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</style> </head> <body> <div id="header"> <h1 class="title">The Braille Monitor,
May 2022</h1> </div> <h1 id="braille-monitor">BRAILLE MONITOR</h1> <p>Vol. 65,
No. 5 May 2022</p> <p><em>Gary Wunder, Editor</em></p> <p>Distributed by email,
in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash drive, by the</p> <p>NATIONAL FEDERATION
OF THE BLIND</p> <p>Mark Riccobono, President</p> <p>telephone: 410-659-9314</p>
<p>email address: <a href="mailto:nfb@nfb.org">nfb@nfb.org</a></p> <p>website
address: <a href="http://www.nfb.org">http://www.nfb.org</a></p> <p>NFBnet.org:
<a href="http://www.nfbnet.org">http://www.nfbnet.org</a></p> <p>NFB-NEWSLINE®
information: 866-504-7300</p> <p>Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind</p>
<p>Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice</p> <p>Watch and share our videos:
YouTube.com/NationsBlind</p> <p>Letters to the President, address changes,
subscription requests, and orders for NFB literature should be sent to the national
office. Articles for the <em>Monitor</em> and letters to the editor may also be
sent to the national office or may be emailed to <a
href="mailto:gwunder@nfb.org">gwunder@nfb.org</a>.</p> <p><em>Monitor</em>
subscriptions cost the Federation about forty dollars per year. Members are invited,
and nonmembers are requested, to cover the subscription cost. Donations should be
made payable to <strong>National Federation of the Blind</strong> and sent to:</p>
<p>National Federation of the Blind</p> <p>200 East Wells Street <em>at Jernigan
Place</em><br /> Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998</p> <p><strong>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.</strong></p> <p><em>ISSN 0006-8829</em></p> <p>© 2022
by the National Federation of the Blind</p> <p>Each issue is recorded on a thumb
drive (also called a memory stick or USB flash drive). You can read this audio
edition using a computer or a National Library Service digital player. The NLS
machine has two slots—the familiar book-cartridge slot just above the
retractable carrying handle and a second slot located on the right side near the
headphone jack. This smaller slot is used to play thumb drives. Remove the protective
rubber pad covering this slot and insert the thumb drive. It will insert only in
one position. If you encounter resistance, flip the drive over and try again.
(Note: If the cartridge slot is not empty when you insert the thumb drive, the
digital player will ignore the thumb drive.) Once the thumb drive is inserted,
the player buttons will function as usual for reading digital materials. If you
remove the thumb drive to use the player for cartridges, when you insert it again,
reading should resume at the point you stopped.</p> <p>You can transfer the
recording of each issue from the thumb drive to your computer or preserve it on
the thumb drive. However, because thumb drives can be used hundreds of times, we
would appreciate their return in order to stretch our funding. Please use the
return envelope enclosed with the drive when you return the device.</p> <p>Vol.
65, No. 5 May 2022</p> <h2 id="contents">Contents</h2> <p>Illustration: Welcome
to Truth or Consequences</p> <p>New Orleans Site of 2022 Convention</p> <p>by John
Berggren</p> <p>Welcoming Participants to the 2022 Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium</p>
<p>by Mark Riccobono</p> <p>Dan Parker and the National Federation of the Blind
Make History</p> <p>Chapter Chatter: Listen, Speak, Repeat</p> <p>by Christine
Faltz Grassman</p> <p>True Vision</p> <p>by Richard Ensign</p> <p>The Quest for
a COVID-19 Test</p> <p>by Valerie Yingling</p> <p>Resolution and Concerted Action:
Colorado Business Enterprise Program in Disarray</p> <p>by Kevan Worley</p> <p>Light
in Darkness: My Journey through Depression</p> <p>by Rachel Grider</p> <p>A Part
of the Blind Community Assists—Bringing Technology to Help in a Time of
Crisis</p> <p>Commenting Without Committing: A Reminder that Members Are Part of
“They”</p> <p>by Gary Wunder and Danielle McCann</p> <p>Announcing
the 2022 NAGDU National Convention Sponsorship</p> <p>by Stacie Gallegos</p>
<p>What do I Really Want from a Self-driving Car: Reflections on the Less Dramatic
and Life-Changing Impact of Control</p> <p>by Gary Wunder</p> <p>Power Up—Double
Your Dollars in the Give $20 Gift Matching Campaign with HumanWare</p> <p>Resolution
Reminders</p> <p>by Sharon Maneki</p> <p>The Russian Translator from Montan</p>
<p>by Peggy Chong</p> <p>Van Hollen, Hyde-Smith, Peters, Portman Make Bipartisan
Push for Independent Investigation into USPS Delivery of Free Materials for the
Blind & Physically Handicapped</p> <p>Our Beloved Charlie Brown</p> <p>Modeling
a Positive Philosophy on Blindness Today for the Teachers of Tomorrow</p> <p>by
Karen Anderson</p> <p>Recipes</p> <p><em>Monitor</em> Miniatures</p> <p>[PHOTO/CAPTION:
President Riccobono, Anil Lewis, Pam and Roland Allen pose for a picture at the
Welcome to Truth or Consequences town sign.</p> <p>[PHOTO/CAPTION: Leaders follow
the metal wall that continues to rise as they get closer to the Gateway to Space
building.</p> <p>[PHOTO/CAPTION: Group shot of Dan Parker—holding his GWR
certificate—his crew, and the NFB leadership and staff at the Guinness
World Record attempt. The Guinness World Records official smiles along with the
group.</p> <h2 id="welcome-to-truth-or-consequences">Welcome to Truth or
Consequences</h2> <p>When leaders of the National Federation of the Blind visited
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, for the Blind Driver Challenge, we did not just
sit on the bleachers as spectators. Truth or Consequences, also known as T or C,
is a small resort town with a year-round population of slightly more than six
thousand, and it got its name in 1950 as part of a publicity scheme to celebrate
the tenth anniversary of Ralph Edwards’s hugely successful game show on
NBC radio. It’s also home of Spaceport America, which is the location of
the recent Blind Driver Challenge efforts.</p> <p>Spaceport America has six thousand
square miles of restricted airspace, low population density, a twelve thousand-foot
by two-hundred-foot runway, vertical launch complexes, and the world’s
first purpose-built space terminal, Virgin Galactic’s “Gateway to
Space.” The Gateway to Space terminal is dug into the desert on one side
with two floors of the building primarily focused on spaceflight operations.
Federation leaders explored the unique building’s visitor gallery and the
runway to where the Guinness World Records title was achieved.</p> <p>----------</p>
<p>[PHOTO CAPTION: John Berggren]</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Convention Hotel]</p>
<h2 id="new-orleans-site-of-2022-convention">New Orleans Site of 2022 Convention</h2>
<p><strong>by John Berggren</strong></p> <p>The 2022 Convention of the National
Federation of the Blind will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, July 5 to July
10, at the New Orleans Marriott at 555 Canal Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130.
You can reserve a room now at the Marriott by calling 855-821-4288, ensuring
you’ll be in our headquarters hotel. If you wish to stay in our overflow
hotel directly across Canal Street, call 855-516-1090 to book a room at the Sheraton
New Orleans. When booking your room with either hotel, tell the reservations agent
that our group is listed as “NFB Convention.”</p> <p>The nightly
rate for both the Marriott and the Sheraton is $109 for singles and doubles.
Triples and quads can be booked for $119 per night. You should also anticipate
the combined sales tax and tourism support rate of 16.2 percent, and note there
is a hotel occupancy fee of $3.00 per night.</p> <p>Both hotels will take a deposit
of the first night’s room rate, taxes, and fees and will require a credit
card or a personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged
against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Monday, June
1, 2022, half of the deposit will be returned. Refunds will not be issued for
cancellations made beyond that date.</p> <p>The hotels sit astride the storied
Canal Street at 555 and 500 Canal Street respectively, only blocks from the mighty
Mississippi River and even closer to the historic French Quarter. Both hotels
offer a range of dining options as well as twenty-four-hour fitness centers.
You’ll find a rooftop pool at the Marriott while the Sheraton features a
Starbucks in its atrium lobby.</p> <p>The schedule for the 2022 convention is:</p>
<p>Tuesday, July 5 Seminar Day<br /> Wednesday, July 6 Registration and Resolutions
Day<br /> Thursday, July 7 Board Meeting and Division Day<br /> Friday, July 8
Opening Session<br /> Saturday, July 9 Business Session<br /> Sunday, July 10
Banquet Day and Adjournment</p> <p>The health of our members is of paramount
importance as we plan for our first in-person convention in three years. Both of
our convention hotels are committed to ensuring the safety of guests and have
implemented cleaning protocols and elevated practices to deliver on this commitment.
The National Federation of the Blind will continually monitor masking policies,
vaccination requirements, and other health guidelines that may apply to our
convention. Updates will be shared with members throughout the months leading up
to convention, so members can plan accordingly.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO
CAPTION: Mark Riccobono]</p> <h2
id="welcoming-participants-to-the-2022-jacobus-tenbroek-law-symposium">Welcoming
Participants to the 2022 Jacobus tenBroek Law Symposium</h2> <p><strong>by Mark
Riccobono</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor: Every two years the National
Federation of the Blind gathers the best legal minds on disability, race relations,
and other practitioners who work on advancing civil rights to share their thoughts
about the current state of the law and what we must do to advance the cause of
equality of opportunity and equity for all. It is our intent to deliver several
in-depth articles about this year’s symposium, “The Right of People
with Disabilities to Live in a World of Pandemics, Political Polarization, and
Natural Disasters.” Please look for those in coming issues. President
Riccobono opened the event with these moving remarks:</strong></p> <p>Thank you
very much, Lou Ann. I appreciate the introduction, and it's great to be together
with everybody again for this law symposium. It's always a great honor to gather
together with everybody to kick this event off.</p> <p>The National Federation of
the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your
future and that every day we raise the expectations of blind people because we
recognize that low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our
dreams, that you can live the life you want, and that blindness is not what holds
you back.</p> <p>The title for our symposium this year has some obvious implications,
and the fact that the essential struggle to ensure the rights of people with
disabilities are maintained and our dignity is not diminished is really at the
core of what you all work with on a daily basis. While the difficulties and the
circumstances that we've faced have affected all Americans today, we recognize
that the impact on people with disabilities has been even more significant because
of the low expectations that exist. And because of those struggles, the potential
for diminishing resources that are targeted at the work of this community has been
a real threat. Your continued work to ensure that people with disabilities continue
to be recognized and receive the support they need to live the lives they want is
really important, and I want to thank you for the work that you all are doing in
that regard.</p> <p>My screen reader is telling me everybody who has joined. It's
great to hear the crowd that has come in.</p> <p>There is an even stronger bond
implied in the title of our symposium this year. Like all good movements, disability
rights is a movement of ordinary people coming together to overcome extraordinary
barriers. Despite the pandemic, political polarization, natural disasters, and
war, the community here is contributing and continues to contribute to persist in
advocating for the rights, respect, understanding, and achievements of a significant
class of people who would otherwise be left behind if not completely forgotten in
certain corners of our society. This movement seeks not to stand simply outside
of other movements, but this movement works to demonstrate that disability, very
uniquely amongst all other movements, really touches all of the civil rights
movements that are recognized in society.</p> <p>This morning I'm compelled to
imagine how poorly equipped our nation and really the global community would have
been to navigate the difficult times that we have been through without the meaningful
contributions of people with disabilities, as amplified by the work that happens
in the disability rights movement. This symposium is designed to bring together
those seeking to make the movement even stronger and, through collective action,
to amplify the everyday voices, hopes, dreams, and struggles of people with
disabilities in a way that improves society for all of us.</p> <p>Given the past
couple of years and the difficult circumstances they have brought, it's hard
sometimes to be optimistic about where we are and what the future might hold. But
I for one—and I hope you share this sentiment—I am filled with hope.
Why? Well, because our community of activists continues to come together in our
Disability Law Symposium to keep marching forward, to keep the focus on where we
want to go, and on what we want to do to keep disability at the center of these
conversations.</p> <p>I want to thank you for continuing to give me and so many
others hope through the work that you do on a daily basis to strengthen and build
the movement in which we all have the honor of participating. Your commitment and
persistence makes a real difference, and you're building this space that we share.
It makes such a difference to the work that we can do in the disability rights
space and to many people with disabilities who haven't otherwise found support.
Too often the value they bring has not been recognized in those corners where they
live. But you and your work help them to know that their life and their contributions
make a difference and inspires them to pursue their dreams. So thank you for the
work that you do.</p> <p>I want to say thank you to a couple of others before we
move on this morning. I want to thank our steering committee. If you have suggestions
of people who should be considered for the future for our steering committee,
please send those to us. Thank you to this year's steering committee, including
Zainab Alkebsi from the National Association of the Deaf; Selene Almazan from the
Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates; Tim Elder from TRE Legal; Deepa Goraya
from the Delaware Department of Justice; Jasmine Harris from the University of
Pennsylvania Law School; Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum from Brown, Goldstein & Levy;
Cathy Kudlick from San Francisco State University; Scott LaBarre from the National
Federation of the Blind; Kathy Martinez from the AAPD; and Silvia Yee from Disability
Rights Education and Defense Fund.</p> <p>Thank you also to our presenters and
those who are contributing by doing work behind the scenes as Zoom hosts or working
on the captioning or other aspects of our meeting.</p> <p>This symposium has been
made possible by our generous sponsors, whom I would like to thank for contributing
to this law symposium. At the gold level, Brown, Goldstein & Levy. At the
silver level, Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld. At the bronze level, we have
the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law; the Burton Blatt Institute; Derby,
McGuinness & Goldsmith, LLP; LaBarre Law Offices; Rosenberg, Martin, Greenberg
LLP; and Whiteford Taylor Preston LLP.</p> <p>At the white cane level, we would
like to thank the Law School Admissions Council for your support. Thank you to
all of our sponsors for helping to make this gathering possible.</p> <p>Before we
get underway, I wanted to acknowledge the work that we're doing in the National
Federation of the Blind as part of the global community of blind people to bring
together individuals to support blind people who have been displaced by the horrific
actions happening in the Ukraine. We are participating in a concert called
“We're with U,” with funds for the World Blind Union in what has
been designated as the Ukrainian Unity Fund. So I want to raise up to you that on
April 16th there will be a global benefit concert with the blind communities coming
together to raise funds for this Unity Fund. You can learn more about the activities,
how you can get involved as a performer, and how you can contribute by going to
our website at <a href="http://www.nfb.org/blindwithu">www.nfb.org/blindwithu</a>.
That's the letter U. You can also follow the hashtag #blindwithu on social media.
I encourage you to join these or other organizations helping those impacted by
the activities in the Ukraine. I know that's just one of the many things we'll be
talking about at this symposium, so thank you for your time—looking forward
to our first presentation.</p> <p>Have a great week, and thank you for contributing
to this community.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Parker]</p> <h2
id="dan-parker-and-the-national-federation-of-the-blind-make-history">Dan Parker
and the National Federation of the Blind Make History</h2> <p><strong>From the
Editor: Reprinted here substantially as written is a press release highlighting
the speed record broken by Federationist Dan Parker. In the June issue we will
feature an article with a lot more detail, and we know it will be good because
its author is Chris Danielsen. In the meantime, enjoy the news that was released
to the press shortly after this historic event:</strong></p> <p>FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE</p> <h3 id="dan-parker-a-blind-man">Dan Parker, a Blind Man,</h3> <h3
id="breaks-driving-speed-record">Breaks Driving Speed Record</h3> <p>Truth or
Consequences, New Mexico (April 5, 2022): Dan Parker, a blind racecar driver,
achieved the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for the “Fastest Speed for
a Car Driven Blindfolded” on Thursday, March 31. Parker set a new speed
record of 211.043 miles per hour on the runway at Spaceport America in his
custom-built Corvette, which included an innovative audio guidance system designed
to his specifications. The previous record was held by Mike Newman of the United
Kingdom, who achieved a speed of 200.51 miles per hour in 2014. Parker went blind
as the result of a racing accident that took place ten years before, on March 31,
2012, and graduated from the Louisiana Center for the Blind seven years ago on
March 31 as well. The record attempt was made as part of the acceleration of the
National Federation of the Blind’s Blind Driver Challenge™, an
initiative that aims to call attention to the importance of breaking barriers in
mobility and to demonstrate the incredible achievements of blind people. It was
sponsored by San Francisco-based zero emission self-driving company Cruise and
certified by Guinness World Records official Michael Empric.</p> <p>The effort
built on the inaugural Blind Driver Challenge event that took place on January
29, 2011, when Mark Riccobono, now President of the National Federation of the
Blind, independently operated a modified Ford Escape hybrid on the Daytona
International Speedway Road Course. Mr. Riccobono navigated the course’s
turns and steered the car around dynamic obstacles by following haptic prompts
generated by input from the vehicle’s GPS, cameras, and LIDAR sensors.</p>
<p>“Our Daytona Blind Driver Challenge demonstration changed the perceptions
of blindness held by society, including the perceptions that we ourselves held as
blind people,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation
of the Blind. “It further demonstrated to the world that the expertise of
the blind is critical to the development of nonvisual vehicle interfaces. NFB
member Dan Parker has now raised the expectations of blind people even higher by
independently driving a vehicle faster than any blind person has done before,
proving that the combination of accessible technology and our own capacity allows
blind people to safely operate motor vehicles even at high speed. This demonstration
reinforces our determination to work with Cruise and other partners to make cars
that can be operated independently by blind people on America’s roadways
a reality. Transportation is a critical barrier faced by blind people across the
nation, and we seek the increased availability of all transportation options in
order to successfully live the lives we want.”</p> <p>Dan Parker said:
“With the help of my Federation family, my outstanding pit crew, and our
partners at Cruise, I am proud to bring the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for
fastest speed for a car driven blindfolded to America. We have not only demonstrated
that a blind person can operate a vehicle safely but that we can do it at over
two hundred miles per hour. We hope this success inspires blind people and shows
the world the potential of modern technology like self-driving cars to help the
blind break barriers in everyday mobility and beyond.”</p> <p>----------</p>
<p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Christine Faltz Grassman]</p> <h2
id="chapter-chatter-listen-speak-repeat">Chapter Chatter: Listen, Speak, Repeat</h2>
<p><strong>by Christine Faltz Grassman</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor:
Christine Faltz Grassman is a native New Yorker who moved to Virginia three years
ago to take a job as a conflict resolution specialist in the federal government.
She has been active in the Federation for thirty-five years and is the president
of the Potomac Chapter of the NFB of Virginia and a Project RISE mentor. A 1987
scholarship recipient, Christine is an attorney and teacher, a member of her
community’s Emergency Response team, and is a secular celebrant certified
by the Center for Inquiry. She lives with her spouse, Gary Grassman, and their
ruler, a Norwegian forest cat named Pixie</strong>. <strong>Here is the first in
what I hope will be many such articles:</strong></p> <p>"One of the hardest things
in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter."</p> <p>—James
Earl Jones</p> <p>As individuals and as members of the NFB community, a significant
focus over the past few years has been ensuring safety for ourselves and our
diverse community. One of the elements of this effort is bystander intervention:
learning ways that you can intervene when you witness a problem in which an
individual or several individuals are harassed, bullied, or otherwise placed in
physical or other jeopardy.</p> <p>It is difficult to be the person who decides
to step in. It could get messy. What if the person turns on you? What if you are
misunderstanding the situation? What if you make it worse? How can one stand up
for another if one cannot stand up for one’s self?</p> <p>Before you can
become an effective advocate, ally, or intervener, you must be one for yourself.
When you are comfortable (or comfortable enough) in your own skin and with your
own voice, it is much easier to step in and be there for others.</p> <p>Of course,
you may be an extremely introverted person who just is not someone who speaks up,
even when something bothers you or if you think something else might be done more
efficiently or effectively. You might feel, for the most part, quite happy with
who you are and how you handle things, and if this is so, that is fine; those who
care about you and know you well will realize that.</p> <p>I want those of you
who feel silenced, unheard, or uncomfortable to consider what is lost when you do
not speak up, when you speak up or react confrontationally, or when you decide
you do not want to bother any longer, and we lose your voice, your perspective,
your strength and skills.</p> <p>You are at a chapter meeting. Someone says
something about how much more difficult it is for a blind woman than for a blind
man to receive assistance in a store when shopping. You are a blind woman, and
you think this is ridiculous. Just because this person has trouble doesn’t
mean it is because she is a blind woman. You do not have trouble receiving assistance
when you go out. You are sick of the whining, the statements you deem to be
overblown victimhood. You want to yell out something like “Stop it already.
Enough!”</p> <p>While I do not recommend that strategy, healthy, respectful,
and fruitful debate of such issues makes communication and collaboration stronger
while fostering a spirit of honesty and bringing all to a place where they can
get past hindrances and find common ground. It is excellent practice to expose
others to differing points of view and to have them do the same for you. As long
as the discussions are thoughtful and honest, and if you talk to the person the
way you wish to be talked to, this is a wonderful mechanism for clarifying priorities
and strengthening relationships in a group that must marshal its resources toward
common goals that help all of us.</p> <p>How might you direct this discussion to
something fruitful? “Excuse me,” you might say, “I have not
really witnessed a difference in the treatment of blind women or blind men when
I am out shopping. It is true that salespeople might have to be sought out rather
than their coming to us, but I think this is true for any blind person. People
just do not know how to approach us sometimes.”</p> <p>“No, no,”
you are informed, “It happens all the time. I hear of it often. It’s
definitely worse for women.”</p> <p>How might you steer this forward?</p>
<p>“How can we actually know that?” you might ask. “Has anyone
actually compiled statistics, any sort of data on this, even informally? Are there
studies or surveys? Have people been interviewed?”</p> <p>One of you is
definitively stating something as a fact, as something obvious, as something with
which she believes there is no quarrel and no other perspective. You, on the other
hand, are requesting data; you want proof for this assertion. You are not making
it personal.</p> <p>This does not, of course, prevent her from taking it personally
or from feeling attacked. That is not your problem, since you did not belittle
her, cast aspersions, or tell her to be quiet and stop making a fuss about something
so trivial.</p> <p>It is often the way we deliver our opposition to an idea—or
our challenges to what another might state as obvious to all—which often
creates problems. If you sound impatient or angry, or if you and the individual
often clash on issues, you or she may be tempted to take this all personally,
which helps neither of you and sets the chapter back.</p> <p>Past relationships,
past arguments, or various alliances might lead to factionalization and an
“us” and “them” situation, which can be fatal to groups
large and small.</p> <p>If you are angry, upset, or if you feel yourself cringing
or otherwise physiologically aggravated, take a deep breath before you decide to
say anything. Think about the most neutral way to frame your question or addition
to the discussion. If someone responded to you the way you are about to respond,
how would you feel? Would you become defensive? Would others perceive your response
as reasonable? Where do you want to take this discussion? Do you want to
“win” points or humiliate someone you deem an “opponent,”
or are you more interested in hashing things out in a level-headed and meaningful
way? If you and this individual are typically at odds, are you doing this simply
to get under her skin? If there are new or potential members at the meeting, will
the manner in which the discussion progresses frighten them away and leave them
with a poor impression of the chapter, affiliate, or the entire organization?</p>
<p>You must be clear about your motivations, whether you have something constructive
to say, and how it will be perceived both in the short and the long term. You do
not want to alienate; you want to generate.</p> <p>No one does any of this perfectly,
but everyone can improve their communication skills, especially when it comes to
thorny topics and situations. Speak up, and allow others to speak up. Listen to
each other, really listen. Answer what is actually put out there for discussion;
do not bring in tangential topics or try to derail the discussion because you do
not like where it is going. Remain respectful. If you become too upset or angry,
state that you would like to have time to consider the subject further, but you
feel a break would be beneficial. Keep in mind that, if you do this often, it will
appear to be a stalling mechanism and will manifest as not wanting to communicate
better.</p> <p>The larger a group gets, the more complicated relationships and
communication become. It is vital, however, that there is ample opportunity for
practice of such skills. In my next post, I will discuss how others can assist
when things go awry during a chapter meeting discussion.</p> <p>----------</p>
<h2 id="true-vision">True Vision</h2> <p><strong>by Richard Ensign</strong></p>
<p><strong>From the Editor: Richard has a long friendship with Ken Duke, who is
a longtime leader in our Utah Affiliate. The relationship goes beyond friends
since Ken is Richard’s brother-in-law. Here is what Ken has to say about
an event dreamed up by Ken that took place in September of 2021. Enjoy the
ride:</strong></p> <p>Ken Duke, who is an NFB of Utah board member and also the
Salt Lake Chapter president, sets his sights high in everything he does even though
he was born with a disease leading to blindness called retinitis pigmentosa. Ken
is a true visionary and dreamer when it comes to setting lofty goals. Apparently
completing fifty-eight marathons and five RAGNARS was not challenging enough. He
wanted to plan something even more ambitious, and as his friend and brother-in-law,
I got invited to go along for the ride.</p> <p>For the past twenty years, Ken has
been the president and board member of the Achilles International Utah Chapter.
I love the symbolism in the story of this Greek god since Achilles was a perfect
specimen except for his darn heal. Like Achilles, each member of this organization
has one or more challenges such as amputation, cancer, or vision. Yet through
great determination and grit, each seems to rise above their trials to become
stronger.</p> <p>Ken has been a big part of helping individuals set ambitious
goals and then helping them reach them. About six months ago, he approached me
with one of his hairbrained ideas. He thought it would be fun to bike 365 miles
over five days to St. George, Utah, and then run 26.2 miles after only one day of
rest. I thought he was joking at first, but he was dead serious.</p> <p>Over the
next few weeks and months, he began recruiting our team. This team consisted of
six blind riders, six bike captains, and our support staff or SAG. He also secured
the use of six tandem bikes.</p> <p>By definition, a tandem is a bicycle in which
two people work in partnership or conjunction to ride. Our tandems were a lot like
the people that rode them—all different; yet somehow, we worked together
to make this miracle happen. These bikes were different colors, makes, and designs.
Some were newer and others faster. Each member of our team was also unique. We
had contractors, computer engineers, firemen, and substitute teachers. We had
athletes as well as beginner riders.</p> <p>The story I would like to tell is not
about the ride but rather the journey and what I learned along the way. I left
Salt Lake last week telling family and friends I was riding with six blind people.
Now I tell people I rode with six amazing, inspiring, determined individuals who
happened to be blind. My attitude toward disabilities changed as I got to know
each one of them a little better. I began to see them for who they are instead of
for their disability. I hope you can too. Here is their story.</p> <p>Lexie
Eddington was born in Romania in 1991 to a young Turkish mother but was immediately
given up for adoption. Lucky for her, she was adopted by a loving mother and raised
in Evanston, Wyoming. With a graduating class of only ninty-nine, she had plenty
of opportunities to shine as she ran track and was a cheerleader.</p> <p>I met
Lexie about a month before our event for our first serious ride. It was an
eighty-mile mountainous course, where we climbed over four thousand vertical feet.
The event was called the Summit Challenge and was sponsored by the National Ability
Center in Park City, Utah. Prior to this event, the farthest Lexie had ridden was
only thirty miles. Most of her training was sitting on a stationary bike in the
gym.</p> <p>Lexie is one of the most positive, bubbly people I have ever met. She
is also a talker. Mile after mile I got to learn about her family, her substitute
teaching, and her love life. She told me about her best dates as well as her worst.
Story after story entertained me as we pedaled from town to town.</p> <p>On our
last day, we were in a particularly bad stretch of road. I was doing everything
I could to concentrate on not hitting the rumble strip as well as staying out of
the way of the speeding semis while we flew down the road. We had not said much
over the course of ten minutes when Lexie finally broke the silence and said, "I
guess after five days of riding we've run out of things to talk about." This made
me laugh since I was just trying to stay alive at that point.</p> <p>Once we got
out of danger, we started up our conversation again. Every time we hit a hill,
Lexie would blurt out, "We got this. We're going to dominate this hill!" She never
complained and always had a positive attitude. She told me at least a hundred
times how wonderful I was and how much she appreciated me. How can you not like
someone who praises you like that?</p> <p>My greatest joy of the ride was seeing
the love and support that Lexie received from her family at the finish line. Her
ninety-year-old grandparents as well as her sister and brother-in-law had driven
down from Salt Lake to cheer her on. Her mother Jan spent the week following us
from stop to stop as a member of the SAG team offering support and encouragement.
Lexie told me that she is a "mama's girl," and I could tell they truly loved each
other. Lexie taught me about being positive, the importance of family, and a little
bit about swearing when we hit the rumble strips.</p> <p>Stephanie and Nick Cordova
are Irish twins. They were born eleven months apart with Stephanie being the older,
wiser blind sister. I did not talk to them as much as Lexie, but I did admire them
from afar. After day two I thought that they might want to quit. They struggled
over those eighty-one miles and looked exhausted at the end. However, the next
morning they were back on their bikes ready to roll with a determined look in
their eyes.</p> <p>Nick and Stephanie had bike issues throughout the ride. Their
chain kept falling off at the most inopportune times. We even gave them the nickname
of the "chain gang." Through it all they never complained and pushed through.</p>
<p>This brother/sister duo taught me several lessons. You hear about siblings that
grow apart as they get older. I could tell that Nick and Stephanie have grown
closer together as they serve one another. They are not complainers. They were
not the fastest of all the groups, but they were certainly steady and are not
quitters. At the end of the ride, Stephanie posted a special shout out to her
brother, thanking him for always being willing to join her and being so supportive.</p>
<p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Terri and Aaron Rupp with their kids, Marley and Jackson.]</p>
<p>Terri and Aaron Rupp joined us from the Las Vegas Chapter, and we are really
glad they did. Not only did they supply one of the coolest camper vans ever made,
but they also brought a lot of encouragement and fun. Aaron is an excellent cook
and spent a lot of time sharing his skills with us. He is a fireman/EMT and had
lots of entertaining stories and dance moves. I especially liked the story about
what he did with his grandpa's inheritance money. I am pretty sure grandpa may be
rolling over in his grave.</p> <p>Terri's background is incredibly inspiring. Her
family had to flee Cambodia because of the Pol Pot regime in the 1970s. Terri was
born in Thailand in a refugee camp, and then her family immigrated to the United
States when she was very young. Both Terri and her young daughter have the same
eye condition. Terri sits on several national boards, including the board of the
National Federation of the Blind. She has spent countless hours traveling the
country speaking and motivating others.</p> <p>One story that stood out to me is
that when she travels through airports, many people offer help in well-intended
but inappropriate ways. Some people talk excessively loudly as if she is deaf, or
they bring a wheelchair to push her around. She will typically put her suitcase
in the wheelchair and begin to walk toward the departure gate using her cane. She
wants people to realize she can do almost anything. She has even run a hundred
miler!</p> <p>Terri and Aaron taught me that with or without sight you can enjoy
life to the fullest. They camp, bike, run, and hike almost every month. She is
teaching her daughter by example that anything is possible if you put your mind
to it, and that you can have a great time along the way.</p> <p>Gail Yarker and
Tyler Fredsall met each other just a week or two before the ride. Gail currently
lives in St. George and had only trained a few times with her seventy-four-year-old
father on an e-bike, so we were a little nervous for her. Luckily, Tyler ran track
in college and is in excellent shape, which made for a great pair. Gail is a
kindhearted, softspoken person which I'm sure served her well as a nurse until
her vision declined. One fun memory of the ride is seeing Gail's dog at the finish
line. This dog loved Gail and had missed her over the past five days!</p> <p>Tyler's
story is inspiring as well. He moved to Utah from Connecticut seven years ago to
learn how to ski. Most single guys seem to be more concerned about themselves,
but Tyler is always looking for ways to serve others. He ran a race back East,
where he was so inspired by an Achilles athlete that when he arrived in Utah, he
went to the effort to look up the Achilles Utah chapter and reached out to see
how he could help. He has been involved for four years now guiding runners around
Sugarhouse Park most Saturdays. He is also very talented and funny; he entertained
us with voice impressions of Yoda and Forest Gump among others.</p> <p>Tyler must
have learned his serving ways from his incredible parents. Ed and Rosalee Fredsall
flew out all the way from Florida to help with the SAG team. They kept us hydrated
along the road as well as providing help in fixing our flats. Over the course of
five days, there were thirteen flats and three tires destroyed, so their help and
tools were lifesavers.</p> <p>What I learned from Tyler and his parents is that
serving others is easy if you love it. I could tell serving brings them great joy.
Gail taught me a little about faith and determination. With very little training,
she trusted Tyler and did not back out like some others. She also never complained.
In the end she wrote "My deepest gratitude to each and every one of you on this
epic adventure. I enjoyed every moment from start to finish."</p> <p>Steve and
Becky Andrews were the veteran team of our group. They both have been riding
tandems for many years and recently returned from a two hundred mile training ride
across Missouri. However, when they were first learning to ride (with clip peddles)
many years ago, their tandem fell over and Becky broke her arm. Not to be discouraged,
a few weeks later she got back on and fell again, this time breaking the other
arm! You would think one would see that as a bad omen and quit, but not Becky.
She replaced the clip peddles with baskets and has been riding ever since.</p>
<p>Steve also inspired me as he was the oldest of the group at age sixty-three.
I am not far behind him, so it gave me hope. Steve and Becky reminded me of the
children's story "The Tortoise and the Hare." There were multiple times that Lexie
and I passed them on a hill, only to be passed up when we were resting at the top.
These guys never quit! They just kept plodding along until they reached their
destination.</p> <p>Steve and Becky have taught me that when you fall, you get
back up. I also learned that sometimes "slow and steady wins the race." They seem
to live their life this way and have accomplished a lot along the way. They both
are successful business owners; Becky is a published author and they have successfully
raised several kids (and guide dogs).</p> <p>Ken Duke and Ben Alvord were the
masterminds behind this event. Ken was the dreamer, but Ben was right behind him
figuring out all the details and logistics. They made an excellent team both on
and off the bike.</p> <p>Ken has been inspiring me for over thirty years. We have
run, skied, and climbed mountains together, but we have also laughed, mourned,
and listened to each other's challenges for most of our adult lives. Ken is a true
friend and has taught me a great deal about how to handle adversity. He is the
reason why I have completed eighteen marathons; I have never run one without him.
I would say he is my guide and mentor as he helps me see life through another's
prospective.</p> <p>Ken has told me several times that Ben is the true hero of
this event. He mapped out the route, ordered the shirts, thought of the idea for
the medals, and even spent a weekend with Ken driving the course a few months ago.
Ben has sacrificed a lot to train with Ken over the past several years and has
become a good friend to Ken and me.</p> <p>What did I learn from Ken and Ben? I
learned that some crazy ideas are worth pursuing, that hard work and planning pay
off, and that we should not let anything like not having sight get in the way of
our dreams.</p> <p>Conclusion: Each morning Ken would lead us in a group cheer
before we headed off on our seventy-mile ride. We would all follow Ken's lead as
he yelled at the top of his lungs, "You got to want it!" We all laughed about it,
but in reality, this has been Ken's motto his whole life. He sets his sights high
and goes for it each day against all odds. He typically accomplishes his goals if
he wants to badly enough.</p> <p>I love the coincidence that the ride was 365
miles, since it is the same as the number of days in a year. To me, this ride
seemed like a metaphor for life. We experienced rain, sun, hills, valleys, good
times, and bad. When we hit a hill, I would tell Lexie, "What goes up, must come
down." So it is with life. I am convinced we all have different challenges in
life. Some are physical, like blindness, but others are emotional or mental. We
just need to remember there is hope on the other side of the hill.</p> <p>What
did I learn from this ride and run? That not everything you think is impossible
is. I thought there was absolutely no way I would be able to run a full marathon
after riding my bike to St. George. I had not trained because of a foot injury
and had not run over five miles in a year. Yet, Ken was gently persistent and got
me registered and to the starting line. I had to do the running, but it took Ken
to give me that little extra push and encouragement, and I am glad that he did.</p>
<p>I also learned once again that people with disabilities have a lot to add to
this life. I was inspired by the attitude, tenacity, drive, and passion of each
of the six riders who completed this journey. Hopefully, this is something they
will remember the rest of their lives, and it will act as a springboard for other
goals and aspirations they might have.</p> <p>Finally, I learned that synergy is
a real thing. Our little band of riders and support staff were greater than adding
our number would indicate. We lifted each other up and became better people because
of it. I am grateful that I was able to share this experience with these amazing
individuals and be inspired by their example of not letting anything get in their
way—not even a little 365-mile bike ride and marathon.</p> <h2
id="the-quest-for-a-covid-19-test">The Quest for a COVID-19 Test</h2> <p><strong>by
Valerie Yingling</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor: As a national representative,
I repeat no telephone number more than the one that rings Valerie. She is friendly,
thorough, and competent. We couldn’t have a better person to handle the
many legal issues she does, and an added benefit is that she writes articles such
as this one. Here is what she has to say about COVID testing:</strong></p> <p>NFB
of Nebraska member Barbara Loos was pleased to learn recently that the Nebraska
Health Department was developing a process to distribute at-home COVID-19 tests
for school, business, or personal use. She was eager to offer her assistance when
asked to trial the system and its accessibility features. But when the Health
Department brought her an inaccessible Abbott Binax test and when the online
proctor she engaged through Abbott’s NAVICA system disconnected their chat
after Barbara explained that she was blind and that she did not have sighted
in-home assistance to help her correctly place the solution drops on her test
card, Barbara was less than pleased. She understood that her state’s health
department and Abbott had failed to consider how blind people can access at-home
COVID tests.</p> <p>Barbara has been advocating to her state for accessible in-home
COVID testing solutions since August 2020 and has documented the experience as
her “Quest for a Test.”</p> <p>Securing at-home COVID-19 tests that
blind people can use privately and independently should not be a quest, neither
should finding accessible instructions for these tests or connecting with adequate
live-remote support for administering the tests. As our nation, states, and
municipalities shift focus to at-home testing as a way to prevent transmission of
COVID-19, blind people must be afforded equal access to these critical tests.</p>
<p>NFB has highlighted in this publication the work we’ve done at the
national level to advocate for equal access to COVID tests. Through our advocacy
we have connected with resources at the National Institutes of Health, Centers
for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and Administration for Community Living,
among other agencies. We are providing feedback during listening sessions and
training on blindness and the NFB for federal call center employees. Yet, there
is still not a process in place for distributing accessible at-home tests to blind
Americans.</p> <p>Our path does not serve the singular goal of receiving equal
access to federal services. The work we’ve done lays foundation for NFB
affiliate and member advocacy in your town, school, county, or state for these
potentially life-saving tests, and we urge you to reference the national
organization’s work in your own advocacy.</p> <h3 id="how-to-advocate">How
to Advocate</h3> <h4 id="tests">Tests</h4> <p>At-home COVID-19 tests should be
privately and independently usable by the blind. Tests that rely on the user
visually interpreting the result, be it a colored line or some other mark, do not
meet these criteria. The NFB has reviewed the majority of FDA-approved tests and
determined that the following tests in their current format require visual
interpretation and cannot be used independently by blind Americans:</p> <ul>
<li><blockquote> <p>DiaTrust COVID-19 test</p> </blockquote></li> <li><blockquote>
<p>InteliSwab COVID-19 Rapid Test</p> </blockquote></li> <li><blockquote> <p>BinaxNOW
COVID-19 Antigen Self Test</p> </blockquote></li> <li><blockquote> <p>Intrivo
Diagnostics, Inc.’s On/Go Rapid COVID Test</p> </blockquote></li>
<li><blockquote> <p><em>BD Veritor</em> At-<em>Home COVID</em>-19 <em>Test</em></p>
</blockquote></li> <li><blockquote> <p><em>CareStart</em> <em>COVID</em>-19 Antigen
<em>Home Test</em></p> </blockquote></li> <li><blockquote> <p>Flowflex COVID-19
Antigen Home Test</p> </blockquote></li> <li><blockquote> <p><em>iHealth COVID</em>-19
Antigen Rapid <em>Test</em></p> </blockquote></li> <li><blockquote> <p>QuickVue
At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test</p> </blockquote></li> </ul> <p>The following two tests
can be administered nonvisually, but they require a smartphone to upload and access
test results:</p> <ul> <li><blockquote> <p>Cue Health’s COVID-19 Test</p>
</blockquote></li> <li><blockquote> <p>Ellume COVID-19 Home Test</p> </blockquote></li>
</ul> <p>If your local government is procuring tests for residents, you can urge
officials to make these accessible tests available to blind individuals. Though
these tests can be more expensive than the inaccessible versions, the costs would
not constitute an undue burden.</p> <h4 id="virtual-assistance">Virtual Assistance</h4>
<p>Regardless of which test you use, if your local government makes available
virtual or call center assistance for tests takers, then this service must be
equally available to blind residents. Nonvisual instructions should be presented,
and the representative should not demand that you locate sighted assistance to
help you with the test.</p> <h4 id="template-letter">Template Letter</h4> <p>The
NFB has created a sample letter you can use or modify for your advocacy, available
at <a
href="https://nfb.org/resources/covid-19-resources/covid-19-home-test-information/template-letter-your-state-secretary">https://nfb.org/resources/covid-19-resources/covid-19-home-test-information/template-letter-your-state-secretary</a>.
Please coordinate with your affiliate and chapter president if you intend to send
a letter to your local government officials.</p> <h3 id="in-the-meantime">In the
Meantime</h3> <p>Advocacy takes time, and we know that the coronavirus does not
wait. Should you need or want to take an at-home COVID-19 test before your local
government or the federal government begins distributing accessible tests, there
is support in place. The NFB has gathered resources at <a
href="https://nfb.org/resources/covid-19-resources/covid-19-home-test-information">https://nfb.org/resources/covid-19-resources/covid-19-home-test-information</a>
and on NFB-NEWSLINE, including the contact information for the federal Disability
Information and Assistance Line (DIAL), 888-677-1199 and <a
href="mailto:dial@usaginganddisability.org">dial@usaginganddisability.org</a>,
and information about Aira support for at-home COVID-19 test takers.</p> <h3
id="share-your-experience">Share Your Experience</h3> <p>Understanding your
experiences is a critical part of our collective efforts to create systemic change.
Please take time to let us know about your experience with at-home COVID-19 tests
by completing NFB’s Access to COVID-19 Vaccine and Testing Survey, available
at <a
href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/access-covid-19-vaccine-and-testing-survey">https://nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/access-covid-19-vaccine-and-testing-survey</a>.</p>
<p>----------</p> <h2 id="you-can-make-a-difference">You Can Make a Difference
</h2> <p>Blind children, students, and adults are making powerful strides in
education and leadership every day across the United States. For more than eighty
years, the National Federation of the Blind has worked to transform the dreams of
hundreds of thousands of blind people into reality. With support from individuals
like you, we continue to provide powerful programs and critical resources for
decades to come. We sincerely hope you will plan to be a part of our enduring
movement by including the National Federation of the Blind in your charitable
giving and in your estate planning. It is easier than you think.</p> <p> </p>
<p>With your help, the NFB will continue to:</p> <ul> <li><p>give blind children
the gift of literacy through Braille,</p></li> <li><p>promote independent
travel by providing free long white canes to blind people in need,</p></li>
<li><p>develop dynamic educational projects and programs to show blind youth that
science and math careers are within their reach,</p></li> <li><p>deliver hundreds
of accessible newspapers and magazines to provide blind people the essential
information necessary to be actively involved in their communities, and</p></li>
<li><p>offer aids and appliances that help seniors losing vision maintain their
independence.</p></li> </ul> <h3 id="plan-to-leave-a-legacy">Plan to Leave a
Legacy</h3> <p>The National Federation of the Blind legacy society, our Dream
Makers Circle, honors and recognizes the generosity and vision of members and
special friends of the National Federation of the Blind who have chosen to leave
a legacy through a will or other planned giving option. You can join the Dream
Makers Circle in a myriad of ways.</p> <p><strong>Fixed Sum of Assets</strong></p>
<p>You can specify that a fixed sum of your assets or property goes to the National
Federation of the Blind in your will, trust, pension, IRA, life insurance policy,
brokerage account, or other accounts.</p> <p><strong>Percentage of Assets</strong></p>
<p>You can specify that a percentage of your assets or property goes to the National
Federation of the Blind in your will, trust, pension, IRA, life insurance policy,
brokerage account, or other accounts.</p> <p><strong>Payable on Death (POD)
Account</strong></p> <p>You can name the National Federation of the Blind as the
beneficiary on a Payable on Death (POD) account through your bank. You can turn
any checking or savings account into a POD account. This is one of the simplest
ways to leave a legacy. The account is totally in your control during your lifetime,
and you can change the beneficiary or percentage at any time with ease.</p>
<p><strong>Will or Trust</strong></p> <p>If you do decide to create or revise your
will, consider the National Federation of the Blind as a partial beneficiary.</p>
<p>Visit our Planned Giving webpage (<a
href="https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving"><u>https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving</u></a>)
or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422, for more information.</p> <p>Together with
love, hope, determination, and your support, we will continue to transform dreams
into reality.</p> <h3 id="ways-to-contribute-now">Ways to Contribute Now </h3>
<p>Throughout 2021, the NFB:</p> <ul> <li><p>sent nearly one thousand Braille
Santa and Winter Celebration letters to blind children, encouraging excitement
for Braille literacy,</p></li> <li><p>distributed over five thousand canes to
blind people across the United States, empowering them to travel safely and
independently throughout their communities,</p></li> <li><p>delivered audio
newspaper and magazine services to 126,823 subscribers, providing free access to
over five hundred local, national, and international publications,</p></li>
<li><p>gave over six hundred Braille-writing slates and styluses free of charge
to blind users, and</p></li> <li><p>mentored 232 blind youth during our
Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning® Academy in-home editions.</p></li>
</ul> <p>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.</p> <p><strong>Vehicle Donation Program</strong></p> <p>The NFB 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. We can also answer any questions you have.</p>
<p><strong>General Donation</strong></p> <p>General donations help support the
ongoing programs of the NFB and the work to help blind people live the lives they
want. You can call 410-659-9314 and elect option 4 to donate by phone. Donate
online with a credit card or through the mail with check or money order. Visit
our Ways to Give webpage (<a
href="https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give"><u>https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give</u></a>)
for more information. </p> <p><strong>Pre-Authorized Contribution</strong></p>
<p>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 withdrawal of funds from a checking account or a charge to a
credit card. To enroll, call 410-659-9314, extension 2213, or fill out our PAC
Donation Form (<a href="https://www.nfb.org/pac"><u>https://www.nfb.org/pac</u></a>)
online.</p> <p>If you have questions about giving, please send an email to <a
href="mailto:outreach@nfb.org"><u>outreach@nfb.org</u></a> or call 410-659-9314,
extension 2422.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Kevan Worley]</p> <h2
id="resolution-and-concerted-action-colorado-business-enterprise-program-in-disarray">Resolution
and Concerted Action: Colorado Business Enterprise Program in Disarray</h2>
<p><strong>by Kevan Worley</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor: Kevan Worley
is a longtime Federationist and leader. He is well known for his work on our
Independence March, his leadership in the National Association of Blind Merchants,
and his service as a national representative. He wears many hats, one of them
being a blind merchant. Here is what he said in the March issue of <em>The Blind
Coloradan</em>:</strong></p> <p><em>The Blind Coloradan</em> Blog has been relatively
silent regarding the Colorado Business Enterprise Program over the past year. We
have heard from operators and staff about challenges that are seemingly crippling
the program from meeting both its statutory and human mission. As members of our
Federation may recall, at its 2019 in-person convention this affiliate unanimously
passed a resolution expressing our concerns about the lack of transparency, lack
of progress, and lack of active participation in the Business Enterprise Program.
At that time no progress had been made to meet the expectations of the general
assembly that passed a sweeping piece of legislation in 2016 that should have
dramatically expanded the program. (Note, after the passage of HB 16-1048, with
the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) under the stewardship of the
then-director of the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (DLE) Ellen
Golombek and the director of DVR Steve Anton, a group of blind operators, staff,
and other stakeholders was convened to develop the procedures and marketing efforts
to expand the program consistent with the legislative mandate. However, changes
in management and staff at the agency left that initiative moribund.)</p> <p>[Taken
from the Colorado Legislature]: (HB 16-1048 Expand Scope Business Enterprise
Program. Concerning modifications to the Business Enterprise Program to be
administered by the Department of Labor and Employment under its authority to
administer Vocational Rehabilitation programs. Governor Signed 5/4/16 Sponsors:
Representatives Primavera and Lundberg).</p> <p>Following our 2019 resolution,
our then-president, Scott LaBarre, had at least two meetings with the director of
the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Joe Barela, to express the concerns
of our organization. Those meetings extensively focused on the manner in which
the elected committee of blind operators was being excluded from having a significant
role in the hiring of management and staff. Judging from the motion and resolution
passed by the elected operators committee on March 18 of this year, little has
changed in the program. (Note, Joe Barela remains the director of The Colorado
Department of Labor and Employment, CDLE).</p> <p><strong>Resolution and
Motion</strong></p> <p><strong>Elected Committee of Blind Operators</strong></p>
<p><strong>Adopted on March 18, 2022</strong></p> <p>WHEREAS, the Colorado Department
of Labor, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Blindness and Low Vision Services
Unit, Business Enterprise Program (BLVS-BEP), also known as the State Licensing
Agency (SLA), is subject to the Randolph-Sheppard Act (Act), 20 U.S.C. § 107
et seq.; and</p> <p>WHEREAS, the Act mandates that the SLA actively participate
with the elected committee of blind operators in all “major administrative
decisions and policy and program development” of the Program, 20 U.S.C.
§ 107b-1(3); and</p> <p>WHEREAS, currently, the position of Lead Business
Consultant is vacant and needs to be filled carefully for the health of the Program;
and</p> <p>WHEREAS, next to the BEP Manager, the Lead Business Consultant is
absolutely critical to the effective management of the Program, making the hiring
of the Lead Business Consultant a “major administrative decision”
for which the Act mandates that the SLA actively participate with the Elected
Operators; and</p> <p>WHEREAS, upon information and belief, there may be an effort
by the SLA to fill this position internally and not go through a full employment
search where the Elected Committee and operators would have input on such an
important hiring decision which would be a violation of the Act: Now, therefore</p>
<p>Be It Resolved by the Elected Committee of Blind Operators of Colorado that we
urge the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment through BLVS-BEP to engage
a full employment search and process to identify and hire the next Lead Business
Consultant; and</p> <p>Be It Further Resolved that pursuant to the Randolph-Sheppard
Act’s mandate of active participation, we insist that the Department through
BLVS-BEP fully engage the Elected Committee in the process to search for and hire
the next Lead Business Consultant in compliance with the Randolph-Sheppard Act.</p>
<p>By way of full disclosure, yours truly has been somewhat reluctant to write
about the Business Enterprise Program for fear of reprisal. I am a licensed operator
doing business under the program. Moreover, it must be said that, in large part,
the program has met its responsibility to continue to pursue the military dining
contracts at the Air Force Academy and Schriever Air Force Base. There have been
no overt threats against me or other operators for our advocacy.</p> <p>As we go
to post, Krista Hedlund, manager of Blindness and Low Vision Services (BLVS), has
responded to the operators’ resolution above, although she was not willing
to clearly and forthrightly discuss the hiring of a new lead business consultant
with the operators on Thursday, March 17, citing what she said was the necessity
for her to get clearance to do so from State Human Resources. This posture seemed
odd to committee participants and other long-time observers of state government.
It seemed to lend credence to the Federation’s assertion of a complete lack
of transparency and lack of an inclusive welcoming culture in the program. From
the perspective of leading operators, the formalized mechanism for the hiring of
a lead business consultant, with a short turnaround time from within state government
was only one part of a larger and more insidious threat to the program. The current
agency has been extremely effective and parsimonious in the way they have chosen
to provide a “by the book” management of the program. Meanwhile,
blind operators are engaged in the serious hard work of managing their businesses
and working long hours under difficult circumstances throughout the pandemic. It
is the contention of many, including former staff, that rather than seeking a
culture of inclusion, uplift, and success, this agency seems committed to a
paternalistic approach that condescends and denigrates the humanity, capacity,
and former successes operators have brought to this program for decades. Operators
and staff have commented that the current regime at the agency has acted as though
the program was invented when they came to town. The real-life experiences of
operators and recently departed staff have been treated with disrespect boarding
on disdain.</p> <p>The dust-up between operators and BEP management, as demonstrated
by the resolution above, is just the latest in a long string of disagreements
between operators and the current administration. Without significate change in
the management of The Business Enterprise Program of Colorado, a dysfunctional
culture and denial of opportunity will become normalized. The National Federation
of the Blind of Colorado will not allow the behavior of the current management to
continue. This is who we are; this is why we have The National Federation of the
Blind.</p> <p>As a concluding note, given the state of conflict within the program,
we feel it is important to point out that this article is a statement of fact,
reporting, and opinion. In no way should it be considered menacing or threatening.
There is no place in our society for disrespectful behavior in the workplace.</p>
<p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Rachel Grider]</p> <h2
id="light-in-darkness-my-journey-through-depression">Light in Darkness: My Journey
through Depression</h2> <p><strong>by Rachel Grider</strong></p> <p><strong>Content
Warning: mentions of self-harm, suicide, and sexual abuse</strong></p> <p><strong>From
the Editor: This article first appeared on Monday, May 24, 2021, in our blog,
<em>Voice of the Nation’s Blind</em>. This is a story of pain and suffering;
praise be to everyone involved that it is also a story of continuing to live and
with each day having the opportunity to live the life Rachel wants. When we
Federationists count our blessings, certainly she is one. Thank you, friend, for
your perseverance, your candor, and your ability to articulate hard things that
many of us have not experienced but can begin to appreciate through your words.
We also thank you for the honesty here that may save other lives:</strong></p>
<p>On February 26, 2013, I entered my Baltimore townhouse with the intention of
never leaving it again alive. For too long I had fought against the monster that
was my depression, tried to run from the dark memories that held me captive, and
presented a cheerful facade to the world, terrified that someone would see that
I was falling apart inside. I knew that my facade was finally cracking; I was
self-mutilating more and more frequently, pushing the limits to see how much damage
I could cause myself without giving anything away. Now, however, I was done playing,
done running away; I was giving into that monster because it wasn't worth fighting
anymore.</p> <p>For years I had believed that I was worthless. I blamed myself
for my father's abandonment because I had been told that my blindness had driven
him away, and I had always felt the need to try to make up for it by being
unhealthily competitive in everything I did. I also had some more sinister memories
of early childhood sexual abuse which haunted my nightmares and increased my
feelings of worthlessness. I had punished myself when I felt that I had not
performed adequately at a certain task, at first by denying myself things that I
wanted or needed, then eventually by actively harming myself. I had tried to
overcome the depression, anxiety, and overall feelings of worthlessness by
overachieving and overwhelming myself with activities, but this method no longer
seemed to be working; the monster had caught up with me at last.</p> <p>At that
time, I honestly believed that killing myself was my only escape from this miserable
existence, and I would be doing everyone a favor by leaving this world; I know
now that there was also a part of me which was tired and was staying silent and
needed to be validated.</p> <p>Needless to say, I did not succeed in suicide. I
was taken to a hospital and eventually forced to spend a few days in a psychiatric
ward, where I was stuck with little to distract me but my own dark thoughts. Those
few days were agonizing, but being there forced me to face my monster head-on.</p>
<p>At first, I felt like a failure again because I had not killed myself after
all. Slowly, however, I began to realize, through phone calls and visits, that
there really were people who loved me. Even after finding out about my mental
health problems, the small circle of friends and family in whom I confided did
not seem to think any less of me; they just wanted to do all they could to help
me. I began to understand, on an academic level at least, that I was not worthless
and that I owed it to myself and to those who cared about me to do what was needed
to pull myself out of this dark place.</p> <p>I became more open with certain
people about my struggle, allowing them to help me get through my darkest times;
as I did this, I discovered that I was not alone, and I was able to help others
who were also struggling with similar afflictions. I started going to therapy
regularly, and I read books about psychology, trauma, and self-awareness. As I
did these things, I slowly began to understand that I was not responsible for the
things that had happened to me as a child and that I deserved to be loved like
anyone else. I also became more comfortable with my identity as a blind person.
Eventually, through study, meditation, painful realizations, forgiveness, and some
profound personal experiences, I was able to stop self-mutilating and to let go
of my anger and self-loathing.</p> <p>If you can identify with any of the feelings
I have described—if you are dealing with mental illness, whether it be
circumstantial or biological, you are not alone, and you should not have to deal
with it alone. Talk to someone you trust about your feelings. Reach out to mental
health resources such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and find a
therapist with whom you can be open and honest. Finding the right therapist to
fit your needs and personality is crucial, so don't be discouraged if it takes a
while to find one.</p> <p>Everyone's journey is different. I still struggle every
day with depression, anxiety, and fear—self-doubt, and self-criticism left
by my earlier experiences. But I now have the tools I need to deal with these
feelings in productive ways. No matter where you are in your personal journey,
know that you are worth fighting for, and though your road may be difficult, scary,
and painful, you too can find the light which will help you through the darkness.</p>
<p>You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.</p>
<p>----------</p> <h2
id="a-part-of-the-blind-community-assistsbringing-technology-to-help-in-a-time-of-crisis">A
Part of the Blind Community Assists—Bringing Technology to Help in a Time
of Crisis</h2> <p><strong>From the Editor: BlindSquare is a product many of us
use on a regular basis. The company is reaching out to those affected by the war
in Ukraine. With slight modification, we are running what it has published on its
website. Here is what it is doing hand-in-hand with the World Blind Union:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Background:</strong></p> <p>On Thursday, March 31, 2022, we received
a posting from a BlindSquare user in Kyiv, Ukraine. He was writing requesting help
on behalf of persons in Ukraine who are blind.</p> <p>"We are in tough and
unprecedented conditions, and our cities are under severe attacks. Many people
are forced to flee their homes. . . . The situation is very difficult for blind
refugees as they flee to other countries, to cities they are not familiar with,
and it is very difficult to navigate there, to find places with essential goods
such as shops, pharmacies, ATMs, and so on. Therefore, I have decided to write to
you and ask for help for blind refugees from Ukraine."</p> <p>Igor Kushni, UTOS
Training and Information Computer Center, Kyiv, Ukraine”</p> <p><strong>From
there</strong>:</p> <p>Friday, April 1st. A 1000 km free region was defined
including all of Ukraine, but also twenty-one other countries (Latvia, Lithuania,
Belarus, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,
Montenegro, Northern Albania, North Macedonia, Turkey, Thessaloniki, Slovenia,
Eastern Austria, Czechia, Poland, Eastern Germany). Within this region parties
can download and proceed to use a full-featured version of BlindSquare named
"BlindSquare Event." The link is <a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-us.mimecast.com%2Fs%2FetC0CG6QG1I1JVBNc1gXvu%3Fdomain%3Dbit.ly&data=04%7C01%7Cgwunder%40nfb.org%7Cffbde01c2a904d9630fb08da1e20fa15%7C538f3d4b739545cf93fa8dfc2b4a7f62%7C1%7C0%7C637855424557485514%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=s0r72afrafc05kFbIOPMBXMZkHLvpr6tOSY9JJpATGk%3D&reserved=0">bit.ly/bsqevent</a>.
This provision will be available for the duration of the war, plus ninety days,
supporting the journeys from and return to Ukraine. When acquired in this free
region, parties can continue to use BlindSquare EVENT for ninety days, anywhere
on the globe (for example, Finland, Italy, Germany, UK, Canada, USA, all 185
countries we currently serve, and more). We have already noticed BlindSquare EVENT
being downloaded from countries in our free region. If not in the free region but
wanting to demo the app, it can be downloaded and will operate in demonstration
mode.</p> <p>We continued to listen. The correspondent does not speak English,
but Google Translate rose to serve us well, translating to English as a common
tongue. It was discussed that there is NO current Text-To-Speech (TTS) support
for Ukrainian. Many Ukrainians use the Russian language as “close
enough,” except that there are some significant barriers to the use of
numbers and certain keywords. Our correspondent identified a willing assistant in
language translation to enable improved access for Ukrainians. By the end of April,
BlindSquare will have added Ukrainian as our twenty-seventh supported language. </p>
<p>We continued to listen. For occasions where there is a need to share a current
location (example, meeting a friend, calling a taxi), this is static information,
and a person's location could change. We are mounting a new BlindSquare feature
named "FindMe." In the Ukrainian context, information about their current location
can be shared in any of the many secure methods. The difference is that the location
information displayed on a map or connected as a live information source is Dynamic.
If the party moves, the up-to-date information is automatically shared with the
supporting party. FindMe sharing can be started or stopped on demand. This solution
will be implemented in the month of April.</p> <p>We continued to listen. Following
the model of a live (real-time) connection between parties, we are adding an
inter-party chat to connect the sender and supporting party by text - a virtual
"walkie talkie" to assist in providing ever-improving information. This solution
will be implemented in the month of April.</p> <p>We continued to listen. Secure
communications is an imperative in this region. Information provided suggests that
the Universal APP “Telegram Messenger” is the preferred method.
Therefore, we have added Telegram Messenger as a feature within BlindSquare. This
solution will be implemented in the month of April.</p> <p><strong>Organizations
and people lending communications support:</strong></p> <p>World Blind Union</p>
<p>Martine Abel, President</p> <p>Marc Workman, CEO</p> <p>National Federation of
the Blind</p> <p>Mark Riccobono, President</p> <p>James W. Sanders C.M; Past
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Canadian National Institute for the
Blind; Executive Director, The Sir Arthur Pearson Association of War Blinded</p>
<p>Jonathan Mosen, Mushroom FM</p> <p>Quotation from Martine Abel: With millions
of people displaced, we know there are tens of thousands of blind and partially
sighted Ukrainians who are now living in unfamiliar settings. Apps like BlindSquare
give helpful information to people about their surroundings. For many of us, this
information makes it easier to get around and helps us navigate with confidence.
For Ukrainians displaced by the war, this information could be the difference
between getting to an evacuation point on time or not, getting to a shelter before
the bombing starts or not, or getting to a grocery store before it closes or not.
The service BlindSquare offers is a helpful convenience for most of us, but it
can be an essential safety tool as well. I applaud the BlindSquare team for
recognizing the value of their product during times of emergency and for taking
the necessary steps to get it in the hands of as many people as possible.</p>
<p>Quotation from Marc Workman: I congratulate the BlindSquare team on their
creative response to this terrible war. A crisis like the one facing Ukraine
requires a collective response. No one organization can provide relief on their
own. The World Blind Union has been working with numerous partners since the war
began, and we are proud to work with BlindSquare as part of this effort. With the
introduction of new features like FindMe and inter-party chat, BlindSquare has
demonstrated their ability to innovate to solve immediate problems. By bringing
different strengths to the table and working together, we can all do our part to
provide relief and support to Ukrainians who are blind or partially sighted.</p>
<p>Quotation from Mark Riccobono: In this time of trial, we appreciate those
businesses that do more than simply work with the blind. By leveraging their
innovations and brand to provide meaningful access and to support the independence
and safety of blind people facing unimagined circumstances, BlindSquare has
demonstrated that its heart and commitment exceed its business interests. We
commend those involved with BlindSquare for bringing their expertise and their
monetary resources that are given freely, unselfishly, and even putting time and
energy into the development of additional functionality. The National Federation
of the Blind is proud to be a part of the effort to help the people of Ukraine
and to publicly acknowledge the efforts of these exemplary corporate world citizens
as they do the same.</p> <p>Quotation from Jim Sanders: I have been a BlindSquare
user for many years and find it invaluable when travelling in unfamiliar areas,
or scouting future destinations using simulation! I can't imagine the impacts on
those leaving Ukraine and in particular the absence of anything familiar on the
journey or even on arrival. BlindSquare replaces the information darkness with
information of value, relieving, to say the least. I applaud BlindSquare's innovative
and supportive response to this pressing need."</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO
CAPTION: Gary Wunder]</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Danielle McCann]</p> <h2
id="commenting-without-committing-a-reminder-that-members-are-part-of-they">Commenting
Without Committing: A Reminder that Members Are Part of “They”</h2>
<p><strong>by Gary Wunder and Danielle McCann</strong></p> <p>As an organization,
the question for the National Federation of the Blind seldom should be “do
we do this or that?” Instead, it is answering the question “How can
we do both?” The answer often depends on you and me. How much time and
energy am I willing to give to the organization? How much of my limited treasury
should I give to our shared movement? The amount of time and treasure that each
of us can give will vary, but the question is always the same: how much of who I
am and what I have am I willing to contribute to a cause larger than myself?</p>
<p>Recently, as we ramped up promotion of the Blind Driver Challenge, a thread
sprang up in the comments on one of our Facebook posts about the Challenge. They
were not written for publication but were part of what we might call a spirited
chat. We have exercised some liberty in making this look better on paper, but we
have not wanted to change the flavor of the discussion in any way. We have fixed
spelling and punctuation as a courtesy to those posting and appreciate their
engagement on a subject of real currency and interest today. Omitted are the long
website addresses that were included, our belief being that anyone can Google if
they wish to read the source material. Here is the discussion<strong>:</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nimer Jaber:</strong> Just imagine: We throw so much money at a project
to drive a car while blind, but we can't make accessible currency. We don't have
requirements for accessible appliances. We can't independently traverse through
an airport because we don't have a way to get directionality from signs. Some lose
jobs daily because of inaccessible technology, inaccessible office equipment, etc.
We have no requirements for accessible pathways, thus making it more difficult
and time-consuming (not impossible) to traverse through unknown large spaces such
as train stations independently, even though they exist in other countries. We
lack access to directionality on trails, thus making it more difficult to hike
independently.</p> <p>Much of our public transit systems, while including audible
stop announcements, have the announcements pretty much inaudible due to older
systems, broken speakers, etc., not to mention that we can't find the stops as
they are not uniformly located in the same places. Not all stops have bus shelters,
and not all bus poles look the same. We still rely on canes and dogs to get around
even though we have tech that can literally take off and land a plane autonomously.
Most doctor's office forms still remain inaccessible to this day, not to mention
government forms and offices, meaning that I must give up my right to medical
privacy in order to get these forms filled out. COVID testing remains inaccessible.
And yet . . . the best we can do is say that we can live the life we want, we can
drive cars, and we should use Aira to be independent.</p> <p><strong>Jamie Principato
Crane:</strong> We are actively working on projects to address everything you
listed here. But this isn’t mutually exclusive of signal boosting a cool
endeavor a fellow blind man is undertaking to showcase some cool technology and
his confidence in his ability to leverage it.</p> <p><strong>Nimer Jaber:</strong>
Actively working on those things, huh? Well, I'm sorry, but I don't see the
progress, and moreover, all the hundreds of thousands of dollars being sunk into
this "endeavor" could have been used for those "efforts." Keep smoking whatever
you're smoking though, as can anyone else who hasn't smelled the Kool-Aid. We
don't need more platitudes and inspiration; we need results. Fact is, if NFB wanted
results on many of the points I mentioned, which only scratch the surface of the
struggles blind people face, we would have much more progress.</p> <p>NFB is no
different than ACB, or most any big entity. . . . They have lots of power but
actually accomplish little these days to advance accessibility. In so many ways,
we are regressing and moving backwards, and NFB, if they are doing something about
these things, is moving in reverse.</p> <p>Once I see results and NFB not opposing
many of the issues I've outlined, I will be the first to say I was wrong, but
sadly, that just isn't the case.</p> <p><strong>Jamie Principato Crane:</strong>
COVID-19 At-Home Test Information | National Federation of the Blind</p> <p>Access
Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) (H.R. 2086/S. 815) | National Federation of
the Blind</p> <p><strong>Nimer Jaber:</strong> Two years into a pandemic, and we
finally have this, yep, amazing progress. And I'm still not aware of any accessible
test. Access technology isn't fixing many of the issues I raised above. . . . In
fact, AT devices are woefully out of date and aren't usable by the majority of
our population for various reasons. Cost is a barrier, but a small one. Again,
instead of parroting what NFB tells you, use your brain and come up with links
addressing my points. . . . But you can't. Anyway, I'm done engaging with this
silliness as I've made my points clear.</p> <p><strong>Jamie Principato Crane:</strong>
Twenty-First Century Websites & Applications Accessibility Act | National
Federation of the Blind</p> <p><strong>Nimer Jaber:</strong> I said nothing about
websites in my post. Even if I had, again, more than twenty years after online
applications, we finally have this. . . .</p> <p><strong>Jamie Principato
Crane:</strong> Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act (H.R. 4853) | National
Federation of the Blind</p> <p><strong>Nimer</strong> <strong>Jaber:</strong>
Medical device accessibility isn't the same as walking into a doctor's office and
registering accessibly. Although, I admit that this would be progress for sure.</p>
<p><strong>Jamie Principato Crane:</strong> Accessibility of Home Appliances</p>
<p><strong>Nimer Jaber:</strong> What is the status of this? How long will we wait
until NFB prioritizes this? Why haven't they yet?</p> <p><strong>Jamie Principato
Crane:</strong> Research Program | National Federation of the Blind - There is
more, but you get the idea and can Google as easily as I can. You simultaneously
overestimate the "power" you believe the organization has and underestimate the
breadth and depth of the initiatives they undertake, which are all each carried
out by a very small percentage of the members. When and which things get prioritized
depends on members raising the matter and often on members voting on it or otherwise
organizing efforts around it. Some things happen faster and with less formality—for
example, moving to address issues regarding COVID or certain cases of egregious
discrimination such as guide dog users being denied rideshare services. But even
in those cases, the NFB relies on blind people to come forward and raise the
issues. So, in a sense, your post here is helpful. But there is a lot going on,
and it isn’t just a tiny handful of people with boatloads of influence and
money calling all the shots. It's more like dozens of tiny Rotary clubs that try
to coordinate the actions and preferences of their members into a cohesive whole
that then still has to navigate the similar mess that is our country's mainstream
political system, the various preferences and priorities of the entities that do
have power and money (various corporations, granting and research institutions,
etc.), and in some cases the legal system at multiple layers.</p> <p>Basically,
stop waiting. Take action. This thread is a great start. So is your particular
job.</p> <p><strong>Editor:</strong> Two things to note in the above exchange. 1.
As Jamie pointed out, <strong>“</strong>When and which things get prioritized
depends on members raising the matter and often on members voting on it or otherwise
organizing efforts around it.” This means that if you’re a member
of the Federation, you can certainly raise concerns and take action from within
the organized blind movement. President Riccobono challenges us to find what’s
next frequently. 2. As members, when folks talk about the Federation in third
person, they are leaving themselves out. “The NFB needs to. . .” or
“They should. . .” should be more like “We need to. . .”
or “We should. . .” As members, we pledge to participate in the
efforts of the Federation. The Braille on the membership coin says “together.”
That means that you are part of the movement; you are as welcome and encouraged
to share your ideas to shape our priorities as board members and long-time leaders
are.</p> <p>Our collective tapping of canes and jingling of guide dogs’
collars are much louder than the clicks of a solitary keyboard. Could it be that
it is safer to debate among ourselves, insulated by our keyboards and assistive
technology, than it is to tackle the big problems, the big players, and the issues
that will substantially change lives?</p> <p>May we suggest that while dialog on
social media is definitely appreciated, action is the only way we will continue
to make progress.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Stacie Gallegos]</p>
<h2 id="announcing-the-2022-nagdu-national-convention-sponsorship">Announcing the
2022 NAGDU National Convention Sponsorship</h2> <p><strong>by Stacie Gallegos</strong></p>
<p>Greetings from the National Association of Guide Dog Users. We are excited to
announce that this year, NAGDU is sponsoring two guide dog user teams with $500
each to help cover a portion of their convention expenses. Applications are now
being taken and will be until May 31, 2022. </p> <p><strong>Eligibility:</strong></p>
<p>The sponsorships are open to new or existing NAGDU members and guide dog users
who would benefit from monetary assistance to attend an in-person NFB National
Convention. This year the committee will consider applications from all member
applicants, whether they have attended an in-person national convention or not.
The committee will then award one sponsorship to a guide-dog user who has never
attended an in-person national convention and one sponsorship to a guide-dog user
who will not be a first-time attendee of an in-person national convention this
year.</p> <p><strong>Requirements for Applicants:</strong></p> <ul> <li><p>Must
be a guide dog user</p></li> <li><p>Must register for national convention by May
31, 2022</p></li> <li><p>Must be at least eighteen years old by the time of the
convention</p></li> <li><p>Must provide the name of an affiliate president or
guide dog user division president for a reference</p></li> <li><p>Must not already
be receiving a Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship (It is okay if the person
is receiving assistance from their local chapter or state affiliate.)</p></li>
<li><p>Must attend both the NAGDU seminar and business meeting at convention</p></li>
<li><p>Must submit an article by August 1 to be considered for the <em>Braille
Monitor</em> which tells about the person’s convention experience</p></li>
<li><p>Applicants must not already be chosen to receive a Kenneth Jernigan
scholarship. *Note: Qualified applicants should apply for both. The committees
will coordinate to ensure NAGDU sponsorship recipients do not also receive Kenneth
Jernigan scholarship funds.</p></li> </ul> <p><strong>Notification of Award:</strong></p>
<p>If you are chosen to receive a NAGDU Convention Sponsorship, you will receive
an email with details that should answer most of your questions. The committee
will make every effort to notify winners by June 17, 2022.</p> <p><strong>Receiving
the Award:</strong></p> <p>If you are chosen for the NAGDU Convention Sponsorship,
you will be given a prepaid debit or credit card loaded with five hundred dollars.
This card can only be given in person. The time and location to pick up your card
will be determined after you arrive. Please note, NAGDU will not be able to provide
funds before the convention, so it will be your responsibility to pay your way
there.</p> <p>For more information and to apply, please visit <a
href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprotect-us.mimecast.com%2Fs%2FWIaLCmZMB1Ij5voMuGbU0d%3Fdomain%3Dnagdu.org&data=04%7C01%7Cgwunder%40nfb.org%7C78d42981c9704a95987608da18dc1e99%7C538f3d4b739545cf93fa8dfc2b4a7f62%7C1%7C0%7C637849631374749100%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=V9Va%2BL%2BgBwK9UgRj2XVRajBxhlM9Ur49XrBkk2Zc050%3D&reserved=0">https://www.nagdu.org/nagdu-convention-sponsorship</a>
or contact the sponsorship committee chair, Al Elia, <a
href="mailto:AElia@nagdu.org">AElia@nagdu.org</a>.</p> <p>----------</p> <h2
id="what-do-i-really-want-from-a-self-driving-car-reflections-on-the-less-dramatic-and-life-changing-impact-of-control">What
do I Really Want from a Self-driving Car: Reflections on the Less Dramatic and
Life-Changing Impact of Control</h2> <p><strong>by Gary Wunder</strong></p> <p>When
you read this, the Blind Driver Challenge will be history, the most recent but
certainly not the last chapter to be written in our book that will chronicle moving
blind people closer to independence. All of us are delighted that the speed record
now belongs to Dan Parker and our Federation, and this we must take the time to
celebrate. But the really big deal is that this event moves us just a bit closer
to operating a vehicle on our own.</p> <p>In preparation for the Blind Driver
Challenge, we held a Twitter chat to discuss what the creation of a self-driving
vehicle would mean for us. Although I loved every one of the comments that were
made, it occurs to me that we were all looking to hit the ball deep and deal with
our most profound thoughts and feelings about the subject.</p> <p>But what if we
back off just a bit and deal with the not so important, the not so life-changing,
the thing that, while somewhat important, won't determine whether I can live in
a new place, take a new job, or radically change my own self-concept. What are
the lesser motives that inspire me to work for the self-driving car, and, when
examined, how important are they? Are there motives my dark side has that are
never acknowledged since I work so hard at keeping him in his cage?</p> <p>Let’s
start with the lesser-known but nonetheless important power dynamics when you are
in charge of the car. You determine whether the windows are up or down. If the
windows are electric, you determine who has control. I was once riding with a
passenger who was resting his hand on the door, the window was raised, he yelled
for it to be let down, and the driver wanted to engage in a conversation as to
why. After several pleas to put it down and the repeated question as to why,
“Because my hand is in it,” was his reply. The driver relented, but
it was slow, grudging, and without apology; why was his hand there in the first
place? Though he was well into middle age, he got the mandatory lecture about one
always keeping his hands inside the vehicle. I’ve also been in cars in
which a woman’s long hair gets caught, not when she raises the window but
when the driver does and has determined that he or she alone should have control
and disables the controls on all the other doors.</p> <p>Of course other prerogatives
are enjoyed only by the captain: You determine the temperature in the car by
deciding whether you need heat, air conditioning, or none of the above. In the
first two cases, this means determining both the fan speed and the temperature of
the air. Certainly, although you care about the people in the back, your prime
consideration is how you, as the primary person in control and in the front, feel.
You, lest anyone forget, are the captain, the one in charge, the one who holds
all the cards and determines the hand each of your lowly passengers will be
dealt.</p> <p>Then comes the all-important question of when we stop for a restroom
break, a cup of coffee, or a much-needed Hostess cupcake or candy bar? Who decides?
The person in charge of the car, of course; up to this point, it has been the
driver. If you are in charge, you can be the one saying: “you should’ve
gone when we stopped earlier. We’ll be stopping at a restaurant soon; that
will be healthier for you anyway. I really don’t want to spend all day on
the road, so let’s get this trip done.”</p> <p>In every human action
there is some kind of pecking order, and in the case of the car, it is where one
sits. When you run the car, your seat is not in question, and neither do you have
to answer about how far back it is or how much it is reclined. All of this has
traditionally been a matter of safety, but I suspect that some vestige of it will
carry over. There is the door that only the driver uses, and then there are the
passenger doors, those unassigned, and those who usually are operated by first
come first served. Do you get to sit by one of them, or, as on the Southwest
flights, are you the unlucky passenger who has to sit in the middle and make
himself a couple of friends? It isn’t so much having a person on either
side that is a problem, but that hump on the floor is never convenient. No one
ever says, “Thank goodness for this bulge; my feet would otherwise not
touch the floor.”</p> <p>Now comes the real manifestation of power: you
control the radio, the MP3 player, or what gets played from a streaming service.
It is your music that gets played. It plays at the volume you wish. If a song
comes along that you don't like, you don't ask the rest of the passengers; you
skip it. If you want to play a song over again, you do. If anyone complains, you
just smile, knowing that you have come into your own. When it is their car and
they are in charge, they can have all of these perks that belong to you.</p> <p>So
as amazing as it might be that one day I might drive from Columbia, Missouri, to
Olathe, Kansas, to see my grandchildren and perhaps take them for a spin, the big
thrill will be the things that still remain under human control. And, if it
isn’t clear already, how wonderful it will be that I am that human!</p>
<p>----------</p> <h2
id="power-updouble-your-dollars-in-the-give-20-gift-matching-campaign-with-humanware">Power
Up—Double Your Dollars in the Give $20 Gift Matching Campaign with
HumanWare</h2> <p>Each year thousands of Federation members make contributions
during national convention. In 2022, your generosity is still needed to fund our
great programs. When you give $20 or more between May 1 and July 10, 3:00 p.m.
Central, you will be entered into the Give $20 Campaign Drawing to win the
following:</p> <ul> <li><p>Round-trip transportation for two for the 2023 NFB
National Convention</p></li> <li><p>Hotel at the convention</p></li> <li><p>Banquet
tickets for two</p></li> <li><p>$1,000 in walking-around cash</p></li> </ul> <p>OR
take the cash!</p> <ul> <li><p>$2,000</p></li> </ul> <p>And, thanks to the generous
gift from HumanWare, every dollar contributed during this campaign will be matched
up to $50,000! HumanWare https://www.humanware.com/en-usa/home is the global leader
in assistive technology with a wide range of innovative products.</p> <p>Federationist
Peter Tucic, Director of Strategic Partnerships at HumanWare, said, “I am
beyond thrilled that HumanWare is able to participate in the 2022 Give $20 Campaign.
As a blind professional and parent, I have experienced firsthand both the challenges
we face to achieve gainful employment and acceptance, as well as the sense of
empowerment and confidence that the Federation instills through unity and its full
spectrum of programs and opportunities.”</p> <h3 id="contribution-details">Contribution
Details</h3> <p>Each $20 contribution is a chance to win. Your name will be placed
in the drawing for each increment of $20 you give. Give $100 and you will be
entered into the drawing five times. You must specify one of the following funds
in order to be entered into the drawing:</p> <ul> <li><p><strong>Kenneth Jernigan
Fund:</strong> The proceeds from this fund are used to bring a number of attendees
to their first national convention. It is named in honor of our former President
and longtime leader to promote attendance at the national convention, where so
much inspiration and learning occur. He planned our conventions for more than
forty years and did so much to make them what they are today.</p></li> <li><p><strong>SUN
Fund:</strong> These funds are being set aside in the event that they are needed
to support the Federation during difficult times.</p></li> <li><p><strong>White
Cane Fund:</strong> These dollars go directly to the general treasury of the
Federation.</p></li> <li><p><strong>tenBroek Fund:</strong> These dollars go to
the tenBroek Memorial Fund which owns the property at 200 East Wells at Jernigan
Place in Baltimore for the benefit of blind people.</p></li> </ul> <p>If you are
not sure, please select White Cane Fund because it gives the Federation more
flexibility to apply your contribution where we need it most.</p> <p>The funds
and collaborations like this campaign with HumanWare help our work to change lives
as it has for this Federationist:</p> <p><em>“My name is Yasiah Hurtado,
and I am a proud member of the Richmond Chapter of the National Federation of the
Blind. I attended my first National Federation of the Blind convention thanks to
the support of the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund. I was in a dark
place in my life with no hope of a future and scared to death of losing custody
of my kids. These concerns drove my decision to apply for the Jernigan award. The
amazement and emotions I felt when I heard thousands upon thousands of canes
tapping like mine left me breathless. This convention gave me hope to view things
at a different angle and showed me my life was just about to begin.”</em></p>
<p>You can specify a fund by using our Give $20 online donation form or in the
memo if giving by check. Your gift will be counted for the drawing regardless of
which fund you designate.</p> <ul> <li><p>Contribute online at <a
href="https://nfb.org/give20">nfb.org/give20</a></p></li> <li><p>Give via phone
by calling our donation line at 410-659-9314, extension 2430</p></li> <li><p>Send
a check to: National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells
Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. Important: Be sure to designate “Give 20”
and the fund to which you are contributing in the memo line.</p></li> </ul> <p>The
winner of the drawing will be announced July 10, 2022, at the banquet. Learn more
at <a href="https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention">nfb.org/convention</a>.
Thank you for your support.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Sharon
Maneki]</p> <h2 id="resolution-reminders">Resolution Reminders</h2> <p><strong>by
Sharon Maneki</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor: One of the toughest jobs
one can have at our national convention is to chair the National Federation of
the Blind’s Resolutions Committee. Work starts before the convention with
advertising the process, where to send resolutions, and the deadline for receiving
them. Then the chair must detail the exceptions—oh yes, we must have
exceptions when we have rules. Then comes seeing that the resolution’s
meaning is clear, that the grammar is correct, and then getting the resolutions
to the committee for its consideration and possible changes prior to the convention.
Next comes chairing the committee meeting, seeing that all of the resolutions are
read and voted on, and finally writing yet another article telling our readers
what was passed and the categories in which they fell.</strong></p> <p><strong>Sharon
Maneki does this year after year, and in every article she demonstrates the reason
why she continues to serve this vital function for our organization. Here is what
she says about resolutions for the 2022 National Convention:</strong></p> <p>Do
you want to make a difference in the lives of blind people today and in the future?
Do you think we should change a government policy, take a stand concerning an
agency for the blind, or create new regulations? If you do, consider writing a
resolution. Here are a few reminders to help you, as well as some questions to
think about when writing a resolution.</p> <ul> <li><p>Has a resolution already
been written on your subject? If so, are you really adding something new?</p></li>
<li><p>Is the resolution necessary, or would a letter from the National President
accomplish your goal? For example, a letter from the National President commending
an organization might be a better alternative than a resolution.</p></li> <li><p>Did
you do your research to ensure the accuracy of the resolution?</p></li> <li><p>If
the subject of the resolution would be of interest to a division, did you discuss
your resolution with the division president?</p></li> </ul> <p>If you need some
pointers on the format or construction of a resolution, consult the article
“Time to Write Resolutions” in the May 2021 Edition of the <em>Braille
Monitor</em>.</p> <p>Please be mindful of our deadlines. To ensure that your
resolution will be considered by the committee, please send it to President
Riccobono or to me by June 6, 2022, one month before the committee meeting. Since
things are always busy leading up to the convention, we appreciate your sending
them earlier. If you send a resolution to me by email and do not receive a response
acknowledging your email in two or three days, please call me at 410-715-9596 or
send it again. If you miss the deadline, you must get three members of the
Resolutions Committee to sponsor your resolution and then get it to the chairman
before the meeting begins. I will be pleased to accept resolutions by email at <a
href="mailto:resolutions@nfb.org">resolutions@nfb.org</a> or by mail at 9013 Nelson
Way, Columbia, MD 21045.</p> <p>All resolutions will be placed on the NFB website
shortly before the committee meets at convention on July 6. This procedure will
give the membership a chance to look over the resolutions before the meeting and
lobby the committee members to support or defeat the resolutions.</p> <p>The job
of the membership is to make sure the committee has resolutions to consider. I
look forward to receiving your resolution.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION:
Peggy Chong]</p> <h2 id="the-russian-translator-from-montana">The Russian Translator
from Montana</h2> <p><strong>by Peggy Chong</strong></p> <p><strong>From the
Editor: In 1975 many of us were intrigued when Dr. Kenneth Jernigan wrote
“Blindness: Is History Against Us.” We knew that for many blind
people history had consigned them to lives of boredom and dependence, just the
kind of lives we were fighting collectively to see that we did not experience.
But what that speech revealed was that there were a number of blind people who
distinguished themselves in ways we had not imagined. Peggy Chong has gone beyond
that work and revealed that not only does history hold the stories of those who
had dramatically flourished in their time, but also what Peggy Chong has done is
reveal that not only were there spectacular blind people in history but that many
others achieved much more than was expected or thought possible in their time. In
many respects they were average persons doing average jobs, but they were managing
to do them without sight.</strong></p> <p><strong>I find these stories both
inspiring and humbling. They inspire me because they show that our belief in blind
people has been justified over and over again, even without the programs that make
it possible for so many of us to achieve what we do in today’s world. I
find these accounts humbling because we so often think of ourselves as
pioneers—people who are breaking the mold—when the reality is that
we stand on the shoulders of people who’ve already made their way in the
world. Our task is not so much to be pioneers but to be adaptive enough to survive
in the world as we find it today. For many of us this is sufficient challenge,
and I think that we too have an important role for the blind of the future, both
in showing that we were productive and actively pushing for integration while at
the same time making certain that opportunities for the blind of tomorrow continue
to be nurtured and expanded. Here is Peggy’s most recent offering as she
dons her costume as the Blind History Lady:</strong></p> <p>Hello Blind History
Lady Fans:</p> <p>In a vacant lot with cousins, just before his fourth birthday,
Dale was playing baseball. The kids were using a broken table leg as a bat, when
it splintered, driving a screw into Dale’s left eye. Blood came pouring
down his cheeks. Little Dale ran to his aunt’s home, where his mother was
visiting.</p> <p>“Mommy, Mommy!” cried the little boy.</p> <p>“Let
me see,” his mother said as she took the little boy’s hands down
from his face and looked into the space where only moments before Dale’s
eye had been. Within weeks the second eye went dark from infection.</p> <p>Dale
was born May 24, 1933, in Conrad, Montana. His parents spent almost two years
exhausting their savings and some of the savings of others to find a cure for his
blindness. After recognizing defeat, they sent him to the Montana School for the
Deaf and Blind in Great Falls. He dropped out at seventeen, married, and found
the world was not ready for a blind man needing to support his family. Mostly Dale
fixed cars out of his garage.</p> <p>A man from vocational rehabilitation came in
August of 1960 to visit him. He said there was a project in DC to recruit blind
translators that was sponsored by President Kennedy. The intended result would be
to open careers in the federal government for the blind. Was Dale interested?</p>
<p>The man from rehab explained that fifteen blind people who passed a series of
tests would participate in a pilot program to learn Russian fluently and translate
secret documents. If he passed the two-year program, he would be offered a job
with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Dale had to make his mind up in two
days since the test was in just a few days in Denver, Colorado. Aggie, his wife,
said: “Go for it!”</p> <p>Dale flew for the first time and did so
by himself to Denver. He listened to sounds on the tapes and repeated them back
to the testers. When he left Denver, Dale had no idea how he did.</p> <p>Three
weeks later he got the news that he was one of the fifteen. He had to be in DC in
two weeks. Aggie said she would join him later after closing the house.</p> <p>Dale
found DC hot and humid, weather he was unaccustomed to. Someone met him at the
airport and escorted him to the hotel.</p> <p>The fifteen blind students were
housed in a hotel for the first several days. The Department of Health, Education
and Welfare provided a $43,000 grant to pay the expenses incurred by the university
for accommodations for them. The Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind was contracted
to provide travel training for the newcomers to acquaint them with the District.
Dale did not bring a cane with him. The other students had a cane or dog guide
and were college students or graduates.</p> <p>The blind travel instructor who
taught him to navigate the city, ride the street cars, and find an apartment was
horrified that Dale did not have a cane and no travel experience. In Conrad, Dale
rarely walked alone or carried a cane. Someone always offered to pick him up if
Aggie could not drive. Dale took Aggie’s arm or the arm of someone when
not at home. Now he was in a big city and expected to travel on public transportation
on his own!</p> <p>Three students took an apartment with Dale on the opposite side
of Connecticut Avenue from the institute. Connecticut Avenue’s six lanes
of traffic terrified Dale. One roommate had a little sight, and Dale thought that
guy could lead them back and forth across the street each day. No such luck. His
roommates expected Dale to be as independent as they were.</p> <p>Three instructors
at Georgetown from Russia immersed the students in their native language and
culture in and out of classes. Not only were they taught to speak Russian; they
had classes in Russian history, geography, politics, and spelling. This was to
ensure that they knew the words, the phrases, the context in which they were used,
and the idioms that make really understanding a language difficult. They even
learned to use a Russian typewriter.</p> <p>For two years they lived, ate, slept,
drank, and played in Russian. Due to secrecy they were encouraged to stay within
their group, even outside of classes.</p> <p>Four months after Dale arrived, Aggie
came to DC with the children. She and Dale rented a house in Virginia that provided
an education on East Coast life. They learned about rats in garbage cans and
cockroaches. Taking out the trash became his job. Dale hit the garbage cans with
his cane before he opened them to scare the rats that were inside.</p> <p>Dale
found a lady who rode the same bus he did, and she helped him find the right bus
and the stop to get off each day. Not confident in his travel skills, he carried
a cane but relied on sighted travelers to help him.</p> <p>Pat, one of the female
students in the project, came to their house at night. She played with their kids
until bedtime. Then the two studied. After a year, phase one was completed. Five
of the participants were excused from the project.</p> <p>From the beginning,
there was no Braille dictionary. Before the project began, officials voiced their
concerns over its absence and the lack of Braille in Russian. Money allocated to
the project did not cover the expense of transcribing a Braille dictionary. The
library for the blind in the Library of Congress had neither the volunteers or
expertise on staff to transcribe one. Sighted Georgetown students read the entire
50,000 word English to Russian dictionary onto tape, spelling almost every word
so there would be no mistakes. The blind students listened to the tapes and Brailled
the dictionary themselves. Dale was put in charge of the entire project.</p> <p>At
the end of the two-year training, the ten remaining students took their final
audio tests. The recordings were garbled purposely. Each wrote out in English what
was said on the tapes. Only three passed. What do you know: the hick from Montana
was hired by the super agency!</p> <p>The hours of his CIA job were nine to five.
Dale took more interest in his family. They toured the city, visited the museums,
and went on picnics. He built soap box derby cars with his son.</p> <p>CIA offices
were on the twelfth floor of a building in Arlington. Several interesting situations
occurred there in which blindness played a part. Dale was in his office alone.
There came a knocking sound from the window. “On the window! No way, I must
be hearing things.” Dale thought. “We are on the twelfth floor.”
The knocking persisted for several minutes. Then nothing. Dale went back to his
work. Later, an angry man burst through the doors.</p> <p>“Why the hell
did you not open the window when I knocked?” the voice of a window washer
yelled. Dale had no experience with tall buildings in Montana and never gave a
thought about washing windows that high up. He tried to explain that he was blind,
but the man walked away in frustration.</p> <p>Another day, Dale was trapped in
an elevator for hours with four others from their section. When the doors opened,
Dale thought there would be some sympathy. Rather, the supervisor yelled at them.
So many from the unit, with unique training, could have been killed, devastate
the unit, and waste the time and money the government spent on them, he angrily
proclaimed.</p> <p>Out of the blue, their unit was disbanded. Dale was offered
other jobs in the federal government on the East Coast. Now he had to choose his
family or a job. Dale chose his family. He did not get a chance to say goodbye to
many of his colleagues, partly because of the secrecy of their project and partly
because Aggie was jealous of Pat and the time Dale and Pat spent together.</p>
<p>For the rest of his life, Dale did not speak Russian, except when he tutored
a Conrad high school student.</p> <p>Dale went on to become a county commissioner
as well as an artist working in rock, wood, and bronze.</p> <p>[Peggy Chong says:
If you would like to schedule a presentation, contact me at <a
href="mailto:theblindhistorylady@gmail.com">theblindhistorylady@gmail.com</a>.
You can read more of my books at <a
href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/24325">https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/24325</a></p>
<p>---------</p> <h2
id="van-hollen-hyde-smith-peters-portman-make-bipartisan-push-for-independent-investigation-into-usps-delivery-of-free-materials-for-the-blind-physically-handicapped">Van
Hollen, Hyde-Smith, Peters, Portman Make Bipartisan Push for Independent Investigation
into USPS Delivery of Free Materials for the Blind & Physically Handicapped</h2>
<p><strong>From the Editor: A number of blind people have noticed significant
delays in receiving materials mailed under the FREE MATTER FOR THE BLIND program
funded by Congress through a subsidy to the United States Postal Service. Here is
a press release that describes testimony given about such delays, followed by the
letter a bipartisan group of four senators sent to the USPS. We have not altered
this release as we would had we been the creators of the material and followed
normal <em>Monitor</em> style:</strong></p> <p>Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van
Hollen (D-Md.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Rob Portman
(R-Ohio) sent a letter to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) Office of the Inspector
General requesting that Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb investigate the USPS Free
Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons program. The
Senators’ request follows testimony provided by a Marylander last year to
the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government,
chaired by Senator Van Hollen, in which the Senator’s constituent described
mail delays with materials she was supposed to receive from this program. The
Senators’ letter notes that the National Federation of the Blind reports
these delays are widespread and are causing significant hardship for members of
the blind and physically handicapped communities. Senator Van Hollen is the Chairman
of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General
Government; Senator Hyde-Smith is the Ranking Member of the Committee; Senator
Peters is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental
Affairs; and Senator Portman is the Ranking Member of the Committee—all of
which have jurisdiction over USPS services.</p> <p>The Senators begin, “We
are writing to request that you conduct a review of USPS performance and operations
with regard to Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons.
This program enables mail to be sent without charge if it is for the use of people
who cannot read conventional print due to a disability. While the Postal Service
is generally funded by revenues collected from postal customers, Congress appropriates
a limited amount of funding to the Postal Service Fund to support certain programs,
including free mail for the blind.”</p> <p>“At a hearing of the
Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee on July 13,
2021, Ms. Rania Dima testified about delays she experienced with free mail for
the blind that were significantly worse than what she experienced for other mail,
even though USPS is supposed to process free mail for the blind like First-Class
Mail. These delays impeded Ms. Dima’s process of relearning to read after
she lost her sight, including to read her own testimony at the hearing. According
to the National Federation of the Blind, these delays are a widespread problem
that, ‘not only has a detrimental effect on the lives of blind and
print-disabled Americans, but is also creating a loss of taxpayer dollars since
digital players, Braille displays, and other valuable equipment are stuck in the
post office, never reaching the people who need it,’” they continue.</p>
<p>“For those reasons, we ask that you review the procedures used by USPS
to accept, process, and deliver Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically
Handicapped Persons, and provide recommendations to fix any problems identified
by that review,” the Senators close.</p> <p>The full text of the letter is
available here and below.</p> <p>Dear Ms. Whitcomb:</p> <p>We are writing to
request that you conduct a review of USPS performance and operations with regard
to Free Matter for the Blind or Other Physically Handicapped Persons. This program
enables mail to be sent without charge if it is for the use of people who cannot
read conventional print due to a disability. While the Postal Service is generally
funded by revenues collected from postal customers, Congress appropriates a limited
amount of funding to the Postal Service Fund to support certain programs, including
free mail for the blind.</p> <p>At a hearing of the Financial Services and General
Government Appropriations Subcommittee on July 13, 2021, Ms. Rania Dima testified
about delays she experienced with free mail for the blind that were significantly
worse than what she experienced for other mail, even though USPS is supposed to
process free mail for the blind like First-Class Mail. These delays impeded Ms.
Dima’s process of relearning to read after she lost her sight, including
to read her own testimony at the hearing. According to the National Federation of
the Blind, these delays are a widespread problem that, “not only has a
detrimental effect on the lives of blind and print-disabled Americans, but is also
creating a loss of taxpayer dollars since digital players, Braille displays, and
other valuable equipment are stuck in the post office, never reaching the people
who need it.”</p> <p>For those reasons, we ask that you review the procedures
used by USPS to accept, process, and deliver Free Matter for the Blind or Other
Physically Handicapped Persons, and provide recommendations to fix any problems
identified by that review. The Postal Service does not track delivery performance
for free mail for the blind separately from First-Class Mail, so as part of this
review, please conduct an analysis comparing the delivery times for similar mail
pieces sent via free mail for the blind and via First-Class Mail.</p> <p>Thank
you for your attention to this matter.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION:
Charlie Brown]</p> <h2 id="our-beloved-charlie-brown-honored-posthumously">Our
Beloved Charlie Brown Honored Posthumously</h2> <p><strong>From the Editor: Several
months ago we ran an article about Charlie Brown, a towering figure to many of
us. He demonstrated a significant commitment to his family, to the NFB, to his
employer, and to his church. In so doing he lived the integrated life for which
all of us strive. Here is the way the Commonwealth of Virginia has taken notice
of his life and contributions:</strong></p> <p><strong>2022 SESSION</strong></p>
<p><strong>HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 312</strong></p> <p><em>Celebrating the life
of Charles St. Clair Brown.</em></p> <p>Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March
7, 2022</p> <p>Agreed to by the Senate, March 9, 2022</p> <p>WHEREAS, Charles St.
Clair Brown, an esteemed attorney and disability rights advocate and a beloved
member of the Arlington and Winchester communities, died on August 1, 2021; and</p>
<p>WHEREAS, legally blind from birth, Charles “Charlie” St. Clair
Brown was the first blind graduate of Wellesley High School in Wellesley,
Massachusetts, and later earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University
and a juris doctor degree from Northwestern University; and</p> <p>WHEREAS, passing
the Illinois and Connecticut bars in 1970, Charlie Brown took a position with the
Legislation and Legal Counsel Division of the Office of the Solicitor of the United
States Department of Labor (DOL), rising through the ranks to ultimately become
the division’s counsel for special legal services; and</p> <p>WHEREAS,
during his tenure with DOL, Charlie Brown oversaw and drafted proposed legislation,
prepared Congressional testimony and internal directives for the department, served
as counsel to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, managed the department’s
ethics and financial disclosure program, and facilitated the United States Senate
confirmation of numerous officials; for his efforts, he was awarded DOL’s
Distinguished Career Service award in 1982; and</p> <p>WHEREAS, Charlie Brown was
appointed the designated agency ethics official at the National Science Foundation
(NSF) in 1991, taking on the responsibility of writing and implementing NSF
regulations related to conflicts of interest and financial disclosure requirements;
in recognition of his work to safeguard the integrity of NSF’s peer-review
process, he earned NSF’s Gold Medal award in 2006; and</p> <p>WHEREAS,
following his retirement from the United States Government in 2007, Charlie Brown
opened a private practice in Washington, D.C., and later in Winchester, where he
applied his extensive legal experience in the areas of disability rights, voting
rights, and nonprofit administration; and</p> <p>WHEREAS, dedicated to the legal
profession and promoting access for disabled individuals, Charlie Brown served on
the American Bar Association’s Commission on Disability Rights and its
Standing Committee on Election Law and was a founding board member of the Disability
Rights Bar Association, while holding various offices in the National Association
of Blind Lawyers; and</p> <p>WHEREAS, Charlie Brown’s advocacy for the
disabled included a longstanding role with the National Federation of the Blind
(NFB), as he served as the Virginia chapter president for 26 years and was both
a member of the national organization’s board of directors and its treasurer;
in recognition of his extraordinary efforts, he was presented with NFB’s
most prestigious honor, the Jacobus tenBroek Award; and</p> <p>WHEREAS, an active
and engaged member of the community, Charlie Brown was involved with the Kiwanis
Club of Arlington, which he served as president, sat on the Virginia Community
Integration Advisory Commission, and was president of the Virginia Business
Opportunities for the Blind, Inc.; and</p> <p>WHEREAS, guided throughout his life
by his faith, Charlie Brown enjoyed worship and fellowship with his community at
Rock Spring Congregational Church in Arlington for many years, serving in various
leadership positions both with the church and the United Church Board for Homeland
Ministries; and</p> <p>WHEREAS, Charlie Brown will be fondly remembered and dearly
missed by his loving wife, Jacki; his children, Richard and Stephen, and their
families; and numerous other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it</p>
<p>RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General
Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Charles St. Clair Brown, an
accomplished attorney whose years of advocacy and support affected countless lives;
and, be it</p> <p>RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Charles St.
Clair Brown as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his
memory.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Karen Anderson]</p> <p>[PHOTO
CAPTION: Mark Riccobono helps a participant use the chainsaw to cut a long log.
They both wear sleepshades and masks.]</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: A student wearing
sleepshades pours brownie mix into a baking pan.]</p> <h2
id="modeling-a-positive-philosophy-on-blindness-today-for-the-teachers-of-tomorrow">Modeling
a Positive Philosophy on Blindness Today for the Teachers of Tomorrow</h2>
<p><strong>by Karen Anderson</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor: Karen Anderson
is one of our hard working staff at our Jernigan Institute. Many of us see her as
she promotes and coordinates the BELL Academy, but her job duties are more diverse,
and this is but one of many programs in which she is involved. Here is what she
says:</strong></p> <p>One of the projects I am responsible for as the education
programs coordinator for the National Federation of the Blind is Teachers of
Tomorrow. The goal of the program is to help teachers of blind students gain a
real connection to the lived experiences of blind people through the NFB and to
help them recognize the incredible value that blind mentors bring to their students.
The program kicked off in January 2021; we met with the group of twenty-two teachers
from fourteen states virtually each month. Sessions covered topics such as working
with diverse populations, the best strategies for teaching Braille, and how to
help blind students succeed in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and
math) related subjects. The virtual sessions were great, but meeting these teachers
in person was something special.</p> <p>In early December I got to meet up with
fourteen of the Teachers of Tomorrow in Ruston, Louisiana, where they had the
opportunity to spend time at the Louisiana Center for the Blind and the Professional
Development Research Institute on Blindness at Louisiana Tech. A teacher from
California had this to say about her experience.</p> <blockquote> <p>“During
the experience at the Louisiana Center for the Blind, we had the opportunity to
make brownies from scratch while being blindfolded. The activity was called
‘Cooking without Looking.’</p> <p>I took the recipe that we used
during the experience and had my ninth grade student make the brownies. We added
a Christmas touch to them by adding crushed candy canes. We made two pans for a
total of forty-eight brownies to share with his classmates and to take home to
his family. The brownies were gone in ten minutes. Comments from his family were
that they could not believe that he had made such amazing brownies….”</p>
</blockquote> <p>She went on to say:</p> <blockquote> <p>“Mark Riccobono,
President of the NFB, assisted the Teachers of Tomorrow 2021 cohort in using a
chainsaw blindfolded. As a souvenir, I brought home the piece of the tree that I
cut off while blindfolded. I have never used a chainsaw, let alone blindfolded.
This task helped me overcome my fear. On the piece of log I put ‘ANYTHING
IS POSSIBLE 2021’ using black rhinestones to create Braille dots.”</p>
</blockquote> <p>Another teacher, who lives in New Jersey, said this after our
Louisiana experience:</p> <blockquote> <p>“As a sighted person I was unsure
of where I fit in. I knew that people at the NFB had something to offer me as a
new teacher and certainly something to offer my students that I couldn’t
provide them with myself. But my participation in Teachers of Tomorrow not only
benefits me professionally, but it benefits my students. One day my students will
no longer be mine… They will graduate and have the rest of their lives
ahead of them. Now that I relate to the NFB, I can connect my students with this
huge network of people who share lived experiences as blind individuals. Their
families can meet blind adults who are ‘living the lives they want,’
and have that same goal for their children.”</p> </blockquote> <p>Finally,
one of the Teachers of Tomorrow from Louisiana had this to say about her
experience:</p> <blockquote> <p>“From this visit I learned that you can
achieve anything you want, but you need to trust yourself and try. One example
was making brownies. It was a simple recipe but required us to use our sense of
touch and listening to follow the steps of the recipe. I have a blind daughter
who loves to help me out in the kitchen. I always complain at her for making a
mess and wanting to touch everything. This experience was such a great reminder
and awareness that touching is the only way such a task, without sight, can be
completed.</p> <p>Thank you again for allowing me to be a part of the NFB family
and be one of the Teachers of Tomorrow. As I was always told from the wonderful
NFB family in Ruston, it takes a village to build a village. I consider myself a
part of this village and hope to help build the future.”</p> </blockquote>
<p>As someone who grew up as a blind student in a public school, I know that these
teachers are changing the lives of their students in ways they can’t even
imagine. Their belief in blind students, fueled by the philosophy of the National
Federation of the Blind, means that their students will have that belief in
themselves. I look forward to working with these teachers in future Federation
events, and I look forward to getting to know their students and families when
they become part of our Federation family!</p> <p>----------</p> <h2 id="recipes">Recipes
</h2> <p><strong>Recipes this month were contributed by members of the National
Federation of the Blind of Virginia.</strong></p> <p><strong>African Peanut
Stew</strong></p> <p>From the book <em>Oh, She Glows</em> by Angela Lidden</p>
<p><strong>Debra Prost is the secretary of our Tidewater Chapter, and she is a
great vegan cook. Here are a couple of her favorites.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p>1 medium onion, diced</p> <p>3 cloves
garlic, minced</p> <p>1 red bell pepper, diced</p> <p>1 medium sweet potato, peeled
and cut into one-inch pieces</p> <p>1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)</p>
<p>1 28-ounce can tomatoes with juice</p> <p>Fine grain sea salt and freshly ground
pepper</p> <p>1 cup natural peanut butter</p> <p>4 cups vegetable broth (more if
needed)</p> <p>1 teaspoon chili powder</p> <p>1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)</p>
<p>1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed</p> <p>2 handfuls baby spinach (I
have sometimes used kale instead)</p> <p><strong>Method:</strong> Sauté onion
and garlic in water for 5 minutes. Add peppers, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes with
juice; raise heat to medium high and simmer for 5 minutes more. Season vegetables
with salt and black pepper. In a bowl, whisk together peanut butter and one cup
of the vegetable broth until no clumps remain. Stir this into the vegetables,
along with the remaining broth, chili powder, and cayenne. Cover and reduce heat
to medium low. Simmer ten to twenty minutes or until sweet potato is fork tender.
Stir in spinach or kale and cook until greens are wilted. If desired, you can
serve this over brown rice or quinoa.</p> <p><strong>----------</strong></p>
<p><strong>Fudge</strong></p> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p>1 cup vegan
chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand is good)</p> <p>1/2 cup almond butter or any
other type of nut butter, preferably without added salt or sugar</p> <p>1/2 cup
nuts such as pecans, cashews, walnuts, or hazelnuts, chopped but not fine.</p>
<p><strong>Method:</strong> Melt chocolate chips in microwave. Add nut butter and
nuts. Put mixture into an 8-inch square pan lined with parchment paper. Be sure
there is parchment paper hanging over the pan’s edges so fudge can be lifted
out easily. Put pan of fudge in freezer until it is firm enough to cut into
squares—approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Remove and cut into squares. Put
fudge back into freezer in a Ziploc bag or airtight container to store for the
first day. It can then be stored in the refrigerator.</p> <p><strong>----------</strong></p>
<p><strong>No-Bake Cookies</strong></p> <p><strong>by Chris Walker</strong></p>
<p><strong>Chris Walker is the president of the Winchester Chapter in Virginia.
He's also known as Chef Christopher. Chris loves to cook and bake.</strong></p>
<p><strong>For the last several years Chris has been making no-bake cookies for
the state convention for the live auction fundraising event. The no-bake cookies
are also Chris's favorite childhood memory. He is sharing the recipe below from
<em>Simply Baking.</em> It's quick and simple and of course delicious. Definitely
give it a try and enjoy!</strong></p> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p>1/2
cup butter (1 stick)</p> <p>1 1/2 cups sugar</p> <p>1/2 cup milk</p> <p>2 tablespoons
unsweetened cocoa powder</p> <p>1/2 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth</p> <p>1
teaspoon vanilla extract</p> <p>3 cups oats (oatmeal)</p> <p><strong>Method:</strong>
To begin place a sauce pan on a medium to high heat on your stove top. Then you'll
add one stick of butter, one and a half cup of sugar, half cup of milk, then add
three tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. Then mix well until everything is
combined. Bring to a boil then remove from stove top heat and add half cup of
either crunchy or smooth peanut butter and one teaspoon of vanilla extract.</p>
<p>Once you have combined everything, add three cups of oats, then mix all together.
You can use either wax paper or parchment paper and line your pan. To make things
easier, use an ice cream scooper. You can also use a spoon. Scoop on to the pan
and then place and put into freezer for thirty minutes. Then all you have to do
is enjoy!</p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Shipwrecked</strong></p> <p><strong>by
Jenny Blinsmon</strong></p> <p><strong>Jenny Blinsmon is the vice president of
our Tidewater Chapter. Jenny shares a family favorite from her childhood, a recipe
she continues to make and savor.</strong></p> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p>
<p>1.5 pounds hamburger</p> <p>1 can tomato soup</p> <p>1 can cream of mushroom
soup</p> <p>1/4 cup milk</p> <p>1/2 cup chopped celery</p> <p>1 onion, chopped</p>
<p>6 medium potatoes, sliced</p> <p><strong>Method:</strong> Brown hamburger and
season with salt and pepper. Add onion and celery. Place in casserole dish. Pour
tomato soup over meat layer. Then put potatoes on the meat and pour the mushroom
soup over the potatoes. Pour milk over all. Bake 1.5 hours at 350 degrees. You
can add corn or green beans if you want. Also I sometimes don’t pre-cook
the hamburger.</p> <p>----------</p> <p><strong>Creamy Chicken and Rice</strong></p>
<p><strong>by Joe Orozco</strong></p> <p><strong>The next recipe comes to us from
Joe Orozco. Joe wears many hats in our Virginia Affiliate, from operations
coordinator for both our pre-employment transition service and our blindness skills
for seniors programs to coordinator for our Virginia leadership development program
and affiliate webmaster.</strong></p> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p>4
cups cooked white rice</p> <p>1/4 cup butter</p> <p>1/4 cup all-purpose flour</p>
<p>2 cups milk</p> <p>2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder</p> <p>1 teaspoon seasoned
salt</p> <p>1/2 teaspoon garlic powder</p> <p>1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper</p>
<p>5 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast meat</p> <p>12 ounces processed cheese
food (e.g. Velveeta), cubed</p> <p>2 cups sour cream</p> <p>1/2 cup butter</p>
<p>2 cups crushed buttery round crackers</p> <p><strong>Method:</strong> Preheat
oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Spread rice in the bottom of a 9x13 inch
baking dish; set aside. In a medium saucepan melt butter or margarine and stir in
flour until smooth. Gradually add milk, bouillon granules, seasoned salt, garlic
powder and pepper. Stir all together and bring to a boil. Let simmer and stir for
two minutes or until thickened and bubbly.</p> <p>Reduce heat; add chicken, cheese,
and sour cream. Stir until cheese is melted. Mix all together and pour mixture
over rice. Melt half-cup butter or margarine in saucepan and toss with crushed
cracker crumbs. Sprinkle crumb mixture over casserole. Bake in the preheated oven
for ten to fifteen minutes or until heated through.</p> <p>Yield: 6 servings</p>
<p>----------</p> <p><strong>Banana Bread</strong></p> <p><strong>by Jody
Silverberg</strong></p> <p><strong>Our final recipe is sent in from Jody Silverberg.
Jody is a member of our Virginia At-Large Chapter and is a professional baker.
Everyone loves our state conventions, in part because Jody always brings goodies
to share</strong>.</p> <p><strong>Helpful tips: use very ripe bananas, or bananas
that have been frozen and thawed completely. Always use room temperature eggs when
baking.</strong></p> <p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p> <p>9.5 ounces all-purpose
flour</p> <p>1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</p> <p>1/2 teaspoon baking soda</p>
<p>1/4 teaspoon cinnamon</p> <p>1/8 teaspoon nutmeg</p> <p>1/4 teaspoon salt</p>
<p>6.55 ounces granulated sugar</p> <p>2 eggs, beaten</p> <p>13.1 ounces mashed
bananas</p> <p>4 ounces canola oil</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>Method:</strong>
Insert paddle attachment in stand mixer, or mix well by hand. Scale ingredients.
Preheat oven to 350 F. In bowl of mixer, combine bananas, eggs and oil; mix
thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda,
cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients; mix on medium
speed until combined; do not over mix. Portion by 1 cup measure into well of
stoneware mini-loaf baking pans. Bake thirty minutes, until cake tester comes out
clean. Cool completely on wire rack before removing from pan.</p> <p>**If you
choose to bake this as one loaf, please tent the bread with aluminum foil after
twenty-five minutes. The top takes extra baking time to complete.</p> <p>----------</p>
<h2 id="monitor-miniatures"><em>Monitor</em> Miniatures </h2> <h3 id="section"></h3>
<h3 id="news-from-the-federation-family">News from the Federation Family</h3>
<p><strong>Dance! Dance! Dance!</strong></p> <p><strong>This is taken from the
March issue of <em>The Blind Coloradan</em> and begins with Kevan Worley’s
note:</strong></p> <p>From the Aggregator: As part of our suite of youth activities,
our FAST (Fun Activities and Skills Training) provides monthly opportunities for
youth and families to have fun and gain insight around blindness. Many times blind
youngsters are left out of the usual social activities, such activities include
dancing, traveling independently, playing games that are not easily accessible,
and the like. FAST provides opportunities to fill gaps in learning social development.
On Saturday, February 12, FAST families gathered at the Colorado Center for the
Blind where, appropriate to Valentine’s Day, blind youth learned some great
dance moves. Meanwhile, parents of blind children got some quick cane travel
instruction.</p> <p><strong>How to Pay for Your Convention Hotel Stay</strong></p>
<p><strong>This helpful information comes from Tony Cobb, who for many years served
as a fixture in the lobby of our convention hotels. Here is an important warning
for those who may be considering how to pay for their stay:</strong></p> <p>Every
year at our national convention we have serious trouble with use of debit cards
or cash payments at hotel check-in, and, having worked to solve these problems
for years, I can tell you they can nearly ruin the convention week for those
experiencing them. Planning to attend our national convention should therefore
include thinking seriously about how to pay the hotel, and I cannot urge you
strongly enough to avoid using cash or a debit card as your payment method. Doing
so may seem convenient, but you should not do so. If you do not have a credit card
of your own to use instead, prevail upon a close friend or family member to let
you use one just for convention. Here’s why:</p> <p>If you are paying in
actual currency, most hotels will want enough cash up front at check-in to cover
your room and tax charges for the entire stay, plus a one-time advance incidentals
deposit to cover meals, telephone calls, internet service, and other things you
may charge to your room. The unused portion of the incidentals deposit may be
returned at check-out or by mail after departure. Understand, however, that, if
your incidentals charges exceed the incidentals deposit credited, you are responsible
for payment of the full balance at check-out. The total can end up being a very
large sum indeed.</p> <p>If you use a debit card, however, you are really at a
potentially painful disadvantage. The hotel will put a hold on money in your bank
account linked to the debit card to cover the estimated balance of your stay—that
is, for the entire week’s room and tax charges plus a one-time incidentals
deposit to cover meals, movies, and so on charged to your room. You should be
aware that the hold can therefore be a considerable amount of money and that you
will not have access to that amount for any other purchases or payments with your
card. (Hotels sometimes also put authorizations on credit cards, by the way, but
those are not often a problem unless they exceed your card’s credit
limit.)</p> <p>Holds can remain in effect for three to five days or even a week
after you check out. If you have pre-authorized payments from your bank account,
for example your monthly mortgage payment, or if you try to make a purchase with
your debit card and it's refused, the hold from the hotel can cause you trouble
or result in very large overdraft fees for payments you thought you had money in
your account to cover. I have seen this hit some of our members in the form of
hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees.</p> <p>This means that, if you use a debit
card, you would have to be certain you have a high enough balance in your checking
account when you come to convention to cover any debit card holds. This is a
perilous practice since charges may exceed your estimate by a considerable amount.
(Some frequent travelers even open a separate checking account used only for debits
like these.) Remember, a hold is going to be placed on your debit card regardless
of how you end up paying the bill, and the hold is not necessarily released right
away, even if you pay with a credit card or cash when you check out of the hotel.</p>
<p>Planning ahead in this area can ensure an untroubled week at convention, leaving
you free to enjoy fully the world’s largest and most exciting meeting of
the blind.</p> <h3 id="in-brief">In Brief</h3> <p><strong>Notices and information
in this section may be of interest to <em>Monitor</em> readers. We are not
responsible for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for space
and clarity.</strong></p> <p><strong>New Website Features Two-hundred Accessible
Windows Programs:</strong></p> <p>Laufware.com is a new website that provides
links to over two hundred accessible Windows programs. Software is divided into
twenty-five categories with descriptions for each program. Specialty pages include
keyboard shortcuts, top forty accessible programs, fifty portable programs with
no installation required, and podcasts created by and for the blind and low vision
community.</p> <p>Current categories include: Audio Players, Backup, Broadcasting,
Browsers-Email, CD-DVD, Databases-Spreadsheets, Editors, File Management, Hardware,
Keyboard shortcuts, MP3, Portable, Radio, Reading, Recorders, Screen Readers,
Screen Sharing, Security, Servers, Social Media, Utilities, Video, Voice Chat,
Website Tools, and Wireless.</p> <p>A software submission form is available for
people to share their favorite accessible Windows programs, and the contact page
allows one to provide comments and suggestions.</p> <p>"Lauf" is a German word
which means to run. Michael Lauf hopes you will visit, bookmark, and share the
website with those who may benefit. Go to <a
href="https://laufware.com">https://laufware.com</a>.</p> <p>----------</p> <h2
id="nfb-pledge">NFB Pledge</h2> <p>I pledge to participate actively in the efforts
of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and
security for the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation;
and to abide by its constitution.</p> </body> </html>