The 2023 Convention Roundup

by Gary Wunder

Introduction

Whether July 1 through July 6 found you in Houston, Texas, or glued to your Zoom device, there is no question that you found yourself proud to be at the eighty-third convention of the National Federation of the Blind. No matter how you took the ride, it was intriguing to sail deep into the heart of the Federation and to know that together we have created the greatest change agent in the history of the blind. Our job is to build and shape, and this article will describe in some detail the way the hottest gathering in Houston took on this responsibility.

In recent convention roundups, we have tried to describe many of the events that happened outside the main convention sessions. Much of this information is, however, already available in the agenda. We will certainly offer information that we get from those who attended sessions they wish to write about, but for those wanting to know the breadth and depth of the convention experience, we suggest that you look at the 2023 convention agenda which can be found at https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/2023-national-convention-agenda. Don’t hesitate to encourage divisions, committees, and group officers to make their contributions so that in future issues of this magazine you can read about what you could not attend or wish to have emphasized in our flagship publication.

The Board Meeting Arrives

The first session of the convention is always met with tremendous fanfare, and it is the board meeting of the National Federation of the Blind. Among the things we anticipate are the registration numbers at that point, words from those who do not wish to be renominated for the National Board of Directors, and then there is the always popular "great reveal,” where we learn about the location of our next annual convention.

The meeting began with all board members reporting present. President Riccobono asked that we observe a moment of silence for those who have passed in the last year, and he read a list of fifty-one people we have lost. There are always some who do not make the list, and we were invited in our silence to remember all of them.

Ever Lee Hairston was recognized to say that she no longer wishes to be considered for election to the board. It has been her honor to serve since 2010, and her purpose in leaving the board is to make way for a new person to bring their talent and energy to a position she has so much enjoyed holding. After a stirring round of applause, President Riccobono said that Ever Lee Hairston is the person he wants to be when he grows up.

Terri Rupp next asked for the floor, and, with tears in her eyes, she recounted the way she came to the Federation and how she has now decided to leave the board. Once she has devoted the energy necessary to raising her family, she may well again seek to return to the board, and the applause that greeted her announcement suggests strongly that she will be welcome.

Denise Avant next called for the floor, recapped several primary initiatives with which she has been involved, and said that she would no longer let her name be placed in nomination. "Please be assured that I am not going anywhere. I plan and pledge to help continue our movement. Remember, with love, hope, and determination, we turn blind people's dreams into reality." President Riccobono observed that Denise has taken on some of the hardest assignments there were during her tenure and in addition has been an active member of the American Bar Association, where she has continued to advance causes important to us.

Norma Crosby came to the podium to welcome us to the hottest thing happening in Houston. She said that her mother taught her an important principle in dealing with people, that being always to thank them for what they have done and continue to do. She presented an extensive list of Federationists who were involved in making this convention the fantastic success it was. In addition to all of the activities that contributed directly to the convention, the Texas Affiliate sponsored tours in which over two hundred people participated.

Norma told us that the annual book fair we conduct made it necessary for the affiliate to find space in its office for 115 boxes of Braille books. She said the book fair would happen in the afternoon, and that, in addition to all of the books that would be available, NASA was sending a retired astronaut to meet with those participating. Michael Baker had promised that not only would he be with us for a good part of the day but that he would come dressed in his flight suit.

Norma concluded her announcements by saying that about sixty-six people would be going to the Houston Astros game on Friday evening, a day after the convention concluded. Not only were they drawn by a love of baseball but also by the fact that the first pitch will be thrown by President Riccobono. On the front of the jersey the president will wear is the name of the team, that being the Houston Astros. On the back of the uniform is the name Riccobono.

The great reveal was next on the agenda, and we will be returning to the Rosen properties in Orlando, Florida. The announcement was made by Florida affiliate President Paul Martinez in English and in Spanish. He was followed by a recorded welcome from Mr. Harris Rosen, who said that this would be something of a family reunion between the Rosen staff and the Federation. We have talked with the Rosen hotels, and they are committed to providing a safe and welcoming environment for us. A statement from the Board of Directors affirming this will immediately follow this article. We are interested in knowing where you would like us to go in future years, keeping in mind that the place you recommend must have enough space for us, allowing not only for meeting space but for us to be housed in a manageable number of hotels.

President Riccobono noted that, in looking at agenda items that will occur later in the week, we will have some people on our stage who are controversial. Sometimes we invite them for the purpose of establishing relationships. Sometimes they are asked to present so that we can clearly articulate our views, which may differ from theirs. In any event, we always proceed with civility and respect, noting that disagreement can be expressed without being disagreeable.

The President talked about our commitment to the code of conduct document we have been developing since 2018. Reports continue to be received; some can be handled by our affiliates, but those involving allegations of sexual misconduct are handled by our external investigator.

Ronza Othman took the stage to talk about our Code of Conduct Feedback Committee which has, as its responsibility, learning about what we want in the code and how well the code is working. Anyone having information they would like to share with the committee should send it to [email protected] or call 410-659-9314, extension 2284. Ronza said, "We will aggregate the feedback that we will receive; we will protect the identities of anyone communicating with us; and we will use your feedback to compile recommendations for code updates and process improvement."

Our Federation has formed the Scott C. LaBarre Leadership and Justice Fund. To raise money for the fund, the National Association of Blind Lawyers is selling recordings of mock trials that were selected by Scott LaBarre. To make a purchase for twenty-two dollars, go to blindlawyers.net.

Shawn Callaway took the microphone in his capacity as the cochair of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. He reported a very spirited meeting on the day prior to this one, and he encouraged anyone with comments to write the committee at [email protected].

Denise Avant spoke on behalf of the Membership Committee, introducing Tarik Williams as her cochair and Danielle McCann as staff support for the committee. She reminded chapter presidents that there are quarterly meetings, and these are held on Thursday evening and Sunday evening, giving chapter presidents a choice as to when to attend. Notices of these calls are distributed on our NFB listservs and through our social media outlets.

The Committee also sponsors the Introduction to Blindness 101 membership recruitment calls for those who wish to talk with our leaders about barriers that may come between them and joining the Federation. These calls are held on Wednesday evenings and again are advertised widely.

Denise concluded by saying that in the last year we have recruited at least six hundred new members, and with this kind of growth, the Federation has a tremendous future ahead of it.

Carla McQuillan was invited to the microphone to present our Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award. The recognition given in 2023 represents the thirty-fifth time this award has been presented. Krystal Guillory was the winner of this award, and since she was already at the convention and planning to work at the book fair, the question was how to keep this award a surprise and get her on the stage at the board meeting. This was successfully done, and a full report of the presentation and her remarks will be found elsewhere in this issue.

The CEO of Aira, Troy Otillio, was invited to the podium to talk about special benefits in being an Aira customer who is also a member of the National Federation of the Blind. He began his remarks by saying, "Hello everyone. I'm smiling. Thank you NFB for providing the world's largest, highest-energy convention for this community, where vendors like Aira can engage our customers and partners and listen and learn. This is truly awesome, and it is really great to be here." The NFB is a strategic investor in the company, and Aira is offering for new NFB members a 20 percent discount off all its plans. Anyone interested should contact Aira at 800-835-1934. Troy also announced that Everette Bacon has been hired as Aira's vice president of strategies and blindness initiatives.

Eve Hill now serves as the General Counsel for the National Federation of the Blind, and she came to the stage for a report. She began by saying that "We are doing lots of work in public and higher education, lots of work in healthcare access, lots of work with websites and kiosks and other forms of technology, accessible technology, voting, and employment. But the word of the year is technology.” Her remarks will appear elsewhere in the fall.

The Business of Financing our Movement

Patti Chang came to the microphone in her capacity as our director of development. It is important that we thank our sponsors, not only when we are at convention but when we have occasion to deal with them during the year. A list of our sponsors follows:

Platinum:

Google
Horizon Therapeutics
Microsoft
UPS Foundation
Vanda Pharmaceuticals
Vispero
Wells Fargo

Gold:

Amazon
HumanWare
Oracle
Target
Waymo

Silver:

American Printing House
AT&T
Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP
JPMorgan Chase & Co
Lyft
Market Development Group
Pearson
Tusk Philanthropies
Uber

Bronze:

Centene Corporation
Charter Communications (Spectrum)
Cruise
Ellume
Kellogg
United Airlines
UserWay
VitalSource Technologies

White Cane:

Aira
C&P-Chris Park Technology
Central Intelligence Agency
Computers for the Blind
CVS Health
Democracy Live
En-Vision America
Envision, Inc.
GoodMaps
HIMS
IKE Smart City
Independence Science
Jackson Walker LLP
Leader Dogs for the Blind
McGraw Hill
National Industries for the Blind
National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress
Personal.AI
Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld, LLP
Saavi Services for the Blind
Tactile Engineering
The Chicago Lighthouse
VA Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention’s (OMHSP) Suicide Prevention Program (SPP)

Patti also discussed our vehicle donation program, the Lyft Round Up and Donate opportunity, and the Dream Makers Circle. Anyone interested in helping with these efforts is encouraged to contact Patti directly at [email protected] or at 410-659-9314, extension 2422.

The New Mexico Affiliate was recognized for donating to our national treasury half of what the affiliate received in a bequest. The check presented was for $144,065.65. This generous practice does much to help us carry out the work we do at all levels of the organization.

Everette Bacon made a presentation about our Give $20 Fund and encouraged that, during the convention, we give to meet the generous match made by the Aira Corporation. Sandy Halverson also took the opportunity to discuss the Shares Unlimited in the National Federation of the Blind (SUN) Fund, and coming into the convention it now has $1,627,676.64. As Sandy observed, it won't take much reviewing of the financials to realize this won’t carry us very long, but it is wise to have and to grow it.

Ryan Strunk came to the podium with the most difficult job imaginable in this year of 2023, that being to follow in the footsteps of Scott LaBarre as the chairperson of the Preauthorized Contribution Program. He said that he could never match the big booming voice that Scott brought to the task, but Ryan asked that each of us, his pack, work to see that we continue to make this the most important internal fundraising mechanism in the movement.

More Awards and Important Reports

Robin House came to the stage to present the Blind Educator of the Year award. She was joined by the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Puerto Rico, Shalmarie Arroyo Mercado. A report of this presentation will be found elsewhere in this issue.

The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults has again produced an annual calendar, this one for 2024. They are available by writing to [email protected] or by writing to the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230. Request should be made by August 31, 2023.

Tracy Soforenko made a brief presentation on behalf of the Jernigan Award Committee, noting that this year we were able to help ninety-four first-time convention attendees come to Houston. We ask that anyone with a story to tell about the way the Jernigan Fund has helped them write to [email protected]. Those who wish to leave their story using voicemail may do so at 410-659-9314, extension 2020.

Kathryn Webster took the microphone in her capacity as the chairperson of the Jacobus tenBroek Memorial Fund. Her report was one of the shortest given, but her message was quite clear: we need to support the building that houses so many of our programs, so please contribute what you can.

For many the highlight of the morning occurred when Scholarship Committee Chair Cayte Mendez was called to the stage to present the 2023 Scholarship Class. A full report of her presentation and the remarks made by the winners will appear elsewhere in this issue.

The board meeting was concluded with a presentation by Board Chairperson Pam Allen. After her warm and heartfelt remarks, the meeting was adjourned.

The Federation General Sessions Begin

At 9 a.m. on the fourth of July, the first full convention session began with the drop of the gavel by President Riccobono. A door prize was offered for those in attendance and prizes were likewise offered throughout the convention to those participating virtually. After the invocation, given by Syed Rizvi, the presentation of colors and the Pledge of Allegiance to our flag were the next order of business, and presiding over this patriotic ceremony was the president of our National Association of Blind Veterans, Vernon Humphrey. The events of the morning cannot be captured in words; thankfully they can be heard on our convention highlights page at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLW144PTYGib3jjo_BRxQHIoHMXvFQbAbb.
This will be an important link to bookmark because some events that cannot be captured here may be enjoyed there.

After changing into his Houston Astros outfit, President Riccobono introduced Norma Crosby to welcome the full convention to Texas. Part of the welcoming ceremony included a recorded presentation by the mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner. Thirteen members of our Texas Affiliate treated us to a presentation featuring mariachi music, and again the experience must be heard to be appreciated and is found at the link above.

Following the Texas welcome, President Vernon Humphrey was again called to the microphone to recognize our veterans. Thirty-three men and women were recognized, saluted, and honored with the singing of America the Beautiful.

When we moved to the roll call of states, we had fifty-one affiliates reporting. Arizona brought thirty-nine first-timers to the convention, and the affiliate was joined by several other states who also brought more than thirty first-timers to Houston. Hawaii introduced four legislative proposals, all of which passed. Following the report from the Iowa affiliate, Mrs. Sharon Omvig took the stage to thank the Federation for what it did in saving the life of her husband Jim, how it brought about a relationship between the two of them made in heaven, and the way it continues to show her support that sustains her. When it came time for the Maryland delegation to report, Ronza Othman began by acknowledging the tremendous work of Sharon Maneki, who was listening online. Ronza also acknowledged the founder of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, Barbara Cheadle. She concluded by acknowledging the passage of legislation that means that all blind people in Maryland can receive prescriptions that are labeled in a way they can read. Nevada reported that in its work with the legislature it was able to turn back efforts to do away with the accessible voting machines that are used at polling places, thereby defeating a proposal that only hand-marked paper ballots be used in the state. A parental rights bill was passed in Ohio and signed by the governor in April. The conclusion of the roll call marked the end of the morning session.

The Presidential Report and Other Momentous Events of Tuesday Afternoon

The afternoon session began with the delivery of the Presidential Report. The President was introduced for his remarks by Oriana Riccobono, perhaps a hint of leadership roles in the future and a very pleasant way to emphasize our President’s commitment to family and involvement. His report spoke eloquently to what is deep in the heart of the Federation, and it will appear immediately after the statement of the Board of Directors referenced earlier in this article. The now familiar chant of “Ric-co-bo-no” was a fitting response to such a year of progress and what we can look forward to in the future if all of us join in the effort.

The man who will ride from California to Illinois to raise money for the National Federation of the Blind was next recognized, and he amused the crowd by saying that, in his capacity as a referee for the National Hockey League, he was much more comfortable with boos than cheers. Accordingly, Dan O’Rourke was greeted a second time with a round of boos that would do credit to the most vocal hockey fans. With almost fifteen hundred games in his career and being not too far from two hundred playoff games, there is no question that Dan is a prominent figure in the world of officiating. An article about Dan's career and his ambition to help blind people was published in the May issue of this magazine. His goal is to pay tribute to his father, provide funds for blind children so that they can become literate, and to make the name of the National Federation of the Blind better known throughout the country.

President Riccobono introduced the next presentation with these words:

Well, while we are launching one endeavor, which is the Ride for Literacy, this afternoon we’re celebrating another, and this item is Reflections on Four Decades of Growing our Organization with the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. Forty years ago our movement took a leap of faith. We created a division for parents of blind children and, recognizing that although there are certainly blind parents of blind children, most of the parents who we need to bring into the blind people's movement are not blind. So we permitted the constitution to reflect that a division could be made up of non-blind people. That was a leap of faith for us. The parents took a leap of faith too by choosing to embed themselves and operate within the organized blind movement. They took a leap of faith by believing we would create a welcoming place not just for them but for the future of their children, and, in my opinion, it has made all the difference to multiple generations of blind youth in this nation. Our convention is a family event, and a huge part of that is embedding families of blind children into the convention. So here to present a special celebratory presentation on behalf of our National Organization of Parents of Blind Children in its fortieth year we have the founding first president of the division who built the foundation for what we are celebrating, and we also have the current president, because we know that while it's nice to celebrate what has been done, what is important is what we are going to do in the future. Please welcome Barbara Cheadle and Carla Keirns.

The remarks of these two outstanding women will appear in a future issue.

Partnering for Innovation and Increased Opportunities

We next addressed the topic of the Braille Flyway, a reference to the Monarch, which is a product created through the partnership of HumanWare, the American Printing House for the Blind, and the National Federation of the Blind. Presenters were Craig Meador, the president of the American Printing House for the Blind, and Bruce Miles, the president of HumanWare. The goal of the partnership is to produce a device that can display refreshable Braille and tactile graphics on the same surface. Generically this is known as a dynamic tactile device, but Monarch is the name we have chosen to represent a truly significant advance not only for blind students but for blind adults of all ages. Bruce Miles said: "Without a doubt it's our partnership with NFB that has been responsible for getting the Monarch where it is today. I know that President Riccobono said you are there to criticize, but you are there to do a whole lot more than that. The NFB has been there to answer for us the difficult questions, and thanks for that. The NFB has been there to help us make the right connections that we need to make this happen. The NFB has been there to help us break down barriers. The NFB has been our North Star, helping us and keeping us going in the right direction. And NFB has been there to encourage us that we have to keep going, even when the going gets tough. Most importantly, our partnership with NFB has allowed us to share all of this with all of you and to get your expertise, your dreams, and your ideas."

The presentations made by Craig Meador and Bruce Miles will appear in an upcoming issue. For those who receive the Braille Monitor in an audio format, you will enjoy the ending of this presentation, a song having been written to commemorate the flight of the Monarch. It is also available under the convention highlights link presented earlier.

A Museum Celebrating the Blind People’s Movement

Our last topic of the day was a discussion of the Museum of the Blind People's Movement. The panel to make this presentation was comprised of Kathryn Webster from Massachusetts, Jordyn Castor from Colorado, Marilyn Green from Illinois, Sharon Krevor-Weisbaum from Maryland, and Donald Porterfield from Arizona. Kathryn began with a powerful video that will likely be one of many in the museum that will help convey the progress of blind people in the voices of those who have made it happen. We are asking members and friends to make donations, but of equal importance is our request that each of us ask five people who may in turn make contributions to this effort. The remarks made by each member of the panel will appear in an upcoming issue.

On this enthusiastic note, the session was concluded.

Wednesday Morning: Finances, Elections, and Highlighting Advocates and Their Work

When the gavel dropped and President Riccobono called the Wednesday morning session to order, an invocation was given by the president of the NFB in Judaism Group, Stuart Proust.

Our first order of business was the presentation of the financial report. For anyone interested in a detailed review of our audit, it may be found on the NFB portal. We are pleased to say that the documents are fully accessible. There are certainly numbers in the report that are concerning because they represent spending that exceeds income, but the bulk of this has to do with significant losses in investments. We know, however, that if left untouched, the stock market and other investments pay very well, and 2022 was a difficult year for everyone who had investments on Wall Street. We are starting to see signs of recovery in 2023, so while we certainly need aggressive and ongoing fundraising, we are in good shape and will continue to carry on the work we have committed ourselves to do. Understanding all of the foregoing, the convention voted unanimously to approve the financial report.

After updates on fundraising efforts at the convention, Pam Allen was called on as the chairperson of the Nominating Committee to present its report. The committee nominated Tom Page from Kansas, Marcy Carpenter from Washington, Jessica Beecham from Colorado, Grace Pires from Rhode Island, Marilyn Green from Illinois, and Tracy Soforenko from Virginia. The motion to accept the report was made, seconded, and passed. We then proceeded to elections.

As moved by the committee, the nomination of Tom Page was seconded and his election to the board was by acclamation. Tom has been in the Federation for thirty-two years and vows to do the best job he can as a board member in giving back what has been so generously given to him.

Marcy Carpenter was next elected by acclamation. She looks forward to continuing her work on the board and especially to bringing in new members.

Jessica Beecham was nominated by the committee, and Brittany Brim nominated herself. Each candidate was invited to make a brief pitch to the convention. In the voice vote that followed, Jessica was elected. She said that when she came to her first convention in 2011 as a scholarship winner, she went to her room, cried, and vowed that she would never come back. By the end of the convention, however, she realized she had found her family of choice.

The name of Grace Pires was placed in nomination, for although she was elected last year, the term she filled had only one year remaining. Virginia Robertson from Arkansas was self-nominated, and both she and Grace explained why they should be elected. After a voice vote, Grace won reelection to the board. She said that when she attended her first convention, she knew she had found a second home. Grace said she is excited to continue the work required of those who serve on the board.

The nomination of Marilyn Green was seconded, and she was elected by acclamation. She joined the Federation in 2017, and with tears she expressed her joy at being given the opportunity to continue her service to the organization, this time on the national board.

Tracy Soforenko’s nomination was seconded, and he was elected by acclamation. Tracy said that he joined the Federation because he had needs, and when the Federation helped him meet those needs and helped him come to believe in himself, he sought to return the favor. With his election, the elections were concluded, with the new terms of those elected to begin at the conclusion of the convention.

Any organization interested in establishing its future direction will create a strategic plan. A copy of our most recent plan was published in the July issue of the Braille Monitor, and it supersedes the one we did in 2018. To discuss the strategic plan, a panel chaired by Denise Avant took the stage. Other members of the panel were Trisha Kulkarni, Sanho Steele-Louchart, Lisamaria Martinez, and Denise Brown. Ms. Avant said that the strategic planning process began with the survey that each of our members was invited to complete. Those who worked on this plan consider those of us who completed the survey to have been invaluable. The comments from this panel will appear later in the fall.

Our next presenter has been a longtime advocate for accessible technology, with much of her effort being concentrated in the communications industry. As President Riccobono observed, whether we know it or not, she has had an impact on all of our lives. Often she has been the only blind person in the room when issues surrounding accessibility and communication are discussed. She has been employed and has been an advocate since 1998, and with these remarks he introduced a lifetime member of the Seattle Chapter, Susan Mazrui. Her presentation will appear in an upcoming issue, but the question and the challenge she left us with was this: can we as Federationists work less on fixing the technology of the world by working harder to shape the world to come?

Our next presenter was a blind woman who has recently argued a case before the United States Supreme Court, the only blind woman ever to do so. Most recently she led arguments in the court of appeals for the Federation on behalf of Joe Orozco. She has been nominated by President Biden to serve as general counsel for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and this is a nomination the Federation has enthusiastically supported. With these remarks, President Riccobono introduced Karla Gilbride.

Karla was the winner of a national scholarship in 1998, and though she had a reputation for not always listening to adults as she grew up, she did listen to the National Federation of the Blind and its positive philosophy about blindness. She also brings to life a strong set of blindness skills, the determination to speak, and the resolve to see that what she says counts. Her outstanding remarks will appear in an upcoming issue.

At the completion of Karla's message, President Riccobono asked the crowd whether we thought she should be confirmed by the United States Senate. We hope that the thunderous response in the affirmative will make it clear that the organized blind believe she should be the next General Counsel of the EEOC.

The afternoon festivities began with a virtual convention warm-up show as they did throughout the week. Shawn Callaway is the president of our District of Columbia affiliate, and he was invited to start the show by talking about some of his favorite activities during the convention. He said he was tremendously impressed with the diversity that he saw in the gathering, was loving the program, and was really looking forward to what was to come. Commendations for the staff of The Hilton Americas-Houston were universal, and everyone was interested in what the upcoming session would bring.

Changing the Direction of a Relationship, Advocacy and Policy Work, and Resolutions for 2023

The Wednesday afternoon session opened and door prizes were given to virtual and in-person attendees, the first presentation was made by Eve Hill. We have known Eve in many capacities, but the one thing that is always clear in her presentations is that she hates injustice and pursues civil rights with her entire being. Eve began with a tremendous recitation about the legal history of advocacy pursued by the National Federation of the Blind and concluded by talking about the new initiatives and the emphasis on our legal efforts. Her remarks will appear in full later in the fall.

President Riccobono introduced our next presenter by going through a bit of the history that the National Federation of the Blind has had with the American Foundation for the Blind. Sometimes we have been able to work together, but often we have found ourselves on different sides of the most essential question in matters concerning the blind: who shall speak for the blind? Shall it be those who have invested time in getting an education and drawing their salaries to assist the blind, or shall it be those who live each day dealing with the authentic experience of being blind? Shall the wants and the needs of the blind be articulated by an organization for the blind or by leaders of an organization elected by blind people? As the title in the agenda indicates, we have invited the current president of the Foundation, Eric Bridges, with the hope that the next decade will be better than the century that preceded it.

In his presentation, Mr. Bridges talked about programs of the AFB that he believes have not been thoroughly publicized due to changes in leadership, but he believes they are significant in contributing to the journey of blind people in becoming all that they want to be. In terms of the future, he said, "What I want for us moving forward is to have an open and honest relationship with the consumer organizations. I want us to be able to collaborate when it makes sense for us to collaborate. I want us to have a good working relationship at a bare minimum."

At the conclusion of his presentation, Mr. Bridges was asked by Immediate Past President Maurer whether the American Foundation for the Blind opposed the payment of subminimum wages in any program serving the blind. Mr. Bridges said that he could not answer at the moment but that he would get back with us before the day was out. He said that he had his own opinion, but as a relative newcomer to the Foundation, he would research the question and then give us the Foundation’s position by the end of the day. The presentation by Mr. Bridges and the subsequent follow-up can be heard using the convention highlights link presented earlier.

A report from our Advocacy and Policy Team followed, with its executive director taking the lead. The team is informally known as the four J’s: John Paré, Jeff Kaloc, Justin Young, and Jesse Shirek. Each made presentations that discussed specific programs and the legislation we are supporting. The remarks made by each of them will appear in full later in the fall.

At the conclusion of the Advocacy and Policy Team's report, President Riccobono introduced a video from the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg. His remarks were intended to follow up on the convention presentation he made two years ago. In the video, the Secretary pointed to several important initiatives regarding the disabled, though he clearly did not forcefully address our concerns about the paperwork required to fly when accompanied by a guide dog and what we perceive as the utter foolishness of the procedures involved in filling out the forms and then either having them ignored or causing unnecessary delays while being reviewed. Secretary Buttigieg’s remarks will appear later in the fall.

Donald Porterfield is the new chairperson of our Resolutions Committee, and he was introduced to present sixteen resolutions that were considered by the convention. An article containing the text of all resolutions that were passed will appear elsewhere in this issue.

Before concluding the session, President Riccobono announced he had received a letter from Mr. Bridges within thirty to forty minutes of his presentation answering the question he was asked about subminimum wages. In that email was a paper released in 2020 saying that the Foundation is against the payment of subminimum wages and fully supports the abolishment of them. The convention liked both the message and its timeliness. On this encouraging note, the afternoon session was adjourned.

Thursday Morning: Artificial Intelligence, and What we have a Right to Expect of our Technology

As on other days from July 1 to 6, Thursday morning started with what is called the preshow convention activities for those attending virtually. In NFB lore this is known as the longest day of the convention, but, as Anil Lewis said, “I may be exhausted today, but I'll always have tomorrow to rest up.” All of our hosts were very impressed by the three-hour talent show that took place from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. the previous evening. The winner of that talent show walked away with $200, and other prizes were awarded as well. See the report of the division later in this issue.

The morning invocation was offered by Dan Frye, a man well-known to Monitor readers. What some may not know is that he is completing work at a seminary to become a minister in the Unitarian Universalist Church.

The first presenter of the morning was Suman Kanuganti, the founder of Aira and now the owner of Personal AI. He was attending his eighth consecutive national convention and reminded us that at his first he was one of the 2,480 people who helped set a Guinness World Record in our umbrella mosaic.

Interestingly he tackles the question of what makes us human; what is unique to the human experience. This synopsis will not be a spoiler, but you may read the comments that he made about artificial intelligence and his chat with our president as embodied in the artificial intelligence information that President Riccobono has given to the system. It is fair to say that Suman does not believe in the dystopian future of AI as so often portrayed in newspaper headlines, television shows, and movies. The remarks of this innovative and enthusiastic man will appear in an upcoming issue.

Continuing with the theme of artificial intelligence, the next presenter was the chief executive officer of Be My Eyes, a company that won a Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award in 2018. With this as background, President Riccobono introduced Mike Buckley.

Mr. Buckley thanked the NFB for its support and the invitation to speak. He reminded us that some of the core values of Be My Eyes include that it will always be free and that the service is all about safety, equity, and choice. In addition to the volunteers who help us, the service is adding artificial intelligence and a new group feature that will let us define fifteen to twenty of our trusted family and friends for those special tasks where we need more than the opinion of a stranger. Mr. Buckley’s remarks will appear in an upcoming issue.

Certain names we associate with quality, whether those names relate to products or people. Jonathan Mosen is a person whose name evokes qualities such as competence, intelligence, objectivity, warmth, and a desire to help other people who are blind. No one will be surprised when we say without reservation that Jonathan clearly fulfilled any expectations we had in inviting him to the convention stage of the National Federation of the Blind. In his presentation, he defines, in terms that any layperson can understand, what inaccessibility and the inability to use certain functions mean to blind people. With equal clarity he reveals how intolerable those situations would be were sighted people asked to accept them. He also suggests a plan to address these deficits in usability and hopes that organizations around the world will adopt it. Jonathan's speech will appear prominently in the October issue.

President Riccobono introduced our next guest by again providing some important history. The presenter was Shir Ekerling, and he is the chief executive officer of accessiBe. The purpose of accessiBe is to assist businesses in presenting to the world websites that are usable for people who are blind and those with other disabilities. When we first came in contact with the company, much of its advertising strongly suggested that this could be done with the insertion of code into one's website, the task taking less than two minutes. The emphasis in the initial advertising was to attract businesses with the promise that they would not be sued by people with disabilities because of website inaccessibility. The Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind said, and the convention concurred, that this advertising was completely unacceptable. We also had serious questions about whether the insertion of a piece of code that would enable the artificial intelligence provided by accessiBe to discern the intent of a company's website owners to be adequately displayed with screen-reading technology truly represented the capabilities of the system. For this reason we declined to accept accessiBe as a sponsor and passed a resolution demanding change.

AccessiBe did not throw up its hands and go away. While it continued to seek customers and gain revenue, it also decided to do extensive work to get to know the National Federation of the Blind and to regard our concerns as constructive criticism rather than hostile reactions. An apology was submitted to the National Federation of the Blind Board of Directors and was included in the May edition of the Braille Monitor. With the hope of beginning to build the trust that is essential to the relationship we must achieve, Shir Ekerling was invited to the stage to talk about that apology, the activities that have taken place over the last several years, and to explain to us his commitment to changing the focus of accessiBe so that it actively works not only with the technical problem of web access but also seeks to be directed by the beneficiaries of this technology and other services the company provides. In his remarks Shir said, "In the last two years, we have been working night and day, alongside many disability community leaders, individuals, and organizations, to change and transform a lot of what we do following the NFB's 2021 resolutions regarding overlay products and accessibility. The NFB guidance was clear, instrumental, and very much appreciated. Today I am happy to tell you that we have addressed all the points you brought forth in your 2021 resolution." The remarks of accessiBe's Chief Executive Officer will appear in an upcoming issue, as will the question directed to him at that time. For this brief overview, let it be sufficient to say that both accessiBe and the NFB agree that trust must be built, that it will take time, and that, as important as they are, apologies and presentations can only be the starting place for that trust. The relationship we want will require tangible results in terms of candidness in advertising, the usefulness of the services, and the continued willingness of each of us to communicate openly and honestly with one another.

Curtis Chong is no stranger to members of the National Federation of the Blind. He has lived in several states and has been an active participant in these affiliates as well as in national activities. He is known for his technical prowess but is admired even more for his skills in relating to and helping blind people without regard to their technical competence. In his remarks, he discussed the frustration of blind people when we encounter unusable technology, the proliferation of websites that are not accessible, the certainty that overlay technologies will exist and must be held accountable for doing what they say, and the necessity that blind people continue to call on companies when they fall short of making the use of their website as easy for blind people as it is for those with sight. His common-sense presentation reflecting tremendous technical knowledge and user experience will appear later in the fall.

We’ve got a Ticket to Ride: Ensuring our Right to Use it

When measuring the frustration level of blind people, it is hard to know whether the biggest problem is inaccessible technology or unresponsive rideshare companies. Last year we passed a resolution taking to task Uber and Lyft for policies that clearly discriminate against blind people and especially those of us who use guide dogs. Liza Winship came on behalf of Uber, acknowledged the bad behavior that caused last year’s resolution to be written and passed, and pledged to continue the effort of the company to make rideshare more equitable for blind people. "We are in this; we are going to get it right.," she said.… "If you will accept us as partners, please hear our willingness and our enthusiasm in building on this together." The remarks of Ms. Winship and the comments made before and after her presentation by President Riccobono will appear in an upcoming issue.

An Anniversary is not just a Celebration but a Chance to recommit ourselves to a Goal

Our next presenter was the chairperson of the National Council on Disabilities, Mr. Andrés Gallegos. His message as we approach the thirty-third anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act was clear: while we have made substantial progress, there is much to be done. We must acknowledge that many of us live in poverty, that much of the technology we use is not fully accessible, that many devices we should be able to use to monitor and improve our healthcare are not independently useable, and that far too few of us hold a job that will let us enjoy the full benefits of citizenship. These thoughtful and hard-hitting remarks will appear in an upcoming issue.

Jason Broughton, the Director of the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, made our last presentation of the morning. The director said that he is well aware of the perils of standing between an audience and its lunch. In his remarks, he talked about the popularity of the Braille e-reader and the hope that it will be available in all fifty states by the end of the year. A new audio player is under development that will have the familiar cartridge slot in the front but will also be equipped to download books without the need for a cartridge. Last, but certainly not least, it looks like NLS will again be moving back to the Library of Congress, although this move will occur in several phases and will take some time. Nevertheless, there is a commitment on behalf of the leadership at the Library of Congress to move from the rented facilities now being used and thereby save the money that is being expended on them. The move will begin in 2024, and the director promises no disruption of service as a result. His remarks will appear in an upcoming issue.

Recognizing Accomplishment, Acknowledging Stronger Relationships, Appreciating Growth through the Federation Family, and Hearing from Members of Congress, Past and Present

For the next to last preshow of the convention, Melissa Riccobono, Danielle McCann, Anil Lewis, and Chris Danielsen reviewed the morning's activities and were moved and inspired by them. Their reactions to Mark Riccobono's artificial intelligence incarnation were interesting and worth a listen. They were also joined by Sharon Maneki, and though she sounded tired, as anyone recovering from an illness would be, it was wonderful to hear her voice and to realize that she was participating in the convention virtually.

For the sixteenth annual presentation of the Jacob Bolotin awards, chairperson Everette Bacon was invited to the stage. Everett began by observing that we have given away seventy-five Bolotin awards; after the presentation, we will be up to eighty-one. Everett's remarks were followed by an eight-and-a-half minute video and then the presentation of the awards. A full report of this exciting presentation will appear later in this issue.

As in so many cases, knowing the history of our relationship with a given entity is important. So it is with the AbilityOne Commission. It is not only helpful but gratifying in this case to see the transformation that is occurring. It was very revolutionary when NFB members, who had previously complained about the process from the outside, began to emerge as part of the Commission that actually ran the programs. James Omvig and Anil Lewis are notable pioneers for going where Federationists were definitely in the minority and, at least at the beginning of their terms, not well regarded. Currently there are now four citizen members, and the remarks that will appear later in the fall from AbilityOne’s Chai Feldblum are a tremendous testament to the progress being made in the program and our relationship with it.

To speak with us about initiatives sponsored by our own Blindness Initiatives Department, Anil Lewis next came to the stage. He began his presentation by saying that we are the most intimidating audience he speaks to every year, and that he loves all of us, though he may not like all of us. The crowd responded in the way that a family responds to truths that are always known but seldom spoken. As he always does, Anil got us moving and clapping, not only in the celebration of the programs that we carry on but in anticipation of those that will soon bear our name and continue our work of changing the opportunities for blind people. Anil's remarks will appear in a later issue.

President Riccobono announced our registration numbers, and 2,489 people joined us in person for the convention. Additionally, 1,180 people participated virtually.

Mary Fernandez came to a national program of the Federation in 2006 when she participated in our Youth Slam Rocket On program. She has been actively involved since that time, and she now works as the lead accessibility consultant for Cisco Systems.

Mary’s presentation offered tremendous insights about growing up as a blind person, being rebellious, slowly moving towards enlightenment, and the value of stubbornness, not the first time that word was credited with resistance and then acceptance. This is a presentation in which almost every line has enough meaning that one could write an essay from it, and I hope that all who read it in an upcoming issue will enjoy it as much as I have. With a generous monetary pledge for the mother who did so much to shape her personality, Mary made these remarks before leaving the stage: "Education has been the touchstone of my success, my mother the unwavering support, and the NFB the community that has helped me and on whose shoulders I stand."

Representative Sheila Jackson Lee was a featured speaker at one of our Washington Seminars, but it was on this day that she addressed the convention for the first time. The representative began her speech by acknowledging not only those who are visible and active in leadership but also by commending several of the speakers preceding her with words that demonstrated a real understanding and appreciation of and for their messages. She has served in the House of Representatives for fourteen terms and has declared her candidacy to fill the job as the mayor of Houston.

Representative Lee’s appreciation of us is that we show up, and her advice is that we continue to show up any time we can. Showing up is key to being heard, to being seen, and to making a difference. "In this week when we all become red, white, and blue, we are teary-eyed about the birth of this nation, the birth of freedom and democracy. This is the right week for you to have been here from July 1 to be able to commemorate the nation's birthday founded on freedom and democracy for all – for all. You are much more than the visually impaired; you are hope for those who experience the world through sound, sensation, and touch; you make sure that they have the freedom to pursue the American dream. This is what July 4, the nation's birthday, is all about." These spirited remarks are captured on our convention highlight page and definitely merit listening by those who wish to be inspired through Representative Lee's patriotism, commitment to American values, and the belief that all of us should have an equal chance at the promise America delivers to the most privileged of her citizens.

At the conclusion of her remarks, Congresswoman Lee gave President Riccobono a resolution commending the National Federation of the Blind on its eighty-third year of advocacy, and the resolution she presented has been placed in the Congressional Record.

Introducing the final presentation of the day, President Riccobono reverently recognized former representative Tony Coelho, the man universally credited as the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In his brief remarks, Representative Coelho talked about the maturity of the disability movement, the role blind people have played in it, and the fact that he actively supports all of our legislation and is a great fan of our director of advocacy and policy, John Paré. The representative’s remarks will be published in a future issue.

The 2023 Banquet Festivities

The last pre-session show, in keeping with its predecessors, was outstanding and represented the satisfaction that is felt after the intensity of a national convention and the promise of still more to come from the banquet. After an invocation presented by Louis Maher, we heard from Sharon Maneki who, despite illness, managed to be an active and ever-present force during the convention. Sharon thanked everyone for the Bolotin Award received earlier in the day, and she assured us all that, though her banquet celebration was considerably smaller than the one we were in, it was nevertheless spirited and delightful.

A video thanking the sponsors of our scholarship program was offered and, at its end, received enthusiastic applause.

Everette Bacon took the microphone in his capacity as the chair of the White Cane Committee and announced that in our Give $20 campaign, we not only matched the $25,000 given by Aira but managed to raise $37,601 with six hundred contributors.

Chairperson Ryan Strunk said that our effort to attract new people to the PAC program and the dollars it raises both increased. We were able to raise monthly pledges by $12,762, meaning that we have an annualized total of $471,496.

The highlight of the banquet is always the banquet speech, which embodies the experience, the reflection, and the resolve of the person we have chosen to lead our movement. What a challenge it is to deal with the day-to-day details of an organization such as ours and still be able to see the big picture, explain it in a way that is both understandable and entertaining, and outline what work the future will require of us to achieve the dreams we share together. We are the blind people's movement, and we are centered by what blind people want, need, and direct us to pursue. As he made clear in his speech, the blindness-centered approach receives about 2 percent of the financial support given to blind people by the public, the rest going to what our leader calls the vision industrial complex. The remarks of our president will appear prominently in this issue and will become an invaluable part of the body of literature that explains who we are, why we exist, and the world we are intent on shaping for blind people.

For many years we have had the honor of hearing from Raymond Kurzweil immediately following the banquet speech. Each year he manages to both comment on the speech and add his own personal remarks about the past, present, and future of the National Federation of the Blind, its unshakable place in advancing civil rights, and its essential role in seeing that new technology does not leave blind people behind but in fact is used to enhance our ability to live in a world primarily comprised of sighted people. The introduction made by Pam Allen and the remarks of Dr. Kurzweil are both found on our convention highlights page, and anyone who takes the time to listen to them will be encouraged and uplifted by being a part of our organization.

In addition to the many roles that she plays in our organization, Pam Allen is also the chairperson of the Jacobus tenBroek Award Committee. The comments she made about Jacobus tenBroek, the words she said about the award winner, and the comments that this year's recipient made are found elsewhere in this issue.

John Paré was recognized to present a unique award to a very special person. The recipient of this award was Tony Coelho, and the remarks he made and those of John Paré will appear elsewhere in this issue.

Mary Ellen Jernigan came to the podium to present the Kenneth Jernigan Award. Like the tenBroek Award, this is issued only as often as we decide someone merits its presentation. Mrs. Jernigan's remarks and those of the winner are found elsewhere in this issue.

For thirty people in the room, the highlight of the banquet was about to commence as their 2023 Scholarship Class was recognized. The remarks made by Chairperson Cayte Mendez and the presentation made by the winner of the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship appear elsewhere in this issue.

Immediate Past President Maurer came to the podium and reminded us that Dr. Kenneth Jernigan came to his last convention twenty-five years ago. It goes without saying that in his time President Jernigan set the bar high for what it means to be the president of this organization. This he did through the energy he put into being its executive officer, the attention he gave to selecting a successor, and his good judgment in picking Marc Maurer. In turn in 2014 it fell to then President Maurer to recommend to the convention that his successor be Mark Riccobono. As he begins his ninth year as our president, it is clear that Mark Riccobono was an excellent choice, and Former President Maurer wished to express his gratitude for the service of Mark Riccobono and his belief that our president will continue to uphold the high standards set by his predecessors.

After the drawing of a door prize befitting the state of Texas and our affiliate there, President Riccobono took the microphone to conclude our 2023 convention. He asked that all of the members of the Dream Makers Circle rise for a brief moment of recognition, and the applause of the convention certainly conveyed the appreciation he intended. The president thanked Dr. Maurer for his remarks and thanked us for the challenge, saying that it is only because we expect a lot that he is able to give what he does as we do the work of the blind people's movement.

Concluding Thoughts on the Convention and the Movement that Inspired It

As the gavel dropped on the convention, several strong impressions continue to resonate. One is the power of community and how much more we can do together than we can do separately. The second is the importance of unity: the effort to keep top of mind those things that unite us and to make a real effort at understanding those that will divide us if we let them. The third great take-away was the value of stubbornness, the characteristic that keeps us pushing for what we need in the face of denial. From this denial comes the unshakeable resolve to change our part of the world and live as the first-class citizens we are. This is the reason for and the pledge of the blind people’s movement, and nowhere was it better represented than in our 2023 National Convention and in the work of our Federation.