_______________________________________________________________________________
Vol. 68, No. 7 July 2025
Chris Danielsen, Editor
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National Federation of the Blind
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THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND ADVANCES THE LIVES OF ITS MEMBERS AND ALL BLIND PEOPLE IN THE UNITED STATES. WE KNOW 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. OUR COLLECTIVE POWER, DETERMINATION, AND DIVERSITY ACHIEVE THE ASPIRATIONS OF ALL BLIND PEOPLE. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND—IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES.
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Vol. 68, No. 7 July 2025
Taking Back My Life: A Journey from Control to Freedom
by Mary Azatyan-Witmeyer
No Sights Necessary: Firearm Safety and Range Experience
by Christine Faltz Grassman
Dedicated Determination Can Help Create Change
by Cindy Scott-Huisman
Looking Towards Our Future: Making Healthy Aging Accessible
by Rishika Kartik and Christopher Liu
Social Determinants of Health: A Framework for Communicating with Health Care Professionals and Policy Specialists about the Work of the Organized Blind Movement
by Justin Salisbury
Plan for the Future
Building a Museum Beyond Expectations: Blueprints for Change
Book Review: Connecting Dots: A Blind Life
by Joshua A. Miele with Wendell Jamieson
Reviewed by Deborah Kendrick
Legislative Update
by Chris Danielsen
Living by Standards: When Blindness Isn’t the Limitation
by Kristopher I. Crawley
Innosearch AI and National Federation of the Blind Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Digital Accessibility for Blind and Low-Vision Communities
Google and Aira Launch AI Visual Interpreter Pilot Project
by Chris Danielsen
From the President's Desk
Monitor Miniatures
Copyright 2025 by the National Federation of the Blind
by Mary Azatyan-Witmeyer
From the Editor: It is not unusual for Federationists to talk about fighting for our freedom and independence, but in Mary Witmeyer’s case, the battle was more literal than many. The pernicious low expectations that are held by society, and sometimes our own families, translated into legal barriers preventing her from taking full control of her life. I became acquainted with her story through Tim Elder, the president of our California affiliate, who had invited Mary to share it at their 2025 convention. I felt that it was an important story to share with our readers as well, and Mary was gracious enough to agree and to write the following short article. Here is Mary’s story in her own voice:
Imagine turning eighteen, excited to start your life as a young adult, only to discover that your independence is being taken away. That’s exactly what happened to me.
My name is Mary Witmeyer, and this is my story. I was born at just twenty-four weeks. Because of that, I developed retinopathy of prematurity and am blind. I spent several months in the hospital on a ventilator and was adopted by my mother when I was six months old. I have a twin brother, and we grew up together in a household that was often chaotic—there were always children from the foster system coming and going.
When I turned eighteen, my mother told me that I needed to be placed under a conservatorship. For those who don’t know, that means someone else—in this case, my mom—would be legally responsible for all my decisions: medical, financial, educational, even where I lived. I told her I didn’t want that. I knew I was capable of making my own choices. But she said that if I didn’t do what she said, she would kick me out of the house and I’d end up homeless. Terrified of living on the street, I agreed to what she wanted.
The court assigned me a legal representative, but it didn’t feel like he was on my side. He kept framing things in ways that pushed me to agree with my mom, saying things like, “Would you like your mother to help you find a place to live?” I felt trapped and helpless, like no one truly heard me. Everyone seemed to believe that my blindness meant I couldn’t take care of myself. I believe my mom pushed for the conservatorship to maintain control of my Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and other financial benefits.
Then, in the summer of 2022, I attended a summer program at the Colorado Center for the Blind—and I fell in love with it. It was the first time I truly experienced what independence could look like. I knew I had to return. After nearly a year of struggling with California’s vocational rehabilitation system, I finally succeeded in enrolling in the Center’s Independence Training Program (ITP) in August 2023.
A few months into the program, I knew I had to make a decision. If I stayed silent, I’d be sent back to California and right back into the same situation. So I told my story to Julie Deden, the director of the Center. She listened—and more importantly, she believed me. She told me the Center would try to help.
In July 2024, I had the privilege of attending the National Federation of the Blind’s National Convention in Orlando, Florida. There, one of my good friends, Karin Page, introduced me to Tim Elder. He said he’d try to help me—and he did. After a long and emotional process, my conservatorship was officially terminated on March 26, 2025.
I can’t fully express how grateful I am to everyone who helped me along the way. It means more than I can say. Special thanks go to Brett and Eliza, two instructors at the Center who opened their home to me while I work on getting on my feet. Let me be clear—they don’t take care of me. I take care of myself. They’re simply offering support as I transition to full independence.
Without the National Federation of the Blind, I might still be stuck at home, spending my days playing video games and attending a work program where all I did was fold towels. That’s not the life I want. Thanks to the training I received at an NFB training center and the Federation’s help with my legal situation, it is no longer the only life available to me. I now control my own decisions and destiny.
My goals are clear now. I plan to finish my GED and pursue a career in cybersecurity. I’ve always loved technology and video games, and I want to help make them more accessible to blind players like me. My life is just beginning, and if there’s one message I want to share, it’s this: there is help out there if you feel that you don’t have full control of your life. Don’t be afraid to ask for it.
PHOTO/CAPTION: Gun instructor, Haly, stands next to Christine who is seated. Christine is holding a gun, and the instructor is guiding her hands on and around the chamber to get familiar with parts of the gun.
PHOTO/CAPTION: In a booth at the gun range, instructor Haly and Christine touch the yellow target with a red bull’s eye that is hanging directly in front of them.
by Christine Faltz Grassman
From the Editor: In our movement, we raise expectations because low expectations create barriers, including discrimination. This is most pernicious when it occurs in areas like employment and education, but it can be disappointing and even hurtful when it touches our leisure activities as well. I have seen or personally experienced blind people being denied the opportunity to ice skate, play a game of paintball, and even to go on a simple walking tour of an historic city. On the other hand, I have been welcomed without hesitation to an indoor sky-diving facility, a sea life park where I swam with dolphins, and the copilot seat of a small plane. Overwhelmingly, the issue isn’t what we as blind people can and cannot do, but the expectations of others and their willingness, or lack thereof, to accommodate and learn. A story like the one you are about to read shouldn’t be unusual, but sadly it still needs to be told in hopes that matters will continue to improve. In this article, Christine Faltz Grassman, president of the Fairfax Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia, tells how she and others were included in firearms training, which is often considered an activity in which blind people should not or cannot engage. Whether or not you have a desire to fire, carry, or learn how to use a gun, the story is encouraging. Here is what Christine and some other blind people experienced:
In a world where blind people are too often underestimated and excluded—especially from environments perceived as high-risk—finding instructors who welcome us with confidence, respect, and professionalism is a rare and powerful experience. One such group is Trouble Defense LLC, a veteran-owned firearms and self-defense training company based in Northern Virginia. Founded by Army veteran Dee Parker and Sheena Parker, Trouble Defense is known for its rigorous safety standards, diverse class offerings, and commitment to individual empowerment.
From home-defense seminars and gun maintenance classes to practical concealed carry instruction and situational awareness training, Trouble Defense has served a wide array of students across the region. What distinguishes them most is not just the quality of their curriculum, but their openness to growth and inclusion.
In April 2025, I contacted Trouble Defense with a request that might have prompted hesitation elsewhere. I asked whether they would be willing to offer a firearms safety class to a group of blind and low-vision individuals. I fully expected to encounter delay, concern, or doubt. Instead, I received an immediate and enthusiastic response from co-founder Sheena Parker: “It would be our honor to train you.”
That simple statement marked the beginning of an extraordinary experience—one grounded in mutual respect, high expectations, and a shared belief in capability.
On Sunday, May 18, 2025, ten individuals—nine of us blind or low-vision—gathered at Trouble Defense LLC for a comprehensive firearms safety class and live range experience. We left not only more informed and confident, but fully respected and empowered.
Sheena Parker, along with instructors Haley and Lacy, led the course with clarity and purpose. They taught us the same way they would teach any students, adjusting for accessibility and safety without diluting standards. There was no condescension, no spectacle—just professional, responsive instruction.
As the training date approached, I visited Trouble Defense’s website and discovered that “Adaptive Firearms Training for the Blind and Vision Impaired” had already been added to their listed services. This was not a reluctant accommodation—it was a wholehearted commitment. When informed that the site’s reciprocity maps for carry permits were color-coded and therefore inaccessible, Sheena quickly provided an accessible, text-based alternative.
Our class began with an overview of the four universal rules of firearms safety:
We also discussed the legal frameworks governing firearm possession and carry, which vary by jurisdiction. Virginia, for example, allows open carry without a permit, but requires a permit for concealed carry. Participants from other states learned that they might need additional training or licensing, depending on local law.
Next, we were introduced to a bright orange inert training pistol, allowing us to explore its components in a safe and controlled setting. We then practiced handling unloaded semi-automatic handguns, learning how to rack the slide and identify parts such as the grip, slide, and magazine release. For some, it was a chance to build on past experience. For others, it was a first encounter with a tool they had long been told was off limits.
The class then split into two groups. One remained in the classroom for further instruction, while the other made the short walk to Sharpshooters Indoor Range. After checking in and receiving eye and ear protection, we entered the range and met the safety officer, who explained that he would monitor our session and provide support if needed.
Inside, camp chairs were set up along the wall for those waiting their turn. The range was clean and well-ventilated, and the instructors guided each of us to the firing line.
Each pair, student and instructor, stood side by side in booths. These had an opening at the rear but were enclosed on right and left, and towards the front there was a carpeted “bench” at approximately abdominal height where our handguns were placed, loaded, and unloaded. Amid the sounds of various types of gunfire, and an occasional announcement telling a particular lane that they had ten minutes remaining in their session, we were shown how to check if a gun was loaded, what a magazine felt like when it was empty and when it was not, how to stand, and how to grip. We were also told that the target would be at eye level. We were shown the targets and shown where we should strive to hit and how the target was rigged.
I was fascinated that a touchscreen was used to manipulate the targets.
We each had the opportunity to shoot .22 caliber and 9mm handguns. At the conclusion of our individual turns in the booths, the instructors helped us examine the targets to feel where our shots landed. Many of us were surprised by our accuracy—and deeply proud. One participant marked her sixtieth birthday with a bullseye.
Lia Jacobsen described the experience as follows:
The instructors made us feel really welcome and like we fit in. They tailored their presentation to us and gave us each individual attention as we familiarized ourselves with the firearms. And when it came to the actual shooting experience, they adapted to our needs: helping us find the stance that worked best for us, giving us the opportunity to try shooting with two calibers of guns, and letting us feel where we struck the target at the end. Trouble Defense did a great job of meeting each of us where we were, enabling us to feel safe with firearms, and providing a really enriching new life experience.
Another participant, Shannon Kalu, board member of the Greater Alexandria Chapter, shared this reflection at the May meeting of the Fairfax Chapter several days later:
I grew up in rural North Carolina, and guns were everywhere. My uncle had a shotgun in his bedroom. All the kids had BB guns. But it was not even considered for a moment that I should put my hands on even a BB gun. I considered becoming a probation officer and had a friend tell me that I could never be one because I could not shoot a gun. This was repeated a lot, and it was something that was on my mind. I did not become a probation officer for other reasons, but certainly that stayed with me. When I first actually put my hands on the unloaded gun in the class, I suddenly became aware of what I was holding, that this could cause death. It became a very serious awareness, and when I first entered the range, I was not even going to shoot. I put my big girl tennis shoes on, and I did it. I was a little taken aback with the 9mm, but I did it. I talked with my adult daughters about the experience, and they said they would be interested in going back and doing a class with me.
The class was also attended by Todd Tolson, director of the Blind Muse Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering communication, education, and connection between blind and sighted individuals. Todd documented parts of the experience through photos and video, and we look forward to sharing accessible, described media as it becomes available.
Sheena and Dee Parker attended the Fairfax Chapter meeting, where they spoke candidly about the resistance they have faced in the firearms training industry. Other instructors had advised them not to work with blind students—or to limit the experience to using “dummy” guns. Trouble Defense made a different choice. They embraced the opportunity to teach, to learn, and to move beyond fear and low expectations.
Since the class, the Parkers and their team have continued to engage with us—soliciting feedback, refining their offerings, and asking about language, media, and representation. Several of us plan to return for additional range time, further instruction, or self-defense training.
At Trouble Defense, we were treated not as risks, but as capable adults. That is what made the experience extraordinary. It was not that we held and fired real handguns, but that we did so in an environment of trust, dignity, and high expectations. Equitable treatment should not require applause. Yet in a world where it is still far too rare, I believe in acknowledging it when it is done right.
To learn more about this training opportunity, visit: www.troubledefense.com/blind-and-low-vision-firearms-training. To support inclusive creative media, events, and experiences, visit www.blindmuse.org.
by Cindy Scott-Huisman
From the Editor: Cindy Scott-Huisman is a leader of the National Federation of the Blind of Arkansas. She lives in Little Rock, where she also owns an art gallery. Although much research, some of it nonsensical, is done on blindness, blind people often find ourselves denied the chance to participate in research studies and clinical trials unrelated to our eye conditions. Indeed, the 2022 National Convention passed Resolution 2022-07 to address this problem. In this article, Cindy tells about such a situation and explains what she, along with an ally on the research team, was able to do about it. Here is what she says:
I am a patient in the Mitochondrial Medicine Frontier Project Clinic in the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The research site coordinator, Sara Nguyen, contacted me about a clinical study for a medicine for primary mitochondrial myopathy, because she thought I would be a viable candidate for this research trial.
Sara has conducted clinical research for over a decade at CHOP, readily and straightforwardly enrolling diverse patients into various studies. This is the story of what happened as we explored my participation in the study and how it ultimately led to positive, if perhaps still evolving, change. I have incorporated information from Sara’s notes so that readers have the complete story.
Regarding reaching out to me, Sara recalls, “It was not until January 2022 [that] I encountered a profound challenge in enrolling patients. We had recently received approval for a promising drug trial, and our division initiated outreach to pre-eligible patients for enrollment, including Cindy Scott-Huisman. I still remember our first conversation when I had called Cindy in Arkansas to introduce this study; she was curious and thoughtful in understanding our research. I also recall her warm and kind Southern drawl.”
Sara became interested in learning more about my level of independence when she found out about my central sight loss. She and I went into a phase of her learning a lot about how people who are blind or low-vision access printed materials, as well as our rights.
She did not consider my blindness to be a significant issue for participating in the drug trial.
Sara remembers, “After our discussion, Cindy requested additional time for review of the study and to discern if she would ultimately decide if the study opportunity aligned with her personal priorities and schedule.”
I looked up the trial online and read about it. I was kind of sitting on the fence—going back and forth in my mind, weighing the pros and cons, when I got a call from Sara letting me know that the study sponsors did not approve of participants who would be accessing the paperwork and other study materials nonvisually.
Sara explains, “We let our sponsor know we had received strong interest in the study, including a vision-impaired patient. Although not discouraging, they responded with concern regarding if Cindy could provide fully informed consent, safely perform study exercises, and complete paper surveys and questionnaires. Overall, the sponsors’ initial response was they couldn’t ‘modify the study to accommodate significant visual impairments in subjects’.”
I am not sure why this shocked me so much, but it did. Perhaps it has to do with me not being disabled until shortly after I turned fifty-one; consequently, I had not experienced this type of situation before, and the thought of being excluded for a reason that did not make sense was something I could not wrap my head around.
Sara recalls, “When I called Cindy to explain we likely could not enroll her into the study for reasons related to her eyesight, it was as if I had lit a glowing fire in Cindy. She was initially stunned [by] her potential exclusion and grew increasingly impassioned to pursue her opportunity in this study, if not just for her, then for other blind/low-vision patients in the present and future.”
Even though I wasn’t sure if I was going to participate in the trial, I wanted to use my advocacy skills to hopefully open up the trial to other possible participants who would qualify. I’d like to add that I never became cross with anyone about this potential exclusion. I remained calm. It helped that Sara was completely on my side.
Sara shares, “As an experienced study patient advocate, I had supported and resolved different issues; however, this was the first instance when I needed a patient to help me. After unequivocally deciding to campaign for Cindy’s inclusion in the study at CHOP, I also needed Cindy’s insight and knowledge to explore a direction forward. Knowing our physician-investigators were fully supportive and endorsed Cindy’s participation and ability, I sought the guidance of the Office of Research Compliance (ORC). Even for our extensive research institute and ORC, this seemed to be a novel situation. We assessed research safety, regulatory compliance, and data integrity for the involvement of blind/low-vision patients in the clinical trial.”
Sara stayed in contact with me every step of the way. I remember her excitedly relaying to me one day that she had discovered a room within the hospital facility that is dedicated to housing accessibility equipment, such as a CCTV. She was surprised to see that this room is known as “The Little Rock Room.” I don’t think we ever found out why this room is named for my home town, but what a coincidence. I took it as a good sign!
Sara explains what happened next:
After several weeks of developing a thorough and compliant process for Cindy’s safe and informed enrollment, we received sponsor approval to proceed with an internal hospital regulatory review of the new standard operating process (SOP) for enrolling blind/low-vision patients into our research.
Key points include:
After nearly four months of working alongside Cindy and internal hospital groups, we finally received approval of our process for enrolling blind/low-vision patients into research. We immediately proceeded with Cindy and two other blind/low-vision patients. Equally important, we now have a paradigm and resources for supporting and including other blind/low-vision patients at our hospital presently and into the future. And it all started with Cindy’s determination and advocating for herself and others.
I was thrilled when I eventually found out that I was approved to come to the clinic to see if everything about me, medically and physically, met all the requirements to be in this clinical study. Sara told me that these changes that she and I worked on together are in effect throughout the entire hospital system. So, for any testing of a medication or other research in any department in CHOP, they now have guidelines in place to work with people who can’t see the printed materials. I am happy to have had the opportunity to help the blind and mitochondria disease communities.
As it turned out, I did not end up qualifying for the study, based on my particular mitochondrial marker. Even though I did not get to help by participating in this study, I believe that I represented the blind community well and presented a strong argument for admitting participants who are blind. I am proud of my patience with the process and making a change that will positively affect others.
Sara and I are still in touch. During a recent phone call I remarked that I could not have made these hospital policy changes without her and she told me that without my kind nature, dedicated determination, and willingness to educate her, the changes would not have happened. So, I suppose that the two of us make a great team.
PHOTO/CAPTION: Students walk along a botanical path surrounded by lush greenery and tall trees.
PHOTO/CAPTION: The group sits together around a conference table, making tactile art with clay during their BOBB class.
PHOTO/CAPTION: Two students place items onto the checkout counter at a grocery store.
by Rishika Kartik and Christopher Liu
From the Editor: Rishika Kartik is a junior at Brown University, creating and pursuing Brown’s first bachelor’s degree in “Accessible Design.” She has been a volunteer with the National Federation of the Blind since 2019 and works to make art, technology, and healthcare more inclusive for people with disabilities. As the founder of “Touch and Create Studios” and the “Vision of the Artist’s Soul” project, Rishika works to create more artistic and educational opportunities for blind people nationwide. She is a TEDx speaker with over 1.1 million views and has received nearly a dozen academic awards, grants, and fellowships. At Brown, Rishika is the co-founder of a vision loss advocacy club called “Blind@Brown,” helps under-resourced patients access social services as part of the Connect for Health leadership team, and co-created a public art installation called “The Blind Urban Subject.” Passionate about education, she has created and co-taught two courses about accessibility at Brown: “Blindness, Arts, and Media,” and “Gerodesign,” the latter taught with the coauthor of this article. In her apparently elusive free time, Rishika loves writing, biking, and coffee-shop-hopping.
Chris is a 2025 Truman Scholar and 2024 Royce Fellow at Brown majoring in gerontology and cell & molecular biology. Currently, Chris serves as an elected committee co-chair within the Rhode Island Coalition for Elder Justice, a committee lead within the Rhode Island Elder Mental Health & Addiction Coalition, and an appointed member of the Rhode Island Elder Self Neglect MDT. He is an award winning advocate for LGBTQ+ seniors, serves on a committee that has raised $250k+ for research through the Arthritis Foundation, and works for Plans4Care, a company that develops programs for caregivers of people with dementia. He conducts research with teams at the Center for Gerontology Research and the Brown Health Cardiovascular Institute on topics ranging from Meals on Wheels to pharmacoepidemiology to cardiovascular health to climate change & aging. On campus, he is president of Brown’s Hospice Club, a geriatric patient advocate with Connect for Health, and an elected member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. In one sense, the contribution of these two outstanding scholars is highly academic, but in another it is deeply practical. It also demonstrates the positive outcomes that can occur when sighted researchers collaborate with blind people to learn from our training models and lived experiences. We therefore believe that readers of all backgrounds will appreciate and benefit from what the piece has to say about the intersection of blindness and healthy aging. Here is the article:
The other month, Rishika and I were walking back to campus when we encountered a family of baby geese. We named them Duck, Turkey, and Chris Jr before hobbling back up College Hill—fighting the urge to stash one away in our backpacks. Temptation struck us once again the other day, when we spotted them swimming down the Providence River. They had grown adorably round—an army of flying bowling balls, an armada of feathered watermelons. We watched them swim underneath Pedestrian Bridge and pondered the glorious size they would become when they were fully grown—future older geese, as we imagined them, large enough to substitute for an advertising blimp.
That moment reminded me of a conversation I had with my dorm-mate. He had pointed to an equally round, large, and chubby baby and joked that, while to him it was just a baby, to me it was a future geriatric patient. And he wasn’t wrong: I’m too often quoted calling myself a “future older adult”—asking others to re-evaluate their positionality as well.
Oftentimes, when asked to think of older adults, we conceptualize an amorphic other—a population sequestered in nursing homes or senior centers and removed from the day-to-day lives of college students. However, what we fail to appreciate is that youth is ephemeral against the inevitability of aging: a process coded into our very DNA. Therefore, taking care of our bodies as though we are future older adults becomes a karmic endeavor, paying us back when we eventually become older adults ourselves. We call this framework “healthy aging,” which involves the maintenance of our physical, mental, and social well-being as we age. Envisioning ourselves, and each other, as future older adults leads to a world where aging and disability are met with dignity: where we can all age healthily through creativity, connection, and care.
Over 46 percent of adults sixty and older have a disability (WHO, 2024). Yet disability justice is often excluded from conversations around healthy aging because of the stigma surrounding disability. A Harris Poll completed for Pfizer’s Get Old campaign found that 87 percent of Americans fear aging out of underlying fears of losing independence or acquiring a disability (Pfizer 2014). The core goals of healthy aging are often ableist, focusing on reducing years lived with disability, which makes little sense for people who already have a disability. When disability is discussed in the context of healthy aging, it’s often framed as something to cure or avoid. Consequently, those with disability prior to growing old are often excluded from conversations around aging in a healthy, dignified manner.
This theme emerges again through metrics used to quantify the impact or value of interventions that promote healthy aging. For example, metrics like QALYs (quality-adjusted life years) and DALYs (disability-adjusted life years) assign lower values to lives lived with disability, creating a misleading notion that disabled individuals have reduced quality of life compared to their able-bodied counterparts. These assumptions also affect research. For example, an article published in the Journal of Health Affairs found that, of the ninety-seven interventional protocols they examined, 34 percent of them excluded participants with visual disability, 10 percent of them excluded those with auditory disability, and 9 percent excluded based on mobility (Plosky 2022). This limits the extent to which our research is generalizable to populations of all abilities and backgrounds.
Finally, conversations surrounding healthy aging often involve a saviorism paradigm: where able-bodied individuals engage in a unidirectional, didactic flow of knowledge—imparting information rather than reciprocally sharing it. This method of engagement prevents mutual collaboration and learning. Thus, the very way we conceptualize healthy aging needs to be reassessed by aligning goals and dialogue within a disability justice framework.
In my first week of college, I met Rishika, a fellow student and disability advocate who was living in the room below me. Disability and aging, as we know, are inherently intertwined. However, it was over breakfast at a university dining hall we colloquially call The Ratty that Rishika introduced me to a new dimension to the aging-disability paradigm: blindness.
As I would come to learn, the blind community is especially excluded from healthy-aging dialogue, as blindness is believed to be rarer than other forms of disability. Public health efforts surrounding aging rarely include blind people, treating them as “edge cases.” However, treating blindness as an edge case ignores the fact that many people age into blindness. In fact, a 2023 Ophthalmology report found that 27.8 percent of Americans over seventy experienced significant blindness or low vision (Shaw, 2023). Even in cases where the prevalence of blindness isn’t as common, excluding blind individuals sends a troubling message: their needs—and by extension, their lives—matter less.
Our early conversations galvanized our interest in expanding healthy-aging initiatives to meaningfully include blind people. Specifically, we were interested in Structured Discovery Centers (SDCs)—which teach blindness skills through hands-on problem-solving and peer-to-peer support—and to understand how these programs support healthy aging, how they could be improved, and how healthy aging practices at SDCs might be applied to broader public health efforts.
To accomplish these goals, Rishika reached out to Maurice Peret—a cane travel instructor with decades of experience at SDCs—who was teaching at Ho’opono Services for the Blind in Oahu. Maurice identified a strong need for programming that more directly addressed healthy aging and invited us to construct a curriculum on healthy aging that was grounded in accessibility and positive blindness philosophy. Two months later, during our university’s winter break, Rishika and I traveled to Oahu to lead a two-week healthy aging program for blind Hawaiians.
That winter, we spent our days shadowing Braille and home management classes, exploring the streets of Honolulu during travel instruction sessions, and immersing ourselves in Ho’opono culture. Here, we had the pleasure of meeting students who had travelled from across the world to hone their blindness skills at Ho’opono—each of whom contributed unique perspectives, skills, and interests to the learning community. The highlight of Ho’opono’s program centered around the Business of Being Blind (BOBB) course, which Maurice has described as “an exploration [of] the emotional, intellectual, attitudinal, and philosophical aspects of blindness.” The programming centered on bidirectional and reciprocal dialogue, where students played active roles in shaping their experience and discovering new knowledge together—a philosophy we learned to embrace within our work as well.
Central to this experience was embracing the creativity that facilitates healthy aging—a strength deeply embedded within the blind community. Effective healthy aging practices, just like effective accessibility practices, center around modifying our existing routines while problem-solving to work around constraints. By using the sun to orient cardinal directions, using AI to read grocery labels, or redesigning technology to be more accessible, to name just a few examples, blind people solve problems in ways that directly translate to healthy aging as well. Supporting healthy aging doesn’t mean starting from scratch—it means recognizing and building on the existing ingenuity that emerges from diverse, inclusive communities. Below, Rishika and I share five insights we gained from our time at Ho’opono.
A primary goal of our program was to harness students’ already abundant creativity to collectively brainstorm ways to make healthy living more accessible. Creativity is often misconstrued as an elusive trait, reserved for the 1 percent of artists or geniuses. The truth, however, is that everyone, especially within the blind community, practices creativity every day. For example, when we strategize about traveling or cooking nonvisually, we create novel ways of engaging with the world. When we generate ideas with disability in mind, we develop new ways of connecting, learning, communicating, and problem-solving. Blindness, therefore, affords a unique way of viewing the world. Accessibility is a form of creativity.
Unfortunately, current approaches to disability inclusion send one message: conform. We stop generating ideas because we’re afraid we may be judged or shamed. We stop pursuing creativity to stay confined in comfortable, socially enforced boxes. To revitalize our creativity, we must consider an approach to disability inclusion that celebrates difference and gives people the freedom to challenge these norms.
A common misconception with healthy aging was that it required dramatic changes to students’ routines. However, adopting lifestyles conducive to healthy aging doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel, nor does it have to be disruptive to your daily schedule. The cumulative effect of small, consistent changes can be larger effects that are more sustainable than big-bang modifications.
For example, many students said that they didn’t have time to hit the gym every week. To address this, we found YouTube videos that facilitated audio-guided chair yoga sessions and practiced cardio and stretching exercises that students could perform quickly at work or school. We also discussed the idea of engaging in “exercise snacks”, like having quick dance parties in between tasks and chores. These small healthy habits often compound over time, enhancing people’s quality of life far more than dramatic changes that are unsustainable and difficult to maintain.
Another common concern we heard was that students didn’t want to give up their favorite meal. We wanted to reframe healthy eating as additive, not punitive: finding new favorite recipes or replacements rather than taking things away. As a group, we worked to find healthier or affordable replacements for ingredients: like using hummus or Tzatziki sauce instead of mayo, cooking with plant-based oils rather than animal fats, or reaching for heart-healthy seasoning like cayenne and garlic instead of extra salt. We were also inspired to find creative ways to add mental well-being exercises into our daily activities. For example, when accompanying students on daily walks, we practiced mindfulness meditation exercises. We also paired an orientation and mobility trip with an accessible botanical garden visit, an immersive exploration of flora native to the Hawaiian islands.
As we learned from students at Ho’opono, we noticed that the largest barrier to healthy aging was that students perceived healthy habits as imposing limitations, rather than creating new opportunities. This way of thinking parallels a common issue discussed in blindness philosophy classes in the National Federation of the Blind. When blindness is portrayed as a limitation rather than an alternative way of doing things, people become afraid of disability and underestimate their capabilities. The Ho’opono Center, however, treated accessibility as a chance to innovate. Students learned to approach challenges with flexibility and find nonvisual ways to meet their goals. Many students told us that blindness-skills training helped them uncover new hobbies, interests, and ways of experiencing the world once they opened their mind. In the same way, when we treat healthy aging as a chance to try new things, we open the door for more people to live not just longer, but better.
After introducing students to a variety of healthy aging activities, we focused on developing sustainable, tailored goals to ensure that these healthy habits would stick. Here, we applied the SMART framework (which stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to help students develop ambitious but achievable goals. One participant, for example, expressed a desire to eat healthier. Using this framework, we discussed the person’s habits, motivators, and constraints as a group to develop the following SMART goal: “I will eat hummus sandwiches at least three times a week for lunch this next month.” Unlike standardized metrics like QALYs and DALYs, SMART goals allow each participant to measure success on their own terms. This person-centered model allowed individual preferences and experiences to shape priorities, providing a more encouraging way to conceptualize health and aging.
We also introduced a framework for peer support called relational creativity through which students generated insights through collaborative dialogue. Peer support allowed us to transform activities into fun, social events: for example, organizing a communal potluck with healthy foods or finding exercise partners. Practicing creativity was essential for us to build motivation, giving us the initial momentum to get started. However, for these benefits to be realized, consistency is key, which is why community is an integral part of this process. Peer support holds us accountable to our goals and allows us to collaboratively develop creative ways to tackle obstacles. Making social opportunities more accessible is key to promoting healthy aging.
Towards the beginning of this article, we described the dangers of a didactic, saviorism approach that reduces transparency, generates power imbalances, and impedes mutual understanding. To combat the “sighted savior myth,” we worked with the Ho’opono staff to align our work closely with the center’s central Socratic teaching philosophy, which is structured around helping others to help themselves and find their strengths. Students are encouraged to guide their own learning through questioning, discussion, and dialogue. By asking others “What’s been stopping you from doing this in the past?” or “What would success look like for you?” we created space for reflection and critical thinking. Throughout this process, each person was simultaneously a learner and a teacher. Our program’s true mission was to help people articulate, realize, and work towards what mattered most to them. Of course, the benefits of the Socratic method extend beyond blind communities and are just one example of how practices rooted in blind communities can lead to more effective, thoughtful ways of accomplishing goals.
To promote healthy aging, creativity and adaptability are essential. We all want to live full, healthy lives as we age. But too often, we conceptualize healthy aging as the absence of disability. Exercise programs frequently assume that all people have full range of motion. Nutrition labels often use visual information only, which makes them inaccessible to blind or low-vision populations. Public health messaging often frames disability as something to be feared or avoided, leaving people with disabilities excluded or stigmatized. In reality, disability is ubiquitous and intertwined with our life course, identity, and experiences. Most of us will experience a disability at some point: whether through chronic illness, injury, or sensory changes. Even if we don’t, someone we love surely will. Every form of disability affects how we age.
By envisioning ourselves, and each other, as future older adults, we motivate ourselves to cultivate habits that promote healthy aging. When we reframe the role of creativity in facilitating healthy aging, we can more sustainably achieve our goals. And finally, we should expand the dialogue surrounding disability in healthy aging beyond prevention or mitigation and celebrate the perspectives that disabled communities contribute towards a collective endeavor for a healthier life.
by Justin Salisbury
From the Editor: In the National Federation of the Blind, we do not consider blindness to be primarily a health problem. On the other hand, we want very much for those who treat people who are experiencing changes in their eyesight to refer their patients to us, especially at the point where further medical intervention is either impossible or undesirable. We also often find ourselves needing to communicate our concerns to people who view blindness primarily through the healthcare lens, including legislators and members of the media. Justin Salisbury, a dedicated Federationist now residing in Minnesota who always seeks to apply what he learns to achieve practical and positive results, believes that he has found a way to explain our movement to these audiences that is worth trying. Here is what he says:
For many years, I had learned to argue that blindness was not a healthcare issue, but I am now open to more possibilities. I would like to share a framework that will be new to some readers, and I will explain how I think this framework is useful for communicating with healthcare professionals and health policy specialists.
As many readers know, each year, the National Federation of the Blind gathers in Washington, DC, for our annual Washington Seminar, where we put our heads together and visit our federal legislators to advance the legislative agenda of blind Americans. In some of those congressional appointments, I have found myself assigned to a legislative aide who specialized in healthcare issues, even at times when I was not there to discuss a bill as directly about health care as the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act. If I went there to talk about ending disability-based subminimum wages, I still may have found myself talking to a health policy specialist. I suspect that this phenomenon may come from the idea that what blind people want and need might be healthcare to try to heal our eyesight. This is not the case for many of us, but the conversation does not need to end just because we find ourselves in the presence of a healthcare professional or health policy specialist.
In 2017, in the Hawaii State Legislature, there was a bill that would have harmed blind people. Proponents of the bill were moving it through the legislature by using low expectations of blind people to justify what they wanted to do. This bill would have added blindness to the list of qualifying disabilities for handicapped parking placards in the State of Hawaii. The proponents argued that it was terrifying to walk through a parking lot as a blind person and that this bill was absolutely necessary to ensure our safety. The National Federation of the Blind opposes the issuance of such placards to the blind pursuant to Resolution 85-22, which observes that ‘the unnecessary use of such parking spaces by blind persons casts doubt on our assertion that blindness does not render us helpless and immobile.” In other words, it is a manifestation of low expectations of blind people, specifically our ability to move freely and safely through the world. As a cane travel instructor with a National Orientation and Mobility Certification, I have taught blind people how to travel confidently so that blindness is not a reason to need handicapped parking. Our fear was that the routine services offered to newly blind people would include handicapped parking placards.
While I was working for the vocational rehabilitation agency, one of my supervisors called me into their office and told me about the bill purely for my information. I quickly found myself pulling together a team of witnesses to go into a joint senate committee hearing and testify against the bill. I took the time to investigate the chairs of each of the two committees, and I was disappointed to learn that one of them was a medical doctor. Here we go again, I thought, but we made our case. Somehow, the medical doctor really understood what we were saying. He killed the bill for us. He also asked us what other bills were on our wish list so that he could help us with them, and he became the first sponsor of our first parental rights bill. He fought for us, and I decided to help him with his primary campaign for lieutenant governor. During a campaign event, I asked one of his fellow doctors about why this network of physicians seemed to understand what I was talking about. He told me that they really believed in addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH), and he explained the SDOH framework. Today, the medical doctor/state senator who introduced our parental rights bill, Joshua Green, is the governor of Hawaii.
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. I borrowed this definition from Healthy People 2030, a nationwide initiative aimed at improving the health and well-being of all Americans by the year 2030. The Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) and other public policies have encouraged health care organizations to focus on SDOH. Several codes of ethics across different health care professions—including the American Public Health Association (APHA) Code of Ethics, the American Medical Association (AMA) Code of Medical Ethics, and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics—encourage health care professionals to consider and address SDOH.
Different entities have organized SDOH into different category lists, just like there are many ways you can cut up a pizza before you eat it. I will stick with the system from Healthy People 2030. In this system, SDOH are organized into five domains: (1) economic stability, (2) education access and quality, (3) health care access and quality, (4) neighborhood and built environment, and (5) social and community context.
For economic stability, the goal is to help people earn steady incomes that allow them to meet their health needs. Blind people who get involved in the National Federation of the Blind are more likely to have higher incomes than blind people who do not, according to data from a 2018 study by doctors Edward Bell and Arielle Silverman. This should not be much of a surprise, since the Federation was initially organized to confront threats to the financial well-being of blind people. We have worked for many years to promote the employment, wages, and expectations of blind people in the workforce. We also advocate for policies and programs that support the economic stability of blind people. We often advocate for adequate funding for vocational rehabilitation programs and minimum wage laws that do not exclude workers with disabilities. We also advocate for changes to Social Security Disability Insurance benefits to eliminate the harsh earnings cliff that stops all benefits if a blind person earns one dollar over the substantial gainful activity threshold.
For education access and quality, the Healthy People 2030 goal is to increase educational opportunities and help children and adolescents do well in school. I think that education access and quality are important across the lifespan, including for children and adolescents. In the National Federation of the Blind, we help support students to succeed in school, partly through the skills and confidence that we give each other, partly through advocating with specific educational programs and institutions to ensure that they are serving blind students well, and partly through advocating for legislation that supports education access and quality for blind students. We may advocate for government grant programs to support the training of people, blind or sighted, who want to become a Teacher of Blind Students (TBS), cane travel instructor, or rehabilitation teacher. These professionals help enhance the educational futures of blind students. We may also advocate for the improved accessibility of medical office and laboratory equipment, which helps create opportunities for blind students to study medicine and related professions.
For health care access and quality, the goal is to increase access to comprehensive, high-quality health care services. This domain is pretty directly connected to our advocacy and easily understood. If we have better access to quality health care services, we will be likely to have better health outcomes. Sometimes, we approach this by advocating for better accessibility of medical devices or medical information systems, such as online patient portals, health applications, and check-in kiosks at health care facilities. Sometimes, the National Federation of the Blind does end up being a place where people learn more about how to manage their health, even though it is not about their eye health, at least directly. For example, I have friends who have learned a lot about how to manage their diabetes as a blind person through the Federation’s Diabetes Action Network. I have enjoyed Jessica Beecham’s fitness breaks during national convention, as well as the programming of our Sports and Recreation Division to help blind people to pursue our fitness and recreational goals. Federationists recently fought for, and got, an extension of Medicare telemedicine benefits, which assist blind people who struggle with transportation to medical appointments. And although I have not heard much about this as a formal NFB initiative, there are some discussions in statewide health care policy spaces to address the shortage of health care providers accepting Medicaid or to improve medical transportation programs funded through Medicaid. Many blind people need to use these programs and resources to seek health care.
For neighborhood and built environment, the goal is to create neighborhoods and environments that promote health and safety. Local chapters in the National Federation of the Blind have advocated for changes in the built environment and sometimes for neighborhood safety. Sometimes, chapters have advocated for accessible signals at crosswalks or advocated for how they should be designed. Other times, chapters have advocated for removal of barriers in the build environment. I was once involved in an advocacy effort to remove an anchor bolt that had once been attached to a telephone pole and was sticking out at an odd angle on the sidewalk near an agency serving the blind. I bashed my shin on it once. It created an environmental hazard and served no functional purpose, so we worked together to get it removed. Some chapters have advocated to remove traffic signs, much like deer crossing signs, that warn drivers that blind people may be crossing the street at particular intersections. These are occasionally installed near agencies serving the blind, but they are pieces of our built environment that undermine the health and safety of blind people by lowering expectations. Low expectations can lead to carelessness, and they can also lead a blind person to conclude that their cane travel skills are good enough when they could be improved significantly.
For social and community context, the goal is to increase social and community support. Quite simply, the National Federation of the Blind is a source of social and community support. In the Federation, we also encourage and support blind people to go out and be part of other networks in their lives so that blindness is not a barrier to social integration. Through the NFB, I have met blind people in leadership or other roles in their homeowners’ associations, churches, fraternities or sororities, and many other spaces where people find social and community support. Some specific objectives in Healthy People 2030 for this goal include increasing voter participation, deinstitutionalizing people with disabilities, and helping to keep children from being separated from their parents, which have been longstanding Federation priorities.
Sometimes, local chapters of the National Federation of the Blind will undertake outreach campaigns to eye doctors’ offices to advocate for our brochures to appear in the waiting rooms of eye clinics and for eye doctors who find that a patient is becoming blind to tell that patient about the National Federation of the Blind. I think this is a great thing that we do, and I think we should keep doing it. It is also possible that we could connect more comprehensively with those eye doctors by explaining to them that participating in the National Federation of the Blind can help to improve the social determinants of health for their patients and thereby improve health outcomes. I have tried this and found mixed results; some eye doctors cannot remove themselves from the compulsion to try to help their patients see. But some of them understand, so I think this approach is worth continuing. I have also learned from my conversations with many health care professionals that the best place to sell this message is to the primary care physicians, who largely function as a case manager of a person’s health care. Health insurance companies also employ case managers for their customers. If we can get the attention of these professionals who hold case manager roles, we may find that many of them end up referring blind people to the National Federation of the Blind.
When I talk to health care professionals or health policy specialists about an initiative of the National Federation of the Blind, or if I am explaining what Structured Discovery adjustment-to-blindness training can do for blind people whose lives they can influence, I now have a way to speak their language. If I can explain the initiative and the ways it fits into the social determinants of health (SDOH) framework, I may be able to connect with them better than I did ten years ago. Even if they do not hold the power to do what I want at the moment, building that understanding with them could help to recruit them as a powerful ally who may walk with me to meet the person who can. You can do it, too. As long as our initiative improves the well-being of blind people, which will certainly be our intent, then it will improve our social determinants of health.
Bell, E. C., & Silverman, A. M. (2018). Rehabilitation and Employment Outcomes for Adults Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired: An Updated Report. Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research, 7(1). Retrieved from https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/jbir/jbir18/jbir080101.html. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.5241/8-148
Healthy People 2030, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Retrieved January 1, 2025, from https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/social-determinants-health
“What if I was never blind? In April 2013 I received a diagnosis of Stargardt Disease. I often felt adrift, uncertain of how to chart a course towards a fulfilling life. At that time, I was employed at McDonald’s and had temporarily paused my undergraduate studies. If I hadn’t received that diagnosis, my life might have followed a completely different trajectory. I would have continued working at McDonald’s, feeling stuck and uncertain about my future, but without the guidance and support that I found through the National Federation of the Blind, I might have struggled to navigate the challenges of vision loss. Instead, that diagnosis became a turning point for me by forcing me to confront my circumstances and seek out resources and communities that could help me thrive despite my blindness. The NFB helped me realize that my vision loss didn’t have to define me or limit my aspirations. By believing in my abilities, by entrusting me with leadership positions, and through intensive mentorship, the Federation changed my life. My community helped me excel beyond where I would be if I were sighted. Mentorship is what has brought me to this point in life thus far. Without my mentors I am not sure where I would be right now. I just hope I can pay it forward someday.” - Dustin
Blind children and adults are making powerful strides to live the lives we want every day across the United States, but we need to continue helping blind people like Dustin. 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://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.
Just imagine what we will do this year and, with your help, what can be accomplished for years to come. Together with love, hope, determination, and your support, we will continue to transform dreams into reality.
PHOTO/CAPTION: Federationist John Paré spoke to the Maryland Board of Public Works about the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement.
PHOTO/CAPTION: Governor Wes Moore signed funding for the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement after the Maryland Board of Public Works meeting.
PHOTO/CAPTION: John Paré also connected with Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman after the Maryland Board of Public Works approved funding for the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement.
“Our biggest dream is to eliminate the persistent misconceptions and low-expectations within the average person about blind people, our equality, and our capacity. We seek not merely to effect minor changes but to accelerate significant shifts in society. Thus, we have taken on a big dream—one that will not be easy, will demand resources and new talents, and that will stretch our aspirations for the future—a dream that needs to be pursued even as we do all of the other work needed in our movement. This is our dream of building the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement,” shared President Mark Riccobono.
And, as we plan the Museum, our guiding question is simple yet powerful:
What stories can we tell to transform visitors’ expectations of blind people?
There are millions of fascinating stories about blindness—stories of innovation, activism, resilience, and everyday life. Over the past year, our blind-led team has made tremendous progress in curatorial planning—shaping the topics, themes, and narratives that will challenge beliefs and inspire new understanding. So before we can build exhibits, we have:
We know that Museum visitors will explore activism, employment, education, innovation, and more. These decisions drive our plans for exhibits and visitor experience. We are planning three interactive galleries as well as an innovative retail space, and the entire Museum will be accessible and inclusive. Each story and every step of the journey at the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement will challenge visitors’ expectations. Most importantly, visitors will walk away with one transformative truth:
Vision is not required to live the life you want.
We are excited to share this work, the wins, and how you can help across the National Federation of the Blind communications and publications. If you haven’t already, subscribe to receive the latest updates on the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement via email by accessing the form linked from https://nfb.org/museum.
The dynamic, physical space of the Museum will be in Baltimore. On May 21, the Maryland Board of Public Works voted to approve grants for $250,000 to the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement.
John Paré, Executive Director of Advocacy and Policy at the National Federation of the Blind, spoke to the Board about the museum and presented historic artifacts from the NFB archives, including a letter from Thurgood Marshall to Jacobus tenBroek. Governor Wes Moore declared the letter “amazing.” The Museum will allow us to share these stories of our movement with people from around the world. We will share more of John’s remarks, the letter, and the story behind it in future communications.
Thanks to the amazing generosity of our community, we have continued to grow our support for the Museum! Tune into the following 2025 National Convention sessions to hear more updates:
The Presidential Report and convention general sessions will be streamed through the NFB25 Virtual Experience. Access the full convention agenda at nfb.org/convention. If you are reading this after the live stream, the recordings and transcripts will be made available on the convention webpage.
ICYMI: Read the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Presidential Reports to catch up on how far we’ve come. Access those at nfb.org/publications in the August/September issues of the Braille Monitor for the corresponding year.
If you have questions or are interested in making a pledge of financial support, contact [email protected].
Invite a friend to learn about the journey to build the Museum of the Blind People’s Movement. Share the Museum Email Subscription Form, linked from https://nfb.org/museum, or send an email to [email protected] asking to subscribe. We will share updates on the development, stories of the movement, and what visitors can expect.
You can share your ideas, feedback, and suggestions for the Museum to [email protected].
The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. The Museum of the Blind People’s Movement will center blind people, challenge expectations, awaken understanding, spark action, and shatter barriers. Stay tuned for more exciting developments on the stories we will tell, the beliefs we will transform, and the steps we are taking to build the Museum.
by Joshua A. Miele with Wendell Jamieson
Reviewed by Deborah Kendrick
From the Editor: Deborah Kendrick is a nationally recognized columnist and the author of several books related to blindness and disability. Her most recent title is When Your Ears Can’t Help You See, published by National Braille Press. This book review originally appeared in a special technology issue of our sister publication Future Reflections, a magazine for parents of blind children. Here is the review:
Connecting Dots: A Blind Life
by Joshua A. Miele with Wendell Jamieson
Grand Central Publishing/Hachette
304 pages
ISBN: 978-0306832789
Available from Bookshare and from National Library Service as DB127356
It borders on schmaltz to put this into writing, but this book is a glorious opportunity to celebrate one of our own. Joshua Miele is the genuine article, the real deal, a blind person’s blind person. He’s not just okay with being blind; he’s proud of it! His life’s mission is to share his every notion for making the blind life better with every blind person who will listen. If you are blind or if you have a blind child, your experiences will not be the same as Joshua Miele’s. Yet this MacArthur genius is so comfortable in his own skin that chord after chord will ring true as you turn the pages. He is one of us; we are all connected.
An outsider might comment that to say Miele is “comfortable in his own skin” is the irony of ironies. His skin is far from ordinary. In the book’s opening pages Miele recounts the horrific crime that turned the world of an ordinary middle-class Brooklyn family on its head and became a cautionary tale for children far and wide. The story was so compelling that, forty years later, it prompted a New York Times reporter to track down that little kid who was burned and blinded in an instant and write a follow-up story.
On an ordinary day in 1973, a four-year-old child opened a gate to a known neighbor and was blinded and severely burned in an instant. The reader is pulled into the moment. With his mother, we see the child’s face smoking. We hear the screams, feel the pain, and grow weary of the smells and sounds of the hospital, right along with four-year-old Josh, who will never look the same or see the same again.
Dr. Joshua Miele’s life has been fast-paced, frenetic, and brilliant, and his book whisks the reader from one dramatic phase to the next. He grows from a precocious, often reckless small child to a briefly drug-addicted teen. We celebrate with him as he falls in love for the first time, forms a band, and learns about the mystical, amazing award called a MacArthur Fellowship. We applaud him as he learns to dismantle a transistor radio and roller-skates through his neighborhood by capitalizing on the echoes his metal skates produce on the pavement. He finds ways to manipulate situations and relationships for more adventure with his personal magic wand, the landline telephone.
When he heads off to UC Berkeley, he finally meets his “tribe,” a cohort of other smart, curious blind people. His story will trigger a resounding aha moment for many blind readers, who will recall times when they owned or disowned their fellow travelers with disabilities.
Entertaining and enlightening by turns, Connecting Dots is a book to read straight through for the sheer pleasure. A tone of amused irreverence permeates many of the moments Miele recounts, from his story of using bad words that shocked his kindergarten teacher to the accidental fate of a prosthetic eye, now drifting somewhere in the Pacific Ocean. Joshua Miele is someone who is perfectly comfortable being himself.
From the time a family friend was honored with a MacArthur Fellowship, Joshua Miele became intrigued by the MacArthur Foundation. His fascination was reignited when he received a call from a MacArthur representative, expressing interest in him in 2014. We celebrate with him when he is actually awarded the coveted prize in 2021.
To people on the streets of Berkeley, or anywhere else where he has been introduced, Dr. Joshua Miele is that blind guy with a burned face and a white cane. In reality, he is a thinker, a scientist, an accessibility researcher, a husband and father, and the recipient of a MacArthur Award. Whether you know Josh Miele or not, you will enjoy reading this book. For parents of blind children, his story can serve as a roadmap for how a blind child can come to embrace the blind life. Josh Miele embraces that life. Enmeshed in that life, he has found countless paths to ideas that benefit blind people everywhere. He concludes that he is lucky. After reading this book, we know we are all lucky to have him in this world.
by Chris Danielsen
For those of us who love legislative advocacy and like to mark our calendars well in advance, we are pleased to share that the dates for the 2026 Washington Seminar have been set. It will take place January 26–29 at our usual headquarters, the Holiday Inn Washington Capitol–National Mall. In the meantime, momentum is already building around several key legislative initiatives in the 119th Congress. With critical advocacy from Federation members and strategic engagement on Capitol Hill, several bills central to the equality and opportunity of blind Americans have already been introduced and are gaining bipartisan support.
The Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act (H.R. 3417), introduced by Representatives Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Steny Hoyer (D-MD), is a critical component of our current legislative agenda, as it has been in past Congresses. As a reminder, the bill addresses the persistent inaccessibility of websites and mobile applications, which in turn creates significant barriers to blind people’s full participation in society. It would establish a statutory definition of accessibility, hold third-party developers used by many small businesses accountable rather than forcing those businesses to bear the full weight of potential liability, and create a technical assistance center to help businesses implement accessible digital solutions. The bill is also supported across the blindness and disability fields. Here is the press release that was issued upon its introduction:
May 20, 2025—Baltimore, MD: The National Federation of the Blind, the American Council of the Blind, American Foundation for the Blind, and the National Disability Rights Network applaud the introduction of the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act, H.R. 3417, into the House of Representatives by Representative Pete Sessions (Texas) and lead cosponsor Representative Steny Hoyer (Maryland). This legislation seeks to eliminate persistent digital accessibility barriers faced by blind and disabled Americans.
“For too long, blind Americans have faced inconsistent standards and persistent barriers in the digital world,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “This comprehensive Act will finally provide the clarity and enforcement mechanisms needed to ensure genuine digital inclusion. By establishing clear federal standards and supporting small businesses in implementation, we’re creating a framework for full participation in modern life. Whether accessing healthcare portals, applying for jobs, or shopping online, blind Americans deserve the same access as everyone else.”
“ACB strongly supports the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act because it brings us one step closer to a truly inclusive society,” says American Council of the Blind Executive Director Scott Thornhill. “This bill will finally make digital accessibility a legal requirement—not just a best practice—and ensure that websites and software are designed with everyone in mind from the start. ACB has long championed this critical issue, and we remain committed to advocate for its passage for as long as necessary.”
Eric Bridges, President and CEO of American Foundation for the Blind shared, “Websites and digital applications remain some of the most frustrating barriers that blind and low-vision people face on a daily basis. This legislation would dramatically shift accessibility for people with disabilities and make it easier for businesses to create accessible websites and apps while enabling people with disabilities to use their products and services. Thank you to Representatives Sessions and Hoyer for reintroducing this legislation to improve access to work, school, shopping, and healthcare for blind Americans.”
“For too long, digital access for people with disabilities has consistently been an afterthought, if thought of at all,” said Marlene Sallo, Executive Director of the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN). “It’s absolutely critical that the tools and technologies essential for disabled people to navigate the ever-evolving online world are fully accessible.”
Virtually all Americans are using the internet and mobile applications in some way. This legislation addresses long-standing concerns about the inconsistent accessibility of the digital environment. And it will position the United States as a global leader in digital inclusion while providing practical support to businesses implementing accessibility standards. Accessibility is achievable.
The Access Technology Affordability Act is also advancing. Recently introduced in the Senate as S. 1918 by Senator John Boozman (R-AR) with Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) as lead co-sponsor, and in the House as H.R. 1529 by Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA), the bill would provide a refundable $2,000 tax credit to blind individuals for the purchase of access technology. A dynamic economic analysis conducted by Mathematica indicates that this measure would save the federal government $315 million over five years by improving employment outcomes for blind people.
In addition, the Blind Americans Return to Work Act (H.R. 1175) is gaining traction in the House, championed by Representative Pete Sessions with Representative Kweisi Mfume (D-MD) as lead co-sponsor. This legislation seeks to remove barriers in the Social Security Disability Insurance program that currently disincentivize employment for blind beneficiaries.
A major priority for the National Federation of the Blind remains the elimination of subminimum wages for workers with disabilities. The organization is pushing for reintroduction of the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act, which would phase out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. Although the loss of a longtime champion in Congress, Cathy McMorris-Rogers, due to retirement has delayed reintroduction of the federal bill, progress continues at the state level. Georgia recently passed legislation that will phase out subminimum wages by 2027, while similar bills are advancing in Ohio and New York. These state-level victories reflect the growing national momentum to end this antiquated and discriminatory practice.
With the 2026 Washington Seminar now scheduled, affiliates are encouraged to keep up their advocacy, particularly by securing more co-sponsors for the above legislation. As President Riccobono and NFB advocacy leaders emphasized in a recent update to affiliate legislative advocates, continued pressure from constituents is essential. They also stressed the importance of grassroots information sharing, which helps tailor national advocacy strategy based on local realities.
The path ahead will require sustained, strategic action, but the efforts of Federationists across the nation are already laying the groundwork for meaningful legislative victories in the months to come.
by Kristopher I. Crawley
From the Editor: Recently I have decided that I need to walk more. This is not just a fitness goal or an effort to impress my friends with how many steps I take in a day; rather, it stems from my sense that when I do walk independently with my white cane, particularly in unfamiliar areas, my travel skills don’t seem to be quite as sharp as they once were and I would personally like for them to be. I have concluded that I have come to rely a little too much on Uber and Lyft for my transportation needs, and thus my cane travel skills have slipped a little. Also, I’m spending more money on transportation than I would like. Obviously I can’t walk everywhere, but lately I’ve been summoning a rideshare car to my door when I could walk just a few blocks to the bus stop for a less expensive ride. In making this observation, I am not judging others or even comparing myself to some hypothetical, and probably nonexistent, ideal blind person. At least, I hope that’s not what I’m doing. I am measuring my own comfort and skill levels against what I think is reasonable given my own training and past experience.
Kristopher Crawley is a husband, father of five, and passionate access technology professional with more than a decade of experience serving the blind community. He currently works as the Program Manager at SAAVI Services for the Blind in Phoenix, Arizona, where he helps manage one of the nation’s premier blindness training programs. He also serves as second vice president of the East Valley Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona and as secretary of the National Assistive Technology Trainers Division. In this article, he writes beautifully about what I have tried to describe above: the importance, for each of us, of setting our own internal standards and goals. Here is what he says:
Few forces shape our lives more profoundly than the expectations others place upon us. From the time we are children, we are surrounded by assumptions, spoken and unspoken, about what we can or cannot do, who we are supposed to be, and how far we’re expected to go. These expectations come from every direction: teachers, parents, employers, and even well-meaning strangers. Sometimes, they motivate us to rise, to prove something, or to stretch a little further. But more often than not, these assumptions create invisible fences around our potential, penning us into a space far smaller than what we are capable of occupying. For blind people, these fences are built not from facts or lived experiences but from long-standing misconceptions about blindness and what it supposedly means. The weight of these expectations isn’t just inconvenient, it’s stifling.
Society tends to frame blindness through a deficit-based lens, automatically associating it with dependence, inability, or diminished ambition. These assumptions manifest in education systems that deny blind students the full rigor of academic challenge, in hiring managers who discount qualified blind candidates, and in casual interactions where strangers assume we need help simply because we are navigating the world differently. Over time, these small signals become a steady drumbeat of limitation. But what took me years to realize is that expectations, however prevalent, are ultimately external. They come from outside voices, opinions, and projections. Standards, on the other hand, are internal. They are the principles and demands we place upon ourselves, not because someone else insists, but because we choose to live by them. That distinction, between living under expectations and living by standards, has shaped my journey as a blind professional and person.
This isn’t just philosophical musing, it’s a lived truth with real-world consequences. When you live by standards, you begin to reclaim your agency. You stop allowing the world’s assumptions to dictate your direction. Instead, you begin to define your own measures of success, your own benchmarks for growth, and your own understanding of what it means to live fully and independently. For me, this realization didn’t arrive as a lightning bolt. It was gradual, a slow-burning awakening shaped by frustration, perseverance, and moments of clarity. I experienced it while sitting in classrooms where teachers underestimated me, while navigating the often disempowering landscape of vocational rehabilitation, and while rising through the ranks of a system that once saw me as little more than a client. In those moments, I learned that nothing could be more powerful than choosing to hold myself to a higher standard, one set not by what the world thought I could do, but by what I knew I must.
This article is my effort to shed light on that internal shift. It is a call to rethink the expectations placed on blind individuals and a case for why they are not only inadequate but also dangerous when internalized. More importantly, it is a tribute to the power of personal standards, to the quiet, disciplined resolve of refusing to settle for less than we are capable of. Whether you are blind yourself, working in the field of blindness, or simply someone seeking to understand how bias works in subtle but destructive ways, I hope these reflections resonate. At the very least, I hope they challenge the narratives we too often accept without question. Because ultimately, the question is not what the world expects of you, but what you demand of yourself.
Expectations operate silently, yet powerfully, influencing how we’re treated, what we’re offered, and how far we’re allowed to go. For most people, they may never be consciously acknowledged, but for those of us who are blind, their presence is felt constantly. From the moment a child is born, people begin making predictions, usually rooted in fear or ignorance, about what that child won’t be able to do. These assumptions quickly make their way into decisions made by doctors, educators, and even loving family members who simply don’t know any better. A child may be discouraged from learning complex subjects like math or science. They may be excluded from physical activities or kept from opportunities to lead or participate fully. Often, these limitations are cloaked in concern or protection, but make no mistake, they are limitations all the same.
What makes these expectations especially dangerous is how deeply embedded they become. Over time, they stop being external opinions and start becoming internal beliefs. When blind individuals are constantly told that they’ll need help, that certain careers are unrealistic, or that independent travel is too risky, they may begin to accept those limitations as truth. This process is rarely conscious. It starts small, with a subtle suggestion here or a denied opportunity there, but it snowballs until the person begins to self-regulate, shrinking their own aspirations to fit into what others say is possible. I’ve seen this happen time and time again, in blind students who once dreamed big, in clients who lost hope, and even in myself during my earlier years. It is one thing to be underestimated by others. It is something far more devastating to underestimate yourself.
I remember, at one point, catching myself doing exactly that, dimming my light to fit into the world’s idea of what I could handle. I hesitated to take initiative, avoided advocating too loudly, and rationalized missed opportunities as unavoidable. It was easier to accept what was given than to fight for more. But that mindset wasn’t serving me, it was suffocating me. That realization marked a turning point. I had to confront the ways in which I had let external expectations dictate my internal standards. I knew I had to rewrite the narrative, not just for myself but for those coming after me. Because if the world is going to expect less of us, then we must learn to expect more from ourselves.
It’s easy to say that expectations are “just opinions,” but the reality is they shape the allocation of resources, the tone of conversations, and the boundaries of opportunity. They determine whether a blind person is taught Braille or expected to rely on audio alone. They influence whether someone is encouraged to pursue higher education or steered toward something “safer.” And they often dictate whether someone is seen as a potential leader or simply a sympathetic figure. These outcomes are not theoretical, they are lived. And they are avoidable, but only if we replace those expectations with something stronger and more sustainable: personal standards that are high, uncompromising, and rooted in self-respect.
Personal standards are different. They are not handed to you. They are not shaped by the limited imagination of others. They come from within, from a sense of purpose, identity, and unrelenting self-belief. When I finally began to develop and commit to my own standards, everything changed, not because the world suddenly expected more from me, but because I expected more from myself. I no longer waited to be told what I was capable of. I stopped needing permission to be independent, to lead, to take risks, or to succeed. I began asking myself a question that I still use to this day as a compass for my actions:
That question became a guiding force. It drove me to master non-visual techniques, to excel professionally, and to hold myself accountable for my own progress. I realized that no one was going to hold me to the standard I deserved, so I had to do it myself. This shift wasn’t about arrogance or rebellion. It was about refusing to let anyone else define the scope of my ambition. Living by standards meant pushing beyond comfort zones, embracing discomfort, and refusing to settle for mediocrity just because it was expected of me. It meant being relentless in the pursuit of skills, knowledge, and self-reliance.
And most importantly, it meant redefining what success looked like on my terms. No longer was success simply the absence of failure or the approval of others. Success became about growth, resilience, and integrity. It became about setting a high bar, even when others weren’t watching. And it became about modeling that standard for others, especially other blind individuals who had yet to see what was possible. When you live by standards, you don’t just elevate your own life. You become a catalyst for change, pushing against the current of low expectations and carving out space for others to rise with you.
One of the most transformative tools in my journey was the Structured Discovery approach to blindness training. This philosophy, championed by our own National Federation of the Blind (NFB), teaches blind individuals to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and independent actors, not just passive recipients of instruction. It rejects the assumption that blind people must be led, managed, or sheltered. Instead, Structured Discovery is built on the belief that blind people are fully capable of navigating the world on their own terms, provided they are given the opportunity and support to develop the necessary skills to achieve their goals.
This approach aligned perfectly with the shift I was making internally. If I was going to hold myself to a high standard, then I needed an environment that expected the same. Structured Discovery challenged me, not with hand-holding, but with real expectations and high standards. It forced me to problem-solve, to adapt, and to grow. And in doing so, it affirmed what I already suspected: that independence is not about what others do for you, but about what you’re willing to do for yourself. It was less about technique and more about mindset, an insistence on ownership and agency in every aspect of life.
What makes this model so powerful is that it refuses to apologize for expecting more from blind individuals. It doesn’t pity. It doesn’t patronize. It believes. And that belief, paired with rigorous, respectful instruction, creates the conditions in which blind people thrive. Structured Discovery confirmed for me that standards are not only personal but teachable. They can be modeled, reinforced, and nurtured in environments that treat blind people as capable human beings, not as projects to be managed. In embracing this philosophy, I found not only my independence but also my voice.
The National Federation of the Blind has long led the way in redefining what it means to be blind in a society filled with misconceptions. Central to the Federation’s philosophy is the recognition that low expectations are among the greatest threats to independence, growth, and achievement for blind people. These expectations don’t simply shape how others treat us, they shape how we begin to treat ourselves. The NFB challenges this narrative directly, making it clear that blindness, in and of itself, is not the defining limitation people assume it to be. While that message has resonated with many, it’s important that we dig even deeper to understand the true nature of the call to action behind it. At the heart of our movement is a powerful distinction, one that too often goes unexamined. It’s the difference between what the world expects of us and what we demand of ourselves.
The NFB’s Belief Message puts it plainly. It says in part:
“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.”
On the surface, this may sound like a call for society to expect more from blind individuals, and to some degree, it is. But for those of us within the movement, we understand that it goes much further than public perception. Raising expectations isn’t merely about shifting how the world sees us; it’s about transforming how we see ourselves. If the world begins to expect more from blind people, that’s progress. But it will be hollow progress if blind individuals don’t simultaneously hold themselves to meaningful, personal standards. High expectations are only powerful when they are matched with high standards, standards that govern how we train, how we grow, and how we choose to live. The Federation’s true mission has never been about just asking for better treatment; it has always been about also cultivating stronger, more capable people.
This is precisely where the Structured Discovery model of blindness training finds its relevance and strength. In Structured Discovery, raising expectations is not about telling blind people what they should be able to do, it’s about giving them the tools to demand excellence from themselves. It is not an abstract idea; it’s a practical, intentional method that challenges students to think critically, act independently, and solve problems without waiting for permission. We do not merely teach blind individuals to travel; we expect them to travel with skill and confidence. We do not simply expose them to technology; we expect students to dedicate themselves to developing the skills necessary to adapt to change. Structured Discovery works because it aligns perfectly with the Federation’s philosophy: that competence is not something given, it is something earned through high personal standards.
In this way, the NFB’s message about raising expectations is not aimed solely at the public, it is directed inward. It is a message for blind people themselves to rise up, to push beyond comfort and complacency, and to take complete ownership of their futures. We cannot build independence through slogans alone. It must be earned through action, discipline, and a refusal to settle. That is the unspoken truth behind the Belief Message. It’s not just encouragement, it’s accountability. And in that accountability, we find real transformation.
Living by standards is not just a concept to reflect on, it is a daily practice. It means showing up, even when no one is watching. It means confronting excuses, both from others and from yourself, and refusing to let them win. Living by standards requires an ongoing commitment to growth, even when it’s uncomfortable. I have found that the most meaningful progress in my life has come when I chose to challenge myself rather than rely on someone else’s belief in me. It wasn’t enough to want success. I had to work for it, prepare for it, and demand it from myself at every step. When I made that shift, I stopped chasing opportunities; I started creating them.
Too often, people live by the expectations placed upon them, waiting for someone else to tell them what they are allowed to pursue. They seek validation before action, and permission before progress. But that is not how greatness is built. Expectations are passive, they come to you, whether you like them or not. Standards, on the other hand, are active. They originate from a decision to live differently, to train harder, to lead by example. When I embraced that mindset, I began to see my blindness not as a barrier but as a part of the context in which I would thrive, not in spite of it, but with it. Living by standards became the difference between simply coping and truly excelling.
One moment that brought this distinction into sharp relief occurred during my very first week of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) class at a new school in West Palm Beach, Florida. I was new to the environment, still learning the feel of the mat, the structure of the drills, and how to orient myself without relying on vision. During one of those early classes, we began a movement drill that involved crossing the mat while transitioning through several grappling positions. I was determined to participate fully, not because anyone expected me to, but because I had set that expectation for myself. At one point, as I moved across the floor, I misjudged my angle and ran directly into a pillar. The impact was sudden and jarring, not enough to hurt, but enough to stop me in my tracks. A moment later, my professor approached me in the middle of the class, drills happening all around us, and calmly suggested, “You don’t have to do this drill, you’re blind.”
He wasn’t unkind. In fact, I believe he was trying to be thoughtful. But his suggestion, though seemingly considerate, was rooted in a quiet assumption that blindness should excuse me from challenge. And in that moment, I had to sit with it. I didn’t immediately reject his offer, I thought about it. I had just run into a pillar in front of my peers. I was new, unsure of how much space I could truly take up in this environment. It would’ve been easy to step aside, to interpret his suggestion as permission to opt out. But as I stood there, weighing my next move, I remembered the standard I had already set for myself: to participate fully, to push through discomfort, and to grow on my own terms. So I thanked him, and I kept going.
As we reflect on the broader concept of expectations, it’s worth exploring the expectations we place upon ourselves. Many people believe that having high expectations for their own lives is enough to ensure success. They believe that expecting good outcomes like employment, recognition, or personal fulfillment is the same as working toward them. But this is where we can fall short. Simply expecting things to work out is not the same as holding ourselves to the standard of doing everything necessary to make them happen. Expectation without action breeds disappointment. Standards, by contrast, are the active measures we put in place to build the future we want.
When we talk about personal standards, we are not speaking about hope, we are speaking about responsibility. A person with high standards is not waiting for the world to notice their talent. They are refining their skills, studying their craft, and demanding more from themselves each day. They are less concerned about whether the world will offer them a chance, and more focused on being ready when the opportunity comes, or creating it when it doesn’t. Expectations can lead to resentment when things don’t go as planned. But standards lead to preparation, perseverance, and a mindset rooted in growth regardless of circumstance.
For blind individuals, this distinction is critical. We live in a world that doesn’t always play fair. Accessibility isn’t always guaranteed, and barriers don’t always disappear just because we believe they should. If our approach to success is rooted solely in expectations, whether societal or personal, we leave ourselves vulnerable to frustration and burnout. But when we operate from a place of standards, we build a foundation that can withstand setbacks. Structured Discovery does not prepare students to expect independence, it prepares them to create it. Through hard work, self-discipline, and a deep belief in their capacity, blind individuals trained under this philosophy don’t just talk about living the life they want, they live it.
From the Editor: On May 15, 2025, which was the annual celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, the National Federation of the Blind announced a partnership with Innosearch AI, a shopping service specifically designed with blind people in mind. Readers may recall reading about this service in the May issue of this magazine in an overview of AI tools by Jonathan Mosen or have heard about it on the Federation’s Access On podcast, which Jonathan hosts. If not, visiting its website, https://innosearch.ai, will allow you to check out this fully accessible and uncluttered AI-powered shopping experience. Among other things, you can quickly and easily search its extensive database of retailers and their products, get descriptions of product images, and ask the service’s chatbot any questions you have about the product for which you are shopping. Importantly, you can also access this experience by calling 1-855-SHOP-GPT (1-855-746-7478).
Below is the official press release announcing the partnership between the Federation and Innosearch AI, which incorporates additional benefits for Federation members and supporters. We note that the “Round-up to Donate” feature discussed in the release is already available, as is the unique referral link for a ten-dollar shopping credit, which Federation members can access via their member profile at https://nfb.org. Here is the press release:
Mountain View, CA — May 15, 2025—The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind people, is proud to announce a formal partnership with Innosearch AI, an innovative AI-powered accessibility and shopping platform.
This groundbreaking collaboration aims to transform the digital experience for blind and low-vision users by combining Innosearch’s cutting-edge technology with the NFB’s deep expertise in advocacy and community empowerment. Together, Innosearch AI and the NFB are committed to building a more accessible internet—where shopping, travel, and digital services are designed with everyone in mind.
“We are thrilled to join forces with the NFB, an organization with a long-standing legacy of advocacy and empowerment,” said Patrick Long, CEO and Co-founder of Innosearch AI. “Our shared commitment to independence, innovation, and access for all makes this partnership a natural fit.”
The strategic partnership will develop meaningful, community-driven initiatives that make digital services more accessible and helpful for blind and low-vision users.
“The National Federation of the Blind has always been at the forefront of ensuring that blind people are on the cutting edge of new tools for accessing information, and this is especially crucial in digital shopping spaces. We’re not just waiting for solutions—we’re helping shape them. Through our collective experience and expertise, we provide valuable insights about what works and what doesn’t for blind consumers,” said Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “This partnership with Innosearch AI demonstrates that the collaborative approach into new, high-impact areas of technology and commerce can truly meet the needs of blind consumers and the broader market.”
Innosearch AI and the National Federation of the Blind will work together to establish the following:
by Chris Danielsen
In an announcement at the 2025 Google I/O conference, Google and Aira unveiled a partnership aimed at transforming visual interpretation services for blind people. This collaboration, which integrates Aira’s real-world data and experience with Google DeepMind’s advanced AI capabilities, aspires to deliver a virtual visual interpreter powered by generative AI—potentially marking a significant step toward more independent access to visual information. Troy Otillio, Aira’s CEO, discussed the pilot project with Jonathan Mosen in an episode of Access On, the technology podcast of the National Federation of the Blind. Readers can access the entire podcast or a transcript on the Federation’s website or through their podcast client of choice, but below is a summary of key points of the discussion to update our readers.
Aira, which stands for Artificial Intelligence Remote Access, has always aspired to use artificial intelligence to provide its visual interpreter service, but its efforts to build its own AI did not bear fruit that came anywhere close to that aspiration in the company’s early days. Now, technology has caught up with this original concept, albeit through a third-party partnership rather than through Aira generating its own solution. (Google DeepMind is indeed the third-party partner to which Aira has been feeding data from its Build AI program, and that data is informing this new pilot project.) Mr. Otillio credits early visionaries at Aira, such as former marketing official Sarah Conrad, and connections within DeepMind for catalyzing the relationship. A key figure was Gregory Wayne of DeepMind, who saw potential in applying their Astra AI model to visual interpreting. The result is a partnership that builds on DeepMind’s track record of socially beneficial AI projects and Aira’s deep understanding of the needs of blind users.
The AI visual interpreter, currently a pilot project for which users can get on a waiting list, will be integrated into the existing Aira app, giving users an option—alongside traditional human agents and Access AI—to connect with an AI assistant trained specifically on visual interpretation tasks. This new AI agent is designed to engage with users through a natural conversation, carry out complex visual identification, and even remember items’ locations to help users find items like misplaced keys. Early use cases include assembling furniture, identifying objects, and navigating complex indoor environments like airports or hotels. Mr. Otillio cautioned that outdoor navigation and web-based tasks are currently excluded, due to both safety concerns and the AI’s current technical limitations.
The program is currently in a “trusted tester” phase, with a small number of users selected from the waiting list mentioned earlier. Testers must sign a non-disclosure agreement and agree to share session data with Google and Aira to help refine the technology. An Aira human agent will be silently present during each session to provide backup support and evaluate the AI’s performance. The agent or the user can escalate to human intervention if hallucinations or other problems arise. For now, testing is limited to users in the US, excluding Illinois, Texas, and potentially other regions due to privacy law variations.
According to Mr. Otillio, the AI interpreter can handle dynamic tasks like scanning for specific items—say, bananas at a farmer’s market—and alerting the user when they appear in view. This capability represents a leap beyond current AI tools like ChatGPT’s vision features, which cannot continuously scan a visual environment.
However, the AI may not yet support facial recognition or person-specific identification due to unresolved privacy policy questions. It also cannot act on users’ behalf on the web or remotely operate devices, although it can describe and answer questions about a user’s shared screen. Pricing models for the AI service remain undetermined, though Mr. Otillio expects it to be more affordable than human-based services.
The rollout of this AI interpreter underscores the evolving relationship between accessibility-focused companies and “big tech” players like Google, Meta, and likely others who will come into the market. While the partnership with Google is a major milestone, Mr. Otillio expressed concern about potential ecosystem limitations in the industry as a whole, such as Meta’s current refusal to open its Ray-Ban smart glasses platform to Aira. He praised Google’s new XR initiative for being more open and inclusive. Looking ahead, he emphasized Aira’s commitment to integrating the best available tools—human and AI alike—to serve the blind community. As testing continues and user feedback shapes development, he says that the company remains focused on ethical innovation, privacy, and enhancing independence.
While the virtual visual interpreter is still in its infancy, the collaborative model being tested could serve as a blueprint for how AI can be harnessed thoughtfully and inclusively. As Mr. Otillio said, “This is the worst it’s ever going to be”—suggesting rapid improvement is both expected and welcomed. The blind community, as both data contributors and end users, is driving this evolution.
From the Editor: The Trump Administration is eager to reconsider or rescind regulations that it deems to be overly burdensome, and constituencies that would like to see regulatory delays or reconsiderations are aggressively advocating their agendas in light of what they perceive as a friendly environment for deregulation. Below are two letters from President Riccobono pushing back on attempts to reconsider or rescind regulations that are critical to the equality of blind Americans. In the case of the Department of Energy regulation, the administration seeks to fast-track the rescission of construction requirements that enhance our access to public buildings. The other letter addresses the American Council on Education’s attempt to stymie the Title II ADA website regulation that was fourteen years in the making. Here are the letters:
June 6, 2025
David Taggart
United States Department of Energy
Office of the General Counsel
1000 Independence Avenue SW, Room 5B-168
Washington, DC 20585
RE: Docket No. DOE-HQ-2025-0015, RIN 1903-AA24
Dear Mr. Taggart:
The National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans, appreciates the opportunity to comment on the direct final rule regarding Rescinding New Construction Requirements Related to Nondiscrimination in Federally Assisted Programs or Activities. In this direct final rule, the Department of Energy proposes to rescind its regulation, 10 C.F.R. § 1040.73, requiring new construction and alterations of facilities by recipients of federal funding to be accessible to people with disabilities. The Department concludes that the requirement is unnecessary and unduly burdensome. This conclusion is incorrect and therefore we urge the Department to withdraw this direct final rule.
The blind require certain accessibility features to maneuver in the built environment. Those features, including Braille and tactile signage on rooms and elevators, signage with large characters, color contrast, and consistent placement, cane detectable warnings of hazards, and restrictions on protruding objects, are incorporated in the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS), which are the accessibility standards referenced in § 1040.73 for new construction and alterations. Without these important features, blind people would be at risk of injury and would have to rely on strangers to find their way around federally funded facilities.
The Department relies on the general prohibition on discriminatory activities in 10 C.F.R. § 1040.71 as sufficing to ensure that newly constructed and altered facilities will be accessible to people with disabilities and, therefore, to conclude that § 1040.73 is unnecessary. Far from being unnecessary, § 1040.73 makes clear that the failure to construct or alter facilities to be accessible constitutes discrimination. Further, § 1040.73 specifies that the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards meets the accessibility requirement.
Without § 1040.73, recipients of federal funds could construct and alter facilities to exclude people with disabilities. History, experience, and common sense all demonstrate that inaccessible buildings deny people with disabilities equal access to the programs and services conducted in those buildings. Only by requiring facilities to be newly constructed accessibly, and, when altered, to be altered accessibly, can federal funding recipients ensure they are not excluding people with disabilities from their programs and services.
The Department may be assuming there are other means by which federal funding recipients can provide access to their programs and services without ensuring their facilities are accessible. A few simple examples demonstrate that this is not so: an inaccessible hospital or medical provider cannot make its operating rooms, its MRI and other diagnostic equipment, and its specialized examination tables available in an accessible venue when a person with a disability becomes a patient.
Even its laboratory services and healthcare providers are not portable, as strict privacy protections apply. Nor can a school move its laboratories, auditorium stages, libraries, and computer equipment to accessible facilities when a student with a disability matriculates. And educating a student with a disability in an accessible facility separate from nondisabled peers would, itself, constitute discrimination.
Without the explicit requirements of § 1040.73, covered entities will be misled into believing they need not make their facilities accessible when, in fact, there is no other way to avoid discriminating against people with disabilities. As a result, they will violate the law and be forced to remediate accessibility barriers after construction is completed, likely at significant cost. At the same time, people with disabilities will be excluded from their programs and services and have no choice but to file lawsuits.
Nor is compliance with the nearly-50-year-old requirement of § 1040.73 burdensome. Studies show that accessibility accounts for a negligible percentage of total construction expense. See, e.g., Government Accountability Office, Briefing Report to Congressional Requesters: Persons with Disabilities: Reports on Costs of Accommodations, Appendix III (1990) (costs of accessibility in new construction range from negligible to 0.5 percent); Ratzka, “A Brief Survey of Studies on Costs and Benefits of Non-Handicapping Environments” (1994), (showing accessibility accounts for .006% to .13% of new construction cost). See also Ielegems and Vanrie, “The Cost of Universal Design for Public Buildings: Exploring a Realistic, Context-Dependent Research Approach” (2023), (showing individual accessibility features may reduce construction costs or increase them up to two percent).
Given the benefits to people with disabilities (not to mention people without disabilities who benefit from accessibility features, known as the “curb cut effect”), in terms of access to public services, education, health care, and employment, these costs can hardly be viewed as “undue.” Indeed, in issuing both the 1991 regulations and the 2010 regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Department of Justice determined that the benefits of new construction and alterations accessibility outweighed the costs. See https://archive.ada.gov.
Because the Department’s conclusion that § 1040.73 is unnecessary and burdensome is substantively incorrect and the Department’s proposal to rescind the rule does not meet the requirements for a direct final rule, the National Federation of the Blind believes this proposal must be withdrawn. Further, in light of the Department’s and the Department of Justice’s previous analyses concluding that the benefits of requiring covered entities to build and alter facilities accessibly far outweighed the costs, this proposal requires a “reasoned determination that its benefits justify its costs” to people with disabilities pursuant to Executive Order 12866. That requirement has not been met.
In addition, under Executive Order 12988, the Department must provide a clear legal standard for affected conduct, not a general standard. The Department’s proposed rescission eliminates a clear legal standard (accessibility standards for new construction and alterations) and replaces it with a general standard (nondiscrimination) in violation of Executive Order 12988.
Once again, we appreciate the opportunity to comment and we are available to answer any further questions you may have.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
June 9, 2025
Russell T. Vought
Director
Office of Management and Budget
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20504
RE: Recent Letter from the American Council on Education
Dear Mr. Vought:
The National Federation of the Blind, the transformative membership and advocacy organization of blind Americans, writes in response to the letter you received from the American Council on Education dated May 12, 2025, regarding the Department of Justice regulation under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) covering the accessibility of state and local government websites and mobile applications (the “website regulation”). The American Council and its co-signatories seek your review and possible reconsideration of the website regulation. We oppose any attempt to delay, rescind, or otherwise undermine the effectiveness of the website regulation.
While reflecting a compromise between the needs of people with disabilities and the resources of covered entities, the clarity provided by the website regulation is important to the lives of people with disabilities, in particular to blind students in public and higher education. Blind students are too often excluded from the curricula their sighted peers enjoy because educational materials are offered digitally through inaccessible websites and mobile applications.
As a result, they are often unable to compete on a level playing field with their peers, are unable to benefit fully from their education, and are delayed in attaining their degrees and entering the workforce. The inaccessibility of educational materials is one of the most significant barriers to blind people being able to achieve their full potential and make their rightful contribution to American society.
Contrary to the American Council’s implications, far from creating ambiguity, the website regulation provides exactly the clarity state and local government institutions, including educational institutions, have been requesting regarding their obligations under Title II of the ADA to make their websites and mobile applications accessible. Since 1990, Title II of the ADA has required state and local governments to ensure their communications with individuals with disabilities are “as effective as” communications with nondisabled individuals.
Since 1996, the Department of Justice has made clear that this obligation includes their communications via the internet and mobile applications. Moreover, the communications of recipients of federal funding, including virtually all public educational institutions, have been subject to that same requirement pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act since 1973. In the decades since, courts and other federal agencies have agreed, and the Department of Justice has issued several guidance documents providing technical assistance to covered entities.
Yet, educational institutions and other state and local government entities have claimed to be unclear exactly how they should comply with the “equally effective communication” obligation. Last year, the Department of Justice issued the website rule. Far from being a surprise to covered entities, the Department first issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (“ANPRM”) in 2010, which sought information from covered entities and individuals on what should be included in the rule.
The Department received approximately four hundred comments. In 2016, the Department issued a supplemental ANPRM, again soliciting public input, which received more than two hundred comments. In 2023, the Department issued a notice of proposed rulemaking regarding website and mobile application accessibility requirements, setting forth the Department’s proposals and including more than sixty questions for public comment. The Department received approximately 345 comments. In addition, the Department attended a variety of listening sessions to gather additional input. The final regulation was issued in 2024.
The final rule clarifies what is required to meet Title II’s equally effective communication requirement in the context of state and local government websites and mobile applications. It provides a clear technical standard based on an internationally recognized and widely adopted consensus standard. It also provides flexibility by allowing covered entities to achieve equivalent facilitation and preventing liability for inaccessible elements that do not substantively affect the usability of a website or mobile application.
Notably, the website rule also provides a series of exceptions, presumably implemented at the behest of covered entities, establishing web and mobile application elements and content that do not have to be made accessible. These exceptions are not available under the pre-existing equally effective communication requirement.
Although the equally effective communication requirement has been in effect for decades, the final rule also provides delayed effective dates of two or three years, depending on the size of the affected government. Thus, rather than burdening state and local governments, the rule actually reduces the burdens on those entities. Further, the rule included a comprehensive and careful analysis of the benefits and costs of the regulation, showing that the benefits substantially outweighed the costs.
The website regulation reflects exactly what the American Council purports to seek—a clear, transparent “shared understanding” of the applicable legal requirements. As the American Council recommends, it is “related to education,” is “clear and comprehensible,” does not stray from legislative intent (which made clear that the effective communication requirements of the Rehabilitation Act should be incorporated in the ADA), accurately estimates the costs and burdens, and provides clear safe harbors.
There is no basis for reconsidering the website rule, which has already gone through fourteen years of consideration, public input, and adjustment, and which is based on a requirement in existence for nearly fifty years. On the other hand, delaying or amending the regulation at this point would severely harm blind Americans.
Thank you for your attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
On April 19 the Escondido Chapter of the NFB of California held elections. The results were as follows: President Denise Bravell; Vice President Dave Faiman; Secretary Raquel Montoya; Treasurer Yvette Lee; Board Member Mark Fletcher. Congratulations to these leaders.
Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we have edited only for space and clarity.
Attention blind and low-vision chess players and those wanting to learn the game. The United States Blind Chess Association (USBCA) is the country’s main grassroots network for blind and low-vision chess players. Founded in the late-1960s, it has evolved from postal Braille correspondence games to a vibrant online, email correspondence, and over-the-board community that runs year-round tournaments, publishes its own magazine, curates accessible study materials, and advocates for better digital accessibility in mainstream chess platforms. Join their email list by sending a blank message to [email protected]. After joining, when ready, become a dues-paying member. Further questions may be directed to Kim at: [email protected].
We have been asked to publish the following:
A proposed settlement has been reached that would resolve the class action lawsuit Douglass v. Whitestone Home Furnishings, LLC, Case No. 2:25-cv-00460 (W.D. Pa.). The lawsuit alleges that Whitestone Home Furnishings, LLC d/b/a Saatva violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. §§ 12101, et seq., by failing to take the necessary steps to ensure its website and mobile apps do not discriminate against individuals who are Blind and/or who have a Visual Disability. Under the settlement, Saatva agrees to make its website and any new website or mobile app it develops or acquires accessible to individuals who are Blind and/or who have a Visual Disability. For a more complete summary of the terms of the proposed settlement, please visit https://www.SaatvaADAsettlement.com. Have questions? Contact East End Trial Group at https://eastendtrialgroup.com.
The silver-white winters of Colorado call Ski for Light, Inc. (SFL) back to Granby and Snow Mountain Ranch to celebrate its Fifty-first International Week. Active adults with visual or mobility impairments will gather to learn the basics of cross-country skiing February 1-8, 2026.
This will be the organization’s fifteenth visit to Colorado and thirteenth visit to Snow Mountain Ranch (YMCA of the Rockies). “There’s always a reason to get excited about Ski for Light returning to Snow Mountain Ranch,” says Event Chair David Fisichella. “The variety of terrain, consistent snow conditions, and regional hospitality make Granby, Colorado, a favorite among SFL skiers and guides.”
Founded in 1975, Ski for Light is an all-volunteer nonprofit that attracts participants from across the U.S. and around the world. Based on a Norwegian program called the Ridderrenn, each blind, low-vision, or mobility-impaired participant is paired with an experienced sighted cross-country skier who acts as instructor and on-snow guide for a week of skiing, sharing, and learning. First-time skiers will be introduced to basic technique while returning skiers will have an opportunity to enhance existing skills.
“When the cold bites, when the frost stings, when I’m feeling bad, I simply remember Snow Mountain Ranch, and then I don’t feel so sad,” croons veteran guide Tim Feldman with a smile. “But seriously, it’s the wonderful and dependable snow, expert grooming, gentle trails—the skiing at Snow Mountain Ranch is perfect for us.”
“Snow Mountain Ranch is my favorite place to ski,” says skier Krista Erickson. “There’s such a variety of nature to experience, including sometimes having to stop if inadvertently skiing upon a moose or two snacking on the trailside foliage.”
While the focus of the week is cross-country skiing, there are plenty of after-ski activities including presentations, workshops, and evening entertainment, where participants have an opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones.
So, grab your warm woolen mittens and join the fun by participating as a skier, a guide, or a volunteer. Applications and additional information will be available in the summer at www.sfl.org; meanwhile, join our community on Facebook (Ski for Light, Inc.), and check out our YouTube channel (Ski for Light International).
The experience of a lifetime awaits!
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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