American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Special Issue: The Federation in Partnership LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
The Power of Partnership
by Deborah Kent Stein
When a new member joins a chapter of the National Federation of the Blind, they receive a special gift. It is a coin with the NFB logo on one side and a word in Braille on the other. The word is written in contracted Braille as the letters t g r, which means together. The word together embodies the work of the National Federation of the Blind that has spanned more than eight decades.
In its early years the Federation brought together a scattered collection of local and state organizations of blind people. Jacobus tenBroek and other early leaders recognized that blind people could only gain equality, security, and opportunity by working in concert. In the early 1950s the Federation scored a major victory when job opportunities in the federal civil service were finally opened up to blind applicants. In the 1960s state affiliates worked with legislators to pass a series of White Cane Laws, ensuring that blind people had full access to public spaces.
In the 1970s inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil approached NFB President Kenneth Jernigan with the radical idea of creating a machine that could read the printed page aloud. Dr. Kurzweil's reading machine, the world's first OCR scanner, tore down print barriers and transformed life for blind people everywhere. In the years that followed the Federation has built partnerships with other developers to make certain that blind people will have access to everything from personal computers to public kiosks.
As members of the NFB we work constantly to build partnerships that will help blind individuals and the blind community as a whole. Through the NFB BELL® Academies, blind adults mentor blind children and reach out to parents. Federationists partner with parents to advocate for blind children at IEP meetings. We partner with legislators to pass local, state, and federal laws that will benefit the blind community.
This issue of Future Reflections focuses on the many facets of partnership developed by the NFB. Karen Anderson and Anil Lewis write about two important NFB programs, BELL Academy and Teachers of Tomorrow. Casey West Robertson discusses the value of the NFB training centers and the Federation's partnership with RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) to help blind persons stay safe. Carla Keirns shares her experience as a parent advocating for legislation that will help her son and other blind persons. Brenda Lopez shares her experience with blind mentors who helped her young son become confident and independent.
Partnership is so central to the values of the NFB that this issue of Future Reflections can scarcely do the topic justice. With that disclaimer, we hope you will enjoy this issue and find ways to become a partner in our movement.