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News from the Federation Family

Come to the Carnival:
The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults is celebrating its 100th anniversary by bringing to the 2019 National Convention the best indoor carnival ever. It will have games, prizes, and the premier of a special book, Pedro and the Octopus. The book was written by Deborah Kent Stein and illustrated by Ann Cunningham. When his big sister, Lena, warns Pedro that octopuses have lots of sticky arms for catching kids, he isn't too sure that a family trip to the beach will be fun. Pretty soon, though, he gets caught up in the excitement of walking in the sand with his long white cane, finding shells and stones to put into his pail, and playing in the waves. With its print and Braille text, and Ann Cunningham's captivating illustrations that appeal to both vision and touch, this unique picture book can be enjoyed by both blind and sighted readers.

At the carnival, the American Action Fund will be giving away 100 of these books, and the book will also be available for sale in the Independence Market at a cost of thirty-five dollars.
The carnival will be held on July 9 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Please check the convention agenda for the room location.

Come and help the American Action Fund celebrate a century of service to the blind and have a great time in the bargain.

Regional Seminar for Blind Parents in August:
The NFB of Colorado is hosting what we envision as a regional seminar for blind parents and are inviting parents and grandparents from around the country to come out August 23 and 24 for the event. The seminar will take place at the Colorado Center for the Blind in Littleton.

The seminar will include discussions of our legal rights, tools for self-advocacy, and resources provided by the NFB. We will have tracks for parents based on the ages of children (infants, school-age and tweens and teens) that include everything from introducing important soft skills to hands-on use of accessible equipment and alternative techniques. We'll also have a dedicated track for grandparents and activities for your kids running at the same time.

We'll have plenty of opportunities for discussion among participants, networking with other blind parents, and get a keynote address from Melissa Riccobono, first lady of the NFB.

The agenda will be posted by mid-June on theblindcoloradan.blogspot.com as well as on the Colorado Info channel on NFB-NEWSLINE®.
 
The cost of the event is $25 per person or $50 per family, with registration available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/blind-parents-seminar-tickets-61853819439.

For more information, contact Maureen Nietfeld at 215-353-7218.

From Imagineering Our Future:
This originally appeared in the May 16, 2019, Imagineering Our Future, and it is an eloquent reminder about the role advocacy plays in being a Federationist:

President's Letter

Dear Friends,

In the National Federation of the Blind you frequently hear about the big, bold, advocacy initiatives we are taking on—such as getting the Marrakesh Treaty ratified by the United States. While those efforts are important, the critical aspect of what we do happens at the individual level, where we teach blind people to be their own best advocate.

We recognize that as a blind person, if you know the laws and understand your rights, you are the most authentic spokesperson for yourself. Thus, much of our work centers around training each other to self-advocate and backing each other up with more support as needed. We know from our decades of experience that both are essential.

My wife Melissa, who also happens to be blind, and I often have to attend educational team meetings to advocate for our two daughters who receive services in the public schools because of their blindness. Thank goodness we both have received training from the National Federation of the Blind network, and fortunately we have each other and the support of our friends in the Federation. If we did not have that background and support, those meetings would be even more emotionally taxing than they already are. Melissa also spends a lot of her time going to meetings to support other families, But, despite our best efforts, we know there are so many families and blind people who are not yet connected with us; as a result, they are fighting against the artificial barriers all alone.

Advocacy is one of the most important reasons for us to connect with blind people and their families. When we do, we teach them that they are not alone, we empower them with the tools to raise their own expectations, and we connect them with an unparalleled network that will be a lifelong resource for them to continue to be strong advocates for themselves.

As part of our network, you are an important component of this self-advocacy training and support program. Thank you for your role in raising expectations for the blind every day.

Sincerely,

Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind

Advocacy—Our Vision and Objectives

The National Federation of the Blind has been advocating and teaching self-advocacy for more than seventy-eight years. At first we worked to gain economic security for blind people. The next generation focused more on civil rights. Now we are well known for our efforts to protect students, veterans, blind children, blind workers, and senior citizens losing vision. Along the way NFB taught tens of thousands of blind people to advocate for themselves politely, persistently, and persuasively.

The third pillar of our strategic plan aims even higher. Our vision reads:

The National Federation of the Blind is the leading advocate for all blind Americans in areas such as education, employment, transportation, voting, and civil rights. Blind people, their families, agencies for the blind, corporations, and the government turn to our organization for expert advice on programs, skills building, encouragement, nonvisual access, and technology that levels the playing field for blind people.

Our objectives are:

• To strengthen the advocacy capacity of National Federation of the Blind members;
• To establish and strengthen our relationships with industry and federal, state, and local government officials; and
• To increase public support to achieve acceptance, full integration, and equal opportunity of blind people.

We will reach our goals with love, hope, and determination. You can read our strategic plan in the February 2019 Braille Monitor or online at: https://www.nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.org/files/ publications/bm/bm19/bm1902/bm190202.htm

In Brief

Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for space and clarity.

New and Unique Travel Site for the Blind:
On June 3, 2019, Holman Prizewinner Stacy Cervenka launched the Blind Travelers’ Network, an online platform to connect blind and visually impaired people with information and resources for nonvisual accessibility in countries around the world. The platform hosts blog posts, reviews, discussion boards, and event listings to help users expand their horizons, leave their comfort zone behind, and explore new places.

Never before has there been a website exclusively dedicated to the global travel opportunities for blind people; the Blind Travelers’ Network underscores the growing ability of blind people worldwide to explore independently.

Cervenka, who is blind, birthed the idea for the platform after she and her husband Greg, who is also blind, sought to enjoy a leisurely horseback riding lesson at a ranch, only to encounter obstacles and disrespect in response to their blindness. The staff infantilized the couple and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act; Cervenka took legal action and wanted to share her experience with other blind people.

“I wanted to post about our experience on Yelp, but I knew that it could be months or years before another blind person wanted to go horseback riding at this stable and, by then, my review would likely be hundreds of reviews down the page,” Cervenka said. “I wished there was a centralized place where I could post a review of this stable where other blind people who needed to see it could do so.”

With the creation of the Blind Travelers’ Network, there now is, and it contains information about traveling with a cane in China, paragliding in Torrey Pines, and beach-going in Sydney. The platform was also influenced by Cervenka’s experience planning a cruise for her honeymoon, where the largest online aggregate of cruise information provided her ample detail about various cruise lines, cruise ships, and ports of call, but none about nonvisual accessibility. She realized that there was a need for a central platform with this information. Cervenka has also used social media to share her travel experiences with other blind people, who have historically contacted her directly with questions. Now, she hopes to scale this level of communication and community-building with the Blind Travelers’ Network and also to make this information publicly available.

The Holman Prize, of The LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco, selects three winners a year to challenge conventions of blind ambition and perceptions of blind ability. Created specifically for legally blind individuals with a penchant for exploration, the Prize provides financial backing–up to $25,000–for three individuals to explore the world and push their limits. To visit the Blind Travelers’ Network, go to blindtravelersnetwork.org.

For all inquiries, please contact [email protected].

Maryland Settles Discrimination Case by Blind Inmates for $1.4 Million: National Federation of the Blind Assisted Blind Inmates Challenging Disability Discrimination

Annapolis, Maryland (June 5, 2019): Nine current and former Maryland prison inmates have settled their discrimination lawsuit, Brown v. Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, for $1.4 million in damages and attorneys’ fees. The Maryland Board of Public Works has just approved the settlement payment. Under the settlement, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) will modify prison procedures and provide assistive technology for the blind to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The lawsuit, brought with the assistance of the Baltimore-based National Federation of the Blind and the Prisoner Rights Information System of Maryland (PRISM), alleged that DPSCS denied the blind inmates access to prison jobs, kept them in prison longer, denied them access to prison programs and information, and put them in danger because of their disabilities. Specifically, because they were blind, the inmates were housed at a medium-security prison, even when they were eligible for lower security or for programs at the state’s twenty-six other facilities. Blind inmates were also excluded from the prison work programs that allow prisoners to learn job skills and earn higher wages and credits off their sentences.

The suit further alleged that the blind prisoners did not have equal access to prison services and privileges available to other inmates because the prison communicates with inmates primarily in print, but made no accommodations for inmates who could not see. The ADA, enacted in 1990, prohibits discrimination against inmates with vision disabilities and requires state agencies, including prisons, to ensure “equally effective communication” with blind and low-vision inmates. The plaintiffs in the case alleged that the prison’s discrimination denied them the ability to communicate and endangered their safety. They had to rely on other inmates to help them navigate prison facilities, read their mail (including attorney-client communications), read the rules in the inmate handbook, use the commissary and prison library, file grievances and requests for medical attention, and more. Not surprisingly, this subjected them to mistreatment by other inmates, who took advantage of the blind prisoners’ need for help by extorting money, commissary items, and even sex.

Some of the changes that DPSCS will make under the settlement agreement include:

• Setting up computers with text-to-speech screen reader software, document scanners, and other assistive technology in the prison library, classrooms, and other locations to allow blind prisoners to conduct research and read and prepare documents independently;
• Ensuring that blind inmates have access to qualified human readers and scribes who meet certain security and disciplinary criteria; and
• Providing training for blind inmates in skills that will allow them greater independence.

“These blind inmates do not seek special treatment,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “They seek only equal and independent access to the same facilities, services, and privileges that are available to other inmates. Lack of that access has not only denied them their rights but led to a nightmare of extortion, threats, and violence. We are happy the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services has agreed to make changes and hope that corrections officials throughout the nation take note. The National Federation of the Blind will continue to fight for the rights of our blind brothers and sisters, including those behind bars.”

Background: A National Problem
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, about 7 percent of state and federal prisoners have vision disabilities, significantly higher than the 2 percent of people not in prison. As people age in prison, that number increases to 15 percent. According to the report “Making Hard Time Harder” by the Amplifying Voices of Inmates with Disabilities Project at Disability Rights Washington, “While prison is hard for everyone, incarceration is even more challenging for inmates with disabilities. Research shows that inmates with disabilities are sentenced to an average of fifteen more months in prison as compared to other inmates with similar criminal convictions. The time they serve is also harder, with more sanctions imposed and less access to positive programming than other inmates.”

Abused, Depressed, and “Frightened All the Time”
Gregory Hammond, one of the plaintiffs, lost his sight in prison due to multiple sclerosis. He says of his experiences: “I wanted to work in one of the vocational shops at the prison to reduce my sentence and learn some skills for when I got out, but they said blind people weren’t allowed to work in the shops. They assigned me an inmate walker to guide me around instead of letting me use a white cane or teaching me how to navigate myself. Then they made me share a cell with him and he stole from me because I was blind and couldn’t see my things. He assaulted me because I bumped into his TV, and I couldn’t defend myself. And I had to depend on him for everything—going out of my cell, reading mail or rules, writing medical slips. I even had to pay him to write the medical slip to get help for the injuries he gave me. But they still would not give me a single cell. Later, when my MS acted up, no one would write a medical slip for me, so I was paralyzed in my bed overnight. Inmates I had to pay to read my mail for me even went after my family. One threatened to hook up with my mother because, while he was reading my mail, he saw a picture of her. Another wrote obscene letters to my little sister because he got her picture and address from reading my mail. I couldn’t ask them to write grievances about themselves, even if I could have afforded to, and the computers in the library weren’t accessible for the blind, so I couldn’t do anything. I was mentally abused and powerless, and it changed me. It made me depressed. I was scared and frightened all the time. And it's hard to cope when you are a grown man and you have to depend on someone else, another inmate, to help you, and he's just taking advantage of you.”

Messages of Joy:
I have compiled a short book of my favorite scriptures on joy. This book is about twenty pages, and I hope it will be a blessing to you. It is available in grade one Braille, grade two US Braille, and grade two Unified English Braille. The cost is $12, including shipping.

Please call or email me to order this book. My phone number is 804-328-1831, and my email is [email protected]

Blind Employee Sues Los Angeles County for Discrimination:
National Federation of the Blind Supports Sharon Watson in Fight for Her Legal Rights

For Sharon Watson, a blind licensed clinical social worker with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health since 2004, it was bad enough that the county deployed software—the Integrated Behavioral Health Information System (“IBHIS”)—that wouldn’t work with her text-to-speech screen reader in 2014. The department has made matters even worse by refusing to provide Dr. Watson with a dedicated, qualified reader to help her complete the administrative tasks that she can no longer accomplish independently. And to add insult to injury, Ms. Watson has faced discriminatory accusations related to her job performance, even though her alleged low productivity has been caused by the county’s failures to accommodate her disability.

After trying to resolve the situation with the county for the past five years, Ms. Watson filed suit this week in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Her lawsuit alleges violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. Ms. Watson seeks a court order requiring the county to provide her with a qualified reader with the sole or prioritized task of assisting her, declaring that the county has violated state and federal law by deploying the inaccessible IBHIS system, and awarding her compensatory and punitive damages as well as attorneys’ fees. She is being represented by Anna R. Levine and Timothy R. Elder of the TRE Legal Practice, with the support of the National Federation of the Blind.

“The National Federation of the Blind is dedicated to promoting accessible technology in the workplace and beyond and to fighting for the legal rights of blind employees,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “We will not tolerate a situation in which Los Angeles County deploys inaccessible technology, refuses to accommodate a blind employee affected by that unlawful decision, and then threatens her career and livelihood by blaming her for problems of its own making.”

Monitor Mart

The notices in this section have been edited for clarity, but we can pass along only the information we were given. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the statements made or the quality of the products for sale.

APH Cassette Recorder Wanted:
I am looking for an APH recorder that plays and records four track cassettes. If anyone has one of these they can part with, please call Ronnie Palmer at 615-765-7375.

NFB Pledge

I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.