Shirek has been the National Federation of the Blind of North
Dakota First Lady for less than a year. She has also served on the
affiliate board as the secretary since 2016. Sherry is our affiliates
"social lady" as she loves to plan social events during the holidays. She
also has been the chair of the convention planning committee since 2017.
Sherry grew up in the Boston area, and as we know, some Boston folks have
difficulty pronouncing the letter R.
No, it's not a con casserole for prisoners; this corn casserole has
been served at Sherry's New England family Thanksgiving feasts for
generations. The tradition continues as the hot dish has now made its way
onto the family Thanksgiving table in North Dakota. Maybe it can become a
traditional side dish during your family's Thanksgiving dinner too. It
smells amazing while cooking and warms your belly. This recipe is shared
with the Federation family with love.
Ingredients:
3 cans (14.75 ounces) cream-style corn
3 large eggs
6 slices of white bread with crust
French's original crispy French-fried onions
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). In a large casserole
baking dish add the three cans of cream-style corn and three eggs. With a
fork, beat the eggs into the creamed corn until well blended. Two slices at
a time, break up all six pieces of bread into three-inch pieces and pile on
top of the egg and cream corn mixture. With a fork, gently push the bread
into the mixture and move around until bread is saturated and evenly
distributed. Place your casserole dish, uncovered, on center rack in oven.
Bake for one hour. Use a fork to check the center. The casserole is cooked
thoroughly when the middle is slightly firm and no longer a soft liquid
texture. Top off casserole with French fried onions and let sit ten minutes
before serving. Enjoy! This recipe can be easily adjusted to a larger or
smaller dish. The formula is one egg and two slices of bread per can of
cream-style corn. Adapt cooking time accordingly. Makes six servings.
----------
Coconut Cream Pie
by The Shireks
When Sherry and Jesse bought their first house, their realtor bought
them a coconut cream pie from the local bakery just a couple of blocks
away. This delectable treat was a first for the couple and left them
wanting more. Sherry altered a recipe she found online, and now this
delicious pie has been a favorite during the holidays at the Shireks' home
since 2014.
Ingredients:
One 9-inch pie crust cooked
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 and 1/2 cups Half & Half (can substitute with 1 cup milk and 2/3 cups
heavy cream)
1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
2 eggs beaten
3/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup fresh whipped cream (can substitute with Cool Whip)
Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Spread shredded coconut
evenly on a baking sheet. Bake two minutes, then using a spatula, flip
coconut and bake another two minutes or until golden brown. Remove coconut
from baking sheet and place on a plate to cool. Set aside. In a medium
saucepan combine Half & Half, coconut milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and flour
then mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat stirring constantly. Remove
from heat and stir in ¾ cup toasted coconut and vanilla. Reserve the
remaining coconut to top the pie. Pour the filling into the pie shell and
chill until firm (about four hours). Top with whipped cream and sprinkle
remaining coconut over top.
Fresh whipped cream: Place metal mixing bowl and metal whisk in
freezer for 10-15 minutes. Add two tablespoons of sugar to bowl, and add in
one cup heavy whipping cream. Whisk just until the cream reaches stiff
peaks.
My notes: Electric beaters often come with metal whisk. For pie
filling, use fat-free Half & Half, low-fat sweetened coconut milk to cut
calories and fat. Use light or nonfat Cool Whip instead of fresh whipped
cream.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Charlene Ota]
Crockpot Hamburger Soup
by Charlene Ota
Charlene serves as an officer on the National Federation of the Blind
of North Dakota Board of Directors and is married to Milton Ota, the
immediate past president.
Ingredients:
1 pound extra lean ground beef (you can brown the beef before adding to the
soup, or add it in raw, even frozen).
4 cups beef broth
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, drained
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables (green beans, peas, corn, carrots)
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 chopped onion
1 chopped red pepper
About 2 tablespoons chili powder (more or less depending on your taste)
A little salt and pepper
About 5 ounces cooked macaroni (added at the end)
Method: Put everything in the crockpot except the pasta. Cook on low
for about five to six hours. If the hamburger was not cooked before adding
to the soup, use a fork to break up the hamburger. Cook the pasta and add
to the soup. Makes about six generous servings. I put some sour cream and
shredded cheese on my bowl of soup, too.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Paxton Franke]
Paxton's Pork Chops
by Paxton Franke
Paxton Franke is a student at North Dakota State University and works
as a CNA [certified nursing assistant]. He has just recently found the
National Federation of the Blind of North Dakota, and we are so glad to be
connected with him.
Ingredients:
6 pork chops
2 7-ounce containers of Dijon mustard
Juice from 2-3 large lemons
Olive oil
Rosemary
Salt and pepper
Method: The best way to prepare these is to dry any excess moisture
off the meat with a paper towel. Salt generously and add a few dashes of
pepper for good measure. Take a large casserole dish and cover the bottom
with olive oil. Squeeze in your lemon juice and whisk it with the mustard.
Add some freshly chopped rosemary and mix all the meat and sauce into the
dish. Use your hands and spread it around! Take a few full sprigs of
rosemary, give them a good smack and spread them around the dish. Finally,
if you're feeling extra fancy take some lemon wheels and lay them
underneath the meat for some extra aroma. Let sit up to 24 hours. Bake at
400 degrees. Pork chops should read 140 degrees before they are ready to be
taken out of the oven. Cover with some aluminum foil and let sit for five
minutes to let the meat relax and reach that magic 145-degree temperature.
Best served with a healthy dose of a citrusy medium-bodied white wine.
----------
Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
Essay Contest:
In an effort to support blind children and their education during this
trying time of uncertainty, NFB of Texas is offering an essay contest.
These essays are meant to be a way for children to explore what they are
going through and process their feelings. Hopefully in writing things down,
it will enable children to feel more in control of their surroundings and
empowered in their situations. Please contact Emily Gibbs at
egibbs at nfbtx.org or 281-968-7347 with questions.
Instructions: Please answer the following question: How have you dealt
with the coronavirus, social distancing, or another life challenge? Upload
answers using the following form: https://forms.gle/CmY45rgeqiGgYVxp8.
Answers should be no less than 500 words.
Answers will be uploaded to NFB-NEWSLINE® for everyone to read. A $50
gift card will be awarded to one essay in each of the following grade
brackets: K-3, 4-6, 7-8, 9-12.
Donate to the NFB of Texas
https://www.nfbtx.org/donate.php
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Blind Americans Encountering Discrimination by Restaurants and Other
Services During COVID-19 Crisis.
Restaurants, Banks, and Others Denying Service to Blind Pedestrians
Baltimore, Maryland (April 3, 2020): The National Federation of the
Blind, America's civil rights organization of the blind, today demanded
that restaurants, banks, and other businesses, as well as drive-through
COVID-19 testing facilities, provide equal service to blind customers, as
required by the Americans with Disabilities Act, whether the blind customer
is on foot or in a vehicle. Many businesses are offering drive-through
service only during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Federation of the
Blind has received numerous reports of discrimination against blind people
who have tried to access drive-through windows on foot, and at least one
local television station has reported on the problem.
"We reject the argument that accessing a drive-through window on foot
is unsafe for blind people, since we regularly cross busy intersections and
interact with vehicles," said Mark Riccobono, President of the National
Federation of the Blind. "But even if a restaurant, bank, or testing center
is unable or unwilling to offer pedestrian access to its drive-through
window, the law clearly requires that it offer reasonable modifications to
allow the blind and others with disabilities to take advantage of its
public services. The bottom line is that, especially at a time when access
to vehicle transportation for non-drivers is limited, there is no legal or
moral excuse for denying service to blind people simply because we are not
in a car. To do so is unlawful and discriminatory, and we will not tolerate
it." This news brief is also available at: https://www.nfb.org/about-
us/press-room/blind-americans-encountering-discrimination-restaurants-and-
other-services
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.
Word to EPUB is Now a Reality:
I am delighted to let you know that the DAISY Consortium has released
WordToEPUB! Finally, a free and easy to use tool that creates valid,
accessible EPUB files from structured Microsoft Word documents. To learn
more about this feature-rich tool, visit the news announcement at:
https://daisy.org/news-events/articles/new-epub-creation-tool/.
And visit the download page at:
https://daisy.org/wordtoepub
To find a list of EPUB Apps and our reviews, visit:
https://inclusivepublishing.org/rs-accessibility/
And the best bookmark for Inclusive Publishing visit:
https://inclusivepublishing.org/
SSA Kiosks to be Made Accessible:
The National Federation of the Blind and two blind individuals, Lisa
Irving and Amy Bonano, have resolved their 2017 lawsuit against the Social
Security Administration and entered into a settlement agreement designed to
ensure that SSA's visitor-intake-processing kiosks are accessible to blind
users by December 31, 2021. Per the agreement, SSA will work with a third-
party, kiosk-accessibility expert to redesign the agency's kiosks so that
blind users can enter required intake information, including their Social
Security number, privately and independently.
----------
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Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for
the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to
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