American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Winter 2020 ANNOUNCEMENTS
Other Announcements
SCHOLARSHIPS
National Federation of the Blind Scholarships
www.nfb.org/scholarships
Contact: [email protected]
Application Deadline: March 31, 2020
The annual scholarship program of the National Federation of the Blind is the largest of its kind in the nation. Every year the NFB awards more than $120,000 to blind scholars across the fifty states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia in recognition of their aspirations and achievements. Thirty merit-based scholarships are available, ranging in value from $3,000 to $12,000. All scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, community service, and leadership. The finalists attend the NFB national convention, where the winners of each individual scholarship are selected. Scholarship winners have gone on to succeed in careers ranging from computer science and engineering to civil rights law and international diplomacy.
To be eligible, an applicant must be legally blind in both eyes; must reside in the United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico; must be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, postsecondary course of study in a degree program in the US in the fall of 2020; and must participate in the entire NFB national convention and all of its scheduled scholarship program activities. Finalists will receive assistance to attend the national convention.
AWARDS
2020 Holman Prizes for Blind Ambition
www.holmanprize.org/apply
Contact: [email protected]
Application Deadline: March 15, 2020, at 5 pm PST
Now in its fourth year, the Holman Prize for Blind Ambition, sponsored by the San Francisco Light-House, is an international competition. Three prizes of up to $251,000 are awarded each year to blind individuals who wish to push their limits. The prize is named for James Holman, a nineteenth-century blind explorer who was the most prolific traveler before the era of modern transportation. From traversing the Bosphorus Strait via solo kayak, hosting the first conference in Mexico for blind children and their families led by blind professionals, and creating an app to enable blind citizen scientists to participate in the search for exoplanets by listening to space, the nine winners so far (hailing from five countries on four continents), each have found unique ways to change the world's perception of blindness. A big idea, a quick application form, and a ninety-second pitch video are all that is needed to apply.
Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards
https://nfb.org/programs/dr-jacob-bolotin-awards
Contact: James Gashel, 808-234-9259
[email protected]
Deadline for Applications: April 15, 2020
The Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards are presented each year to persons or organizations that demonstrate exemplary leadership and extraordinary accomplishments in improving the lives of blind people in the United States. An application can be made by the applicant directly or by third parties who nominate an applicant. Each application requires an essay describing the work or project to be recognized. In addition, each application must have at least one letter of recommendation in support of the nominee.
CONFERENCES
Midwest Regional Student Seminar
https://www.nfbofillinois.org/midwest-students-spring-seminar/registration
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Dates: March 20-22, 2020
The time has come again for the Midwest Regional Spring Seminar hosted by the NFB of Illinois and the National Association of Blind Students (NABS). Please join students of the Midwest for a weekend of advocacy, networking, empowerment, and camaraderie!
EasterSeals Disability Film Challenge
disabilityfilmchallenge.com
Contact: Adri Palmieri, 310-248-6166 or 626-893-9317
Registration Deadline: March 31, 2020
Conference Dates: April 3-5, 2020
Location: Los Angeles, CA
The EasterSeals Disability Film Challenge, now in its seventh year, gives filmmakers the opportunity to collaborate and tell unique stories that showcase disability in its many forms. The film competition is open to anyone, with or without disabilities. Participants will have roughly fifty-five hours to write, shoot, and edit a three- to five-minute short film based on an assigned theme. While the filmmakers are not necessarily required to include disability in the storyline, each team must include at least one person with a disability in front of or behind the camera.
Nonvisual Access Conference
https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/center-excellence-nonvisual-access-trainings/nonvisual-access-conference
Contact: Matt Hackert, [email protected]
Dates: April 14-16, 2020
Location: National Federation of the Blind, 200 E. Wells St at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, MD 21230
This conference is a three-day, hands-on series of working sessions being offered at the National Federation of the Blind that includes a seminar on teaching access technology using structured discovery techniques along with accessible app development seminars on the iOS and Android platforms. The seminar is for teachers of the blind, blindness professionals, and technology developers.
2020 Young Child Expo and Conference
Location: Wyndham New Yorker Hotel, New York, NY
Dates: April 28 to May 1, 2020
This conference offers professional development across all disciplines that work with young children, including general education and special education teachers; social workers; and occupational, physical, and speech therapists. More than eighty presentations will cover motor development, behavior management, autism, STEM education, brain development, and much more. Continuing education credits are available.
M-Enabling Summit
Dates: June 22-24, 2020
Location: Washington, DC
The M-Enabling Summit is proud to host the leading global conference dedicated to promoting accessible and assistive technology for users of all abilities. It is the annual meeting place for all who create and contribute accessible products, services, and consumer technologies. With its 2020 theme of "Digital Inclusion Strategies: A Catalyst for Action," the M-Enabling Summit will provide a platform for how organizations can successfully leverage enabling technologies to make their digital workplaces, learning environments, products, and services accessible to users of all abilities. Bringing together professionals, corporations, service organizations, and key thought leaders, the M-Enabling Summit is an all-inclusive conference and showcase featuring innovative technology, applications, connected devices, for services for more than 1 billion users worldwide. Topics include accessibility of virtual workplaces and gig economy platforms; integrating accessibility testing in the development cycle; smart homes technologies for independent living; and autonomous mobility and mobility as a service.
SURVEYS
Survey on Audio Description of Video Streaming
https://aiv.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/sv0ihfp7vtkax6ppd
This survey is intended to help Amazon improve the accessibility of its Prime Video streaming service. Amazon continues to expand its library of audio-described movies and TV shows, and feedback from users through this survey will help ensure that the company provides high-quality described content. The survey is open to persons who are eighteen or older, who use a streaming video service such as Amazon Prime Video or Netflix, and who have watched an audio-described movie or television show within the past month.
K-12 and Higher Education Survey
https://nfb.org/edtechsurvey
The NFB is gathering information regarding the accessibility of educational technology used in our nation's schools, kindergarten through graduate level. If you are a student, parent, teacher, or administrator who uses screen access software or other accommodations to participate nonvisually in educational programs or services, or if you are the parent, teacher, or administrator of someone who does, please complete this survey once a semester.
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