Future Reflections Volume 38 Number 1

ISSN-0883-3419

For more information about blindness and children contact:
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, MD 21230 • 410-659-9314
https://nfb.org/nopbc • [email protected] • [email protected]

Site of 2019 NFB Convention

Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino The 2019 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take place July 7 to July 12, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, 3950 South Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89119. Make your room reservation as soon as possible with the Mandalay Bay Resort staff only. Call 877-632-9001.

The 2019 room rate of $99 per night applies to singles and doubles as well as triples and quads. Hotel and sales taxes are 13.38 percent and 8.25 percent, respectively. The resort fee (normally $37 a night) will be waived for NFB convention attendees. However, fees for internet access, local and toll-free calls, and fitness center access may apply. The hotel will take a deposit of the first night's room rate for each room and will require a credit card or a personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Friday, June 1, 2019, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.

Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Reservations may be made before June 1, 2019, assuming that rooms are still available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon.

Among the hotel's features is an aquatic playground called Mandalay Bay Beach, which has real sand, a wave pool, and a lazy river. The hotel is also home to an aquarium with more than two thousand animals, including sharks, green sea turtles, and a Komodo dragon. Plus, it offers top-notch entertainment, including Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil.

The schedule for the 2019 convention is:

Sunday, July 7                          Seminar Day
Monday, July 8                        Registration and Resolutions Day
Tuesday, July 9                        Board Meeting and Division Day
Wednesday, July 10               Opening Session
Thursday, July 11                    Business Session
Friday, July 12                          Banquet Day and Adjournment

FEATURE

The Future Is Ours
by Ronza Othman

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Mama Bears Unite!
by Alison Clougherty

Helping Your Blind Child Develop Good Listening Skills
by Lesley Potgieter

GROWING UP

The Murano Glass Candle Holder: A Letter to Parents Everywhere
by Kathryn Webster

A Letter to Sixteen-year-old Me
by Arielle Silverman

BRAILLE

On How and Why I (Finally) Slayed the NLS Braille Certification
by Monique Coleman

Spanish Braille and English Language Learners
by Scott Baltisberger

Creating a Code, Preserving a Language
by Carol Begay Green

PERFORMANCE

Authentically Blind on Stage and Screen: One Blind Actress Transforms Obstacles into Stepping Stones
by Marilee Talkington

From Actor to Dialect Coach
An Interview with Sammi Grant

TECHNOLOGY

Driving Blind on the Technology Superhighway—Browsers, Choosing the Right Vehicle for the Journey
by Amy Mason

Serendipity at Play: The Story of Blindfold Games
by Patricia Costantino

FINANCE

Busting Myths about Disability and Personal Finance
by Kane Brolin

PERSPECTIVES

The Daily Accidents of Life: Consequences of Blindness or Being Human?
by Sheri Wells-Jensen

Blind Child at Play
by Carlton Anne Cook Walker

The Real Challenges of the Bird Box Challenge
by Kaiti Shelton

REVIEW

A Blind Guide to Stinkville and A Blind Guide to Normal
by Beth Vrabel, Reviewed by Deborah Kendrick

NOPBC NEWS

The Megan Bening Memorial Fund

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Summer Programs
General Announcements

Odds and Ends

Complete Future Reflections

Why Join the NOPBC?

Are you the parent of a blind or visually impaired child? Don’t know where to turn?

Founded in 1983, the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) is a membership organization of parents, educators, and friends of blind children reaching out to give each other vital support, encouragement, and information. We have thousands of members in all fifty states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.

The NOPBC offers hope, encouragement, information, and resources for parents of blind or visually impaired children. NOPBC provides emotional support and a network of other families dealing with the same challenges you are facing. We also provide information, training, and resources to empower you to take an active role in guiding your child’s development and education. We can provide information on your child’s rights and on the laws and legislative issues that will enable you and your child to become strong and effective advocates.

Have you ever wondered what your blind or visually impaired child will be capable of when he or she grows up? The answer to that question is that blindness/visual impairment does not have to stop your child from doing anything he or she wants to do. We can connect you with other families and blind adults who can serve as positive mentors and role models. They can teach you the attitudes and techniques that will enable your child to become independent and to succeed in life.

What is different about the NOPBC?

Our status as a division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the largest and most influential organization of blind people in the world, provides many benefits. Our members are well informed about the societal, legislative, and technological issues that affect blind people. We also enjoy the resources, support, and expertise of fifty thousand blind people who can serve as mentors and role models for us and our children. Finally, as our children grow up, they have the Federation to belong to.

No other organization for parents of blind/visually impaired children offers more programs, activities, and training to families, children, and youth. One of our most exciting activities is our annual conference. Every year since it was established, the NOPBC has conducted an annual conference for parents and teachers of blind children as part of the national convention of the NFB. The program has grown to include five exciting days of workshops, training sessions, activities for all family members, including sighted siblings, and countless opportunities to meet blind adults and other families and children from around the country.

What is the mission of the NOPBC?

The purpose of the NOPBC is to:

create a climate of opportunity for blind children in home and society.
provide information and support to parents of blind children.
facilitate the sharing of experience and concerns among parents of blind children.
develop and expand resources available to parents and their children.
help parents of blind children gain understanding and perspective through partnership and contact with blind adults.
function as an integral part of the National Federation of the Blind in its ongoing effort to achieve equality and opportunity for all blind persons.

Most states have an NOPBC affiliate chapter. You can find your state chapter at http://www.nopbc.org. If your state does not have a chapter and you would like to start one, please contact us. We may be able to offer training and other assistance to start a state NOPBC chapter.

What are the programs, activities, publications, and resources of the NOPBC?

National and State Parent Seminars and Conferences
Future Reflections Magazine
NOPBC Website
Books and Videos
Blindkid & Other Listservs
Early Childhood Conferences
Pop-Up IEP Website
Slate Pals Pen Pal Program
AAF Free Braille Books Program
Share Braille Book Exchange
Writing Contests
Junior Science Academy
Youth Slam High School Science Academy
National Center for Blind Youth in Science Website
NFB-NEWSLINE® Newspaper Service
Where the Blind Work Website
Free White Cane Program
Blindness 411 Facebook Group for Teens
NFB-LINK Mentoring Program
Scholarship Program
Straight Talk about Blindness Video Series
Parent Leadership Program (PLP)

Contents