_______________________________________________________________________________
Vol. 67, No. 11 December 2024
Gary Wunder, Editor
Chris Danielsen, Associate Editor
Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash drive, by the
National Federation of the Blind
Mark Riccobono, President
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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.
ISSN 0006-8829
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Vol. 67, No. 11 December 2024
Convention Bulletin 2025
Announcing a New Editor and Why It Should Matter to You
by Mark Riccobono
Reflections on and Appreciation for My Time as Editor
by Gary Wunder
Neither Dog nor Cane nor Blindness Should Deprive Us of a Ride
by Chris Danielsen
A Mountain, a Waterfall, a Cracked Pool, and a Christmas Tree Color Wheel
by Ray McGeorge
We Need Your Help
Beyond the Reason Why
by Edwin Cooney
Leading Courageously in Art: Poetry, Sensibility, and Aesthetics of Sharing Our Unseen Stories
by Set Hernandez
A Blind, Black Education Pioneer
by Peggy Chong
GAAD Is Good – But it's not Enough
by Peter Slatin
From the President's Desk
by Mark Riccobono
The 2025 Washington Seminar Approaches
by Kyle Walls
A Proclamation on Blind Americans Equality Day, 2024
To See and Not to See: Helping Students with Cortical Visual Impairment Access the Resources They Need
by Stephanie Duesing
Today's Artificial Intelligence: Our Future for Reading and Writing STEM?
by Al Maneki
Announcing an Exciting Update to the NFB 2025 Scholarship Program
by Cayte Mendez
2025 Writing Contest Guidelines
by Officials of the Writers' Division
Copyright 2024 by the National Federation of the Blind
Join us Tuesday, July 8 through Sunday, July 13, 2025, at the New Orleans Marriot for our annual National Convention!
Thousands of white canes tapping. The sweet smell of pralines cooking. And the soulful music playing. We are going back to The Big Easy.
The National Federation of the Blind and the city of New Orleans share a storied history. The Federation was still a teenager when we first held our national convention in New Orleans in 1957. The blind people’s movement has returned to the Crescent City another four times across the decades, including our 1997 convention when we set our in-person attendance record. In the summer of 2025, our Louisiana affiliate will welcome us once again to New Orleans for the National Federation of the Blind’s eighty-fifth annual convention. Join us as we add to this rich storied history.
The Marriott New Orleans will serve as our headquarters hotel while right across the street is the Sheraton New Orleans providing the balance of our sleeping rooms and activity space. The hotels sit astride the storied Canal Street at 555 and 500 Canal Street respectively, only blocks from the mighty Mississippi River and even closer to the historic French Quarter. Both hotels offer a range of dining options as well as fitness centers. You’ll find a rooftop pool at the Marriott while the Sheraton features a Starbucks in its atrium lobby.
The nightly rate for both the Marriott and the Sheraton is $119 for singles and doubles. Triples and quads can be booked for $129 per night. In addition, the combined sales tax and tourism support rate is 16.2 percent and there is a hotel occupancy fee of $3.00 per night.
To book your room for the 2025 Convention, call 888-236-2427 for the Marriott or 855-516-1090 for the Sheraton after January 1. For each room, the hotel will take a deposit of the first night’s room rate, taxes, and fees and will require a credit card or a personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Sunday, June 1, 2025, half of the deposit will be returned. Refunds will not be issued for cancellations made beyond that date.
The 2025 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.
To assure yourself a room in the headquarters hotel at convention rates, you should make reservations early. The hotels will be ready to take your call beginning January 1.
Schedule Tip: Attend the Opening General Session to learn about our Host affiliate.
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 Pam Allen at [email protected] to make arrangements.
Important note for attendees: You have to be registered to win a door prize during convention! Registration opens in March.
If you or members in your chapter will be first-time attendees, please learn all about convention in the First-Timer’s Guide available at nfb.org/convention.
Fun fact about convention: Usually 25 to 30 percent of attendees are first-timers.
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 2025 National Convention. To assure yourself a room in the headquarters hotel at convention rates, make your reservations early. We plan to see you in New Orleans in July.
by Mark Riccobono
This article is to announce the new editor of the Braille Monitor. There is much groundwork that should be laid before we get to that announcement. So, if you are the type who gets right to the point, feel free to skip to the end but be sure to come back to put the announcement in context.
Let’s remind ourselves why the Braille Monitor matters. The first editor of the Braille Monitor, George Card, wrote in the inaugural issue of this monthly publication in July, 1957, “According to the dictionary a 'monitor' is a person who 'advises, warns, or cautions.' A Braille monitor is one who carries on this function for the blind, and this is the pledge of the editors of this magazine.” Since that time, with some exceptions, eleven times a year the Braille Monitor has been delivering blind-centered, blind-led, and unapologetically strong content related to the blind of this nation and sometimes the world. For the last sixty years, the publication has been extremely reliable and is a core part of the Federation’s budget every year. It is available in multiple formats and accepts submissions from a diverse range of blind people. If you are reading this, you are eligible to submit an article. The Braille Monitor is our publication, and it is a key tool in sharing our stories, elevating our concerns, and mobilizing members for action. As we launch into 2025, as individuals we have a range of tools available to us to tell our stories. These tools are, of course, available to the Federation as well. Blogs, social media platforms, video- and audio-sharing sites, and other online forums allow fast sharing of information. We also know that fast does not always mean accurate or truthful. As the Federation has added the new media tools to its communications strategy, the Braille Monitor has stood the test of time as our shared means of documenting our collective history and mobilizing action for tomorrow. Whenever I have a historical question, I know I can find a thoroughly researched answer in the Braille Monitor. With our archives available online going all the way back to 1957, there is a goldmine of information about the progress blind people have made. We need that connection into the future. The Braille Monitor is that highly accurate, deep-dive publication. Furthermore, having an article written about you in the Braille Monitor is a great honor if you are doing good things and it is a great accountability mechanism if you are not. As we move to a new editor, we have another opportunity to rethink and reformulate how our flagship publication represents our aspirations for the future. If we do it right, in twenty years, the Braille Monitor will be the source of accurate information for how we dealt with the pressing issues we face today. Furthermore, it will serve as a reliable measuring stick for the progress we have made as it has since 1957. For an extensive history of the publication through 1990, you can consult the section “On The Record: The Evolution of the Braille Monitor” (https://nfb.org/sites/default/files/images/nfb/
publications/books/wamt/wam15.htm) from Walking Alone and Marching Together (which was published to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of our organization). A companion piece covering the next two decades of the Braille Monitor was published by Barbara Pierce when she turned the role over in January 2010. Read her reflections in “A Generation at the Editor’s Desk.” (https://nfb.org/sites/default/files/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm10/bm1001/bm100103.htm)
What is the role of the editor of the Braille Monitor? I was struggling with a new way to articulate it, so I called on ChatGPT. My prompt yielded this response with some minor edits by me:
The role of the editor of the Braille Monitor is both a steward and a voice of the National Federation of the Blind’s values and aspirations. As editor, one is tasked with not just curating information but shaping a publication that inspires, informs, and unites readers. The editor is responsible for identifying and amplifying stories that reflect the lived experiences, challenges, and triumphs of blind people across the country, making sure that each issue resonates deeply with members and allies of the NFB. Through articles, personal narratives, policy updates, and resources, the editor crafts a publication that strengthens our collective resolve and furthers our advocacy efforts.
This role also requires a keen understanding of the issues facing the blind community today, alongside a commitment to fostering open, sometimes difficult conversations that ultimately serve to facilitate dialogue within the community toward a shared understanding or policy position. The editor must balance journalistic integrity with the heart of a movement, curating content that uplifts, challenges, and celebrates blind people’s contributions to society. In essence, the editor of the Braille Monitor helps to set the tone and narrative for our movement, reinforcing that, together, we’re building a future where blind people live the lives they want.
I would add that the editor’s job has always been more expansive than just the publication. Often the editor assists with crafting written statements on behalf of the organization, contributes to the overall communications strategy, and serves as a thoughtful researcher in helping the elected leadership sort through new issues. The editor informs the organization’s style guide and helps to ensure that all publications share a value of accuracy and integrity. While many people contribute to our communications strategy, the editor of the Braille Monitor is a senior position that requires deep understanding of the people within the movement and the issues blind people face. Furthermore, while it is not an elected position—it is a paid staff position assigned by the President—it has the potential of making waves within the democracy of the Federation. After all, some people are very opinionated about what does or does not get published. The editor is given the discretion to make judgments consistent with Federation policy. This may sound simple but there is a lot of territory where the Federation has not yet taken a position through our national convention. Furthermore, you may have noticed that we have done a great job of empowering blind people to be self-advocates. Thus, our editors get a lot of criticism but rarely praise for the steady work they do. There have been nine editors of the Braille Monitor by my count. Barbara Pierce was the first truly full-time, long-serving editor. Between Barbara and our current editor, Gary Wunder, they have guided the publication for more than half of its existence.
Why get a new editor (or what’s wrong with Gary Wunder)? Those who know Gary Wunder will understand what Gary might say to the question of “What’s wrong with Gary Wunder?” His sense of humor is one of his many outstanding qualities. The reason for this change now is precisely that there is nothing wrong with Gary Wunder. He is healthy in body and mind, and his energy for the movement seems to me to be as high as ever. He could continue to serve expertly as our editor, but we also know that planning for a successful transition is part of the responsibility of leaders in our movement. Gary and I have talked for some time about planning for this transition so that we have time to onboard a new editor while Gary is available to advise and mentor. We agreed that the time has come.
While this is not a farewell for Gary Wunder, it allows me a moment of personal privilege to talk about our outgoing editor. I first met Mr. Wunder at the Wisconsin affiliate convention in 1997. I was a college student, and I was living in Florida that semester as I was in the Walt Disney World College Program. I flew back to participate in the convention. Having Gary Wunder there as national representative made it worth every sacrifice I had to make as a poor college student. I have been blessed to observe Gary’s work, learn from his example (and his lessons learned that he openly shares), and work closely with him on many projects. In many ways, I am still being mentored by him although I have been supervising his work for a decade. The heart and thoughtfulness he puts into the Braille Monitor, actually into everything he does, is truly extraordinary. If there is a Federationist that everyone feels at ease talking to, it’s Gary Wunder. While his name has appeared as editor of the Braille Monitor, he has expertly used his quiet writing guidance to improve everything from banquet speeches to oral interviews with people who did not feel comfortable writing their own story. He always is respectful to the work of the individual he is working with, while making subtle suggestions that strengthen the core message. If you have been fortunate to work closely with him, you have also likely received his emails that frequently contain some quip intended to make you laugh or realize that things are not as heavy as you thought. During these past fourteen years that his impressions have been left within the pages of the Braille Monitor as our editor, you can find all of the qualities he has given to our movement. You can find him grappling with emerging issues, sharing his heart for blind people who have been beaten down, and expressing gratitude for the thousands who have contributed to a moment we have celebrated, his plain language approach to complicated issues intended to draw all of us into our shared fight. Fortunately, we will not miss Gary because he will still be a critical part of our Federation communications group and, if I know our new editor at all, Gary will be tasked with writing some more articles for us.
With that, I want to publicly thank Gary Wunder for his tremendous service as our editor and his success in helping to plan for a transition to the next editor. My short remarks do not do justice to the tremendous impact (or is that effect) of Gary’s contributions as our editor—that being only one of a number of significant roles he has played in our movement. I am proud to continue to call him a friend and colleague.
What about that announcement? Thank you for hanging in there as all of the above is important background to the announcement of the next editor of the Braille Monitor. Please welcome Chris Danielsen! Originally from South Carolina, Chris came to know the Federation at a formative time in his young life. Although his parents expected much of him, Chris had to overcome the societal low expectations and his own internalization of those misunderstandings. He got to know Federation leaders like Donald Capps and was selected to receive a National Federation of the Blind Scholarship. However, it was not until he made the decision to receive training at the Louisiana Center for the Blind that he feels he unlocked his true potential.
I first met Chris in November 2003 when we moved to Baltimore so I could take a position on the Federation staff. Chris had been hired by President Marc Maurer to tackle some new communications strategies. Chris described himself as a recovering lawyer—he actually still does that today. He had been hired two months before me; thus, Chris also has been a mentor to me in many ways. In the twenty years that Chris has been at the center of our communications work, he has been both a steady rock and a source of innovation, pushing the organization to try new ideas. Our branding work, the growth in our communications strategy, and our engagement with the media are largely due to Chris’s contributions and consistent efforts. He engineered the media campaign around the Blind Driver Challenge in 2011 where we got more than one billion media impressions. And he did so even while working through the personal loss of his father. That is not to say that everything Chris has tried has worked. In fact, part of his success is that he has pushed us to try things and, when they did not work for the movement, he learned and found another thing to recommend. He continues to find ways to push us, and he demonstrates a willingness to learn as he goes. I think he is long past being a recovering lawyer but thank goodness we have his legal skill as he often has to break down our legal victories into communication-sized bites that all of us can understand.
His move to editor of the Braille Monitor is much more than simply a new staff position. Chris is a dedicated member of the Federation who provides leadership in our Greater Baltimore Chapter and within our Maryland affiliate. He does not just take calls from reporters in the evenings, he engages with a wide range of members of the chapter and dedicates time to local advocacy. Chris currently serves as president of the Greater Baltimore Chapter and second vice-president of the Maryland affiliate. He is working with members at the local level, and he lives life as a blind person with all of the same barriers that each of us encounter on a daily basis.
Chris thinks deeply about the things confronting blind people and how those issues intersect with the broader concerns confronting all people in society, and he is not afraid to learn from a variety of sources. I am confident that Chris will take on this new important role with the same commitment and thoughtfulness with which he has tackled each and every assignment he has accepted in the movement. I am certain he will build on the strong traditions and commitment to excellence that our previous nine Monitor editors have shared. We do not expect him to do things exactly the same or to express the same style in his editorship. Chris will bring his own unique approach to the work of steering our flagship publication. We can feel confident that in doing so he will be true to our brand, will be rooted in our shared philosophy, and he will build on the policy priorities set by our members. Thank you to Chris Danielsen for your service to the movement and for taking on this extremely important role for us.
Now for your assignment. You can honor our outgoing editor and challenge our incoming editor by writing something for the Braille Monitor. This is your publication, and we need it to reflect your ideas and concerns. Take some time to author something. If you need help, call on our editor, but remember that your story is valuable within our movement. Let’s flood our new editor with content and find out what interesting things he can do with the material we offer. This is our publication, and we all have a voice to offer to the choir.
by Gary Wunder
As you know from President Riccobono’s article, the Braille Monitor now has a new editor. Although I have loved this role, I am grateful for this transition and delighted to be a part of it.
Before becoming editor, I loved writing for the Braille Monitor. The articles were usually fun to do, but the real thrill was listening to them being professionally read by folks such as Will Schwatka and his predecessors. I knew that part of what made my articles sound so polished came from the editorial staff’s work, but my ego never allowed me to sit down and compare the draft I had sent and the material that got published under my name. There is much I likely would have learned and mistakes I might have avoided if I had been just a bit more humble and a bit less arrogant.
In May of 2010, while sitting at my desk at the Cerner Corporation on what I believe was a Thursday afternoon, I was pleased to take a call from then-President Marc Maurer. As a board member and an officer, I wasn’t surprised by an afternoon call, but the question he asked me took me completely by surprise. “Would you be interested in editing the Braille Monitor?” he inquired. Though I instantly knew the answer was yes, I also knew that respect for the opinion of my wife and tranquility at home demanded that I hedge just a bit. I asked him if I might have a day to think about it and he agreed. He said that he supposed I would like to continue to live in Columbia, Missouri, and when I answered yes, he said that he thought there would be no problem with me working remotely as long as I was willing to travel occasionally to the Jernigan Institute. I don’t think I’ve ever turned down the opportunity to go to the Jernigan Institute, so this was a no-brainer for me.
After talking with Debbie and accepting the job, I thought with some irritation about how often I had ignored instruction that would have been very helpful to me in the job I was about to assume. In my school days it was fashionable to say that students should be more concerned with getting their ideas down than in the formatting and grammatical construction that would make a respectable essay. Though I don’t think I verbalized it to anyone, I wasn’t quite sure I was up to the job of following Barbara Pierce, Kenneth Jernigan, Hazel tenBroek, Jacobus tenBroek, and Perry Sundquist. I figured all of them could diagram a sentence with one arm tied behind their back. The only thing that I had going for me was an ear for what sounded good, and I knew well that that ear was sometimes fallible. There was a time early in my Federation career when I refrained from writing important letters articulating Federation positions because I knew that I would not write them as well as Kenneth Jernigan. For me, he was the gold standard, and I didn’t want to do anything to tarnish the Federation’s name or the professional writing for which it has so long been known.
With a couple of seminars from Marc Maurer, a few tapes from Dr. Jernigan, and a couple of years of repeated help from Barbara Pierce, I came to think that I just might make it and that it was more important for me to worry about turning out the best issue that I could than to worry about contributing to the demise of a magazine I dearly loved.
I have been extremely fortunate to work with people who have trusted me without reservation. Never have I been asked to send articles for their approval before publishing. Never have I been criticized for an article that I chose to publish, even though I have been told that some of them have generated a bit of political heat. I have received plenty of critical feedback from readers, but by and large it has been constructive and helpful rather than personal and hurtful.
In my time as the editor, I wish we had had the kind of investigative reporting that used to thrill me when I read the magazine. Certainly I wrote a few such articles and saw that several got published, but more often than not I found that some of the material submitted to me for publication that pointed to scandal was either wrong or outright fraudulent. I think that investigative reporting should always be a part of what the Braille Monitor does, but I think it must be very clear when we publish something that we have researched it as well as we can. We have the ability to enrich or destroy careers, and this kind of power and trust comes with tremendous responsibility.
I want to thank Immediate-Past-President Maurer for trusting me to be our editor, President Riccobono for exhibiting the same level of trust, and Stephanie Cascone for believing in me and giving me enough additional work that I know I’m a part of the Communications Team but not so much to do that the Monitor ever had to take second place. Dan Frye was very helpful in the beginning for his encouragement and continues to give support and advice. I also wish to give special thanks to Debbie Wunder, who has listened to my occasional complaining when promised articles don’t materialize or when an article I’ve already edited is once again submitted a week later with changes that absolutely, positively must be incorporated.
I want to thank everyone who has contributed to this magazine through their articles and all of you who have been loyal readers, even when you have questioned some of my editorial decisions. There are several things in my life in which I would’ve written the script differently, but it has been a real joy to work with all of the people who have made this magazine what it is. I am not at all artistic, but Suzanne Schildwachter, our art director, is fantastic. Will Schwatka is a superb narrator, and it is when I hear him reading during audio proofing that I believe the issue being worked on is real. Our proofers have included Monica Blount, Marsha Dyer, Tony Cobb, Jesa Medders, Chris Parsons, Joe Miller, and our longest-serving proofer, Lorraine Rovig. Sometimes the mistakes they catch are as simple as a comma or a semicolon, and sometimes as important as their observation that “This makes no sense. What in the world was that editor thinking?”
No list of appreciation would be complete without acknowledging the work of Elyse Bryan. She looks at the format of each article we send her and actually builds the magazine from the list of articles we’ve prioritized. I also want to acknowledge the everlasting work of Grace Warn. She spent a lot of time helping me transcribe and doing the work of Elyse before she came on board.
Now to the future: I look forward to continuing to contribute and be of what help I can to Chris Danielsen. I think he is a tremendous choice, and although I’m happy to mentor him, I think he has a good grasp of what he needs to do as editor, a real understanding of this magazine’s past, and some clear ideas of where he’d like to see it move in the future. He has and will continue to have my unflagging support.
My hope is that I will branch out a bit and be involved in other things, but this I will negotiate with President Riccobono and anyone who might appreciate my help. I look forward to this change in my life and promise I will continue for as long as I can to further the efforts of this Federation we love and its flagship publication.
by Chris Danielsen
Many of us in the National Federation of the Blind have never known what it was like before the White Cane Laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Despite the occasional aberration, our right to go where we want when we want has been considered a done deal with the passage of these laws. But the rideshare companies and some of their drivers have taught us that passing a law is different from complying with or enforcing it.
The advent of Lyft and Uber initially seemed an unquestioned game-changer for blind people wanting door-to-door transportation. After working out some of the problems in each of the apps, ordering was a snap, and the usually speedy arrival estimates they gave were remarkably accurate when compared with those we were used to from taxi companies. The fares were cheaper, and the ability to pay from a charge card already on file made trips easier.
When we started to hear about guide dog denials, we approached both major rideshare companies to focus their attention on the problem. Uber was initially unresponsive, so we filed a lawsuit, which the company attempted to throw out of court. When that attempt failed, both Uber and Lyft began to talk with us. In the end, we reached agreements with both companies. Both Uber and Lyft required that existing and new drivers acknowledge their legal obligations to transport riders with service animals. Both companies adopted stricter enforcement policies—if Uber and Lyft drivers knowingly denied rides to individuals with service animals, the drivers were to be immediately terminated. Additionally, if either company received plausible reports that a specific driver refused to transport or otherwise discriminated against riders with service animals on more than one occasion, that driver was to be terminated, regardless of the driver’s intent. Uber and Lyft also agreed to improve their complaint procedures, including implementing more effective customer service responses to riders who registered service animal discrimination complaints. The agreements also set up collaboration between the companies and the National Federation of the Blind, with the NFB reporting complaints of ride denials that we received to both companies. To that end, we established a rideshare survey, which is still in effect and available at nfb.org/rideshare.
Having reached these agreements and put reporting procedures in place, we hoped that the number of ride denials would decline and ultimately that the discrimination would cease entirely. Sadly, this was not to be the case.
The denials continued, and further talks with the companies, along with media attention on the issue from across the nation and finally even on NBC Nightly News, did not bring change either.
So on the brisk, sunny morning of October 15, 2024, we took to the streets in front of Uber and later Lyft, both located not far apart in San Francisco. The turnout was spectacular, with more than two hundred people attending. Most of these were members of the Federation, as we had organized the rally, but supporters and allies from guide dog schools and other members of the broader blind community were present as well. Some had dogs, some had canes, and the message that we sent was unanimous: No matter how we travel, we demand that blind people experience independent mobility.
It has been a while since we have taken to public protests, so some of us visited a familiar past, while for others this was a new and exciting experience. On this White Cane Awareness Day (also officially designated by the White House as Blind Americans Equality Day), we loaded three buses, traveled to our first site, orderly disembarked, got our signs, lined up for instructions, and then began walking, chanting, and listening to members with stories of significant denials with significant consequences. These included missing a family Christmas party, problems in reliably reporting on time for work, and experiencing confrontations involving the police and having Uber, in phone conversations, support the right of the driver to have or not have whomever he wished in his vehicle, despite the company’s own stated policy to the contrary.
Chants that echoed outside the headquarters of these two corporate giants included: “Hey hey, ho ho, ride denials have got to go,” and “Don’t deny our right to ride with our guide dogs by our side.” Both humans and canine companions were disciplined and determined, demonstrating the dignity and good organization that have always been a hallmark of NFB rallies. The purpose was serious, but the atmosphere was cheerful and fun, with the chants and speeches interspersed with musical selections about cars and dogs, from the Seventies classics “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo” and “Hitchin’ a Ride” to the more contemporary “Who Let the Dogs Out?” and “Puppies Are Forever.” Local newspapers, TV, and radio stations were on hand to cover the event, as was the technology magazine Wired. Our friends from Aira had a team on site to describe the proceedings to those who could not attend through their free Aira Live service. After an hour and a half, the buses were loaded again, and we proceeded to the second rally before the Lyft offices.
After both rallies, tired but exhilarated Federationists returned to our headquarters hotel in Burlingame, just south of the City by the Bay. It was from the ballroom of this hotel that President Riccobono delivered his Presidential Release Live at 5:30 p.m. local time. Sharing the stage with him were Jessica Beecham, member of the national board of directors and president of our Colorado affiliate, and a guide dog user who had emceed both rallies; and Raul Gallegos, president of our National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU). Both gave their own impressions of the rally, with Raul complimenting the conduct of the many guide dog teams in attendance and noting that he heard no yelping from dogs who were stressed out or had been stepped on by other dogs or humans. Raul further said that he recognized that change is slow, and the pace of progress is frustrating to all guide dog handlers, especially in the moments of hurt and humiliation when denials occur, but he was confident that we would succeed if we collectively kept up the pressure. He encouraged his fellow guide dog users to continue reporting denials to add to that collective pressure. Jessica reflected that the energy she had put into emceeing the rallies had been reflected back to her by the marchers, and the experience reminded her that as daunting and exhausting as repeatedly reporting denials can be, the energy of her Federation family reassured her that we will prevail.
President Riccobono then read a supportive statement provided by Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer, which is as follows:
Representative Steny Hoyer (MD-05), the lead House sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act, said,
Equal access to transportation was one of my motivating factors when I championed the Americans with Disabilities Act. It is essential that all Americans with disabilities have equal access to all forms of public transportation. On this day—Blind Americans Equality Day—I urge all transportation companies—especially companies that provide rideshare services—not to discriminate against blind Americans who use white canes or guide dogs.
President Riccobono also noted that Kim Charlson, past president of the American Council of the Blind and current president of the North America/Caribbean region of the World Blind Union, attended the rally. He then presented a video statement from Thomas Panek, president and CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a leading guide dog school based in New York State with over ten thousand graduates and notably the only such school to provide financial support for the Rideshare Rally. Mr. Panek, who is blind and uses a guide dog, began his remarks as follows:
I admire the advocacy efforts of the National Federation of the Blind. I defer to NFB on important issues and trust we as guide dog school leaders are in good hands through your community advocacy, which most often surpasses my pulse on topics outside of my expertise. The rideshare issue is a topic I am personally vested in making better for all guide dog users. It is not acceptable to discriminate against a guide dog user in private vehicles chartered under rideshare apps such as Uber and Lyft. I stand with you in your rally to hold rideshare companies accountable for failing to address discrimination against me and other passengers based on the presence of a guide dog. I hope that together we can find solutions that can improve the likelihood that a driver will not refuse a passenger who is blind on the basis of a guide dog.
Mr. Panek then recalled his own experiences with rideshare denials, including one that occurred while returning from an anniversary outing with his wife. He again thanked the Federation for our support and anticipated further collaboration on this issue.
You can view and hear this entire Presidential Release Live, or read the full transcript, at https://www.nfb.org/presidential-releases.
No sooner had the Presidential Release Live wrapped up than a group of Federationists going to dinner experienced a denial right there in the companies’ own backyard, with Raul Gallegos and his guide dog both manhandled by the recalcitrant driver in an attempt to remove them from his vehicle. (The author of this article and President Riccobono witnessed this firsthand, and another member captured a video.) The only slightly encouraging development was that, when the local police were called, they behaved professionally, seemed to understand the issues at hand (with some help from NFB of California President Tim Elder, who showed them the relevant statutes via the NAGDU app on his phone), and took statements in anticipation of possible further action, which has not been initiated at this writing.
During the rally, an Uber team member briefly visited with President Riccobono and informed us of a pilot project that the company was implementing to facilitate voluntary self-identification by guide dog users. A couple of weeks after the rally, we learned that Uber intended to implement this option with a default user selection that lets the driver know, before they accept the ride instead of upon acceptance, that they will be transporting a guide dog team. This is unlawful and unacceptable, and President Riccobono emailed the Uber official who gave us the information to explain why. Here is the email:
Dear Mr. Byrne:
In our discussions with Uber during the past two years about the ongoing discrimination our members face when Uber drivers continue to deny them transportation based on their use of a guide dog service animal, we made several suggestions for how Uber could reduce such denials, and reduce the burden placed on riders in reporting denials. Among those, we suggested Uber provide an option for riders to save their use of a service animal in their profile/preferences and have the Uber platform inform drivers about those riders’ use of a service animal, alongside a reminder that the law and Uber policy require all drivers to transport riders with their service animals. We suggested the Uber system automatically suspend drivers who cancel rides after being informed that the rider uses a service animal, and automatically submit a denial complaint with the information about the denied rider, the denying driver, and other details necessary for an investigation that would result in the permanent deactivation of the denying driver.
We suggested the self-identification option in the belief that, even if some riders who use guide dogs choose not to use the option, they would benefit because the riders who do choose to use the option would help to more quickly identify and remove denying drivers, which would benefit everyone. That belief was and is premised on self-identification only identifying service-animal-using riders to drivers after they are paired.
When Uber representatives informed us in late 2023 that they were planning to implement self-identification, in a way that would identify riders with service animals on the offer card presented to drivers before pairing, we indicated in the strongest terms that we and our members would not accept or support such a system, as it would enable drivers to choose not to pair with riders who use service animals, and effectively shield those drivers from the consequences of their discrimination against such riders. We left that conversation believing that Uber understood the importance of only identifying riders with service animals to drivers after pairing.
Unfortunately, we learned last week that Uber intends to offer a default choice in the self-identification option to inform drivers of a rider’s service animal on the offer card prior to pairing. Providing this option, whether it is the rider’s choice or not, is unlawful. We will not support or condone such an option and will publicly denounce Uber’s use of it and tolerance of the discrimination it fosters.
Simply put, offering an option to disclose use of a service animal prior to pairing is unlawful.
The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits Uber from discriminating against riders “on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment” of Uber’s services (42 U.S.C. §§ 12182(a) and 12184(a)). Uber may not “directly or through contractual or other arrangements, utilize ... criteria or methods of administration that have the effect of discriminating on the basis of disability; or that perpetuate the discrimination of others who are subject to common administrative control” (42 U.S.C. § 12182(b)(1)(D)). It may not apply “eligibility criteria that screen out or tend to screen out an individual with a disability or any class of individuals with disabilities from fully and equally enjoying” Uber’s services (42 U.S.C. § 12182(b)(2)(A)(i) and 12184(b)(1)). Finally, it must “make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures, when such modifications are necessary to afford” Uber’s services to riders with disabilities (42 U.S.C. § 12182(b)(2)(A)(ii) and 12184(b)(2)(A)).
By offering an option for riders to disclose their use of a service animal on the offer card prior to pairing with a driver, Uber uses a criteria or method of administration that has the effect of discrimination by providing drivers with an option to undetectably refuse to transport an identifying rider with a service animal. It also perpetuates the pervasive discrimination by drivers who deny riders with service animals, whether they use self-identification or not, because it does not in any way reduce the number of drivers on the Uber platform who refuse to transport riders with service animals. Rather, it allows them to do so with impunity. In contrast, identifying riders with service animals after pairing can result in the discipline and removal of drivers who discriminate, redounding to the benefit of all riders with service animals whether they self-identify or not.
Offering an option for riders to disclose their use of a service animal on the offer card prior to pairing with a driver also presents an eligibility criteria for driver pairing that screens out or tends to screen out riders with disabilities who use service animals from pairing with otherwise-eligible drivers who undetectably and unlawfully choose not to accept those riders. Uber must therefore modify its practice or procedure for self-identification to disclose riders’ use of service animals only after pairing so that driver-discrimination against those riders is weeded out.
We hope Uber will consider this and our prior statements about how self-identification must function and never identify a rider’s disability or use of a service animal until after they are paired with a driver.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
Some have asked why we protested in front of Lyft and Uber when our agreements secured policies that seem to demand drivers transport blind people with their guide dogs and canes. First, as amply recounted above, the agreements are not working, and the denials continue.
In addition, when denials occur it is difficult to report them, especially if the driver preemptively cancels the ride upon spotting the guide dog team on the curb. Furthermore, often there is no follow-up from the companies explaining what action they have taken as a result. The fact that often in our time of need Uber and Lyft representatives, when contacted by phone, have sided with the defiant drivers points to the need for real education and better enforcement mechanisms, such as establishing a hotline staffed with trained experts both to take complaints and to tell drivers (and the police, if need be) that we do have the right to ride and the driver does not have the option of denying us. Riders who are denied service should get more than a five-dollar credit, a promise to “educate the driver,” and a pro-forma apology from the companies, and someday soon the statistic (reported by Guide Dogs for the Blind) that 83 percent of guide dog users encounter denials should be a thing of the past.
Some have also pointed out that, unlike taxicabs, many Uber and Lyft vehicles are also the private vehicles of their drivers, the argument being that just like a private car owner, drivers should be able to choose the passengers they prefer. This argument is unfounded. Once a driver chooses to connect to the Uber or Lyft platform and therefore make their private car available to the public, they must accept blind passengers until they disconnect from the platform and make their car unavailable for service. By signing up to use the Uber and Lyft platforms, drivers have expressly agreed to this arrangement, and they do not get to change the terms of the agreement on the fly. The companies, in turn, have both the right and the responsibility to demand performance of the agreement and compliance with the law.
Blind Americans demand a zero-tolerance policy for ride denials, a reduction in the burden of reporting denials, and more robust education both for drivers and company representatives. That is the very least rideshare companies can do.
“We want no strife or confrontation” has been a continuing theme in our message to the public and to one another, and so too is our message that we know who we are, and we will never go back. Both came through clearly on the day recognized by our nation to speak to the desire for blind people to be productive and independent. Lest the companies conclude that this is the end of hearing from us, let them review our repeated confrontations with the National Accreditation Council for Agencies Serving the Blind and Visually Handicapped, and instead of stalling, let them make real moves to see that we can travel as first-class citizens with the mobility aid of our choice.
by Ray McGeorge
From the Editor: One of the things I enjoy most about being the editor is looking back at older issues of the Braille Monitor and bringing to new readers some of the joy I have had in fifty years of reading. Here is one of those joys, an article written by the late Ray McGeorge. It was introduced back in 2006 with these comments:
Ray is the first vice president of the National Organization of the Senior Blind. He has been a leader in the National Federation of the Blind for several decades. He is also one of those guys we would all love to have living near us; he does plumbing, electrical work, and machine design and building. He is also an amateur architect. Here is his account of creating a backyard fountain:
More than four decades ago, my wife Diane and I were visiting her family. One member had a patio. When I stepped out the door, I could hear the sound of water and a motor. I was told that the motor was powering a pump that forced water up so that it could then fall into the pool below. I got down on my hands and knees and examined the pool and the rocks which served as a backdrop for the waterfall. I really liked the whole setup except for one thing.
I am convinced that most sighted folks simply look at things without noticing the racket they add to the environment. The pump on that patio was noisy. As a blind person I found that the noise detracted from the beauty of the falling water. I was beginning to form a plan in my mind. I really liked everything about that waterfall except that pump motor noise.
At this point I must mention that my wife and I own two apartments. We live in one of them; the other has been rented to the same woman for many years. I found a big fish tank in our basement, so I asked our tenant whether the previous owners had had fish. She said they had and that they had also had several ponds in the backyard. She also told me that at some point they had filled the ponds in with dirt and old cement from the pond sides.
Since I had been thinking about how much I wanted a pool with a waterfall, I went out in the yard with a heavy, sharp tool and began to search for the sound of cement. It took a lot of heavy banging and clanging. The neighbors probably thought I had lost my mind, but I was not deterred. Finally I located a pond that was almost ten feet square and about two feet deep. It took a lot of work, but I dug out all the dirt and broken concrete. I decided to use debris to create the little mountain I wanted to build on two sides of the pool. In my mind I pictured the peak of the mountain at one corner. However, the building material I had at hand was insufficient for my purposes.
Let me digress for a minute to tell you about my next-door neighbors. They were young and managed the apartments in which they lived. But they had no yard. Diane and I began inviting them to bring over their food and share our patio at dinnertime. The couple became interested in my pool project, which was visible from where we sat.
They had an old truck. Being blind, I asked them for help with transportation. They said they would be glad to drive me to the nearby mountains so I could examine boulders to use to form the base of my mountain. I found some as big as three feet in diameter; it took two of us to lift them into the truck. I also made sure that the boulders were interesting colors.
Since the peak of my mountain was to be in one corner, I wanted the mountain rounded, jetting out into the pool. My neighbors helped me place the rocks where I wanted them. This was a long, backbreaking project, but we all survived with our backs still functioning.
As a machinist by trade, I already had some of the skills I needed. One of my neighbors was a steam fitter. He became very interested in the project and donated a lot of one-inch pipe, which I badly needed. I was not rich in those days. However, I still had to purchase a goodly amount of plastic pipe to carry the water across the yard and into the basement to an old coal bin. I wanted that noisy pump far from my waterfall. I had to drill two holes through my house foundation, one to take the water from the pool, the other to pump it back out for the waterfall about one hundred feet.
Remember, the pipe for the waterfall was on the inside of the little mountain. At the very peak I worked on the pipe with a file until I had a fan-shaped opening for the waterfall. I worked on the opening until the waterfall was about three feet wide. I finally controlled the water flow so it made a gentle sound as the water hit the pool, but it took a lot of work. The first time I turned on the waterfall, the water shot out with such force that it watered the entire yard. After many adjustments and tests, I found the flow level I wanted. I was simply overjoyed when I walked over to my patio and could hear the water clearly but not the pump motor. Boy, was I happy!
After I had all the rocks, dirt, driftwood, and plants in place, I installed a thirty-inch-high chain-link fence. We had two young children, so I did not want any accidents with the pool. As the children grew, they learned to climb over the fence, but by then they understood water safety.
You may think this is the end of this story, but not yet. My wife and I are blind, but we entertain sighted guests on our patio during the summer, so one evening, when we were sitting out there with the water splashing, it occurred to me that lighting for the waterfall might be nice.
I hunted around and finally found a Christmas color wheel. I decided to build a small rock garden in the pool corner, diagonally across from the waterfall. I built a form to house the color wheel and then cemented rocks around it. For twenty seconds one sees blue, then green, and so on. Our guests say that they like the colored lights. To complete the job, I put two switches inside the patio door: one for the waterfall and the other for the lights. Then the job was complete. Well, almost. I did have to build a fence behind the mountain so that the shed could not be seen. I then painted it green and trained a pretty vine with red berries to cover the fence.
Imagine how much we enjoyed this backyard beauty for thirty years. But after three decades I began to notice that the waterfall was not flowing at full force. I knew that the problem was that plastic pipe was supposed to last only a couple of decades. So there I was, digging a trench instead of rocking in my retirement chair. I had never thought I would be working so hard, but what choice did I have?
I forgot to say that the pool was painted a pretty blue. Please notice that I used the verb was, for there is one more segment to this tale. When the water level in the pool began dropping, I knew what was wrong. The old pool was leaking. I refused to do any more work. I simply drained the pool and hired a company to come and apply a plastic layer to the interior.
The coming of the halfway mark of fall last weekend brought the end of listening to the waterfall for another year because the pipes must be drained for winter. We enjoyed our last supper on the patio listening to the music of the falling water. But, when spring comes around next year, we will have the joy of hearing our longtime project come to life once again. With my wife's and my NFB philosophy, we knew we could design, build, and ultimately enjoy bringing a mountain and a waterfall into our backyard. Perhaps the day will come when we cannot physically do the repairs needed. Then we will hire workers to do the job under our direction.
Yes, I do believe that at our house we have truly changed what it means to be blind. We recruited and organized sighted people to help with the driving, lifting, and so on, but we were the bosses, and the sighted were the helpers. Blind people love beauty, and we know how to create it.
Attending my first National Convention in Orlando, Florida, I was overwhelmed by not only the resources, mentorship, and national community of students, but the love that filled every corner of the organization. The National Federation of the Blind gave me the world. - Trisha
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 students like Trisha. 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.
With your help, the NFB will continue to:
Below are just a few of the many tax-deductible ways you can show your support of the National Federation of the Blind.
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.
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.
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 online contribution page at: https://nfb.org/donate.
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 https://www.nfb.org/pac.
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.
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.
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.
If you do decide to create or revise your will, consider the National Federation of the Blind as a partial beneficiary.
Visit our Planned Giving webpage (https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving) or call 410-659-9314, extension 2422, for more information.
In 2023 our supporters helped the NFB:
by Edwin Cooney
From the Editor: We often tell ourselves that there are many blind people who need what we have to offer and find ourselves wondering just what we can do to increase the effectiveness of our outreach. One wonders if the outcome in the article that follows would have been different had Barbara and her parents known about the National Federation of the Blind and what others who are blind were actively doing to live the lives they want. At the same time that I make a strong case for our getting involved with as many blind people as we can, I also know that there are blind people who live with their parents and, because of other disabilities, may exercise fewer prerogatives than I think a blind person should have. It’s not an easy call, but this article should encourage us to do everything we can.
Edwin Cooney writes a weekly column that may talk about everything from politics to baseball. I like the columns and asked his permission to use this one, and he graciously consented to let us do so. Let’s have your reaction:
Like most everyone else, almost any time I hear of a tragedy, the first reaction that enters my mind or crosses my lips consists of the word: why? Very often, however, the question “why” just isn’t enough.
The tragedy that has recently gripped my attention happened during the third week in January in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, about six miles from Center City, Philadelphia. Fifty-three-year-old Barbara Killian—blinded from an accident when she was a baby—and her little white lap dog A-Rod died in the basement of their home by the hand of Barbara’s eighty-four-year-old father, Robert Killian, who then turned the gun on himself. Mr. Killian had just been released from a local hospital, having been treated for advanced cardiovascular disease. Convinced that he didn’t have long to live, Mr. Killian apparently believed he had to provide a permanent solution to what he perceived would be Barbara’s struggles in his earthly absence. Thus, believing as he did that Barbara would be both alone and helpless in this world of expectation, cruelty, and demand, he decided that her life should end with his.
Hence, sometime between Tuesday, January 15, when Killian was released from the hospital, and Saturday evening, January 19 at six pm, Robert Killian shot Barbara, their little dog, and himself to death in the basement of their home on Cheswold Road.
According to the sum of all reports out of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, Barbara and Robert Killian had lived alone since the death of Shirley, Barbara’s mother and Robert’s wife, in 2001; the Killians “minded their own business;” Robert Killian was extremely protective of Barbara; and, finally, there was a lot of love in the Killian home as evidenced by Mr. Killian’s constant devotion to Barbara.
So there you have it: the who, the what, the where, the when, and, only superficially, the why of the story. Surely, however, knowledge of these guidelines, which every news reporter knows, brings one no satisfaction. If you’re anything like me, perhaps you need to pause and take it all in before reading on.
In the emotional wake that occurs as one learns of this tragedy, there is the natural tendency to be outraged, not only with Killian’s murder of his daughter, but even more with what was clearly his demeaning attitude about Barbara’s very existence as a person with blindness. There are reports that neighbors called area social services from time to time to complain that Barbara was being “held captive” by her parents in her home, the response to which caused the Killians to retreat further into seclusion with their daughter. Inevitably, one wonders what exactly went on in that household upon Mr. Killian’s January 15th return from the hospital. How long had Robert Killian contemplated this irrevocable deed? What religious or moral matters did Mr. Killian consider before taking Barbara to the basement of their home to meet her death? Did Killian tell Barbara in advance of his intention, or was there a reasoned or even gentle pretext to the basement visit? Did Robert Killian see his act as one of love or one of despair?
Information out of greater Philadelphia regarding Barbara Killian’s existence is sketchy but still revealing. A 1973 graduate of Overbrook School for the Blind, Barbara was shy, intelligent, and fun-loving. She was a baseball fan of the Yankees, especially Alex Rodriguez whom she had met through an organization for the blind. Thus, she named her little dog A-Rod.
What happened to Barbara Killian has to be very personal on some level to everyone who lives with a disability—especially those who live with blindness. All of us, whether born able-bodied or disabled, are vulnerable to our parents’ individual environments, values, and attitudes. Even more relevant to the Killian family tragedy is the strong parental instinct, the overwhelming need to protect our children from the world’s many outrages.
While we’re certainly justified in our righteous anger toward Robert Killian, that anger alone is as destructive to you and me as Killian’s thirty-eight-caliber pistol was to Barbara. It would be more helpful, I think, for us all to re-examine what it means to love and protect one another as well as one’s children. It would be arrogant for any of us to question Mr. Killian’s love for his daughter. However, Robert and Shirley Killian’s love for Barbara was clearly misdirected as evidenced by their decision to reject a college scholarship, choosing to have her stay at home instead of broadening her horizons. Their legitimate mission was to protect her life and to empower others to ensure her security after they were gone. It’s quite apparent that Mr. Killian was more overwhelmed by his fears than he was sustained by “the better angels of his nature.”
Nothing we can say or write, no wish we can wish, no prayer we may pray, can undo what was done to Barbara Killian by her father. Love is a powerful force. As such it can nurture, sustain, encourage, and therefore foster growth and even greater love. However, if love is administered with jealousy or fear, it can destroy. It appears that the Killians’ powerful love for Barbara went awry and, hence, it destroyed.
Sadly, Robert Killian believed that the world wasn’t sufficiently trustworthy to match his love for Barbara. Hence, he took her with him for her own protection.
Happily, most of us know that the world is worthy because you and I are worthy of the kind of love that sustains and nurtures. So, in the words of a hit song from the 1970s: “Let your love flow…”
Ah, but that's what Mr. and Mrs. Killian did, or thought they did! The broader deeper question is: How did this happen? First, the babyhood accident: what was its cause and nature? I grew up with a friend who was blinded at age two when his mother accidentally dropped him on his head. My friend Fritz never tried to explain, blame, or excuse the cause of his blindness or his mother's role in it. The causes of illness and/or disability are numerous and even undetectable and lie beyond the power of the inquiry of “why?"
Blindness itself possesses its own set of causes and effects! Most of us tolerate our disability even as we're forced to observe the advantages of others who live with no life-altering disability. Another person I know becomes angry with their disability when experiencing frustration, denial, or especially dependence on the sighted. Hence, how did Mr. or Mrs. Killian feel about Barbara's blindness? Did they feel guilt or even embarrassment as to their daughter's existence? What was their overall reaction toward human physical, emotional, or even spiritual weaknesses?
Every Fall, new boys and girls were admitted to our sister and brotherhoods at the New York State School for the Blind. One Fall, two boys, Bob and Stan, joined our little brethren. Both had been blinded for about two years. Bob was wounded by a shotgun accident. Even while his family desperately sought a cure for his malady, Bob cheerfully accepted his lot. Stan, on the other hand, sulked and complained to the disgust of many of us including me. Stan's blindness was the result of a brain tumor. He died in 1965. Insofar as I know, Bob became a lawyer for the state and still lives. (Shame on us blind boys!)
The National Federation of the Blind is right when it asserts blindness is what you live with—it's not who you are! If only the Killians had been gifted with that perception!
by Set Hernandez
From the Editor: We talk a lot about STEM, but more recently about STEAM and for good reason. We want to be represented everywhere, and this includes the arts. The presentation you are about to read speaks not only to making a film about a person who is both blind and undocumented, but to the blessings one should rejoice in by virtue of being alive and sharing this world with friends and loved ones. This articulate presenter reaches both the head and the heart with logic, passion, and a call to observe and follow the Golden Rule.
On the final morning of our 2024 National Convention, we heard from a filmmaker and producer who served in both roles in the movie Unseen. Here is some of what President Riccobono said in introducing him:
We have with us an individual new to our community, first time on this stage, but who has already made an impact by telling the story of a blind person. Some of you may have had the opportunity to meet Set Hernandez during the screening of Unseen. Anybody make it? [Cheers]
Good. They're a filmmaker and community organizer. We like community organizers around here, right?
Bringing that experience to highlight communities of intersectionality, their film in particular documents the experience of a blind individual who is aspiring to be successful but faces various challenges because of their intersectionalities. The film Unseen debuted in 2023, and we were happy to bring it here to our national convention.
Now, when I asked Set to come to our stage, they said, "Well, don't you want the blind person?" Great point. But I suggested to Set that we love blind people, right? We believe in blind people, but we need to hear from the allies who get it right! [Cheers]
So here, I'm very pleased to say, is one of those allies who gets it right. If you haven't had a chance to see Unseen, I encourage you to do it and definitely to meet this individual as well as Pedro, who is with us at this convention. Here is Set Hernandez!
SET: Good morning, everyone. Hey! Yes! I am so privileged to be here with you all this morning. Of the many brilliant leaders and thinkers in this room today, I get to be so privileged as a sighted person to offer some remarks.
Thank you so much to President Riccobono, who literally this is my first time meeting him in person after so many emails. Thank you to John Berggren and of course to Ms. Beth Braun for opening the doors of the NFB convention for a person like me to speak. I have already made so many new, lifelong friends, like Gabe Cazares and Erick Galindo, and many people whose last names I didn't catch because we were all having too much fun these last few nights.
I was told, though, that's what convention is all about.
Thank you to brilliant leaders like Joe Strechay, whose artistry and uplifting narratives about the blindness experience has served as inspiration for the work I have been able to do. Thank you to my mentors, most of whom are Black and Brown—blind people of color—who have taught me so much not just about accessibility, but about life at large.
These include Raquel O'Neill, Thomas Ried, Day Al-Mohamed, Nefertiti Matos Olivares, Qudsiya Naqui, Amir Rahimi, Dr. Sachin Pavithran, and, of course, Dr. Conchita Hernández Legorretta whose championing of our film is probably the single most important reason I'm here today. So thank you to Conchita, who is actually enroute back to DC right now, and thank you so much to my dear friend Pedro for trusting me to amplify his story by capturing six years of his life through our film Unseen. I get to be so lucky to learn from you and to be called your friend.
For those that have yet to watch Unseen, our film, like President Riccobono has said, follows the story of Pedro as an aspiring social worker who happens to be a blind, undocumented immigrant. Considering the circumstances of his life, Pedro must confront the imposed political restriction he faces to get his college degree and support his family. As he graduates from college, however, Pedro realizes that attaining his goals does not resolve his challenges. If anything, uncertainty looms over him even more. What starts as Pedro's journey to provide mental health care for his community as a social worker ultimately transforms into Pedro's own path towards his own healing.
Life brought me and Pedro together, because like him, I too am an undocumented immigrant. Because of my immigration status in high school, it's not that I was not eligible to receive scholarships to go to college. I wasn't actually allowed to access the application portal to begin with because I did not have a Social Security number, even though I achieved every benchmark of success society told me to accomplish as a teenager.
But because my high school teachers, friends, and family believed in me, they fought tooth and nail for me to be able to live up to my potential. At a time when policies like DACA or the Dream Act did not exist, my educators in community did bake sales and yard sales to fundraise for my first quarter in college, dollar per dollar. They even brought me to the game show "The Price Is Right," which is ultimately how I got a $5,000 scholarship directly from the host, Drew Carey himself—Shout out to Drew Carey and to Cleveland, Ohio!
But when I finally graduated from college, accessing opportunities in the film industry presented a whole new set of barriers. Even though I had a work permit by this point through DACA, I was excluded from applying for grants to work on my projects like Unseen, which is why it took so many years for Pedro and me to finish our film. The irony is that, while these grant-making institutions excluded undocumented filmmakers like me to receive opportunities, they were actively funding filmmakers who are not even immigrants to make films about our community. Unfortunately, this experience is not unique to the undocumented immigrant filmmaking community.
When Pedro and I met in 2015, I was a coordinator for a fellowship program that provided professional development opportunities for undocumented young adults like both Pedro and myself. Even though I have been a community organizer since I was eighteen, Pedro was actually the first undocumented individual with a disability that I have ever met. It made me realize that the immigrant rights movement that I have been a part of did not just overlook the experience of disability, but even perpetuated ableist notions around worthiness. Whenever we advocated for a pathway to citizenship, our talking points argued that undocumented people have "earned" citizenship because we are hardworking, taxpaying, exceptional human beings. We were unwittingly saying we are only deserving of a dignified life because of how much we can produce for a capitalist society, regardless how many barriers that same society imposes on us to live up to our potential.
Getting to work with Pedro presented an opportunity to deconstruct these notions and maybe advocate for people who live at this overlooked intersection. [Applause] Because of my own background in grassroots organizing, I profoundly believed that the most impacted people in any project should always have agency over the decisions affecting them.
Since Unseen is about Pedro's life, from the very beginning I've always told Pedro that the only audience member I really ever care about was him. If ever we would finish this film and he finally watches it, my main goal was for Pedro to tell me, "Set, you understand who I am! This film is indeed about me." But Pedro wouldn't be able to say that if the film is not accessible, much less enjoyable. I don't want a sighted individual to watch the film and enjoy it more than Pedro. [Applause]
Considering that cinema is presumed to be a primarily visual medium, how can we create a movie that prioritizes blind and undocumented audiences at its center? How can we subvert the proverbial gaze and invite sighted viewers to not rely on visual information as much as listen to a film? How can we imagine what the equitable enjoyment of cinema could look like for people with different kinds of access needs?
It took some experimentation, of course, but from the very beginning, I filmed Pedro using unusual cinematographic techniques to create an out-of-focus aesthetic. There were times for example when I would film with a tilt shift lens or a camera lens that bends. There were times I would even film with no lenses at all. I would put tape over the aperture or the cavity in the body of the camera, poke a hole in the tape just so that flat shapes and colors could be captured. But because it's tape, there's no way to focus the image.
I wanted to create sound designs for our film that were so dynamic that there would be no need for audio description, or so I thought. As a non-blind person, I have come to realize that it's really not my place to tell blind audiences and blind artists how to reinvent the wheel of accessibility. Instead, I should humbly learn how to follow their lead. [Applause]
When I started requesting feedback on our film from blind collaborators, they told me straight up about the importance of including audio description and that my idea of a one-size-fits-all approach to accessibility might actually have the reverse effect and make our film less accessible, especially for blind audiences. I might share some of the same challenges with Pedro as a fellow undocumented immigrant, but I don't know what his experiences are around blindness. That's why it's so important for me to build a coalition of a diverse group of artists to bring our film to life. To my knowledge—and this is something I'm very proud of—our film is the first in the history of cinema to be led by an intersectional team comprised of undocumented blind and queer filmmakers of color who collectively reflect the sum of Pedro's lived experiences. From producing to accessibility to the social impact campaign of our film, the only reason we have been able to capture Pedro's story in a way that truly reflects his reality is because our team all knows what it's like to be in his shoes one way or another. The unfortunate reality, however, is that many films about blind people don't even have audio descriptions, which indicated to Pedro and me that these films cater more to sighted audiences than to blind people themselves. What that means, as you all probably know full well, is that we are left with either survival porn or inspiration porn for sighted audiences about a larger-than-life disabled person overcoming all odds to become a success story. If not, another trope is that too many films about blind individuals dwell too much on the biological technicalities of blindness, as if a person's vision loss is for the scientific amusement and curiosity of others.
Film protagonists who happen to be blind end up being defined solely by their blindness. It doesn't take into account their intersectional realities, whether they are an immigrant, a queer blind person, a trans blind person, Muslim, Black, a woman, or beyond. I argue that every scene in our film Unseen is not only shaped by the aesthetics of accessibility, but also by the aesthetics of intersectionality. With Unseen, Pedro is not portrayed solely as a person with vision loss or as an undocumented immigrant. He is indeed all of those things, and then some more at the same time.
Beyond the circumstances of Pedro's life, our film seeks to explore what it means to be a sentient human being who feels the gravity of life just through the lens of a blind undocumented individual. At the end of the day, our film is ultimately an invitation to reveal the most authentic version of ourselves to others.
But you know what? Why take my word for it? Here is a two-minute trailer of our film with open audio descriptions in English.
AD: A man walks with his guide dog. Almost everything in this trailer is blurry.
PEDRO: Keep going, Tyler.
SPEAKER: The bus is coming.
PEDRO: Okay.
SPEAKER: Just right around here.
AD: A halting bus fills the view.
SPEAKER: Oh, that's a dog.
PEDRO: Yes, it's a service animal.
SPEAKER: What kind of service does your dog do?
PEDRO: He's a guide dog.
SPEAKER: You're blind now?
PEDRO: Uh huh.
SPEAKER: Do you want me to describe myself to you?
PEDRO: Sure, why not?
SPEAKER: Oh, I’m so cute. Got a nice smile.
AD: A man in a dress shirt and sunglasses.
PEDRO NARRATING: After you have a disability, you’re going to have some type of impediment. With intersectionality between being undocumented and having a disability, it places a lot of stress and anxiety into you.
AD: Orientation and Mobility Training
PEDRO NARRATING: I decided to study social work. I wanted to help people. I wanted to give an opportunity for those who didn't have an opportunity. On our path there are going to be some obstacles.
PEDRO INSTRUCTING STUDENT: So I want you to go and swipe left and right, cover from shoulder to shoulder, just to see that you can find obstacles.
Here is an obstacle.
Hey, man! You're doing quite good.
AD: A man waits at a bus stop at night, colorful lights twinkling.
PEDRO NARRATING: I hate that narrative of like I'm a good immigrant, especially when it's like "He's blind, he's undocumented, he's going to college. He must be a saint."
AD: He leans down to bite into a birthday cake, a joyful dinner with friends, on one knee serenading his grandma.
PEDRO NARRATING: Yes, I'm here. I was able to make it this far, but how many people have to sacrifice for me to get a chance?
AD: The man is in focus. He glances toward the camera. This film is Unseen. For more info, visit unseen-film.com. [Applause]
SET: Thank you so much. Shameless plug for those who want to host a screening of our film, you can go to unseen-film.com.
Unexpectedly, the more specific and granular we became with our target audiences, the more universally the film has resonated with audiences. One of my most favorite audience responses to our film happened around this time last year at the Black Star Film Festival in Philadelphia. A nondisabled non-immigrant attendee approached me after our screening, telling me, "You know, Set, I came here hoping to learn about another person's experience. Instead, I learned more about myself."
I know President Riccobono invited me here to talk about my role as a sighted ally working in film to uplift the intersectional experience of blindness. This might be a controversial idea, okay, but I want to complicate what it means to be an ally. For me, being an ally implies that I have no stake in the lives of the community I am working with. It usually implies that I'm there to help. It implies that none of the systemic barriers Pedro experiences affects me. Instead, I want to uplift the framing of the aboriginal organizer, Lilla Watson, who said, "If you came here to save me, you are wasting your time, but if you came here because your liberation is tied to mine, then let us work together." [Applause]
Remember how I started my process of filming with Pedro, hoping to advocate for blind, undocumented individuals? Eventually, I realized that approach is actually paternalistic, with a tinge of saviorism. It assumed Pedro needed my help even though he never asked for my help to begin with.
By the end of six years working on our film, I realized that I actually ended up continuing to work with Pedro because we each contributed to each other's healing journey. Even though I am not blind, I am not Latina, and don't share Pedro's identities, we both shared the experiences of being immigrants navigating trauma, searching for a balm for the spirit. I ask then: Where do the boundaries of our community lie? At what point do my shared experiences with Pedro cease to exist, that I no longer belong to the same community as him? At what point do our differences allow us to create a new language to understand each other's humanity, becoming an entry point for each of us to be part of the same community?
There are many things that Pedro can do that I cannot do. One of them is ride a bike. I am now thirty-two years old, and I have yet to learn how to balance myself on a two-wheeled bicycle. When I was nine, my family and I used to live in Japan where riding a bike is the norm. Yes! Blue collar workers go to work on a bike while wearing their suit and tie. Kids as young as five or six get sent to the grocery store by their parents on bikes. One time in the fourth grade, my classmates and I were supposed to go to a field trip riding a bike. I was nervous, though, because I don't know how. Does that mean I won't get to participate in the field trip? What my classmates and their moms ended up doing, however, was that they walked with me from our meeting place to our destination. Instead of leaving me behind on their bikes, they made sure I was included in the activity. So we walked together. In other words, they met me where I was with my access needs.
To quote Dr. Cornell West, "Justice is what love looks like in public, just like tenderness is what love looks like in private." [Applause]
You know, it never crossed my mind that I wanted to make our film Unseen accessible for Pedro because I wanted to be a good ally to the blindness community. To be honest, I did it because Pedro is one of my dearest friends whom I love profoundly, the same way I love all of my friends and family. Just as my teachers and high school friends went the extra one thousand miles to help me go to college because they love me, I wanted to make Pedro feel that same care I have experienced from others.
I profoundly believe that a world run by love instead of productivity, ableism, and all the other isms inevitably becomes accessible too, because as Alice Wong and many other disability justice leaders have said, "Access is love."
If a low budget Indie production by a first-time filmmaker like me can find a way to center the sensibilities of blind audiences, I challenge every nondisabled filmmaker and production company to do the same. And if a team of undocumented and blind disabled filmmakers can bring a film like ours to life, I really encourage every emerging blind filmmaker here in the audience today to seek out mentors and collaborators to help you navigate your filmmaking journey, because we need you and your storytelling. Because when the world is more accessible and we center the leadership of those that have been historically pushed to the margins, all of us benefit, all of us win. [Applause]
I feel so moved and honored to be in this room and to be in this convention, because love is so very palpable. I want to give a shout out to the blind mentors who love their blind students and mentees so much, hoping that the next generation will be more empowered and equipped to not go through the same ableist barriers they faced. There are the parents and also the siblings who love their blind family members so much because they want their loved ones to live lush, fulfilling lives.
Everything that you all have done this past week is what it looks like when we turn love from an abstract experience into material reality. For the past few months, I have been telling people that I wake up every day feeling so blessed and grateful, not because of any material reason. I'm beyond blessed and grateful because I am surrounded by so much love. That love is what propels me to wake up every morning, empowering me to live up to my potential and be the best version of myself that I can be. The thing is that I didn't do anything to deserve that love. It just was given to me because I'm inherently—we are all inherently—worthy of love. I'm cognizant that not everyone gets to feel the love I wake up with every day. So my prayer is that, for each of you who gets to watch our film, especially our undocumented and blind audience, I hope you are reminded how inherently worthy you are of love. We do not need accolades or to meet some ableist benchmark of success to be treated with tenderness and care. I remind you that whatever you are going through is valid. You do not have to carry it alone. Whenever you are ready, I hope you can let yourself be vulnerable and be reminded that you are worthy of everything your heart desires. [Applause]
Thank you all so much for having me this morning. [Applause]
by Peggy Chong
From the Associate Editor: Peggy Chong, also known as The Blind History Lady, continuously provides an invaluable service to our community by discovering and relating the stories of blind people about whom we may know little or nothing. For her research and writing, she has twice received the Federation’s Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award. To schedule her for a presentation to your business, church, or community group, email [email protected].
In this article, she tells of a blind man who made significant contributions to Black history, culture, and civil rights:
Dr. Herman Cleophus Hudson was born on February 16, 1923, into an educated, aspiring Black family in Birmingham, Alabama. His father Bertram, born in 1889, was a college graduate who had a good job as a bookkeeper in a Black-owned bank. Later, Bertram worked as a porter and then became a public-school teacher and principal. Herman’s grandfather, Burton Hudson, was born about 1850, most likely into slavery. He became a cashier at the bank where his son worked. Burton and his wife Hattie adopted several children. They had twelve of their own, but only seven survived to adulthood. Hattie, born in 1865, most likely was the child of parents born into slavery. Several of their children grew up to be educators.
In 1929, Herman’s parents separated, and his mother took him and four siblings to Detroit, where they lived with a great-uncle who worked in an automobile factory. The move turned out to be a major benefit to Herman’s education. Although his family always valued a good education, there had been no services for the blind available to Blacks in Birmingham. In Detroit, there was a sight-saving class that helped him access the educational system.
Herman attended Northwestern High School. Although the school was integrated, race relations there were not good. When rioting broke out, Herman went from class to class, hoping to instill tolerance among students. Already his leadership, determination, and sense of purpose were evident in his actions. Herman had the ability to see the bigger picture at a young age.
In 1940, he worked with students from other high schools to organize and host a youth rally at a local YMCA to discuss the problems of Black youth in Detroit. More than two hundred students attended. Panels focused on interracial clubs and education. They also discussed the need to understand their rich Black heritage to best eradicate the myth of racial inferiority that pervaded American society at that time. Herman felt that if Black youth learned of their rich heritage and accomplishments, more Black teens could shed their feelings of inferiority and achieve greater goals.
Herman served as captain of the Northwestern High School debate team. He was well known at the school as an orator and won first place in the 1939 Century of Progress Club annual oration contest. He went on to compete nationally in 1942.
Herman’s work to empower Black youth was not limited to his school. He attended meetings at the Antoine YMCA. He spoke to other Black and white teens about the issues affecting them at school and in the neighborhoods. He learned from others and gave suggestions on what teens could do about their concerns. Already his skills as an educator were showing.
As a teenager, Herman met Judge Ned Smith, a White blind man who became a mentor. They visited frequently, and Smith taught Herman how to use readers effectively to enhance his studies. Smith continued to help Herman when he entered the University of Michigan in 1941. Herman had no family or friends to help pay for his college, so Smith aided him in finding financial support. He took Herman to the many White service clubs he belonged to and convinced them to financially support Herman’s education.
In college, a club on campus offered nine women to read for Herman without charge. Herman knew from what Judge Smith had taught him about his own experience that if the women read for free, they would not take his studies seriously enough to show up every day. So, he paid them thirty cents an hour.
The two blind men corresponded during college. Judge Smith sent money to Herman when he fell short of the expenses for the University of Michigan and during his studies abroad at the National University of Mexico in the mid-1940s. Later, Herman wrote letters of support for Judge Smith’s campaigns.
Herman received his BA in 1945 and an MA in 1946 in Spanish, English, and history at the University of Michigan. On June 8, 1946, he married Catherine Pope, a nurse. They had three children: Karen, Brenda, and Margaret. After teaching Spanish at Florida A&M University beginning in 1948, the University of Puerto Rico in the early 1950s, and after receiving his PhD from his alma mater in 1961, he served as Director of the English Language Program at Kabul University in Afghanistan.
Herman modestly described his duties in Kabul: “It was a program of English as a second language that… by that time, the government had decided to make English the second language of the country. English was being taught in grades seven through twelve, and thirteen through sixteen at Kabul University, but the whole instructional apparatus was at a very primitive stage. There were very few textbooks and very few Afghans trained to teach English, so, the project that I headed for six years involved the writing of textbooks for all those grades, training Afghan teachers to teach English, and setting up English departments in various high schools in the capital of Kabul, and regional English language centers in the provinces. All of this was done with the assistance of a number of teachers from Columbia University and a number of Peace Corps volunteers.”
Traveling around the world was not only an education for him but for his children as well. Daughter Karen recalled her real education in life in Puerto Rico, followed by a short stint in Durham, North Carolina, during the Civil Rights Movement in the late 1950s. In Durham, she attended a segregated school and witnessed the sit-down strikes. She traveled extensively from Kabul with her family to Europe, Pakistan, India, Iran, Hong Kong, and a class trip to Russia (the then Soviet Union). Karen went on to receive her BA and MA at Indiana University and to become news director at WGPR TV Channel 62, the first Black-owned TV station in the United States.
In 1968, Herman became the first Black teaching staff member at Indiana University, where Karen would matriculate. He founded and chaired the institution’s Afro-American Studies department in 1970, the second such department in any United States university. The department was a response to protests by Black students on campus. Herman now had a greater opportunity to teach the history of Black people, which he had long believed was critical to improving his own life and that of others. The program explored Black culture, Black accomplishments, race relations, and the potential for the future. His department was the first to collect Black history, Black-authored books, artwork, and more.
Herman wrote several influential works that are still being used in university programs today. One article written in 1972, “The Black Studies Program: Strategy and Structure,” in The Journal of Negro Education, highlighted the concerns of the Black community regarding the restricted educational systems on campuses across the country. Black Americans attended colleges and universities, but the institutions did not provide curricula about or for African Americans. His presentation of the issues was factual, well thought out, and helped to improve race relations not only at Indiana University, but also in its hometown of Bloomington and across many other college campuses throughout America.
Herman and other professors also organized high school programs for Black youth. Some classes focused on academics, while others explored the arts or social justice. He served as vice chancellor and later as dean from 1970 until June of 1981 and from 1990 to 1993. In 1971, he began the Soul Revue, an all-Black music ensemble. The participants were recruited from the Black student body, not from the music department.
Herman created and expanded the department of African American Studies throughout his tenure. He created the first version of what is now the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, then known as Black House, located in a former fraternity house on campus. It focused on supporting the teaching, research, and service missions of the university, while also providing a positive and hospitable social environment for African American and African students, faculty, and staff.
In 1975, Herman played a crucial role in helping to form the National Council of Black Studies. Today, the council holds conventions annually and encourages papers on the African American experience.
But it was his mentoring and encouragement that stood out to those who remember him to this day. He recruited Black students and faculty not just for his department but for the entire university’s programs. He became a father figure to many of the students he followed during and after their years at the university.
His proudest accomplishment, according to a 2001 interview, was the creation of the Archives of African American Music and Culture in 1991. “Besides being a building, it is a symbolic structure indicating that Blacks are part of this institution, and a kind of home away from home for them to conduct both academic and social activities,” Herman said.
Today, the Hudson and Holland Scholars Program honors his achievements as a Black leader, mentor, and educator. It is the largest merit-based scholarship on the Indiana University campus. Symposia are named after him. When the department celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, Herman was credited for its founding, expansion, and creativity. It is still the only African American Studies program with a Creative Arts component.
Herman died on February 18, 2003, at his home in Michigan. Blindness did not stop Herman from achieving his aspirations and helping others to do so.
by Peter Slatin
From the Editor: Global Accessibility Awareness Day is something all of us are excited about, but unfortunately we do not plan early enough to make it a reality in many of our affiliates and chapters. Let us hope that Peter’s remarks give us the heads up we will need to see that when May comes around, we are ready. Let us also heed the concluding remarks he makes that go far beyond technology.
Here it comes again: GAAD, Global Accessibility Awareness Day, a non-astronomical yet light-filled occurrence on the third Thursday of each May.
GAAD was created by Joe Devon and Jennison Asuncion, two tech pioneers intent on—no, insistent on—digital accessibility as the standard structural principle and prerequisite undergirding every website or app or virtual reality product, video game, etc. Its creation a dozen years ago was in response to the ubiquity of inaccessible websites and pages. Estimates of the proportion of web pages with inaccessible content are as high as 96 percent globally. (Check out this compilation of digital inaccessibility stats: https://accessiblyapp.com/blog/web-accessibility-statistics/).
These numbers show us the status quo a quarter-century after the first publication of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which, for context in internet time, arrived one year after the public launch of Google in September 1998. This pre-climate change glacial pace of progress in the basic incorporation of accessible design precepts and processes into any digital product design reflects one thing only: society as a whole remains at best uncertain and at worst terrified of disability.
The willful ignorance siloing accessible design from the rest of the digital world tells us that, from schools and universities to corporations and government, creating space of any kind to fully welcome disabled people remains a thought too far. Reluctance to provide the accommodations that would open so many doors to so many people also has nothing to do with the oft-cited negative impact that investing in digital accommodations would have on profit. When we want to adopt and deploy technology to our advantage, we don’t really drag our heels or look the other way. Think of the velocity with which AI has become a part of the advancing world. How quickly is it becoming indispensable to everything from education to commerce. Capital pours into it, seeking alpha and regardless of risk to either money or time. Yet devoting a fraction of that financial and temporal energy to fulfilling digital accessibility would yield enormous rewards by enabling millions of disenfranchised humans currently restricted in their ability to harness digital technology to learn, work, shop, or play in the ordinary, everyday way of the mainstream. As has been said by many, think of how curb cuts have made life better for anyone pushing a stroller, pulling luggage, or walking with even a minor mobility challenge.
It isn’t technological or financial shortcomings that restrain the flowering of digital inclusion, or indeed of any kind of disability inclusion and access. The challenge that must be overcome is the one facing society of ascribing equal value to the lives of people with disabilities. It is the imperative to jettison historical fear and superstition surrounding disability.
The fight to unleash digital accessibility embodied by GAAD and its celebration of all things being digitally accessible is a primary building block of global disability inclusion. Another, somewhat more accepted foundation of inclusion is the mandate for physical accommodations in the built environment that is the unifying directive and most visible target of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. But even together, these two building blocks of accessibility are not enough to drive us past the pushback against inclusion created by ignorance and fear.
There is a third, more foundational element of this movement, without which neither of the other two can be fully realized. This is social accessibility. Simply put, it’s the way people behave toward other people. Unlike either digital or physical/environmental access, social access cannot be achieved through either legislation or published standards. It will instead come as stories of people with disabilities leading so-called normal lives doing what we want, whether that involves great achievements or simply going through each day without the encumbering weights of low expectations and even lower value, penetrate and dissolve the long-accepted boundaries that enable exclusion.by Mark Riccobono
From the Associate Editor: The advocacy work of the National Federation of the Blind is not limited to what happens at Washington Seminar or to passing resolutions at our national conventions. There is continued need for follow-up on our legislative initiatives and on our priorities as expressed in resolutions. Also, our government takes (or fails to take) regulatory or other actions that demand our immediate response. In addition, government entities are often required to solicit comments from the public when they propose new regulations. It is the job of our advocacy and policy team to monitor developments, and the job of our President to inform government officials of our concerns as they arise. Here are some recent letters that President Riccobono sent on behalf of blind Americans. Readers can always check nfb.org/advocacy for the latest letters and policy statements that we have issued.
November 1, 2024
Christopher Kuczynski
General Counsel
United States Access Board
1331 F Street, NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004
RE: Docket No. ATBCB-2024-0001, RIN 3014-AA48
Dear Mr. Kuczynski:
The National Federation of the Blind is the premier membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans. As such, we have been the vanguard in advocating for accessible transportation options for the blind. In 2011, I participated in our Blind Driver Challenge, where I successfully drove a car that had been modified to communicate information to me nonvisually around the Daytona International Speedway road course. With the more recent advent and promulgation of fully autonomous vehicles, we have maintained our position at the forefront in advocating that these vehicles, and all aspects associated with them, be completely nonvisually accessible because the blind of the United States are likely to benefit as much, if not more, than any other group.
It is for these reasons that the National Federation of the Blind supports the Access Board’s proposed rule regarding EV charging stations. We are particularly pleased with the Access Board’s proposed approach of requiring 100 percent of EV chargers to have an accessible user interface. We are also pleased with the EV charger communication elements and features set forth in section 709, especially the provisions in sections 709.3, 709.4, and 709.5, which require high-contrast text for display screens, nonvisual status indicators for charging, and prohibiting the sole use of color coding to convey information, respectively. The inclusion of these elements in the proposed rule demonstrates an effort to ensure that blind and low-vision passengers were considered when these provisions were created.
However, we encourage the Access Board to take the provisions of section 709 further and specifically require that all elements of the charging station intended to communicate information to the user be nonvisually accessible. As previously mentioned, with the proliferation of autonomous electric vehicles, blind Americans stand to benefit more than perhaps any other group when it comes to improving independent transportation, but if we face the barrier of an inaccessible charging station, then we will be once again relegated to second class status. This cannot, and should not, be an oversight in an accessibility regulation.
If the Access Board ensures the full nonvisual accessibility of EV charging stations, then the provisions set forth in this proposed rule will benefit blind vehicle owners and passengers now, when we exit our EVs and those of our friends and family to operate those charging stations, and in the future when blind and low-vision Americans will be able to experience true transportation freedom as they traverse the nation’s highways and side streets on our own terms, without having to rely on others. As always, we appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed rule, and we are ready to provide any assistance to the Access Board should further questions arise.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
October 30, 2024
Dr. Miguel Cardona
Secretary of Education
United States Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
Dear Secretary Cardona:
The National Federation of the Blind, the transformative member and advocacy organization for blind Americans, expresses strong opposition to the dismantling of the Digital Accessibility Unit within the Office for Civil Rights.
More and more, school districts and higher education institutions rely on online learning management systems, digital learning tools, and digital educational materials. Blind students in all education settings need these tools to be accessible and usable, but too often they are not, and these students are left out and left behind.
This year, the United States Department of Justice issued a final rule regarding the requirements under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for digital accessibility, raising awareness of the requirements and providing an explicit standard of accessibility for covered entities, including educational institutions. In addition, the Unified Regulatory Agenda indicates that the Department of Education expects to issue a similar rule under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. But accessibility is not self-executing. Enforcing these accessibility obligations requires expertise in digital learning and digital accessibility. The Digital Accessibility Unit has provided exactly such needed expertise the last several years. By all accounts, the Unit has handled a large number of complaints, provided technical assistance, and improved digital accessibility at many institutions. Without a dedicated team within the Office for Civil Rights to focus on this topic, we run the risk of leaving blind students even further behind.
Digital access-related complaints must be handled effectively and efficiently by a team of investigators and attorneys with specialized expertise in digital access. As the Title II rule goes into effect in 2026, we believe there will be an even greater number of complaints to the Department of Education focusing on equal access to educational websites and applications and an even greater need for expert technical assistance needed by educational institutions. Without expert staff in place, we fear these complaints will not be handled appropriately or at all. Now is precisely the wrong time to be moving the focus away from digital accessibility. We strongly oppose this decision and ask you to reconsider the course of action to dismantle the Digital Accessibility Unit.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
October 15, 2024
Dr. Carla Hayden
Librarian of Congress
Library of Congress
101 Independence Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20540
Dear Dr. Hayden:
It is fitting that I am writing to you on this Blind Americans Equality Day. The National Federation of the Blind is the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans, and we have had a long and productive relationship with the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. However, we have deep concerns regarding the recent policy changes implemented by the Library of Congress that affect applicants and existing patrons under the age of eighteen.
In late June 2024, the National Federation of the Blind became aware of an emerging policy requiring parental acknowledgment for all new and existing patrons under the age of eighteen. This policy was not communicated to our membership during the presentation by NLS Director Jason Broughton at our national convention in Orlando in July 2024. We held a closed-door leadership meeting with Director Broughton about this issue during our convention. That meeting included the president of our National Organization of Parents of Blind Children and me where we expressed strong concerns and were promised a follow up conversation. That follow-up has never happened. On October 1, we received phone calls from several network libraries that informed us of the potential impact on our members.
Our primary concerns are as follows:
There was a lack of engagement with blind people in undertaking a very significant change in policy direction that negatively affects blind children across the country.
In August, network libraries were directed to have new applications in place by October 1 that included the parental acknowledgment requirement. However, the necessary materials for inclusion were not provided until September 30. This left network libraries with insufficient time to prepare and implement the new requirements.
By January 1, 2025, all existing patrons under the age of eighteen must have a parental acknowledgment on file or their accounts may be suspended. This abrupt policy change poses significant challenges, particularly for network libraries that are unable to comply due to legal challenges related to privacy laws in at least three states. This conflict with state privacy laws could result in qualified patrons being barred from accessing library services.
Existing patrons may face suspension from the program if network libraries are unable to connect with parents or legal guardians by January 1, 2025. This is particularly concerning for students who may have moved to a new location and have not updated their contact information, or whose guardians may face language barriers. Additionally, there are concerns about the equipment-use policy and the accuracy of the acknowledgment regarding access to all information in the catalog.
Given these significant issues, we urge the NLS to suspend the implementation of this policy until network libraries and the community have been given sufficient opportunity to provide public comment. We suggest a suspension period of 180 days to allow for a thorough review and to ensure compliance with all state requirements and privacy laws.
We further urge the NLS to carefully consider public comments and to establish a comprehensive plan for implementation that grants network libraries sufficient time to comply with all legal requirements. This will help to ensure that blind and print-disabled patrons, particularly those under the age of eighteen, continue to receive uninterrupted access to the vital services provided by the NLS.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter. We look forward to your prompt response and to working collaboratively to address these concerns.
Sincerely,by Kyle Walls
The 2025 Washington Seminar is just two short months away! Next year’s event will once again be held at the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol (550 C Street, SW) from Monday, February 3, through Thursday, February 6, and we can’t wait to have hundreds of white canes and guide dog teams confidently navigating the halls of Congress. In accordance with longstanding tradition, the Great Gathering-In, one of the premier Federation events and the official kickoff meeting of every Washington Seminar for decades, will take place on Monday, February 3, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Capitol Ballroom at the hotel. Then, Federationists will meet with members of Congress over the next three days. The room rate for the 2025 Washington Seminar is $194 per night, plus taxes and fees, and the deadline to make a reservation is December 31, 2024. For information on how to reserve your room please visit our Washington Seminar page at nfb.org/Washington-seminar. Check that page and other communications for more details, including our legislative priorities and a full schedule of events, as the event gets closer. See you in Washington!
From the Associate Editor: Below is the text of the proclamation that President Biden issued this year on White Cane Awareness Day. It is tempting to view these proclamations as meaningless political statements, but as demonstrated by Kyle Walls’ overview in the October 2024 issue of this magazine, they are useful signposts to the priorities of the administrations that issue them. They also contain language that we can use to keep our leaders accountable by reminding them of their stated commitments. Here is the proclamation:
This Blind Americans Equality Day, we honor the immense contributions of blind and low-vision Americans, who help power our economy and push our Nation forward. And we recommit to ensuring every blind and low-vision person in this country has a fair shot at the American Dream.
Throughout my decades in public service, I have strived to build an America that works for all Americans. It is why I was proud to co-sponsor the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act—a civil rights law that banned discrimination against people with disabilities in many areas of public life. I remain proud of its lasting legacy today. However, there is still more to do to ensure that blind and low-vision Americans have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. From transportation to online job applications, public services are too often designed in ways that are inaccessible for people with disabilities. And less than half of blind or low-vision Americans are employed.
My Administration is committed to ensuring blind and low-vision Americans have equal opportunities. To that end, I signed an Executive Order to prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in the Federal Government and to identify the barriers faced by job applicants and employees with disabilities. We are also requiring Federal agencies to prioritize website accessibility so the Government can truly deliver for all Americans. These are important steps toward making the Federal Government the gold standard for fair, accessible, and decent practices in the workplace. Furthermore, my Administration is ensuring that blind and low-vision Americans hired by the Federal Government are paid a fair wage. That is why we ended the use of unfair subminimum wages in Federal contracts. At the same time, we are working to increase hiring for people with disabilities in every sector by helping governments, businesses, and nonprofits access Federal funds to hire more disabled Americans.
I am also working to make public spaces more accessible for blind and low-vision Americans. Through my Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are investing $1.75 billion—the largest amount ever—in making transit and rail stations more accessible. The General Services Administration also adopted the United States Access Board’s new guidelines to ensure people with disabilities have access to the over 300,000 Federal Government buildings. And the National Institutes of Health designated people with disabilities as a population with health disparities, opening up new research opportunities that will focus on health issues and unmet needs for blind and low-vision Americans.
This Blind Americans Equality Day, may we recommit to advancing accessibility and opportunities for blind and low-vision Americans, who do so much for our Nation and deserve every opportunity to thrive.
By joint resolution approved on October 6, 1964 (Public Law 88-628, as amended), the Congress authorized October 15 of each year as “White Cane Safety Day,” which is recognized today as “Blind Americans Equality Day,” to honor the contributions of blind and low-vision Americans.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 15, 2024, as Blind Americans Equality Day. I call upon all the people of the United States—including all government officials, educators, and volunteers—to mark this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eleventh day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
by Stephanie Duesing
From the Editor: It pays to read publications that challenge. Future Reflections is a fine example. I thought I knew much about the way people go blind and experience blindness, but I am a bit more humble now. Here is the way Debbie Stein introduced this article in the summer edition:
The parent of an adult son with cortical visual impairment, Stephanie Duesing is a powerful advocate for the CVI community. Eyeless Mind, the story of her son's journey with CVI, is available on Amazon and on Bookshare.org.
My son Sebastian has cerebral visual impairment, or CVI, as does our teenaged friend Mae (see the article "Living and Growing with Cortical Visual Impairment" elsewhere in this issue [Future Reflections]). The NFB has helped many people with CVI over the years. I am writing both to thank you in the blind community and to ask for your help.
CVI is the leading cause of visual impairment in the developed world, but according to the website www.cviscotland.org, most people have never heard of this condition. As you read this article, you may be learning about CVI for the first time, though CVI is more prevalent than ocular forms of blindness.
According to the Perkins School for the Blind, research shows that one in thirty students in the typical regular education classroom is likely to have symptoms of CVI. According to this finding, CVI is more prevalent than autism. Yet fewer than 20 percent of people with CVI have been diagnosed. More than 80 percent of the people who live with this frequently life-altering disability receive any blindness-related services or any training in the alternative skills of blindness. Research suggests that more than 150,000 people in the US alone live with undiagnosed CVI. You can read more about the prevalence data at https://www.perkins.org/our-work/cvi/by-the-numbers/.
We desperately need a new, updated definition of legal blindness. The definition should not be based simply on visual acuity. It should be based on a person's need for blindness skills such as Braille and orientation and mobility (O&M). Some 150,000 CVIers in the United States are living without the blindness services they need, and often they are severely traumatized as a result.
Sebastian fully supports my advocacy efforts, and I share this article with his full permission. I am a former music teacher, and I made a major medical discovery in the field of visual neuroplasticity. I am an author, speaker, and international advocate for all people who have CVI.
Sebastian has a unique form of visual processing. To date he is the only person in the world known to use verbal mediation to process his vision. He sees with words, much as a bat sees with sound. According to Dr. Lotfi Merabet, the director of the Laboratory for Visual Neuroplasticity at Schepens Eye Research Institute, associate scientist at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, and associate professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, Sebastian is the most studied individual with CVI in the world.
Sebastian is the only person in the world known to be able to choose to see or not see with his eyes wide open. When Sebastian is not using his verbal mediation to see, he has no conscious perception of sight. He spends most of his waking hours with his very limited vision "turned off." In other words, he is fully blind most of the time.
In my book, Eyeless Mind, I explain how we discovered Sebastian's CVI and how we figured out that he was using verbal mediation to see. We also have shared our story in radio interviews and through podcasts, which you can explore at https://stephanieduesing.com/in-the-media.
Many people reading this article may wonder what CVI is and how it differs from ocular forms of blindness. CVI is a brain-based form of visual impairment/blindness that is caused by damage to the brain's visual pathways. In ocular forms of blindness, damage to the eye and/or the optic nerve impair or prevent light from being transformed into an electrical signal and passed to the brain to form images. People who have CVI (and who don't have co-occurring ocular visual impairments) can see light. However, they struggle to, or simply can't, process those signals into understandable visual images.
CVI may be accompanied by ocular vision impairments. However, it is common for people who have CVI to have normal acuity, as my son does. My blind son passed every vision test, every year, because our optometric exams are decades out of date. There is so much more to vision than acuity, contrast, and color perception!
Research has shown that all conscious perception of sight happens in the brain. Scientists have found that it takes about a tenth of a second after light hits the retina for the signal to reach the back of the brain, when humans begin to experience conscious vision. In other words, the eyes see nothing on their own. The phrase, "We see with our brains, not with our eyes" isn't merely a slogan. It's an actual fact. Our eyes really are just light collectors and signal senders. Seeing is such a complex neurological process that more than forty percent of our brain is involved in visual processing.
CVI is caused by damage to or malformations of the brain. Different areas of the visual processing centers of the brain control different aspects of vision. For example, the right fusiform gyrus is above and behind your right ear. The right fusiform gyrus is associated with facial recognition. People with damage to that area of the brain are likely to have prosopagnosia, or face blindness, the inability to recognize faces. Other areas of the brain are involved in recognizing places, objects, biological forms, words, letters, numbers, simple shapes, movement, color, the ability to map complex scenes, and much more. Each of these areas is connected to other areas of the visual processing parts of the brain. Thus, damage to one area inevitably results in problems with other aspects of vision, because communication breakdowns occur when brain damage is present. Each part of the network is connected to other parts of the visual system.
When a person experiences brain damage and develops CVI, where the damage occurs in the brain is a fairly random process. For that reason, every person who has CVI has a unique experience of their functional vision. Some parts of vision in undamaged visual processing centers of the brain may work quite well, while other parts of vision may be difficult or impossible to use. For example, although my son has severe CVI and is almost completely blind, he can see words, letters, numbers, and simple shapes as a typically sighted person can. The parts of his brain that see and recognize words, letters, numbers, and simple shapes are undamaged.
Sebastian has always appeared to be typically sighted, and he has always excelled intellectually, physically, and artistically. Yet Sebastian has no ability to recognize faces, places, objects, or biological forms by sight. Visually he can't recognize his own hands, face, or body, or anybody else's. However, Sebastian can read and do math visually. His ability to see symbols such as letters and numbers and his ability to form visual memories of them allowed Sebastian to excel academically.
Sebastian has another very common symptom of CVI called simultanagnosia. Simultanagnosia is the inability to see more than one or two things, or parts of things, at the same time. For Sebastian, having simultanagnosia means he has a tiny patch of visual acuity in the center of his visual field that is a couple of millimeters wide. When he's reading, he usually can see two or three letters at a time if the letters are in ten-point font, which is quite small. For Sebastian, and for many other CVIers I know, magnifiers commonly used for people with ocular visual impairments don't help. In fact, they may even make seeing more difficult. Sebastian needs to have things shrunk down to a tiny size so he can fit what he's looking at into his miniscule patch of acuity.
As a result of all these problems with his vision, Sebastian can see almost nothing as a typically sighted person can. He sees like someone in the middle of the ocean in a dense, colorful fog. Everywhere he looks, he sees light, movement, and vague, colorful, unrecognizably blurry shapes. Sebastian's vision is mostly a useless blur of visual "noise," like static on a radio.
Static noise is irritating. Many CVIers describe the constant barrage of unusable visual "static noise" they experience as relentless, painful, exhausting, and overwhelming. They can't turn it off, except by closing their eyes, and they very often wish that they could turn it off permanently. The constant flow of useless visual nonsense coming in through their eyes overwhelms their senses, and it is often exhausting.
In the midst of all this visual "noise," the only things Sebastian sees like a typically sighted person are occasional words or numbers floating by. The words might say, "Walmart," or "Dunkin’ Donuts" as we drive down a road, but Sebastian can't see the sign that the words are written on. He can't see the store, or the parking lot, or the cars around us, or the pedestrians crossing the street, or the grass and trees, or the sky. He simply sees the words floating in space. He is severely visually impaired when his vision is at its best, and blind most of his waking hours because his conscious vision is "turned off."
Finally, one CVI symptom that I have left for last is called visual fatigue, or visual tiring. I left visual fatigue for last because I think it is so important. Visual fatigue is a very common, very well-documented symptom of CVI. It can be an extremely dangerous symptom because it causes CVIers to go suddenly, uncontrollably, blind at unexpected moments. They lose all conscious perception of sight at random times—from being overheated, sick, over-tired, stressed, or overwhelmed. This random loss of conscious vision can and does occur at any time or in any place. Very often it occurs in the most stressful situations—out in a crowd, on a busy street, or at a congested shopping center.
Visual fatigue is caused by fluctuations in blood pressure. I have fainted twice in my life. Both times when that happened, my vision suddenly blacked out, and then I lost consciousness, in that order. People who have CVI have less neurological visual processing power than neurotypical people do, so their vision is more sensitive to fluctuations in blood pressure. When their blood pressure drops, they lose conscious perception of sight far more quickly and frequently than others do. It can take hours or days for them to recover.
Visual fatigue is an extremely debilitating and common symptom of CVI. For people who have no blindness skills, it can be dangerous, even life-threatening, to randomly, uncontrollably go blind while out in public. According to every CVIer I know, visual fatigue is just miserable, even at home in bed.
One of the most important things I want everyone in the NFB to know about CVI is that it can be an entirely invisible disability. Academically, socially, or physically, there is no way to tell that Sebastian is almost completely blind. If any of your typically sighted friends or family members met Sebastian, they would not know that he has any disabilities at all. No doctor, teacher, friend, family member, acquaintance, or stranger on the street ever suggested to us that Sebastian might have a disability of any kind, let alone that he was almost completely blind.
We discovered Sebastian's severe CVI entirely by accident when he was fifteen. I felt terrible that I had missed something so critically important for so long. My child had struggled for years, and I had been unable to help him. It was the most horrible day of my life!
I spend a lot of time raising awareness about CVI. I am a frequent podcast guest. People listening to our story often think that Sebastian is somehow remarkable because no one knew he was blind until he was fifteen.
Unfortunately, what happened to us happens all the time. Sebastian represents the typical presentation of CVI. With one in thirty students in a regular education classroom having symptoms of CVI, we know that the vast majority of CVIers appear to be typically sighted, just as Sebastian does. Furthermore, there is absolutely no way to tell how severe someone's neurological visual impairment is from outward appearances alone.
We found it extremely painful and difficult to bring our discovery of Sebastian's use of verbal processing to the attention of the low-vision profession. I fought hard to get scientific evidence of Sebastian's verbal vision to the professional community. I knew our discovery had huge implications for understanding the "why" behind many learning disabilities. If it was possible for my blind son to read and do math visually, to be blind but not to look blind, I knew that the opposite must also be possible. I knew there must also be people who, like Sebastian, look typically sighted, but who are totally unable to see or visually recognize words, letters, numbers, and simple shapes.
What if some people who are labeled as having learning disabilities aren't learning disabled at all, I wondered. What if those people have CVI and are blind or visually impaired? What if those people have letter and/or number agnosias? Suppose they can't form a visual memory of symbols when they try to read or do math? What if those people could learn just fine if they had access to tactile learning tools such as Braille? I found that it is common for people who have CVI to be misdiagnosed as having autism, intellectual disabilities, or emotional and behavioral disorders.
Not long after we went public with our story, I met Katie Lane-Karnas and her brilliant child Mae. Mae has CVI and is blind. Like Sebastian, Mae passed for typically sighted. Not one person suspected that Mae is blind. Like us, Mae's family had little support from their school district.
Sebastian has graduated from college and has started his career, using only his vision to read, but he has often expressed regret at not having had the opportunity to learn Braille. Though Sebastian can read visually and has outstanding reading comprehension, the process of using his vision exacerbates his visual fatigue and contributes significantly to his visual exhaustion. Access to tactile learning in childhood would significantly have improved Sebastian's quality of life.
Through my work as a CVI advocate, I know many people with CVI who went undiagnosed and/or misdiagnosed for years, as my son and Mae did. All of them suffered trauma from being blind in a world that refused to recognize their blindness or do anything to help them. My son, along with all of my friends who have CVI, experienced trauma because nobody knew they were blind until they were teens or young adults. They did not receive the training in blindness skills that they needed as young children.
It is my position that all blind and visually impaired people have a right to access to tactile educational and habilitative methods and strategies, whether their visual impairment is ocular or neurological. Braille, access technologies, occupational therapy, and O&M with a white cane should be available to all blind and visually impaired people who need it, regardless of the cause of their vision problems.
Visual fatigue is a debilitating symptom of CVI that is easily reduced or relieved by using tactile methods for educational access. Tactile learning needs to be considered when making decisions regarding which educational methods are most beneficial to people who have CVI, even for those who, like Sebastian, can read print visually. Many CVIers find that they learn best using both visual and tactile methods. They can switch back and forth as they need to during the day.
I am deeply grateful to the members of the National Federation of the Blind for your support of families of blind children, including those with CVI. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! We decided as a family to come forward so that what happened to my son would never happen to another child.
I never dreamed that I would spend the second half of my life begging the world to give blind people access to blindness services, no matter the cause of their blindness. Sebastian and I were labeled crazy by the medical establishment for seeking the most basic help. Imagine the outcry if access to medical diagnosis, treatment, and educational and habilitative services were denied to people who have cerebral palsy, migraine, or epilepsy, simply because their conditions are neurological. CVI is not different from other neurological conditions, and the people who live with it have a human right to the blindness services they require to participate fully in life. Please help me to end the madness! We have more than 150,000 CVIers to find, and more are being born every day.
Here are a couple of blogs from dear friends of mine whose CVI also went undiagnosed for years. The first blog is by my very dear friend Dagbjört Andrésdóttir, who didn't know she was blind until she was twenty-six years old. She is a bel canto-trained lyric soprano from Iceland who, like my son, can see and read words despite being legally blind. However, she can't read music because she can't see the staff. She sings the most challenging vocal repertoire entirely by ear.
https://dagbjortandresd.wixsite.com/livingwithcvi
The second blog is from another very dear friend of mine, who prefers to remain anonymous. They are a highly respected low-vision professional. Like Dagbjört, their CVI wasn't recognized until they were an adult. This blog is a must-read for everyone in the low-vision community who cares about people who have CVI.
https://thecviperspective.wordpress.com/home/
This video from the Perkins School for the Blind features Jack Brossert. Jack's CVI was not diagnosed until he was a teen. In this video, he discusses how blindness skills training and his guide dog have helped him develop the skills he needed to go to college and study science.
https://www.perkins.org/resource/my-experience-navigating-the-transition-from-high-school-to-college-as-a-student-with-cvi/
by Al Maneki
From the Editor: Whether you are fascinated by artificial intelligence, skeptical of the claims made about it, or somewhere in between, this article is for you. If you are one of us who has been frustrated by the inability to get mathematics textbooks produced in Braille and competent helpers to read and write what you need to excel in this field, the article you are about to read will speak directly to your frustration, offer some suggestions, and provide a good bit of hope. If you enjoy reading this magazine because it occasionally stretches your mind and takes you to places you’ve never been before, you have a treat ahead of you.
Al Maneki has one of the finest minds I know. He is generous with his time and gladly offers his significant intellect in helping us move forward when it comes to science, technology, engineering, and math. It is obvious from his contributions and accomplishments that he has made a number of great decisions in his life, but the one I think I admire most is his decision to marry Sharon Kelly. I understand she had a part in that decision as well, but wow, what a dynamic duo! Here is Dr. Maneki’s article:
The author acknowledges the valuable contributions of David Austin, Rob Beezer, Michael Cantino, David Farmer, Karen Herstein, Alexei Kolesnikov, Martha Siegel, and Volker Sorge to this article. They have read several drafts, including the final version of this article. They have offered many valuable comments and suggestions for improvements. As always, the author assumes all responsibility for errors and oversights. For comments and questions, please email me: [email protected]. -Al Maneki
Much bandwidth has been allotted in the public media lately about the growing uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on our daily lives. We have heard from the boosters who claim that AI will dramatically reduce the drudgery of human existence by eliminating the most boring tasks. We have also heard from the nay-sayers who claim that this time is different: “Let’s not go there.” They worry that this time AI will eliminate so many jobs, even those requiring intellectual abilities, that our livelihoods will go to ruin, leaving us with little purpose in life. These pessimists maintain that the job growth stimulated by AI will not be sufficient to compensate for the job losses created by it. The jury is still out on this. Along with the benefits that AI has already produced, we have also seen its abuses, e.g., the production of videos, for nefarious purposes, showing perfect replicas of prominent personalities espousing points of view that are contrary to their well-publicized value systems.
AI has been around for many years. I took a course in AI over thirty years ago. The textbook for this course was Artificial Intelligence by Patrick Henry Winston, now available as a free PDF download from https://courses.csail.mit.edu/6.034f/ai3/rest.pdf. The AI of today is much more robust than the AI of thirty years ago. Computing hardware today is cheaper, faster, and smaller. Advances in AI’s computing hardware are a prime example of Moore’s Law, which futurist Ray Kurzweil has discussed with us in any number of speeches he has delivered before our annual NFB conventions. Moore’s Law states that “the number of transistors on an integrated circuit will double every two years with minimal rise in cost.” Since I studied from Winston’s book, AI has benefited from further advances in machine learning. For example, Alexei Kolesnikov, one of the automated Nemeth translation collaborators, used Google’s NotebookLM to produce a podcast based on an earlier draft of this article, available at https://wp.towson.edu/akolesni/files/ 2024/10/Podcast-about-Al.wav, using only the draft’s Word file and no input from humans. Advances in AI have also been stimulated by spectacular advances in neural networks or models inspired by the structure and function of biological neural networks in animal brains. According to the popular science writer David Berlinski in his book The Advent of the Algorithm (Library of Congress Braille edition, BR13263), the concept of the algorithm, an essential component of AI, has its humble beginnings in the ancient Greek writings of Aristotle.
In the remainder of this article, I will use the terms “AI”, “AI algorithm” and “AI device” interchangeably. I also want to familiarize readers of NFB’s publications with some of AI's terminology and how AI works generally. Then, based on my limited experiences with AI, I present my views on AI’s possible impact on how blind people can benefit from it in the areas of learning and doing STEM.
Although the term “AI” has only recently appeared in the public discourse, the NFB has been involved in AI research before this term came into vogue. In 1975, I attended my first national convention in Chicago. During one of the general sessions, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan introduced us to Ray Kurzweil to talk about his remarkable reading machine. Dr. Jernigan opined that Kurzweil’s reading machine would expand the availability of reading materials to us. The first Kurzweil Reader was a floor model console, too heavy to be moved by one person. Unfortunately, Dr. Jernigan did not live long enough to see the day when the KNFB Reader, much more powerful than the first Kurzweil Reading Machine, was tiny enough to be loaded as an app on our smart phones.
In more recent history, the NFB has sponsored the Blind Driver Challenge, the initiative to develop a vehicle which a blind driver could operate independently. As a result, in 2011, Mark Riccobono independently drove a prototype through an obstacle course on the Daytona International Speedway. This test vehicle was developed by an engineering team from Virginia Tech University. It should be noted here that obstacles on the course were laid down after Mark began to drive this vehicle. These two examples now fit neatly into a branch of AI known as machine vision.
It is easy to imagine other ways in which machine vision can help blind people. For example, if we are in an unfamiliar building, an AI could, using a map of that building, direct us to a specific location. If we must get to a certain floor in that building, the AI could direct us to the elevators, or even direct our hands to the key panel to call for that elevator. Applications of machine vision to serve as visual aids may already be under development. However, this is not the area of AI I want to discuss.
Let us remind ourselves again that many technologies have been previously oversold to us. In this case, AI will be no different. Regardless of the technology, there will always be tasks and functions we can perform more efficiently with alternative techniques. As technology changes, however, we may have to adapt some of these techniques to work with new devices and new modes of thinking. While it is difficult to see exactly what impact AI will have on our lives, we should always examine the offerings of AI carefully. We should not hesitate to call out its flimflams when the promoters claim that what they have to offer is the next wonder drug or the greatest invention since sliced bread. At the same time, we must also recognize the benefits of AI when truly innovative ideas are brought before us for consideration. As in the past, we, the organized blind, will work closely with the innovators and inventors who best understand our needs.
STEM activities may be broken down into two parts: learning it by reading textbooks, lecture notes, and research papers; and disseminating our work in Braille or print. In this article, I will pay special attention to the uses of AI for the translation of spoken mathematics into Nemeth Braille. There will be an obvious spillover into other STEM subjects because math is virtually involved in every aspect of STEM.
With AAF (American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults) funding, the work I have been conducting with my academic colleagues has been involved in the automated translation of PreTeXt-specified math content into either Nemeth Braille or synthetic speech. An additional NSF grant has allowed us to make improvements in the automated process of translating graphics from print to tactile form.
Moving in the reverse direction, given a document in Nemeth Braille, we may wish to have it produced in a printed format, enabling us to communicate our ideas and results with sighted readers. To date, no research has been done in this direction of information flow. This is where I think AI comes into the picture. More on this later. There is also the challenge of converting a verbal description of a mathematical diagram into embossed or printed formats. This poses an even greater challenge. But if you believe the pronouncements of AI’s most enthusiastic advocates, all things are possible with AI.
The two essential components of AI are the algorithm, a mechanical procedure for arriving at the most probable conclusions or deductions based on a given set of data, and the computing hardware that is necessary to make the calculations required by the AI’s algorithms.
In order to arrive at correct conclusions, i.e. the actions taken by human subjects given that set of data, the best algorithms require enormous quantities of data/response pairs that have been accumulated. We may think that it is an easy task to recognize the voice of a specific individual or to identify the face of a particular person in a huge crowd. But underlying these tasks is an enormous quantity of work performed by our brains to make these correct judgments. To duplicate these human mental tasks electronically requires an enormous amount of computer power. Today, our best computers can barely approach human mental capacity. However, with the development of modern microchips, i.e. the integrated circuits that are packed into minute pieces of silicon, we are better able to process these massive quantities of data/response pairs. We may think of these integrated circuits as direct translations of lines of computer code specified by the AI algorithms. Thus, the millions of calculations required by these algorithms can be computed in microseconds.
When I think of what AI could do for us in STEM, I think of my own experiences using human readers. My entire math career has involved the use of readers one way or another. I’ve had many readers all of these years, some better than others. The best readers were with me for longer periods of time. With uttering every symbol (comma, dot, left parenthesis, left bracket, etc.), the transmission from written to spoken math or vice versa can be extremely time-consuming or most boring. But, given time and experience, the rapport that developed between me and my reader could, in most instances, enable us to dispense with all of this mathematical verbiage and communicate the exact context entirely from the manner of speaking. For the most part, we tend to speak quite consistently in terms of pauses and inflections of voice. The direction of speaking went both ways. When a textbook or research article was being read, I was the listener. When I was dictating a homework assignment, course or seminar lecture, or research paper, my reader was the listener. No matter who the speaker was, the listener deduced the exact mathematical context from the consistent manner in which the pauses and inflections were employed.
As an example of inexact verbiage, the phrase “a slash b plus c” could be interpreted as either a/(b+c) or (a/b)+c. With experience, I could understand which was meant (depending on how my reader read it), or my reader could understand it (depending on how I said it). There are numerous examples of this type of ambiguity in spoken math. With sufficiently many samples of how an individual speaks math compared with the correct written expressions of those spoken samples, an AI algorithm could “learn” how to interpret your spoken math.
There are cases where a spoken expression bears absolutely no resemblance to what is written. The instance of this which immediately comes to my mind is that of the binomial coefficient, a staple in many required undergraduate courses. The binomial coefficient is represented by a column of two positive integer variables, n and k, with k less than n, in which n is written above k with elongated parentheses surrounding the column formed by these two variables. Here, the binomial coefficient is defined as n!/((n-k)! k!), where n! represents the product of integers from 1 to n, (n-k)! represents the product of integers from 1 to n-k, and k! represents the product of integers from 1 to k. When we refer to the binomial coefficient of n and k in speech, we could say “the binomial coefficient of n and k” or “n choose k” or “n C k”. (The use of the word “choose” here refers to the fact that there are exactly “n choose k” ways in which a subset of k objects can be chosen from a set of n objects). The AI algorithm should contain instructions to recognize either of these three spoken forms as the column of n and k described above.
Word processors and software editors are equipped with compilers which enable them to recognize spelling and syntax errors. When a compiler detects such an error, it offers the user a range of choices to correct this error. It also enables the user to instruct the compiler to ignore the error in this case. In a similar vein, a UEB or Nemeth compiler could be developed and installed on refreshable Braille displays to aid users with suggestions for correct code usage.
AI software is not needed if all we want to do is to have a tool which aids the user in typing correct UEB/Nemeth Code. Here, the UEB/Nemeth compiler is sufficient. However, AI will come into the picture if we are ever to produce UEB/Nemeth Code on our Braille displays directly from speech. In this case, a UEB/Nemeth compiler is an absolute prerequisite if an AI algorithm is to be written for UEB/Nemeth Code from human speech. If the produced Braille code is not consistent with what the speaker wants, the compiler will be the means through which the user communicates the corrected code. A UEB/Nemeth compiler could serve as the conduit through which an AI algorithm “learns” the correct AI interpretation of spoken text.
The typical math document that I, or anyone else, dictates to an AI will consist of a mixture of UEB and Nemeth output. It would be most desirable if the AI were smart enough to know when UEB was to be used and when Nemeth Braille was to be used. Short of this capability, we should have a switch on our Braille displays to set the AI in UEB mode or in Nemeth mode, depending on what is needed.
Just as a word processor still requires the user to have a knowledge of the rules of English grammar, an AI algorithm would still require its users to have a command of the UEB and the Nemeth Code. Without this knowledge a user is totally dependent on what the AI recommends, a most unsatisfactory situation.
When I was doing mathematics in graduate school and at my job, in the interest of saving time, I developed my own shorthand Nemeth, ignoring the rules for exact usage according to context. After all, I knew what I was writing about, so the context was always clear to me. I would then dictate a math document to my human reader who would write my spoken material into perfect printed notation. It seems to me that the ideal Nemeth AI algorithm would work in the same way. As I am reading from my Braille notes, the algorithm would translate it into perfect Nemeth Braille code. Since the rules of UEB and Nemeth Braille are precise and since the printed math notations are precise, AI should not be required to translate from Braille to print, or vice versa. As far as I know, we still do not have software for reverse Braille to print translation.
If you have taken a number of math courses, you have probably endured the professor who has lectured by speaking minimally and writing minimally. He would often say something, then point to this or that item on his blackboard, and simultaneously say something like “From this (pointing) and that (pointing), we conclude that …,” or he would write his conclusion that seemed to have no resemblance to what he had previously written or said. Often times such antics would leave even the sighted members of the class befuddled and confused. An AI, possibly installed on our smart phones, could combine spoken and blackboard materials into a more comprehensible form that would benefit everyone.
Also, think of the ways in which a math AI could assist in test-taking. Suppose there wasn’t sufficient time to produce a test in Braille, large print, or spoken form. University accessibility support services hesitate to let us use our own readers. The readers they provide don’t always know how to read the math content. How much simpler it would be for us and for the DSS offices if there were a math AI to read test questions to us and take dictation of our answers if needed.
The problem with reading math or building OCR software for math is that math is not consistently read linearly. There are times when within a line you must read vertically (think of subscripts and superscripts, limits of integration, or binomial coefficients). In our work on automated Nemeth translation, we have evaded this problem by extending the PreTeXt authoring language to specify items for Nemeth translation and UEB. It may be possible to build a neural network capable of parsing a page of printed math and reconstructing it for tactile or spoken formats.
Even if the math AI that I have suggested were to be built, I hope that such an AI would never dispense with our need for human readers. The value of personal contact and working relations should never be discounted. The reason I was so successful in getting classmates to read was that it afforded us time to study together, learn by asking questions of each other, and sharing what we had learned. The use of readers also gave me experiences that have carried over into daily as well as professional activities. I developed the confidence to sell myself to potential readers by explaining how beneficial it would be for both of us. I learned how to schedule my study time efficiently, how to adjust to the schedules of others, and how to plan the work I needed my readers to do in a limited amount of time.
Given the state of AI algorithms and hardware today, the AI that I have described for translation from human speech to Braille/print is achievable. But it is unreasonable to expect commercial adaptive technology vendors to undertake the massive research and development efforts that are needed to put this kind of AI application together. The number of Nemeth readers is just a small fraction of UEB readers. What is needed here is a massive collaborative effort between the organized blind movement, the universities, the science and math organizations, and the adaptive technology vendors. Before we can begin this collaborative effort, we, the organized blind, must have a clear and unified understanding of the AI products that we want. This article is just the first step in coming to this understanding. Others will have different ideas that need to be considered. Once we know exactly what we want, then we will be in a strong position to promote our ideas, recruit the talent that is needed, and secure the needed funding. This effort will require much more than the generous funding that AAF has previously given us. Obviously, the talent we have gathered around us for automated Nemeth translation will not be sufficient. Professionals with other skill sets will have to be recruited. However, we are off to a strong start with the team we currently have in place. We have established strong working relationships with the academic and government sectors. We need to extend these relationships.
I don’t have the foresight possessed by futurists on the order of Ray Kurzweil. But I remain convinced that given the language recognition possessed by today’s smartphones and smart speakers, what we want is well within the realm of possibility. I’m not suggesting that my ideas for the future of AI in STEM are entirely correct, but I hope that this article will stimulate others into thinking about what AI could do for us and bringing their ideas to the table. Perhaps the brighter souls among us could even take part in writing the code for some of these AI applications. After sixty years of learning and doing math, and watching all of the technological developments, I find myself on the side of the boosters, at least in the area of AI applications to help us with STEM. The broad goals we set now may only be accomplished incrementally. But let us never lose sight of what we are after. Let the future of AI for us begin, now!
by Cayte Mendez
From the Editor: Everybody loves money and loves the spirit of those who get it through our competitive scholarship program. Our extraordinary chairperson has once again fulfilled her duty to give us advance warning of what is to come, but this is your warning to start preparing and filing. Be sure to see the changes noted below, for this set of scholarships may apply to you.
The National Federation of the Blind is pleased to announce our 2025 scholarship program. We offer eight thousand dollar scholarships to thirty blind students who will be at least eighteen years of age by July 8, 2025. Students may apply if they reside in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico and will be enrolled in a full-time accredited post-secondary degree program during the 2025-2026 school year.
Traditionally, each year, one of our scholarships has been made available to an otherwise qualified applicant who is attending school part-time and simultaneously working full-time. Beginning in 2025, the National Federation of the Blind may award up to five scholarships annually to applicants enrolled part-time who meet all other eligibility requirements. Additionally, we recognize that along with employment, family caregiving, and ongoing medical care, concurrently with post-secondary enrollment can contribute to a need for students to carry a part-time courseload. Our application has been revised in order to provide an opportunity for students who will be enrolled part-time in the fall to share additional information with the committee.
All scholarships will be awarded at our 2025 National Convention, which will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, from July 8 to 13.
The application period begins December 1, 2024, and closes at midnight EST on March 31, 2025. Go to www.nfb.org/scholarships. To apply during the four-month open period: read the rules and the submission checklist, complete the official 2025 scholarship application form, supply all required documents, and request and complete an interview with an NFB affiliate president. Remember, the only way to win is to apply!by Officials of the Writers’ Division
The National Federation of the Blind invites you to participate in the 2025 Writers’ Division Writing Contest. Below, you will find our requirements and deadlines. We look forward to seeing your work in the contest this year.
The annual youth and adult writing contests sponsored by the National Federation of the Blind Writers’ Division will open January 1, 2025, and close April 30, 2025. This contest is open to all blind aspiring writers. The term blind is inclusive of low vision, consistent with the Federation’s functional definition of blindness.
Adult contest categories are:
Youth contest categories are short fiction and poetry. The youth contest is divided into three groups, determined by grade level:
In both adult and youth contests, there may be up to three prize winners (first, second, third). In addition, one or more entries may receive honorable mention. Prize-winning entries may be published in the Writers’ Division’s magazine, Slate & Style.
All contest winners will be announced during the 2025 National Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, at the annual Writers' Division business meeting.
Youth contest winners will receive cash prizes equal to $30 for first place, $20 for second place, and $10 for third place.
Adult contest winners will receive cash prizes equal to $75 for first place, $50 for second place, and $25 for third place.
If you are eighteen years old or older, you must enter the adult contest. The youth contest is for students who use Braille. Entries must be submitted in hand-embossed Braille, either with a slate and stylus or Perkins Braille Writer; there are no exceptions. Submissions must be Brailled by the entrant. All submissions, no matter the grade level, must be in contracted Braille. Let us know whether you “know” or are “learning” contracted Braille. Additionally, let us know whether or not you have chosen to use UEB. Send your hardcopy Braille and cover letter to:
Barbara Hammel
7408 Bryn Mawr Drive
Urbandale, IA 50322
Each entrant must provide an identical electronic copy of the cover letter and contest entry as a Microsoft Word file [doc or docx] or as a Rich Text Format [rtf] file. Construct each contest entry as a separate electronic file. Construct your cover letter as a separate electronic file. Attach each separate electronic file to one (1) email and send it to Shelley Alongi, [email protected].
Include your name and titles of entries in the cover letter only. Each contest entry must contain the title and text only. So, if you are entering three poems and one story into the contest, attach five files to your email. No entries will be considered unless submitted in the formats listed above. Electronic files submitted in any other format will be immediately disqualified, no questions asked.
Your cover letter must contain your name, address, telephone number, and email address. List the titles of all submissions (including the category in which they are being entered), school, and grade level.
We will consider only unpublished original entries. Please do not submit entries that have been previously submitted on a website or blog. Short fiction submissions cannot be more than a thousand words, and poetry submissions must consist of no more than fifty lines. Authors of either poetry or fiction are encouraged to submit multiple pieces.
There are no entry fees.
Are you the best Brailler in the contest? Be sure to double-check your work for spelling and grammatical errors. Remember to use Braille paper so the Braille is easy to read. Good luck!
This contest is for blind writers eighteen years old or older. We will consider only unpublished original entries. Please do not submit entries that have been published on a website or blog. Fiction and nonfiction categories can be of any mainstream genre and cannot exceed three thousand words. Novel excerpts must be no longer than five thousand words and can be partial or complete chapters as long as they fall within the word limit. We will accept poetry of any length.
Adults are required to submit all poetry, fiction, and nonfiction as attachments to an email message. Each entrant must provide an identical electronic copy of the cover letter and contest entry as a Microsoft Word file [doc or docx] or as a Rich Text Format [rtf] file.
Construct each contest entry as a separate electronic file. Construct your cover letter as a separate electronic file. Attach each separate electronic file to one (1) email and send it to Shelley Alongi, [email protected]. Note: Only include the title and text of each entry in each contest entry. So, if you are entering three poems and one story into the contest, you must attach five electronic files to your email. No entries will be considered unless submitted in the formats listed above. Electronic copies submitted in any other format will be immediately disqualified, no questions asked. Authors are encouraged to submit multiple pieces.
Fiction and nonfiction should be written in a normal prose style, with paragraphs being left-justified, lines being single spaced, and using a fourteen-point Arial regular font. Be sure to double-check your work for spelling and grammatical errors. No hardcopy submissions will be accepted.
Along with your entry or entries, include a cover letter providing the following information: your name, mailing address, telephone number, and email address. List the titles of all submissions, including the category in which they are being entered. Indicate the method of payment of the entry fee (check or PayPal). The fee for each short fiction piece, memoir, essay, and novel excerpt is fifteen dollars for members and twenty dollars for non-members. The fee for each nonfiction entry is fifteen dollars for members and twenty dollars for non-members. A member is anyone whose dues to the NFB Writers' Division are current for the contest year. A non-member is anyone who is not a paid member of the NFB Writers' Division at the time of entering the contest. The base fee for poetry will cover up to three poems if the combined line count of all three poems does not exceed 108 lines. Additional poems require a second fee, following the same fee payment scheme. Base fees are fifteen dollars for members and twenty dollars for non-members. You may use PayPal from the Writers’ Division website, writers.nfb.org. Alternatively, you may mail a check made out to NFB Writers’ Division, with a note in the memo line relating to the contest. Send to:
Shawn Jacobson
19541 Olney Mill Rd.
Olney, MD 20832
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.
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