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</style> </head> <body> <div id="header"> <h1 class="title">The Braille Monitor,
December 2023</h1> </div> <h1 id="braille-monitor">BRAILLE MONITOR</h1> <p>Vol.
66, No. 11 December 2023</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: <a
href="http://Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind">Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind</a></p>
<p>Follow us on Twitter: @NFB_Voice</p> <p>Watch and share our videos: <a
href="http://YouTube.com/NationsBlind">YouTube.com/NationsBlind</a></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>© 2023
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.
66, No. 11 December 2023</p> <h2 id="contents"> Contents</h2> <p>Illustration:
Karla Gilbride Confirmed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission</p>
<p>Convention Bulletin 2024</p> <p>Convention Location Update and Planning</p>
<p>by Mark Riccobono</p> <p>Innovation Rocks: Positive Progress Centered on the
Blind<br /> An Address Delivered by Mark A. Riccobono, President</p> <p>Securing
Equal Protection under the Law: The Essential Role of the Organized Blind Movement</p>
<p>by Eve Hill</p> <p>The 2024 Blind Educator of the Year Award</p> <p>by Robin
House</p> <p>Shattering Injustice and Raising Expectations: Dedication to Equality
by a Blind Attorney</p> <p>by Karla Gilbride</p> <p>Social Security Disability
Insurance and Supplemental Security Income Updates for 2024</p> <p>by Jesse
Shirek</p> <p>From California to Illinois—Powered by Braille</p> <p>by
Rachel Held</p> <p>O’Rourke Completes 6-week Fundraising Bike Ride for
Blind</p> <p>by Amalie Benjamin</p> <p>Pit Stop Party at Kirkwood Library: NHL
Referee Dan O’Rourke Bikes Route 66 for Braille Literacy Fundraising</p>
<p>by Julie Brown Patton</p> <p>The 2024 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards</p> <p>by Everette
Bacon</p> <p>It Matters What We Do, Not Who We Are</p> <p>by Geerat J. Vermeij</p>
<p>Announcing the NFB 2024 Scholarship Program</p> <p>by Cayte Mendez</p> <p>My
Experiences as a Deafblind Participant in our 2023 National Convention</p> <p>by
Maurice Mines</p> <p>We Have Work to Do: Reflections on Changing the Blind Employment
Paradigm</p> <p>by Mary Fernandez</p> <p>Braille Books and Contest Cash</p> <p>by
Sandy Halverson</p> <p>The 2024 Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award</p>
<p>by Carla McQuillan</p> <p>Veteran finishes the Half-Marathon at the Cleveland
Marathon, while serving as an Inspiration for Blind Athletes</p> <p>by Irie Harris,
Cleveland.com</p> <p>Eleven Seasonal Acts of Kindness</p> <p>by LaShawna Fant</p>
<p><em>Monitor</em> Miniatures</p> <p>[PHOTO/CAPTION: Charlotte Burrows, chair of
the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, administers Karla’s oath of
office. Karla’s hand rests on a Braille copy of the Constitution her mother,
Janet Gilbride, is holding.</p> <h2
id="karla-gilbride-confirmed-to-the-equal-employment-opportunity-commission">Karla
Gilbride Confirmed to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission</h2> <p>Karla
Gilbride exemplifies the best of the American ideal of progress. She has crafted
her own tough, smart, and effective brand of fighting injustice without forgetting
both that she has inherited benefits won by those who came before her and that
there are those in our society who still do not enjoy those benefits. As impressive
as her presence is in the court room, it is surpassed by her humility—her
deep commitment to the fact that each victory is merely another milestone on the
journey to equality not a place to settle. While we recognize her unique
characteristics as being an asset to her legal work, we also must recognize that
they put additional obstacles in her way because of the persistent misconceptions
that exist deep in our society. What is impressive is not that she overcomes those
misconceptions but that she shatters them with the power of her work and the
strength of her convictions. She could have used her talents for any number of
life pursuits, fortunately she has chosen to open doors of equal opportunity in
society. Our nation is stronger because of her willingness to serve. On a personal
note, as a blind person and a as a father of two blind girls, I am grateful for
the example of excellence that Karla Gilbride sets for all Americans seeking the
ideal of progress and a more perfect union.</p> <p>-------</p> <p>[PHOTO/CAPTION:
Rosen Centre Hotel at night.]</p> <h2 id="convention-bulletin-2024">Convention
Bulletin 2024</h2> <p>As difficult as it may be to believe that 2023 has slipped
by us in the blink of an eye, we can be assured that a shiny new 2024 will follow
on its heels. As we flip the calendar to January, it will again be time to plan
for the National Federation of the Blind’s National Convention. We were
last at the beautiful Rosen Centre in Orlando, at 9840 International Drive, in
2015 for our 75th anniversary convention. The outstanding Rosen staff will be
rolling out the red carpet to welcome us back this July 3 through 8.</p> <h3
id="book-your-hotel">Book Your Hotel</h3> <p>Our 2024 convention room rate for
singles and doubles is $129; for triples and quads, the rate is $139. Occupancy
taxes and surcharges are an additional 13.5 percent. There is no charge for children
under eighteen as long as no extra bed is requested. Please note that the hotel
is a no-smoking facility.</p> <p>For 2024 convention room reservations you should
call the hotel at (800) 204-7234 after January 1. Ask for the “NFB
Convention” block. At the time you make a reservation, a $146 deposit is
required for each room reserved. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be
charged against your card immediately, just as would be the case with a $146 check.
If a reservation is cancelled before Saturday, June 1, 2024, half of the deposit
will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.</p> <p>Guest room amenities
include a wall-mounted 50” HDTV with a multi-outlet connectivity bar beneath
to keep your devices charged and ready for the complimentary in-room Wi-Fi. Each
room also offers an in-room safe, coffeemaker, mini-fridge, and hairdryer. Guests
can enjoy a swimming pool, fitness center, and on-site spa. Those of you who have
attended past conventions at the Rosen Centre may remember Café Gaugin buffet
and the award-winning Everglades Restaurant. In addition to these favorites, we
will have an array of dining options from sushi and tapas to Caribbean-Cuban
poolside dining to a 24-hour deli.</p> <h3 id="convention-schedule">Convention
Schedule</h3> <p>The 2024 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will
be a truly exciting and memorable event, with an unparalleled program and rededication
to the goals and work of our movement.</p> <ul> <li><p>A wide range of seminars
for parents of blind children, technology enthusiasts, job seekers, and other
groups will kick the week off on Wednesday, July 3. Convention registration and
registration packet pick-up will also open on Wednesday.</p></li> <li><p>Breakout
sessions continue on Thursday, July 4, along with committee meetings.</p></li>
<li><p>Friday, July 5, will kick off with the annual meeting, open to all, of the
Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind. National division
meetings will follow the board meeting that afternoon and evening.</p></li>
<li><p>General convention sessions will begin on Saturday, July 6, and continue
through the afternoon of Monday, July 8.</p></li> <li><p>Convention ends on a high
note with the banquet Monday evening, so be sure to pack your fancy clothes. The
fall of the gavel at the close of banquet will signal convention’s adjournment.
Make plans now to be a part of it.</p></li> </ul> <p>To assure yourself a room in
the headquarters hotel at convention rates, you should make reservations early.
The hotel will be ready to take your call beginning January 1.</p> <h3
id="request-for-door-prizes">Request for Door Prizes</h3> <p>Remember that as
usual we need door prizes from state affiliates, local chapters, and individuals.
Prizes should be small in size but large in value. Cash, of course, is always
appropriate and welcome. As a general rule we ask that prizes of all kinds have
a value of at least $25 and not include alcohol. Drawings will occur steadily
throughout the convention sessions, and you can anticipate a grand prize of truly
impressive proportions to be drawn at the banquet. If you have a prize that must
be shipped in advance of the convention, please email affiliate president Paul
Martinez at <a href="mailto:president@nfbflorida.org"><u>president@nfbflorida.org</u></a>
to make arrangements.</p> <h3 id="countdown-to-orlando">Countdown to Orlando</h3>
<p>The best collection of exhibits featuring new technology; meetings of our
special interest groups, committees, and divisions; the most stimulating and
provocative program items of any meeting of the blind in the world; the chance to
renew friendships in our Federation family; and the unparalleled opportunity to
be where the real action is and where decisions are being made—all of these
mean you will not want to miss being a part of the 2024 National Convention. We
can’t wait to be with you in Orlando in July.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO
CAPTION: Mark Riccobono holds his NFB member coin.]</p> <h2
id="convention-location-update-and-planning">Convention Location Update and
Planning</h2> <p><strong>by Mark Riccobono</strong></p> <p>The 2024 National
Convention of the National Federation of the Blind is scheduled for July 3 through
July 8, 2024, at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, Florida. This letter is an important
update to our members and supporters about our deliberations and plans for our
upcoming convention. This letter is also an invitation for you to continue to
share your feedback, ideas, and resources as we prepare for 2024 and beyond.</p>
<p>In order to secure the best possible convention conditions for our members, we
must sign our convention contracts many years in advance. After signing our contract
for 2024, the enactment of new laws in the state of Florida resulted in serious
concerns within our community. As with everything we do, we rely on our members
and our supporters to help steer us through unexpected circumstances that are out
of our control.</p> <p>Our Board of Directors released an initial statement
regarding the location of the 2024 National Convention (<a
href="https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/statement-board-directors-federation-community-regarding-location">https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/statement-board-directors-federation-community-regarding-location</a>),
and since that time our leaders have been listening to our members and considering
additional actions. This letter is intended to brief you on the factors which
impact our decision for 2024, the critical factors that go into selecting a national
convention location, and the additional measures we are securing for NFB24.</p>
<h3 id="our-decision-to-go-to-florida">Our Decision to Go to Florida</h3> <p>As
America’s transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind
people, our only purpose in visiting Florida is to further the work of our
organization through our annual Convention, which is our supreme governing authority.
Our work is centered on defending the rights of blind people to live the lives
they want. As our code of conduct affirms, the National Federation of the Blind
does not tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, religion,
gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship,
marital status, age, genetic information, disability, political affiliation, or
any other characteristic or intersectionality of characteristics.</p> <p>As shared
at the September <em>Presidential Release</em> to our members, the National
Federation of the Blind Board of Directors discussed in depth the concerns from
some members about Florida and reviewed recent travel advisories. The board
specifically noted that the travel advisories from other civil rights organizations
do not call for boycotts of or travel bans to the state of Florida.</p> <p>The
goal of the advisories was to ensure everyone had complete information about the
state policies so individuals could make decisions for themselves. We also considered
the:</p> <ul> <li><p>Impact on our attendees and specifically on our members in
Florida, who have to live with these policies every day as blind people.</p></li>
<li><p>Publicly stated position of support from Rosen leadership and staff on
these issues, their commitment to our attendees, and their track record of hosting
us in the past.</p></li> <li><p>Effect of showing up and demonstrating the power
of diversity and unity within our movement and the positive influence of bringing
the diversity of the Federation community to Florida.</p></li> <li><p>Financial
implications of breaking our 2024 contract. At the time our board first evaluated
these circumstances, it would have cost the Federation upwards of three-quarters
of a million dollars, and today the cancellation cost would be upwards of $1.1
million.</p></li> <li><p>Challenges of securing alternative arrangements on very
short notice limiting our options.</p></li> <li><p>Options to make as many members
of the Federation as possible feel safe, supported, and welcome at our 2024
convention and how we could rally Federation members more broadly to help in that
effort.</p></li> </ul> <p>While we made the decision to go to Florida in 2024, we
have also committed to actions to make the upcoming convention a meaningful
demonstration of the power and diversity of our community. Furthermore, we remain
fully committed to the future by digging deeper with the following priority from
our current strategic plan: Evaluate and enhance the national convention and other
events to ensure they are inclusive and welcoming and continue to add value to
our community.</p> <h2 id="section"></h2> <h3 id="selecting-convention-locations">Selecting
Convention Locations</h3> <p>There are many factors considered when identifying,
evaluating, and ultimately selecting a future convention location. These issues
can be complicated when factors out of our control change after we sign a contract.
Critical factors for convention location selection are:</p> <ul> <li><p>Adequate
space and layout</p></li> <li><p>Affordability of hotel, travel, and dining options
for the broad spectrum of our members</p></li> <li><p>Accessibility of hotel spaces
and services</p></li> <li><p>Geographic rotation</p></li> </ul> <p>As we evaluate
potential convention destinations against our selection criteria, we will closely
consider all factors that affect the members of our community and our organization.
We believe we have a strong track record of balancing all of the factors and
putting on a quality, safe, and empowering convention for all attendees. However,
we welcome partners that may be able to further improve the unique experience that
is a Federation convention in the future.</p> <h3 id="doing-more-in-2024">Doing
More in 2024</h3> <p>We have several months before we meet in Orlando for the
largest gathering of blind people in the world, and we are working diligently to
remain vigilant, innovative, and inclusive in our convention planning as we
anticipate bringing thousands of people together. Our aim is to roll out specifics
with the launch of our convention registration expected to open on March 1,
2024.</p> <p>Here is our current action plan:</p> <ul> <li><p>Prioritizing
communications with members and supporters on the updates regarding the safety
measures for NFB24 including continuing to invite feedback and partnerships.</p></li>
<li><p>Creating an opt-in safety support network for concerned NFB24 attendees
traveling to Florida. This plan will include support to and from the airport,
training for volunteers, and other processes that are currently in development.</p></li>
<li><p>Establishing a legal support network led by our National Association of
Blind Lawyers to assist NFB24 attendees who may experience discrimination due to
their coming to Florida.</p></li> <li><p>Partnering with relevant civil rights
organizations. We are currently in conversation with a few other organizations to
determine a scope of needs and resources.</p></li> <li><p>Connecting with local
law enforcement. The City of Orlando and the Orlando Police Department are committed
to the safety of all Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ) residents
and visitors. Read about their Orlando Safe Place work at <a
href="http://www.cityoforlando.net/police/lgbtqsafeplace/">http://www.cityoforlando.net/police/lgbtqsafeplace/</a>.
We will ensure these officials are aware of our convention and the concerns in
our community.</p></li> <li><p>Promoting an opportunity for NFB24 attendees to
drive other positive change in Florida through a Federation-sponsored Social Offset
Campaign. <a
href="https://socialoffset.org/about-us/">https://socialoffset.org/about-us/</a></p></li>
<li><p>Educating all NFB24 registered attendees about these concerns and the
resources available so that all attendees can serve as part of our support team
on the ground in Florida.</p></li> <li><p>Enhancing our national convention virtual
experience to support our members and friends who cannot be in Florida for any
reason.</p></li> </ul> <p>The National Federation of the Blind deeply appreciates
all the members and supporters who are committed to helping the organized blind
movement work through these difficult issues as we continue to build a
twenty-first-century movement that represents all blind people and does the best
to make sure that we set an example for the rest of society about how people should
be included.</p> <p>We hope that you will be a part of our 2024 National Convention,
and we invite your feedback, ideas, and resources in making this our most dynamic
convention ever. Thank you for all you do to center blind people and amplify our
voice in society.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Anne Lancaster introduces
Mark Riccobono]</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono speaking to the American
Printing House for the Blind Annual Meeting.]</p> <h2
id="innovation-rocks-positive-progress-centered-on-the-blind-we-will-rock-you">Innovation
Rocks: Positive Progress Centered on the Blind<br /> “We Will Rock
You”<br /> </h2> <p><strong>An Address Delivered by</strong></p> <p><strong>Mark
A. Riccobono, President</strong></p> <p><strong>Presented to the American Printing
House for the Blind</strong></p> <p><strong>155th Annual Meeting</strong></p>
<p><strong>Louisville, Kentucky</strong></p> <p><strong>October 5, 2023</strong></p>
<p><strong>From the Editor: President Riccobono was introduced by Anne Lancaster,
the vice president/chief officer, Innovation and Strategy at the American Printing
House for the Blind. The change in attitude that can come through real relationships
is no better exemplified than by her remarks. I hope readers enjoy both and feel
as though we were a part of the audience:</strong></p> <p><strong>Anne
Lancaster:</strong> Our keynote speaker today needs no introduction, but somehow
I've been tasked with the challenge and also the honor of doing such an introduction,
but I'm going to be absolutely honest and transparent here, which I've learned is
a trait President Riccobono appreciates. Before I ever even met Mark, I was
terrified of him. I had heard the stories—sure you’ve heard them
too—how dangerous it was to make him angry, and just about anything could
make him angry apparently and how awful the revenge would be—hellfire and
brimstone stuff. There seem to be a trepidation throughout the field to even
associate with NFB, and as a newcomer to this work at that time trying to figure
out all the politics, I felt like it was a good idea just to keep my distance.</p>
<p>But as I watched his work at NFB conventions and listen to his speeches and
learn more about him in this huge organization representing the voices of blind
people, I became intrigued and curious. I found that often his ideals were in
opposition to the current thinking in the field, but there were good reasons for
that. I saw heart, passion, and dedication to breaking the barriers that stand in
the way of blind people living the lives they want.</p> <p>After coming to APH,
I supported Dr. Meador’s desire to strengthen the relationship between APH
and NFB, a relationship that had admittedly become distant and fragmented. President
Riccobono welcomed this opportunity for renewed partnership with the willingness
to let bygones be bygones. This led to a number of collaborations around the
Connect Center, Code Jumper, the Mantis, the Chameleon, Lego Braille Bricks and
more. Of course there is our partnership with Monarch and the EBRF, which has been
absolutely essential to ensuring that the needs and voices of blind people are at
the forefront of development. Working closely with Mark and seeing him in action
has taught me a lot personally about leadership and partnership, and as for those
rumors—well, don't believe everything you hear. Although I think Mark kind
of enjoys that reputation at least a little bit.</p> <p>He eats, breathes, and
sleeps the mission of his organization and he is unapologetic for that. And when
he does get terrifying, and he has with me more than once, I've learned it's for
good reason. Mark will tell it to you like it is, and as a sighted person inflicted
with sighted biases working in this field, I absolutely need his blunt candor to
keep me focused on this one unequivocal, unmovable truth: absolutely nothing,
nothing about them without them at any level.</p> <p>The influence of our partnership
with NFB has led to many positive changes at APH. We are listening better. We are
including more, and granted, we have a long way to go, and we should and we will
do better. But we can trust that, if we begin to lose our way, our friends and
NFB will check us and patiently work with us to get us back on the straight and
narrow. That's what good friends do! So today, we are honored and privileged—and
not terrified at all—to welcome President Mark Riccobono from the National
Federation of the Blind as our annual keynote speaker.</p> <p>NFB elected Mark to
serve as its president in July of 2014. He has been reelected by the membership
every two years since that time. He has a long list of achievements and experiences
that led him to this role and that defined his current presidency. But more than
I appreciate his resume, I am truly grateful for his character, his commitment,
and his honesty. Please join me in giving another warm welcome to our partner and
friend, Mark Riccobono.</p> <p><strong>Mark Riccobono:</strong> Innovation: while
it makes a great theme for this annual meeting, we have to admit it is an overused
and highly misunderstood buzz word—no pun intended to the APH Hive. This
morning my goal is not to wow you with innovations, nor is it to tell you that we
have been getting it all wrong. Today, I want to riff on the idea of bringing
together a community of dedicated individuals who are prepared to rock the field
of blindness. Each of you have the choice of being in that community and contributing
to the music. As you contemplate that choice this morning—I notice some of
you were a little reluctant to play along—keep in mind that innovation
rocks, and together we will rock you.</p> <p>The great philosopher John Lennon
said, “there's nothing you can know that isn't known.” This is the
first really simple opening power chord to rocking in the blindness field: what
can be known about blindness can be found within blind people themselves. It’s
not found in the research journals, in the university classes, or even in the
concurrent sessions on APH products—not even in the Monarch session coming
up next that I do encourage you to attend. It’s found in the lived experience
of blind people—not just one, two, or even ten blind people but hundreds
of us. We cannot talk about innovation without recognizing that it begins with
blind people. It has to be centered on blind people. We have to take our lead from
what blind people know. To innovate, however, we need more than an opening chord.</p>
<p>American innovator Henry Ford said, “I am looking for a lot of people
who have an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done.” For
our purposes I would add “by blind people.” We need a lot of people
with an infinite capacity to not know what can’t be done by blind people.
If that is you, you can be part of the innovation community here today. Does your
internal rhythm begin with a core belief in the capacity of blind people? That
rhythm is essential to innovating in ways that cultivate that capacity. It’s
not enough to center our work on blind people; we truly have to believe in blind
people to the point where we do not know where the limits are for blind people.
When we do that, innovation can happen and innovation rocks. This was something
even I, as a blind person, had to learn over time. You can join me in that rhythm.
You have to be daring enough to be led by blind people and humble enough to innovate
in your own life, and you, too, can get to a place where you can rock a confident
belief in blind people.</p> <p>To say that someone rocks means that they do their
work with enthusiasm, skill, and confidence. This is a level of professional growth
we should all be pursuing. In order to do that, we need a community of support
around us—a community that challenges us to be better and to support our
growth. So when I say, “we will rock you,” it is my way of expressing
that with our collective confidence in blind people, our shared focus on the wisdom
in the lived experience of blind people, that we will make a difference together.
It is also to say that when you have the backs of blind people because you believe
in us, we will have your back too. We will rock you.</p> <p>What about innovation?
What does that really mean? At its basic level, innovation is thought to be about
the creation of a new idea, method, or device. Sometimes innovation means to
improve or to replace something. I believe these definitions are far too limiting
for this audience. True innovation is more than the outcome—it’s
the process, it’s the pattern of thought, it’s the journey.</p> <p>I
prefer this definition: Innovation is the process of creating value by applying
fresh solutions to meaningful problems. Let me break that down, and let me use
the Monarch as our example. Do we have a meaningful problem? Let me pause to say
that there is a graveyard of hundreds of attempted innovations for the blind that
were solutions chasing false problems. Examples include everything from yoga mats,
toothbrushes, and even a toilet designed with the blind in mind. It is not enough
that something is new—just because no one else invented a toilet for the
blind does not make it innovative—it has to solve a real and not a perceived,
meaningful problem. In order to know meaningful problems, you have to be centered
on the experience and wisdom of blind people themselves.</p> <p>We know that a
significant problem, despite the many great strides we have made, is having access
to text and graphical information in real time, in integrated classrooms, and in
ways that can be easily manipulated and edited. We know that Braille—a
foundational innovation that solved a very real problem—could be even better
if it was presented in more lines and with more capabilities.</p> <p>Do we have
a fresh solution? With the Monarch, I say yes. There are many aspects that allow
the Monarch to meet this criteria. One of these is the combination of partners
working on the product itself: the fresh approach of combining the unique skillsets
of the teams at APH and Humanware, and the members of the National Federation of
the Blind. This also brings in our power chord of being centered on the real
experience, the known wisdom of blind people. When the technical team working on
the Monarch took on a new approach, they tested it against the real experience of
blind people. The innovative approaches are the ones that have made it through
the testing because they achieve the final element of the innovation definition:
the process of creating value.</p> <p>If the new ideas built into the Monarch are
truly innovative, they have to demonstrate value to the end users—to blind
people. More importantly, true innovation occurs alongside a collaborative process
and a determination of real value. As blind users test concepts, they articulate
things they would like to push the technology to do. If the Monarch team believes
in blind people—which they do, they start with the idea that the challenge
is the technology, not the people involved. They have that belief because they
have challenged themselves and their own ideas within the known wisdom of the
blind community. This has helped them raise their own expectations, but, in turn,
they have helped to raise our expectations. The process of innovation sometimes
rocks a lot more than the outcomes themselves.</p> <p>I use this example because
it resonates with my own experience of coming to understand innovation. Remember,
I told you I did not always know what could not be done.</p> <p>I was first declared
legally blind at age five. Growing up with a progressive eye condition that slowly
took away my remaining vision, I got a lot of implicit and explicit messages about
how critical eyesight was to success. I believed those messages, and I limited my
own thinking and opportunities because of those messages. It was not until I found
a community of blind people who believed in me more than I believed in myself and
who shared their collective wisdom with me that I began to understand that the
meaningful problem was not blindness but the lack of innovative approaches that
would eliminate the artificial barriers in society. That put me on a journey of
discovering that there are no limits—a journey I am still on today.
It’s never too late to learn that innovation rocks.</p> <p>Twenty years
ago, I attended my last annual meeting as a trustee of the American Printing House.
I wish I knew then what I know today about the wisdom of centering blind people,
the power of innovation, and the strength of working together around that shared
belief. I share that because some of you may still be wondering if there really
is a place for you in our innovative community of people who have an infinite
capacity to not know what can’t be done. I assure you that your journey is
not over, we need your talents in our work, and if you let us, we will rock you.</p>
<p>Twenty years ago I took a position coordinating educational programs for the
National Federation of the Blind in Baltimore just before we opened our research
and training center—the NFB Jernigan Institute. At the grand opening of
that facility, we had an exhibit of how a tactile interface could one day provide
a blind person with access to real-time environmental information that would allow
them to respond accordingly in order to drive a car independently. At that time,
I thought the exhibit was a great marketing gimmick to get engineers interested
in innovating for blind people. I did not believe the outcome was possible because
I was not sure blind people, mostly myself, would be capable of performing the
tasks required. I had no evidence. I had not tested the concepts. What I knew came
from decades of internalizing misconceptions about what blind people could not
do.</p> <p>In 2007, I became executive director for the National Federation of
the Blind Jernigan Institute and our Blind Driver Challenge, as it is known, came
to be part of my program responsibilities. One day engineers from Virginia Tech
University called and asked if I would come speak with them about their interest
in a project to develop a blind-drivable car. I made the long trip from Baltimore,
Maryland, to Blacksburg, Virginia, where I learned about the work happening there
to build self-driving cars. They told me that they could easily put a blind person
in one of their cars, have the blind person hit a button to initiate the self-driving
mode, and achieve the goal of having a blind person drive a car. That was not
consistent with what I knew about the level of independence and active participation
blind people desired. That was not innovation. We already faced too many situations
where we were asked to simply sit and do nothing. Although I did not believe it
was possible myself, I got up and told the engineers that we wanted to be able to
drive; we wanted to get the information, analyze it ourselves, and then make our
own driving decisions. I told them we wanted to be able to crash the car—innovation
rocks right? It was not truly that we wanted to crash the car, but if there was
nothing real for the blind person to do, if it was not possible to crash the car,
then we already believed it was not possible for blind people to drive the car.</p>
<p>The team at Virginia Tech said we needed to start with something smaller than
a car to prove the concept. In collaboration with members of the Federation, we
built nonvisual interfaces into a little red dune buggy and took it to a large-scale
program we had for blind youth at the University of Maryland. For a week we taught
blind youth about engineering, and at the end, they got to test this first
blind-drivable vehicle. These blind students are the ones that opened my mind to
this idea. They had not been taught that it was not possible, and they were eager
to understand the patterns of information conveyed by the technology. I had a
fresh solution, but it meant nothing until I believed that humans were capable of
utilizing the solution.</p> <p>It was at this time that I started telling people
that, when you start with the prospect that little is possible, it is impossible
to get more than little accomplished.</p> <p>The next year I was tasked with
developing a plan to build nonvisual-interface technology into a real, street-legal
vehicle and testing the interfaces with blind people. I was project managing the
effort and making sure our Virginia Tech engineers were actually engaging with
blind people to test their ideas. One day I was asked if I wanted to be one of
the test drivers. By this time, I knew there was more possible than I originally
thought, but I still was a little unsure about whether I, as a blind person, could
do it. The question was not the technology; it was completely whether I believed
in myself.</p> <p>After weeks of testing and refining technology, giving the
engineers feedback about the nonvisual interfaces, and spending as much time
driving off the road as on the road, the moment of truth came. We had boldly
declared seven months earlier that we would do our first public demonstration at
the Daytona International Speedway at the end of January 2011. We had tested the
technology for weeks, but there had always been a sighted engineer in the car. We
told the engineers it was time to get out of the car—we had to determine
if this was real. Did I believe in what was possible or what was not possible?</p>
<p>When you are going to drive for the first time, even in January, what do you
do? I jumped into the driver’s seat, rolled down the window, and turned on
the radio. “<em>Roxanne</em>,” by The Police, pumped out of the
speakers. I had made literally a hundred or more trips in that car using that
technology, but the first time I did so without a nonblind person in the car, I
was overwhelmed by the power of the experience. When I did so on the Daytona
International Speedway, it transformed my understanding of what is possible. I no
longer knew where the limits were for blind people, and I have lived that way
every day since.</p> <p>It took me some time to truly understand why the experience
was transformational. When my perspective was changed, when I challenged myself
not to simply accept the well-accepted idea, innovation happened within me. I can
tell you innovation rocks.</p> <p>I find this to be the critical element in the
blindness field today between those who are rocking innovation and those who are
disheartened with the field. We need to challenge ourselves every day to have
confidence in centering blind people. We need to live in the world as both John
Lennon and Henry Ford describe it: knowing we do not know what can’t be
done by blind people. For you nonblind people out there, this takes a leap of
faith because society does not teach you to have confidence in the blind. However,
blind people should not think just because we are blind that we are immune from
internalizing that same limiting misunderstanding. From personal experience, I
can tell you it is much more fun rocking innovation.</p> <p>I have had the
opportunity to explore what blind people would do in outer space by taking a
zero-gravity ride with the associate administrator of NASA, building nonvisual
interfaces for driving, been part of engineering the first mobile application
giving blind people instant access to printed information, organizing a rally of
young future blind leaders at the Lincoln Memorial, creating partnerships across
the field that helped raise expectations for emerging professionals, and even
helping set two different Guinness World Records with thousands of other blind
people. I could spend more time sharing my experience, but what you need to know
is that every big innovative moment came about from hundreds of little personal
interactions and commitments in rooms just like this. Rocking innovation is about
the process, the journey, not always the outcome. It is about how much we change
in the process of innovating that matters. You have a choice. You can be part of
the innovation, or you can be part of the archives.</p> <p>I am Mark Riccobono,
a blind person living the life I want every day. My lived experience drives my
dedication to rocking innovation with you every day because I know there is too
much to be lost if we fail to keep the beat alive. In closing, let’s see
who is ready to rock innovation with me. If you are ready to make that commitment
to blind people, join in.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Eve Hill]</p>
<h2
id="securing-equal-protection-under-the-law-the-essential-role-of-the-organized-blind-movement">Securing
Equal Protection under the Law: The Essential Role of the Organized Blind
Movement</h2> <p><strong>by Eve Hill</strong></p> <p><strong>Introduction by Mark
Riccobono: Our next speaker is not blind, but she is one of those allies that we
recognize as truly being blind at heart. She has built a very accomplished career
of advocacy in legal work, impacting people with disabilities and many others.
She brings to life in the law the lived experience of people with disabilities.
At the end of last year, when our general counsel, Scott LaBarre, passed away, I
asked her if she would take up work as our general counsel. I knew that she not
only had the technical expertise, but she had the deep understanding within herself
about who we are, why our movement exists, and what is needed to advance our cause.
Law 360 recently named her one of the Titans of the Plaintiffs' Bar for 2023. In
that article, they asked her why she is interested in civil rights. She answered
the question by saying, "Injustice makes me mad!" Here from Brown, Goldstein and
Levy is Eve Hill.</strong></p> <p>I want to start off by talking about how honored
I am to try to follow in the footsteps of the great Scott LaBarre. I knew Scott
and I loved Scott, and I am not Scott LaBarre, but I will try my best every single
day to follow in his footsteps.</p> <p>President Riccobono suggested I let you
get to know me a little bit today. I hate talking about myself, but I agreed to
talk about why I'm a disability-rights lawyer working for the National Federation
of the Blind. My husband uses a wheelchair, and that is not why I'm a disability-rights
lawyer. I met my husband some twenty years after I became a disability-rights
lawyer. But the fact that my husband has a disability helps shape my approach to
disability rights and the fact that I believe people with disabilities are their
own experts, are their own best representatives.</p> <p>In addition, I have my
own disability. I have bipolar disorder—and that is not why I'm a
disability-rights lawyer. I was diagnosed ten years after I became a disability-rights
lawyer. But my own lived experience helps frame the way I approach disability
rights and how I know that your disability doesn't define you, just as my disability
does not define me.</p> <p>I grew up poor in rural Maine. Like many kids, I would
often stomp my foot and complain that something wasn't fair. My mother would sigh
and say, "Life is not fair." And I would scream, "Fix it!" Most of us grow out of
that kind of tantrum, but not me. Righteous outrage is still my favorite emotion.
I still stomp my foot and complain that it's not fair. I'm trying to spend some
of my time on this planet trying to fix some of that unfairness. And that is why
I'm a disability-rights lawyer. That's why the National Federation of the Blind
is the best partner imaginable in that effort.</p> <p>I have done a lot of things
in the disability-rights movement. I have worked for the Justice Department's
Civil Rights Division twice, both as a line attorney and as a member of the Obama
administration. I ran the Disability Rights Legal Center at Loyola Law School,
where I did high-impact disability-rights litigation and taught law students to
be disability-rights lawyers. I started the District of Columbia Government's
Office of Disability Rights, working to make the District a model of inclusion
for people with disabilities in government services. And I worked for the Burton
Blatt Institute at Syracuse University. And in all of these positions I worked to
implement disability rights laws, whether by taking on impact litigation, writing
a casebook, teaching law students, making city agencies comply with the Americans
with Disabilities Act, or helping states support employment of people with
disabilities in competitive, integrated employment and not in sheltered workshops.</p>
<p>For the past six and a half years I have been in private program practice at
the fantastic law firm of Brown, Goldstein and Levy, where I also run the inclusivity
strategic consulting practice. I'm incredibly honored to serve as general counsel
for the National Federation of the Blind. I wanted to talk about why no other
organization is as powerful in securing equal protection under the laws as the
NFB, and why working for the NFB is the culmination of my career as a disability-rights
lawyer.</p> <p>The NFB has a long history of using and shaping the law to support
the equal rights of blind people. The founder, Jacobus tenBroek, was a leading
lawyer and constitutional scholar who helped shape the interpretation of the United
States Constitution to protect the rights of the blind. He used the law to demand
the full range of rights and responsibilities of citizenship for blind people,
and NFB has been doing the same thing for more than eighty years. Dr. tenBroek
and the NFB envisioned the principles that eventually would become the federal
disability civil-rights laws we work under today. They incorporated those principles
into their work long before the ADA was even a dream. Once the law began to reflect
an equal-rights framework for the blind, the NFB developed a legal program to
implement it, shape it, and lead its development in the courts.</p> <p>In the
1980s, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan and Dr. Marc Maurer developed what is now the NFB's
robust legal program. At first, the legal program was primarily a defense against
attacks on the organized blind movement, on the NFB itself, and on its leadership.
Then Dr. Maurer hired the great Dan Goldstein, my predecessor, mentor, and friend,
to take on affirmative challenges to the rights of blind people. This included
their rights under the Randolph Sheppard Act, their rights to be parents, and
their equal right to employment.</p> <p>Now, bear in mind that for the first few
years of this program there was no ADA. The NFB's legal program had to be creative,
using state law, federal law, and constitutional law. They used the expertise of
blind people who spoke up for themselves and each other and served as models to
teach lawyers, judges, juries, and defendants about blind people. It took chutzpah
to support equal rights for blind people before the law was set up in our favor.</p>
<p>The legal program in its current form really began around 1999, when Dr. Maurer
recognized that the emergence of digital technology offered a tremendous opportunity
but also a huge potential risk for blind people. My friend Dan Goldstein remembers
the conversation in which Dr. Maurer noted that in his house he was able to access
his thermostat and kitchen appliances and everything else he needed to control
his environment independently, because everything had a tactile element. But if
he moved to a new house, all those devices would be digital, controlled by touch
screens, and they would be inaccessible to him. Technology that should make life
easier and better for blind people was being rolled out without any consideration
of the blind. As a result it was making life harder and less accessible. So Dr.
Maurer asked Dan to get the attention of the folks developing these emerging
technologies.</p> <p>As a result, the National Federation of the Blind sued America
Online, at the time the biggest player on the Internet, challenging their
inaccessibility. The NFB followed that suit with a suit against Diebold, challenging
its inaccessible ATMs, and a suit against Target for its inaccessible website.
The NFB has led the fight for digital accessibility for nearly twenty-five years
now.</p> <p>The NFB has brought suits challenging Amazon's inaccessible Kindle
e-readers, Travelocity and monster.com, and H&R Block. It has called for the
application of the ADA to business websites, educational technology, employment
technology, digital books, and other forms of technology. It's fair to say that
without the NFB the technologies that are everywhere in our world would be completely
inaccessible to this day.</p> <p>In one of the most significant victories, the
NFB in the HathiTrust case established that making materials accessible for blind
people is a fair use under the copyright law. There is no excuse for the law to
stand in the way of digital literacy for the blind. As other disability-rights
advocates say to me all the time, "Thank goodness for the NFB."</p> <p>The NFB
understood how the ADA should apply to the Internet, even though no one had thought
about it before. It understood how the ADA should apply to digital technology.
The NFB's legal program developed the legal framework for applying the ADA to that
technology across contexts of employment, education, government services, and
public accommodations, and the NFB and its lawyers and members persuaded courts
across the country to adopt that legal framework.</p> <p>Under the leadership of
President Riccobono, the NFB’s legal program has grown. The legal program
today takes a strategic approach to making systemic change. It has established
priorities of access to digital technology, employment, education, civic participation,
healthcare, and the Randolph Shepherd Program. The NFB’s legal program
takes on some of the most important issues facing blind people today, from
challenging employment discrimination, to ensuring blind people are not separated
from their children, to making electronic books and the Internet accessible, to
challenging sheltered workshops and subminimum wage, to ensuring that new
transportation mechanisms work for the blind.</p> <p>The NFB legal program takes
cases that have a systemic impact and bring results that create precedents that
apply far beyond any individual case. The power of the organized blind to make
change through legal action has been evident to me in the years I have worked
alongside the NFB, including the six-and-a-half years I have been at BGL. We've
advocated successfully for accessible electronic absentee voting in over a dozen
states. As a direct result of NFB's work, blind people in Maryland, Ohio, Michigan,
Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, Virginia, North Dakota, Tennessee,
Illinois, and very soon Bexar County, Texas, can vote absentee privately and
independently.</p> <p>The NFB has established the right to accessible websites
for everything from retail stores to fast food to tax preparation to travel to
voting and federal government services. We have established the right of blind
federal employees to enforce their rights under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation
Act. And we've established the right to have other technologies accessible as
well, including ATMs, kiosks, voting machines, eBook devices, and restaurant
ordering devices. We will keep insisting on the accessibility of all emerging
technologies, including those that use artificial intelligence. We also have fought
for the right to have important information communicated in accessible formats,
such as Braille, large print, and accessible electronic formats. We required the
IRS to make tax information available to blind people in accessible formats. And
right now we are challenging the University of North Carolina healthcare system
to make important healthcare information and medical billing information accessible.
We're waiting for an order from the court.</p> <p>The NFB has stood up and continues
to stand up for the employment rights of blind people, challenging inaccessible
workplace technology at Amazon, Comcast, Williams Sonoma, and federal agencies,
just to name a few ongoing cases. We challenged the discriminatory attitudes and
policies of employers who refuse to hire blind people because of their misconceptions
about blindness, such as employers who believe blind people can't be childcare
providers or teachers. We have challenged the prejudices that lead government
agencies and employers to relegate blind people to segregated subminimum-wage
sheltered workshops.</p> <p>The NFB has stood up over and over again for the rights
of blind parents. We take on these cases in the face of state agencies acting on
prejudices and stereotypes to try to terminate parental rights. We stand up to
public agencies that make uninformed decisions about blind foster and adoptive
parents. We stand up to spouses and courts that rely on prejudice to decide child
custody.</p> <p>The NFB recognizes the crucial importance of education. Its legal
program fights discrimination in public education, higher education, testing, and
credentialing. Recently you all heard about the case against the Los Angeles
Community College District, which went to trial, twice, and culminated in a verdict
finding that LACCD discriminated against students Roy Payon and Portia Mason by
failing to purchase and use accessible technology. The plaintiffs were awarded
over $240,000 in damages.</p> <p>The NFB has also reached comprehensive accessibility
outcomes with schools such as Florida State University and Miami University, but
the fight continues. Now the NFB and three brilliant blind students are challenging
Oregon State University's failure to make course materials accessible. We're
challenging discrimination against blind students by the Harvard Kennedy School
and the Berklee College of Music.</p> <p>So what makes the NFB special and especially
effective in advocating for equal rights? I talked to several advocates about
this, and it's a combination of factors. One is that the NFB is the voice of the
nation's blind. The NFB speaks for you as real blind people and reflects your
priorities and principles. It has legitimacy when it sets priorities and takes on
cases. Anyone who misunderstands that the NFB is advocating for anything less than
justice for the blind does so at their peril.</p> <p>And the NFB is brave. It is
willing to take on the biggest companies and the biggest government agencies,
including scary ones like the FBI. We will even challenge entities that are supposed
to be our allies when they fail to do their jobs, as we did with the Department
of Education's Office for Civil Rights. The NFB is willing to use litigation as
a tool and to take cases all the way to judgment and even appeal in order to reach
binding and precedential decisions.</p> <p>The NFB will not accept halfway
settlements that don't actually fix the problem, even if the other side offers
cash. And the NFB is not afraid of losing a case. It recognizes, as Dr. Maurer
often has said, "We may lose the battle, but we don't lose the war, because we
don't stop fighting until we win."</p> <p>The NFB is creative. It will color
outside the lines when necessary, as it did when it intervened as a defendant when
the Authors Guild sued the HathiTrust to prevent digital books from being made
accessible to the blind. The NFB takes cases for the right reasons and insists on
resolutions that further those reasons. Justice for the individual plaintiff is
important, but the NFB's insistence on public settlements is one of the most
important aspects of its legal program. Each decision, settlement, or other outcome
is available for others to learn from and acts as a precedent and a deterrent for
other entities.</p> <p>The NFB is bold. The organized blind movement is not going
to wait around for somebody else to take on its battles. The blind stand up for
themselves and for each other.</p> <p>While the NFB compromises when it makes
sense, it doesn't compromise its principles. As President Riccobono often reminds
me, the NFB will not pull its punches.</p> <p>Speaking of President Riccobono,
the NFB leadership is another reason the legal program here is so incredibly
powerful. Judges and defendants often push you to accept half measures or to let
go of your legal principles, but President Riccobono and the Board of Directors
of the NFB never lose sight of the point of every case. They hold tight to the
principles of NFB's mission.</p> <p>Finally, the reason the NFB is such a powerful
force is that the NFB is you. You are the real experts on blindness. You are the
best clients in existence. You are willing to be plaintiffs and stand up for
principles. You're willing to stick it out all the way to get the right result,
and you don't give up halfway through. You are outstanding representatives of the
blind community. Your actions and your credibility educate defendants and judges
and juries better than any lawyer can. In short, the NFB is extraordinary!</p>
<p>I will also note that that NFB has some pretty great lawyers. Working with Tim
Elder, Al Alia, Lauren McLarney, Jesse Weber, Sharon Krevor-Weissbaum, Andy Freeman,
and others is an amazing privilege.</p> <p>I want to leave you with a thought from
President Obama that embodies the NFB for me. “Change will not come if we
wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we have been waiting
for. We are the change that we seek.”</p> <p>Thank you to the NFB for
everything you do!</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Robin House]</p> <h2
id="the-2024-blind-educator-of-the-year-award">The 2024 Blind Educator of the Year
Award</h2> <p><strong>by Robin House</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor:
Robin House has many initials after her name for her educational credentials: MEd,
LPC, RPT. In other words, she holds a Master of Education, is a Licensed Professional
Counselor, and a Registered Play Therapist. Selected as our Blind Educator of the
Year in 2018, Robin now chairs the NFB’s 2024 Blind Educator of the Year
Award Selection Committee. What is harder to convey is that, for the tremendous
admiration we have for her accomplishments, the thing that makes us blessed is
that Robin is Robin and that she chooses to be an active part of us. This is what
she says:</strong></p> <p>A number of years ago the Blind Educator of the Year
Award was established by the National Organization of Blind Educators (the
educators’ division of the National Federation of the Blind) to pay tribute
to a blind teacher whose exceptional classroom performance, notable community
service, and uncommon commitment to the NFB merit national recognition. Beginning
with the 1991 presentation, this award became an honor bestowed by our entire
movement. This change reflects our recognition of the importance of good teaching
and the effect an outstanding blind teacher has on students, faculty, community,
and all blind Americans.</p> <p>This award is presented in the spirit of the
outstanding educators who founded and have continued to nurture the National
Federation of the Blind and who, by example, have imparted knowledge of our
strengths to us and raised our expectations. We have learned from Dr. Jacobus
tenBroek, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, Dr. Marc Maurer, and our current President, Mark
Riccobono, that a teacher not only provides a student with information but also
provides guidance, advocacy, and love. The recipient of the Blind Educator of the
Year Award must exhibit all these traits and must advance the cause of blind people
in the spirit and philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind.</p> <p>The
Blind Educator of the Year Award is presented at the annual convention of the
National Federation of the Blind. Honorees must be present to receive an appropriately
inscribed plaque and a check for $1,000.</p> <p>Nominations should be sent to Ms.
Robin House by email to <a href="mailto:robin@mindsrealm.net">robin@mindsrealm.net</a>
or by mail to Stix ECC, 647 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110. Letters of
nomination must be accompanied by a copy of the nominee’s current
résumé and supporting documentation of community and Federation activity.
All nomination materials must be in the hands of the committee chairperson by May
1, 2024, to be considered for this year’s award. For further information
contact Robin House at 314-265-6852, or <a
href="mailto:robin@mindsrealm.net">robin@mindsrealm.net</a>.</p> <p>----------</p>
<p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Karla Gilbride]</p> <h2
id="shattering-injustice-and-raising-expectations-dedication-to-equality-by-a-blind-attorney">Shattering
Injustice and Raising Expectations: Dedication to Equality by a Blind Attorney</h2>
<p><strong>by Karla Gilbride</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor: At the time
of this presentation, Karla Gilbride was being considered for a position on the
United States Court of Appeals. She now holds that position. Here is what President
Riccobono said prior to her introduction at the 2022 National Convention:</strong></p>
<p><strong><br /> </strong>Our next speaker is another outstanding champion of
equal rights, and she's not afraid of taking on the biggest of the corporations
or government bad actors to address injustice. She also happens to be a blind
woman, simply striving to live the life she wants. She graduated with honors from
Georgetown Law in 2007 and has, in a very short time, made a difference. She's a
member of the bar in New York, California, and the District of Columbia, as well
as several federal district courts, the United States Supreme Court, and several
courts of appeal. Most recently, she was the codirector for the Access to Justice
Project at Public Justice, where she worked for nearly a decade. This will resonate
with Federation members—her work is described as "focusing on dismantling
structural barriers that make it more difficult for people harmed by corporations
or government abuse to use the civil courts to get redress." In May 2022 she won
a significant victory in a fight against forced arbitration in a case that she
argued before the United States Supreme Court. I am not aware of another blind
attorney who has argued and won a case in front of the Supreme Court, so she has
done her work in a way that has set precedent in a very motivating way.</p> <p>She's
worked closely on a number of Federation matters, but most recently she led the
arguments in the Court of Appeals on behalf of Joe Orozco.</p> <p>I could talk
for a long time about the many achievements that she's made in what is still quite
a young career. I want you to know, however, that she has been nominated by the
President of the United States to serve as the general counsel for the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission. This is a nomination that the Federation has
enthusiastically supported. I just went over to her and asked if she was confirmed
yet. She said not yet. We'll see at the end of her speech if you all feel she
should be confirmed by the Senate.</p> <p>I should also share with you that she
is described as an avid baseball fan and a fantasy baseball nerd. She enjoys
hiking, cycling, and goalball. Here is a true champion for equal rights and equal
responsibility who is driven by her lived experience. Here is Karla Gilbride!</p>
<p><strong>Karla Gilbride:</strong> Thank you, President Riccobono, for inviting
me here to speak with you all today.</p> <p>As a young child I was convinced that
I wanted to be a lawyer. Now, mind you, I didn't have a very good idea of what it
was that lawyers did, but I knew that I loved words and I loved using words to
get my way. My dad used to make a joke about this. He would say, "She's going to
be a great lawyer someday, because the judge will be so tired of hearing her argue
that they'll let her win just to shut her up."</p> <p>But even though my aspirations
to be a lawyer went all the way back to childhood, I couldn't have imagined as a
law student, or even as recently as three years ago, that I would have the
opportunity to argue a case before the United States Supreme Court. Making an
argument there is very rare. Most lawyers never get the chance to do it. And I'm
not aware of a totally blind lawyer who has ever argued there before I did last
year.</p> <p>In preparing to speak to you about that experience, I had occasion
to reflect on what brought me to that juncture and what traits and tools made it
possible for me to seize that opportunity when it came my way. I decided it boiled
down to three things: I have a stubborn streak, I have strong blindness skills,
and I have a passion to fight against injustice.</p> <p>So, going back to the
stubborn streak. It also dates back to early childhood. When I was young it was
nothing more complex than that rebellious instinct a lot of little kids have, the
desire to do the opposite of whatever the adults around them tell them to do. As
a general matter, I wouldn't recommend it, because usually the adults in our lives
are telling us things that are good for us. I've been totally blind since I was
two years old. Many of us in this room may have had similar experiences—that
sometimes the adults around you are telling you things that are not good for your
development. They might say things such as, "You can skip that assignment, it
would probably be too hard for you anyway," or, "It would be dangerous for you to
do that phys ed activity; why don't you sit on the sidelines?" When the adults in
my life said those things to me, my stubborn streak flared up, and I wanted to
find a way to do the things they said I shouldn't do. As the child me would have
put it, "Oh, yeah? I'll show you!"</p> <p>Fortunately for me, I had parents who
were fierce advocates. If they ever witnessed or heard from me about these sorts
of incidents, they made clear to that gym teacher or that extracurricular activity
leader that low expectations were not acceptable. I would be included in whatever
the other kids were doing. I was fortunate that the administration in my public
school also provided me with the supports and services that I needed.</p> <p>Another
thing I'm very grateful to my parents for is that they exposed me to a lot of
positive, successful adult blind role models, including members of the National
Federation of the Blind. Those blind adults impressed upon me the importance of
gaining a strong foundation in blindness skills such as Braille and technology.
I had the good sense to listen to what those adults told me. I became a proficient
Braille user, and I learned to use the computer and the internet early in my
educational career. With those skills in hand, I went off to college, after
receiving a scholarship from the NFB in 1998.</p> <p>When I came to the National
Convention to receive that scholarship, I had the opportunity to observe a mock
trial and watch blind lawyers like Scott LaBarre in action. That reinforced for
me that this club of blind lawyers was one I definitely wanted to belong to.</p>
<p>Throughout college and law school, as I gained more experience, I was exposed
to many people from different backgrounds and different life experiences than my
own, including people with different disabilities. Through getting to know those
people and learning more about their stories, I gained a more sophisticated
understanding of the different identities that we all carry and the different
forms of discrimination that we all face. I also came to appreciate that growing
up as a white person in an affluent town on Long Island in a well-funded school
district had afforded me a lot of advantages that many of my peers hadn't had. I
learned that the history of injustice and access to opportunity in this country
is far more complicated and far more painful than just my gym teacher telling me
to sit on the sidelines.</p> <p>Even as my understanding of discrimination deepened
and became more expansive, I never forgot what it felt like viscerally to be held
apart, to be treated as less than others. As I became a practicing lawyer, I tapped
into those personal experiences and the feelings that they evoked in me. They
still evoke those feelings in me when I experience discrimination to this day,
for example, when I'm denied service from a rideshare driver because of my guide
dog, which happens all the time.</p> <p>I tapped into those experiences and those
feelings to better relate to my clients who had experienced different but equally
unjust mistreatment, whether it was being sexually harassed by a coworker or being
passed over for a promotion because they were Black. That ability to empathize
and have solidarity with others who experience mistreatment has made me a better
lawyer. It has fueled my passion to fight against injustice. I agree with what
Dr. King said in his letter from a Birmingham jail, that injustice anywhere is a
threat to justice everywhere.</p> <p>I spent three years working as a lawyer with
Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley, California, working on disability
discrimination cases. Then I decided to move back east, where my family is from,
to take a job at a law firm in DC that handles all sorts of employment and housing
discrimination cases. Ever since 2011 I've been practicing law in DC, either in
plaintiffs' firms or public interest organizations with a focus on workers' rights,
both around discrimination and around people not being paid properly for their
work. In 2021 that workers' rights practice led me to meet Robyn Morgan.</p>
<p>Robyn was working at a Taco Bell franchise in Iowa, and she realized that she
and her coworkers were not being paid overtime when they worked more than forty
hours in a week as the law required. She filed a lawsuit on behalf of herself and
her coworkers. Initially she was successful, but on appeal, the decision was
reversed. It had to do with some complex legal stuff that I won't get into,
involving forced arbitration and such. She couldn't be in court at all. She needed
to go to a private arbitrator.</p> <p>The lawyers who had handled her case in the
district court came to Public Justice, which is where I was working at the time.
We have a lot of experience working on these issues. They said, "Because we lost
at the Court of Appeals, the only step left for Robyn's case is to take it to the
United States Supreme Court. We would like you to handle the case."</p> <p>My boss
at Public Justice said, "Well, Karla, you have a lot of experience working on
these particular legal issues. If we decide to go forward in the Supreme Court,
I think you should handle the case."</p> <p>I sat there for a minute, and there
was a little voice inside my head that said, "Whoa!"</p> <p>Now, I know the law
in this area, I thought we had a good chance of winning. But it's the Supreme
Court! And as I said before, not a lot of people ever get a chance to argue there.
They only take about eighty cases a year, and those eighty cases tend to be handled
by a very few repeat-player Supreme Court advocates who appear there over and over
again.</p> <p>But my passion to fight against injustice prevailed over my doubts.
I thought that what had happened to Robyn wasn't right, and there was something
we could do about it. So I said, "Yes, let's take the case." We filed our petition.
The Supreme Court didn't have to take it. But a couple months later, we found out
that they had taken it, and we were off to the races.</p> <p>That was in November
of 2021. A few weeks later I found out that Taco Bell had hired one of those
repeat-player Supreme Court advocates to argue the case on their side, someone
who has been up there over and over again. For those who know the law, you might
recognize his name. Paul Clement. At that time he had argued over one hundred
cases before the United States Supreme Court.</p> <p>That little voice inside my
head, that voice that had said, "Whoa!" got a little bit louder. And it got some
company. There were a lot of little voices suddenly asking a lot of questions.
What if you're not ready for this ... what if you're not smart enough ... what if
you can't think on your feet as well as someone who has argued up there a hundred
times?</p> <p>Then it took a really toxic turn. These other thoughts came to the
forefront. What if you go up there on that big stage and it doesn't go well and
people think, Well, after all, what do you expect? She's blind ...</p> <p>Luckily,
just as that spiral of self-doubt started to take hold, that old stubborn streak
flared up again. And it had something to say to all of those nagging negative
thoughts swirling around in my head. It said, Oh, yeah? I'll show you!</p> <p>So
I buckled down, and I got back to preparing the case. That preparation meant
reading lots and lots of previous cases, which I did using JAWS. That preparation
also involved listening to lots and lots of archival audio of past Supreme Court
arguments. Luckily Paul Clement had a large body of work, so I had a lot I could
listen to.</p> <p>And the other thing that was helpful, the reason I wanted to
listen to all of these arguments, was to try to memorize the voices of the different
justices. Since each of them has their own legal philosophy and way of approaching
cases, it was very instructive for me to know who was asking me a question so I
could know how best to respond.</p> <p>Another thing I did to prepare was to put
together a list of important cases and quotes that I wanted to have literally at
my fingertips at the lectern. I could refer to my list in Braille as I was making
my argument or as I was responding to questions.</p> <p>Having two or three pages
of Braille notes is something I've made a common practice whenever I do a court
argument, whether in a trial or appellate court. But at the Supreme Court I also
wanted to have a way to take notes when Mr. Clement was arguing. Since we were
the petitioner, we would go first. We had brought the case to the court, so we
would begin. Then Mr. Clement would have his argument time, and I would get the
last word in rebuttal. I wanted to have a reliable way of taking notes so that I
could make that rebuttal. I thought about bringing a Braille display, but I worried
that the technology could fail at a really inopportune moment. So I dug back into
my old bag of tricks, blindness skills I hadn't worked on since high school, and
I brushed up on my slate and stylus skills.</p> <p>A couple of weeks before the
argument was scheduled, I called the Supreme Court to let them know I was bringing
a slate and stylus into the building. I figured they wouldn't know what it was,
and I didn't want to have a problem with security. I also asked them what
accommodation they could make for their clock, which has a couple of different
lights that come on. You get a yellow light when you have a couple minutes left,
and then a red light comes on when you're out of time. I asked them could they
provide some sort of audible tone? Did they have a nonvisual component to their
system for people who can't see those colored lights?</p> <p>They said, "Huh! We
haven't thought about that. This hasn't come up before, but we'll come up with
something." And they did. They had a court employee sit at a table and physically
ring a bell when the light came on for yellow and when the light came on for
red.</p> <p>The day of the argument came, and it really went by in a blur. It
lasted about an hour, but it felt much shorter than that because of all the
adrenaline that was coursing through my veins. It was actually surprisingly
enjoyable to be engaging back and forth with the justices. Before I knew it, the
bell rang, and it was time to sit down. I just sat there in disbelief, thinking,
Did I just really do that?</p> <p>Because of the COVID protocols that were in
place at the time, early in 2022, there was no public admitted into the court. It
was just the lawyers, the justices, and a very few court staff. One of the people
there was the official court sketch artist, who draws pictures of the people
arguing each case. Because photographers aren't allowed in the court, those sketches
will accompany any media account or article that's ever published about the case
later. I was so proud and so moved when, the day after my argument, the official
sketch appeared. It showed me standing at the lectern speaking with my hands on
my Braille notes, and there was a little explanatory caption arrow pointing to my
fingers with a note reading, "Braille." So now, in the official archives of the
Supreme Court, there will always be that documentation that in March of 2022, a
blind person argued at the Supreme Court and they used Braille to do it.</p> <p>As
proud as I am of that, I was equally proud two months later in May. In a unanimous
9-0 opinion, the court ruled for Robyn Morgan. I was able to do my part to help
her get the justice she deserves.</p> <p>As proud as I am of all that, I will be
even more proud when I get to hear the next blind lawyer argue a case at the United
States Supreme Court. What I really hope is that after two and three and four and
five blind lawyers walk that path, the Supreme Court will decide to invest in some
technological solution, such as a tone or a tactile buzzer for their visible light
system, because they realize there are so many of us blind people arguing that
just having a person ring the bell each time is not a good solution.</p> <p>But
this isn't just a story about the Supreme Court. And I certainly didn't say yes
to come speak today just to congratulate myself. I came here and I'm sharing this
story with you because I know that many, if not all of you, will in the future
experience a situation where you will have voices of self-doubt inside your head
like the ones I described earlier. And sometimes those voices aren't just coming
from inside our heads. Sometimes they're coming from out there in the world,
telling us we shouldn't do this, we can't do that, no blind person has ever done
this before so what makes you think you can be the first?</p> <p>When those voices
come into your lives, whether external or internal or both, I hope that by sharing
my story with you today, I will have given more strength and more conviction and
more force to your own voice when you answer back, "Oh, yeah? I'll show you!"</p>
<p>We can all do more than other people think we're capable of doing. We can all
do more than we might believe we're capable of ourselves. And we can do even more
when we support and lift up one another. That spirit of mutual support and solidarity
is one of the things that I admire most about this organization, especially when
it's directed to those who are newly blind or to the next generation coming up.</p>
<p>I am so grateful to everyone who has supported and encouraged me along my
journey, including people who are here in the room today and others who are no
longer with us. I am honored to do what I can to pay it forward in the years ahead.
Thank you all so much.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Jesse Shirek]</p>
<h2
id="social-security-disability-insurance-and-supplemental-security-income-updates-for-2024">Social
Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income Updates for 2024</h2>
<p><strong>by Jesse Shirek</strong></p> <p>On October 12, 2023, the Social Security
Administration announced a 3.2 percent cost of living increase for 2024. Before
we dig into the details of how these changes will affect beneficiaries, let me
take you down a side road, back to the glorious summer of 1996. If you are young
enough that you were not yet alive in 1996, I am sorry, you missed out! We all
rushed out to watch <em>Independence Day</em> to see if Will Smith had the courage
to save us all from being destroyed by an alien invasion. We could not control
our urges to dance the Macarena at every wedding reception and graduation party.
And most importantly, we could not stop the Spice Girls from telling us what they
really, really want. Simultaneously, I became old enough to vote. This important
moment in my life was sandwiched between graduating from high school and a less
than successful effort at attending the University of North Dakota. Being eighteen
also meant that I was no longer legally dependent on my parents and would qualify
for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Doing some quick Googling helped me remember
that the SSI payment amount in 1996 was $470 per month. In my eighteen-year-old
brain, this meant that I was now rich beyond measure, because I could live out my
rock star dreams and afford my new dream electric guitar. A sparkling new lime
green Ibanez with a maple neck and a 15-watt Marshall practice amplifier, with
all of the knobs turned to eleven. My ears are still ringing from the glorious
sounds produced by that superb instrument.</p> <p>Let us get out of the proverbial
wheat field and back on the path towards discussing SSI. Most of the regulations
that I had to follow were logical; you can read the highlights further down in
this article. There is one aspect to receiving SSI that I did not yet understand.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) required me to pay 30 percent of my SSI
check to my parents to cover rent, because the government stated that my
parents’ house would be my permanent address and my university address
would be temporary. This error was discovered after I had been receiving payments
for one year, resulting in an $1,800 overpayment. The Social Security Administration
took the position that, because I did not pay my parents $150 a month in rent for
twelve months, I must return the $1,800 to the SSA, even if I did not know this
was a requirement.</p> <p>It is easy to grasp the importance of following the
requirements, but far less easy to be aware of and stay current on the law and
rules you really need to know. That's where the National Federation of the Blind
benefits advocacy strategy can help.</p> <h3 id="meet-our-group">Meet Our Group</h3>
<p>Our advocacy work in this area is coordinated through our national office and
includes a number of key experts.</p> <p>Jesse Shirek, author of this article, is
a governmental affairs specialist in our advocacy and policy department. Jesse
has served as the North Dakota affiliate president, on the National Scholarship
Committee, and in a variety of roles in the New Mexico, North Dakota, and Maryland
affiliates. He has spent the majority of his career working in rehabilitation,
before coming to work for the National Federation of the Blind in 2021. Jesse
transitioned to Government Affairs in May 2023, where he is the primary point of
contact for key advocacy priorities including SSI, SSDI, ABLE Accounts, Veterans
Administration issues, and Autonomous Vehicles.</p> <p>James Gashel led the
Federation’s government relations efforts for thirty-three years, then
served thirteen more years on the board of directors. In retirement, he is our
Hawaii state affiliate's secretary, state legislative chair, and NFB Honolulu
Chapter president. We are fortunate that he continues to keep up with important
Social Security matters and volunteers his expertise in Federation benefits appeals
when needed.</p> <p>Andrew Sindler is an attorney in private practice and the
newest contributor to our advocacy group. From his law office near Annapolis,
Maryland, he handles claims at all levels from initial application filing all the
way through federal court appeals when necessary. For nearly twenty years, Andrew
has successfully and passionately represented local and national claimants in a
wide variety of Social Security Disability and SSI claims. These include childhood
claims, disabled adult child claims, continuing disability reviews, and cessation
of benefits cases, overpayments, and re-computation of benefits using the blindness
disability freeze.</p> <p>If you have questions related to your SSI and SSDI
benefits or if you are seeking help, contact Jesse Shirek by phone at 410-659-9314,
extension 2348, or by email at <a href="mailto:jshirek@nfb.org">jshirek@nfb.org</a>.
Our group will do its best to help with emphasis on prioritizing assistance to
active members of the National Federation of the Blind.</p> <h3
id="annual-adjustments-to-the-social-security-disability-insurance-ssdi-and-supplemental-security-income-ssi-programs">Annual
Adjustments to the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) Programs </h3> <p>In 2024, approximately seventy million
Americans will see a 3.2 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) increase in
their benefit amounts. Thus, come January, monthly checks will be higher. The 2024
amounts are below, along with some general concepts pertaining to the Social
Security and Medicare programs, in case you want to better understand or refresh
yourself about your rights. The COLA is based on the consumer price index (CPI-W),
which measures the rate of inflation against the wages earned by the approximately
173 million workers across the nation over the previous four quarters starting
with the third quarter of the previous year.</p> <h3 id="tax-rates">Tax Rates
</h3> <p>FICA and Self-Employment Tax Rates: If you are employed, you know that
you do not bring home everything you earn. For example, 7.65 percent of your pay
is deducted to cover your contribution to the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability
Insurance (OASDI) Trust Funds and the Medicare Hospital Insurance (HI) Trust Funds,
6.2 percent covers OASDI, and 1.45 percent is contributed to the HI Trust Funds.
Additionally, your employer is required to match this 7.65 percent for a grand
total of 15.3 percent.</p> <p>For those who are self-employed, there is no
“employer” to match the 7.65 percent, which means a self-employed
individual pays the entire 15.3 percent of their income. These numbers will not
change in 2024 regardless of whether an individual is employed or self-employed.
As of January 2024, individuals with earned income of more than $200,000 ($250,000
for married couples filing jointly) pay an additional 0.9 percent in Medicare
taxes; this does not include the above amounts.</p> <h3 id="maximum-taxable-earnings">Maximum
Taxable Earnings</h3> <p>There is a ceiling on taxable earnings for the OASDI
Trust Fund, which was $160,200 in 2023 and will increase to $168,600 in 2024.
Thus, for earnings above $168,600, there is no 6.2 percent deducted for OASDI. As
for Medicare, there is no limit on taxable earnings for the HI Trust Fund.</p>
<h3 id="social-security-disability-insurance-ssdi-quarters-of-coverage">Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) Quarters of Coverage </h3> <p>The OASDI Trust
Fund is kind of like an insurance policy. You have to pay a premium to participate.
Therefore, to qualify for Retirement, Survivors, or Disability Insurance benefits,
an individual must pay a minimum amount of FICA taxes into the OASDI Trust Fund
by earning a sufficient number of calendar quarters to become fully insured for
Social Security benefits.</p> <p>In 2023, credit for one quarter of coverage was
awarded for any individual who earned at least $1,640 during the year, which means
that an individual would need to earn at least $6,560 to be credited with four
quarters of coverage. In 2024, the amount increases to $1,730 for one calendar
quarter or $6,920 to earn four quarters of coverage for the year.</p> <p>A maximum
of four quarters can be awarded for any calendar year, and it makes no difference
when the income is earned during that year. Basically, the taxes you pay into the
OASDI and HI Trust Funds are your premiums to take part in the Social Security
and Medicare programs. The total number of quarters required to be eligible for
benefits depends on the individual’s age. The older the individual, the
more quarters are required. Furthermore, a higher average income during an
individual’s lifetime means a higher Social Security or SSDI check when
benefits start. Remember the above quoted numbers for quarters of coverage to
become fully insured are only minimum amounts.</p> <h3 id="trial-work-period-twp">Trial
Work Period (TWP) </h3> <p>This concept is often misunderstood. The amount of
earnings required to use a trial work month is not based on the earnings limit
for blind beneficiaries but instead on the national average wage index. In 2023,
the amount required to use a TWP month was only $1,050, and this amount will
increase to $1,110 in 2024. </p> <p>If you are self-employed, you can also
use a trial work month if you work more than eighty hours in your business, and
this limitation will not change unless expressly adjusted.</p> <h3
id="substantial-gainful-activity-sga">Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) </h3>
<p>The earnings limit for a blind beneficiary in 2023 was $2,460 per month and
will increase to $2,590 in 2024. Again, it’s important to remember this is
not the amount of money an individual makes to use a trial month. This is to say
that the TWP can be exhausted even if your income is well below $2,590 per month.
See the above information about the TWP.</p> <p>In 2024 a blind SSDI beneficiary
who earns $2,590 or more in a month (before taxes but after subtracting un-incurred
business expenses for the self-employed, subsidized income for the employed, and
impairment-related work expenses) will be deemed to have exceeded SGA and will
likely no longer be eligible for SSDI benefits.</p> <h3
id="supplemental-security-income-ssi">Supplemental Security Income (SSI) </h3>
<p>The standard federal monthly payment amount for individuals receiving SSI was
$914 in 2023 and will increase to $943 in 2024. For married couples, the standard
federal monthly payment amount of SSI will increase from $1,371 to $1,415.</p>
<h3 id="student-earned-income-exclusion">Student Earned Income Exclusion</h3>
<p>In 2023, the monthly amount was $2,220 and will increase to $2,290 in 2024.
The annual amount was $8,950 in 2023 and will be $9,230 in 2024. The asset limits
under the SSI program will remain unchanged at $2,000 per individual and $3,000
per married couple. If you find yourself approaching the SSI asset limit, I urge
you to continue reading the next section regarding ABLE Accounts.</p> <h3
id="able-act">ABLE Act </h3> <p>We are coming up on the nine-year anniversary of
the signing of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, which was enacted
on December 19, 2014. The ABLE Act has a significant impact on resource limits
associated with the SSI and Medicaid programs for people who became blind or
disabled by the age of twenty-six. Traditionally, SSI beneficiaries have been
required to adhere to strict resource limits: such as a maximum of $2,000 in the
bank for an individual receiving SSI benefits. Under the ABLE Act, however, the
amount held in an ABLE Account can be much higher than the $2,000 resource limit.
ABLE Account contributions must be designated specifically for purposes such as
education, housing, employment training and support, assistive technology, health,
prevention and wellness, financial management, legal fees, and funeral and burial
expenses. Check with your financial institution of choice for a status of ABLE
Act regulations in a specific state and to see if an ABLE Account is right for
you.</p> <p>It is important to note that SSI beneficiaries should consider the
many other purposes not subject to the traditional resource limits when making
ABLE Account contributions, since there are also tax advantages associated with
ABLE Accounts. If you are seeking more information about the topic of ABLE Accounts,
you can reach out to Government Affairs Specialist Jesse Shirek, at 410-659-9314,
extension 2348; Alternatively, visit: <a
href="https://www.ablenrc.org/">https://www.ablenrc.org/</a>.</p> <p>----------</p>
<p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Rachel Held]</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan O’Rourke with
Pam Allen and Robert Stigle at the Santa Monica Route 66 End of the Trail sign.]</p>
<h2 id="from-california-to-illinoispowered-by-braille">From California to
Illinois–Powered by Braille</h2> <p><strong>by Rachel Held</strong></p>
<p><strong>From the Editor: Rachel Held is the coordinator of outreach in the
office of the President. Here she gives us another beautiful view of Dan
O’Rourke’s ride for literacy.</strong></p> <p>This summer the National
Federation of the Blind partnered with longtime NHL referee Dan O’Rourke
to spread the word about Braille literacy across Route 66. Dan traded in his skates
for some pedals, and biked over 2,700 miles from Santa Monica, California, to
Chicago, Illinois, over the span of six weeks. His wife April and their dog Beiley
followed behind in an RV. With his family in tow, we’re reminded that
Dan’s motivation started at home. His father, Tom, never let his declining
vision get in the way of his independence, and that dedication to our mission
inspired Dan to take up this challenge and bike for Braille literacy.</p> <p>Along
the way, Dan stopped in six different cities to gather with NFB members and their
communities. They participated in everything from spray paint art at Cadillac
Ranch in Texas, to tandem bike-riding in Arizona. Bringing out members old and
new, Dan’s ride was an exciting motivator for chapters and affiliates to
get together and build new connections.</p> <p>The goal of this partnership and
ride was to raise funds for and increase awareness around Braille literacy,
especially for young blind students. Helping us to further the reach of our Braille
literacy programs, such as the NFB BELL® Academy, the Ride for Literacy raised
over $50,000. We are so thankful to Dan and our NFB family and friends for achieving
this goal. Dan even inspired his father to start learning Braille!</p> <p>When
asked about her husband’s incredible commitment to this ride, April
O’Rourke said, “You never know what can happen each day, and I’m
so proud of Dan for keeping our days interesting for such a great reason.”</p>
<p>Dan attributes his success to the kids he met at our NFB BELL® Academy
programs. He was inspired particularly by the words of encouragement from one
young student who said, “I think you’re going to come up against
some big hills, and there’s going to be some hard days, but every time you
pedal, that’s progress. And progress is progress.”</p> <p>We at the
NFB know what progress means. Since 1940 we have led the organized blind movement
courageously and never tired of the fight for inclusion. With increased rates of
Braille literacy at our fingertips, we will inspire the next generation of blind
leaders. Like Dan, we will never stop moving forward in our goals to raise
expectations and achieve equity for blind people in schools, the workforce, and
communities.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan O’Rourke smiles
as he holds his NFB member coin.]</p> <h2
id="orourke-completes-6-week-fundraising-bike-ride-for-blind">O'Rourke Completes
6-week Fundraising Bike Ride for Blind</h2> <p><strong>by Amalie Benjamin</strong></p>
<p><strong>Reprinted with permission from NHL.com, September 08, 2023</strong></p>
<p>Through all the weeks that Dan O’Rourke spent on his bike—six,
to be exact—all the road rash and flat tires, the broken fan belt on his
RV, the searing temperatures and the early mornings, the longer-than-planned
stopover in Joplin, Missouri, there have been so many victories: the people he
has met along the way, the stories he has heard, the word he has spread, the money
he has raised.</p> <p>But it’s possible that nothing compares to the news
the longtime NHL referee received recently from his dad, the reason he got on his
bike in the first place for a 2,500-mile ride along Route 66 from Santa Monica,
California, to Chicago, raising money for the National Federation of the Blind.</p>
<p>“He’s decided to take the challenge on of learning Braille, at
75 years old,” said O’Rourke, who has been an official in the NHL
since 1999 and who will report to officials training camp Sunday. “If
that’s all that came of this, then it was worth it.”</p>
<p>O’Rourke’s father, Tom, and his grandfather both suffered vision
loss, with his father diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare eye disease that
affects the retina, breaking it down slowly over time and causing blindness. The
belief is that his grandfather also had the same disease, though O’Rourke
never met him.</p> <p>Part of the reason that O’Rourke, fifty, set out on
his journey on July 27 was to raise money for the NFB’s BELL (Braille
Enrichment for Literacy and Learning) Academy, a summer program of Braille and
nonvisual skills that helps low-vision children with the skills and confidence to
live independent lives. At last tally, a week or so ago, O’Rourke had raised
$46,000 and was hoping for more to continue coming in to support an organization
that is near and dear to his heart.</p> <p>Because he knows what it’s like
to try to live without some of those skills. His father never learned Braille and
never wanted to use a cane, denial taking hold of him. Tom was injured just before
O’Rourke set out July 27, falling down the stairs, shattering his elbow,
breaking his shoulder, and sustaining a concussion.</p> <p>That, plus the ride,
may have been the push Tom needed to take the next step.</p> <p>“I may even
talk him into trying to get certified in it, so he can help other people,”
O’Rourke said. “It’s just kind of a neat part of the
story—a huge reason behind this is the fact that he never did learn Braille
or learn how to use his cane properly. Now he reached out to the CNIB [Foundation]
in Canada, and he’s trying to get the starter kit for Braille.”</p>
<p>“That, to me, has been one of the real silver linings of it is that
he’s decided to do that.”</p> <p>Tom has told everyone he can find
about the ride, about what his son is doing, struggling to get through the story
without tearing up, bursting with pride.</p> <p>It’s how O’Rourke
has felt too.</p> <p>“It’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve
done, that me and my wife have done, aside from our kids,” he said.</p>
<p>Along the way from California to Illinois were meet-and-greets, a “Dan
O’Rourke Day” in Springfield, Missouri, that came as a complete
surprise, social media check-ins, and a few missteps, including a fall outside of
Tulsa, Oklahoma, that shredded his shorts enough that “my left butt cheek
is hanging out,” O’Rourke said, laughing. “I kind of crashed
and burned there.”</p> <p>It took almost two days to get all the asphalt
out of the cuts.</p> <p>But he made it, ahead of schedule.</p> <p>O’Rourke
crossed the finish line Wednesday, pulling up to a little street sign in downtown
Chicago that marks the end of Route 66 around 3 p.m., enjoying a moment alone and
taking some pictures.</p> <p>There will be a more formal event on Friday with some
vendors and an appearance by the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl, given to the Western
Conference champion, which will be available to be touched by low-vision and blind
people, “where they can put their hands on it and experience it that
way,” O’Rourke said.</p> <p>And this may not be the last time
O’Rourke gets on his bike for a cause. He and his wife, April, are already
kicking around ideas for the next time.</p> <p>“It’s just been an
amazing journey,” O’Rourke said. “It was very weird today to
get up and not have to get on my bike and get going."</p> <p>----------</p> <h2
id="pit-stop-party-at-kirkwood-library-nhl-referee-dan-orourke-bikes-route-66-for-braille-literacy-fundraising">Pit
Stop Party at Kirkwood Library: NHL Referee Dan O’Rourke Bikes Route 66
for Braille Literacy Fundraising</h2> <p><strong>by Julie Brown Patton</strong></p>
<p><strong>Originally published in <em>Webster Kirkwood Times</em> on September
11, 2023, and used with their kind permission.</strong></p> <p>Kirkwood Public
Library staffers co-hosted a cycling pit-stop party with National Federation of
the Blind representatives and guest speaker National Hockey League referee Dan
O’Rourke on August 31.</p> <p>Roughly forty pit-stop attendees met
O’Rourke to hear about his current forty-five-day bicycle ride from Santa
Monica, California, to Chicago, Illinois, along the iconic Route 66 to raise
awareness for Braille literacy.</p> <p>“There’s only about 20 percent
literacy in the blind community. Kids don’t have chances to be successful
if they can’t read. The earlier you start, the easier it is to learn and
use Braille,” explained O’Rourke, who witnessed his own blind father
defeat many obstacles in his path. “It floored me that so many people who
have blindness in their families don’t know about the National Federation
of the Blind as a community that can help them thrive.”</p> <p>“I
wanted to give back to the National Federation of the Blind because the group
empowers blind people to live the lives they want,” he added.</p> <p>Kirkwood
was O’Rourke’s only stop in the St. Louis region. On August 27, he
paused in Springfield, Missouri, the declared birthplace of Route 66. He is
scheduled to arrive in Chicago by Friday, September 8.</p> <p>O’Rourke,
fifty-one, who’s worked as an NHL on-ice official since 1999 and is a
self-described CrossFit junkie, will have pedaled 2,700 miles when his ride is
complete.</p> <p>He is raising funds specifically for the National Federation of
the Blind’s Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning® Academy
(BELL), a summer program of Braille and nonvisual skills that helps low-vision
children with the abilities and confidence to live independent lives.</p> <p>Those
at the Kirkwood pit-stop party had an opportunity to have their names typed in
Braille, enter to win an official autographed NHL game puck, and meet members of
the St. Louis Blues Blind Hockey Club.</p> <p>“This was our first-ever
pit-stop party. I love that everyone got to come by the library as an awesome,
supportive community,” said Mel Lambert, manager of reference and adult
services for the Kirkwood Public Library.</p> <p>Also present, and in partnership
with the Kirkwood Public Library on an ongoing basis, was Jami Livingston, adult
services librarian for the Wolfner Talking Books and Braille Library in Jefferson
City, Missouri. That library loans free materials through an application and
certification program to those who are navigating blindness, print disabilities,
reading disabilities, and physical or hearing impairments.</p> <p>Jenny Carmack,
National Federation of the Blind first vice president and president of the Lewis
and Clark National Federation of the Blind Chapter for St. Louis, is an Affton
resident who said she learned Braille as an adult.</p> <p>“I use Braille
daily for activities such as my microwave and washer. I wish I would’ve
learned it when I was younger, due to how important it is to anyone who has limited
or no sight,” she said.</p> <p>Carmack said the National Federation of the
Blind chapter has twenty-five members who meet from 2 to 5 p.m. on the second
Saturday of each month at the St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired,
8770 Manchester Road.</p> <p>“We also have STEM events and Braille enrichment
camps for youths to places such as the Missouri Transportation Museum,”
she explained, sharing that the state has seven other chapters of the National
Federation of the Blind.</p> <p>At the meet-and-greet in Kirkwood, Gary Wunder,
National Federation of the Blind president emeritus of Columbia, Missouri, dispelled
myths about Braille.</p> <p>“Braille isn’t slow, especially if
learned early in life and used daily. I believe there’s a bit of Braille
denial in public schools because teachers don’t have the training or
materials,” he said.</p> <p>Wunder added that Braille isn’t that
hard to learn.</p> <p>“With 187 contractions, we see words with our fingers,
several words at a time. Going fast becomes second nature,” he said.</p>
<p>While some people think Braille is bulky, Wunder said there are optical programs
for Word documents and refreshable Braille displays.</p> <p>“It’s
also not true that there aren’t enough uses for Braille. Anyone who can
type can send each other messages. Braille is well worth the investment, and audio
cannot supplant Braille,” Wunder said.</p> <p>A handful of athletes
representing the St. Louis Blues Blind Hockey Club described how they play with
an adapted 5.5-inch metal puck so they can hear it moving. Blind hockey is the
same fast-paced sport as ice hockey, except all of the players are legally blind.</p>
<p>Players must be classified as eligible in one of the three International Blind
Sports Federation classifications. Established in 2017, this St. Louis club is
one of seventeen U.S. blind hockey teams.</p> <p>O’Rourke, whose grandfather
also was blind, left attendees with inspiring sentiments about his seventy-five-year-old
father, who he said never utters words about “not being able to do
something.” He said the ride is also meant to honor his father, who was
diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a rare eye disease that breaks down the retina
over time and causes blindness.</p> <p>“My dad just never accepted that he
was legally blind. The belief is that my grandfather had the same condition,”
he said.</p> <p>O’Rourke said his cycling journey along Route 66 has been
an “unbelievable experience.”</p> <p>“Everybody tries to
thank me, but the pride I feel is that I owe it to you guys,” he said.
“I appreciate everyone who’s come out and donated. Every dollar
counts, and we can help more kids get started with Braille and get in the right
frame of mind with this tool that will help them their entire lives.”</p>
<p>For more details about O’Rourke’s journey, visit NFB.org/Route66.
Donations can be made at NFB.org/Contribute/Ride4Literacy, by calling (410)
659-9314, ext. 2430, or sending a check to National Federation of the Blind,
Attention: Outreach, 200 E. Wells St., Baltimore, MD 21230. Write “Ride
for Literacy” in the memo.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Everette
Bacon]</p> <h2 id="the-2024-dr.-jacob-bolotin-awards">The 2024 Dr. Jacob Bolotin
Awards</h2> <p><strong>by Everette Bacon</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor:
Everette Bacon is a member of the national board of directors and the affiliate
president in Utah. He also chairs the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee. Here is
his announcement about the 2024 Bolotin Awards program:</strong></p> <p>The National
Federation of the Blind is pleased to announce that applications are now being
accepted for the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards. These prestigious awards, granted each
year as funds permit, seek to honor initiatives, innovations, and individuals that
are an exemplary positive force in the lives of blind people and advance the
ultimate goal of helping them to live the lives they want. Award winners will be
publicly recognized during the 2024 Annual Convention of the National Federation
of the Blind in Orlando, Florida. Each recipient will receive a cash award determined
by the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee and will also be honored with an engraved
medallion and plaque.</p> <p>Dr. Jacob W. Bolotin (1888-1924) was a pioneering
blind physician, the first in history who achieved that goal despite
the tremendous challenges faced by blind people in his time. Not only did he
realize his own dream; he went on to support and inspire many others in making
their own dreams a reality. The awards which bear his name are supported in part
by the Alfred and Rosalind Perlman Trust, left as a bequest by Dr. Bolotin’s
late nephew and niece to the Santa Barbara Foundation and the National Federation
of the Blind to present the annual cash awards.</p> <p>As chronicled in his
biography, <em>The Blind Doctor</em> by Rosalind Perlman, Dr. Bolotin fought
ignorance and prejudice to gain entrance to medical school and the medical
profession. He became one of the most respected physicians in Chicago during his
career, which spanned the period from 1912 until his death in 1924. He was
particularly known for his expertise in diseases of the heart and lungs. During
his successful career, Dr. Bolotin used his many public speaking engagements to
advocate for employment of the blind and the full integration of the blind into
society. Interested in young people in general and blind youth in particular, Dr.
Bolotin established the first Boy Scout troop consisting entirely of blind boys
and served as its leader. Jacob Bolotin’s wife Helen had a sister whose
husband died suddenly, leaving her to raise a son, Alfred Perlman. The Perlmans
moved in with the Bolotins when Alfred was eleven, and for four years (until Jacob
Bolotin’s untimely death at age thirty-six), “Uncle Jake”
became Alfred’s surrogate father. Alfred later married Rosalind, and the
couple worked on a book about Dr. Bolotin’s life. After Alfred’s
death in 2001, Rosalind dedicated the rest of her life to completing and publishing
the book, <em>The Blind Doctor: The Jacob Bolotin Story,</em> published by Blue
Point Books, <a
href="http://www.west.net/~bpbooks/mhp.html">http://www.west.net/~bpbooks/mhp.html</a>,
with standard inkprint and large type editions available, and also available in
digital audio format from the National Library Service for the Blind and Print
Disabled (NLS) program.</p> <p>Past award winners have:</p> <ol style="list-style-type:
decimal"> <li><p>Broken down barriers facing blind people in innovative ways.</p></li>
<li><p>Changed negative perceptions of blindness and blind people.</p></li>
<li><p>Pushed past existing boundaries to inspire blind people to achieve new
heights.</p></li> </ol> <h3 id="award-description">Award Description</h3> <p>In
2024 the National Federation of the Blind will again recognize individuals and
organizations that have distinguished themselves in accordance with the criteria
established to receive a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award. The committee will determine
both the number of awards and the value of each cash award presented. The Federation
determines the total amount to be distributed each year based on income received
from the trust supporting the award program. The award categories for each year
are blind individuals, sighted individuals, and organizations, corporations, or
other entities. Individuals may apply on their own behalf or may submit a third-party
nomination, or the committee may also consider other individual or organizational
candidates.</p> <h3 id="who-should-apply">Who Should Apply?</h3>
<p><strong>Individuals:</strong> Only individuals over eighteen years of age may
be considered for a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award. Applicants must demonstrate that they
have shown substantial initiative and leadership in improving the lives of the
blind. Examples of such initiative include but are not limited to developing
products, technologies, or techniques that increase the independence of the blind;
directing quality programs or agencies for the blind; or mentoring other blind
people. All individual applicants or third-party applicants nominating other
individuals must demonstrate that the work to be recognized has been conducted
within the twelve months preceding the application and/or that the work is
continuing. Applications by or on behalf of individuals must include at least one
letter of recommendation from a person familiar with or directly affected by the
work to be recognized.</p> <p><strong>Organizations:</strong> Organizations may
apply for a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award in order to further programs, services,
technology, or techniques of unique and outstanding merit that have assisted and
will continue to assist the blind. Applications from third parties nominating an
organization will also be considered. The organization category includes for-profit
or nonprofit corporations or organizations or other entities, such as a specific
division within an organization. Organizations or third-party applicants must
demonstrate that the programs or services to be recognized include substantial
participation by blind people as developers, mentors, administrators, or executives
and not merely as clients, consumers, or beneficiaries. For example, an organization
operating a program for blind youth might demonstrate that a substantial number
of the counselors, teachers, or mentors involved in the program are blind. The
organization or third-party applicant must demonstrate that it has substantially
aided blind people within the twelve months prior to application and that an award
would support efforts to build on previous successes. The application must also
include at least one testimonial from a blind person who has benefited substantially
from the programs or services.</p> <p>To qualify for an award, both individuals
and organizations must provide programs, services, or benefits to blind people in
the United States of America.</p> <h3 id="procedures">Procedures</h3> <p>More
information, including an online application, can be found on the National Federation
of the Blind website at <a href="https://nfb.org/bolotin">https://nfb.org/bolotin</a>.</p>
<p>Online submission of nominations, letters of support, and other relevant
materials is strongly encouraged, but applications sent by mail and postmarked by
the deadline will also be accepted. The 2024 deadline for application submission
is April 15, and recipients chosen by the committee will be individually notified
of their selection no later than May 15. Receipt of all complete applications will
be acknowledged, but only those applicants chosen to receive an award will be
notified of their selection. All decisions of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Committee
are final.</p> <p>The awards will be presented in July during the annual convention
of the National Federation of the Blind. Individuals selected to receive an award
must appear in person, not send a representative. Organizations may send an
individual representative, preferably their chief executive officer. Recipient
candidates must confirm that they will appear in person to accept the award at
the National Federation of the Blind annual convention. Failure to confirm attendance
for the award presentation by June 1 will result in forfeiture of the award.</p>
<h3 id="ineligible-persons">Ineligible Persons</h3> <p>Those employed full-time
by the National Federation of the Blind may not apply for a Dr. Jacob Bolotin
Award for work performed within the scope of their employment. Students may not
apply for both a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award and a National Federation of the Blind
Scholarship in the same year.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Geerat J.
Vermeij smiles as he examines a large shell.]</p> <h2 id="it-matters-what-we-do-not-who-we-are">It
Matters What We Do, Not Who We Are</h2> <p><strong>by Geerat J. Vermeij</strong></p>
<p><strong>From the Editor: Geerat J. Vermeij is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus
at UC Davis. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2021
and to the National Academy of Sciences in 2022. He has published seven books and
remains scientifically active. I understand the upcoming book he refers to in his
article now means he has published eight of them. Luckily for us, he still finds
time to be both a reader and contributor. Here is what he writes:</strong></p>
<p>Modern society seems obsessed with identity. Race, gender, sexual orientation,
ethnicity, and disability—they all take center stage in defining us as
individuals. At every turn we are asked to identify ourselves according to
society’s currently fashionable categories regardless of whether those
categories can be unambiguously circumscribed. Thousands of sociological studies,
government mandates, and policies at every level of society are founded on
heterogeneous, ill-defined, and often highly fluid categories. Worse, these
categories reinforce existing prejudices and biases. Those of us who are blind
know all of this very well, yet even we often fall prey to this preoccupation with
identity.</p> <p>In his 1963 speech, “Blindness: Handicap or Characteristic,”
(reprinted in The <em>Braille Monitor</em>, Vol. 66, No. 6, June, 2023), Kenneth
Jernigan correctly asserted that blindness is a characteristic, one of many traits
that affect a person’s life. With great clarity he argued that blindness
can be mitigated, so that it need not and should not be considered a sign of
inability or inferiority. Indeed, a core mission of the National Federation of
the Blind is to ensure that blind individuals have the tools as well as the positive
attitudes to overcome the physical and social disadvantages that come with blindness.
This necessary work continues, as it should.</p> <p>But I would go a step further.
Our characteristics, including blindness, do influence what we do and how others
perceive us, but they do not define us. What matters, it seems to me, is what we
do, not who we are.</p> <p>Society’s preoccupation with identity is
destructive. It reinforces stereotypes and prematurely determines the potential
(or lack of potential) for individual accomplishments and diminishes the fairness
of how the actions and contributions of individuals are judged.</p> <p>My perspective
on this issue derives not from social activism or advocacy, but from my life-long
study of the economic history of the world of living things, including our own
species. Life-forms today and in the past have managed to persevere—and in
the long run to improve—in a world full of changing challenges and
opportunities. In my forthcoming book <em>The Evolution of Power: a new understanding
of the history of life</em> (Princeton University Press, 2023), I explore the
premise that, like humans, all other forms of life have the ability to change and
adapt to their surroundings to the extent that their power (the rate at which
energy and material resources are acquired and deployed) allows. Although their
station in the web of life is strongly affected by this power, it is the actions
of living things that matter. By itself, power or energy, like money, means nothing.
They become useful only when they are deployed to do something. In other words,
characteristics in the abstract tell us nothing about what we do.</p> <p>A shift
in emphasis away from identity toward accomplishment would represent a healthy
and refreshing reorientation in how we and others see ourselves. What can we do
with the appropriate physical and educational tools? Isn’t it better to be
evaluated on what we have done or are doing than to be classified according to
preconceived, often socially loaded, categories based on characteristics in
isolation? Our accomplishments and actions are far more diverse than our socially
prescribed characteristics, and it is this diversity of doing that describes the
richness of the human enterprise.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Cayte
Mendez]</p> <h2 id="announcing-the-nfb-2024-scholarship-program">Announcing the
NFB 2024 Scholarship Program</h2> <p><strong>by Cayte Mendez</strong></p>
<p><strong>From the Editor: Many volunteer jobs in the NFB are as taxing and as
demanding of time as fulltime employment. One of them is chairing our Scholarship
Committee, and Cayte does a wonderful job of remaining calm, cool, and compassionate
in the performance of her duties. Here is her announcement about the 2024 Scholarship
Program with the promise of a longer article to come early next year:</strong></p>
<p>The National Federation of the Blind is pleased to announce our 2024 scholarship
program. We offer thirty $8,000 scholarships to blind students who will be at
least eighteen years of age by July 1, 2024. Students may apply if they reside in
the fifty states, the District of Colombia, or Puerto Rico and will be enrolled
in a full-time accredited post-secondary degree program during the 2023-2024 school
year. All scholarships will be awarded at our 2024 National Convention, which will
take place in Orlando, Florida, from July 3 to 8, 2024.</p> <p>The application
period begins December 1, 2023, and closes at midnight EST on March 31, 2024. Go
to <a href="http://www.nfb.org/scholarships">www.nfb.org/scholarships</a>. To
apply during the four-month open period: read the rules and the submission checklist,
complete the official 2024 scholarship application form (online or in print),
supply all required documents, and request and complete an interview with an NFB
affiliate president. Remember, the only way to win is to apply!</p> <p>----------</p>
<p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Maurice Mines]</p> <h2
id="my-experiences-as-a-deafblind-participant-in-our-2023-national-convention">My
Experiences as a Deafblind Participant in our 2023 National Convention</h2>
<p><strong>by Maurice Mines</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor: Most of us
who attend convention know that it takes planning, perseverance, and dealing with
the unexpected. Maurice shows us that this is a daily challenge that is a bit more
difficult when one must coordinate with several others and some flawed technology
to get the information most of us get so easily. Here is a good part of his
convention week in Houston at our 2023 National Convention:</strong></p> <p>These
are my 2023 National Convention experiences. For the first time, I found myself
having to cope with going to convention with hearing aids that weren’t up
to the task. Thank goodness for tactile sign language interpreters. This year’s
convention would’ve been much more difficult to attend and participate in
without them.</p> <p>Before things started, I of course had to deal with convention
headquarters hotel staff. A brief comment: They did a great job considering the
circumstances. When it became apparent that I couldn’t hear, one of the
hotel staff members took it upon themselves to text me questions that I was able
to answer. We had a texting conversation about the things that any other guest
has after checking in.</p> <h3 id="getting-my-caffeine">Getting my caffeine</h3>
<p>The next morning there was the experience of trying to find the lobby Starbucks.
This was a particular challenge because of how difficult it is to hear anything
in the lobby. It was an extreme challenge, but fortunately I found two guests who
were quite willing to assist. Apparently one of them knew some sign language, so
that person was able to ask me what I wanted from Starbucks. After getting what
I needed, I ask for some minor assistance to be pointed towards the elevators.
They insisted upon accompanying me to my room. Of course I knew exactly where my
room was located, so this wasn’t a big issue.</p> <p>My roommate for
convention had arrived, and it was time to figure out what we were going to have
for dinner. Luckily I found a local pizza company. In ordering, using my hearing
aid seemed to go well. We did get exactly what we ordered, but of course there’s
the challenge of getting to the lobby. By this time the hotel staff figured out
that I really can’t hear. Luckily I was able to get some assistance to find
the pizza delivery driver.</p> <h3 id="the-first-day-of-convention">The first day
of convention</h3> <p>The first major hurdle was meeting up with the interpreters
who were going to be helping me make sense of convention activities. Somehow our
wires got crossed. I wound up on the first floor while they were waiting on the
third floor. After some texting, it all got worked out. Attending meetings for
the most part worked, more or less.</p> <h3 id="what-to-do-for-lunch-on-the-first-day">What
to do for lunch on the first day</h3> <p>We decided that it was probably a good
idea for me to visit the hotel restaurant, but I soon discovered it served absolutely
huge tacos. I asked my interpreter why such large tacos, and the first reply I
hear was one I’d get for the rest of the week: “You are in Texas,”
meaning everything is much larger in Texas.</p> <p>The afternoon seemed to go much
smoother. I went to the multiple disabilities meeting and was still trying to get
used to being signed to pretty much full-time. Needless to say, I had to remember
my college sign language classes. I felt like I was in the world’s longest
final exam. I really had to figure out whether I was ready to spend a week sinking
as I asked, “Can you please repeat that again?” Or was I going to
swim. So I stopped and tried to remember what I did when many moons ago attending
an NFB center. Then, of course, there was my time at Helen Keller National Center
for Deaf and Blind Youth and Adults. My conclusion was that I needed to problem
solve in this situation. I decided that trying to swim made the most sense. Like
any language, if you don’t use it, you tend to lose it. So I eventually
began to pick out words and put them together in context. This eventually allowed
me to figure out what was going on over the course of convention, though not always
as rapidly as I wanted.</p> <h3 id="an-unexpected-crisis-turns-into-a-victory">An
unexpected crisis turns into a victory</h3> <p>Evening came, and one issue suddenly
made itself quite clear: I suddenly realized that I did not purchase a new belt
before convention. It was time to find a belt before mine gave up. Fortunately,
the gift shop in the Hilton just so happened to have a suitable belt.</p> <h3
id="managing-the-workload-for-my-interpreters">Managing the workload for my
interpreters</h3> <p>In working with these interpreters, I had to figure out what
interpreting they should be doing and when they could take a needed break. We
eventually worked this out. In fact, when I had a brief conversation in the
presidential suite with Pam Allen about needing to schedule a meeting with President
Riccobono, she asked me something like “Why don’t we just call you
and leave you a voicemail?” Unfortunately, due to the fact that I am
deafblind, anyone who wishes to leave me a voicemail might want to think twice
about attempting this. Long story short: I can’t hear traditional voicemail
at all. This is true even with hearing aids. My suggestion was that I be sent a
text message, and this accommodation worked beautifully. When we met, my interpreters
were very impressed with our national President. Together we had a good meeting.</p>
<h3 id="day-two">Day two</h3> <p>If this were a gymnastics competition, the degree
of difficulty would’ve increased significantly. The first stop was to pick
up my convention materials. My interpreters were surprised that I picked a Braille
agenda, meaning hardcopy Braille. They were also impressed that the person handing
it to me thanked me for reading Braille. I then explained to my interpreters that,
sad though it is, too few blind people let alone deafblind people actually read
Braille.</p> <p>Then it was off to the exhibit hall, where the noise level was
off the charts. I don’t think it would’ve made a difference in terms
of which pair of hearing aids I wore. I brought two pairs, one that works great
for conversations when there’s no background noise at all, and one more
that works better to filter out background noise. The second pair is slightly
better, but the amount of noise in the exhibit hall made either pair useless.
Again it was time to sink or swim. The strategy I employed this time was to work
out with my interpreters which tables I would visit and which I would bypass. This
strategy seemed to work well.</p> <p>My first stop was to the table that represented
the state that I grew up in, Washington State. I think the person who sold me the
two bags of chocolate covered espresso beans might have been a bit taken aback to
have an interpreter talking to them. But, given the noise level, it was the only
way to complete the purchase.</p> <p>The next place I went was the HumanWare table.
Trying to figure out the cost of a Braille embosser I was checking out was a little
bit stressful. Remember that my understanding of ASL is a challenge because I
haven’t used it much. I certainly felt like I was being tested. I did
eventually figure out the price. The embosser certainly made me think about the
cost of assistive technology.</p> <h3 id="the-national-resolutions-committee-meeting">The
National Resolutions Committee Meeting</h3> <p>The next task for our little group
was figuring out how to handle the Resolutions Committee meeting. One of the
interpreter said, “Let’s see if you can hear the chair. If you can,
we won’t step in. But if you really can’t, we’ll just stay
in here and start signing as needed. Long story short: I was able to understand
the chair’s questions but only because of the interpreters. I’m
happy to report that the resolution I was the proponent for received a do pass
recommendation. It was eventually passed by the entire convention later in the
week.</p> <h3 id="the-morning-of-the-third-day-at-national-convention">The morning
of the third day at national convention</h3> <p>It was time to go to the national
Board of Directors meeting. The day before, the interpreters began to comment on
just how many people they were seeing at meetings. I mentioned to them that the
week would definitely grow in terms of the number of people attending meetings.
I then explained how national Board of Directors meetings go so that they could
get an idea of what I think might be important and what detail I thought might be
okay to leave out. The first thing that the interpreters asked me was during the
presentation from New Mexico. They asked me whether people generally leave that
kind of money to the organization? I said yes and that some years the presentations
involved larger amounts of money than others.</p> <h3 id="the-lunch-surprise">The
lunch surprise</h3> <p>We decided that it might be a good idea to grab something
outside the hotel. Again, I found myself asking my interpreters why the servings
were so large once my lunch order arrived. I told them that there was no way I
could eat all of this in one sitting. Their answer once again was that “You
are in Texas.” The challenge was how to put all that food away so that I
could have it for dinner. This involved dealing with elevators that during convention
sometimes work and more often don’t. Let’s just say my interpreters
and I plotted how we would make good use of the stairs during the course of
convention week.</p> <h3
id="off-to-the-national-federation-of-the-blind-deafblind-division-reorganization-meeting">Off
to the National Federation of the Blind Deafblind Division Reorganization Meeting</h3>
<p>Remember when I mentioned earlier that I had to sink or swim? Again I was being
put to the test. I had to concentrate on what was going on at the meeting and put
what was being signed into context. This also involved keeping track of the
pro-tactile cues being offered by the interpreters. The first part of the meeting
going through the constitution went well, but only because I read it through
several times to the meeting so everyone would know exactly what they would be
approving. Once the draft constitution underwent a few changes, it was approved.</p>
<p>I worked so hard at figuring out what was being said and not being said that
I almost missed the fact that I had been elected president of the division. So
for the rest of the meeting, I did my best to read the sign language and make
certain that I understood when other interpreters walked by and congratulated me.
One minute you are feeling the signs from the person you’re working with,
and the next minute there’s a different hand there to greet and sign.</p>
<h3 id="attending-the-black-blind-leaders-meeting">Attending the Black Blind
Leaders Meeting</h3> <p>This meeting turned out to be very interesting and inspiring,
not only because of what was said but how it was said. Let’s just say that
that meeting was one of the highlights of my convention experiences this year.</p>
<h3 id="some-definitions">Some definitions</h3> <p>I think at this point I should
explain some differences such as the difference between American Sign Language
which is visual in nature, and tactile sign, which is of course done by touch.
The next difference I want to explain is the difference between what the interpreters
do and how they do it to assist deafblind persons at convention and other large
NFB gatherings. I also want to address what they don’t do. Interpreters
either repeat the proceedings through a personalized communication system, such
as a wireless microphone, or sign the proceedings, which was the case for me this
year. I will say that I did use a personal communication system at times.</p> <p>A
separate task from interpreting is performed by a special services support person.
This person often assists with communication styles, such as talking to the hotel
front desk, ordering food, interacting with hotel staff that don’t work at
the front desk, or stopping off to just say hi to another state affiliate that
you haven’t seen in three years. I mention the difference between interpreters
and service providers because there is the need for us as a movement to discuss
how and in what manner we hire and use special service support providers both at
conventions and other Federation gatherings.</p> <h3 id="the-first-day-of-general-session">The
first day of general session </h3> <p>My interpreters again were shocked with the
amount of people. It really is true when we talk about ours being the largest
annual gathering of the disabled held anywhere in the country. People who assist
us at our conventions become overwhelmed just like first-time conventioneers
do.</p> <h3 id="finding-my-delegation">Finding my delegation</h3> <p>Now it’s
time to figure out where the California affiliate is sitting in what is described
to me as an absolutely huge room. While weaving in and out of state delegations,
my interpreters introduce me to someone who, of course, I knew to be one of the
California affiliate’s parent division board members.</p> <p>The opening
ceremonies began. One interpreter signed “older person.” I supplied
the name of who I thought it was. Then they signed, “Oh, the person who
spoke yesterday.” Again I supplied the name of our post affiliate president.
The best description of the week of how things were proceeding was when the
interpreters signed, “Person from your delegation dancing in the aisles.”
I later told them that conventions are like that. You never know when the spirit
is going to move you. I’m leaving out the person’s name, but she
knows who she is.</p> <p>In making it through the rollcall of states, I decided
that the name of the state, the state president, and the delegate was enough. In
a few cases, the state president was not the delegate, so this information was
important to me.</p> <p>The afternoon session went well. The interpreters traded
off during the Presidential Report. They commented it was long but very detailed.
I told them our Presidential Reports are like that.</p> <p>After the session, I
had a discussion with an old friend from Colorado. I ordered dinner to go because
I had to get to the California caucus. In our conversation, my friend was astonished
at how much hearing I’d lost. We both were able to communicate well because
my interpreter was standing next to me to make sure that communications occurred
appropriately. The friend and I reminisced about the friends who were most assuredly
being missed but will never be forgotten.</p> <p>The next day began with our
financial report. Thank goodness there’s a Starbucks in the headquarters
hotel. Receiving lots and lots of signed numbers can certainly put one to sleep
just as if one could hear them. Needless to say, sitting through a signed financial
report one needs lots of coffee.</p> <p>For elections we decided that it was best
to follow the same pattern that had been established the previous day by signing
the state and candidate’s name. Sometimes my interpreters got the names
correctly, and at other times I had to supply the name and have them confirm that
I was right. It is worth saying that again my interpreters were surprised and
impressed with how smoothly things went during the elections.</p> <p>I had to have
a chat with my chapter president, but, because of the noise, hearing each other
was more than a challenge; it was impossible. For this reason, we used my interpreter.
My chapter president was impressed because I don’t think she’d ever
seen me work with interpreters before. By this point people were thinking I was
a pro at this. Yes and no. It really does depend on the situation.</p> <p>In the
afternoon, of course, it was time to sit through approving the resolutions that
have been sent to the floor of the convention by the Resolutions Committee. A
combination of sign and pro-tactile sign was used to make certain I understood
the progress of each resolution. The interpreters didn’t sign the entire
resolution because they’d already done that during the Resolutions Committee.
Besides that, I had a pretty good idea of what was being presented. I told them
it was probably okay to leave minor details out unless they were critical to what
was being presented. Luckily the resolution I sponsored passed.</p> <h3
id="the-final-day">The final day</h3> <p>At this time our little group was working
smoothly. The interpreters were doing well with finding, and/or speaking the
proceedings. That is until our international guest, Jonathan Mosen, delivered his
speech. The interpreters were astounded by the way in which mean technology
companies are discriminating. I said, “Yes, you haven’t seen me
interact much with technology. What you don’t understand is that, when one
is at home, it means pretty much making use of the technology to do whatever you
need to do.” The examples offered by Mr. Mosen highlighted these
frustrations.</p> <p>The presentation that garnered most comments for the week
was the one regarding service animals. My interpreters were astounded. But the
most exciting information signed to me for the week was in the meeting where
someone said, “Presenter vanished.” That pretty much told me that
the person presented and ran. I explained to the interpreters this also sometimes
happens at convention.</p> <h3 id="wrapping-it-up">Wrapping it up</h3> <p>The
final event was the 2023 banquet. One of the interpreters looked a little strange
showing up to a black tie banquet in tennis shoes. I signed the word
“unbelievable,” and the interpreter showed me that yes, she was
indeed wearing tennis shoes.</p> <p>Getting through the banquet and getting all
the names right took teamwork, with my reading them and helping the interpreters
get them right. The hardest part came when it got to the tenBroek award. My
interpreters signed that the winner was “a Dell movie.” I explained
to them that I knew who the person was and repeated the name. This highlighted
something that occurred all week but was unavoidable—figuring out proper
names. At times the agenda helped, but at times it was just their best guess.
Fortunately I had been coming to conventions off and on for quite some time and
could figure it out.</p> <p>At the conclusion of the convention, one of my
interpreters named Benedict expressed surprise at how well things had gone and
said it was a pleasure working with me all week. He described what he called his
transformation from wondering how we could begin to do all of these things and
then figuring out that indeed we already had it figured out. I told him that it
had been a great week and that now I must really think about the trip home. I also
found myself thinking about the future in Orlando next year, and coming up with
a way to fund the trip and perhaps the special service provider I will need.</p>
<p>I invite any comments and/or suggestions anyone might wish to make after reading
this article. You can find my contact information under the division’s page
on our national website.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Mary Fernandez]</p>
<h2 id="we-have-work-to-do-reflections-on-changing-the-blind-employment-paradigm">We
Have Work to Do: Reflections on Changing the Blind Employment Paradigm</h2>
<p><strong>by Mary Fernandez</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor: Family,
education, and the faith and hard work of my Federation family are all at the root
of things I value in my life. No one has ever summed up how I feel better than
Mary Fernandez. Enjoy her humor, charisma, enthusiasm, and wisdom:</strong></p>
<p>Good afternoon, Federation Family!</p> <p>It is an absolute honor and humbling
experience to be standing in front of you today.</p> <p>When I was a little girl,
my mom used to tell me, “You have to eat your books!” This was her
way of telling me that literacy and education would be the key to my future.</p>
<p>Yesterday’s agenda featured brilliant women including Susan Mazrui,
Karla Gilbride, and Eve Hill, all of whom are my personal heroes, undeniable
queens, and all of whom proudly mentioned that they were stubborn children. So,
to you all I want to say: Hi, It’s me, I’m the stubborn one!</p>
<p>And so, as a stubborn child I was like “No, I will not read.”
Thankfully my mother is a literal force of nature. So, one day after throwing
another tantrum, my mom shut me in my bedroom with a Braille book, Judy Bloom’s
<em>Freckle Juice</em>. But I would not go down without a fight. I screamed, I
cried, I may even have thrown myself on the floor, and there was nothing but
silence from the outside.</p> <p>Finally, in an act of seven-year-old desperation,
I did a thing: I very slowly and tentatively ran my fingers over the title.
<em>Freckle Juice</em>? What is this <em>Freckle Juice</em> you speak of oh Ms.
Bloom?</p> <p>Then I did the unthinkable—I painstakingly and EVER so slowly
opened to the first page—and then… I realized that there was a bunch
of info on that first page about copyright and stuff, and I was like “what
the heck?” It’s hard for a seven-year-old to understand the importance
of an author’s intellectual property!</p> <p>Finally: “Line up, boys
and girls,” Miss Kelly said. “Time to go home now.”</p>
<p>I was hooked. I was hooked on books, I was hooked on literacy, and most
importantly, I was hooked on Braille.</p> <p>This stubborn child learned, and
continues to learn, that my mother is always right. Thank you, Mommy. And this
could not have been more right in that moment. She knew that education would unlock
my ability to think critically and honed my ability to synthesize in the midst of
complexity. My educational career taught me that stories move me, that curiosity
drives me, and that connection feeds me. She knew the importance of Braille literacy
for her blind child. “If one can read,” she would say, “one
can do anything.” Hence, reading Braille made it possible for me to earn
a well-rounded education. For me, education was also the first puzzle piece to
what, in a disabled person’s life, can become the greatest and hardest
undertaking: finding and keeping a job.</p> <p>I acknowledge that to say that
education leads one directly to a job and most important a fulfilling career would
be an oversimplification. I argue that the skills necessary for the job market
start at home, that they are supposed to be reinforced in school, and that they
are supposed to be cultivated and nurtured as we become adults and are able to
make substantive decisions around our careers. But when you introduce blindness
into the equation, the oppressive forces of ableism often break the links in that
process.</p> <p>Today I want to answer three questions. Why is the unemployment
gap still so significant? What can I do as an individual to be more successful in
the job search? What can employers do to meaningfully move the needle?</p>
<p>Let’s look at the statistics. According to the US Bureau of Labor
Statistics, in 2022, the unemployment rate of disabled people is almost 9 percent,
vs 3.4 and dropping for non-disabled people. This means that disabled people are
unemployed at almost three times the rate of non-disabled people. The statistics
go on and on and can be broken into so many numbers, but at the end of the day
the data tells us that disabled people are disproportionately under or unemployed,
particularly if someone is both disabled and has other marginalized identities,
such as a person of color.</p> <p>It is one thing to hear these numbers; it’s
another to live them. I attended Emory University and graduated with a 3.8 GPA in
2012. I will never forget how for the last semester of my senior year I submitted
an average of five applications a day, and the sinking feeling that came with
every email saying what amounted to, “Thanks, but no thanks.” I will
also never forget, how after five years of work experience as a paralegal at Brown,
Goldstein and Levy, and starting up a transition program in NJ for blind and low
vision high school youth, I was back on the job market. As I sought a more stable
position, I wanted to at least have a parttime job. So I applied to be an English
tutor for sixth graders. I did the online application process, I passed with flying
colors, and I got the job. Then I mentioned that I was blind and wanted to test
the collaborative software and have access to electronic version of the instructional
materials. There was a long pause on the phone, and I was told I’d get a
call back. Ten minutes later I was told there was no longer a position available.</p>
<p>Most of us in this room have been there, struggling with ourselves whether or
not to disclose our disability before or after we get an offer, while knowing both
choices offer no assurance of employment at the end of the long process.</p>
<p>Now, more than at any other time in history, we have unparalleled access to
technology, laws that are supposed to protect us, and commitments to diversity,
equity, and inclusion from companies who say, “We really do want you
here.” And yet… many digital tools we need to do our jobs are still
not accessible, employment discrimination cases can take years to resolve, and
the companies with bold DEI commitments published on their careers pages seem to
miss that accessibility and accommodation are integral parts of true equity and
inclusion. As a result, most of us are still waiting for the opportunity to even
try.</p> <p>At the heart of this is oppression. There are four aspects of oppression
which add up to marginalization: They are ideological, institutional, interpersonal,
and internalized. These four types of oppression come together to form a narrative
that affects every aspect of our lives.</p> <p>Though there isn’t time to
dive into all these today, one important aspect of oppression I do want to share
is internalized oppression or ableism. This is the most uncomfortable form of
oppression to dismantle because it requires us to acknowledge the presence of all
those little voices that add up to say, “You are not enough. If you keep
asking for accommodations, you are not as good an employee.” This voice
can even manifest as “If you ask for help, you are not a good enough blind
person.” All of these voices feed on the previous dimensions and are the
ultimate form of oppression because they make us in some form doubt our worth.
They sound different for every single person and every group.</p> <p>One of the
most effective ways of countering internalized oppression is through community
and collective action. It is the counter-narrative that we provide for each other,
a narrative of strength, a narrative of resilience, a narrative that we do have
control of our own future! It is the training, advocacy, and refusal to settle
for second-class citizenship that is core to our organization.</p> <p>In the face
of oppression, what can we as individuals do to break down those barriers? How do
we carry on when the systems that are supposed to support us continue to fail
us?</p> <p>The good news is that the NFB has always been a group made up of former
stubborn children and has been dismantling oppression for over eighty years, and
every one of us in this room has benefitted from that. When there was no useful
orientation and mobility training, we invented it. Then we refined it, and now we
teach each other how to travel confidently. If they will not teach our children
Braille in school, we will teach them ourselves while simultaneously fighting for
the rights of those children to be protected. The NFB has the largest scholarship
program for the blind in the world, and the list goes on and on.</p> <p>As an
individual though, the community I have found here has been one of the most integral
parts of my success. You see, when I arrived in the United States from Columbia,
I was almost eight-years-old. When I was two my mother, at the age of twenty-six,
took the risk to migrate to this country. She knew no one, did not know English,
and didn’t know where she would go. But she got on a plane and landed at
John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City. After working here for
about a year, she got a call; I was diagnosed with glaucoma, and it would simply
be a matter of time until I went blind. My mother used the pain of not being with
her daughter during this pivotal moment and turned it into fuel to remain
laser-focused on her mission—to bring me and my brother to the United
States. She knew then that it would be my only chance at a fulfilling life.</p>
<p>So I came here, an awkward and stubborn child. I had no social skills, had
never attended school, and I don’t think I even really understood what
being blind meant. All I knew is that, when my O&M instructor put a short and
stubby stick in my hand and told me I had to use it going forward, I promptly
dropped it on the floor and refused to even look at him.</p> <p>Though the uphill
battle to get me to read was fairly quickly won, the battle to have me use my cane
proved much harder. You see, I had deeply internalized beliefs about blindness
and disabilities even if I didn’t know how to name them. It was a weakness;
canes were a thing that old people used. Though by the time I was in high school
I used it every day, I just did not feel comfortable in my skin. I felt like an
outcast, like no matter what I did, I was either invisible to others or the most
conspicuous person in the room.</p> <p>It wasn’t until I was fourteen that
my own feelings about myself began to shift. I started participating in the youth
transition program in New Jersey called Leadership, Education, Advocacy and
Determination (LEAD) and met one of my first mentors ever, Sherlock Washington.
Toward the end of the school year, I met another mentor who would support me his
whole life, Joe Ruffalo.</p> <p>Joe gave me my first lesson in advocacy. We were
at the NFB convention, and I had heard about the Rocket On program and how these
cool teenagers would get to launch a NASA rocket. I wanted to go. So Joe said,
“There’s Mr. Riccobono; ask him if you can participate.” So
I did, and the rest is history.</p> <p>Finding community equates to finding a
place to belong. We know that blind people are not a monolith, but at the same
time we have a shared lived experience that we all understand. And we also understand
the false narratives around blindness. With the NFB I found my little tribe which
has grown throughout the years and which has carried me through the most challenging
parts of my life.</p> <p>So all of us in this employment journey, listen: it’s
hard. It’s brutal, it’s awful. But it is harder when we do it all
alone. It is harder when we have no one to turn to in those moments that only
other disabled people will understand. I encourage you all to find and stay in
community. Not everyone in this room is your cup of tea; that’s ok. But
maybe some of us are, and trust me when I say it’s worth it.</p> <p>Participating
in the Federation sparked my passion and gift for advocacy. As a little girl, I
was always looking for injustices to correct. When I understood the reasons why
I was made to feel like an outcast, the fact that not all children got Braille
instruction, that babies were taken away from blind parents, I was like, this is
it, this is what I have to fight for, and fight for every day.</p> <p>The NFB also
sharpened my leadership skills. From delivering my first speech in front of two
hundred people at the NFB of New Jersey convention at age fourteen, to leading
affiliate student divisions, those leadership skills quickly transferred to my
life outside the NFB. I became involved in after-school programs, ran for school
club leadership, and learned that true leadership does not spring from positional
power, but rather from the actions we can take to influence change. And I learned
that we can do it from wherever we sit.</p> <p>As I have gotten older, I’ve
identified the set of values that I carry with me everywhere: values that were
instilled by my mother, nurtured by the Federation, and implemented by me. I value
integrity, honesty, hard work, collaboration, and authenticity. I try to conduct
myself with courage, including the courage to speak truth to power.</p> <p>I say
all that to bring several things to the forefront. First, instilling confidence,
reliability, and resilience starts at home. Letting our children take risks, and
letting them know that yes, they are wonderful, not just because they are blind
but because they have a specific set of gifts and skills. Letting them explore
those gifts and skills—all of these contribute to shaping future employees
and leaders.</p> <p>Second, that in the face of oppression we, as a collective
are the best at developing each other’s gifts and talents. We provide a
space where we support each other but also constantly challenge each other to
grow. And when the world won’t provide, we fill in the opportunity gap to
ensure that our youth have a full and well-rounded set of life experiences.</p>
<p>Are we perfect? No. And just because we are disabled does not mean we do not
hold ableist beliefs. Even as we push each other, we must find ways to continually
uplift each other and not fall into the trap of oppressing each other. We know
that there isn’t one right way to do blindness, and we must provide space
for that. We know that blindness is often accompanied by other disabilities, and
we must find ways to be inclusive to those of us with multiple disabilities.</p>
<p>As I think about employment and the collective blindness movement, I keep coming
back to the evolution we’ve experience since we began. Today we are having
conversations around how all of our identities, taken together, form an intersection
that is inseparable from how we experience the world. When I started in the NFB
I embraced this idea that blindness was a characteristic like my hair. But as
I’ve grown in my work and dived into my intersecting identities, I actually
think that my disability is far more than that. My disability is actually part of
my identity. You see, if I had this gorgeous curly hair but 20/20 vision, the way
I experienced the world would have been very different. For instance, my hair or
my eye color would not have affected the accessibility of my educational materials
in graduate school. However, my disability did. So does my skin color and my gender
identity. I no longer believe that asking for equal access for disabled people is
enough. Rather, in my work, I advocate for equitable access. That is to provide
the tools and resources that individuals need to be successful.</p> <p>Equality
is providing stairs for everyone. Equity is providing stairs, elevators, escalators,
and ramps in equally convenient places so that all can choose their path upwards.
It is being intentional about bringing in as many as possible, and because of the
complexity of inequities that we experience at different moments in our lives,
there really isn’t a right size fits all solution.</p> <p>In his speech
“The Nature of Independence,” Dr. Jernigan wrote: “Unless
you make advances over what we have done, you will, in a very real sense, fail to
keep faith with those who have gone before you and those who will follow. In this
context, I would expect and hope that some of you will become better travelers
(and, perhaps, better philosophers and teachers) than I, and if you do, I will
take joy in it.”</p> <p>So I challenge us all to stay on this path of
seeking not just equality but equity. Because if freedom is the right to choose,
then equity is the path to that freedom.</p> <p>Employers, I want to spend a little
bit of time talking to you, and here are three best practices: First, design with
us and not for us. Often employers ask, “What are the right jobs for disabled
people, and what programs do disabled people need?” Then, programs are
launched with names that include the words “differently abled” and
“special” and “uniquely gifted.” These programs are
seldom designed with disabled people, but rather for disabled people. I invite
you, today, to design with us. Here is the good news: you all are already in the
room where it happens. Each blind person here is an expert in their experience,
and collectively we have invaluable wisdom on what we need. So, go where the
disabled people are, do not wait for them to just appear. Then engage with them,
understanding that what we share has value and that it will financially benefit
you. Then proceed accordingly.</p> <p>Yes, it is going to be messy and difficult,
and it is ok that businesses haven’t always gotten it right. But, when we
work with each other, we create talent-based strategies which truly open up
opportunities for economic freedom.</p> <p>Second, let’s stop performative
hiring. What do I mean by this? Last year I went to a disability-related conference
attended by most of the Fortune One Hundred. A career/talent expo was part of this
conference, and periodically companies would announce who was leading in hiring
the most disabled people. So out of curiosity I went to the company with the most
hires. I talked to them about my experience and asked, “So, what types of
opportunities do you have for someone with twelve years of work experience? They
said, “Well we are really just hiring interns and entry level.”</p>
<p>I’m a curious soul. I took it upon myself to walk around and see who
was hiring experienced disabled professionals. The answer was no one.</p> <p>Friends,
it is not enough to hire entry level. Is it important? Yes, but it is simply not
enough. First, when you do recruit and hire disabled talent at entry level positions,
what strategies are you using to develop their leadership potential? Do you have
processes in place to insure you are removing accessibility barriers?</p> <p>Also,
there is talent that is far beyond entry level. What are you doing to recruit
them? Are you truly leveraging AI resume screening systems to include diverse
talent or to exclude disable employees? We know that the only way we dismantle
systems of oppression is when we change the demographics of the group in
decision-making positions. This means that we fundamentally shift what we think
of as an executive leader, for instance, in preference to what skills, talents,
and experiences people bring to the table. I submit that executive leaders are
blind, are deaf, are autistic, dyslexic, etc. It is not our job to be “good
enough” to break your glass ceiling; it is your job to take your own roof
off.</p> <p>If you do those two things—design with us, and critically assess
and revamp your recruitment and hiring pipelines—then we start slowly to
reach for that higher fruit. That stretch will get you to just brush the tips of
the branches of belonging.</p> <p>Third, belonging is a sense that each of us is
fundamentally valued and that our uniqueness is not only sought for but treasured.
There is one week every year where I feel a real sense of belonging outside my
circle of friends and family. That is at the NFB convention. I know that if I walk
into a restaurant, I’ll be offered Braille, large print or regular menus;
that there are talking signs for meetings; that no one will grab the end of my
cane to guide me around. And these give me an energy I don’t feel any other
time to be my truest and best self. When we remove barriers systemically and
intentionally, we allow every person to be their most productive self. When we
design for the margins, we include everyone in the middle.</p> <p>I want to wrap
up with an ask for everyone in this room. My ask is to always pay it forward. When
you get that internship, pay it forward by mentoring another, perhaps younger
student. When you sit in that room where no other blind person has sat, pay it
forward and open up that door further. When your company outperforms predicted
revenue, pay it forward and open up the door to economic freedom for disabled
talent.</p> <p>In my case, education has been the touchstone of my success, my
mother the unwavering support, and the NFB the community that has held me and on
whose shoulders I stand. To every person in this room and all disabled people who
do not have community yet, you have my commitment that I will continue to pay it
forward. And I hope each of you in this room will join me in paying it forward.</p>
<p>So I’ll leave you with this question: what will you do to pay it forward?
In that spirit, I want to pay it forward today: for the stubborn child who refused
to accept society’s narrative about her blindness, for every young person
in this room who is just finding their community, and for every parent who fights
every day to give their child a future without limits. In honor of the woman who
raised me to be courageous, fearless, authentic, and a strong advocate, I’d
like to pledge $3,300 to the NFB in honor of Clara Roman, my mother. I trust that
no other organization will put this to better use in educating our youth and
pushing the boundaries of what we’ve been told is possible. Thank you.</p>
<p>----------</p> <h2 id="we-need-your-help">We Need Your Help</h2> <p><em>Very
soon after I went blind, I went to my first convention of the National Federation
of the Blind. Though as a six-year-old I was not scared about my future as a blind
person, learning about the NFB and going to conventions showed me tons of independent
blind people who I could look up to. Real life superheroes that I could aspire to
be like.</em> - Abigail</p> <p>Blind children, students, and adults are making
powerful strides in education and leadership every day across the United States,
but we need to continue helping kids like Abigail. 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 can continue to provide powerful programs and critical resources now and for
decades to come. We 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> <h3
id="with-your-help-the-nfb-will-continue-to">With your help, the NFB will continue
to:</h3> <ul> <li><p>Give blind children the gift of literacy through Braille.</p></li>
<li><p>Mentor young people like Abigail.</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.</p></li> <li><p>Offer aids and
appliances that help seniors losing vision maintain their independence.</p></li>
</ul> <p>Below are just a few of the many tax-deductible ways you can show your
support of the National Federation of the Blind.</p> <h4 id="lyft-round-up">LYFT
Round Up </h4> <p>By visiting the menu, choosing donate, and selecting the National
Federation of the Blind, you commit to giving to the National Federation of the
Blind with each ride.</p> <h4 id="vehicle-donation-program">Vehicle Donation
Program</h4> <p>We accept 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> <h4 id="general-donation">General Donation</h4>
<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, extension
2430, to give by phone. Give online with a credit card or through the mail with
check or money order. Visit our Ways to Give Page at: <a
href="https://nfb.org/give">https://nfb.org/give</a>.</p> <h4
id="pre-authorized-contributions">Pre-Authorized Contributions</h4> <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 877-NFB-2PAC, or fill out our PAC Donation Form <a
href="https://www.nfb.org/pac">https://www.nfb.org/pac</a>.</p> <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 imagination of members and special friends 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> <h4 id="percentage-or-fixed-sum-of-assets">Percentage
or Fixed Sum of Assets</h4> <p>You can specify that a percentage or 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> <h4 id="payable-on-death-pod-account">Payable on Death (POD)
Account</h4> <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> <h4
id="will-or-trust">Will or Trust</h4> <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> <h3
id="in-2022-our-supporters-helped-the-nfb">In 2022 our supporters helped the
NFB:</h3> <ul> <li><p>Send 371 Braille Santa and Winter Celebration letters to
blind children, encouraging excitement for Braille literacy.</p></li> <li><p>Distribute
over three thousand canes to blind people across the United States, empowering
them to travel safely and independently throughout their communities.</p></li>
<li><p>Deliver more than five hundred newspapers and magazines to more than 100,000
subscribers with print disabilities free of charge</p></li> <li><p>Give over seven
hundred Braille-writing slates and styluses free of charge to blind users.</p></li>
<li><p>Mentor 207 blind youth during our Braille Enrichment for Literacy and
Learning® Academy.</p></li> <li><p>Award thirty scholarships each in the
amount of $8,000 to blind students.</p></li> </ul> <p>Just imagine what we will
do next year, and, with your help, what can be accomplished for years to come.
Together with love, hope, determination, and your support, we will continue to
transform dreams into reality.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Sandy
Halverson]</p> <h2 id="braille-books-and-contest-cash">Braille Books and Contest
Cash</h2> <p><strong>by Sandy Halverson</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor:
It is hard to know of any way we could find a better partner than the American
Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults. Many of us have taken advantage of the
annual Braille calendar since we can remember; we grew up, were read to, and were
fascinated by Twin Vision® books. How many of us thought that as children we
would get to actually work with the fine people who made these things happen in
our lives? Enjoy what one of our finest volunteers has to say about our Braille
reading contest:</strong></p> <p>The American Action Fund for Blind Children and
Adults and the National Federation of the Blind are excited to announce our
2023-2024 Braille Readers Are Leaders contest where you get to decide what Braille
books you want to read—whether a few pages or the entire book, magazine,
or article—and the only thing you have to do is keep track of when you
start and stop each day you read. Contest registration is now open at <a
href="http://www.actionfund.beanstack.org">www.actionfund.beanstack.org</a>, and
after completing the registration process and logging your first sixty minutes,
a T-shirt will be sent to you as quickly as possible so you can wear it during
the contest and tell your friends and family about Braille and the importance of
literacy to blind people.</p> <p>Each student in kindergarten through twelfth
grade who registers and logs minutes spent daily reading books or magazines in
Braille earns badges, access to leader boards for comparison with other peers
across the country, and cash prizes for first, second, and third place winners in
each category. Adult Braille readers earn cash prizes for first, second, and third
place winners and a T-shirt but no additional prizes. For the past two years, the
American Printing House for the Blind has provided two twenty-cell Braille notetakers
as a grand prize for one adult and one student. We do not know yet what our grand
prizes will be for our current contest participants, but the more you read, the
more often your name is entered into the drawing.</p> <p>We recognize there are
times when technology is not your friend, no matter how many videos you may watch
or what that email said, so if questions arise, email <a
href="mailto:Braillereadingcontest@actionfund.org">Braillereadingcontest@actionfund.org</a>
and one of our volunteers will provide assistance.</p> <p>Several members in the
most recent NFB Teachers of Tomorrow Program expressed interest in contest
participation, so this will be our first year for having a teachers-of-blind-students
category.</p> <p>We welcome all supporters of Braille literacy, and there is no
better way to improve proficiency than taking advantage of those minutes spent
reading Braille daily. Of course, winning is the goal, but every minute participating
is a win as you improve your Braille and learn what so wonderfully comes to life
under your fingers.</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Carla McQuillan]</p>
<h2 id="the-2024-distinguished-educator-of-blind-students-award">The 2024
Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award</h2> <p><strong>by Carla
McQuillan</strong></p> <p><strong>From the Editor: Carla McQuillan is the president
of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon, a member of the national board
of directors, and the owner and executive director of Main Street Montessori
Association, operating two Montessori schools. She is the chairman of the
Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award Committee, and she has written this
announcement seeking applications for the 2024 award:</strong></p> <p>The National
Federation of the Blind will recognize an outstanding teacher of blind students
at our 2024 National Convention, taking place in Orlando, Florida, from July 3rd
through July 8th, 2024. The winner of this award will receive the following:</p>
<p>An expense-paid trip to attend the convention</p> <p>A check for $1,000</p>
<p>A commemorative plaque</p> <p>A place on the agenda of the annual meeting of
the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children to make a presentation
regarding the education of blind children, and</p> <p>The opportunity to attend
seminars and workshops that address the current state of education of blind
students, as well as a chance to meet and network with hundreds of blind individuals,
teachers, parents, and other professionals in the field.</p> <p>The education of
blind children is one of the National Federation of the Blind's highest priorities.
We are committed to offering and supporting programs that enhance educational
opportunities for this group. Please help us recognize dedicated and innovative
teachers who provide quality education and meaningful experiences and opportunities
for their blind students.</p> <p>Q: Who is eligible for this award?</p> <p>A:
Anyone who is currently a teacher, counselor, or the administrator of programs
for blind students.</p> <p>Q: Does an applicant have to be a member of the National
Federation of the Blind?</p> <p>A: No, but attending the 2024 Convention of the
National Federation of the Blind in Orlando, Florida, is required.</p> <p>Q: Can
I nominate someone else for this award?</p> <p>A: Yes. Applicants can be nominated
by colleagues, parents, supervisors, or friends who have first-hand knowledge of
the individual’s work with blind students.</p> <p>Q: How would I apply?</p>
<p>A: You can fill out the application at the end of this article or find it on
our website at <a
href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/distinguished-educator-of-blind-students-award-form-fillable.pdf">https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/distinguished-educator-of-blind-students-award-form-fillable.pdf</a></p>
<p>Q: What is the deadline to submit an application or make a nomination?</p>
<p>A: All applications must be received no later than May 1, 2024.</p> <p>Please
complete the application and attach the required documents specified in the
application. If you are submitting a nomination for someone other than yourself,
please answer the questions to the best of your ability. Your experience and
observations of the nominee will assist the selection committee in their decision.
Direct questions to Carla McQuillan at 541-653-9153, or by email at: <a
href="mailto:president@nfb-oregon.org">president@nfb-oregon.org</a>.</p> <h3
id="national-federation-of-the-blind">National Federation of the Blind</h3> <h3
id="distinguished-educator-of-blind-students-award">Distinguished Educator of
Blind Students Award</h3> <h3 id="application">2024 Application</h3> <p>Deadline:
May 1, 2024</p> <p>Name: _______________________________________________________</p>
<p>Home Address: _________________________________________________</p> <p>City,
State, Zip: _________________________________________________</p> <p>Phone: (H)
____________________ (W) ____________________________</p> <p>Email:
______________________________________________________</p> <p>School/Program:
______________________________________________________</p> <p>Address:
_____________________________________________________</p> <p>City, State, Zip:
_________________________________________________</p> <p>Please list any awards
or commendations the applicant has received.</p> <p>How long and in what programs
have you worked with blind children?</p> <p>In what setting do you currently
work?</p> <p>Briefly describe your current job and teaching responsibilities.</p>
<p>How would you describe your philosophy of blindness as it relates to the
education of blind students?</p> <p>What are your thoughts on teaching Braille
and cane travel? When and at what age would you begin? How do you determine whether
to teach print or Braille?</p> <p>What was your most memorable experience working
with blind students?</p> <p>Why should you be selected to receive this award?</p>
<p>Email is strongly encouraged for transmitting nominations; letters of support
and other relevant materials should be included as attachments. Applications sent
by mail and postmarked by the deadline will also be accepted. Send all material
by May 1, 2023, to Carla McQuillan, chairperson, Teacher Award Committee, <a
href="mailto:president@nfb-oregon.org">president@nfb-oregon.org</a> or by mail
to:</p> <p>Carla McQuillan</p> <p>2378 11th Street</p> <p>Florence, OR 97439</p>
<p>Phone: 541-653-9153</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION: Irie Harris]</p>
<h2
id="veteran-finishes-the-half-marathon-at-the-cleveland-marathon-while-serving-as-an-inspiration-for-blind-athletes">Veteran
finishes the Half-Marathon at the Cleveland Marathon, while serving as an Inspiration
for Blind Athletes</h2> <p><strong>by Irie Harris</strong></p> <p>Published May
21, 2023, on Cleveland.com©<br /> All rights reserved. REPRINTED/USED with
permission.</p> <p><strong>From the Editor: Part of our agreement to run this
article was that it not be edited in the least. This means we have not applied
<em>Monitor</em> style for the writing of numbers, worried about serial commas,
or corrected in any way sentences in which we might have assisted in the flow. We
believe that what is offered here is of value and appreciate the permission given
to us to run it.</strong></p> <p>CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Throughout Sunday, the cheers
from Cleveland Marathon spectators along the sidewalk were at a moderate volume.
The only occasions where the cheers or music increased were when the marathon’s
winners or a fan’s friend or family crossed the finish line.</p> <p>But
there was a moment of its own when two men and the cheers became quite loud. Was
it their outfits? They were standard outfits for runners, yet a bit more colorful.</p>
<p>A marathon MC then stuck the microphone near the men and asked them about the
race, in which one of them mentioned, “I’m blind.” And as
they walked closer to receive their medals, the outfits made sense. The speaker,
Jose Centeno, wore a baby blue-toned vest featuring the word, “blind”
in large black letters.</p> <p>Underneath the vest was a collared shirt with
“National Federation of the Blind,” and on top of his was U.S. Marine
Corps Veteran hat.</p> <p>The audience of the 2023 Cleveland Marathon was recognizing
that Centeno, a 67-year old blind man and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, completed
the half-marathon. Beside him was his race guide and coach, Mike Stokes, who wore
a shirt with, “Team RWB” (Red White and Blue).</p> <p>“It
was a wonderful 13.1 [miles], I really really enjoyed running this Cleveland Half
Marathon with my friends,” Centeno said.</p> <p>Centeno’s race
could’ve came to an end toward the last stretch because of his arthritis,
but he kept going. The Dayton native crossed the line with a finishing time of 2
hours, 41 minutes, and 4 seconds.</p> <p>“Usually at the 10-mile marker,
that’s when I start falling apart because of arthritis in my left knee,
but he (Stokes) didn’t tell me that,” Centeno said. “We passed
the 10-mile marker, then when we got to the 11th (marker), then that kind of
motivated me more because with 2 miles to go, that just gave me the high.”</p>
<p>Add in a scraped and bloody knee due a fall during the race, and this was quite
the battle won by Centeno.</p> <p>“I kinda fell, but it was great,”
Centeno said while smiling.</p> <p>He was quick to cite all his supporters,
including Stokes, his friend Keith, and Mickey, a dog sitting in a backpack on
Keith’s back.</p> <p>Centeno also pointed toward his collared shirt with
“National Federation of the Blind” featured on it, and cited their
support.</p> <p>“The National Federation knows that it is not a characteristic
that defines blind people and our future. It’s a great organization,”
Centeno said.</p> <p>And beside him was Stokes, a coach and member of Team Red,
White and Blue, an organization focused on keeping former veterans active in
life.</p> <p>“Our mission is to enrich the lives of America’s veterans
and we just like to keep veterans active and healthy,” Stokes said.
“And the best thing you can do is get out there and move.”</p>
<p>They hadn’t known each other until introduced by the Cleveland Institute,
and once meeting, their friendship took off.</p> <p>“I didn’t know
Jose until Team RWB introduced him to us, so the Cleveland Institute reached our
organization, asking us if we can help him out and we were glad to,” Stokes
said.</p> <p>But there was a time when Centeno’s smile wasn’t as
big as it was on Sunday.</p> <p>After serving for 21 years, Centeno was hired by
the U.S. Post Office in 1996. At some point he contracted glaucoma, but was on
medication and could still see. In August of 2015, his vision took turn for worse
due to the glaucoma. Centeno is blind in his right eye, and can only see shadows
with his left eye.</p> <p>“When I went blind, I got so depressed, that the
doctor wanted to put me on medication, but I said, ‘No way,’ ”
Centeno said. “I’m gonna do what I was doing before I was blind and
that as running, and so I started to run again.”</p> <p>By that point, he
was back into running, connected with Team RWB, and he hasn’t stopped
since.</p> <p>“Even if you’re not a veteran, and you’re blind,
go out there and do something,” he said. “Don’t let your
blindness get you depressed.”</p> <p>----------</p> <p>[PHOTO CAPTION:
LaShawna Fant]</p> <h2 id="eleven-seasonal-acts-of-kindness">Eleven Seasonal Acts
of Kindness</h2> <p><strong>by LaShawna Fant</strong></p> <p><strong>From the
Editor: As blind people, we are often the takers, not so much of choice but
sometimes for not knowing the ways in which we can give. LaShawna is a regular
contributor to these pages, and it is with gratitude that we run her suggestions
about how we can be givers in our communities.</strong></p> <p>There are endless
good deeds we can do to give back, make a difference in our communities, and help
deliver glad tidings to homes. These are a few examples:</p> <p>1. Serve in a soup
kitchen, food bank, or food pantry.</p> <p>On all occasions, soup kitchens look
for volunteers to help serve food and cook meals. A food bank is a warehouse that
accumulates food to disperse to needy communities, and a food pantry directly
delivers the food to individuals and families who are in need. For many people,
a meal at a soup kitchen may be the only meal they eat that day. Volunteering at
a food bank or local food pantry may include donating food, purchasing food with
a budget, and distributing food to those in need. These are all fruitful ways to
help and connect with people of various backgrounds. As a volunteer, you will help
those in need with the food necessary to keep them healthy.</p> <p>2. Assist your
local animal rescue or humane society.</p> <p>You can donate dog food and other
wish list items, help pets find a forever home, and assist the animal shelter with
educating about their different programs. These small things can make a big
difference!</p> <p>3. Tutor or mentor individuals.</p> <p>Tutors help provide
one-on-one assistance to students who need to hear the material differently. More
often than not, a tutor will help find a simpler way for the student to make sense
of and learn the material. Usually, this is beneficial in keeping an individual's
mind sharp and learning a priority. In addition, a mentor is a person who can
support, advise, and guide you. They typically take the time to get to know you
and the challenges you are facing and then use their understanding and personal
experience to help you improve. Mentorship, in general, gives kids who may not
have a good role model a chance to experience a healthy relationship with an adult.
These are great ways to spark your creativity and bring joy to the world while
extending your hand to uplift.</p> <p>4. Gather family and friends to sing songs.</p>
<p>Deck the halls of homes, shelters, and nursing homes by singing carols. While
jingling your bells, encourage your loved ones to sing and perform in our local
neighborhoods. This gesture does not involve decorating, gift-wrapping, or shopping;
however, these wintery lyrics can make a person smile a little easier.</p> <p>5.
Donate money to a charity or nonprofit of your choice.</p> <p>Motivate your children
and loved ones to donate part of their earnings to a local cause or nonprofit
and <em>be</em> an example by donating to the cause as well. Any monetary
contribution will be of aid.</p> <p>6. Make Braille greeting cards or arts and
crafts.</p> <p>Handmade cards and festive, artful designs are original pieces of
creativity. Let your imagination flow as your thoughtful custom cards and glittery
crafts bring cheer to someone's heart and home. </p> <p>7. Help out at a
homeless shelter.</p> <p>Annually, countless Americans are sleeping in homeless
shelters, transitional housing, and public places like bus stops, bridges, and
parks. Helping their lives to be merry and bright by volunteering is of great
value. You and the children can dash through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh,
read silly joke books, or put together a puzzle set. With the older residents,
you can clean the community common room and kitchen, help research housing or
jobs, or assist in learning a new skill.</p> <p>8. Call and check on people who
are grieving, sick, or need to hear a pleasant voice.</p> <p>While snuggled on
your couch and without leaving your home, you can call and warmly connect with
people. Sometimes, this expression is the very act of kindness a person needs.</p>
<p>9. Donate new or gingerly used items.</p> <p>Everyone is not able to purchase
items at full price. Typically, they scurry to shelters or thrift stores to pick
up items necessary to survive. Donating items that are unwanted or no longer used
is a great way to help out your community. The gently used coats, blankets, and
shoes in your closet can make a big difference to others while cleaning up some
of the clutter in your home. </p> <p>10. Visit the elderly.</p> <p>Often,
the residents of nursing homes, along with the patrons of senior centers, do not
see the jolly faces of guests. Even if you don't have a family member who lives
in the nursing home or goes to the senior center, you can volunteer at senior
citizen events and read books, bring baked goods, play games, make birthday cards,
and so much more. The residents will enjoy the company. You may also hear some
great stories about years gone by.</p> <p>11. Bake a cake or dessert to take to
a family.</p> <p>A sweet treat can add to a family's meal, whether it is a chocolate
cake, banana pudding, or fresh brownies. Showing a child how to bake or design a
gingerbread house or allowing them to help deliver the dessert to a family is also
beneficial.</p> <p>----------</p> <h2 id="monitor-miniatures"><em>Monitor</em>
Miniatures</h2> <h3 id="news-from-the-federation-family"> News from the Federation
Family</h3> <p><strong>Santa and Winter Letters Available in Braille</strong></p>
<p>Did you know that the National Federation of the Blind helps bring good cheer
and fun to children all over the country during the winter season? The Santa/Winter
Celebration Braille Letter Program does just that. Children from birth through
age ten can receive a Braille letter from Santa or a Braille Winter Celebration
letter in either English or Spanish. Along with the letters, children will receive
a packet of activities that they can share with their siblings, parents, and
grandparents because all the items in the packet are sent in Braille and print.
The program doesn’t last long. This year’s celebration runs from
November 6 through December 15. <a
href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/early-childhood-initiatives/santa-letters">Request
your letter soon!</a> <a
href="https://nfb.org/programs-services/early-childhood-initiatives/santa-letters">https://nfb.org/programs-services/early-childhood-initiatives/santa-letters</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Appreciating NFB-NEWSLINE®</strong></p> <p>This was received from
a grateful reader in Kentucky.</p> <p>“As someone who has been visually
impaired all of her life, I really appreciate this service. NEWSLINE has provided
me an opportunity to stay connected to my community as well as an opportunity to
contribute to discussions with my sighted friends on current events. I could do
that by listening to the news on the radio or TV, but listening to the story and
getting all of the details of that story is something that is difficult to do if
you aren’t actually reading it. If I miss something, I can hear the audio
again just like my sighted friends can read the print again. I feel that I now
have the same advantages that my sighted friends have with accessing information.
I love to listen to my local newspapers and magazines in my “Pocket
Favorites” on my brand-new Victor Reader Stream. I’m able to download
“My Favorites” wirelessly. In just a matter of seconds, it’s
on my player’s bookshelf. I really appreciate NFB-NEWSLINE.”</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>Leader Dogs for the Blind Appoints Melissa Weisse as New President
& CEO</strong></p> <p>Leader Dogs for the Blind announced the appointment of
Melissa Weisse as its new president & chief executive officer, following an
extensive, national search process. Weisse will replace Susan Daniels, who in May
of 2023 announced her intention to retire.</p> <p>Weisse is an industry-respected
nonprofit executive with over twenty years of experience in fundraising and senior
management, leading staff and services that support people who are blind or visually
impaired. Weisse has served as the chief philanthropy officer at Leader Dog since
2008. During this time, Weisse has grown total philanthropic revenue at Leader
Dog by 121 percent and estates revenue by 164 percent enabling greater client
service provision. She also successfully led the largest capital campaign in Leader
Dog’s history, raising $14.5 million for the renovation of its world-class
canine development center. Weisse is one of just 117 people worldwide to hold the
designation of Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE), the highest
accreditation for professional fundraisers.</p> <p>Prior to joining Leader Dog in
2003, Weisse worked for Christie’s London as a private client advisor
managing an international portfolio of high-net-worth individuals. Weisse graduated
from the University of Notre Dame and has a master’s degree from the
University of Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business
Non-Profit Executive Leadership Program and sits on the American Foundation for
the Blind board of trustees. Weisse is also a proud member of Lions Clubs
International.</p> <p>Leader Dog Chair Kathie Davis said, “After an extensive,
national search process, we are delighted to welcome Weisse as our new president
& CEO. Weisse is an inspired, results-driven and values-driven leader who has
a diverse background of experience and an excellent reputation of leadership in
the nonprofit sector and field of blind rehabilitation. She is an industry thought
leader with a proven track record of revenue and program growth. The Board looks
forward to Weisse realizing the future vision and potential for Leader Dogs for
the Blind and the entire community we serve.</p> <p>“I would also like to
take this opportunity to thank Susan Daniels for her leadership. The improvements
she has made to the organization’s structure, strategy, and operations
leave Leader Dog well positioned for success. Sue retires after an extremely
successful twenty-year tenure with our organization.”</p> <p>Weisse said,
“Thank you to Sue Daniels for her longstanding dedication and tremendous
service to the Leader Dog mission.</p> <p>“I am honored to be selected as
the organization’s next president and CEO and to work with our clients and
community around the world to advance our important work. I am looking forward to
advocating for the Leader Dog mission with our clients to promote greater inclusion
and access for people who are blind or visually impaired.”</p> <p>Weisse
will commence her leadership role on December 12 with Daniels staying on in an
advisory capacity until January 2024.</p> <p>For additional information, visit <a
href="http://www.leaderdog.org">www.leaderdog.org</a> or contact Rachelle Kniffen,
Director of Communications and Marketing at (248) 659-5013.</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>