American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Special Issue on Tactile Fluency NOPBC NEWS
Blindness Skills: The Only Sure Bet in Vegas!
by Carlton Walker
From the Editor: Carlton Walker has dual careers as a teacher of the visually impaired and an attorney. In 2018 she was elected president of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC).
Each year the annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) brings new ideas, incredible resources, and the love and support of NFB members into the lives of blind individuals of all ages and their families. This July thousands of members of the NFB will meet in Las Vegas, Nevada, to hold our annual convention. Concurrently, the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC), a proud division of the National Federation of the Blind, will host a conference within the NFB National Convention. We gather together to learn and share, to reconnect with old friends and to meet new friends. We certainly hope that you can join us.
There's an old truism: "Vegas wasn't built on winners," and it makes perfect sense. The odds of any game of chance must favor "the house," or there would be no way to afford the building utilities and the staff required to host the game. Some games of chance offer better odds than others, but all games are stacked in favor of "the house."
Unfair odds are part of the gambling world, but they are not supposed to be part of our daily lives or part of school for our children. However, for years it felt as though the odds were stacked against my daughter, Anna Catherine, and our family. School officials insisted that Anna Catherine should "maximize" her vision—even though doing so gave her headaches, caused neck and back pain, and left her demoralized and exhausted.
Nothing can improve my daughter's eyesight, so the odds are always stacked against her if she relies on her vision. However, with blindness skills such as Braille, cane travel, and accessible technology, my daughter can do what she needs to do—efficiently, effectively, and without headaches, neck pain, or feeling like she is less than her peers.
This June, my daughter graduated from high school, with honors. Every day she uses blindness skills including Braille, Nemeth Code, a long white cane, and accessible technology to complete her schoolwork, take part in community activities, and perform chores around the house, such as laundry, cleaning, and meal preparation. None of this would have been possible had we listened to the "experts" in the schools. If we had tried to maximize her use of vision, we would have been minimizing her potential in every way.
Sometimes you'll hear the line, "There's no such thing as a sure bet," but this statement is wrong. Throughout the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, from July 7 to 12, you will find information about and access to the only sure bet in Vegas: blindness skills—those skills that allow our children to survive and thrive regardless of how much vision they have or do not have.
Come join us at the NOPBC Conference and the 2019 NFB National Convention in Las Vegas this July. Please attend our sessions, which will include information and ideas for families of blind students from birth through college. We also will have sessions on IEPs (individualized education programs), tactile graphics, accessible art, and bringing more STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) into blind children's lives. You will also enjoy:
Sunday, July 7
Kid Talk: NFB President Mark Riccobono has a conversation with our children
Lunch with the NOPBC Board
Megan Bening Memorial Technology Giveaway: last year we gave away $10,000 in accessible technology to blind children and youth
Family Game Night: we will have accessible games for a great evening of family fun
Monday, July 8
Cane Walks: an opportunity to receive free cane travel instruction from orientation and mobility professionals; sighted family members are encouraged to participate as well
NOPBC Style Show: our children and youth walk the runway and share with us their interests and goals
Mock Trial and other evening events put on by NFB divisions and training centers for the blind
Tuesday, July 9
NOPBC Annual Meeting: an opportunity to learn more about and become involved with our division; speech from the 2019 Distinguished Educator of Blind Students; elections for members of the NOPBC Board
Braille Book Fair: choose Braille books that are available at no cost and will be shipped to you free of charge
Braille Carnival: a celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults; the Action Fund has provided thousands of Braille books at no charge to blind children and youth
Wednesday, July 10
IEP Night: workshop on IEP laws and strategies
Tactile Art and NFB BELL Academy sessions
Sunday through Friday, July 7-12
Exhibit Hall: opportunity to have hands-on experience with accessible blindness and low-vision tools and technology; meet and speak with representatives from companies that produce and market these tools
Independence Market: opportunity to handle, test, and learn to use blindness and low-vision tools including accessible games, household items, watches, calculators, and more; chance to collect free NFB literature including articles, speeches, Kernel Books, and past issues of Future Reflections and Braille Monitor
Breakout sessions on technology, interest areas, and many more topics
Wednesday through Friday, July 10-12
NFB General Sessions: hear from nationally renowned speakers on a plethora of topics that have an impact on blind individuals of all ages; vote on resolutions that set forth NFB policy
Friday, July 12
NFB Banquet: Banquet speech by NFB President Mark Riccobono, presentation of NFB scholarship winners, good food, and conversation with our Federation family
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