The Significance of Washington Seminar 2026

by Mark Riccobono

In January of 1776, Thomas Paine published Common Sense. What made that pamphlet revolutionary was not simply its call for independence, but the way it framed that call. Paine did not argue that independence was heroic or dramatic. He argued that it was obvious. He insisted that paternal rule had lost its legitimacy and that people long treated as dependents were fully capable of governing themselves. Reconciliation, he said, was no longer rational. Independence was simply common sense.

In November of 1940, Jacobus tenBroek made a similar declaration on behalf of blind Americans. At the time the National Federation of the Blind was founded, blind people were treated much like the colonies once had been—spoken for, managed by others, and constrained by low expectations presented as protection. Decisions about our lives were made without us, justified by charity rather than equality, by control rather than self-determination. Our Federation rejected that model outright. We asserted that blind people are not wards, not clients, and not objects of care, but independent, self-directing individuals capable of full participation in society. We insisted that blind people must speak for ourselves and shape the policies that govern our lives—reflecting the very values upon which this nation was founded.

Like Paine, Dr. tenBroek and our founding Federationists did not ask for special status. We claimed normalcy. We claimed agency. We claimed independence. And just as in 1776, that claim was not radical. It was common sense.

That is what brings us to our nation’s capital today. Independence does not sustain itself; it must be claimed, defended, and advanced. Even as our nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, our laws and policies continue to be shaped by misconceptions, low expectations, and charity rather than independence for the blind.

Blind Americans have come to Capitol Hill because we expect to do what self-governing people must do: speak directly to those who craft the rules that shape our lives. We do not come asking to be taken care of. We come insisting on equal access, equal opportunity, and equal responsibility. Our presence here proves the principle that we advance. Blind people know what we need. We know how to build solutions. We know how to lead. Our independence is not a theory or an aspiration—it is self-evident and it is our daily experience. Advocating for its recognition is not radical. It is common sense.

Congress needs our advice and guidance because our first branch of government does not yet include enough blind experience for our solutions to be obvious. But do not worry, America—the blind are here to move beyond the nonsense and contribute meaningfully to achieve this nation’s ideals.

For nearly a century, programs in education, employment, and independent living have been shaped through authentic advocacy by blind people themselves. These efforts have enabled blind children to receive instruction and materials in Braille so they could grow into fully contributing, tax-paying adults across every sector of our economy. These programs have supported newly blind individuals with meaningful rehabilitation, allowing them to continue offering their talents to employers rather than being forced into dependency. Independent living programs—though dramatically underfunded—have allowed blind seniors to remain in their homes, caring for grandchildren and living full lives instead of relying on costly custodial care. Yet, after 250 years, some claim that eliminating these programs represents progress. We, the blind, respond clearly: encourage our greater independence, and America will receive far more in return. That is common sense.

In 2026, technology touches nearly every aspect of life, yet accessibility has not been built into all the tools of modern progress. If blind people are given control over purchasing the accessible technology we need, we will unlock potential that benefits the entire nation. Independence, self-determination, and equal opportunity are not lofty policy aspirations for the blind—they are common sense solutions.

Nearly a century ago, our nation established Social Security, and since 1940 blind Americans have played a significant role in making it meaningful. Yet one policy failure remains glaringly illogical: our nation encourages blind people to work, but only up to an arbitrary and inadequate earnings threshold, beyond which independence is punished rather than rewarded. We offer a better way: a solution that strengthens independence, streamlines government oversight, increases tax contributions, and encourages participation in the American dream. The Blind Americans Return to Work Act is not radical policy. It is common sense.

We come to Congress not as partisans, but as Americans. We are not Republicans or Democrats first—not Libertarians, Greens, or Independents. We are citizens who happen to be blind. Our work is not about ideology; it is about equality. We bring practical solutions grounded in lived experience, informed by responsibility, and aimed at strengthening the nation we share. By advocating together—across political lines—we affirm a fundamental democratic truth: self-governing people solve problems best when they come as equals, committed not to politics but to the ongoing work of forming a more perfect union.

This is how blind people come together. This is how independence is claimed, protected, and advanced. This is how common sense becomes national policy. We are the National Federation of the Blind. And this is the significance of our Washington Seminar.