2021 National Convention

The 2021 National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind was held virtually Monday, July 5 through Saturday, July 10, 2021.

Key Reports

Sponsors

  • Platinum: Facebook, Google, Microsoft, UPS, Vanda, Vispero
  • Gold: Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP, Target, Oracle, Waymo
  • Silver: Aira, Amazon, AT&T, Market Development Group, McDonald’s, Pearson, T-Mobile Accessibility
  • Bronze: American Printing House for The Blind, Democracy Live, Educational Testing Service (ETS), HumanWare, Learning Ally’s College Success Program, Newsela, Spectrum, Tusk Philanthropies, VitalSource Technologies, Wells Fargo
  • White Cane: Chris Park Design, Cruise, D2L Corporation, Duxbury, Envision - Workforce Innovation Center, En-Vision America, IKE Smart City, Independence Science, Law School Admission Council, Inc., Leader Dogs for the Blind, McGraw Hill, National Industries for the Blind, Personal AI, Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld, LLP, The Chicago Lighthouse

Agenda

The agenda of the 2021 National Convention was available in several formats.

Affiliate Host (Maryland)

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland was our hosting affiliate for the 2021 national convention. Below are fun posts about Maryland.

Highlights

McDonald's Accessible Kiosk Walkthrough

During the 2021 board of directors meetings, a clip of a McDonald's kiosk walkthrough was presented. Here is the demonstration:

Welcoming Ceremonies: Unifying Our Movement From Where the Federation Flag Flies Highest

Leadership And Common Bonds: Transformative Change and Civil Rights Grounding from Maryland’s Seventh Congressional District; The Honorable Kweisi Mfume, United States House of Representatives, Seventh Congressional District; Maryland

Transformative Innovations in Transportation: A Commitment to a Future Informed by the Blind; The Honorable Pete Buttigieg, Secretary, United States Department of Transportation; Washington, District of Columbia

Stronger Together: How the Organized Blind Movement Benefits from the Global Advancement of the United Nations CRPD; Gerard Quinn, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Ireland

Transforming Advocacy into Votes: The Impact of the Federation on Voting Equality; Eve Hill, Partner, Brown, Goldstein, and Levy; Baltimore, Maryland 

Transformative Leadership in Partnership with the Blind: Colorado Raises Expectations for All Blind Americans; Jena Griswold, Colorado Secretary of State; Louisville, Colorado

A Stronger Future Together Through a Commitment to Full Participation: Building the Tools to Empower All to Vote; Bradley Tusk, CEO and Co-Founder, Tusk Philanthropies; New York, New York

Federation Safe: Healing and the Transformation of Pain into Progress; The 2021 National Federation of the Blind Survivor Task Force 

Learning from the Past and Building for Our Future: A Report from the Federation’s 2021 Special Committee

The Strength of a Champion: Transforming Federation Spirit into Personal Progress; Randi Strunk, Member, National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota and National Federation of the Blind Sports and Recreation Division 

Stronger Together: Raising Cultural Competency, Engaging Diverse Blind Mentors, and Advancing the Education Of Blind Youth; Monique Coleman, TVI, President of VISTAS Education Partners and Founder of the National Homework Hotline, Highland Park, New Jersey 

Transforming and Accelerating Accessibility: The Need For The Organized Blind Movement To Innovate Through Inclusive Design; Sina Bahram, Founder and President, Prime Access Consulting; Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

Innovating Mapping Technology: A Mission Built on the Experience of the Blind; Jose Gaztambide, CEO, GoodMaps; Louisville, Kentucky 

Stronger Together: Transforming Accessibility from Inkling to Innovation in the Technology Industry; Moderator: Chancey Fleet, President, Assistive Technology Trainers Division of the NFB; Brooklyn, New York 

Panel: Eve Andersson, Senior Director of Accessibility, Google; Mountain View, Californial; Jenny Lay-Flurrie, Chief Accessibility Officer, Microsoft; Redmond, Washington; Sarah Herrlinger, Senior Director, Global Accessibility Policy & Initiatives, Apple; Cupertino California; Peter Korn, Director, Accessibility at Amazon Lab126, Amazon; Seattle, Washington.

Transforming the Future through Personal Ai: How The Blind Can Contribute Authenticity to Artificial Intelligence; Suman Kanuganti, CEO, Personal AI; San Diego, California

Transforming and Unifying Our Future: The Jernigan Institute Advances Our Mission through A Worldwide Pandemic; Anil Lewis, Executive Director for Blindness Initiatives, National Federation of the Blind; Baltimore, Maryland 

Transformative Action in the Halls of Power: Advocacy and Policy Coordinated Through All Levels Of The Movement; John Paré, Jr., Executive Director for Advocacy and Policy, National Federation of the Blind; Baltimore, Maryland 

Leading Alone and Marching Together: Transformative Action From The United States Senate; The Honorable Tammy Duckworth, United States Senate, Illinois

Strength through a Diverse Organized Blind Movement: The Intersection Of Characteristics And The Common Bond Of Raising Expectations; Moderator: Colin Wong, Co-Chair, National Federation of the Blind Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Phoenix, Arizona 

Panelists: Tasnim Alshuli, Chairperson, NFB Blind Muslim Group; Tucson, Arizona; Doula Jarboe, President, Colorado Association of the Blind, Hard of Hearing, and Deafblind; Denver, Colorado; Sanho Steele-Louchart, Chairperson, NFB LGBT Group; Norman, Oklahoma; Priscilla Yeung, Manager of Senior Programs, Society for the Blind; Sacramento, California

 2021 Banquet Speech (“Reflection, Revolution, and Race: A Growing Understanding Within the Organized Blind Movement”) 

Convention Choir Songs

"Ritmo"

Accompaniment by: Kyle Woodruff 

"You'll Never Walk Alone"

Music by: Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by: Oscar Hammerstein II 
Arrangement by: Mac Huff 
Accompaniment by: Hal Leonard Choral 
Trumpet Solo by: Chela Robles 

"Stronger Together" 

Music by Rachel Grider 
Lyrics by Rachel Grider, Based On Washington Seminar Address by Mark Riccobono 
Accompaniment by Rachel Grider 
Cello by Leslie Hamric 
Trumpet by Chela Robles