Volume 39 Number 4 Convention 2020
A magazine for parents and teachers of blind children published by
the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults in partnership
with the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children.
Deborah Kent Stein, Editor
ISSN-0883-3419
Copyright © 2020 American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
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]
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Necessity: The Mother of Invention
by Deborah Kent Stein
NOPBC CONFERENCE
Kid Talk
A Conversation with Mark Riccobono
As the Twig Is Bent Awards
Presented by Carlton Anne Cook Walker
Virtual Reality: Accessible Learning, Activities, and Networking Opportunities
for Blind Children and Their Families
by Carlton Anne Cook Walker
Navigating Our Brave New World
by Gabe Cazares
Students Speak: Building and Using Your Blindness Network
by Trisha Kulkarni, Precious Perez, and Qualik Ford
NOPBC WORKSHOPS
Let's Socialize: Teaching Your Child Common Physical Movements
by Melissa Riccobono
Fourteen: It's a Magical Age
by Maurice Peret
NOPBC BOARD MEETING
NOPBC: Past, Present, and Future
by Carol Castellano
Virtual Reality Versus Reality
by Graciela L. Olivo, 2020 Distinguished Educator of Blind Students
Kids Speak Out
by Salome Cummins, Ian Oliver, and Clara Scelsi
GENERAL SESSIONS
Our Roots: Advancing Human Rights and the Tradition of Serving Our Nation
by Mariyam Cementwala
Equal Justice under Law: A Blind Clerk Blazes a Trail behind the Scenes at the Supreme Court
by Laura Wolk
AWARDS
Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards
Presented by James Gashel
Thank You to Our Scholarship Sponsors
The NFB Scholarship Class of 2020
Presented by Cayte Mendez
EXTRAS
Accessible Games: Ideas from NOPBC Game Night
The PAC Mule Stable Grows at the 2020 NFB Convention
NOPBC News
Announcements
Are you the parent of a blind/low-vision child? Don’t know where to turn? Have you ever wondered what your child will be capable of when he or she grows up? Are you concerned that your child’s future will be limited by blindness or low vision? Do you have questions about how to parent a blind child? We are here for you.
Founded in 1983, the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC), a proud division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), is a membership organization of families, friends, and educators of blind children. We have thousands of members in all fifty states plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico.
We have a very inclusive definition of blindness which includes children who have some usable vision. Instead of focusing on what the child can or cannot see, we focus on the child and what she or he wants to be.
NOPBC is for families, educators, and friends of blind children, including those who have some usable vision. We welcome all families of blind children, and many of our children have both blindness and other disabilities.
We help families and blind children themselves maximize the child’s abilities and opportunities; we hold high expectations for all of our children, regardless of any additional disabilities they may have.
As a division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the largest and most influential organization of blind people in the world, the NOPBC is well informed about the societal, legislative, and technological issues that affect blind people. We enjoy the resources, support, and expertise of fifty thousand blind people who can serve as mentors and role models for us and our children. When we as parents join the NOPBC, our children belong to the Federation family.
The NOPBC:
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.
We have been where you are, and we want to support you and your blind child. We know that blindness does not define your child's future. 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.
The NOPBC offers hope, encouragement, information, and resources for parents, families, and educators of blind children. NOPBC provides:
We offer a wide variety of 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. This conference 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.
Contact Us:
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
[email protected]
www.nopbc.org
by Deborah Kent Stein
The work of the National Federation of the Blind goes on throughout the year, but the annual convention is our capstone event. Every year since 1940 (with two exceptions during World War II), convention has been a time when blind people and their friends and families gather to share resources, strategize, and enjoy camaraderie.
Last March planning for the 2020 National Federation of the Blind Convention was in high gear. Convention would take place in Houston, Texas, July 14-19. Leaders of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) were busy mapping out a lively conference for parents and teachers of blind children and a week-long series of workshops and family activities.
Then COVID-19 shredded our plans. NFB President Mark Riccobono announced that we would be unable to hold our convention in Houston after all. It was a crushing disappointment. It seemed that all of our planning and anticipation would come to nothing.
But not even the threat of a deadly virus can stop the National Federation of the Blind in its tracks. Within weeks of President Riccobono's announcement, Federationists rallied and began to plan a convention unlike any that had ever taken place before. The 2020 NFB National Convention would be conducted virtually, using an online platform called Zoom.
A virtual convention presented us with major challenges. Would the Zoom platform be completely accessible? How would voting be conducted? How could we work around time differences, accommodating members from Hawaii to the east coast? How could we provide opportunities for conventioneers to meet and interact informally? What activities could be provided for children and tweens?
Through the tireless efforts of the NFB staff and hundreds of volunteers from across the country, the logistical challenges were ironed out. The 2020 NFB convention took place virtually July 14-18 with all of the features Federationists have come to expect. As it turned out, the 2020 NFB National Convention was the biggest gathering of blind people in history, with more than seven thousand people registered and attending.
As always convention began with the NOPBC conference and concluded with the annual banquet. Though we could not gather to feast in person, we celebrated the achievements of the scholarship winners and listened in rapt attention to President Riccobono's convention address, "Language, Action, and Destiny: The Lived Experience of the Organized Blind Movement." You can read President Riccobono's address at https://www.nfb.org/resources/speeches-and-reports/banquet-speeches/language-action-and-destiny-lived-experience or watch on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBxSYcJc7RA&list=
PLW144PTYGib0LmONUtu33ZWl_EI3dpXEi&index=19
This issue of Future Reflections gathers highlights from the NOPBC conference, the general sessions, and much more. You can find recordings of most of the convention sessions by visiting www.nfb.org/
convention.
Necessity is the mother of invention, and the necessity to stay safe during this time of COVID-19 forced us to invent a new way to hold our annual gathering. Let us hope that we can meet in person for Convention 2021. Plans are afoot for convention to be held in New Orleans next summer. Let the good times roll!
A Conversation with Mark Riccobono
Introduction by Carlton Anne Cook Walker: Each year at our NOPBC conference, the NFB President takes time out of his very busy schedule to talk directly to our children. We call the children to the front of the room, and the NFB President, in his suit and tie, sits on the floor to talk with, listen to, and answer questions from our kids. This year President Mark Riccobono will talk with our kids as always. Kids, please gather at your Zoom location and welcome Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, for Kid Talk!
Mark Riccobono: Good afternoon, everybody! We need to have all the kids out there unmuted so we can start the chaos! I'm going to take a moment to have everybody introduce yourselves. Okay, welcome to Braden, from Louisiana! Elizabeth, Oriana from Maryland; Anne from Utah; Hank; Zenia; Harley; Clara from Alabama; Katie from Texas; Nadia. Welcome to all of you!
Thank you for getting on this meeting and being part of the first virtual convention of the National Federation of the Blind. It's really exciting that you'll be able to say you were part of the largest gathering of blind people ever in the history of the world! This is really cool! We're going to have a number of days of activities. I want to thank the parents for getting their kids here. It's really important that your kids be engaged in this network we have.
I want to let parents know that in the Federation over the past four months we've been very focused on protecting blind people's rights and responsibilities in society. That means creating a solid foundation for our kids—your kids are our kids!
I want to know if the kiddos out there have any questions for me. If you have a question, say your name.
Harley: Can people make a playground for blind children that makes sounds?
MR: That's a great idea. Certainly it could be done. What kind of sounds would you want in a playground?
Harley: Maybe kids laughing.
MR: Okay. What else would you want?
Harley: Birds chirping, maybe.
MR: Would you want the sounds to help you find your way around in the playground? What do you want the sounds to do?
Harley: To help me go to the slides and stuff. And know where things are.
MR: What sound do you think a slide should make?
Harley: I don't know. A kid sliding down it.
MR: That's cool. I like that. How could we put audio into a playground? I don't know of anybody who has done that, but it could be really cool.
Now, when I go to a playground, I take my cane with me. You can get some information from your cane to help you detect where things are. But it would be cool to put sound into a playground for all kids, not just blind kids, don't you think?
Harley: They could close their eyes or put sleepshades on.
MR: When you grab a monkey bar, it could make a particular sound. That's a great idea! Any other questions?
Braden: Why do we have to use a cane if we could just use a stick?
MR: You could use a stick, but in the National Federation of the Blind we've developed these really cool canes that are made out of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is a very lightweight material that gives you good vibrational feedback. It's much lighter than a stick, and it's stronger than a thin stick. Sometimes you could use a stick, too. I know blind people who take their cane with them when they go hiking, but they also use a stick. A lot of people use hiking sticks when they're climbing up steep terrain. But we've found out that lightweight, long canes work best for letting us move quickly in most environments.
Hank: Do you have a guide dog or a cane? And if you have both, which one do you use the most?
MR: That's another great question! I have a cane, and I use my cane the most because I do not have a guide dog. My wife, Melissa, who is a board member for NOPBC here, has used a guide dog. Her guide dog is retired now. Even if you use a guide dog, you need the skills of using a cane. There are a lot of reasons for that. There are places you might not want to take your dog. Or your dog might get sick, and you'll still want to go where you need to go. In some situations, some people use their cane and their dog. Part of the decision for me is I have enough trouble just taking care of myself, and I don't necessarily want the responsibility of taking a dog out and doing all the things you have to do to use a guide dog properly. A lot of people make that choice, and that's their personal preference. At the end of the day you'll want to get good at using your cane, because you won't want to take your dog into some situations, or you might not want to worry about taking your dog out or feeding it in some situations. But the skills of traveling independently are basically the same, whether you decide to use a guide dog or a cane.
I appreciate talking with you here. I encourage you to drop by the Presidential Suite later. I'd love to meet with you there. I hope you all have a great convention!
My best to our parents' division on your tremendous work. Thank you for your leadership, Carlton, and thanks to the rest of our parents!
Presented by Carlton Anne Cook Walker
From the Editor: Immediately following President Mark Riccobono's conversation with the children at the NOPBC conference, Carlton Walker presented the Twig Awards. These awards are given by the NOPBC to persons who have made a positive difference in the lives of blind children.
Carlton Walker: President Riccobono is one of the first blind people I ever met, back in 2005 before he and Melissa had any children of their own. His warmth, generosity, and wisdom strengthened my family's resolve to make sure that our daughter's opportunities would never be limited by what she could or could not see.
Alexander Pope wrote, "As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined." These words are the inspiration behind the title of the Twig Award given by the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. We initiated the Twig Awards on our twenty-fifth anniversary in 2008. This is not an annual award. It is bestowed upon those whose work has influenced the direction in which our children grow.
The award is a medallion engraved with a tree and the words "As the Twig Is Bent Award" and "NOPBC since 1983." The word NOPBC is written in Braille and in print. On the back of the medallion is the recipient's name and the year in which the award was given.
This year we will be presenting two Twig awards, one to NFB President Mark Riccobono and one to his wife, NOPBC board member and conference director Melissa Riccobono.
Each of these individuals has worked tirelessly and steadfastly in support of blind children and their families for more than two decades. Each has shared insight, knowledge, and compassion with families struggling to ensure that their children receive a meaningful education that will prepare them for the future. Both Mark and Melissa have bent countless twigs to incline many, many trees toward the upward trajectory of achieving their dreams.
Typically I would have the honor of presenting each medal in person, and I hope to get down to Baltimore to do so sometime this fall. In the meantime, Mark, Melissa, please know how much your work has enriched everyone in this virtual conference and so many, many more! Thank you!
Mark Riccobono: Thank you, Carlton! This is a surprise! I really appreciate it! The work that is happening with our parents' division and the work we've been undertaking collectively for our blind youth, both with our NFB BELL In-Home Edition® and our distance learning activities really shows what we can do when we come together, including continuing to give out thousands of free Braille books on a monthly basis. I appreciate the acknowledgment, but more importantly, I am privileged and honored to have the opportunity to work with so many great people who put their own ideas and expertise into what we're doing. I'm deeply humbled, and I appreciate the recognition, but more importantly I recognize that we have a lot more to do together to raise the expectations for blind children. In accepting this recognition, I do so by way of saying that we're not done yet! This is only the beginning of what we're going to do together! I remain fully committed to making sure that the next generations of blind children will have it much better than I did. Because of what we're doing together, we're getting there. Thank you very much!
Carlton: Thank you, sir. Melissa, do you want to say a few words?
Melissa Riccobono: Thank you all so much! I'm almost speechless, which does not happen very often. I'm very touched—a little teary-eyed over here. It is an honor that families are willing to let me and President Riccobono and all the members of the National Federation of the Blind and the NOPBC into their lives. There's a song I really like that talks about how sometimes you have to show people the hard parts and let them care about you anyway. I know it's not easy, and I really appreciate when people are willing to reach out for help and to say, "Things should be different for my child. It shouldn't be the way it is." I am very humbled to be a small part of, hopefully, helping to make things better. We have a long way to go. I recognize that. I am certainly not going away, and this award energizes me. I am incredibly excited to get to meet all the new families who are joining us virtually, some of them for the first time. I am here to do all that I can to help our children have a better experience, particularly educationally. In these times of COVID it has particularly struck me how difficult things can be. For those who are here for the first time, I want you to know that President Riccobono and I have two blind children of our own. Not only do we know how things are, as blind adults, but we know firsthand what parents go through because of our blind children. More than anything else, we are parents, just like all of you. We have the same struggles, and believe it or not, we have the same questions. What we give to all of you is what all of you teach us. The more we give, the more we learn. Thank you very much for this award! I am really humbled and really surprised!
by Carlton Anne Cook Walker
From the Editor: On July 14 the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) kicked off the 2020 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind with a day-long conference for parents and teachers of blind children. In this article NOPBC President Carlton Walker sums up the highlights of the 2020 conference and other activities and sessions during convention.
Wow! 2020 has been an incredible year, hasn't it? As we closed our 2019 National Federation of the Blind Annual Convention on the evening of July 12, 2019, I doubt that any of us could have imagined what 2020 had in store. There is a Chinese saying, actually, a curse: "May you live in interesting times." As our cities, states, nation, and the world transformed through the spring and into the summer, there were times when I certainly felt that we were cursed. In these "interesting" times, I really needed to be with my Federation family. Sadly, an in-person gathering of more than three thousand people simply was not going to occur in July of 2020.
Luckily, we in the NFB and its proud parents' division, the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, know how to take lemons and make a feast: lemonade, lemon squares, lemon chicken, lemon poppyseed bread, and more. We know that alternative tools and techniques are not bad; they are simply different. Following the direction of, and with tremendous support from, the NFB and our national office, the board of the NOPBC set to work to ensure that the 2020 NOPBC Conference would sustain and nourish current members while welcoming new families, educators, and allies of blind children into our fold.
We couldn't meet in person, but we could meet using the Zoom platform. Zoom room hosting support from staff members at the NFB national office allowed our presenters and board member hosts to get beyond logistics and focus on content and participant questions. Two hundred seventy-five adults registered for our conference, and many more joined our open-access sessions. Over a period of five days, families, educators, and allies of blind children enjoyed sixteen hours of general sessions and open houses and an additional nineteen hours of concurrent breakout sessions. What's more, most of our sessions were recorded, so those who could not attend live will have the opportunity to access those sessions on our website: www.NOPBC.org.
Our 2020 NOPBC Conference kicked off with the much-anticipated Kid Talk with NFB President Mark Riccobono. As always, President Riccobono solicited questions from the kids and provided sage advice. When he opened the floor for questions, our blind children put him to the test, but President Riccobono rose to the challenge.
Next, we had a surprise in store. We presented two "As the Twig Is Bent" Awards, one to President Riccobono and one to his wife, Melissa Riccobono. Melissa Riccobono is an NOPBC board member and served as 2020 conference/convention chair. Following the awards presentations we heard from Gabe Cazares, director of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities for the City of Houston, Texas.
Breaking with tradition, we paused our General Session and had the first of our four concurrent session breakouts. Throughout the conference, we had five workshop threads: "It's All about That Braille," "I Like to Move It," "Tech Talk," "Let's Socialize," and a miscellaneous thread. In the first set of breakouts, Jackie Anderson presented "It's All about That Braille: Cracking the Code." "I Like to Move It: Encouraging All Types of Movement for Young Blind Children," was presented by Mary Jo Hartle. Treva Olivero presented "Tech Talk: Typing, an Essential Skill," and Raul Gallegos presented "Let's Socialize: Audio-Described Content for Your Blind Child." Maurice Peret presented, "Fourteen: It's a Magical Age," a session that focused on the transition from school to college or work.
When General Session resumed, NOPBC President Carlton Anne Cook Walker shared the 2020 NOPBC Presidential Report: "The Best Reality Show Ever—Real Families of the NOPBC." Next, students Trisha Kulkarni, Precious Perez, and Qualik Ford shared their experiences, reflections, and wisdom on our Student Panel: "Building and Using Your Blindness Network." Melissa Riccobono rounded out the session with her presentation, "Convention 411: How to Optimize Your Virtual Convention Experience."
The next set of breakout sessions featured the following topics and presenters: "It's All About That Braille: The Power of the Perkins Brailler" with Sarah Erb; "I Like to Move It: Practical and Fun Ways to Include Cane Travel Skills in Everyday Life—Even if You're Stuck at Home" with Kristen Simms; "Tech Talk: All About Screen Readers" with Chancey Fleet; "Let's Socialize: The Importance of and Techniques for Teaching Your Child Common Physical Movements Such as Gestures and Dances" with Melissa Riccobono; and "Counting Sheep: Ways to Help Your Child Get a Good Night's Sleep" with Dr. David Ingram of Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
We took a full ten-minute break after four great hours of learning. Then we kicked off NOPBC Family Game Time. We discussed born-accessible games, how to adapt games for accessibility, and much more. Topics included card games, board games, and electronic games for families and for individuals of all ages. We even learned how to make a Mancala board out of an empty egg carton!
We were six hours into our first day, but we were not ready to quit! Our NOPBC Family Open House welcomed one and all for questions, conversations, and fellowship. With the invaluable assistance of our NFB Zoom host, we welcomed people into breakout rooms based on topics of mutual interest.
We continued our breakout concurrent sessions on Wednesday. Wednesday opened with the following sessions and presenters: "It's All About That Braille: Embracing the Slate and Stylus" with Jennifer Wenzel; "I Like to Move It: The True Advantages of the Long White Cane" with Ben Shuler; "Tech Talk: Harnessing the Power of the Google Suite of Products" with Nate Kile; "Oh Yes, I Made Mistakes—And Lived to Tell the Tale" with Karen Anderson; and "Let's Socialize: Helping Your Child Learn the 'Soft Skills' of Socialization" with Carol Castellano. Our last breakout sessions were: "It's All About That Braille: Ways to Make Braille Fun for Early Learners and Reluctant Readers" with Krystal Guillory; "Tech Talk: Choosing a Braille Embosser" with Matt Hackert and Karl Belanger; "Let's Socialize: Accessible, Virtual Ways to Retain Friendships from a Distance" with Michelle Murrey and Georgie Sydnor; and "Singing For My Supper: Blind Adults Share Stories about Their First Jobs" moderated by Corbb O'Connor, with panelists Steve Decker and Beth McGarr.
Our Annual Meeting kicked off with an Exhibitor Fair. Somehow, in one hour, we managed to hear and learn from a number of exhibitors: Envision—Youth Programs; HumanWare—Products; APH—Products and Federal Quota Funds; Pearson—Higher Education, Mentoring Program, and Assessments; Aira; Vispero (formerly Freedom Scientific); Bookshare/Benetech; Technology Study—Natalie L. Shaheen, Ed.D.; NABS (National Association of Blind Students)—Mausam Mehta; and Learning Ally—College Success Program.
When the exhibitors finished their presentations, we were full of knowledge—and ready for more! Our Annual Meeting certainly fulfilled the promise of its title, "Information and Inspiration." First, we heard from Anil Lewis, the executive director of NFB Blindness Initiatives. Then Carol Castellano guided us on the path that brought us here and the road ahead with her presentation: "NOPBC: Past, Present, and Future: Who We Were, Who We Are, and Who We Will Become." Next we had the opportunity to hear from, and ask questions of, representatives from Pearson Learning, a publisher of educational materials and provider of assessment services. We look forward to continuing this dialogue to fulfill the mandate of federal law that blind individuals of all ages have effective, efficient access to materials, including educational instruction and assessment software.
Our next panel, "Kid Power: Living the Life They Want!" illustrated the true power of blind children when they have access to the tools and information they need for success. Salome Cummins, a rising fourth grade student from Missouri, spoke about her transition to virtual education this year. She found it hard to start the gifted program virtually, but everything turned out well because of JAWS and her refreshable Braille display. Ian Oliver, a rising seventh-grade student from Alabama, shared his great experiences in the NFB BELL Academy In-Home Edition, and he gave pointers on ways to make the program even better. Clara Scelsi, a rising fifth-grade student from Alabama, illustrated great problem-solving skills as she described her love of jujitsu and how she continued her lessons in the virtual environment. Next, Jeanette Jones and Linda Coccovizzo, president of the Missouri Parents of Blind Children shared the work of NFB and the Parents' Division in their presentation, "PARENT POWER: Making It Happen." Rounding out the hour, Graciela Olivo, the 2020 NFB Distinguished Educator of Blind Students, illustrated her journey transforming from a regular education teacher "forced" to include a blind student in her class to a passionate educator of and advocate for blind students in her keynote address, "Virtual Reality vs. Reality."
The final hour of our Annual Meeting turned to division business. After hearing and approving our financial report from NOPBC Treasurer Sandra Oliver, the Nominating Committee presented its slate of nominees for all five executive board positions (president, first vice-president, second vice-president, secretary, and treasurer) and all ten board positions. The membership approved the Nominating Committee's report and proceeded to elect the slate recommended. Our officers are: Carlton Anne Cook Walker, president; Penny Duffy, first vice-president; Kimberly Banks, second vice-president; Carol Castellano, secretary; Sandra Oliver, treasurer; and board members Jackie Anderson, Sarah Erb, Jean Fultz, Pamela Gebert, Carla Keirns, Tabby Mitchell, Michelle Murrey, Corbb O'Connor, Melissa Riccobono, and Casey West Robertson.
Our Annual Meeting ended with an NOPBC brainstorming session. We heard that parents want resources to help them advocate, especially for IEPs at the beginning of the year, and they want advice on how to advocate for needed tools such as Braille embossers. Members shared ideas for sessions next year, and we welcomed all to join committees to help provide resources enabling families to stay connected throughout the year.
We usually hold "IEP Night," a popular series of sessions on Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) on the evening of the first day of General Session. This year's convention schedule shook things up a bit, so we stepped away from time-honored tradition. With apologies to our friends in Hawaii and Alaska, we held our IEP sessions on Friday and Saturday mornings. The first session, "IEP 101," featured Casey West Robertson and Carlton Anne Cook Walker discussing an overview of the IEP and blindness-specific IEP issues. On Saturday we presented "More about the IEP," with Casey and Carlton discussing best practices for accommodations, assessments, and service time. Penny Duffy and Melissa Riccobono followed, sharing negotiation strategies.
There was nothing virtual about the terrific Youth Track activities offered this year. The Youth Track sessions on Tuesday included "It's Your Convention Experience," "Tech Is Not Just for Homework," and "Working Out Isn't Just at the Gym." Experts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) capped off the day with a session on exploring the universe accessibly.
Wednesday brought the "Impromptu Fashion Show," the eagerly awaited and highly rated "Harry Potter Escape Room," and a session called "Resolutions Explained: What Does a Resolution Mean and How Does the National Federation of the Blind Use Resolutions to Make Us Stronger?"
On Thursday our youth discussed "What Kinds of Jobs Can Blind People Do?" and met blind mentors working in all kinds of jobs. They also enjoyed a "Calling All Gamers!" session. Youth Track wrapped up with "Let's Get Social: Distancing and Beyond," a philosophy session about using alternative blindness skills to navigate the new normal.
Yes, with the support of the NFB, some incredible cane travel instructors, and great technology resources, we continued to offer the Cane Walk. The Cane Walk is a program that offers free NFB long white canes, expert structured discovery instruction, and invaluable mentoring, all geared toward providing blind children the tools and skills they need to travel confidently and independently at an age-appropriate level. Through distance technology, talented cane instructors taught children and their families the role of the long white cane in securing lifelong independence and opportunities for our children.
In hindsight, maybe that saying "May you live in interesting times" is not such a curse after all. We grow and develop when we are presented with new and formidable challenges. This year we met and gathered virtually, but our experience was real.
While we still long to meet in person again, we have gained skills and knowledge from our virtual conference. No matter what the next year brings, we are better prepared and energized to do what is needed to ensure that our blind children can live the lives they want. Blindness will not hold them back.
by Gabe Cazares
Introduction by Carlton Walker: When we give our Twig Awards, we talk about bending twigs to affect how trees will grow. Now we have the honor of hearing from one of the trees that our Twig Award recipients, Mark and Melissa Riccobono, have nurtured. Please welcome Gabe Cazares, director of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities for the city of Houston, Texas.
I'm very excited to be here this morning, although I wish I were not greeting all of you from the headquarters of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities. I wish I were a mile and a half down the road at the Hilton Americas with three thousand of my best friends from around the country! But I'm delighted to join my Federation family virtually.
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Gabe Cazares. I have been a member of the Federation for ten years now, and I have had the good fortune of working closely with, being mentored by, and being personal friends with Mark and Melissa Riccobono. They are exceptional people who are committed to our organization and to our movement. They give of themselves to advance our priorities.
Talking to parents is one of my favorite activities. You all are pretty cool—don't tell the students I said that!
My parents were Mexican immigrants who came to the United States in the early nineties. I wish they had the opportunity to sit in a room like this and hear from blind people who found a way for themselves and who also committed themselves to making the experience of living as a blind person better for those who come after us. That commitment is at the heart of the National Federation of the Blind. You'll hear a lot this week that the National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. We'll remind you every day that we work to raise the expectations of blind people because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. It wasn't until I engaged with the Federation in a real way that I realized what we say is true. You can live the life you want. Blindness is not what holds you back.
For the next few minutes I'm going to share with you a little bit of my personal story. I want to start with the caveat that no one's story is the same as anyone else's. The bond that brings us together is our participation in the movement.
As Carlton said, I'm currently the director of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities in the city of Houston. My boss is Mayor Sylvester Turner. We're the fourth largest city in the country. My responsibility is to oversee the timely and accessible delivery of services and programs to over 215,000 Houstonians with disabilities. When you take into account the number of people with disabilities who are undocumented in our region, the number rises to close to 600,000. I would not have the confidence to do this job on a daily basis if it weren't for the mentors and friends I found in the National Federation of the Blind.
Blindness was not new to my family. I grew up with hereditary glaucoma. My father was blind; my grandfather was blind; my older siblings have some degree of vision loss. The experience of not being able to see in the ordinary way—whatever that is—was not new when I met the National Federation of the Blind in 2010. What was new was a network of friends and mentors who were interested in pushing me further than I thought was possible. Before I met the National Federation of the Blind, for example, college was a word that was thrown around sometimes in my inner-city high school. But no one really sat down to explain to me what that meant, what obtaining a postsecondary education can do for you and your job opportunities, particularly as a person with a disability. No one explained to me how to apply for school or how to fill out a financial aid application. It was my blind friends in the National Federation of the Blind of Texas who worked with me every step of the way to make sure I got into college. They were some of the first people to invest in my future by awarding me a National Federation of the Blind of Texas scholarship to help fund my education.
It was also my friends in the National Federation of the Blind who told me some of the hard truths about my experience with blindness. My Federation family challenged me to strengthen my travel skills, my Braille reading skills, and my technology skills. As a high school hot-shot who knew it all—what eighteen-year-old doesn't know it all!—I thought I had what I needed to be successful in college. I didn't have any issues with the academics, but even so, I almost failed my first year of college. I could do the work, but I didn't have the blindness skills to help me successfully navigate my college campus, and I didn't have the confidence to advocate for myself.
Finally I hit rock bottom. I was convinced I would have to drop out. But my mentors in the National Federation of the Blind were there to help me pick myself up. They made sure I used that experience as a learning opportunity.
I enrolled as a student at the Louisiana Center for the Blind in June of 2011. It was the best decision I have ever made in my life! I learned so much more than cane travel, Braille, and home management! I learned confidence. Confidence is a trait that no one, no circumstance, will ever be able to take away from you or your blind children.
At the Louisiana Center for the Blind I was exposed to fabulous role models such as Pam and Roland Allen and the rest of the staff. After I completed the curriculum at the center I went back to school. I graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a minor in Spanish. Because of my involvement in our movement and the relationships I had built through my participation, President Riccobono granted me the privilege of going to Baltimore and joining the Government Affairs staff at our national center.
I had done some political work during college. I worked on campaigns at different levels, but I had no policy experience. Even with the confidence I had gained at the Louisiana Center, I didn't think I had the capacity to dive deep into policymaking, to understand the nitty-gritty of how laws get made. I didn't know how regulations are implemented so that blind people really can live the lives they want. But because of the mentorship I received from my Federation family, I participated in negotiations to push for accessibility in instructional materials. I worked on voting access. I worked on making sure that blind people and the needs of blind people are represented when we talk about things like immigration. I worked extensively on the legislative efforts to ratify the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate international access to published works for the print disabled. Ultimately, because of the faith that my Federation family placed in me and my personal development, I was invited to interview for and accepted the position I now hold.
This sounds like a really good story with a happy ending. But let me tell you, I'm still writing my story. Because this is life, I expect that there will continue to be challenges. I take comfort in knowing that my participation in the movement, my friends and family in this organization, will always be in my corner to lift me up, to give me advice, to give me support, and to give me encouragement. That's what we're here to offer you this week.
Every year the national convention serves as an opportunity for me to reflect on what the Federation has given me. It allows me to recommit myself to make my contributions matter for the next generation. I'm very pleased that you're here with us this week. We would have received you with a Texas-sized welcome and breakfast tacos! But because you aren't here, I've had to eat the breakfast tacos myself.
I'm very glad you're here, and I hope that my story will help you understand the value of this organization. If you're not a member yet, let me invite you to join us. Together let's transform our dreams into reality. Thank you so much!
by Trisha Kulkarni, Precious Perez, and Qualik Ford
From the Editor: At the NOPBC Conference, three student leaders spoke about their lives and the evolution of their feelings about blindness and activism. Trisha Kulkarni is pursuing an undergraduate degree in computer science at Stanford University. She serves as a board member for the National Association of Blind Students (NABS), the student division of the National Federation of the Blind. Precious Perez, who is pursuing undergraduate degrees in music education and vocal performance at Berklee College of Music, serves as president of the Massachusetts Association of Blind Students and is a member of the NFB of Massachusetts affiliate board. Qualik Ford is a member of the class of 2020 at Parkville High School in Maryland and the Maryland School for the Blind. He serves as president of the Maryland Association of Blind Students. NOPBC President Carlton Anne Cook Walker moderated the panel.
Carlton Anne Cook Walker: Precious, please share with us what the NFB has meant to you and how you are continuing to shine in the interesting times in which we live.
Precious Perez: I got involved with the Federation when I was fifteen years old. It was at the Massachusetts state convention. The president of the student division said, "I'm stepping down. Who wants to be president?" There was silence in the room, so I said, "Okay, I'll do it!" I've been president of the Massachusetts Association of Blind Students ever since then.
I attended the BLIND, Inc., summer program in 2017. NFB has shown me that I am capable of doing what I want to do. I grew up with all of the services I needed. I was surrounded by wonderful people who encouraged me to advocate and showed me what it meant to do that. NFB strengthened that philosophy and showed me how to apply it to my own life and the things that I'm doing. I'm currently pursuing a degree in music education, and I'm also a performer. My goal is to teach blind students and sighted students in the public schools. I hope to use my experience from the different communities I represent—I'm Puerto Rican, and I come from a low-income background. My goal is to use the avenues I have to inspire the next generation and teach kids of that generation that they can do whatever they want to do in life. It's something that I have a passion for. I think there are still a lot of stereotypes prevalent in our society. I want to use the gifts I've been given to abolish those stereotypes.
Qualik Ford: That was great! My name is Qualik Ford, and I'm president of the Maryland Association of Blind Students. I'm also on the Youth Leadership Committee of the World Blind Union North American Division. Technically I've been a Federationist my whole life. When I was born my dad brought me down to the Jernigan Institute to show me off!
When I was in high school I got active in the Federation, and I started looking for leadership positions. I was looking to grow as a student and as a person. I saw how some of the blind students around me viewed themselves, and I didn't like it. They seemed to think they were less than their sighted peers. Once a friend told me, "I don't think I better have kids." I asked her why not, and she said, "I was trying to feed my baby cousin, and I accidentally put the bottle up to her forehead instead of her mouth." I said, "That was a mistake. If someone taught you how to do it, you'd get it." When you've got pressure from the people around you, telling you that you can't do things, it gets you into very wrong thinking.
There are so many blind people who are out there doing things, making waves! On my own board, my secretary runs her own nonprofit. I think that is totally awesome! My vice president has been teaching in the BELL Academy for years. So many blind students are doing things when they have the tools to help them grow!
In school I had a lot of people looking out for me and helping me mature. I finished high school, and I'm going to the Louisiana Center for the Blind on August 4. I'm really excited about that! It's a chance for me to refine my blindness skills before I go off to college. Eventually I want to become a teacher of the visually impaired. I want to go to Louisiana Tech and learn the structured discovery method that we all prize. I want to make sure that my students know they can do a lot with their lives—go skiing, go to Space Camp and learn about astronauts. There are so many opportunities! My goal is to push for change for everyone.
Trisha Kulkarni: I'm originally from Dayton, Ohio. I lost my vision unexpectedly when I was in seventh grade. During high school I learned Braille and technology. I was an NFB scholarship winner when I was eighteen, the summer after I graduated from high school. That's when I first met the National Federation of the Blind, and my life has transformed since then! It's crazy that it's only been a couple of years, because I feel like this is my family.
I serve as a board member of the National Association of Blind Students (NABS), and it's been an honor to serve as chair of the Legislative and Advocacy Committee. For the past six months I've had the chance to work with Carlton, encouraging students to advocate for themselves and to advocate for other students who might not have the resources that we have.
I am a rising junior at Stanford University, majoring in computer science. I honestly don't know how I'm a junior already! It feels like I just started! I want to use my technical knowledge and the resources I've gained through NABS to have an impact wherever possible. I'm waiting to know what that will look like.
CW: I'm going to throw out a couple of questions for you guys to answer. What would you tell your younger self, five, ten, fifteen years ago—okay, you're pretty young to talk about fifteen years ago! What would you tell your parents? Not that they've done horrible things, but what do you wish they had known?
Qualik Ford: I grew up with two blind parents, so in theory I had a very ideal situation. But I think my mom had a hard time adjusting. A lot of things were going on. From 2010 until now there have been revolutionary changes in technology, for instance, and it's hard for her to understand that things for me are very different from what she experienced growing up. It's important for us to have active conversations so she understands. I have to grow with the opportunities I have. I definitely have it easier than she did. I appreciate that she had knowledge of blindness, but I wish I could have given her that boost to expand her understanding and help her be more open-minded.
The second thing is that I would tell myself to be more physically active, to get myself out there. On the local and national levels the NFB has so much going on. When I went to my very first NABS seminar—that was huge! There were all these young leaders who had so much going for them. It blew my mind! It sent me onto a path where I knew I wanted to be like them. I needed to grow. I wanted to get everything I needed. I was learning things I never learned at a younger age, and it changed my life.
Precious Perez: I'm going to go with five years ago, because I don't remember much about my life when I was eleven. When I was sixteen I was terrified of college because I didn't know what to expect. I was terrified about what came next. I knew I had goals, but I didn't have any idea how to reach them. I had been underestimated all the time. I was blind, and I had a high-pitched voice, and people treated me like a cute little girl. Looking back, I wish I could tell myself, "You're going to do more than you think you're going to do. Give it time. Pursue the things you're passionate about. Lean on the people who support you, inside and outside the Federation. Believe in yourself. When you believe in yourself, even if other people don't, you have the power to succeed."
Trisha Kulkarni: When I lost my vision my parents and I had to fight furiously to get my accommodations. Under the circumstances I think my parents did everything they could. They got me started in learning Braille and assistive technology and cane travel. I think we all needed to understand that even though independence is the goal, that doesn't mean that you have to go it alone. If my parents had known about the NOPBC, they could have spent their energy much more efficiently. They could have worked to change the system rather than just fighting for me day to day. That's something I also had to learn the hard way. Now that I've connected with other blind people, I realize that even though you can be independent and do everything you need to do, you start at a higher point if you learn through the collective knowledge of our organization.
Carlton Walker: Thank you so much. Enjoy convention!
by Melissa Riccobono
From the Editor: In addition to being the First Lady of the National Federation of the Blind, Melissa Riccobono is a school guidance counselor, and she is the mother of three children, two of whom are blind. In this article, based on a workshop she conducted at the 2020 NFB National Convention, she draws upon her experience as a mother, a mentor, and a blind woman.
Growing up as a blind child, I didn't pick up visual communication automatically the way sighted children do. Fortunately I wasn't afraid to ask questions, and I learned some of the basics at an early age. Even then, though, my understanding could be a little bit off, and the people around me needed to set me straight.
For instance, I had to learn the nuances of nodding and shaking my head. When I wanted to say yes, I would nod my head really hard, so it was more like "YESSS!!!!!" Eventually someone explained, "People don't usually nod so hard. Just nod lightly up and down. And you only need to do it a couple of times." It was the same with shaking my head no. I would shake my head very hard from side to side and side to side again. Finally somebody said, "That's not the way most people do it. Just shake your head a little bit."
It's very important for blind children and teens to understand the gestures that are part of our nonverbal language. When I was in fourth grade a friend said, "Do thumbs up." I said, "What do you mean?" I'd heard the term, but I had no idea how to do the thumbs up gesture, so my friend showed me how.
Then there are things that are a little bit naughty. I'm not suggesting that you encourage your children to give anyone the middle finger! But they definitely should know that, in our society, that finger is equated with something not very nice. When they're old enough you should show them how the gesture is usually done so they won't do it accidentally. You don't want them to do it, but you want them to have that frame of reference.
The importance of frame of reference really came home to me when I was serving on jury duty. The judge told everyone to raise their right hand. I had heard that expression for years, but I never thought to ask how it's done. I assumed it didn't mean I should raise my hand up over my head as though I were answering a question in school. I couldn't ask the person next to me, "Excuse me, how do I raise my right hand?" People expect everyone to know. If you're not sure, you look around and see what everyone else is doing, and you copy that movement.
Another gesture I've never gotten very good at is waving. I tend to use my whole hand, but I've been told you just use your wrist.
These are all gestures that people use every day without thinking about it. While you're using them, please keep your blind child in mind. As your children grow older, they need to be able to use those gestures so they don't feel uncomfortable, especially if they don't have a good friend to ask.
When I was in seventh and eighth grade, we started to have school dances. I knew how to dance fast, but I really didn't know how people slow dance. I asked a friend of mine, "What do people do?" She showed me how people put a hand on the waist or a hand on the shoulder, and how they might giggle and put their heads down a little bit. She was very descriptive. I was very, very lucky to have her in my life to teach me! By the time I was in seventh or eighth grade I didn't want to ask my mom or dad. I didn't want to have to ask any adult!
It's very important for your children to have as many adults and friends and blind mentors in their lives as possible. It really does take a village to raise a child. I never understood this so well until I had three children of my own! Right now they're thirteen, ten, and eight years old. For the most part they still come to me when they have a question. But I know that at some point I won't be the person they want to go to anymore. From the time they were very little, I've tried to surround them with as many really good people as I can find. If they don't want to come to me and ask something, I hope they can go to another adult. I might not always have the answers anyway.
As far as teaching gestures to children and explaining when they're used, the earlier you start, the better it is. As your children get older, they're not going to want to learn from you. They may have more and more experiences where they feel that everyone around them knows how to do something, and they feel left behind.
Preschool is a great place to begin. In preschool children learn a lot of dances and a lot of songs that use gestures and movements. Through those songs and dances you can work on building many skills. There's the Hokey Pokey:
You put your right arm in!
You put your right arm out!
You put your right arm in,
And you shake it all about!
Make sure your child knows how to do those movements. It's a terrific teaching opportunity. They're not just learning a dance. They're learning left and right and in and out. They're learning to follow directions, and they're having fun at the same time. If you teach the dance at home, then your children will be all set when they do it in class. They won't approach it with dread, feeling that they don't know what everybody else is doing.
Make sure you know which dances will be done in your child's preschool, whether the program is virtual or face-to-face. Work on them at home so your child has a leg up. If you don't have enough time, or if there are just too many new dances being introduced, a paraprofessional might be able to help. Maybe the IEP could incorporate movement and dance instruction by the child's teacher of blind students. Talk to the classroom teacher about giving verbal instructions. Good descriptive language benefits all of the children. "Now put your hands over your head and clap three times!" or "Get down on your hands and knees" are much better instructions than, "Now go like this."
If your child learns to do the dances ahead of time, he or she can be a leader in class. Other children can watch and learn to do the dance from your blind child, and that's really powerful! They can see that your child isn't all that different and actually has a lot to offer.
In addition to gestures and dance, make sure your child is comfortable with common exercises. Jumping, hopping on one foot, galloping, skipping, and running all are things they'll do in school. The earlier you teach them, the better it will be. When the teacher says, "Do five jumping-jacks," your child will be able to do those jumping-jacks along with every other kid in the group.
There's a lot to be said on this topic, and I've just gotten started. Now I'd like to hear your questions.
Ashley: I'm a youth coordinator for SAAVI Services for the Blind in Arizona, so I work with a lot of blind kids. I also have an eighteen-month-old daughter who is blind. I find that talking about gestures and dances sometimes makes children uncomfortable or embarrassed. This is especially true for the teenagers. They realize they don't know these things, and they get shy. Do you have any tips for opening the conversation?
Melissa: I think the best thing is to get the kids together and say, "We're all going to learn these dances." Don't ask, "Do you know how to do this dance?" You might say, "If you know how, you can show other people." If you have a couple of blind people who can explain to the teens how they do the dance, that's very helpful. Maybe you could have the teens learn the dances and teach them to the younger kids.
I also think it's important for you, as a sighted person, to let blind kids know that not everyone does these things perfectly. There's a whole range of abilities in dancing, as in everything else. As blind people we tend to feel that we're the only ones who are uncomfortable or limited. It's probably not the case, but we don't always have a good friend around who will tell us the truth.
Favia: I cannot overstate the importance of everything that is being discussed! It might seem that academic success is more important than social skills, and that social skills can be thought about later. But social skills and body language are important right now!
Melissa: I haven't talked very much about body language, and it's tremendously important. It is so, so important for your children to look at someone when they're talking to them. It's important for your children to learn to keep their heads up and keep their eyes open if they can. A girl needs to know not to sit with her legs spread apart if she's wearing a dress. These are all things sighted people take for granted, but since your children can't look around and see what other people are doing, they need to be taught. That's another reason why it's important to have other adults on board.
For a lot of kids personal space is a huge issue. I've often observed that blind children, especially young ones, want to be very close to me. They're trying to figure out where I am and what I'm doing. Teachers and other people in their lives tend to give them a pass. They think, she's blind, she doesn't know where I am, she needs to be close to me. It's okay for a three- or four-year-old to be close and to touch a lot, but it becomes more and more uncomfortable for others as the child gets older. Imagine you're talking to a sixteen-year-old, one of the opposite gender! Having a teen standing too close to you can be very uncomfortable very quickly.
It's important to teach your child to ask permission before touching others. If people are talking about my earrings and a child wants to touch them, they're welcome to touch them and find out what they're like, but I appreciate being asked first. Make sure the other adults in your child's life understand and reinforce the expectations about personal space.
Often our children touch and grab others because they themselves are touched and grabbed, pushed and pulled so much without permission. It is essential that you teach your young blind children that they can say no. They can learn to say it politely but firmly. Their bodies truly belong to them! Just because they're blind, it doesn't mean someone can march up and grab them and say, "Okay, we're going now!" Even as an adult, pre-COVID, I got touched and grabbed and patted or literally hand-held when I did not want any of that touching! It's incredibly important to teach kids when they're little that unwanted touch is not acceptable. When I was little I was told, "They mean well; they're just trying to help." I was not encouraged to establish my own boundaries. Our kids can learn to say, "No thank you. I can walk to the office by myself. I know where I'm going. I don't need help right now."
Serena: When I dance, I do it without my cane. But what do you do when you want to leave the dance floor and go back to your table?
Melissa: This is one time where a folding cane can come in handy. If you don't have a pocket, maybe your date has one. You even can hold a folding cane under your arm. Once in a while I have a table right by the dance floor. If I have friends at the table, they can call out to me.
Juliet: I know it's important for my son to look at people when they're speaking to him. He also has to look at people when he's speaking to them. We're still working on having him remember to close his blinds in the morning before he gets dressed. With his light perception he likes to keep the blinds open so he can see the sun rise and know when it's time to get up. But he has to close the blinds before he gets dressed!
Melissa: That's a very good point! You can't see other people, but they can see you. Of course, the downside is that kids can start to feel like people are constantly watching them. I still have to remind myself sometimes that everyone isn't watching me 24/7; I'm just not all that interesting! But often we are watched. Because we have a cane or a guide dog, we draw attention. Parents all over the universe are teaching their kids things like, "Don't pick your nose!" This isn't just unique to having a blind child, but it's really important for our blind kids to learn.
Annie: What about self-stimming behaviors like head-shaking or hand-flapping? How do you talk to your children about that?
Melissa: Again, the younger you can start those conversations, the better it is. It can help to figure out when the stim behaviors happen. Are they happening because the child is bored and looking for something else to do? If that's the case, try to get them involved with a toy or an activity. A stress ball or some other toy held in the hand may re-channel the need for stimming. Sometimes you and the child might agree upon a key word or signal as a reminder. Breathing exercises can help calm nervous energy.
Having other people on board really can help here. It doesn't matter how often you tell your child something, but it might just click when it comes from somebody else—a teacher they love, or a favorite aunt.
Favia: In a situation where there are multiple speakers, how do you know who to look at? And what do you do in a group where people are constantly moving around?
Melissa: That's a tough one! I think the best thing to do is to cue in on a person who's speaking and turn or lean in that direction. If someone is behind you, I think the best thing is to turn around and invite them to sit with you or come closer. It's probably uncomfortable for them to be behind you if you're involved in a group conversation, so you can invite them to join your table or circle.
If you have younger children, it can be important to talk to the teacher and the classmates and explain that if they're going to leave, please let the blind child know. There is nothing more embarrassing than talking to somebody who has left! Even well-intentioned people sometimes forget and walk away because they're thinking about something else. It's okay for the child to say the person's name if you're not sure they're still there, just to check and find out whether they have moved.
Treva: How do you deal with the loud music in a dance situation? It can be pretty overwhelming!
Melissa: Talk about thinking back to high school! I used to go with no cane all the time to places with friends, and I just assumed my friends would be there to help me out. I didn't want to look different, standing there with a cane. I figured I'd leave the cane at home, and then I wouldn't look weird. It would be all well and good till my friends saw other friends across the room and walked away. They weren't trying to be mean; they just wanted to see their other friends. I had no idea where they were, and the music was so loud I couldn't get my bearings. I'm sure I looked much weirder, walking with my hand in front of me, than I would have looked if I had my cane and could move with confidence.
Talk to your teens about how they'll need their cane in a loud place. They're going to need every source of information they can get. If a teenager really doesn't want to go to that loud dance, maybe they can have a party at the house, where they can control the volume. After that they might be more comfortable with the idea of going somewhere with louder music.
As far as showing up at a club by myself, I can't imagine doing it! That's just me. If I'm going with other people, I want to have a conversation beforehand. We might agree on a meeting place. We might use our cell phones if I can hear texts with earbuds. Find out if you can take a friend's arm so you don't get separated. Making plans ahead of time can be very helpful.
Thank you all for attending this session, and thanks for your great questions. Please feel free to contact me. My email is [email protected], and my cell is 443-803-0266.
by Maurice Peret
Introduction by Carlton Walker: Maurice Peret is an orientation and mobility instructor with NOMC certification, and he is in charge of youth mentoring programs for the NFB. In this presentation he talks about the transition planning that officially begins for our blind and low vision children when they reach the age of fourteen.
I want to thank the board of directors of the NOPBC for inviting me to speak to you today. We often say that your children are our children, and it's really true. Your children are our future. It is really an honor to speak on the topic of transition.
Fourteen is a magical age or a miserable age, depending on how you look at it. Before we get to that magical age, I want to remind everyone that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Preparation is vitally important! It's important to make sure blindness skills are in place as early as possible. If your child has a progressive eye condition, it's essential for them to learn blindness skills as soon as they can, even if right now they're getting along using the vision they still have. If they learn to use a cane, they're not going to forget how to use their vision! They need to learn Braille as early as they can. Again, learning Braille won't stop them from learning to read print. One more part of literacy for blind kids is keyboarding, or touch typing. Knowing how to type will allow them to use a computer at school and in the workplace.
By the time we get to that magical age of fourteen, a lot of things are happening for our kids. Puberty has kicked in. Friends are changing. Pretty soon peers will be learning to drive. Extracurricular activities change schedules so teens aren't always home when they used to be. They don't have time to eat dinner with the family anymore.
This is a time when kids are learning soft skills. They're learning to prepare meals, even if it just amounts to putting food in the microwave. They need to start learning to travel independently, without an adult, in age-appropriate ways.
At fourteen our kids are in eighth grade, or maybe they're freshmen in high school. The government designates ages fourteen to twenty-one as a period called transition. When our kids reach fourteen they become eligible for certain services. You will need to get your child enrolled with the Department of Rehabilitation Services in your state. In some states rehab services are handled by a commission for the blind. It's wise to start the process as soon as you can, because there can be a lot of paperwork involved.
Until now planning has usually focused on helping your child succeed in classes at school. Developing an IPE is all about long-term strategies. Your child should take an active role in their IPE meetings. They need to think beyond what will get them through a particular class and start to look ahead toward what they want in terms of education and possible career. Vocational rehabilitation (VR) will look at career goals and determine what steps must be taken to support your child's goal. If the student needs comprehensive rehabilitation training, now is the time to begin thinking about it. It might be college, or it might be training in skills that will lead to a professional license in a field such as electronics, auto mechanics, or massage.
A number of transition services are available through rehabilitation programs. These may include youth training programs that take place during the summer, where kids can learn some of the blindness skills I mentioned earlier. They can also work on those soft skills, such as cooking. They can work on travel—indoor and outdoor, in both familiar and unfamiliar places. They begin to socialize with other young people who are also blind or have low vision.
I cannot emphasize too strongly the value of this training. At this point in life, identity becomes extremely important. In order for our kids to hold high expectations for themselves and to believe that blindness won't stand between them and their dreams, they need to know peers who are going through some of the same things they are experiencing. They especially need to know blind adult role models who have gone down this path and can help them solve problems so they don't have to reinvent the wheel. In most cases our kids are the only blind students in their school, or even in their county. Blind adults play an extremely important role by modeling high expectations and showing them what's possible.
When I was growing up, the question in my mind always was: What jobs can I do as a blind person? Now I recognize that that's an unfortunate place to start from. You need to start by thinking about what you want to do. What are your dreams? The meeting with the VR counselor should focus on that goal. Don't let anyone talk your child out of that dream on the basis of blindness. You want to be a medical doctor? We know some blind doctors. You want to go into law enforcement? There are roles in law enforcement that a blind person certainly can play. The time soon may come when opportunities will open up in the military. With all of our digital operations, many tasks carried out in the armed forces do not require vision.
Apart from blindness, of course, your child has to look at the skills needed for the job. We need to recognize all of our children's skills and challenges.
Summer training programs for blind teens can focus on job readiness, career exploration, and even recreation and socialization. Programs might be built around skills such as technology, Braille, or travel.
Rehab services also can help your kids obtain tools and technology they need. Computer skills are critically important. Young people I work with often tell me, "I'm great with technology!" When I explore with them what they mean, I find out they're saying that they know how to use their phone. They know how to text. They don't know much about using email or word processing. We have to make kids get all of those computer skills.
If Braille is the student's primary reading medium, we have to find out which tools will work best in the long run. Often young people are introduced to Braille notetaking devices such as the BrailleNote Touch. However, they need computer skills to use in tandem with the Braille device. If students go off to college with a Braille device and have no computer skills, they won't know how to create documents in the format that professors expect. They will face quite a steep learning curve. We have to make sure that our children are learning to use equipment that will serve them beyond high school. They need to be able to integrate smoothly into a new environment. In college there are no IEPs. Our children need to have strong self-advocacy skills so they can ask for the accommodations they need.
I've spent most of my career as an orientation and mobility instructor, teaching cane travel skills. The NFB challenged the idea that blind people couldn't teach cane travel, which was the prevailing belief among a lot of professionals. The NFB said, "Hey, we've been teaching each other for decades." When I was growing up the term they used to describe me was "partially sighted." I thought that meant I was more sighted than blind, but I was quite mistaken. By the time I turned thirteen I found out that the little vision I had would gradually disappear. Changes in vision can be added to the changes our children are going through by the time they reach fourteen.
I'm curious to know what is on your minds. What are some of the questions you have?
KAREN: One of our frustrations has been accessing things that will help my daughter, who is thirteen right now. Because there is this gateway at fourteen, we keep hearing, "We can't help you until she's fourteen!" There are so many things that would help her in her education, but she can't access them yet. Why aren't we providing opportunities to our younger children so they can start gaining these skills earlier?
MAURICE: It's true; starting services at fourteen is a bit arbitrary. Part of the reason is that there's a bit of a tussle going on between the rehabilitation establishment and the education system. I don't want to let the education system off the hook around providing necessary skills and an equal education. We all know that the education system is often inadequate when it comes to serving our blind children. The schools are responsible for providing those necessary skills to our younger children, however we can make that happen.
The VR system is designed to complement education. It isn't meant to provide education per se, but to support the student's long-range goals. Our NFB training centers around the country host programs for children under fourteen every summer. We also connect with children through our BELL® Academies, where they learn basic Braille and mobility skills and are exposed to blind volunteers who serve as role models.
HAILEY: My son is fourteen, and I just learned that he should be looking into transition services. He's a little bit behind, and I want to know how I can help him try new things that might scare him. Sometimes it seems that state agencies try to force people in directions that they don't want or need to go. For instance, they'll pay for your child to go to their program, which we don't want, but they won't pay for an NFB program. How can we avoid this pitfall?
MAURICE: There is a provision in the VR law called the right to informed choice. If you can make the argument that an NFB summer program can provide something that is not offered by the VR agency's program, they have to honor your choice. It can be a bit of a struggle. Leaders in your affiliate can help by advocating for you.
As far as how to sell a program to your son, you can pitch it by telling him that the summer programs aren't all just scary hard work. There is socialization, the chance to get to know kids his age and to make friends. Some of his emotional delay may come from feeling alienated. In a summer program he won't be the only kid who doesn't present as what you'd expect of a fourteen-year-old.
MARISOL: I'm blind, and I'm interested in getting involved with parents and using my personal and professional experience to help them along the way. Does the NFB have advocates who help parents with the IEP process?
MAURICE: I can say unequivocally yes. Families can invite anyone they want to the IEP meeting. They can bring as many people as they want. You don't have to be a parent to be an advocate, that's for sure!
KIMBERLY: Hi, this is Kimberley Banks. I'm on the board of the NOPBC. If you want to get involved with advocacy, I strongly encourage you to get involved with your state affiliate. Usually the first contact a parent has, when they're dealing with an IEP issue, is with their state affiliate president. The affiliate president will put the parent in contact with an advocate. You also can reach out to us at the NOPBC. We have people who can join an IEP meeting over the phone or through Zoom. Reach out to us, and we can give you more information.
CHRIS: My son is now fourteen, and my daughter is twelve. I want to ask about shaving. Should I get my son an electric razor? How would you tackle that, from a man's point of view?
MAURICE: Now I have to put on my mentoring hat! The cool thing about shaving is that it's inherently a tactile activity. Whether you start out with an electric razor or disposable razors is a matter of personal preference. Your son will have to do a bit of experimentation, but you can show him the basics. Show him the way the blade should be facing and how to check that.
KAREN: You touched on self-advocacy and having your child attend the IPE meeting. I have noticed that when my daughter attends IEP meetings, the experience has exacerbated her depression and self-depreciation. She'll say, "Why am I blind? I hate being blind!" I try to put a positive spin on it—being blind isn't the worst thing in the world. How can you help your child with their emotional well-being while trying to teach them to self-advocate?
MAURICE: I'm so sorry she's struggling with those feelings! Actually those are pretty typical feelings for kids her age. We want to help her understand that going to an IEP meeting, something that makes her feel like an outsider, can really be empowering. You might pitch it as, "You might be an executive some day. This is good practice for going to a board meeting." All the people around the table are there to support her in reaching her goal, and in a way, she calls the shots. A lot of skills come into play, such as negotiating. Help her understand that there is a team to support her, and she is the center of the team. She's the CEO. When she goes to college that team will be gone, and she'll get to be who she gets to be.
Again, skills training is very important. I hear people say sometimes, "I don't want to use a cane! It makes me stand out like a sore thumb." I try to make them realize that once they master the skills of using the cane, they blend in. The cane becomes invisible. You get past feeling that using the cane is weird. Actually, not using a cane when you need one really looks weird! You need to master blindness skills so that they become background. It's a process that your daughter needs to understand. It's not quick and easy.
Maybe the IEP meeting can start by having your daughter lay out her goals. She can explain what she would like to see happen. Then she can have the last word at the meeting as well. No matter what happens in the middle, she can have the first word and the last word. Having an adult blind mentor at the meeting can also help.
KATHY: I'm a rehabilitation counselor with the state of Illinois. When it comes time for a student to have an IPE [individualized plan for employment], the student becomes the leader in addressing their transition goals. This gives the student ownership and responsibility with the IPE.
MAURICE: That's awesome. We need you in other states!
HAILEY: What are some things that parents and students can ask VR to provide that we might not think of right off the bat?
MAURICE: Technology is a big one. Find out what your child needs. Is it software? Is it equipment? What will provide your child with the same access to materials that their classmates have?
I also want to mention that the NFB has a career mentoring program in several states. Your daughter can sign up as a mentee and be connected with blind adults who can help her deal with some of the issues she's going through. She can apply at nfb.org/nfb.mentee.application. The program is in Maryland, Nebraska, and Mississippi, and we're hoping to expand into other states.
I'm on staff at the NFB, and I'd be happy to talk offline to any parents who have questions. I sincerely hope that the next time we get together, it will be in person! My email is [email protected].
by Carol Castellano
Introduction by Carlton Anne Cook Walker: In order to know where we are headed, it is important to know where we came from. The perfect person to take us on this journey is Carol Castellano, one of our great parent and Federation leaders. Like many of us, Carol came to the Federation and to the NOPBC looking for help. Through her articles, her books, her presentations, and her advocacy, through her services and her heart, Carol makes certain that we have the information we need and that we feel the love she has for us and for our children.
You are here as part of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, a proud division of the National Federation of the Blind. It's an exciting place to be! I think this is really where the action is.
Our history began in 1983, when the division was organized, but the Federation's interest in parents began long before that. For example, in 1954, longtime NFB President Dr. Jacobus tenBroek and Kenneth Jernigan organized a statewide seminar for parents in California on the subject of the education of blind children. In the 1970s our longtime NOPBC president, Barbara Cheadle, organized a seminar for parents in Nebraska. In 1983 Dr. Jernigan saw the need to organize a division in which parents would work alongside blind adult Federation members to improve the lives of the blind.
Some of you might have noticed that the NFB is an organization with a point of view. We call it our philosophy of blindness. Dr. Jernigan's idea was to apply the Federation philosophy to the lives of blind children as they were growing up.
So what is our philosophy of blindness? It's the idea that blindness does not have to be a limiting factor in a person's life, that it's okay to be blind. Our children deserve a full education and meaningful literacy. We believe that the skills of blindness, such as Braille, cane travel, and access technology, are the keys to living a fully independent life. Our philosophy is the belief that, with proper training and opportunity, a blind person can compete on terms of equality. It's the belief that the blind can speak for themselves and the belief that the real experts on blindness are the blind.
Beginning in the 1980s, the NOPBC became not only a critical source of support and information for parents, but also an agent for change in society. These two areas, information and support and agent for change, pretty much summarize what we do.
Over the years we established our national magazine, Future Reflections. We began to hold national seminars like this one for parents and teachers. We organized chapters in the states. We began programs such as Slate Pals, Braille Readers Are Leaders, Braille Reading Pals, Early Explorers, the Cane Walk, STEM programs, IEP workshops, the Parent Leadership Program, mentoring programs, and so much more. We've published books and articles that have been read by thousands of people across the nation.
Yes, we are an agent for change in society. We change the lives of individual children and their families, and we move beyond the individual to make changes in the larger system. Twenty-five years ago expectations were far lower for blind children, and opportunities were fewer. NOPBC raised the bar. It raised expectations of parents and teachers and of the blind children themselves. Instead of being doomed to illiteracy, dependency, and helplessness, our kids now learn a can-do attitude, and they find out it's okay to be blind.
Blindness in children is one of the lowest incidence disabilities. When a blind child comes into a community or a school system, they're usually the first such child in anyone's memory. No one knows what to do. When parents begin the search for information, they're often barraged by negatives. They hear pessimistic predictions about their child's ability to reach developmental milestones, negative assumptions about what the child will be able to accomplish, depressing messages about how hard it is to be blind, discouraging presumptions about how blindness will affect family life. When a family discovers NOPBC, suddenly they find a new way to look at blindness and the possibilities for their child's future. The message of despair suddenly becomes a message of empowerment and hope.
Because we were founded in partnership with the National Federation of the Blind, we and our children can call upon the experience of more than fifty thousand blind people across the country. Those blind people become our mentors, our role models, and our friends. And of course our children have this organization to grow into.
In addition to changing the lives of individual families and children, NOPBC works to get laws passed to safeguard our children's right to a full education and an independent future. In fact, it has been the NFB and the NOPBC that have gotten most of the laws passed that impact blind children and adults in a positive way. We fought for the right of blind and low-vision children to learn Braille and to get their textbooks on time. We led the campaign to get canes into the hands of very young blind children. We got the National Library Service (NLS) to hire its first children's librarian. We have participated on national committees to protect civil rights and to establish national standards in the blindness field.
This kind of parent advocacy simply was not available before our organization came into existence. We insist on equal access for our kids. We insist on them getting the opportunity to learn blindness skills to make them independent, and we don't take no for an answer. This is the place to be! This is where the action is!
We have such a great organization because of the people in it, and that means each of you. NOPBC is strong because of the leadership, dedication, advocacy, and passion of its members.
NOPBC presents parents with a choice. We can view blindness as a tragedy, and we can feel sorry for ourselves and our children. Or we can bring up our children to regard themselves as full human beings, complete, competent, and empowered. We can ask for accommodation after accommodation for our children, or we can equip our children with the skills and tools to get the job done. We can accept custodialism and dependence, or we can insist on our children learning to take care of themselves and earning the respect of their peers because of it. Parents who stick with us tend to choose the hope and empowerment!
We're not a club, though we do have common interests. We're not a social organization, although we certainly do have fun. Ladies and gentlemen, we are part of a movement! It's a movement for civil rights, for full access to all parts of life for blind adults and for our blind children. We have important work ahead of us!
The future might look different, but we will certainly continue to do it. It will be difficult, but we have the strength. It will be demanding, but we have the energy. It will take time, but we have the endurance.
Hello, parents! Together in the NOPBC we are making history!
by Graciela L. Olivo
2020 Distinguished Educator of Blind Students
Introduction by Carlton Anne Cook Walker: Each year the National Federation of the Blind and the NOPBC honor a distinguished teacher of blind children with a very special award. Our 2020 Distinguished Educator is Graciela L. Olivo of Texas. Her story speaks to the experience of not necessarily knowing that we can do a thing, but making it work anyway. Welcome, Graciela!
Good afternoon, NFB members and parents of blind children. First of all I'd like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the following persons for choosing me as this year's Distinguished Educator of Blind Students. My thanks go out to Mark Riccobono, Carla McQuillan, Carlton Anne Cook Walker, Kimberly Banks, Norma Crosby, Liz Wisecarver, Daniel Martinez (my former student, who initiated my nomination), and to our local NFB chapter in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. Thanks to all of you for thinking so highly of me. I'm humbled and honored to be part of the NFB. I'm grateful for this prestigious award, as well as for the opportunity to serve others through the National Federation of the Blind. I only ask that I be permitted to continue working with the blind and visually impaired for many years to come.
My philosophy for working with blind and visually impaired students centers on education. The education that I give my students allows them to compete alongside their sighted peers and to be able to leave a legacy to others who follow in their footsteps. I've seen my students forge ahead and make use of their knowledge and opportunities. This has been done through the active participation of the students themselves and of their parents and family members, leading them to become a community of participants. They participate through role playing, discussions, reading aloud to others, making use of experiences in Braille skills and low-vision techniques, and participating in organizations such as clubs, civic groups, and other endeavors, including the National Federation of the Blind.
What I have taught my students has been magnified a million times over for students and adults outside of this country. For me those students have been in Mexico. I assumed that blind people in Mexico knew basic Braille, technology, and orientation and mobility, but that's not always true. You start from the beginning. Assume nothing. That's reality.
When Carlton Anne Cook Walker asked me for the title of my speech, I said, "Virtual Reality Versus Reality." How's this? you say. I never thought of teaching blind students. I was teaching home economics, food service skills, to middle-school students when I was approached about a blind student requesting to be in my class. What??? No way!!! I don't want to work with blind kids! I'm not trained to work with them!
This blind student's TVI told me that he had every right to be in my class and that I had the responsibility, as a vocational teacher, to teach him just as I was teaching all the other students in the class. By the time our conversation was over, we were both a mess. She walked out of my classroom crying, and I went over to the principal's office crying my eyes out. I told him there was no way this was ever going to happen and that I would rather quit than do this.
The principal calmed me down and said we could talk tomorrow. When I came into school the next day, right before me as I signed in was a poster that read, "University of Texas teachers of the blind will be coming down to the Number One Service Center and will be offering classes for educators to become certified teachers of the blind and visually impaired."
This notice really made me angry! I hadn't seen it before. I approached the principal saying, "You did this on purpose!" He told me he hadn't seen the notice, but that maybe it was a sign from a higher power. He asked me if I believed in God and said that He has plans for us that sometimes we don't pay attention to. He told me that maybe we could see what the plan was for me. We could work it out together if I was willing to do so.
That afternoon the principal got me the information I needed. That was my entry into the world of blindness.
The information stated that I would need to go to Edinburgh, which is a city about forty-five miles away, to take classes every other weekend. Classes would start on Fridays and end on Sunday afternoons. This meant I would have to leave my classes early on Fridays and get a substitute. It was all too much for me to handle, but my principal made the arrangements for me to be out and told me not to stress too much. It all meant traveling back and forth, which meant gas money. Times were hard, and money was tight in my family. My travel and staying at a hotel were later paid by the university. Eventually the university provided my books and registration at no cost. Things started falling into place. I really couldn't believe it!
After all my coursework was done, I got a call from the special ed department of my school district saying they were in need of my services. Reluctantly I left home economics, but I've never looked back. This was definitely my calling. You do what the Lord has planned for you, not what you want! This is reality.
I've learned that visual impairments come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. My oldest student was a ninety-five-year-old woman. Her son called me because he had heard that I might be able to help. He didn't know how to handle certain problems that his parents were experiencing. He invited me to visit their home and see if I could come up with ideas.
One problem was that his parents had an upstairs bedroom. When his father would go downstairs, he'd turn off the light. The stairwell was painted dark brown, and since it was an old home, there were no handrails for his mother to use. When his mother wanted to go downstairs, she had trouble seeing the steps. The light switch was downstairs, and her husband was extremely hard of hearing. He couldn't hear her calling him to turn on the light for her.
We added lighting to the staircase, moving furniture around so his mom could make use of the sunlight. We ordered some magnification devices, as she still liked to read her own mail. They were easy things to take care of.
BELL Academy® is an ongoing summer activity that allows me to put into practice my skills in several academic areas. It lets me work with parents as well as the children. It's been great working with NFB teachers, exchanging ideas, and working with the students from our surrounding areas. For many of them this was the first time they had participated in such a program. Sometimes parents need ideas about nonvisual ways to present a skill such as tying shoes. Sometimes they need help dealing with their guilty feelings about not allowing their child to be more independent.
Our local NFB chapter has initiated a program called Cambiando Vidas, which means Changing Lives. We've gotten the chance to go to Mexico and work with blind adults there. The program is a means of presenting skills and experiences that many of these adults have not had previously, doing it all in Spanish. This experience has exposed me to a different way of teaching. Since these are adults who have many skills and needs not related to their blindness, it makes it even tougher.
In the United States it's easy to fall back on equipment that we take for granted, such as the Perkins Brailler. Braillers are extremely hard to come by in Mexico. Learning to read and write Braille, grilling a tortilla with cheese, cutting up fruit for a fruit salad, orientation and mobility skills—much of this was just not happening! There is still the widespread mentality of "poor little blind man or woman." And of course we have to deal with the macho syndrome: "I'm a man, and a man doesn't help out in any way. That's why my mother, my wife, and my sister are there. They can do this for me." Mind you, this has been by far the hardest area of teaching that I've had to deal with, trying to break those barriers. But that's reality.
Working in Mexico with blind or visually impaired persons is not the only bridge I've had to cross in my teaching career. My husband is on the Good Neighbors Settlement House board, where we both help out as volunteers. Good Neighbors is a nonprofit organization that provides the homeless of Brownsville, Texas, with food and essential items. It also has helped asylum seekers coming in from other countries, such as Honduras, El Salvador, and Cuba.
At one point my husband called me to come speak to the parent of a young blind child. The family was there at Good Neighbors, waiting for a family member in Dallas to send them a bus ticket. I spoke to the mother and found out that she had left El Salvador to try to find a better life for this one child. She had left her three other children with their dad back in El Salvador, maybe never to see them again. I asked her what she thought she would be doing for this child. She started to cry, and she told me she had no idea. Now she was far away from home, and with a scared child.
I talked to her about getting hold of a school district once she got to Dallas. I told her to let them know that her child is blind and would need help right away. She was so grateful! She said she felt a great weight removed from her shoulders. She knew that her child would benefit from being brought to the United States, even if she only stayed for a little while. Now, that's reality!
Education of blind children can happen in any way and anywhere. That's exactly what happened this year with the COVID-19 situation. Students went from face-to-face classrooms to virtual online classes. This was a first for me and for my students. The most interesting part was teaching a virtual online class with a student located in Mexico. She had wanted to be with her mother who had been deported a couple of months before. Teaching a Nemeth tutorial class online to a totally blind student is hard enough, but doing it virtually, going back and forth about where her dots were located in her Nemeth Code problems was a real eye opener! There were times we had to cancel class because there was no WiFi—you can't count on it in Mexico. Sometimes we couldn't meet because her family was dealing with problems with the cartel. I'm thankful that we were able to finish up the year and finish the Nemeth tutorials. I found that we were able to confront obstacles and face problems head-on, here or anywhere, using any platform. That's reality!
My reality in my career of almost forty years as a TVI has been one of adapting to new challenges. I've gone from adapting to being a home economics teacher to adapting to being a teacher of the blind and visually impaired. I've had to adapt to teaching adults in a second language, using technology and other resources that are completely foreign to them. Most recently I have adapted to virtual learning in an era of global pandemic.
Mostly I've learned to adapt to one undeniable fact. It's not about doing what I want, it's about being where I'm needed in God's plan.
I'd like to finish by reading a quote from Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus from the American Association of Retired Persons. "The human contribution is the essential ingredient. It is only in the giving of oneself to others that we truly live." Thank you again to everyone I mentioned at the beginning and to everyone here who took the time to listen to my journey. I can't thank you enough for the recognition! I look forward to continuing my journey in helping the blind and visually impaired. Good afternoon.
by Salome Cummins, Ian Oliver, and Clara Scelsi
Introduction by Carlton Anne Cook Walker: A terrifically fun part of our program each year is our kids' panel. This year we have three young people who will talk to you. First we'll hear from Salome Cummins. She is a rising fourth-grade student from Missouri. She is nine years old. We're also going to hear from Ian Oliver, a rising seventh-grader from Alabama, who is twelve years old. Finally we'll hear from Clara Scelsi, also from Alabama. She's a rising fifth-grade student, and she's nine years old. Salome, you go first. It looks like you're ready to go!
Salome: I'm still kind of tense. I've got this feeling like I'm really in trouble!
Hi. You're listening to Salome's speech. I'm nine years old, like she already said. I was born in the Republic of Georgia in 2011.
The first thing I want to tell you about is that I did not like tying my shoes at all. It was my least favorite thing to do! I would try to tie my shoes, and then I would start crying because something was not working. But recently I learned how to tie my shoes! I run track, and I do long jump, and I sprint. And now, even when I'm in a huge rush to get to track, I can tie my shoes. But sometimes my mom still helps me, because she thinks I should do it more quickly. Pressure. Always pressure!
It's fun to be blind sometimes, because you get to use so many cool materials. I'm in Spectra at my school. It's the gifted and talented program. It was really hard because I had to start virtually. Because I use JAWS I could get through that course very easily. I get to use VoiceOver and a Braille display also.
Now I want to talk about responsibility. It's really sad, but both blind people and sighted people all get chores. But we also get to have pets to take care of. I have birds. I'm very fond of them.
One of my favorite things is BELL. That's Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning. I also got to attend the Braille Challenge, where you compete. You're in different levels of difficulty. In April you find out if you made it to the national competition. That means you're in the top of the whole country and Canada, too! I made first place in second grade, and I'm doing it again this year.
In conclusion, I do not think you should be wishing that you aren't blind. Thank you for listening.
Carlton: I want to highlight that she said virtual instruction didn't stop for her, because she had all the right tools. She had JAWS, and she had a refreshable Braille display.
Ian Oliver: Hi! I am deafblind, so I can't really use stuff that is audio. This virtual stuff, I think it could be better. There are major improvements needed, but hey, this is just the beginning. Nothing is perfect. But there's one thing I've got to say. Braille rocks!
Carlton: Thank you, Ian! This year you were at our BELL Academy, and we had to do everything online because we had no other choice. When we do something new, are we good at it immediately?
Ian: No. You've got to keep trying and trying and trying again.
Carlton: That's right, and learn to do things better. We love to teach, and we love to learn. Now we'll hear from Clara. Welcome! Take it away!
Clara: Hi! My name is Clara Isabella Scelsi. I'm nine years old, and I live in Alabama. I'm going into fifth grade, but I'll be taking sixth-grade math. Some of my favorite things are reading Braille, playing music, singing songs, dancing, and jujitsu. I have been in jujitsu for almost a year. I'm hoping to get my gray and white belts soon.
Jujitsu is a martial art that helps people know how to defend themselves when in a tough situation. Some of my teachers have had experience with blind children, so they knew some adaptations to help me. They clapped so I would know where to go. They explain things, like instead of saying, "Put your knee here," they say, "Put your left knee behind your head."
When COVID came, luckily we had a way to practice with an iPad. The jujitsu coaches allowed us to borrow some mats. We did lessons through Zoom. We also used VoiceOver. We could all do it the same as when we were physically right next to each other.
Thank you for allowing me on this kids' panel. Are there any questions?
Carlton: How are all three of you so darn awesome? I love how you all explained that doing things differently isn't doing things worse. We heard from three great young problem solvers today. The future is looking very good, my friends. Thank you Salome, thank you Ian, thank you Clara. Great job!
by Mariyam Cementwala
Reprinted from Braille Monitor, Volume 63, Number 8, August-September 2020
Introduction by Mark Riccobono: Our speaker is a policy advisor in the United States Department of State's Office of International Religious Freedom. She has many distinctions, including having worked for Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois. She advances religious freedom in United States government foreign policy, working at the intersection of promoting religious freedom and conflict prevention, including countering violent extremism. She speaks four South Asian languages as well as Arabic, and she has a wealth of experience in several international contexts. If you have been around the Federation for a while, you have probably met her before. She is a lawyer by training who received her JD from the University of California at Berkeley in 2007. Among other achievements, she is the first blind Muslim American woman to receive the prestigious George J. Mitchell Scholarship. She has been one of our national scholarship winners, which you know is a distinction, and she served for a time at various levels of our student division. I'm really pleased to introduce her to our podium—literally to our podium, because she's in the building, so I'm grabbing my NFB mask to put on! Here is Mariyam Cementwala!
Thank you, Mark, and thank you, Senator Durbin, for your kind words, and to your staff, particularly your Chief Counsel Joe Zogby, who gave a young blind lawyer a chance to enter the field of government affairs a decade ago. I've been honored and privileged to work for two incredible public servants, Senator Durbin, and the person who leads the US Department of State's Office of International Religious Freedom, where I work now and which we'll talk about a bit later.
If you pluck up a shrub, a plant, even a full-grown tree and try to replant it somewhere else without its roots, that shrub, plant, or tree will not survive. It will wither. It will die. But if you pull up even a budding plant or shrub—let alone a tree or even its branch—by its roots and take them along, then replant it anywhere else, that shrub will blossom and bloom. That tree will bear fruit. It will thrive.
Now, I didn't come here to talk about botany, but we're not that different from plants in this way. Like them we, too, need our roots to survive, to thrive.
So what are our roots? Let me come back to this question.
On a sunny morning in early 2012, I hailed a taxi outside my apartment building to go to work, expecting an ordinary twenty-minute drive. I was an officer in the Political Section at the US Embassy, and I explained to the driver that, when he approached the American Embassy, he should pull up at the first guard entrance rather than the second one. In conversation, I discovered that the driver was Pakistani, spoke Urdu, and was unusually curious.
We began with a game I would often play with expat taxi drivers. They ask in Hindi, Urdu, or Arabic, "So where are you from?" And I ask them to tell me where they think I'm from, believing that the obvious clue is that they're dropping me off at the staff entrance of the American Embassy. This particular driver became exasperated with the game, naming every country in South Asia, proceeding to Iran and the "stans," and finally bellowing: "Why don't you just tell me where you're from?"
So I asked: "Where am I going?"
He said, "The American Embassy, but I thought that's because you need a visa."
"No," I explained, "I asked you to stop at the first entrance—the staff entrance—not the visa entrance."
"Oh," he said, "but that's because I figured you didn't know which entrance because you're blind."
I chuckled and said, "Yes, I'm blind, and I'm also American, and I work there."
"You work there? They let you work there? But how? I mean, you're Muslim, and you wear a hijab, and you're ... blind!" He was incredulous, as though he were looking at a ghost.
I replied, "Yes, I work there, and they don't let me work there—they want me to work there. They need me to work there because I help make their understanding of foreign cultures, foreign peoples, and foreign policy better."
At that moment, I didn't quite realize the magnitude of his incredulity and of my immense privilege. I didn't realize how much I took for granted in my daily life. What this taxi driver was questioning in 2012 was what the National Federation of the Blind's founder and first president, Jacobus tenBroek, had written about in the California Law Review in 1966: "Whether and how we, as blind people, as people with human differences, abilities and disabilities, have 'the [human] right to live in the world', the right to work in it and to influence the course of human destiny rather than allowing charitable actors to influence ours as wards of others. Don't we deserve the right to belong in the world and out of it; the right to privacy; the right to enjoy full and equal access to the modes of transportation, communication, information, and public accommodation; and the right to contribute as full and equal citizens to our communities and our countries?"
My conversation with the taxi driver triggered my memories of teaching a course on the blind civil rights movement at UC Berkeley in 2002, where tenBroek had once taught as a law professor, and from where he had founded this organization that celebrates its eightieth birthday this year. It also triggered my memory of the gentleman I met at the 2002 NFB convention and an unfinished story that I had always wanted to hear.
For those of you who never met him or only knew of him through his obituary and writings, let me share our collective story, and with it, the story of this organization's role in changing our nation's diplomatic history. Avraham Rabby, known to his friends as Rami, was going off to the American Embassy in New Delhi to serve our country as a diplomat managing public affairs—our outward messaging, public outreach, and programming within India.
I'm of Indian descent, and I speak several South Asian languages. So on one of those typical convention evenings, when groups huddle in conversations in corners of hotel lobbies or hotel rooms, Rami peppered me in his distinctive British accent with questions I was completely ill-equipped to answer about the host country where he would soon be posted. His job traveling all around the world, living in and learning about different cultures and places, and building or strengthening relationships with foreign governments and peoples on behalf of the United States sounded intriguing and even glamorous to a twenty-something who had studied international relations and just completed her bachelor's degree in political science.
That night Rami planted a seed in my mind, but I was destined for law school and a lifetime practicing law, or so I thought . . .
The story Rami didn't tell me that evening, and that I subsequently spent some time researching, was how, despite graduating with degrees from Oxford University and the University of Chicago and speaking several languages fluently, he had struggled—back in the 1980s—to join the US Department of State's Foreign Service. It was the story of how the National Federation of the Blind gave him support and stood with him in the fight to open the doors of the diplomatic corps for aspiring diplomats with disabilities.
Even though he had passed the written and oral assessments, some leaders in our government, including the then-Director General of the Foreign Service George Vest, questioned whether he could understand and interpret the nuances of diplomatic negotiations, such as body language and facial expression, without sight. Could he protect classified information and reside safely in foreign countries where he would be asked to serve?
Rami had grown up as a leader in the National Federation of the Blind, working with Dr. Kenneth Jernigan to organize the Illinois affiliate and fighting for civil rights and equal employment opportunities. He refused to go away or back down or to be bought off by a financial settlement. He refused to cower before the United States Congress, which held hearings in 1989 on his ability to serve as a foreign service officer. Confident in his own skills and abilities, Rami stridently made the case that "No international treaty has ever been decided on the basis of a wink or a nod!"
Many leaders and members of this organization worked with Rami to convince state department bureaucrats and piled into the halls of Congress to support his bid to join our country's diplomatic corps. They changed the department's policy through concerted collective action, never caving to complacency with the world as it is. Over thirty years ago, they pushed the department to take a case-by-case approach to allow individuals with disabilities to serve in the United States Foreign Service. Today people like me are the beneficiaries of those important advances in our country's quest for human rights.
So I come back to the question: What are our roots?
Our roots can be found in our history, in our philosophical and attitudinal architecture, in our faith and values that keep us grounded, and in the people who remind us of and help reinforce those values in our lives.
Like Rami, I grew up in the blind civil rights movement, and I am glad that I developed some of my leadership skills and policy chops there. I helped organize state student division events and advocated for myself and others to have the right to make our own choices about the rehabilitation programs we attended. I even walked out in protest from a camp with fellow blind colleagues because the camp's administrators decided to segregate blind camp counselors from sighted camp counselors so as not to influence young blind campers to think it was okay to be "too independent!"
If you haven't read Dr. tenBroek's parable of the organization of the bald "malcontents" or "pariahs" in his 1956 banquet address, "Within the Grace of God," now's a good time to catch up on it. The stuff of the late 90s and early 2000s wasn't all that different from 1956, I discovered. Perhaps we've still got a way to go now.
One of the turning points in my life was choosing to go to the Louisiana Center for the Blind and fighting with California's Department of Rehabilitation to get there. Unfortunately, this remains an age-old struggle. After getting through layers of bureaucracy, I finally told the district administrator that he could deny me the right to exercise my choice, and if he did, I would appeal; or he could grant my request—but either way, I was going. He decided that he wouldn't bother denying my request. In my teens and twenties, I was learning well how to be a "malcontent" or "pariah." I was learning from people like Joanne and Harold Wilson, Rosy Carranza, and Nathanael Wales, people who knew me before I was a diplomat, who keep me grounded, and who still shape and enrich my life today—along with that guy who told me to go to the center in the first place (on our first date, no less!), my husband Ali, known to many as "Chris" Foster. Ladies, if your guy tells you to go to a training center, he's a keeper!
The lessons I learned about life, attitudes about blindness and disability, travel, people, and yes, even home economics are priceless gems I carry with me all around the world. Joanne Wilson, the founder and first director of the Louisiana Center, visited me at one of my former posts. She is the epitome of a great leader in my view, and she is someone I'm very grateful to call a mentor. I proudly showed her my Freedom Bell and the five-tier spinning carousel bookcase I haul around the globe from post to post. These tokens stand as daily reminders of my philosophical foundation and roots. They remind me that blindness can be reduced to a characteristic, not a handicap, with the right tools, training, opportunity, and attitude; that we can and must compete on terms of equality; and that, if needed, I can use a radial arm saw and table saw again!
Rami began his diplomatic career in 1990. After law school and law firm practice, among other advocacy jobs, I started my diplomatic career in March 2011—long after Rami had retired! People had all kinds of questions for Rami before he was hired. What about now?
Well, as one of my local staff members got really comfortable with me, she piped up memorably one day as we rode up in the Embassy elevator, "Mariyam, you know how you said it was okay to ask you anything about your blindness; well, I have a question . . . How do you know when you get your period?" to which I answered, "Well, how do you know when you get yours?!"
During one of my early tours, I arrived at a charity reception on behalf of the Embassy, and a bunch of women suddenly encircled me. "We want to hear your story! We want to know how you got here!"
I was confused. "Here? In a car . . ."
"No, how did you get here—to this country!?"
"On an airplane . . ."
"No, no! To this country, representing the American Embassy and the American government! We want to know everything! You are so amazing!"
When I returned from this reception, I shared the exchange with my then-deputy chief of mission, who channeled Michael Bailiff when he advised, "It could be worse if they thought you weren't amazing! If you're going to have extremes, you may as well have their positive impression. Use it to build the connections and trust. Use it to your advantage."
So I did. Candidly, my disability has been a huge advantage in building relationships of trust with contacts and working on sensitive issues of human rights and religious freedom, because one of my perceived vulnerabilities is on display for all to see. Seeing that I have a vulnerability makes others more comfortable to open up. I learned early in my diplomatic career that the currency of diplomacy is reliable and accurate information.
In every posting I've used as an advantage what others in society might continue to perceive as a vulnerability. For instance, in one of my recent tours I was given an incredible opportunity and an impossible task. I had eighteen hours (as I was packing out of my post) to get in a car and go to a far-flung region of the country in which I was posted, then organize meetings there, return two days later, and produce a draft cable about the political landscape and people's attitudes. I knew no one there, but I had a strong network of people with disabilities in the capital city. I contacted a couple of its leaders—both blind—and asked them to help me organize meetings with their professional and social networks. They didn't just help me because I am an American diplomat; they helped me because we had built a relationship driven by our commonalities of human difference. In my success was their support and their success!
Today, in my current posting, I work in the State Department's Office of International Religious Freedom under the leadership of Ambassador-at-Large Sam Brownback. He has a legacy of championing the rights of persons with disabilities in his distinguished political career. Supported by him beyond office leadership, I again brought my disability experience to bear in recognizing a policy gap and working to address it. Our office works to promote and protect the right of religious freedom of people around the globe, including minorities. But when houses of worship are inaccessible, when faith leaders organizing religious pilgrimages gently turn people with disabilities away, when faith leaders preach that albinism or other physical disabilities are the results of witchcraft and evil, when virtual worship services and activities are not on accessible platforms, persons with disabilities are once again left behind in exercising their fundamental freedom of religion or belief, from participating in community with others, and from enjoying freedom from stigma and their "right to live in the world."
I'm blessed to come from a faith community in which my spiritual guide, and before him, his father, have been incredible pillars of strength, support, open-mindedness, and inclusion. When there were plenty of naysayers, they have been my champions, never limiting me on account of disability.
But every community of faith has those who are not so enlightened. Once someone who clearly disregards the concept of reasonable accommodation said to me that I use my blindness like a "sympathy card." Ironically I was on a religious pilgrimage abroad without family or personal assistance. I was essentially requesting to be close up, to touch and be touched, since I don't experience by sight as others do. Another time, when I was being guided amidst a throbbing crowd to the sacred black stone at the Kaaba, someone taunted loudly from behind, "If she's blind, why is she even here? Why are you bringing her?" disregarding that, as a human being and a Muslim, I have the same right, obligation, or desire as anyone else would to kiss the sacred black stone known as the Hajr-e-Aswad.
You can't expect everyone to be enlightened, wise, or inclusive. But when people try to shun, exclude, or belittle you, don't recoil or allow yourself to be distanced from your community and your faith. Confront ignorance, indifference, and injustice by calling it out. If you don't, you enable its perpetuation, not only toward you, but toward countless others who may not have your strength or conviction.
My experiences have inspired me to work with colleagues from our Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor as well as our Agency for International Development to launch the disability and FORB (Freedom of Religion and Belief) interagency working group last October. Our purpose is not only to identify the challenges to religious freedom that persons with disabilities face, but also to find the champions of inclusion among faith leaders to derive the best practices for community inclusion. Faith leaders play key roles as social and political influencers. Engaging them on disability rights is something we hadn't done before as a concerted part of our foreign policy. What's more, we realized that they could have a tangible impact on service delivery and challenging stereotypes about a disabled person's quality of life during the COVID-19 crisis. On July 1 we launched a global social media campaign called "Every Life Is Worthy." It will continue until the ADA's thirtieth anniversary and will conclude with a virtual roundtable. I hope you will tune in!
You can learn more about how I do my job, the working group, and the Office of International Religious Freedom during tomorrow's breakout session at 11:30 a.m. But for those who won't be up quite that early, what I hope you'll remember is that your perceived vulnerability is not a disadvantage at all. It's just part of your humanity, as it's part of mine. It has made me a sharper, smarter diplomat who is more rooted in and committed to the principles of human dignity, respect for human difference, human rights, and equal justice.
My own background in advocating for my rights and the rights of others, at Washington Seminars decades ago and elsewhere, has instilled in me as a diplomat the important recognition of civil society's value in formulating good policy. Without organizations like the National Federation of the Blind who speak loudly as constituents for themselves, ready for a fight, ready to go to the barricades, can you even imagine what policies and laws would look like for persons with disabilities—not just in the United States but the world over? Our thinking and approach don't just matter at home. They have a global impact.
Advancing human rights—not charity but opportunity, not compassion but understanding, not tolerance but respect and acceptance, not dependency but independence, not exclusion but equality—is in this organization's DNA. It's in our roots.
So as the leaders and members of this organization look ahead on this eightieth birthday to our next eighty years, I leave you with a challenge. In 1997, toward the sunset of his life, Kenneth Jernigan harkened that "The day after civil rights is fast approaching." Sitting then in the audience as a young scholarship winner, I thought like many that we had almost arrived! It was imminent. We wouldn't need to raise voices and signs in protest any longer. The days of confrontation were our past—our future would be communication and public education.
But according to Cornell University's disability statistics research, between 1997 and 2017 the employment rate for persons with disabilities (or those identifying as having a work limitation) between the ages of eighteen and sixty-four had risen by less than 12 percent, from 25.5 percent to 37 percent. And 63 percent are still unemployed. In twenty years the rate among this group that lived below the poverty line had only dropped by 1.8 percent.
Here's another snapshot: Looking at the picture just three years ago in 2017, 34.5 percent of nondisabled Americans between the ages of twenty-one and sixty-four had obtained a bachelor's degree or higher education, compared to just 14.8 percent of Americans with disabilities in the same age range.
Looking at this yet another way, ask yourself how many employed blind people you know work exclusively in the field of blindness or disability, even disability law, because they were pushed to do so in order to get a secure job.
From my own experiences and from reflecting on Rami's life, I know that progress toward integration has been paved—with this organization playing a crucial role. But perhaps, despite our optimism in 1997, we haven't quite arrived at that day after civil rights.
Hindsight is always 20/20! While it is acceptable, even normal, for civil society organizations to build up communication and public education campaigns to become the recognized expert conveners instead of the outsiders, confrontation remains a necessary tool to combat covert and overt discrimination.
The shape of injustice may have changed, but the root of injustice has not. It still stems from willful or uncorrected ignorance, a belief in the superiority of ability and the inferiority of disability, and unequal access or no access at all.
Today, the fights are different. There is access to the buildings perhaps, but not to the technology that helps run them. There is access to millions of books and newspapers, but not equal access to the tangible information and technology that can help persons with disabilities get jobs and keep them.
There's even the legal concept of reasonable accommodation. The sighted, nondisabled implementers—in their infinite wisdom and years of experience with disability and blindness—are more than happy to set the policy on what effective reasonable accommodation means, such as how and when to use readers. They will determine your reasonable accommodations if you just keep your head down, quietly do your job, and let them push you around.
As Dr. Martin Luther King said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
The challenge is how and when to speak up, how to confront while convening, how to harness collective action once again and fight complacency, and when necessary, how to get on the barricades and not back down.
But being on the front lines of the barricades is part of the roots of this organization. Rami Rabby never backed down, and he taught me by example never to do so, either. These are my roots, and they are yours. When I move around the world, I thrive because these foundational lessons are always with me. No matter where I go, as long as I have my roots, I know my spirit won't wither, it won't die.
No matter where you go, now and over the next eighty years, or eight hundred, hold on to your roots (as Rami Rabby did, as Jerry Whittle did, as Brian Miller did), and you, too, will continue to thrive.
God bless you, and God bless the United States of America! Thank you.
by Laura Wolk
Reprinted from Braille Monitor, Volume 63, Number 8, August-September 2020
Introduction by Mark Riccobono: Our next presenter is the first of our Notre Dame graduates on the agenda! This is an individual who you can really say grew up in the Federation in Pennsylvania. Her dad actually started our parent's division in Pennsylvania. She has a law degree from Notre Dame, juris doctor summa cum laude, and she went to Swarthmore, where she got a BA in psychology. She has been serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Clarence Thomas, and she has been an active member of our National Association of Blind Lawyers, including successfully advocating and leading the way to make sure some of the technology companies make sure their tools work effectively for blind lawyers. I am proud to introduce Laura Wolk.
Thank you so much, President Riccobono. Good evening, everyone. It is such an honor to be with you tonight. As President Riccobono mentioned, I went to my first state affiliate convention when I was very, very young. It's been a while since I've been to one, a national convention in person. So it's really an honor for me to be here presenting this evening.
As President Riccobono mentioned, I just last week finished up a year clerking for Justice Clarence Thomas at the Supreme Court of the United States. I hope in hearing that sentence you know it was an extraordinary year for me. It was a transformative year for me personally and professionally—I mean in every aspect of my life, including what it means for me to be a blind person in the United States.
I'd like to give a little sense of what it means to be a law clerk, for those who might not be familiar with what that job entails. Then I'll talk a bit about two main takeaways that I took from the job. I think they are broadly applicable to everyone who is currently involved in the National Federation of the Blind.
There are nine justices on the Supreme Court. Each justice has four clerks assigned to him or her, and each clerkship lasts one year. You spend a year of your life working very intimately with a justice. Your job duties break down into two main categories: you assist the justice preparing for oral argument, and you also assist even with the drafting of the opinions that ultimately become the decisions of the Supreme Court. Sometimes that means you assist the justice with preparing an opinion for the majority of justices on the court or the entire court, and other times it means that you prepare or you assist with drafting an opinion for a smaller number of members or even for the justice writing only for himself or herself. So it is an incredible experience.
It is a great responsibility, and there is a lot of trust reposed in a law clerk. You have to be 150 percent there every day, every hour of every day. Without the assistance of the law clerks, the Supreme Court cannot function. Beyond the access and the amazing mentorship and lifelong relationship that you create with your justice, being a law clerk is so extraordinary because you also get to interact with the other eight justices on the Supreme Court. You also get to interact with all of the clerks from the other chambers. There were about thirty-nine of us this past term. You get to work with these bright lawyers, these young minds who are going to go out and do great things in the legal field, whether they go to firms or back to the government. You get to spend a year learning from them, debating with them, sometimes very heatedly arguing with them. You get a front row seat for an entire year into the inner workings of this very important institution to our government that so few people and even very few lawyers will ever get to witness.
From the moment I walked in the door on my first day to last Friday, when I tearfully pulled myself out of the building for the last time, it felt very surreal. Every day it felt surreal to me that I was there, that my workplace was the Supreme Court of the United States. The conversations that I got to have, the people that I came to call friends—this was an experience I will keep with me for the rest of my life.
I don't think that my approach to the job is uncommon. I think that many of my co-clerks and other clerks approach the job with a sense of humility and an understanding of the responsibility that has been given to them. But I would be lying if I didn't acknowledge that I also felt a particular responsibility and a particular honor to be asked to serve in that position as a blind person. It is increasingly difficult to succeed in the higher echelons of our career paths, and I felt that I was being asked to do something very good, not just for myself but for the entire movement of the organized blind. I had the opportunity to spend a year with the eight other justices and hopefully to show them that blindness is not an impediment. I could spend the year talking about accessibility and the need for young people coming up into the institutions to know about accessibility and to realize the massive gap between what a blind person can do if given all the tools and resources and what a blind person is allowed to do by virtue of the various obstacles put into our path that we have no control over and have constantly to fight against.
When I say I carry that responsibility with me, I don't mean that to imply any negative connotation. It felt like an honor to me that I would be asked to do that and to participate in the long line of work that the NFB has done for the past eighty years even to make this opportunity possible for me. From those experiences, I've done a lot of reflecting this year—a lot of reflecting on what this experience has meant to me personally and professionally, but also the takeaways, as I mentioned earlier, that can broadly be applied to all people in the NFB and all of your friends who might not yet be part of the NFB.
There are two takeaways I would like to share with you this evening. The first is that, as I alluded a moment ago, I firmly believe that this opportunity would not have been possible for me if I were not a member of many communities. I think it is absolutely imperative that we as blind people include ourselves in as many communities as possible in society. Faith-based communities, civic engagement communities, sports, whatever it is that makes you feel alive and makes you feel like you are flourishing in what truly interests you about life. We need to include ourselves and integrate ourselves into those communities.
I think a lot of times there is an understanding that we focus on where the barriers are. We say, there are barriers to education, so we have to talk to the educators. There are barriers to employment. We have to talk to the employers. We have to talk to the developers. That is very true, very necessary. Very, very important hard work is being done. But the fact remains that educators do not spend 100 percent of their time educating, and web developers do not spend 100 percent of their time web developing. They are human beings, and they are going out into communities, living their lives in robust and rich ways. The more blind people who are out there, people they can encounter in any capacity whatsoever, it makes a huge difference. Let's say someone is hiring, and maybe they casually mention at a dinner party that they have a blind job candidate. We increase the chances that someone is going to say, "Oh, I know a blind person. This person, just because they're blind, doesn't mean they can't do the job," or play the sport or take the leadership role or go to Harvard Law School. I really encourage anyone who's out there listening tonight—if there ever has been something you wanted to try, if you have been holding yourself back for fear of what it would be like to try to get into that community, I really encourage you to do that.
I have experienced this because of the pandemic in a very concrete and tangible way this year. I will give you one example. I am a runner. I use running not only as a way to stay physically active, but also for benefits to my mental health. It also helps me to clear my head and to process ideas and arguments that I'm actually stuck on when I'm thinking about a legal argument.
When the pandemic struck, all of that was stripped away from me immediately. I could tell almost instantly that it was impacting my work because this was a way that I handle stress, and I was in a very stressful job. So I wrote to my friends in my running communities (some of them have blindness-related aspects and many do not), and I asked for help. The next thing I knew, friends came to my aid and provided me with a bike and a trainer so that I could continue to exercise in my apartment and stay focused. When I first took myself out of my comfort zone to show up at running events and ask sighted people if they would run with me, I never imagined it would impact me professionally, that running would affect my career development. I also never could have imagined that my year on the Supreme Court would include a pandemic and going remote and being in quarantine! My running community, which I never expected to show up and help me in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, really pulled through for me.
The second takeaway that I want to share with you all is not going to be groundbreaking if you are a lifelong Federationist, but I think it bears emphasizing as many times as necessary. In order to be successful as a blind person in the United States in 2020, we have to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Okay? President Riccobono mentioned my clerkship on the Supreme Court. But I had two previous one-year clerkships before then, and I also spent a year at a firm. I've had four jobs in four years. All four of those places either had never hired a blind person before or had not hired a blind person in a very long time. Four times I had to go through the process of teaching an entire institution how to make things accessible for me. It is very, very difficult sometimes, disheartening sometimes. Even when you have amazing support, it can be really disheartening. But if you've ever been to a training center and held a chainsaw, if you've ever walked with a cane for the first time, if you've ever confronted your fear of pulling a stroller or a shopping cart behind you, you know that all of these things help us learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable. The more comfortable we get having difficult conversations, the more we gain control over the conversations themselves. The more we get comfortable talking to a supervisor and remaining calm when things get heated and stressful, the more we have the power. We regain the power to direct the conversation back to us and our needs instead of what other people tell us our needs are or what might work better than what we're proposing.
Ideally we should be living in a world where universal design is the norm, where things are designed to be accessible from the ground up, where there's no discrimination, no stigma, no bigotry. We've made immense progress, but that world is not where we are, and it's not where we'll be tomorrow.
We're faced with a choice. What do we do with these circumstances? If we learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable, if we embrace that instead of becoming angry or frustrated or disheartened, then we develop ourselves the qualities of leadership. We develop grit. We're adaptable. We're resilient. We're smart. We're flexible. We're creative. We're all of the things that a company needs today. We are all the things that a family needs, that a community group needs. These are the qualities of a good leader. So if we collectively embrace that, we'll not only be making our own lives better as individual blind people, but we will be making the lives of every other blind person in the country better. All of our successes are connected.
I want to close with that. As President Riccobono said, I have grown up in the Federation. I am thankfully aware of the history that has come before me and the very hard work that our leaders have done. I am very grateful for that work, and I know that the extraordinary opportunity I have just had would not have been possible without it. I feel that in each of our lives, our role is to work to break down accessibility barriers. Even if we don't make things perfect, you are adding one more step on top of a flight of stairs. When I came along, even though it was still a very steep climb, I didn't have to jump from the bottom all the way to the top. I could climb. I'm very, very appreciative of that! I hope that through this past year and through the other work I've done so far in my career, that I have added a step for the next person. I look forward very much to seeing what comes next for us in the years to come. Thank you.
Presented by James Gashel
Reprinted from Braille Monitor, Volume 63, Number 8, August-September 2020
James Gashel: President Riccobono and my Federation family, thank you very much! As we say here in Hawaii, thank you my Federation ohana everywhere.
Jacob Bolotin was a blind guy. He would tell you that. He wanted you to know that. He grew up blind and graduated from the Illinois School for the Blind. He lived in Chicago. Whether he could have done so or not, he never tried to pass himself off as anything other than blind. He did a lot of things in his short life, thirty-six years from 1888 to 1924. But unflagging determination to break the mold of low expectations of what blind people could be and become in his time tells Bolotin's story more than anything else. At age twenty-five, he became a medical doctor. He specialized in diseases of the heart and lungs. You know, this is what we mean when we say you can live the life you want.
Bolotin was a member of our Federation family before the Federation itself. I like to think of it that way. His story has been told by his niece, Rosalind Perlman, in a biography called The Blind Doctor: The Jacob Bolotin Story. You need to read this book. You can get it from Amazon in print, or if you want to pay a lot you can also get it on audio CD. Or you can get it from the Library of Congress books for the blind and print disabled program [NLS]. Our annual Bolotin Awards keep his memory alive. And they also support worthy efforts to break the mold of low expectations of what blind people can be and become.
This is the thirteenth year for these awards made possible by the NFB with help from the Santa Barbara Foundation and the Alfred and Rosalind Perlman Trust. To date, we've presented $680,000 to sixty-four recipients. Two new winners are being honored this year. The awards include a cash prize for each recipient and an engraved commemorative plaque with a medallion appropriately configured as you'll see to recognize the award's significance. Here is the text on the plaque. "Presented to," then the name of the organization, "the National Federation of the Blind and the Santa Barbara Foundation, July 2020." The medallion, suspended above the plaque, has the NFB logo on the obverse side with these inscribed words: "The Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award, celebrating achievement, creating opportunity." The reverse side of the medallion has Dr. Bolotin's bust with these inscribed words: "Dr. Jacob Bolotin, 1888-1924. Celebrating his life, the Alfred and Rosalind Perlman Trust."
[Video.] Ladies and gentlemen, the National Federation of the Blind is proud to introduce the 2020 recipients of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards. Our winners have broken down barriers faced by blind people in innovative ways, changed negative perception of blindness and blind people, and pushed past existing boundaries to inspire blind people to achieve new heights. The winners are:
Geneva Lake Astrophysics and STEAM Education for its innovative work to make astrophysics and astronomy data accessible to the blind. Here's president and education director, Kate Meredith:
Kate Meredith: We had multiple projects where students were able to enjoy, discover, and understand astronomy. We provided that with lots of different kinds of tactiles. But when it comes to capturing your own image from a telescope and getting the image back, astronomical images are just numbers on a spreadsheet. That's all it is. And what we do as sighted people, since we love the beautiful images, we create visuals out of those numbers. But astronomy is not inherently anymore a visual science. It might have been one hundred years ago when everyone had to look through a telescope and draw what they saw. But now scientists take the numbers, and they create ways to interact with the numbers.
What we wanted to do with the data processing software is that, no matter what your visual acuity, you can load an image into the software and analyze it, measure the brightness of objects and compare how it changes over time, calculate a position of the object in the sky, and see how maybe an asteroid moved. We wanted those tools to be accessible so that a person, regardless of their visual ability, could capture their own data, load it into the software, choose which data they wanted to analyze, acquire those data, and analyze it themselves without the help of a sighted peer. It is one thing to be given a National Science Foundation Award to do something no one else has done before. But to be recognized by a leading organization that represents the people you're trying to work with and serve means everything. To be acknowledged means we've done our homework, done our due diligence, and worked hard to do it right. And to get that vote of approval means more to me than anything you can actually possibly imagine. It is that important to us.
Marilee Talkington, actor and executive director of Access Acting Academy.
Marilee Talkington: Access Acting Academy was to fulfill a couple things: one to actually train actors to go out on audition so I basically get to say, you can't use the excuse anymore that we're not trained, we're not out there. Sorry. That's not the excuse you get to use anymore. And two, to actually develop a totally inclusive pedagogy of actor training that is fully accessible for blind and low vision actors, which is what we did. That in itself, the evolution of training that has been offered for decades. Some of it even centuries, some of this is centuries old training, so that we can access this work, was a profound experience for me. I learned a ton. I think ultimately the academy was a place for blind and low vision actors to learn but also to teach where we need to grow as blind and low vision leaders.
When I got the call from you that I was to receive this award, I looked it up, and I started to cry. It's a profound privilege to receive it. Deeply honored by it! To be associated with these incredible pioneers, it's also validating, because I've been working so hard for so long in this sphere, a lot of times alone. So to be recognized in that way feels really amazing. I'm very grateful for it. Deeply. And when I saw that there was a cash element, and I was like, I could get a few thousand dollars! All of a sudden I was like, this is the sign that I needed to dive back into Access Acting Academy. In the past week, I have spoken with four other blind and low vision teachers. We're ready now, I'm ready now, to create an entire virtual studio through Access Acting Academy. I'm actually going to launch it at the awards ceremony for this award. We'll open up classes for the fall. It will be totally virtual. There will be acting classes, embodiment classes, voice classes, movement theater classes, hopefully Shakespeare classes. Because it's time that the reach just keeps going out in the world. I want to service as many people as we possibly can. It's not only to cultivate the next generation of blind and low vision actors but the next generation of blind and low vision leaders.
James Gashel: Ladies and gentlemen, these winners will each receive a trophy and a monetary prize to advance their work to help blind people live the lives we want. Now the National Federation of the Blind proudly presents them with their 2020 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards. (end of video.)
James Gashel: Okay, guys, these are our two winners. What an outstanding class of programs, of unflagging determination to break the mold of low expectations of what blind people can be and become. As I like to say, keeping Jacob Bolotin's legacy alive. Now, what you don't know, and what they don't know, is what is the amount of the cash prize each one of them is going to receive? But I do know.
Our first winner is Geneva Lake Astrophysics and STEAM Education for its groundbreaking work to create opportunities for the blind in astronomy as education and career objectives. Now, who would have thought? Blind people becoming experts in viewing the planets, the stars, and beyond! Kate Meredith and her team at Geneva Lake Astrophysics and STEAM Education believe in blind people, just as Jacob Bolotin believed that blind people can achieve in medicine, and he became a medical doctor. Congratulations to Kate Meredith, who is president and head of the team at Geneva Lake Astrophysics and STEAM Education. She's here tonight to accept the Jacob Bolotin Award to that organization in the amount of $25,000. Here's Kate Meredith.
Kate Meredith: Okay! Thank you so much. And you promised me ten extra seconds to jump up and down for absolute joy. I'm here with staff members, Adam and Stephanie. Those of you using screen readers may already know of us as GLASE Education, but we are Geneva Lake Astrophysics and STEAM Education. At GLASE, we collaborate with blind and sighted members of the scientific community to dismantle barriers, increase accessibility in STEM, and blaze new trails in order for everyone to participate equally in every aspect of science, rather than passively participate in what others create on their behalf. GLASE allows anyone, regardless of vision, to explore the universe to the limits of their own imagination rather than those imposed on them by others' lack of imagination. There are so many people to thank for how far we've come as an organization. If it were not for the dedication of Vivian Hetty, we would not have taken those first steps to partner with the Wisconsin School for the Blind over twenty years ago. Without two consecutive awards from the National Science Foundation, we would not have trod the difficult path from 3D models and inaccessible curricula to confronting the challenges of creating accessible image processing software. This process is essential for independent scientific exploration of the universe by those who are blind or visually impaired.
From the beginning, NFB members have guided what we have become as a community. Our deepest thanks to Jeremiah Beasley, David Hyde, and Katie Watson Corbitt for their steadfast support of us over the years. We thank Williams Bay Lions Club, without whose contribution we would not have been able to host blind astronomers at Yerkes Observatory and GLASE. A special thanks to blind astronomer Dr. Nic Bonne for his unwavering dedication and the center for cosmology in Portsmouth, UK, for allowing his extended stays with us to be part of his actual workload.
A personal thanks to Chris Matthews, Alex Trob, and Tia Berts, who agreed to be a part of the NSF grant to develop accessible tools for astronomy. They represent the blind community with creativity, patience, and truly untold perseverance.
Lastly, we want to thank you. We want you to be proud with us for all of our future work. Your recognition today lets us know that we're on the right track. Thank you so much from myself, Adam and Deb and Chris who are all here tonight from Wisconsin. We wish we were in Hawaii, but thank you.
James Gashel: Thank you, Kate. Incidentally, if you were wondering as I was wondering what in the world STEAM means in the name of this organization, I can now tell you. This is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. I know you knew that already, but I didn't. Now I do.
Also know that the NFB has had a STEM2U program. After tonight, I'm thinking that after tonight that ought to become a STEAM2U program.
Now, our second winner is Marilee Talkington. She's being recognized for her personal initiative and her creativity in forming Access Acting Academy for low vision adults and kids. This is the first of its kind venture, which Marilee was inspired to undertake based on interest shown by people within our Performing Arts Division.
Marilee has said about this academy so well, "Actor training of this caliber and level of accessibility has never been available before. Now is the time when profoundly rich and untapped talent should be cultivated, collaborated with, celebrated, and realized." You know, these are the profound words of what it means to have unflagging determination, to break the mold of low expectations of what blind people can be and become, keeping the legacy of Jacob Bolotin alive. That's what you're doing, Marilee. Congratulations for your leadership, your belief in yourself, and your belief in other blind people. Now, Marilee Talkington is with us tonight to receive her personal Dr. Jacob Bolotin award in the amount of $25,000. Here's Marilee Talkington.
Marilee Talkington: Oh, my God! Oh, my God. Oh, my God! I'm--wow. I'm a little overwhelmed by that. I did not-oh, my goodness gracious. I had a speech. That might get thrown out. Wow. Okay. Okay. Focus. Here we go. I'm a performer. I'm a professional performer and speaker. Let me get focused here.
I am so honored and privileged to be receiving this and to be associated with such incredible pioneers like Kate Meredith and her team and everybody else that is doing work to actually raise the bar, because it has been so low! In the entertainment industry, the bar literally doesn't exist. We've been invisible this whole time. So to be recognized for the work that I'm doing not only as an individual artist for twenty-five years but also to be recognized doing the work for Access Acting Academy is incredible.
I want to say, this is what I want to say, because when you called me to let me know about this award, a fire lit inside me, because I've been suffering from the pandemic blues, just like everybody else. And what the fire said, because it spoke to me, it said, it's time. It's time now, and the vision has to get bigger. And now you have to go because more people need this.
So in the past month I have constructed an entire faculty that will be serving adults, teens, and kids on a virtual platform. This will be the first-ever professional actor's academy for blind/low vision folks. And there's also going to be a leadership track as well so people not in the arts industry can come and study and find the ownership of their authentic power and voices. So if you go to www.accessacting.com, you'll find everything on there. We're going to launch officially in August. And I am so, so grateful for this honor and this award. And the money, what can I say? I'm a starving artist. This helps. So thank you so much. I can't wait to do more work together with you so we can keep going forward into the entertainment industry and crush it! The revolution has begun! Thank you.
James Gashel: Thank you, Marilee. That's what it's all about. Now, to all of you, please visit our Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award page at www.nfb.org. You'll be able to find out more about these winners, and you can get the full-length version of their interviews, too. Thank you to Ron Brown, Mary Ellen Jernigan, Everette Bacon, and Marc Maurer for all their hard work and enlightened experience in helping to select these award winners again this year. Mr. Chairman, this concludes my report and the presentation of the Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards for 2020. Aloha.
The scholarship program of the National Federation of the Blind is the largest of its kind for blind students in the United States. Each year we award more than $120,000 in cash and prizes. We would like to recognize the generous partners who contribute to our scholarships and those who add cash and prizes to help make this such a dynamic program.
Some scholarships are supported by the Lillian S. Edelstein Trust. All scholarships that are awarded to blind women and are not otherwise endowed are made possible by a generous bequest from the estate of Dorothy R. Olson. Some NFB scholarships are made possible in part through the support of the Jesse and Hertha Adams Charitable Trust. Through the trust, Jesse and Hertha Adams wanted to help people with disabilities lead productive and meaningful lives.
Thank you to the partners who add cash and prizes to each of our winners' packages: The Kurzweil Foundation and Ray Kurzweil add $1,000 to each recipient's award and provide each finalist with a commemorative plaque in both print and Braille. Ray Kurzweil is a longtime friend of the Federation and deserves our special recognition. Google, Inc., adds another $1,000 to each winner's scholarship. Google also provides each recipient with an Acer Chromebook. Independence Science is proud to award each winner a $1,500 gift certificate to be redeemed toward the purchase of a new Sci-Voice Talking LabQuest, version 2. Vispero will award each winner with a five-year home software license for their choice of either JAWS screen reading software or ZoomText magnifier with speech. Winners also enjoy the gift of a KNFB Reader, courtesy of the National Federation of the Blind.
Thank you to these contributors for helping to fund our twenty-two $3,000 scholarships: The E. U. and Gene Parker Scholarship honors two longtime leaders of the National Federation of the Blind whose participation stood for strong principles and strong support of the Federation's work. The Charles and Betty Allen Scholarship is funded by Betty Allen. This scholarship is given by a longtime leader in the National Federation of the Blind of Kentucky. Betty and her late husband Charles began this scholarship prior to his passing to support young people in attaining higher education. Charlie, who was extremely successful, left school at an early age to care for his family, but he retained a strong belief in education. The Adrienne Asch Memorial Scholarship is given in loving memory of Dr. Adrienne Asch, a consummate scholar and a longtime member of our Scholarship Committee. The Edith R. and Alvin J. Domroe Foundation supports college scholarships and has funded its scholarship to encourage academic excellence. One Charles and Melba T. Owen Memorial Scholarship is funded in the amount of $3,000. The NFB STEM Scholarship is jointly supported by the Science and Engineering and Computer Science Divisions and is awarded to a student studying in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or a related field. Members of these divisions wish to encourage the success of blind STEM students in their chosen field of study.
Anonymous contributors—you know who you are—we thank you very much. Our gratitude goes out to the collective membership of the NFB for funding many National Federation of the Blind scholarships. This year, one of our NFB scholarships will be dedicated to Federationists impacted by, and first responders coping with, COVID-19. Also this year we will present four awards in the amount of $5,000 each. The first of these is funded by the collective membership of the National Federation of the Blind. The Pearson Award is funded by Pearson Education and is given to a student who plans a career in education. For Pearson, learning is a never-ending road of discovery. The Mimi and Marvin Sandler Award is funded by longtime friends of the Federation. Marvin Sandler served as president of Independent Living Aids for more than thirty years. He and his wife wish to further academic excellence by sponsoring this award.
The JAWS for Windows Scholarship is funded by the developers of the JAWS screen reader, Vispero. JAWS, Job Access with Speech, has been committed to expanding the opportunities for education and employment for the blind with both speech and Braille since the late 1980s. In establishing this award Vispero said, "On behalf of all the individuals responsible for the development and support of this product over the years, we are honored to establish this scholarship for students recognized by the Federation."
We have two $8,000 scholarships, both donated by Oracle. Thank you, Oracle. The first is the Oracle Scholarship for Excellence in Computer Science. Oracle seeks to hire the best and brightest talent to build its products. It recognizes the significant impact that its products and technologies can have on people with disabilities. This scholarship is for a student in the field of computer science, computer engineering, user experience, or a related field. The second is the Oracle Scholarship for Excellence in a STEM Field. This scholarship awards academic excellence and leadership in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. Oracle wishes to promote excellence and funds this scholarship based on Oracle's understanding of its impact on disabled employees and customers around the globe.
Our $10,000 scholarship is another Charles and Melva T. Owen Memorial Scholarship. First established by Charles Owen in loving memory of his blind wife, this award is now endowed to honor the memory of both. In founding the scholarship, Charles Owen wrote: "There shall be no limitation as to field of study, except that it shall be directed toward attaining financial independence."
Finally, we have our most prestigious scholarship, the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship for $12,000. This scholarship is given yearly by the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, a nonprofit organization that assists blind people and works to create publications in Braille. Kenneth Jernigan is viewed in our field as the most important figure in the twentieth century in the lives of blind people. The Action Fund wishes to keep the understandings he brought to the field alive and well throughout the twenty-first century. It has endowed this scholarship dedicated to his memory and to the continuation of the work he began.
Each of our thirty scholarships rewards academic excellence and promotes leadership in the blindness community. The scholarships are all made possible by the generous contributions of many individuals and partners. Our winners are living the lives they want, and we sincerely thank all of you. You help make dreams come true!
Presented by Cayte Mendez
Reprinted from Braille Monitor, Volume 63, Number 8, August-September 2020
From the Editor: At the annual board meeting of the National Federation of the Blind, NFB Scholarship Committee Chairperson Cayte Mendez presented the thirty 2020 NFB Scholarship finalists. Introducing Cayte Mendez, NFB President Mark Riccobono stated, "Our scholarship program is premier in terms of acknowledging the hard work of blind students across the country. Our scholarship chair has been juggling a lot of new things in the last few months. She is doing a great job of shepherding the members of the Scholarship Committee and dealing with the hundreds of applications we get in a very competitive program. Here to present our 2020 scholarship finalists, from the great State of New York, is Cayte Mendez."
Cayte Mendez: Thank you, President Riccobono. It's a privilege to be here with all of you this afternoon. As you know, our scholarship program is one of the ways our organization makes an investment in its future and in the future of blind people across the nation. Every year we give more than $120,000 in cash and prizes to thirty blind students from across the country who have demonstrated excellence in both their academic pursuits and their community involvement and leadership.
Like so many this year, I miss the opportunity to connect in person with my fellow Federationists. But the thing I've been missing the absolute most has been the chance to spend lots of in-person time with this amazing group of thirty scholarship finalists. I've had the opportunity to get to know them thus far over a series of Zoom calls, and they are truly an impressive and diverse group of leaders and scholars. Their enthusiasm for the scholarship process and determination to achieve their goals and aspirations are evident, even through the virtual medium. It's my honor to introduce them to you this afternoon.
I'm going to introduce the finalists in alphabetical order by name, of course, and then I'm going to say two states. The first state will be the student's home state. That's the state either where they spend the most time or where they consider home, and the second will be their school state, where they'll be attending college in the fall. I'm also going to share briefly their vocational goals, and each student will introduce themselves. Throughout the presentation I'm going to share some fun facts about this scholarship class. They're a great group of finalists. Without further ado, it's my privilege to present the NFB scholarship class of 2020.
Deiascha-Britte Bancayanvega, Rhode Island, California. She will be entering the field of healthcare: I would like to recognize the San Diego chapter and the National Federation of the Blind for their love and support. I am halfway in my medical education as a blind individual. My goal is to promote healthcare inclusion for the visually impaired patients and also for visually impaired healthcare workers who truly want to help yet accessibility is not fully granted. Now I speak for those who have an interest in medicine. I believe in your potential, and we all can partake in the creation of an inclusive healthcare system that welcomes everyone.
Rob Blachowicz, Arkansas, Arkansas. Rob is getting a degree in counseling: Scholars are not just academics. It is very important to note that scholars also volunteer and commit our time to helping people with technology and Braille. I have also given my time to food banks and homeless shelters. With that being said though, school counseling and being a scholar are not just about volunteering, academics, and advocacy. It's also about teaching skills. One of the most important skills we can teach is teamwork, because together we can achieve our dreams.
Chris Bove, Rhode Island, Rhode Island. Chris will be pursuing a career in public service: Hello everyone. Before I start I would just like to thank you all for the opportunity to be here today. I have been working toward a career in public service for about five years now. In high school I served as a member of the Rhode Island Board of Education and as an intern in the office of Governor Gina Raimondo. At the University of Rhode Island, I serve as a committee chair on the student senate and as a member of the board of trustees. I am also an extremely active member of the Rhode Island affiliate of the NFB, and I serve as a member of the legislative team. My dream in life is to serve in government and provide a voice for people like us who have long been overlooked. This investment in my future will help get me one step closer to making that dream a reality. Thank you.
Bri Broadwater, Maryland, New Jersey. Bri will be seeking a career as a psychologist: I have been of the mindset that your life is your own, and you do with it what you choose. So that's what I do. I'm a base and tumbler on my school's cheer team, I'm an amateur baker, and I really enjoy rock climbing and hiking. I've had so many people help me during this time, so I want to help other people through volunteering with special education, helping out in my community, mentoring other blind students like myself, and now pursuing a career in psychology. I want to give back to the world like the world has given to me.
Sean Carlson, Oregon, Oregon. Sean is looking forward to a career in rehab, specifically as a teacher of blind students: Greetings. It's an honor to have been selected as a national scholarship finalist. When I joined the NFB in January 2019, I was simply seeking connection with other blind individuals like myself. What I found was a movement of successful and inspirational people doing so much good in the blind movement that I wanted to join in. I'm currently president of the Oregon student division, and the vice president of the Portland Central Chapter. After hearing about the 70 percent unemployment or underemployment of us in the blind community, I decided to switch my college major. I decided to pursue degrees which would enable me to lead and inspire others to show them that blindness is not an obstacle to becoming a successful person and leading a dignified, independent life. Thank you.
Natalie Charbonneau, Oregon, Oregon. Natalie is going into animal genetics and conservation: I'm stepping off the path of societal expectations that I've been traveling to pursue a career in conservation and animal genetics. My ultimate goal is to work at a university conducting research and teaching, allowing me to apply skills from my previous career path combined with my passion for animals and conservation, to actively model and continue advocating for true inclusivity and access in higher education.
Moreblessings Chikavanga, Texas, Texas. Moreblessings is looking forward to a career in law: Hello. A little bit about myself. I enjoy being an engaged citizen. I love helping people as the president of the local Leo's Club. In my high school I enjoyed volunteering by fundraising for a local children's home. I graduated from LCB in 2018, where I became more confident and met a lot of great role models. To give back to my blind community, I have worked as a buddy counselor last summer and have been participating in the Texas Affiliate since. I have a passion in diversity and inclusion, and I love advocacy work. With that being said, this summer I have had an opportunity to work at the Iowa Department for the Blind as a summer youth counselor, where I work with students with multiple disabilities teaching cane travel and technology to enforce independence and self-advocacy. I'm honored to be one of the 2020 finalists.
Cayte Mendez: This next finalist is one of the five finalists whose birthdays are in April. Apparently April is a really good month for having a birthday if you want to be a 2020 scholarship finalist.
Kevin Darcy, Colorado, Colorado. Kevin is looking forward to a career as a professor of anthropology: The life I want is to be an anthropologist. When I was told that blind people can't become anthropologists, I didn't let blindness hold me back. When I was told that blind people shouldn't do research in developing areas of the world, blindness didn't hold me back. I refused to become society's image of a blind person. Even so, I recognized that my identity as a white male comes with privileges and access to opportunities and resources that other blind people may not have. One of my professional goals is to shape public policy to increase access and opportunities for other blind students, and I've begun doing that through my work at CU Boulder.
Matthew Duffell-Hoffman, South Carolina, South Carolina. Matthew is looking forward to a career in electrical engineering: Hello everyone. A little about me: I am an athlete. In high school I was captain of both the wrestling team and the cross country team, and I now do jujitsu. I have volunteered at the NFB BELL Academy and at the NFB of SC's Rocky Bottom Children's Camp for the Blind. I'm currently working at our program called Summer Teen. My career aspiration is to be an entrepreneur and start a business converting ordinary cars into accessible self-driving cars, which comes from my personal desire to own a self-driving Dodge Viper.
Paxton Franke, North Dakota, North Dakota. Paxton will be getting his degree in biology and heading into a career in forensic pathology: I am at my very nature a curious person. I am passionate about my curiosity through the study of chemistry and physics. There is no better feeling for me than spending twenty minutes on a chemistry problem and finally understanding one of the mechanisms that make up this beautiful world. I want to further my understanding through the practice of forensic pathology and not only sustain my curiosity but contribute to a future that I would be happy to be a part of.
Elaine Hardin, Georgia, California. Elaine will be pursuing a degree in higher education with the goal of working in higher ed student affairs: Hi everyone. It's an honor to be here. I just graduated from Vanderbilt University, where I studied special education, taught and mentored in public schools as a student teacher, and served in several leadership positions. These experiences made me aware of inequities in education, and I'm dedicated to making a difference. This summer I'm beginning a one-year master's program in student affairs administration at UCLA. In my career I hope to have a big impact on the lives of students and on equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in higher education.
Kat Hippe, Wisconsin, Michigan. Kat will be pursuing a career in languages and special education: I just want to say thank you so much for this opportunity. It means a lot to me. I will be pursuing special education in foreign languages because I believe in advocating for other students who are underrepresented. In other countries they don't have as many opportunities as we do. So by getting a certification in foreign languages and special education, I can hopefully go over and represent the children who cannot be represented as well because I believe that everyone deserves a chance to live life to the fullest. Thank you.
Emily Kiehl, Ohio, Ohio. Emily will be pursuing a career in technology and business: Outside my information technology classes, I play tuba, oboe, and saxophone in several bands at the University of Cincinnati. I'm also a software developer who has gone to hack-a-thons across the country and presented at the world's largest consumer electronics show. I got involved with the NFB after having a blast volunteering at the BELL camp last summer. Now I'm on the board of the Ohio Association of Blind Students. Thank you so much for this opportunity.
Josh Loebner, Tennessee, South Carolina. Josh will be pursuing his PhD in rhetoric and communications with the goal of working in advertising and as a professor: The NFB scholarship allows me to continue my PhD, advancing research and advocacy for disability in advertising. I serve on the Mosaic Council, the ad industry's premier think tank for diversity and inclusion, and mentor disabled students interested in pursuing careers in advertising, media, and entertainment. While positive strides have been made, more needs to be done to include people with disabilities. My career goal is to develop the first textbook and college course dedicated to teaching advertising and disability inclusion. Advertising is powerful. So is the disability community.
Sara Luna, Illinois, Illinois. Sara is entering a career in museum accessibility: I would wager that most of you in attendance have visited a history museum at some point. Perhaps like me you were disappointed by the overwhelmingly visual experience. The intent of museums is to preserve history and educate the public. Personally, studying history has vastly increased my understanding and appreciation of my African-American and Mexican heritage. Therefore, I intend to work to help make museums a more accessible space so that everyone may learn from these incredible institutions. Thank you.
Victor Marques, Michigan, Michigan. Victor will be entering a career in vision rehab therapy: I would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to be a finalist this year. I'm a graduate student at Western Michigan University. If everything goes well in April, I will graduate summa cum laude with my master's degree. I am a professional musician. I am heavily involved with Toastmasters International, and I also work as a patient services coordinator at a free health clinic, where I help patients overcome barriers to accessing healthcare. My main goal as a rehabilitation professional is to provide quality comprehensive services so that my consumers can live the lives that they choose without limits. Thank you.
Griffin Miller, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. Griffin intends to pursue a career as an actuary: Hello, I'm Griffin. I'm pursuing a career as an actuary. I've always been interested in math since I was young and always been in advanced math classes for my age. I actually took algebra one in third grade. In addition to that, I have been interested in technology for the blind. There's another blind student at my school who I help with technology, and I also participate in the choir.
Jillian Milton, New Jersey, Pennsylvania. Jillian will be pursuing a career in product development: Hi. As a legally blind student I am proud to have graduated twelfth in a class of about four hundred students. I became the first student in the nation to test with dual screens on multiple standardized tests. For the past four years I have participated in competitive sports like marching band and track that helped break barriers for other students with disabilities. I was an elected officer in the music and science honor societies. My volunteerism includes kayaking and open water swims and the BELL camp. In college I would like to study engineering or computer science to create technology products that are accessible for all.
Brian Mucyo, Arizona, New York. Brian will be entering a career in human rights law: I would like to start off by thanking the committee for this great opportunity to be a finalist this year. I just graduated from Grand Canyon University with an honors bachelor's in finance and economics. I was actually also named the top student for our college of business, so once our graduation is rescheduled, I'll be giving the commencement speech. Among other things in the past year I have been serving on the student board of the Arizona affiliate and on the board of the Guide Dogs for the Blind chapter in Phoenix. I am currently working with a business consulting firm, where we're actively working to help businesses navigate and survive this pandemic. In the fall I start my new chapter going to law school, where I hope to gain more experience and resources to be an even better advocate.
Cayte: Our scholarship class this year spans exactly three decades. Our youngest scholarship finalist is the next one I'm going to introduce. She is still seventeen and will be turning eighteen at the end of this month. Our most senior finalist is forty-seven, so just exactly thirty years between.
Marissa Nissley, New Jersey, District of Columbia. Marissa will be getting a degree in economics and entering a career in law: Hello everyone. Throughout high school I served as captain of my school's mock trial team, and for the first time this year our team placed third in the state. I served as vice president of my local DECA chapter, where I not only competed in business role-play events but also organized community fundraisers for several charities. Next year I plan to attend Georgetown University and major in economics with the goal of attending law school after undergrad. Thank you, and I'm honored to be an NFB scholarship finalist.
Sherry Pablo, California, California. Sherry will be pursuing a career in health policy and management: Ten years ago I unexpectedly lost my sight after graduating from college. My journey since then has included teaching myself how to read Braille, volunteering with seniors, providing health education to youth in a clinic, and most recently leading a team in a statewide program addressing the opioid epidemic. With a master's in public health from UC Berkeley, I plan to improve accessibility and promote equity within healthcare systems and in health policy. Thank you so much for this opportunity and investment in my future.
Cayte: Our next finalist is a tenBroek Fellow. The tenBroek fellowships are awarded to scholarship finalists who have previously won a National Federation of the Blind scholarship, and they are named after the first president of the NFB, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek. So let me introduce you to Precious Perez.
Precious Perez, Massachusetts, Massachusetts. Precious will be entering a career in music education: Hi everyone. This is an honor, so thank you to the scholarship committee. I'm a vocalist, songwriter, and music educator. I'm a first generation college student, a Puerto Rican woman with anxiety from a low income family. I'm the first blind student to study music education at Berkelee and the first blind student to study abroad at a Valencia [College] campus. My goal is to break down barriers for blind educators and performers to lead by example in the mainstream setting. I represent multiple communities, so I will strive to teach my students beauty and diversity. Music is unity; education is power, and I will use both to abolish blindness stereotypes. Thank you.
Teresita Rios, California, Indiana. Teresita will be pursuing a career in law: I was born in Mexico and moved to the US at the age of eleven. I would not be as academically inclined if not for my parents. In high school through mock trial I fell in love with the founding documents of this nation. Throughout college I volunteered and interned in different legal resource centers which cemented my interest in the law. Graduating cum laude with honors from UCL, today I am thrilled to say that I am attending law school in the fall, and in three years I will be better equipped to at least in part pay my parents for their countless sacrifices and have a deeper understanding of the US Constitution. Thank you so very much for helping me achieve my dream. Thank you.
Cayte: So before we introduce this next scholarship finalist, I would just like to say that our class is representative of twenty-six states. Some folks represent two states because of their home state and their school state. This next finalist will be representing one state and that is the state of Nebraska.
Dannielle Schutz, Nebraska, Nebraska. Danielle will be pursuing a degree in biological systems engineering and will be pursuing a career in medical research: I have received many academic and athletic awards throughout my high school career. I have shown goats and pigs for eleven years through 4H and FFA. At the University of Nebraska, I plan to study biological systems engineering. As a medical scientist I plan to research genetic eye disorders. I was born with a rare form of Stargardt disease. My doctors inspired me to follow a path that would combine my love of science with my desire to improve the lives of others.
Nick Spohn, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania. Nick will be pursuing a career in mechanical engineering: I became visually impaired right before my ninth grade school year. I have led others by example through my hard work and dedication. I was one of the students involved in advocating for the college board to administer proper accommodations during this year's AP exams. Everyone should have an equal opportunity when it comes to education. My career goal is to become a mechanical engineer and make an impact on society.
Logan Stenzel, Minnesota, Minnesota. Logan will be entering the field of finance and technology entrepreneurship: Mixing technical and communication skills is essential to life as a blind person. Being able to come up with clever solutions to access issues is essential to success as a blind person and for the entire blind community. As a high school debater, I utilized these skills to achieve competitive success, unanimously winning the Minnesota state debate championship while advocating for more inclusive practices in debate. I'm grateful for the NFB scholarship for allowing me to continue this work into college.
Marie Villaneda, Indiana, Indiana. Marie will be pursuing a career as an orientation and mobility instructor: As we all know, it is very important for blind youth to connect with and learn from blind adults. This is one driving factor in my passion to address the shortage of blind orientation and mobility instructors. I worked for four years with youth at the Indiana School for the Blind, and I have been involved with the NFB since 2017 through conventions and Washington Seminar. I look forward to a continued engagement with the Federation and sincerely appreciate the investment in my future.
Shane Wegner, Minnesota, Minnesota. Shane will be undertaking a career in corporate law: What could be more exciting than a career in corporate law? Yeah, I've never heard anybody say that. No. It's not exciting. But you want to know what it is: how corporate America views diversity and inclusion. Has anyone noticed what group of people are not represented? Well, it's you and me, people with a disability. That bothers me. I want that to change. That is why I am excited about corporate law. I want to drive that change for people like us. Thank you to the scholarship committee and the board of directors for giving me this opportunity.
Alek Wolfe, Vermont, Vermont. Alek will be pursuing a career in broadcasting: Hi, thank you for this incredible honor. A very important quote that my basketball coach told me when I first got into radio was, "You live and you learn." Through my time in radio I've gotten the opportunity to give back to my community, a very important part of that being a community garden and being able to broadcast on live radio a soccer tournament in honor of a resident who had passed away from a car accident. Since then I have been able to give to many charities in her name and through radio. With this scholarship I hope to continue the work through radio and give back to the community, and I want to thank the committee for letting me be here and continue my work in giving back to the community.
Brayan Zamarripa, Oklahoma, Oklahoma. Brayan will be entering the field of media production and accessibility: Hello everybody. Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I am primarily a musician. I play guitar, violin, and a bit of voice too. I compose in many different genres and do a little bit of production as well. I also do testing for music software and accessibility in order to provide access for all who use it. Outside of music I am the secretary for my state NFB affiliate, and I also serve on committees in my local chapter. I love studying languages. I speak four of them. And I'm really looking forward to getting to know everyone.
Cayte Mendez: Mr. President, this concludes the presentation of the 2020 scholarship class.
At the virtual banquet during the 2020 NFB National Convention, Cayte Mendez presented this year's NFB National Scholarship winners.
Cayte Mendez: For the past few years, it's been my privilege to stand at the podium on banquet night and celebrate the tremendous achievements of our NFB scholars. Each year the thirty students selected by the community impress us all with their drive and the desire to live their best lives and to improve the lives of others. Throughout the convention the members of the organization get to know them through their public presentations at the meeting of NABS (National Association of Blind Students), the board meeting, and through interacting with them in the hallways and during meetings.
From year to year our scholarship winners are stars of the convention experience. It's been my privilege for the last few years to introduce them to all of you. This spring, even before the official decision was made to take the convention virtual, President Riccobono, the Scholarship Committee, and I had already begun thinking about how we could make sure our 2020 scholarship finalists could be guaranteed the best convention experience possible under the unique and challenging conditions in which we all suddenly found ourselves. We made it a priority to ensure that each of the thirty scholarship finalists would have the most impactful, engaging, and interactive experience we could create as they got to know the committee and the Federation through the various convention events and their surrounding networking and social opportunities.
We knew that the true gift of the NFB scholarship program is the Federation itself, above and beyond the dollar amounts, and we were determined to ensure that the 2020 finalists would get to experience everything that our organization has to offer.
I'm so pleased to tell you all that this amazing group of finalists has dived into our remote convention experience with the kind of gusto and enthusiasm that I've always admired in our scholarship winners. They've immersed themselves deeply into our convention activities throughout the past week and have shared their questions and feedback with their mentors via Zoom, text, WhatsApp, email, and a few good old-fashioned phone calls. They've stayed connected to the committee and to one another, and they've forged new friendships and contacts throughout these past five days. Despite the time differences and the long hours behind devices, they've carried on the perennial scholarship tradition of twenty-hour-plus days with very little sleep as they have soaked up Federation philosophy, community, and activism.
To you guys, the scholarship class of 2020, we've all been delighted to get to know you. You've impressed me, the committee, and the membership of the organization with your tremendous stories of struggle and success, your passion for diversity and inclusion, and your commitment to advancing the future of others as well as achieving your own lofty goals.
I am really sorry to see that our time together is drawing to a close. However, this just means that we'll have more things to learn about one another and to share with one another when we do finally get a chance to meet in person.
Back in May we announced that travel and public health restrictions permitting, there will be an in-person event for all the 2020 scholarship finalists in February 2021. That will be taking place in Baltimore. The details for this event are still in the works, but we know how important it is for the members of each scholarship class to develop in-person connections with one another, with their mentors on the committee, as well as with other Federation members and leaders. The money that you guys will all win as scholarship finalists will eventually be spent. But the relationships that you'll build with one another and with the members of the Federation as a part of your scholarship process will last for a lifetime. And to give you an example, I'm still friends with my scholarship roommate, and that was nineteen years ago! So right now, our in-person event is scheduled for the weekend of February 4, 2021. Please save that date. Dr. Kurzweil, that might be a lovely time to do that handshake that you were lamenting having missed this evening.
As you all know, each year our thirty NFB scholarships range in value from $3,000 to $12,000. These scholarships are also augmented by additional grants and prizes, so that at a minimum each winner leaves our convention with $5,000 plus gifts including a beautiful plaque from Dr. Kurzweil and the Kurzweil Foundation and a Chromebook from Google. In the video we aired earlier this evening, we thanked our generous donors and partners for their support. But I'm going to take this opportunity to say it once more: thank you. Thank you so much. Your support helps make it possible for these future leaders and scholars to achieve their dreams and to live the lives they want. So, sincerely, from all of us, thank you.
Traditionally the determination of which of the thirty finalists will receive the eight scholarships with base values exceeding $3,000 has been made on the final night of convention, after a week where the finalists get to know the scholarship committee and the committee members get to know each of the finalists. This year, given the challenges and potential inequities of adhering to our usual protocol, the decision was made to award our scholarships a little differently. In May we announced that each finalist who participated fully in the remote convention will be receiving a $3,000 scholarship plus all the additional cash and prizes. The determination of which finalist would be awarded the eight amounts exceeding $3,000, including our prestigious Kenneth Jernigan Memorial Scholarship, will be made at the in-person event in February, where, again, public health and travel permitting, the committee and other Federation members in attendance will be able to get to know each of these inspiring scholars without the barriers of screens and headphones and weird internet stuff.
In closing this evening I have the honor to introduce one more time in full the scholarship class of 2020. Now, usually at this point when I start reading names, I'd have to tell you please hold your applause and please wait to cheer. But this year, because you're all in webinar mode, I definitely encourage you to cheer, hoot, holler, scream, yell, and carry on as loud as you please while I read the names of our fabulous 2020 scholarship winners. I'll read everybody's name, first name, last name, home state, school state, and vocational goal.
Deiascha-Britte Bancayanvega, Rhode Island, California, healthcare inclusion.
Rob Blachowicz, Arkansas, Arkansas, counseling.
Chris Bove, Rhode Island, Rhode Island, public service.
Bri Broadwater, Maryland, New Jersey, psychology.
Sean Carlson, Oregon, Oregon, teacher of blind students.
Natalie Charbonneau, Oregon, Oregon, animal genetics and conservation.
Moreblessings Chikavanga, Texas, Texas, law and policy.
Kevin Darcy, Colorado, Colorado, professor of anthropology.
Matthew Duffell-Hoffman, South Carolina, South Carolina, electrical engineering.
Paxton Franke, North Dakota, North Dakota, forensic pathology.
Elaine Hardin, Georgia, California, higher education student administration.
Kat Hippe, Wisconsin, Michigan, linguistics and special education.
Emily Kiehl, Ohio, Ohio, technology and business.
Josh Loebner, Tennessee, South Carolina, advertising and academic faculty.
Sara Luna, Illinois, Illinois, museum accessibility.
Victor Marques, Michigan, Michigan, rehabilitation.
Griffin Miller, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, actuary.
Jillian Milton, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, software product development.
Brian Mucyo, Arizona, New York, human rights law.
Marissa Nissley, New Jersey, District of Columbia, law.
Sherry Pablo, California, California, health policy and management.
Precious Perez, (a tenBroek Fellow, congratulations Precious on your second NFB scholarship), Massachusetts, Massachusetts, music education.
Teresita Rios, California, Indiana, law.
Dannielle Schutz, Nebraska, Nebraska, biomedical research.
Nick Spohn, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, mechanical engineering.
Logan Stenzel, Minnesota, Minnesota, finance and entrepreneurship.
Marie Villaneda, Indiana, Indiana, orientation and mobility instructor.
Shane Wegner, Minnesota, Minnesota, corporate law.
Alek Wolfe, Vermont, Vermont, broadcasting.
Brayan Zamarripa, Oklahoma, Oklahoma, media production accessibility.
Folks, I hope you're still cheering and making a ton of noise, banging your cups and plates and cutlery—whatever you have—in celebration of the scholarship class of 2020. See you all in February!
From the Editor: Family Game Night has become a popular event at the NFB National Convention. Usually families gather in an ample meeting room lined with tables to play familiar games such as Scrabble, Monopoly, and Uno, and to discover new games recently adapted to be fully accessible. COVID-19 did not defeat Family Game Night this year. Although gamers couldn't sit at tables together, rolling dice or shuffling cards, they found ways to play an assortment of exciting games virtually.
In addition to playing games, parents and kids were invited to enter a chat room where they shared ideas for creating accessible games. This article is based on the ideas that were recorded during this chat session.
Many classic board games are available in accessible versions from sources such as American Printing House for the Blind (APH) and the NFB Independence Market. Here is a partial list:
Scrabble
Monopoly
Chess
Connect 4
Checkers
Backgammon
With a bit of time and ingenuity, it's fairly straightforward to make most store-bought games fully accessible. Add Braille to game cards with a Perkins Brailler or a slate and stylus. Wikki Stix, puff paint, clear Dymo tape, or found objects such as bottle caps, paper clips, and buttons can transform a flat playing board into a world of three dimensions. The investment of an hour or two of effort can lead to years of enjoyment for the whole family.
It's a good idea to keep a supply of tools and materials on hand for those times when an inaccessible board game crosses your threshold. Here is a list of supplies that will help you adapt games at home:
Matte Graphic Tape
Sticky-Backed Velcro
Puff Paint (it takes from 24 to 48 hours to dry)
Wikki Stix
Clear Label Paper, available from American Thermoform
Clear Dymo Label Tape
Feel and Peel Stickers, available from American Printing House for the Blind (APH)
If you want to go more high tech, explore the Thingiverse 3D Printing and Laser-Cut Game Expansions.
The numbers on ordinary dice are easy to feel, so many dice games need little or no adaptation to be accessible. For those who have trouble reading the indented dots on standard dice, dice with raised dots can be purchased from sources such as the NFB Independence Market. Here is a short list of dice games that you and your children can play together:
Farkle
Yahtzee
Cootie (rolling dice to build a plastic bug)
The number of games you and your children can play with an ordinary deck of cards is almost infinite. You can buy Braille cards from sources such as the NFB Independence Market, or you can simply make your own by adding Braille at the corners of each card in a standard print deck. Here is a short list of card games you may enjoy:
UNO
Crazy Eights
Go Fish!
In a Pickle
War
Most of us are familiar with the Bop It, a mainstream toy that has been available for many years. Bop It provides verbal instructions and sound cues that allow blind players to challenge themselves, gaining speed and dexterity as they reach more advanced levels. Bop It is just one of the many electronic games that blind children can enjoy off the shelf. Here are a few more:
Simon Air
Turbo Twist Math, or Leap Frog
Gas Out
64 Oz. Games
http://64ozgames.com/
Blog: http://64ozgames.com/blog/
Kits for making commercially available games fully accessible.
American Printing House for the Blind
www.aph.org
Contact: 800-223-1839
A variety of puzzles, building kits, audible balls, and more. Most products from APH can be purchased by school districts through Quota Funds.
American Thermoform
www.americanthermoform.com
Contact: 800-331-3676
[email protected]
Sells clear adhesive tape for labeling.
Audio Games
audiogames.net
An archive of audio games and reviews, articles on blind-accessible games, a forum to support the audiogaming community, a submit-a-game functionality that allows users to submit new games, and links to resources in the field.
Easy Roller Dice Company
https://easyrollerdice.com
Contact: 888-669-8219
[email protected]
Sells a variety of dice and accessories for narrative games such as Dungeons and Dragons.
Fat Brain Toys
https://www.fatbraintoys.com/toys/toy_categories/
Evaluates commercially available games for accessibility and appeal to children with a variety of disabilities and learning differences.
Future Aids: The Braille Superstore
www.braillebookstore.com
Contact: 800-987-1231
A wide selection of accessible games including Parcheesi, Chinese Checkers, Snakes and Ladders, Monopoly, and Scrabble.
Hape Toys
https://www.hape.com
Contact: 800-661-4142
[email protected]
Games and toys that encourage creative play, including dollhouses, train sets, magnetic mazes, and musical toys.
NFB Independence Market
https://nfb.org/independence-market
Contact: [email protected]
410-659-9314, Extension 2216
Braille playing cards and games including chess, checkers, backgammon, dominoes, Sodoku, Nine Men's Morris, and Fox and Geese, as well as tape and buttons for labeling. Braille and print catalogs available on request.
As a proud division of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) works to support the NFB and its initiatives. In turn, the NFB provides vital support and resources to the NOPBC as well as to parents and blind children who are not yet members of the NOPBC or the NFB. One way members support the NFB is by joining the PAC Plan (Preauthorized Check Plan).
Projects funded by the PAC Plan include free literature on blindness, the Free White Cane program, the Free Slate and Stylus program, the Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy® program for blind children, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programs for blind youth, and funding for legal battles to ensure educational and civil rights for blind people of all ages.
Each year at our National Convention, NFB divisions compete for the PAC Mule, an award presented to the division with the most members who increase an existing pledge or start a new PAC Plan pledge during National Convention.
Though we were physically distanced in our first-ever online NFB National Convention, we still gathered to meet, share, and support one another. We also gathered to show our appreciation for the unwavering support we receive from the National Federation of the Blind. With support from families and allies of blind children from across the nation, the NOPBC won the PAC Mule this year! This achievement brings the NOPBC PAC Mule herd to six, representing our love for and investment in the National Federation of the Blind. NOPBC was awarded the PAC Mule in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, and again in 2020.
The NFB is the organization that believes in our children and remains dedicated to helping us provide them with the blindness skills they need to LIVE THE LIVES THEY WANT.
Alexander Pope wrote, "As the twig is bent, so is the tree inclined." These words are the inspiration behind the title of the Twig Award, which we bestow to honor those whose work has influenced the direction in which our children grow.
The board of the NOPBC has established a new membership tier, Twig Membership. This new membership tier is named after our Twig Award.
The NOPBC Twig Membership fee is $12 per year. Benefits of Twig Membership include:
Again, annual NOPBC membership runs from July 1 through June 30, regardless of when the annual dues are paid.
New Twig members may join at (https://nopbc.org/join)
Speaking Up and Branching Out
National Association of Blind Students (NABS)
https://nabslink.org
Contact: Kinshuk Tella at [email protected]
Dates: January 9-10, 2021
Deadline for Registration: December 15, 2020
Location: Virtual
Terrified of public speaking? Have experience but are excited to refine your skills? NABS is excited to launch its first-ever virtual NABS At Large seminar, focused on encouraging students to own their voices. The conference is designed to empower blind students to sharpen their public speaking skills. It hopes to equip attendees with self-confidence to advocate effectively in academic and everyday life.
2020-2021 Braille Readers Are Leaders
https://actionfund.org/BRAL
Contact: 410-659-9315
Registration period: November 1, 2020 to January 18, 2021
Contest Reading Period: December 1, 2020 to January 18, 2021
Join the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults and the National Federation of the Blind in this contest to promote Braille. K-12 students and adults learning Braille across the US compete for seven weeks to read the most Braille pages, going against participants in similar contest categories. Top readers in each category win cash prizes, and all participants will receive a gift bag at the end of the contest. Additional awards are given to students who face barriers to learning Braille and demonstrate great determination in their journey to literacy, such as being an English language learner or having disabilities in addition to blindness. Join us as we continue to promote Braille throughout the nation, a cornerstone mission of the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults and the National Federation of the Blind.
NFB National Scholarships
https://nfb.org/scholarships
Contact: [email protected]
Application Deadline: March 31, 2021
The annual scholarship program of the National Federation of the Blind is the largest of its kind in the United States. Every year more than $120,000 is awarded to blind scholars across the United States and Puerto Rico in recognition of their achievements and professional aspirations. Thanks to our generous partners, more than twenty merit-based scholarships are available, ranging from $3,000 to $12,000. All scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, community service, and leadership. Scholarship finalists attend the NFB National Convention in July, when 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. Applicants must be legally blind in both eyes; must reside in the United States or Puerto Rico; must be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, postsecondary course of study in a degree-granting program in the fall of 2021; and must participate in the entire NFB national convention and all of its scheduled scholarship program activities.
Education Technology Survey
https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/legal-program/education-technology-survey
As a result of schools shifting to virtual instruction to minimize the dangers of COVID-19, blind students may encounter increased accessibility barriers. Your feedback is critical. The National Federation of the Blind gathers information regarding the accessibility of virtual instruction and educational technology used by our nation's schools (kindergarten through graduate level). This provides valuable data for our advocacy and legal efforts. 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 and contribute to our important research.
NFB Science and Engineering Division Survey on STEM Student Experiences in Higher Education
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfMPK9xwm9gwcGvnSUMEWKvjmfy0noNa4xMGI63PDKpurUeiw/viewform
Contact: Don Winiecki, 208-426-1899
[email protected]
If you are or have been a student in a STEM major in higher education, the Science and Engineering Division of the NFB would like to hear from you. The division has designed a survey to help you share your experience as a STEM student. The information will be used to help other students choose the best schools for their studies and to help colleges and universities improve their support for blind and low-vision students.
Teachers of Tomorrow
https://www.nfb.org/programs-services/education/teachers-tomorrow
Teachers of Tomorrow is an immersive professional development program that connects teachers of blind and low-vision students with the lived experiences of blind people, equipping participants with knowledge about the skills and attitudes that can help blind students thrive in school and beyond. The program is free to participants thanks to a partnership between the National Federation of the Blind and the Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation. If you are preparing for a career in teaching blind students or if you are an early career educator looking to enhance your teaching, then the National Federation of the Blind invites you to apply for a spot in the first cohort. The program will begin in January 2021 and will continue with monthly sessions throughout the year. Sessions will address Braille literacy, orientation and mobility, access technology, accessible STEM instruction, diversity, and other topics that participants wish to explore. The perspective centers on the blind community, drawing upon the expertise of blind mentors and teachers experienced with integrating this approach into their work with students and families.
The Blind History Lady
www.smashwords.com
Contact: [email protected]
Did you know that a blind man was president of a bank in New Mexico for more than twenty-five years; a blind woman wrote several cookbooks, had her own cooking show in San Francisco, and started a frozen food business; or that a blind man invented cruise control? The Blind History Lady has many stories to tell and can provide blind children with a host of topics to research. We have blind ancestors who led their community and our nation. Some have been farmers while others founded businesses that long outlived their blind founder. Peggy Chong has spent decades collecting material about blind women and men who have made a difference. You can explore her website at smashwords.com or email her to subscribe to her monthly newsletter.
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