American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Convention 2020 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Necessity: The Mother of Invention
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!