Volume 43, Number 1 Winter 2024
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 © 2024 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]
Join us for the biggest event of the year! Start planning your trip now!
Wednesday, July 3 through Monday, July 8, 2024
Orlando, Florida at the Rosen Centre
If this will be your first convention or if you need a refresh, access our First Timer's Guide. (https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/first-timers-guide).
For 2024 Convention room reservations, please call the hotel at (800) 204-7234. Ask for the NFB Convention block. Here are important things to know about the rates and booking the room:
Rates: Our 2024 convention room rate for singles and doubles is $129. The room rate for triples and quads is $139.
Taxes and Deposit: Occupancy taxes and surcharges are an additional 13.5 percent.
There is no charge for children under eighteen if no extra bed is requested.
At the time you make a reservation, a deposit of $146 is required for each room reserved. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card immediately, just as would be the case with a $146 check.
Cancellations: If a reservation is cancelled before Saturday, June 1, 2024, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise, refunds will not be made.
To assure yourself a room in the headquarters hotel at convention rates, you should make reservations early. The hotel will be ready to take your call beginning January 1.
Online registration for convention will open in March. Registration will be $25 per person plus $75 per banquet ticket. Register early, because prices go up if you register on site in Orlando. Registration includes the biggest event of the year, access to the event app, and communications on the latest news and events.
Door prizes are submitted from state affiliates, local chapters, and individuals. Prizes should be small in size but large in value—at least $25. Cash is always appropriate and welcome. Please do not include alcohol. Drawings will occur throughout the convention sessions, with a grand prize of truly impressive proportions drawn at the banquet. If you have a prize that must be shipped in advance of the convention, please email affiliate president Paul Martinez at [email protected] to make arrangements.
Over two hundred sessions and meetings happen during Convention. If you are the leader of a division, committee, or group that will meet at Convention, please don't wait to organize. Start planning your agenda, goals, and connections now. Stay tuned for details from the Convention Chair, John Berggren.
Thank you to the hundreds of volunteers who help make the NFB National Convention a big success. If you are interested in learning more about how to get involved, please connect with your state affiliate president. Register early to get access to all volunteer opportunities.
The best collection of exhibits featuring new technology; meetings of our special interest groups, committees, and divisions; the most stimulating and provocative program items of any meeting of the blind in the world; the chance to renew friendships in our Federation family; and the unparalleled opportunity to be where the real action is and where decisions are being made—all of this means you will not want to miss being a part of the 2024 National Convention. We can't wait to be with you in Orlando in July. Visit nfb.org/convention for more convention details.
LEARNING AND TEACHING
Helping Out: How Chores at Home May Pave the Way to Future Employment for Blind Youth
by Julie Deden
Hands On? Hands Off!
by Carlton Anne Cook Walker
Why the NFB Is Bringing STEM to You
by Ashleigh Moon
The Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School: Coupling Progressive Leadership with the Incredible Power of Music in Education
by Dalia M. Sakas
THE PATH TO EMPLOYMENT
We Have Work to Do: Reflections on Changing the Blind Employment Paradigm
by Mary Fernandez
Discovering My Passion: How My Life Experience Led Me to Become a School Social Worker
by Jhaliyah Anderson
TECHNOLOGY
Teaching and Learning in Google Classroom: An Accessibility Review
by Breean Cox and Sebastian Wcislo
PERSPECTIVES
Navigating Invisible Disabilities Alongside Blindness: A Discussion Moderated by Seyoon Choi and Isabel Rosario
Beach
by Mia Barone
REVIEWS
Sense of Play
by Dana Meachen Rau, Reviewed by Barbara Cheadle
The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight
by Andrew Leland, Reviewed by Deborah Kendrick
NOPBC NEWS
Meet Cassie McKinney, The New NOPBC President
Welcome to the 2024 NOPBC Convention
by Cassie McKinney
WHAT'S HAPPENING?
The 2024 Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award
by Carla McQuillan
Expanding Possibilities through Teachers of Tomorrow
by Anil Lewis
Ring the BELLS in 2024!
Summer Programs Equip Blind Teens for Success
by Julie Deden
Braille Books Program: Empowering Minds and Fostering Literacy
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 Julie Deden
From the Editor: Most parents assume that their children will take on responsibilities around the house as they grow older. Preschoolers are taught to pick up their toys, school-age kids set the table or take out the garbage, and teens mow the lawn, run errands, and help care for younger siblings. When a child is blind, however, this natural progression often gets derailed. For an assortment of reasons, blind children are seldom expected to do household chores. Julie Deden, director of the Colorado Center for the Blind, surveyed a group of blind teens in one of her programs, asking them about their experiences helping out at home. In this article, she writes about the results and their implications.
I grew up as a blind child, and today I work as the director of the Colorado Center for the Blind (CCB). At the CCB we teach blind young people and adults skills such as home management and independent travel, and we attempt to prepare them to become gainfully employed. Our students who have been blind from an early age often come to us with woefully limited experience with cooking, cleaning, and yard work. I have come to believe that there is a strong correlation between doing chores as a child and the expectation of holding a job as an adult.
Most children are natural imitators. When they see their parents sweeping the floor or raking leaves, they eagerly try to do the same thing. Blind kids know that their parents prepare meals, vacuum the carpet, and take care of the yard, but they can't observe visually how these tasks are managed. Parents and caregivers need to find nonvisual ways to teach blind children how to perform the ordinary tasks of everyday life. They may let the child tactually explore household items such as mops and pails or pots and pans. Using the hand-over-hand technique, they can show the child how tasks are done.
Parents need to keep in mind that once is not enough. Sighted children observe adults' activities again and again. Blind children, too, need repetition as they observe and explore, using hearing and touch. Parents are extremely busy people, and in the short term, all of this teaching may seem to be burdensome extra work. In the long term, though, the results will prove well worth the effort.
I remember talking with my mother about how she taught me to tie my shoes. Teaching me the complicated steps of tying a knot and a bow took time and patience. My mother went over the steps with me again and again until I had it all down. Sometimes the lessons were frustrating for us both, but when I finally mastered the process of tying shoelaces it was mine for life.
Fortunately, I was taught to do a variety of chores around the house. I learned to clean the bathroom, wipe the kitchen counters, and run the vacuum cleaner. I started babysitting when I was sixteen, and I worked at a Lions camp for two summers while I was in high school. I benefited tremendously from these experiences. Many blind teens are not so fortunate.
Here at the CCB we find that many blind people had few, if any, opportunities to do chores at home when they were children. Furthermore, few of the blind teens who come to our programs have had the opportunity to babysit or hold after-school or summer jobs. Concerned about these observations, I decided to interview ten of our students who are under the age of twenty-five in order to gather more information.
When they entered the program at the CCB, seven of the ten students I interviewed were strong Braille readers, and six of the ten had good technology skills. All of the students in the group received monthly SSI payments. All of the students in the group indicated that at least one of their parents worked outside the home.
Although most of these students had skills when it came to Braille and technology, their experience with household chores was minimal. One student explained that he did chores as a young child, but he was not expected to help out later on, as his vision declined. Another student said she helped care for her younger siblings, but she did not have any household chores. Four of the ten students said they felt they could not measure up to their sighted siblings and peers when it came to making themselves useful. They said that no expectations were placed upon them, and they felt ashamed for not doing more to be helpful at home. They admitted that they did not know what to do or where to begin.
A notable exception in this group was a student who lost his vision at age seventeen. Before he became blind he was always expected to do chores at home. In addition, he held several jobs during high school, and he even ran a lawn-care business. Of the ten students I interviewed, he was the only one who had ever worked competitively—and he held his jobs while he still had sight.
The good news is that training in blindness skills seems to make a significant difference in the way young people see themselves and their futures. Five of the students I interviewed are currently in college, and three are actively looking for employment.
Few of our students want to move back home with their families after they complete their training in blindness skills. They love the independence they have gained, and they are eager to step out on their own. As they master the skills of preparing meals and cleaning floors, they are learning far more. No longer are they the passive recipients of help. They begin to see themselves as people who can be proactive, who can make meaningful contributions as they move through their lives.
At first my mother didn't know how to teach me to tie my shoes. Yet she understood that I needed to keep up with my sighted peers in mastering the tasks of daily living. Step by step, hit or miss, she found ways to teach me. In the blind community we need to help parents find ways to teach age-appropriate skills to their blind children. We need to help them raise their expectations and bring up their children to become active, contributing members of society.
by Carlton Anne Cook Walker
From the Editor: In her article "Helping Out," which appears elsewhere in this issue of Future Reflections, Julie Deden mentions the use of the "hand-over-hand" technique for teaching tasks to blind and low-vision children. Her reference to this technique launched the two of us into a lively discussion of "hand-over-hand" and "hand-under-hand" teaching methods. Our thoughtful exchange inspired me to reach out to Carlton Anne Cook Walker, who revisited an article she published in the Winter 2015 issue of Future Reflections and brought it up-to-date with her current thinking.
Carlton Walker brings several levels of expertise to her ideas on this important topic. She is an attorney, a teacher of blind and low-vision students, and the parent of a blind child (now a young adult). For many years she served as president of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC), and she now serves as an educational advocate and consultant through her firm, Blindness Education and Advocacy Resources (BEAR). Here are her thoughts about the hand-over-hand and hand-under-hand teaching techniques.
When I trained to become a teacher of the visually impaired (TVI), I discovered that a great deal of teaching was done using hand-over-hand technique. Hand-over-hand is the technique in which a teacher or other adult places his or her hands on the hands of a child and moves the child's hands through the activity that is being taught.
I began to ask myself, "Why am I putting my hands on someone else's hands?" Maybe I'm a bit more sensitive than most people, but I really don't like people to touch my body without asking me first. Now that I've gotten to know so many blind adults, I have come to find out that uninvited touch is part of their daily experience. People put their hands on full-grown blind adults, people who are making their way in the world. I find it very strange and troubling.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) clearly directs that students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive setting that meets their needs. We all know there are outliers and true horror stories of under-inclusion (and, sometimes, over-inclusion). Nevertheless, for the most part, schools follow federal and state law in terms of educational placement.
However, the classroom placement of the student is only one part of the story—the part that is explicitly addressed under federal and state law and is monitored by state education auditors. Another chapter in the inclusion story is not written into law, and too often it is missing from practice in the schools. In many ways, students with IEPs (Individualized Education Plans) are treated very differently from students without IEPs. A major difference in the instruction of these two groups is the amount of physical contact, what I'll call person-to-person contact, that they receive from adults in their lives, both at school and at home. Part of being educated with children who are not disabled should include being educated like students who are not disabled.
Hand-over-hand is only one form of person-to-person contact. In the case of blind and low-vision children, person-to-person contact is used to show, to teach, to guide, or to protect. When a child has additional disabilities, person-to-person contact may be used in many other ways as well. A child with poor muscle tone may need back support in order to sit on the floor, neck support to prevent injury, or arm support to reach out for a toy. Students with poor muscle control may need person-to-person contact to help them keep their limbs from making unintended movements. Some students have positional limitations—they may not be comfortable or functional in certain positions. Person-to-person contact may be necessary to help such students achieve optimal positioning.
In all of these instances, person-to-person contact may help a student participate more fully in activities at school and at home. However, overuse of person-to-person contact can lead to problems.
Not surprisingly, parents tend to be more hands-on with all children than schools are. When an infant is born, we move the child's body around a great deal—for feeding, diapering, dressing, and of course, for cuddling. For a typically developing child reared in a typical environment, the amount of person-to-person contact lessens as the child increasingly engages with the environment. A parent may use person-to-person contact to initiate new activities, such as teaching the child to stir cake batter in a bowl. The typically developing child will demand more and more independence as he gains skills. In a typical family environment, children will be allowed to take responsibility for a new task as they become ready to do so.
Of course, when the atypical arises, the natural progression of learning may be disrupted. As noted above, some children do not have the physiological capability of performing certain tasks independently. Other children may need to grasp the concept of the task differently due to a physical, intellectual, or sensory disability, or due to a combination of these factors. A child who is blind or has low vision may need to learn the steps to a task through touch and/or verbal instruction. A child with additional disabilities may need special accommodations to perform the task. She may need more time to learn the task and its components, or she may only be able to perform a portion of the entire task.
Attendance at school helps push most typically developing children toward greater independence in the tasks of learning and living. By learning alongside peers from experienced educators, all schoolchildren benefit from increasingly age-appropriate expectations and interactions. Yet some schools do not hold the same expectations for students with disabilities. When this occurs, the school may actually encourage a parent to continue with person-to-person contact, even when such contact is no longer needed—and even when such contact harms the child's development. Thus, the entire life of the child with a disability, at school and at home, becomes unduly restricted.
The time factor is one reason why teachers and parents tend to overuse person-to-person contact. "We're running late!" is a refrain in our daily lives. When a deadline is bearing down, most parents will simply tie the shoes or button the shirt rather than allowing the child to work through the task on his own. Frankly, it is easier and faster for us adults to do the task instead of waiting for the child to get it done. Yet it is crucial for the child to have the opportunity to grow in his capabilities and responsibilities as he gets older. Extra time is not always available, but attention must be paid to making time whenever possible.
Another reason we tend to engage in person-to-person contact is to achieve what we think of as "success." At home, a parent may help the child hold a spoon to reduce the mess that will result from the child's first attempts at feeding herself. At school, a teacher's aide may cut, paint, and even draw a picture to ensure that the child's artwork is pretty. While this help is well-intentioned and understandable (Who wants a messy floor? Shouldn't a student's project look nice?), it does not help the student develop skills or grow in self-confidence.
For all children, success looks different at different times. Imperfection is a natural and necessary step on the journey of learning and self-discovery. Failures help us understand how to achieve success later on. A child who is not allowed to fall will never learn to walk. As parents and teachers, our job is to support a child or student, but not to prevent failure or guarantee success.
When an adult provides too much support, the student may not learn to complete the task in question. Children may not reach their full potential to become independent.
Another problem resulting from too much physical contact with a child is the child's loss of self-determination. When someone moves the child's body without warning and without engaging the child in the purpose of the movement, the child has two options. The first, and most reasonable, is resistance. Indeed, I would resist if someone grabbed me, with or without warning, and tried to move a part of my body. I am an independent human being. I expect others to respect my body and my right to control it.
The other option for a child who is moved by another person is the passive acceptance known as learned helplessness. When children respond in this way, they show that they do not believe they have the choice to refuse or to engage in the activity. This passivity may make it easier for adults to complete a task, but it is potentially dangerous for the child. In the short term, the task is completed, but the child has learned nothing. He is simply a passive participant in the activity. In the long term, such passivity may render the child susceptible to physical and emotional abuse, and even sexual assault. The child feels powerless to object at the moment of the abuse or to report the abuse later in a safe environment.
How can a parent or teacher determine whether too much support is being provided to a child? A first step is to question why the support is being given. While this sounds complicated, it really isn't. In fact, it's a process each of us uses daily in a variety of settings. For example, when I leave my house each morning, I must determine whether I need the support of a coat or jacket. I assess the current weather situation and perhaps check the weather forecast. I will wear a coat if it is cold, a jacket if it will be cool. I do not need the support of a winter coat on a hot day. Indeed, such support would actually have negative consequences.
Determining the proper level of person-to-person support for a child or student is no different. Here are some questions to consider:
Once we have determined the why of person-to-person contact for a particular student, we are better able to determine the what, when, where, and how. Person-to-person contact can be active or passive. Typically, passive support is less likely to have the negative effects discussed above. An example of passive person-to-person contact is the positional support of sitting on the floor behind a student with low muscle tone. The adult's support serves as a "chair," enabling the student to maintain the posture needed to engage in activities. Certainly, providing passive support when it is not needed could hinder the student's progress somewhat. However, when the support is relatively passive, the student has the choice to accept it or not.
In the "human chair" example, a student who cannot sit up easily without support will lean on the adult. If the student develops more trunk and neck strength, he will be better able to sit up without assistance. The "human chair" can continually assess the student's need for support by getting into position and increasing or decreasing the level of contact, based upon the student's ability to sit up and engage in the desired task. The amount of support may vary, depending on the task, the time of day, or other factors.
Active support takes many forms. A common form of active person-to-person contact used with blind children in the school setting is the hand-over-hand technique mentioned earlier. An adult's hand is placed on top of the child's hand, and the adult moves the child's hand in an action. For example, an adult might place a toothbrush in the child's hand. The adult then covers the child's hand with his own and brushes the child's teeth as if the child's hand were not even there. The child's hand is being manipulated by the adult's hand to perform the action.
As noted above, active support is commonplace with typically developing infants and toddlers. It is used less often as the child grows. At school, it is rare to find active support, such as hand-over-hand, used for teaching activities. Instances of active support are usually very short and infrequent. For example, a teacher might show a kindergartener how to clap by moving the child's hands together and apart a few times, but the teacher is not likely to do so every day with every child.
In stark contrast, active support is used a great deal in special education settings. Not only is it used with greater frequency, but its use is of longer duration. Each instance of active support may last for several minutes, and instances may be repeated over many days, weeks, months, and years. Perhaps due to its popularity in the schools, hand-over-hand technique is used at home more often for children with disabilities than it is for their nondisabled peers.
We should question this discrepancy. Why is the hand-over-hand technique used so very much with children with disabilities? Are we overusing it? Are we using it for noneducational purposes, such as speed? If hand-over-hand is a way to teach skills, why do children continue to need this support for years on end? At what point can we expect the child to learn the skill without hand-over-hand assistance?
In my interactions with students, I encountered these negative impacts of hand-over-hand instruction regularly. These students could not easily engage with age-appropriate instruction because they either worried about being moved around by me (the teacher) or did not attend unless I started moving them around.
This was so pervasive that I added an activity to my initial assessments and first few classes with my students: I set some tactile materials on the desk, I sat beside the student, I placed my hands flat on the desk, and I asked the student to "show" me what is there. Many times, my students would pick up my hands and move them on the desk. One time in particular, my student grabbed me by the wrists and slapped my hands all over the desk without reference to the tactile items presented.
This child's behavior spoke volumes to me. This student had low vision and additional disabilities—and she had been manhandled for years. She did not understand that she could gain information through touch; she just thought "teaching" meant slapping the student's hands around the desk. I shared this information with her classroom teacher and the classroom paraprofessionals. As a team, we immediately ceased hand-over-hand instruction and invited the student to become an active participant in her instruction. It took a few weeks, but this student was ready to learn. We explicitly explained that we would not be moving her around and that we wanted her to work with us on activities. Once she became confident that we meant what we said, she began to blossom. She gained skills and made progress toward her IEP goals and toward independence. Her interactions with her peers also improved; she was neither a rag doll nor a bully.
As an educator, I have come to the conclusion that hand-over-hand assistance is too restrictive to constitute an effective learning practice. When the active support of hand-over-hand is used, the child/student is reduced to a passive participant in the learning process. The hand-over-hand technique does not allow the child to understand the motor movements necessary to perform the task.
We learn best from activity occurring under our fingers. Our fingertips and palms are far more sensitive to tactual information than are the backs of our hands. Hand-over-hand instruction takes the child's focus away from what is happening on their palms and fingers and directs it to the adult's actions on top of the hand. Hand-over-hand technique also requires the adult's hand to make the movement for the child. The child's hand is controlled by the adult, not by the child himself. When this technique is used, the child cannot focus on developing the skill being taught and needs an immense amount of time to learn a given task.
Furthermore, hand-over-hand creates an environment that pits the child and adult against one another for control. When an adult places her hand on the hand of a child, the child cannot readily resist the activity. The child either must actively resist or passively accept the activity in question. Typically, strong resistance is met with disapproval by the adult, who uses more strength in the hand-over-hand motion. The child who resists is scolded, manhandled, and punished. The child who does not resist has taken another step on the road to learned helplessness.
In order to teach our children more effectively, another option is needed. For students who need additional support in gaining information about a task and learning new skills, a great option is the hand-under-hand technique. Hand-under-hand is becoming more prevalent in the school setting, and its popularity is growing, particularly in the education of blind and deafblind students. Hand-under-hand involves the adult's hand performing the activity with the child's hand on top, feeling the movement of the adult's hand. The adult performs the activity naturally, although maybe a bit more slowly, and verbally describes what is going on. For example, when learning to use scissors via hand-under-hand instruction, the child’s hand touches the adult's hand as the thumb and fingers go into the scissors handle. Then the child's hand perches on top of the adult's hand as the adult opens and closes the scissors. Throughout the process, the adult verbalizes what is happening. In time, additional information is added, such as the positioning of paper being cut and tactile examination of the "before" and "after" paper.
Hand-under-hand technique allows the child to feel the movements necessary for the task and to mimic the movement himself. A child who is resistant can easily pull away from the task. The child has choice and can use it. The adult can respond to the child's feelings, just as she would with a typical child who refuses to put on a pair of gloves or a hat.
In some cases, the child is willing to participate in the activity but has difficulty controlling muscle movements or is easily distracted. Minimal restriction may be helpful, such as looping a finger or thumb over the student's hand or providing a "hand wall" to keep the student's hand from moving too far from the area of activity.
Hand-under-hand technique lends itself easily to reducing the amount of support given. When I use this technique to encourage tactile exploration, I simply pull my hand farther back and allow the student's hand to touch more and more of the surface being examined. When I use this technique with a child who is learning to grasp a crayon or use a Brailler, I gradually reduce the presence of my hand on the tool and increase the amount of work for which my student is responsible.
Does it work? Yes! The results take a little longer to show up, but they are real and long-lasting. Students who receive hand-under-hand assistance become active participants in their learning lives. They reach out more, and they are less passive or not passive at all. It may take them longer to finish an art project, and that art project may not look as perfect as one done with hand-over-hand assistance. However, the student has performed the task. In time, the amount of hand-under-hand assistance can be reduced. The assistance can become more passive, and the student will be able to transfer skills to new areas of his/her life.
Hand-under-hand is not the only type of passive assistance that adults can provide. The adult can give supported assistance, such as supporting a student's elbow to allow for greater independent movement. Side-by-side modeling of an activity is great for gross motor skills such as learning the "Hokey Pokey." Step-by-step tactual prompts or cues, step-by-step verbal directions, and step-by-step verbal cues or questions such as "What's next?" all allow the child to learn while maintaining autonomy. Over time, the adult provides tactual or verbal assistance only when the student requests them. Such an environment allows the child true success, the sense of being capable and empowered.
Let your child know what's going on. Instead of taking his hand, announce, "It's cold outside. We need mittens, and I am going to put your mittens on. Right hand first!" Instead of just feeling someone take his hand and put a mitten on it, your child knows what is coming and why. As your child becomes more able to put his mittens on, you might say, "May I help you put your mittens on? Which hand is first?" In this manner, you are gradually, but decisively, empowering your child to gain skills. At the same time, you are ensuring your child that you are there to provide any requested assistance—you are the safety net as your child practices walking the tightrope of independence.
Another important element in empowering your child is giving her a voice and respecting that voice. Children who do not have the right to disengage from an activity will probably not be fully engaged with the activity—they don't have a stake in the outcome. Moreover, granting your child the right not to participate, at least at first, helps to stave off learned helplessness and foster increased self-worth.
How can you make this happen? All learning starts at home. Choose an activity for which you would like to start implementing a more hands-off approach. It is usually best to choose one activity at a time, so as to allow the child to concentrate effort and focus on that activity. In addition, choosing an activity in which the child is highly motivated can ease the process for all concerned. For example, for teaching the use of an eating utensil, choose a food the child enjoys and can be successful with more easily. Eating applesauce with a spoon probably should precede eating broccoli with a fork.
An important part of including your child is verbalizing what is going on. Tell him what you are doing and why. Exhibit excitement for her learning without creating fear of failure. "I really enjoy feeding you this applesauce. But you know what? I shouldn't have all the fun. Let's practice using a spoon together!"
Another vital aspect of this process is patience. Make sure that you have the time and are in the right headspace to engage fully in the activity. Don't worry about spilled applesauce or other "failures" in this process. Every attempt is a step on the road to success. As hockey great Wayne Gretzky notes, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take."
Staff members at your child's school might or might not be excited to engage in this new method. Changing habits and attitudes can be difficult, but it will be worth the effort. Share this information with your child's school. Tell the teachers and aides how important it is to you to have your child be more in control of her world. Emphasize the need for your child to gain actual skills, not for adults to complete tasks on her behalf. If IEP team members are resistant, keep track of your progress at home. Bring in concrete information about how your child has grown in skills when provided the opportunity to learn them without hand-over-hand.
Call an IEP meeting. Ask for the IEP to state (typically in the accommodations and modifications area): "Due to Sarah's need for assistance to perform classroom tasks with a growing level of task independence, no staff members working with her should support/utilize hand-over-hand technique," or, "Due to Brandon's need for assistance to perform classroom tasks with a growing level of task independence, all staff members working with him should use hand-under-hand technique or a lower form of support." If needed, explicitly reject hand-over-hand instruction: "In order to help Ashley develop skills, hand-over-hand instruction may not be used at any time."
Slow down! Lifelong learning is a marathon, not a sprint. A student may need additional processing time or additional time for practice. Avoid rushing to get an activity done. If you are in a real time crunch, just do it yourself. In these cases, explain to your child why you are doing the task yourself, "Wow! I lost track of time, and we're running late, so I'll put your shoes on this time. When we get home, maybe we can practice taking off and putting on shoes!"
Be flexible! Pick your battles. Think first—practice before doing.
Determine the real purpose of the activity.
Determine how much assistance is truly needed for the activity.
Understand that support needs may vary.
Preview the activity with the student verbally.
Honor the student's individuality.
Accept imperfection.
All students need to feel valued and valuable.
Share the Knowledge!
by Ashleigh Moon
Reprinted from Braille Monitor, Volume 67, Number 1, January 2024
From the Editor: Bringing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs to blind students opens up many opportunities that we have been told are beyond us for far too long. In addition to the programs the NFB has hosted in Baltimore, the Federation is now moving STEM opportunities to our affiliates. Ashleigh Moon is a STEM-access consultant for blind students, school districts, and organizations that work with blind youth. She provides direct instruction to students in the areas of math, science, and assistive technology. Ashleigh has organized STEM programs for blind youth, and she is the current coordinator for the National Federation of the Blind's STEM2U Program. She chairs the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona's Education Committee, and she serves as president of the Arizona Organization of Parents of Blind Children. Ashleigh provides support to families by serving as a volunteer IEP advocate, and she has organized IEP seminars for parents and professionals.
I have helped coordinate some of the National Federation of the Blind's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs for blind youth across the country. People often assume that I believe all program participants should work in one of the STEM fields. This notion couldn't be farther from the truth!
I have strong feelings about immersing our blind youth in all that STEM programs have to offer. It is also true that I have chosen a career that motivates me to advocate for the participation of blind youth in any and every STEM opportunity their classmates and peers receive. However, I do not feel that every blind youth should become a scientist, mathematician, information technology specialist, or engineer.
You may wonder why I feel so strongly about blind youth participating in STEM, if it's not for them to choose this career path. Furthermore, why should you advocate as strongly for equal participation as I do?
The answer to this question, though multi-faceted, is quite simple: blind students should do STEM because the other kids are doing it.
Of course, not all non-blind kids will grow up to work in a STEM field. This may seem like an oversimplification of the matter, but it really is the point. Sighted youth are provided with hundreds of chances to participate in STEM activities, in and beyond the classroom, from preschool all the way through receiving a high school diploma. Not all of these young people will become scientists or engineers, but by having opportunities to participate in STEM, they know that these careers are attainable.
Research demonstrates that participation in STEM activities improves critical thinking skills, teamwork spatial skills, language development, and more. For this reason a growing number of STEM-focused camps, curricula, and even schools are popping up all over the nation. More and more educators and parents recognize that participating in STEM learning opportunities helps youth improve their academic skills in all subjects. Sighted students who participate in STEM increase their academic success and build their career potential in endless fields. Blind youth deserve the same opportunity to reach their full potential.
Although I make this point seem cut and dried, many of us know that things are not so simple. The access obstacles facing blind youth in and out of the classroom present countless challenges to full and equal participation in STEM learning. Students often do not have the tactile graphics or technology they need. Often they have teachers who are not knowledgeable about alternative techniques or who are unprepared to teach what they perceive as predominantly visual subjects to a blind student. Too often the blind student is relegated to sitting on the sidelines, taking notes in the lab group. Meanwhile, the sighted students interact directly with the experiments and activities. Why can't a blind student use the open-flamed Bunsen burner or learn to measure out the chemicals for a lab experiment? The expectations that teachers have of blind vs. non-blind students are not equal. Sighted students have hundreds of opportunities to engage in STEM, but blind students are lucky if they have half as many. Even the opportunities blind students do have are often severely unequal.
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not a barrier to full participation in STEM in and out of the classroom. We are raising expectations by creating our own opportunities and educational resources to help blind youth overcome these barriers. Starting in 2004 with the NFB Rocket On! program, the NFB has been creating STEM programs for blind youth, proving that equal access is possible. From NFB Youth Slam to NFB EQ, these programs have shown blind youth, their families, and their teachers that STEM careers are not out of reach. You can learn more about these programs and other past NFB STEM programs at nfb.org/programs-services/national-center-blind-youth-science/past-nfb-stem-programs.
The NFB has also led efforts in creating educational resources that show how STEM can be accessible to blind people. This year the NFB released two informational toolkits to assist parents and teachers with bringing STEM access and opportunities to blind youth. These toolkits are NFB EQ for Teachers (nfb.org/programs-services/education/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb-eq/nfb-eq-teachers) and NFB EQ for Parents (nfb.org/programs-services/education/national-center-blind-youth-science/nfb-eq/nfb-eq-parents). These toolkits are free online resources that focus on how to bring STEM access to blind students wherever they are.
One of the currently running programs, NFB STEM2U, is uniquely designed to bring these amazing STEM learning opportunities directly to blind youth across the country. NFB affiliates in more than ten states will host STEM2U programs in the spring and summer of 2024. The theme of the current program is the James Web Space Telescope. Students will have opportunities to launch homemade rockets, learn how telescopes "see" space, and even build their own model of NASA's James Web Telescope. Bringing these activities directly to local affiliates eliminates travel and time barriers for students and families while giving them opportunities to participate in a fully accessible STEM experience. Many of these students have limited opportunities like these, where their blindness has no impact on their ability to engage, participate, and learn real science. Will they all decide to go work for NASA, Google, or the CDC after the program? The answer is likely no. The important thing is that students will build on their problem-solving skills, social skills, and knowledge of how science can be accessible to them.
As the voice of the nation's blind, the NFB knows that blindness is not (and should not be) a barrier to prevent blind youth from actively participating in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. This is why the NFB is breaking access and education barriers for blind youth across the country. This is why the NFB is bringing STEM to You!
You can find out more and register blind youth for a local program by visiting nfb.org/stem2u.
by Dalia M. Sakas
From the Editor: The Summer 2010 issue of Future Reflections included an article by Dalia M. Sakas about New York City's unique music school for blind and low-vision students. Over the past several years the school underwent major changes, but the commitment of the staff and the spirit of the students remain unquenchable. This article recounts what happened to the school and reaffirms the power of music education for all young people, including those who are blind. You can find the 2010 Future Reflections article at https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr29/3/fr290308.htm.
The last time The Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School (the FMDG Music School) appeared in this publication was 2010. Much has transpired since that time! November 2023 marked an important milestone—our five-year anniversary of independence.
To sum up our recent history, the Music School moved twice between 2014 and 2017. With fourteen grand pianos, twenty thousand Braille music scores and books, and other miscellaneous instruments and supplies, each move took a Herculean effort. Ultimately the school closed at the conclusion of December 2018. Schools were no longer part of the strategic plan of the agency that had supported us for over one hundred years.
Rather than shutter the doors on a valuable and unique music school, my codirector Leslie Jones and I, along with Amanda Wheeler, decided to keep the school going. We formed a new not-for-profit community music school with the goal of continuing to provide music instruction to blind and low-vision students. The FMDG Music School established itself, also acquiring an affectionate nickname—"The Fil."
Classes opened in January 2019 in four different locations. The school will forever be grateful to the 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY), VISIONS, the Kaufman Music Center, and Funkadelic Studios—the four organizations and locations that welcomed the students of "The Fil" into their communities. They allowed the music instruction to continue unimpeded and uninterrupted.
Nevertheless, the three leaders and the Board of Directors were not totally convinced that we were doing the right thing. Did New York City really need another music school? An arts organization needs constant financial support. Where would the funding come from? How could we make the program work better? Would the students support the school? Did they have the mobility skills they needed to navigate to the new locations? Was it even a viable option to keep the school open?
Efforts were made, classes reassembled and restructured, and everything began from scratch. But we were still unsure. The ultimate encouragement and convincing sign to continue with our endeavors came from the students of the Music School themselves.
The Music School had held an event called a Performathon for many years. The Performathon was an opportunity for students to raise funds to help the school sustain its programming. The first Performathon of our newly formed entity was held in March of 2019 at the new Steinway Hall in New York City. The heralded and lofty location was empowering, and the students rose to the occasion. Many students participated, and they raised more money than had ever been raised in previous years. This success was the sign we needed! We knew we had the full and unconditional commitment and endorsement of the students. The musicians who made up the music school were wholeheartedly grateful and committed to this new entity, and they trusted us as directors in our decisions.
The record-breaking turnout for this event propelled things to move forward. The school was able to sustain itself and function as an independent music school.
Several events and initiatives were organized to mark our important five-year milestone, including a benefit concert by alumnus Matthew Whitaker at Symphony Space in New York City. The concert also featured some of our current students, who got the chance to perform with Matthew. Fourteen-year-old percussionist Mathew Vargas as well as the teen vocal group, The GuavaTones, were featured in the concert. A short documentary film was shown during the event to highlight the history of the school. The film featured students, faculty, parents, a board member, and the directors. It showcased the school's work and its positive outcomes, and it portrayed the incredible community spirit of FMDG Music School.
The same month also saw the launch of a new project initiative, a partnership with the New York Public Library. Our physical collection of 2,500 music scores is now available to the general public through the library. We were also thrilled to make public our searchable database of music in accessible formats. Approximately eight thousand files of Braille or large-print music are available on this database. Music that currently is not available in these formats can be obtained through our transcription department.
The year was also rich in other events to celebrate our five-year mark and our emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic. Our students performed at the Explorers Club, telling our story through words and music. We held a live-streamed Performathon, the creation of the FiLOrk (a group that makes music in real time through the use of computer code). We returned to the Metropolitan Museum after five years, and we gave external concerts on Bargemusic and at St. Francis Cabrini Shrine.
The 2010 Future Reflections article described the efforts we put into the extended curriculum of our Comprehensive Music Program for Young People, and it explored why we thought music was critical for a child's development. It featured photos of our students in a variety of settings—performances, field trips, and enrichment programming. These components have always been an integral part of the Comprehensive Music Program for Young People (CMPYP). Attendance at concerts and museums bolsters the instruction the students receive. It teaches them to appreciate the work and dedication needed to achieve a high level of artistry. Not only do these trips enhance the music instruction that the students receive in their lessons and classes; the trips and sessions also serve to educate the general public. In museums, concert halls, and at other schools, our students help educate the public about the need to rethink some of the pedagogy when it comes to working with students who have vision loss. Often our students are extremely well-prepared, better trained, and more enthusiastic than their sighted peers. The real need is for materials to be presented in formats that are accessible to them.
Though the school has faced many hardships and challenges, we now can share the results of those early investments in our students. As youngsters and adolescents enrolled in music lessons and classes, our students learned to stand tall and perform in recitals. They learned to listen attentively and with appreciation at concerts. Today those young students have become employed young adults who have now assumed a new leadership role in support of the school's visibility, recruitment efforts, and fundraising. The graduates of our CMPYP are now working adults. They have careers in a wide array of disciplines, from education, accounting, and library work to management and administration. They are valued members of the workforce, contributing members of society. They have retained their love of music and are still involved in the Music School as members of the adult chorus and as students pursuing their love of music through individual study.
Through their involvement they have become members of society who want to give back to the organization that gave them structure and guidance as young people. They learned specific skills that have helped them in their current careers, and they forged lasting friendships as well. They learned to support one another through the trials and tribulations of getting a job, finding an apartment, and earning a living.
Our former students are now at a point in their lives where they understand the huge challenges of running a not-for-profit institution. They appreciate what was done to help them achieve positive outcomes and developments, and they are now looking out for those who follow them. They have formed a Junior Advisory Board (JAB) and are working with the administration to promote the school and propel it forward. We are so proud of them and grateful for their support!
The tenet of promoting and fostering music education for young people is vital, and countless studies have underscored this need. Students who have devoted their young years to the discipline of learning an instrument, who have participated in a chorus or an instrumental ensemble, and who often sacrifice relaxing weekends for the rigorous and dedicated pursuit of music, develop very strong work ethics and learning habits. A minority of our students have pursued music as a career choice, but many who have pursued other vocational opportunities choose to supplement their work lives with music as a strong pastime to rely upon when times get rough and they face new challenges.
The FMDG Music School now operates primarily at 92NY, a storied and respected New York cultural and community center. This proudly Jewish organization uses the arts to enrich and enlighten lives and draws upon the power of community to repair the world. President Alyse Myers and Yana Stotland, Executive Director School of Music and School Engagement in the Arts, welcomed us and have continued their support of the school. 92NY staff, the personnel of that organization, learned to guide our students properly when necessary and figured out what measures were needed to ensure their access. We are very grateful for their unwavering support and assistance.
In 2018 we wondered whether to keep the school going or not. In our eyes that question has been answered with a thousand affirmatives. We see constant proof of the power of music to lift people up, to strengthen resolve, to boost self-esteem, or just to enliven the mood of the day with some fine singing. We are very grateful to all of our supporters, to everyone who has put their faith and trust in our teachers and our organization, The Filomen M. D'Agostino Greenberg Music School.
by Mary Fernandez
Reprinted from Braille Monitor, Volume 65, Number 11, December 2023
From the Editor: Mary Fernandez has been active with the National Federation of the Blind since 2006, when she helped launch a rocket with the Rocket On! program for blind high school students. Today she is the lead consultant on disability inclusion for Cisco Systems, a major producer of software and cybersecurity systems. This article is based on the address she delivered at the 2023 NFB National Convention in Houston.
Good afternoon, Federation family! It is an absolute honor and humbling experience to stand in front of you today.
When I was a little girl, my mom used to tell me, "You have to eat your books!" This was her way of telling me that literacy and education would be the keys to my future.
Yesterday's agenda featured three brilliant women: Susan Mazrui, Karla Gilbride, and Eve Hill. All of them are my personal heroes, undeniable queens, and all of them proudly mentioned that they were stubborn children. So, to all of you I want to say: "Hi! It's me! I'm the stubborn one!"
As a stubborn child my attitude was, "No, I will not read!" Fortunately my mother is a literal force of nature. One day after I threw another tantrum, my mom shut me in my bedroom with a Braille book, Judy Blume's Freckle Juice. I would not go down without a fight! I screamed, I cried, I may even have thrown myself on the floor. There was nothing but silence from the outside.
Finally, in an act of seven-year-old desperation, I very slowly and tentatively ran my fingers over the book title. Freckle Juice? What is this Freckle Juice you speak of, oh Ms. Blume?
Then I did the unthinkable—painstakingly and ever so slowly I opened the book to the first page. And then...
I realized that there was a bunch of info on that first page about copyright. What the heck! It's hard for a seven-year-old to understand the importance of an author's intellectual property!
Finally I read the words: "Line up, boys and girls," Miss Kelly said. "Time to go home now."
I was hooked. I was hooked on books, I was hooked on literacy, and most importantly, I was hooked on Braille.
This stubborn child learned, and continues to learn, that my mother is always right. Thank you, Mommy!
My mother could not have been more right in that moment. She knew that education would unlock my ability to think critically and hone my ability to synthesize in the midst of complexity. My educational career taught me that stories move me, that curiosity drives me, and that connection feeds me.
My mom knew the importance of Braille literacy for her blind child. "If one can read," she would say, "one can do anything."
Reading Braille made it possible for me to earn a well-rounded education. For me, education was also the first puzzle piece to what, in a disabled person's life, can become the greatest and hardest undertaking: finding and keeping a job.
To say that education leads one directly to a job, and most importantly, to a fulfilling career, would be an oversimplification. However, I argue that the skills necessary for the job market start at home, that they are supposed to be reinforced in school, and that they are supposed to be cultivated and nurtured as we become adults and are able to make substantive decisions about our careers. But when you introduce blindness into the equation, the oppressive forces of ableism often break the links in that process.
Today I want to answer three questions. Why is the unemployment gap for blind people still so significant? What can I do as an individual to be more successful in the job search? What can employers do to move the needle in a meaningful way?
Let's look at the statistics. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2022 the unemployment rate for disabled people was almost 9 percent, vs 3.4 percent and dropping for nondisabled people. This means that disabled people are unemployed at almost three times the rate of nondisabled people. The statistics go on and on and can be broken into so many numbers, but at the end of the day the data tell us that disabled people are disproportionately under-employed or unemployed. This is particularly true if someone is disabled and has other marginalized identities, such as being a person of color.
It is one thing to hear these numbers; it's another to live them. I attended Emory University and graduated with a 3.8 GPA in 2012. I will never forget how, for the last semester of my senior year, I submitted an average of five job applications a day. I'll never forget the sinking feeling that came with every email saying what amounted to, "Thanks, but no thanks."
I will also never forget how, after five years of work experience as a paralegal at Brown, Goldstein and Levy and starting a transition program in New Jersey for blind and low-vision high school youth, I went back on the job market. While I sought a more stable position, I wanted to have an interim part-time job. I applied to be an English tutor for sixth graders. I completed the online application process, I passed with flying colors, and I got the job.
Then I mentioned that I am blind and wanted to test the collaborative software and have access to an electronic version of the instructional materials. There was a long pause on the phone, and I was told I'd get a call back. Ten minutes later I was told there was no longer a position available.
Most of us in this room have been there. We struggle with ourselves over whether to disclose our disability before or after we get an offer. We know that both choices offer no assurance of employment at the end of the long process.
Now, more than at any other time in history, we have unparalleled access to technology. We have laws that are supposed to protect us, and we have commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion from companies that say, "We really do want you here." Yet many of the digital tools we need to do our jobs still are not accessible. Employment discrimination cases can take years to be resolved. The companies with bold DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) commitments published on their careers pages seem to miss the fact that accessibility and accommodation are integral parts of true equity and inclusion. As a result, most of us are still waiting for the opportunity even to try.
At the heart of this problem is oppression. Four aspects of oppression add up to marginalization. They are ideological, institutional, interpersonal, and internalized. These four types of oppression come together to form a narrative that affects every aspect of our lives.
Though there isn't time to dive into all these issues today, one important aspect of oppression I want to discuss is internalized oppression or ableism. This is the most uncomfortable form of oppression to dismantle. It requires us to acknowledge the presence of all those little voices that add up to say, "You are not enough. If you keep asking for accommodations, you are not as good an employee as everyone else." This voice can even manifest as, "If you ask for help, you are not a good enough blind person." All of these voices feed on the previous dimensions and are the ultimate form of oppression. They make us, in some form, doubt our worth. They sound different for every single person and every group.
One of the most effective ways to counter internalized oppression is through community and collective action. Action is the counter-narrative that we provide for each other, a narrative of strength, a narrative of resilience, a narrative that we do have control of our own future! It is the training, advocacy, and refusal to settle for second-class citizenship that are core to our organization.
In the face of oppression, what can we do as individuals to break down those barriers? How do we carry on when the systems that are supposed to support us continue to fail us?
The good news is that the NFB has always been a group made up of former stubborn children. It has been dismantling oppression for more than eighty years, and every one of us in this room has benefitted from that. When there was no useful orientation and mobility training, we invented it. Then we refined it, and now we teach each other how to travel confidently. If they will not teach our children Braille in school, we will teach them ourselves while simultaneously fighting to protect the rights of those children. The NFB has the largest scholarship program for the blind in the world. The list goes on and on.
The community I have found here in the Federation has been one of the most integral parts of my success. You see, when I arrived in the United States from Colombia, I was almost eight years old. When I was two my mother, at the age of twenty-six, took the risk to emigrate to this country. She knew no one, she did not know English, and she didn't know where she would go. But she got on a plane and landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
After she had worked here for about a year, my mother got a call. I had been diagnosed with glaucoma, and it would simply be a matter of time until I went blind. My mother used the pain of not being with her daughter during this pivotal moment and turned it into fuel to keep her laser-focused on her mission—to bring me and my brother to the United States. She knew then that it would be my only chance at a fulfilling life.
So I came here, an awkward and stubborn child. I had no social skills. I had never attended school, and I don't think I really understood what being blind meant. When my O&M instructor put a short, stubby stick in my hand and told me I had to use it going forward, I promptly dropped it on the floor.
Though the uphill battle to get me to read was fairly quickly won, the battle to have me use my cane proved much harder. I had deeply internalized beliefs about blindness and disabilities, even though I didn't know how to name them. Blindness was a weakness; a cane was a thing that old people used. Though by the time I was in high school I used my cane every day, I did not feel comfortable in my skin. I felt like an outcast, as if no matter what I did, I was either invisible to others or the most conspicuous person in the room.
It wasn't until I was fourteen that my feelings about myself began to shift. I started participating in the youth transition program in New Jersey called Leadership, Education, Advocacy, and Determination (LEAD). Through that program I met one of my first mentors ever, Sherlock Washington. Toward the end of the school year, I met another mentor, someone who would support me for the rest of his life, Joe Ruffalo.
Joe gave me my first lesson in advocacy. We were at the NFB National Convention, and I had heard about the Rocket On! program and how these cool teenagers would get to launch a NASA rocket. I wanted to go! Joe said, "There's Mr. Riccobono. Ask him if you can participate." So I did, and the rest is history.
Finding community equates to finding a place to belong. We know that blind people are not a monolithic group, but at the same time we have a shared lived experience that we all understand. We also understand the false narratives around blindness. With the NFB I found my little tribe. It has grown throughout the years, and it has carried me through the most challenging parts of my life.
So all of us on this employment journey, listen: It's hard! It's brutal! It's awful! But it is even harder when we do it all alone. It is harder when we have no one to turn to in those moments that only other disabled people will understand. I encourage you all to find and stay in community. Not everyone in this room is your cup of tea; that's okay. But maybe some of us are, and trust me when I say it's worth it.
Participating in the Federation sparked my passion and gift for advocacy. As a little girl, I was always looking for injustices to correct. When I understood the reasons why I was made to feel like an outcast, the fact that not all children got Braille instruction, that babies were taken away from blind parents, I thought, this is it, this is what I have to fight for, and fight for every day. The NFB also sharpened my leadership skills. From delivering my first speech in front of two hundred people at the NFB of New Jersey convention at age fourteen to leading affiliate student divisions, those leadership skills quickly transferred to my life outside the NFB. I became involved in after-school programs and ran for school club leadership. I learned that true leadership does not spring from positional power, but rather from the actions we can take to influence change. And I learned that we can do it from wherever we sit.
As I have gotten older, I've identified the set of values that I carry with me everywhere, values that were instilled by my mother, nurtured by the Federation, and implemented by me. I value integrity, honesty, hard work, collaboration, and authenticity. I try to conduct myself with courage, including the courage to speak truth to power.
I say all that to bring several things to the forefront. First, instilling confidence, reliability, and resilience starts at home. It starts with letting our children take risks. It starts with letting them know that yes, they are wonderful, not just because they are blind, but because they have a specific set of gifts and skills to explore. All of these factors contribute to shaping future employees and leaders.
Second, in the face of oppression we, as a collective, are the best at developing each other's gifts and talents. We provide a space where we support each other while we constantly challenge each other to grow. And when the world won't provide, we fill in the opportunity gap to ensure that our youth have a full and well-rounded set of life experiences.
Are we perfect? No. Just because we are disabled does not mean we are free from ableist beliefs. Even as we push each other, we must continually find ways to uplift each other, not to fall into the trap of oppressing each other. We know that there isn't one right way to do blindness, and we must provide space for that. We know that blindness is often accompanied by other disabilities, and we must find ways to be inclusive to those of us with multiple disabilities.
As I think about employment and the collective blindness movement, I keep coming back to the evolution we've experienced since we began. Today we are having conversations around how all of our identities, taken together, form an intersection that is inseparable from how we experience the world. When I started in the NFB I embraced the idea that blindness was a characteristic like my hair color. But as I've grown in my work and dived into my intersecting identities, I actually think that my disability is far more than that. My disability is part of my identity. You see, if I had this gorgeous curly hair but I had 20/20 vision, the way I experienced the world would have been very different. For instance, my hair or my eye color would not have affected the accessibility of my educational materials in graduate school. However, my disability did. So do my skin color and my gender identity. I no longer believe that asking for equal access for disabled people is enough. Rather, in my work, I advocate for equitable access. That is, to provide the tools and resources that individuals need to be successful.
Equality means providing stairs for everyone to use. Equity means providing stairs, elevators, escalators, and ramps in equally convenient places so that all can choose their path upward. It is being intentional about bringing in as many people as possible. Because of the complexity of inequities that we experience at different moments in our lives, there really isn't a one size fits all solution.
In his speech "The Nature of Independence," Dr. Kenneth Jernigan said, "Unless you make advances over what we have done, you will, in a very real sense, fail to keep faith with those who have gone before you and those who will follow. In this context, I would expect and hope that some of you will become better travelers (and, perhaps, better philosophers and teachers) than I, and if you do, I will take joy in it." So I challenge us all to stay on this path of seeking not just equality but equity. If freedom is the right to choose, then equity is the path to that freedom.
Employers, I want to spend a little bit of time talking to you. Here are three best practices: First, design with us and not for us. Often employers ask, "What are the right jobs for disabled people, and what programs do disabled people need?" Then, programs are launched with names that include the words "differently abled" and "special" and "uniquely gifted." These programs are seldom designed with disabled people, but rather for disabled people. I invite you, today, to design with us. Here is the good news: you all are already in the room where it happens. Each blind person here is an expert in their experience, and collectively we have invaluable wisdom about what we need. Go where the disabled people are, do not just wait for them to appear. Engage with us, understanding that what we share has value and that it will benefit you financially. Then proceed accordingly.
Yes, it is going to be messy and difficult, and it is okay that businesses haven't always gotten it right. But when we work with each other, we can create talent-based strategies that truly open up opportunities for economic freedom.
Second, let's stop performative hiring. What do I mean by this? Last year I went to a disability-related conference attended by most of the Fortune One Hundred. A career/talent expo was part of this conference, and periodically companies would announce who was leading in hiring the most disabled people. Out of curiosity I went to the company with the most hires. I talked to them about my experience and asked, "So, what types of opportunities do you have for someone with twelve years of work experience?" They said, "Well, we are really just hiring interns and entry level."
I'm a curious soul. I took it upon myself to walk around and see who was hiring experienced disabled professionals. The answer was no one.
Friends, it is not enough to hire people at entry level. Is it important? Yes, but it is simply not enough. First, when you do recruit and hire disabled talent for entry level positions, what strategies are you using to develop their leadership potential? Do you have processes in place to ensure you are removing accessibility barriers?
Also, there are disabled people with talent that is far beyond entry level. What are you doing to recruit them? Are you truly leveraging AI resumé screening systems to include diverse talent or simply to exclude disabled employees? We know that we only dismantle systems of oppression when we change the demographics of the group in decision-making positions. This means that we fundamentally shift what we think of as an executive leader, for instance, in preference to what skills, talents, and experiences people bring to the table. I submit that executive leaders are blind, are deaf, are autistic, dyslexic, etc. It is not our job to be "good enough" to break your glass ceiling; it is your job to take your own roof off.
If you do those two things—design with us, and critically assess and revamp your recruitment and hiring pipelines—then we start slowly to reach for that higher fruit. That stretch will get you to just brush the tips of the branches of belonging.
Third, belonging is a sense that each of us is fundamentally valued and that our uniqueness is not only sought for but treasured. There is one week every year where I feel a real sense of belonging outside my circle of friends and family. That is at the NFB National Convention. I know that if I walk into a restaurant, I'll be offered Braille, large print, or regular print menus; I know that there are talking signs for meetings; I know that no one will grab the end of my cane to guide me around. This knowledge gives me an energy I don't feel at any other time to be my truest and best self. When we remove barriers systemically and intentionally, we allow every person to be their most productive self. When we design for the margins, we include everyone in the middle.
I want to wrap up with an ask for everyone in this room. My ask is that you always pay it forward. When you get that internship, pay it forward by mentoring another, perhaps younger student. When you sit in that room where no other blind person has sat, pay it forward and open up that door further. When your company outperforms predicted revenue, pay it forward and open up the door to economic freedom for disabled talent.
In my case, education has been the touchstone of my success, my mother the unwavering support, and the NFB the community that has held me and on whose shoulders I stand. To every person in this room and all disabled people who do not have community yet, you have my commitment that I will continue to pay it forward. And I hope each of you in this room will join me in paying it forward, too.
I'll leave you with this question: what will you do to pay it forward?
In that spirit, I want to pay it forward today: for the stubborn child who refused to accept society's narrative about her blindness, for every young person in this room who is just finding their community, and for every parent who fights every day to give their child a future without limits. In honor of the woman who raised me to be courageous, fearless, authentic, and a strong advocate, I'd like to pledge $3,300 to the NFB in honor of Clara Roman, my mother. I trust that no other organization will put this to better use in educating our youth and pushing the boundaries of what we've been told is possible.
Thank you!
by Jhaliyah Anderson
From the Editor: I met Jhaliyah Anderson in 2015 when, as an entering college freshman, she won an NFB of Illinois Scholarship. At a point in life when many students feel uncertain about their future plans, Jhaliyah knew exactly what she wanted to do. She wanted to become a school social worker. She wanted to help students who felt like outsiders, who struggled to fit into the school environment as she had struggled herself. Jhaliyah never wavered in her determination, and this year she started a job as a social worker in the Chicago public school system. Here is her story.
I lost my vision at the age of three. Many of the people around me thought my blindness would define my life, but I never believed it would stop me from doing anything I wanted to do. I guess I was a stubborn kid right from the beginning!
Through fourth grade I attended a resource room for blind students in a public school near my home. I became a fluent Braille reader and learned to use a long white cane. For part of the day I went to classes with the sighted students in my school. Since I was only mainstreamed for a few classes each day, I felt like an outsider. To make matters worse, often I didn't get my class materials in an accessible format, so it was hard for me to participate fully.
In fifth grade I transferred to the Illinois School for the Visually Impaired (ISVI), a residential school nearly four hours from my home. Suddenly I found myself in an environment that was completely tailored to my needs as a blind student. Everything on campus was accessible! For the first time in my life I had all the Braille books I needed for my classes!
During my years at ISVI I took part in a variety of extracurricular activities. I was on the debate team, I played goalball, I was a cheerleader, and I went out for track and field. We were never coddled. We were expected to take on challenges, and I thrived in that atmosphere.
As time went on, though, I realized that ISVI had its down sides. Academically I was one of the strongest students on campus. Instead of challenging me, the teachers left me to work on my own while they focused on my classmates who were struggling. Often they asked me to help the other students, and I did a lot of peer support. I wanted to advance academically, and I realized that my opportunities at ISVI were seriously limited. I asked to take some of my classes at the local public school, but the administration at ISVI said no.
Meanwhile, I heard from my friends back home about all the things they were learning and doing at school. I felt I was living in a protective bubble. I was isolated from the world where the vast majority of people lived, worked, and played.
When I was in eighth grade, I told my family that I wanted to leave ISVI and return to public school back home. As I look back on it, I realize it was a bold decision. Without the support that was available to me at ISVI, I struggled to fit in.
Making a transition is hard work! I had spent my middle school years among blind peers, in an environment where no one doubted my capacity. Now, back in public high school, I was an outsider. Every day I had to prove myself to my teachers and classmates. I constantly felt scrutinized and judged, and I grew anxious and depressed. I missed a lot of school due to the stress.
Hard though it was, I wanted to stay the active, involved person I was back at ISVI. I pushed myself to talk to my classmates, working at making friends. I went out for track, cheering, and speech. The track coach was amazing! I was included in everything. But on the cheerleading squad I was not allowed to train for competitions. I did all the cheering maneuvers at our games and never messed up, but that made no difference. Nothing I said, nothing I did in my performance could change the coach's mind, and I felt isolated and discouraged.
My classes were a struggle, too, because I didn't always get the books and other materials I needed in accessible formats. One teacher wouldn't even give me tests with the rest of the class. She actually told me to put my name on a classmate's paper! When I told my mother what had happened, she went into action. A huge meeting was called, and even the superintendent got involved. After that the teacher shaped up, and I was tested along with everyone else.
In chemistry class I was assigned a classroom aide to help me in the lab. The chemistry teacher would stop by and talk to the aide about my work, never speaking to me directly. It was more than annoying! One day I said, "I can talk to you about my assignments. Please talk to me, not to my aide!"
Later, when I was meeting with my TVI (teacher of the visually impaired), the chemistry teacher burst into the room. "You were disrespectful to me!" she screamed. "In front of the whole class! I won't have you speak to me that way!" She was really out of control. That was another time my mom had to get involved. There was another big meeting, and after that the chemistry teacher spoke to me directly instead of talking to my aide.
My experiences in high school led directly to my career choice. I made up my mind that I wanted to become a school social worker. I wanted to help students who were struggling academically and/or socially, students whose needs weren't being met by the system that was in place.
After I graduated from high school I majored in social work at the University of Illinois/Springfield. I graduated in 2019 and took a job as a counselor in a program called Super Seven. It involved recreation and counseling with Black and brown girls in inner-city neighborhoods. Later, early in 2020, I was hired as a teacher's aide—but the COVID-19 pandemic ended that job before it began.
For a while I worked in sales from home. That job confirmed what I knew already—selling products was not my thing! Finally I completed the lengthy process of being approved to work for the Illinois Department of Human Services. Mostly I interviewed people to determine their eligibility for Medicaid, SNAP, and other assistance programs. It was a lot better than sales, but I still wanted to become a social worker and work in a school setting.
After I had been with the state for a year, I finally was able to enroll in the Master's in Social Work (MSW) program at the University of Illinois/Chicago.
Not too surprisingly, some of my instructors assumed that I wanted to work in an agency that serves blind people. I had to point out more than once that blindness is just one piece of who I am. I have lots of skills and interests, and I can serve the community in many ways.
When I interviewed for a job with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), I was apprehensive about the roadblocks I might encounter. Maybe the manager would say it would be too dangerous for me to work in the schools. Maybe I'd be told to apply for a job at the Chicago Lighthouse.
But to my delight the hiring manager really saw me for who I am. We talked about my commitment to work with students who are struggling in the school environment. I think the manager really understood that this was my passion. I was hired on the spot!
When I started my job, a few of my coworkers were pretty skeptical. They tried to steer me away from some of the students, kids they thought I wouldn't be able to handle. I tried to have open communication with them and to answer all of their questions. When they observed how I interacted with the students, they calmed down, and now I feel they're fully on board.
Right now I'm more than halfway into my first year on the job, and I'm very excited to be here. I'm really happy with what I'm doing; I feel it's my life's purpose. I realize I've gained a lot from my life experience, and it helps me connect with kids who are struggling. Whatever issues they face, I try to help them find ways to cope and get through the day.
I haven't worked with any blind students, but I've met some kids with learning disabilities who are struggling to fit in socially. When they talk about feeling isolated and excluded, I think I know just what they mean. I'm their advocate. We work together to map out strategies so they can handle some of the tough situations they face.
I'd like to stay in school social work for at least ten years. Eventually I want to work in underserved neighborhoods, maybe helping to start a community center. There's also a great need for people to work in juvenile justice, and I might decide to go in that direction. The longer I work in the field, the more I'll learn. The more I learn, the more I'll be able to contribute through the years.
by Breean Cox and Sebastian Wcislo
Reprinted with permission from the American Foundation for the Blind. This article originally appeared in AccessWorld, Summer 2023.
Google Classroom, a widely used free learning platform within Google Workspace for Education, has gained popularity since its release on August 12, 2014. With an estimated 150 million users worldwide, it serves as a valuable tool for file sharing and integrates seamlessly with Google's suite of productivity tools. Given that there are nearly 240 million children with disabilities globally, according to a 2021 UNICEF study, and over 7 million students in the US have disabilities, Google Classroom is a platform that may be utilized by a significant number of individuals with disabilities for their educational needs.
The platform offers a comprehensive set of features for virtual classrooms, simplifying teaching and learning. Teachers can create classes, communicate, share resources, and manage assignments. Students receive notifications and complete assignments with attachments and comments. The mobile app enables offline work, Drive access, and improved grading.
Before we begin, be aware that we will be referring to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in some cases when detailing access concerns. WCAG is a set of guidelines and standards that defines how to make Web content more accessible to people with disabilities. These guidelines help Web content be easier to understand and navigate. They have also become the de facto standard guidelines used throughout the web access industry.
Google Classroom offers several positive aspects for its users, particularly in terms of accessibility. Firstly, the platform supports keyboard navigation, allowing users who rely on keyboards to navigate and perform actions without the need for a mouse. It also prioritizes screen reader compatibility by providing proper semantic structure, which involves proper use of HTML elements, text alternatives for images, descriptive link texts, and proper form labels. This ensures that users with visual impairments can effectively access and navigate the platform. Additionally, teachers can enhance accessibility by uploading closed captions for instructional videos, benefiting users who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Google Classroom further supports translation through integration with Google Translate, enabling teachers and students to access class materials and communicate in their preferred language. The platform also strives to be compatible with various assistive technologies, including screen readers, speech-to-text software, and alternative input devices, ensuring a seamless experience for users with diverse accessibility needs. By incorporating these accessibility features, Google Classroom aims to create an inclusive learning environment that accommodates users of all abilities.
Google Classroom has made significant progress in improving accessibility and providing valuable features. However, it still faces some accessibility and usability issues. One particular concern relates to the header navigation bar, which includes a heading level 1 text. This poses a problem because according to the WCAG Success Criterion 2.4.6, heading level 1 should typically be reserved for the main content of a page. However, most pages in Google Classroom lack a heading level 1 text outside of the header, deviating from the standard structure. This becomes especially relevant considering the absence of a "skip to main content" option, a common feature found on other platforms.
Moreover, certain pages feature a second heading level 1 text separate from the header, resulting in inconsistency and confusion for users relying on assistive technologies. Additionally, each page necessitates a different shortcut to consistently access the main content, underscoring the importance of establishing a standardized nesting structure for heading texts across all pages in order to improve accessibility and usability.
Opening a page on Google Classroom often presents users with initial modals, popup windows that do not allow the user to access the rest of the page until they are dismissed, which can quickly become tiresome. For individuals using assistive technologies, these modals pose additional challenges. Dismissing them adds an extra step and diverts attention away from the main content. Users unfamiliar with keyboard shortcuts must meticulously follow the focus order until they reach the main content. Moreover, the focus order from the header does not entirely make sense, as it includes a feedback widget located at the bottom of the screen, disrupting the logical flow towards the main content.
One of the most frequent issues encountered on Google Classroom is WCAG 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value issues, specifically, Name. There are a lot of labeling issues that can make it difficult for the user to know exactly what component their focus is on. This in conjunction with some focus order issues can make some pages confusing to navigate. The labeling issues vary greatly from empty labels to repeated labels to labels that are just not descriptive enough. This would mean that an access technology user will have to interact with such components to understand their function.
Google Classroom can improve in several areas to enhance accessibility. Navigation and interface inconsistencies, such as tab order and missing focus indicators, pose challenges for keyboard navigation users. Screen reader compatibility issues, including reading order and labeling, affect the navigation and understanding of content for individuals with visual impairments. A focus indicator should distinguish the element in focus from the surrounding content, such as a border around the element.
Google Docs lacks native support for black backgrounds in the text editor, although it can be achieved through browser extensions or themes, providing native support would improve user experience. Communication features, like comment sections, require better accessibility for users relying on assistive technologies, including improved navigation and alternative text support for attached images or files. Addressing these areas would greatly enhance the accessibility of Google Classroom.
To effectively address the accessibility issues identified in the above sections, Google can take several measures. First, it should ensure that the HTML structure accurately represents the relationships between components by checking for missing or misused elements like headings, lists, and sections. Secondly, the correct application of ARIA attributes is crucial to establish relationships between interactive elements and aid assistive technologies in interpreting their functionality. ARIA allows for custom controls on components further than standard HTML can. Google should also carefully evaluate the effects of CSS, JavaScript modifications, and ARIA attributes, as these can unintentionally disrupt reading order and relationships between components. Custom-built interactions and event handling should be designed with accessibility in mind, ensuring that relationships are properly maintained in Browse mode.
Additionally, Google should provide appropriate announcements or notifications when content is dynamically loaded or updated, ensuring that relationships between components are preserved. Lastly, managing high-speed dynamic updates is important to mitigate accessibility issues such as missed updates, navigation difficulties, disrupted focus and context, increased cognitive load, and challenges for users relying on assistive technology. By implementing these measures, Google can significantly improve the accessibility and usability of Google Classroom for all users.
From the Editor: The blind/low-vision population is diverse in innumerable ways. In addition to our diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and gender identities, a large portion of the blind/low-vision population consists of people who have disabilities in addition to blindness. Learning differences, mental-health issues, or being on the autism spectrum are sometimes referred to as invisible disabilities. The combination of blindness with one or more invisible disabilities can pose a set of complex challenges. Some of these challenges are explored in this article, which is based on a podcast created by the National Association of Blind Students (NABS) and hosted by Seyoon Choi and Isabel Rosario. You can find this NABS podcast and a trove of others archived at https://nabslink.org/listen-our-nabs-now-podcast.
SEYOON CHOI: Not all disabilities are visible, which is why this episode is dedicated to exploring this topic. I'm excited to be joined today by two wonderful guests, and I'll let them introduce themselves.
LINA HOWARD: Hello, everyone! My name is Lina Howard. Along with being blind, I identify as neuro diverse.
ROGER SUAREZ: Hello! My name is Roger Suarez. I am blind and I have a hearing loss.
SEYOON: Thank you both for joining us today.
ISABEL ROSARIO: How do you both define invisible disabilities, and how do they intersect with your blindness?
LINA: Wow! This is a good question! I feel like "invisible disabilities" is definitely a term that speaks for itself. They are disabilities that are not easily seen or noticed in any way, shape, or form just by looking at someone. I feel like my invisible disabilities intersect with my blindness in a way that not a lot of people notice. Unless you are in an academic setting with me, you wouldn't know that I have a learning disability. You wouldn't know that I struggle with math to the point of only being at about a sixth-grade level. In that sense I am able to conceal my invisible disability pretty well, and it doesn't necessarily intersect with my blindness on a daily basis. But when it does, it definitely takes a lot for me to reinvent the wheel, to make sure that not only am I getting the accommodations that I need for my blindness, but that I'm also getting the accommodations that I need to comprehend the material that I might be learning.
ROGER: I went to the DBVI Center [Department for the Blind and Visually Impaired] here in Virginia, and I use Braille and a white cane. But with my hearing loss it's a lot more complicated. I use hearing aids, but right now they're not of very good quality, and the poor audio affects me. It's also complicated because English is my second language; my first language is Spanish. My hearing loss and language issue give me some trouble with learning in general; some letters, such as t and p, b and v, or n and m I sometimes I cannot identify. I can't hear those sounds very clearly. Sometimes I don't understand, and then usually ask for repetition. Understanding is not impossible, but it can be difficult sometimes.
SEYOON: Thank you both for sharing. That was so full of insight! How did you first become aware of your invisible disabilities? Was it challenging to receive a proper diagnosis?
LINA: I first actually became aware of my invisible disability when I was quite young. I was originally told about it when I was five or six years old. I was told that I have a learning disability. At that age it doesn't really register that you learn differently from everyone else. After I was told I went about life still thinking that everyone learned the way I did. Then I started looking around my classroom one day and realized that I was one of only a few people getting one-on-one help. I was one of only a couple of kids being pulled out of my classroom at inconsistent points throughout my school day to work individually or in small groups on assignments or on concepts that other classmates were able to grasp in a heartbeat. That's how I started to realize that I learned differently from other people. I started to become observant, and I compared myself with other people my age. That was definitely a challenge, academically and socially, because it led to social isolation. It led to me not being able to relate to my peers in some ways, because I couldn't do math the way they did and I couldn't read as fast as they could. I couldn't grasp social situations in the way they could. So yes, it was very much a challenge.
ROGER: I lost a lot of my hearing from taking a medication. There were five or six months when I couldn't hear a lot. My hearing loss was moderate to severe. I didn't have hearing aids for about six months. When I first wore hearing aids, everything was so different! For example, my hearing aids have a microphone, and outdoors when it's windy, when the wind is hitting the microphone, it really affects my orientation and mobility. I can't hear my instructor, and when I'm listening to traffic it's a little complicated. It's still kind of hard. I'm still trying to get accustomed. I'm still in the process of adapting.
ISABEL: You've shared a little bit about the challenges you face with your invisible disability. What are some unique challenges you face as someone with both a visible and invisible disability?
LINA: The first thing that comes to mind for me, given that I have a learning disability that affects my ability to do math, is the way I learned basic math skills. Many blind students who don't need any supplemental learning can replace a lot of the visual graphics with tactile work, such as math manipulatives that are easily comprehended for tactile learning. But for me it was all that and then some. I needed the tactile feedback, and I needed all of the supplemental material that was in print to be replaced. It resulted in a lot of trial and error for me, especially when I was learning basic math skills. I needed help comprehending the Nemeth Code for Braille mathematics. I needed to have more tactile graphics and more physical elements to help me learn basic math skills. Learning basic skills in the adaptive ways that most blind students learn, combined with having supplemental materials to help me comprehend, is a lot. It can be very stressful, especially for a student who is five or six years old, as I was.
ROGER: When it comes to my blindness, people can see the cane or the Braille. When I'm around other blind people, like when I go to an NFB National Convention, they cannot see my hearing aids. Even sighted people don't always see them, because they're black in color, and they blend in with my hair, which is black also. In the classroom it's hard for me to listen. Sometimes there's an echo or background noise. People don't always understand that I have a hearing loss.
SEYOON: Do you have support networks within and outside the Federation? Are there spaces specifically tailored to individuals with intersecting disabilities?
LINA: The short answer for me is no. Within the Federation I think we are still dealing with a bit of a philosophical change in the way we view blindness as it intersects with other disabilities, both visible and invisible. I think we're definitely moving forward in being more accepting of and catering to people who have additional disabilities. But I think we still have a way to go before we get to a point of having a good, solid support system within the Federation for people with a wide variety of other disabilities. As far as things outside the Federation, I have found a few Facebook groups that cater to people who have blindness along with invisible disabilities. I've been able to make a few connections through those Facebook groups, and I've been able to talk one-on-one with some other people who have been in relatively the same situation that I have been in. Unfortunately, aside from being able to make those one-on-one connections from those Facebook groups, there's not really a solid support system that's widely known out there—not one I've found, at any rate.
ROGER: There are a lot of resources focused on blindness. But as far as blindness plus hearing loss—maybe I didn't investigate enough yet. I found out there are guide dogs trained to help blind people who have hearing loss. I actually want to get a guide dog in the future. I'm still not sure how those guide dogs actually work with their owner.
ISABEL: I'm excited to hear your perspectives. What role does advocacy play in creating inclusive environments and addressing the needs of individuals with invisible disabilities and blindness?
LINA: I'm so happy about this question—you have no idea! I think that advocacy plays a very integral role in making sure we can get comfortable with disabilities that are not just our blindness. Sometimes we can get very caught up in one disability or another, and we can make that disability our entire identity. But in reality some of us may be struggling with multiple disabilities. I think it's a very fine balance that we need to be able to learn not just about ways we can make the world better for those who are blind, but also ways we can celebrate other disabilities as well, making the world a more accessible place for people who are blind and have multiple disabilities. I think we as blind people need to keep open minds and be willing to learn about multiple identities and about how invisible disabilities intersect. I think that will be really important in furthering our advocacy skills, both in and out of the Federation, to make sure that EVERYONE has a shot at living the life they want.
ROGER: Sometimes disabilities come for different reasons and at different times. I think we need to know other people and be able to understand those disabilities all together. We know a lot about helping blind people, but we need to know more about helping people with other disabilities.
SEYOON: This upcoming question happens to be one of my favorites. Are there any specific assistive technologies that have helped you overcome challenges with your intersecting disabilities?
LINA: For me not so much now, because my learning disability doesn't tend to affect my day-to-day life, given where I'm at in my academic journey. But when I was first learning to navigate the world with the learning disability I have, it definitely helped to have auditory feedback. Technology that talked to me was very helpful. I was able to get all of what my peers were learning visually. I could hear it back and repeat it back if I needed to. Talking computers and calculators were very helpful when they were available. So were talking toys that had to do with math and numbers when I was a young child trying to navigate the world with my learning disability. All auditory feedback was very helpful.
ROGER: Sometimes my hearing aids are great, but as I said before, each hearing aid is different. A couple of years ago I got a device where my hearing aids could connect by Bluetooth to a device such as a cell phone or tablet. That helped a lot! It was great in an open space, where I could hear very well the computer or the laptop. One time in middle school there was a device where the teacher had a microphone and I could listen to the teacher through my earphones. It didn't work very well for me because there was a problem with the device. I think it was a problem with the hearing aids I had at that time.
ISABEL: Can you share any personal stories that highlight your journey of growth and resilience, things that helped you deal with your challenges?
LINA: The experience I will share is the first time I was really comfortable with verbally expressing the fact that I have a learning disability. It was my sixth-grade year. I had just started middle school. It was the beginning of the year, and everyone was still being placed in classes. All of my support staff came to discover that I still needed help with math skills. Therefore I could be placed in a smaller class compared to the mainstream class where most of my peers were placed. In past years I would have been very resentful and felt very insecure about it. But as the decision for me to be placed in a smaller class was explained to me, I had kind of an epiphany. I realized that this placement wasn't meant to be a punishment. It wasn't meant to be anything negative in any way. It was meant to help me. Because of the way it was explained to me, and because of the way my support staff was able to help me rationalize what was happening, I came to terms with this special placement. I hadn't been able to do so in past years. I was able to accept that every support person and every supplemental piece of education that I was getting was going to benefit me rather than hurt me.
SEYOON: Okay, let's go to the wrap-up. This is something we've been doing for the past few months. I'm going to give each of you one minute on the clock, and you will share a piece of advice. If someone had only one minute to listen to this podcast, what would you say to them? What advice would you give to individuals with intersecting disabilities who may be struggling with acceptance?
LINA: If I were to say something to my younger self about my intersecting disabilities, it would be that it's okay that you learn differently. It's not a sprint, it is a marathon. Comparison is a very hard thing to overcome, especially when you are of the age where social situations and academic situations are very much on display for your peers to see. It's okay to feel insecure, it's okay to name that, as long as you go to the right support people. If you go to people you know can help you on your journey to acceptance, you will be much better off than if you stay silent and struggle along. In short, it's okay to be yourself and not worry about what other people think.
ROGER: When you have a hearing loss, using a hearing aid will help a lot. It's okay for you not to feel shy or bad about asking for repetition. There may be situations where you feel very frustrated, very stressed, but there's always going to be a solution, a different way for you to learn. You still can work to do your best.
ISABEL: Thank you both so much for joining us! It's not easy to come on here and be vulnerable, talking about your disabilities. I know there are a lot of misconceptions about blindness and intersecting disabilities. I hope that the audience learns about the different kinds of intersecting disabilities alongside blindness and the challenges people face. For people out there who are experiencing intersecting disabilities and feel like they're alone, I hope this podcast showcases the idea that you aren't. The Federation has a diverse group of members, and there is a place for everyone. Thanks, you guys!
SEYOON: This episode really underscores that this podcast is a space and an outlet, along with many other resources, for people with intersecting disabilities to find their allies and make connections. Thank you both for being with us!
by Mia Barone
From the Editor: Mia Barone is a fourth-grader from Mendham, New Jersey. She has been fully mainstreamed since preschool, and she is a fluent Braille reader and writer. She wrote this poem with her Braillenote Touch. Mia and the rest of her classmates read their poems to their parents at a special poetry celebration last November. Mia says of her poem, "I was inspired to write this poem because it is where I go with my family and I have been going there forever."
Spongy plants
Warm
Sandy
Blowing wind
Swishing waves
Beach air
Full of shells
Full of rocks
Can be any size
Screeching birds
Long swaying dune grass
Salt water
Fish in the water not on a plate
Big or small waves
Loud or quiet waves
Crashing sounds
Ocean mist
OCEAN breeze
Ocean air
OCEAN bubbles
Big or small shells
Ocean foam
Big or small rocks
Calming
by Dana Meachen Rau
Reviewed by Barbara Cheadle
From the Editor: Barbara Cheadle is the founder and past president of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC). She also founded Future Reflections, which she edited from 1981 until 2009. She holds a degree in library science, and she has a special interest in children's books that feature blind characters.
Sense of Play
by Dana Meachen Rau
Illustrated by Boruntina Bequiraj
Capstone Library, 2023, 32 pages
ISBN: 9781684466979
Available in alternative formats on bookshare.org
My first reaction to this lovely storybook was a wave of fond nostalgia for my own childhood and idyllic, endless summer days of imaginative, free play with my younger sister, Mae. But this gem of a book has so much more to commend it—its depiction of a warm relationship between two siblings, its celebration of imagination, and even its rich, alliterative use of words that engage our senses.
But I get ahead of myself. Rau takes us through one day of play in the lives of siblings Chip and Joy, from morning—when Chip knocks on the adjoining wall between their bedrooms to tell Joy to "Wake up!" to bedtime, as they each knock on their shared wall and say one last "Good night."
The day starts with an ordinary activity that has an unexpected, playful twist: eating cereal for breakfast—out of the box, sitting on the floor under the kitchen table. The fun has only begun. The illustration shows the grape juice box tipped over and juice spilling out, "Cchhh!" As they clean up the mess with "fluffy towels" that quickly become "sopped" and "soaked," Joy exclaims, "I'm purple!" and Chip chimes in, "I'm wet!" Rau gives us a hint of one significant way this book is about so much more than a day of fun.
The hint is confirmed when, after a bike ride, the children take a break in their "closet cave," comfortably furnished with "fleecy friends" and "plumpy pillows." Although Joy is normally afraid of the dark, she is never afraid to turn off the lights and listen to Chip as he uses his fingers to read the bumpy dots—words in Braille—to her. The beauty of this revelation—Chip is blind and reads Braille—is that it is so matter-of-fact. It comes at just the right time: when you are already engaged with the characters as normal kids—interesting, lively, and imaginative kids to be sure, but still, just ordinary kids.
This is also the one and only time in the story when Chip's blindness is alluded to directly. But now that we are tuned into it, we are ready more fully to appreciate the rich, imaginative sensory ways Chip and Joy use ordinary objects to create their own made-up games. They play Guess the Coin, Hunt for Silly Sounds (think "fizzy drinks" and "topple towers," Guess the Spice (is it cinnamon or nutmeg?), or Boat Bed.
In the background we perceive a mom and dad who intentionally create and support opportunities for independent and creative play. Rau brings them a little more into the story when Chip and Joy smell "yeasty perfume" and race down the stairs to help Mom and Dad bake bread. Their favorite contribution (besides eating it) is punching down the "spongy, silky, squishy, sticky dough" that "hugs their fists." Their day ends with a vigorous game of Boat Bed in Chip's room, where his bed is converted to a pirate ship of "warm wood" sailing over "wide-open waters" and splashed with "salty sea-spray."
The illustrations are bright and cheerful, full of movement, energy, and small details that add to the mood, such as a smiling sun and a smiling moon that beam into Joy's bedroom window at the beginning and the end of the day. I look forward to reading this book to my grandsons—including the one who is an only child. It provides so many opportunities to open up topics for discussion. Not the least is, of course, about kids who are blind who love to play and have fun, just as other children do.
by Andrew Leland
Reviewed by Deborah Kendrick
From the Editor: Deborah Kendrick is a freelance journalist whose columns have appeared in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States. She has written several books pertaining to blindness, including Navigating Healthcare When All They Can See Is that You Can't. She serves on the board of directors of the NFB of Ohio.
The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight
by Andrew Leland
Penguin Random House
ISBN: 9781984881434, 368 pages
Available in alternative formats from Bookshare and NLS BARD
News of Andrew Leland's book flooded my inbox for weeks before its actual release. A journalist and podcaster with a reputable track record (and let's not forget that he just happens to be Neil Simon's grandson) was publishing a memoir with a title borrowed from a 1904 short story by H. G. Wells: “The Country of the Blind.” I couldn't wait to read it. And I vowed not to read it. Those conflicting emotions prevailed after my first read of the book, and this review is my attempt to understand the ambivalence.
Andrew Leland is a fine writer. His prose is snappy, smart, and, occasionally, borderline brilliant. A few lines reverberate again and again—haunting, hovering, raw, and real. But something is off-key here, and I keep scrabbling among my responses to sort out where or why the tone rings less true.
Let's start with the title. It's sort of like three titles in one. The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight.
First, there's The Country of the Blind, Leland's remake of the 1904 science fiction story. Then there's the memoir (the best part of the book, to my taste) in which we meet some major characters in Leland's life story. Finally, we come to the chronicling of the end of sight.
In the H. G. Wells story, Nuñez is a sighted traveler who tumbles down a mountain into a valley populated entirely by people without sight. He tries to join the tribe and has a narrow escape. (Sorry for the spoiler; I recommend that you read the story for yourself.) Like Nuñez, Leland is a visitor to the country of the blind, sometimes claiming his citizenship as one heading toward blindness, but acknowledging that he may never get there. As our tour guide, he chronicles the history of blindness and disability rights. All of the right components are there—the stigma, status as beggar, Louis Braille and the emergence of education followed by literacy. He includes the fact that disabled people were the first to be murdered in the Holocaust, and he reports on some of the inventions enjoyed throughout the world that were initially designed for or by blind people. He covers the disability rights milestones of the last century—including the formation of the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind, the ground-breaking work of the Rolling Quads in Berkeley, and the 1977 takeover by disability-rights activists that led to the signing of the Section 504 regulations to the Rehabilitation Act. He introduces many of the primary individuals who were contributors to the civil rights and culture enjoyed by twenty-first-century blind people.
If you aren't familiar with these stories, this book is a great place to learn. Leland hits the high points, and he tells the tales admirably well. I knew many of the major players, I have written about the events and discoveries myself, and I was more than pleased to read Leland's accurate and intelligent recounting. For some, these passages might be tedious. For me, they were a welcome, familiar song, one with which I was happy to sing along. Leland also does an admirable job of summarizing the key blind players in literature (Oedipus, Tiresias, King Lear) and writers from Homer to John Hull.
As he explores the world and culture of blindness, Leland attends an NFB chapter meeting. But he hovers outside the circle, observing and admittedly uncomfortable. Later, though, he engages in conversation with a number of blind people, and he clearly considers them peers. He presents them with warmth, respect, and admiration.
The best parts of the book are the memoir elements, where we meet Leland's wife Lily and his little boy Oscar. I fell in love with both of them right along with Andrew. While the true memoir elements are the best of the narrative, the most skippable segments are the science lessons on eyesight, eye diseases, and Leland's end of sight that is not ending.
How can a guy "going blind" tell people what it's like to be blind? And how much traction do we gain as blind people, always considered "one-down" on the social hierarchy, when our story is told by this guy who can see people's facial expressions as he walks down the street with his white cane?
As a reader who mastered this blindness stuff in childhood, I found myself screeching at the author with parental impatience. When his knife on the cutting board disappears, leaving only the radish behind, his palpable panic strikes me as ridiculous. "Just put your hand on the damn board!" I want to tell him. "Use your sense of touch!" Oddly, he never mentions getting around to that epiphany on his own.
Leland refers to the slowed pace of blindness as though it is a given that all blind people will walk more slowly than their sighted counterparts, definitely a wrong-headed assumption. He refers to his stumbling over the collection of products Lily leaves on the bathtub as though this annoyance would be recognized by all blind people as a universal affront.
His descriptions, on the other hand, of some one-down moments universal to the experience of blind people are stunningly on-point. Standing in a Starbucks line with his white cane in hand, he describes the sudden sensation of hands on his shoulders, moving him out of another's path. "Strangers, I'm learning, frequently touch and guide blind people like this in public, without warning or consent, feeling the need to manage us like furniture ..." This passage represents one of the moments when Leland gets the notes right, is on key, sings like one of us.
The author spends three days at an NFB National Convention and two weeks at the Colorado Center for the Blind. He attends as a journalist, but as a journalist trying on the experience of blindness to see how it fits.
The most memorable passage in the book for me, possibly because I recognized my own stance in his description and have never heard it referenced at all, was his description of the pose taken by blind travelers which he dubs "Addressing the Void." In the vast convention hall during General Sessions, he observes people working out their locations like this:
"The expression on the face of a blind gazer paused in the world takes on an inwardly whirring, computational, deep-listening aspect. After a few moments posed in frozen, careful attention, this person would announce, firmly and loudly (to whisper was futile; whoever responded would need to both hear them and realize they were being spoken to), "IS THIS NORTH DAKOTA?" Because the hall was so dense with people, this approach usually worked. "Nebraska!" someone cheerfully replied, her own gaze aimed past the questioner. "Keep going!"
While this is spot-on accurate reporting and fascinating in its own way, it also felt a bit disturbing. Leland is reporting, after all, but it feels somehow voyeuristic and violating. Of course, all of us, whether we see with our eyes or not, run the risk of being scrutinized by others every day, but there is a twinge of discomfort in reading how this maybe-blind-one-day observer evaluated this alternative technique.
To balance that discomfort, however, is the relief I felt at reading his take on the dressed-up banquet crowd. He sits in the lobby, watching convention attendees streaming toward the banquet hall, again observing as journalist until he finally takes a seat himself at one of the tables. He pokes fun at himself for asking the question, Why do blind people need to look nice if they can't see? But then, with the sound of the other shoe dropping, he concedes that "people did look fantastic coming out of the elevators."
Happily, unlike Nuñez, Andrew Leland does not leave the country of the blind as an escapee or believe that he is a better human than its inhabitants. With each chapter and each tiny diminishment of his vision, we feel him becoming increasingly aware that things might be okay in this other country, even if he is not eager to go there. While he can write that blindness is not about pity and charity, he does seem to feel sorry for himself at times. But then, why should we expect that all of us will respond to blindness in the same way? When he sees his diagnosis as tragic, is that coming from the retinitis pigmentosa, the inherited tendency toward hypochondria that he acknowledges having received from his famous playwright grandfather, or something else entirely?
Some of us know intuitively how to play any melody we hear on the piano, while others can play only by studying the written musical score. As with music, some of us arguably take to the alternative techniques of blindness more comfortably than others, enjoying a more natural inclination to use work-around techniques. And why shouldn't it be exactly that way? We all know by now that some humans learn visually, others aurally, and still others with a lovely potpourri of sensory approaches. When describing firsthand experiences, Andrew Leland comes only intellectually, not intuitively, to the alternate techniques of blindness. In his pursuit to explore those alternatives, however, he has developed a quality guidebook of sorts for others interested or obliged to become travelers.
By book's end, Leland does indeed seem to recognize viscerally that there is gain and beauty to be found in both the worlds of blindness and sightedness (or blindlessness.) He appreciates and revels in the gift of sight, and I hope he gets to enjoy it for many decades to come. If he writes another book, a true memoir, he could begin it exactly where this one stops—with the realization that love, the love of a spouse, a child, or life itself, feels the same with or without sight.
From the Editor: In December 2023 Carla Keirns stepped down from her position as president of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) due to her heavy professional responsibilities. Fortunately, NOPBC First Vice President Cassie McKinney was ready and willing to take on the duties and challenges of NOPBC leadership. In this interview she introduces herself and shares her plans and hopes for the parents' organization.
DEBORAH KENT STEIN: How long have you been involved with the NOPBC? What first drew you to the organization?
CASSIE MCKINNEY: I've been blind all my life. I have an eye condition called atypical nystagmus, which means I have quite a bit of vision, but I'm legally blind. I have trouble focusing because my eyes move around uncontrollably. My mother also has this condition, and so does one of my first cousins.
I got involved with the NFB in 2003. For several years I served as president of the New Hampshire affiliate.
I have two children, and my older son, Robert, inherited my eye condition. Two years ago, when Robert was six and starting school, I realized I needed to get involved with the NOPBC. I wanted to learn everything I could from other parents of blind kids, and I wanted to be able to advocate for Robert more effectively. I hoped I could learn to help other parents, too.
DKS: What was your experience like, growing up as a blind child?
CM: I grew up in west Tennessee. My parents divorced when I was nine, and I ended up living with my dad and my step-siblings. My parents made sure I learned to do all the usual household tasks—cooking and cleaning. I also learned to do yard work, like watering and mowing the lawn. When I was thirteen my dad taught me to change a tire.
My dad never went to college, but he was very education oriented. We watched lots of documentaries, and I was fascinated by Albert Einstein. Dad bought me a large-print encyclopedia. I loved to browse through it, learning new things.
DKS: What was it like for you at school?
CM: I never had an IEP [Individualized Education Plan] until I started high school. In grade school they made sure I had large print for standardized tests, but that was my only accommodation. Then, in high school, I finally had a teacher of the visually impaired [TVI], and I also started to get orientation and mobility [O&M] training. That really helped me build confidence!
DKS: What did you do after high school?
CM: My parents really wanted me to go to college. I was the first person in my family to go. By the time I went, I was pretty confident as a self-advocate.
I started out as a chemistry major, but I struggled with calculus. After I graduated I decided to use my science background in a way most people think is very unusual. I enrolled at the John A. Gupton College of Mortuary Science.
DKS: Did you know of any other blind people in that field?
CM: As far as I know, I was the first one. Fortunately the school was very receptive, very willing to work with me. I had open communication with my instructors, and we were able to work through any issues that came up. My self-advocacy skills were really a help!
Not many women worked in mortuary science back then, and there I was, a blind woman trying to find a job! I was willing to relocate, and I ended up getting an offer in faraway Keane, New Hampshire.
DKS: As president of the NOPBC, do you have any particular goals in mind?
CM: Through my own experience I know that advocacy and self-advocacy are really important. Blind children need to learn it's okay to say they can't do something in a typical way. It's okay to say, "I need something different so I can participate." Parents need to advocate for their kids when they're little, and bit by bit, teach their kids to advocate for themselves.
DKS: NOPBC is a national organization. What are your thoughts about building the parents' division?
CM: I'd really like to see the division rebuild into the dynamic group it was in the past. I'd like to see POBC (Parents of Blind Children) groups in every affiliate. We need to reach more families in every state. We need to build and cultivate relationships between our national organization and our NFB affiliates.
Right now we're beginning to reach out to our NFB affiliates to find out where they are in terms of parent involvement. How many affiliates have active parent chapters? We need to reach out to more parents and develop leadership. The PLP is one way for us to do that.
DKS: What is the PLP?
CM: PLP stands for Parent Leadership Program. We bring in parents from across the nation in conjunction with our annual Washington Seminar. We meet with the parents and try to infuse them with Federation philosophy and the history of the parents' division.
Later the PLP parents go to the NFB National Convention. They attend the NOPBC conference, and they connect with blind mentors. They attend two nights of PLP meetings as well as IEP Night, learning about advocacy at IEP meetings.
DKS: What advice do you have for parents of young blind children?
CM: When their child gets a new diagnosis, most parents really struggle. They have so many questions! They need to talk to other parents who are farther along on their journey. They need to connect with blind adults who are living active, productive lives. They also need help advocating for their kids.
DKS: Do you think your own experience growing up as a blind child will help you in this work?
CM: I've been a Federationist for a long time, and I know how powerful this organization can be. I'm the first blind person to serve as NOPBC president. I hope I can be a positive role model for other parents and for their children.
Last summer I saw firsthand the power of bringing blind children to our national convention. At home Robert didn't use a cane. He was very resistant to the idea. Then, when we went to convention in Houston, he saw kids with canes moving confidently all over the hotel, being very independent. Next thing I knew, he was saying, "Mom, can we go to the Independence Market? I want to get a cane. You know, sometimes I don't see stuff."
He got a forty-seven-inch cane, and he started using it right away. He knew just what to do. He used to walk very cautiously, but now, using his cane, he just takes off.
I want parents all over the country to know that their kids can gain that level of confidence. By working together I believe we can empower families of blind children all over the country, and we can give freedom and confidence to blind kids everywhere.
by Cassie McKinney
It seems like yesterday that we were just returning from our wonderful convention in Houston, cranking up the AC and enjoying an ice-cold beverage. However, the chill in the air has reminded us that the seasons are changing quickly.
We are now gearing up for our 2024 National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind and anticipating the reunion of our Federation family in Orlando, Florida, July 3-8. It will be a wonderful gathering of blind people from our whole nation and from across the globe.
If you never have been part of this annual gathering, WELCOME! And for those who mark their calendars each year, CONVENTION IS COMING!
The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) holds an annual seminar at the beginning of and throughout the NFB Convention. This year our theme is, "Dreams, Creativity and Skills: The Recipe of Success."
As you might imagine from the theme, we are going to be sharing on many topics, including, but not limited to, cooking. Parents have many questions on how to get their blind children involved in activities in the kitchen. What techniques and adaptations are needed to make cooking an enjoyable experience, something children will want to do more often?
Also we will have meetings and workshops to discuss a wide variety of topics that are important for parents, including those whose children have disabilities in addition to blindness. Parents will have plenty of opportunities for networking and sharing with other parents. Our workshops and speakers will discuss topics that are helpful for parents of young children, middle and high school age students, and teens transitioning to adulthood.
Please note that if you are thinking of attending the NOPBC Seminar and are unsure about whether to bring your children, both blind and sighted, know that there are plenty of activities for the kids, too. The NFB offers childcare during the day, and there will be events throughout the week that will engage kids as well as grownups.
Blind and sighted teens are also invited to take part in Youth Track and experience adaptive sports, interaction with other blind teens, and immersion in an environment of positive energy and blind role models.
You can learn more about preregistration for the NOPBC Seminar and the NFB Convention as a whole by visiting www.nfb.org. If you have other questions or would like more information about NOPBC, please feel free to email me at [email protected].
We hope you will mark your calendar and make plans to join us in Florida! You'll be able to look back on Convention 2024 and say, "Orange you glad you came to Florida?" We hope to see you there!
by Carla McQuillan
Reprinted from Braille Monitor, Volume 66, Number 11, December 2023
From the Editor: Carla McQuillan is president of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon. She is a member of the NFB's National Board of Directors, and she is the owner and executive director of Main Street Montessori Association, operating two Montessori schools. She chairs the Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award Committee, which is seeking nominations for the 2024 award.
The National Federation of the Blind will recognize an outstanding teacher of blind students at our 2024 National Convention, which will take place in Orlando, Florida, from July 3rd through July 8th, 2024. The winner of this award will receive the following:
The education of blind children is one of the National Federation of the Blind's highest priorities. We are committed to offering and supporting programs that enhance educational opportunities for this group. Please help us recognize dedicated and innovative teachers who provide quality education and meaningful experiences and opportunities for their blind students.
Q: Who is eligible for this award?
A: Anyone who is currently a teacher, counselor, or the administrator of programs for blind students.
Q: Does an applicant have to be a member of the National Federation of the Blind?
A: No, but attending the 2024 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Orlando, Florida, is required.
Q: Can I nominate someone else for this award?
A: Yes. Applicants can be nominated by colleagues, parents, supervisors, or friends who have first-hand knowledge of the individual's work with blind students.
Q: How would I apply?
A: You can fill out the application at the end of this article or find it on our website at https://nfb.org/images/nfb/documents/pdf/distinguished-educator-of-blind-students-award-form-fillable.pdf
Q: What is the deadline to submit an application or make a nomination?
A: All applications must be received no later than May 1, 2024.
Please complete the application and attach the required documents specified in the application. If you are submitting a nomination for someone other than yourself, please answer the questions to the best of your ability. Your experience and observations of the nominee will assist the selection committee in their decision. Direct questions to Carla McQuillan at 541-653-9153, or by email at: [email protected].
Deadline: May 1, 2024
Name: ________________________________________________
Home Address: _________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: _________________________________________________
Phone: (H) ____________________ (W) ____________________________
Email: ______________________________________________________
School/Program: ______________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: _________________________________________________
Please list any awards or commendations the applicant has received.
How long and in what programs have you worked with blind children?
In what setting do you currently work?
Briefly describe your current job and teaching responsibilities.
How would you describe your philosophy of blindness as it relates to the education of blind students?
What are your thoughts on teaching Braille and cane travel? When and at what age would you begin? How do you determine whether to teach print or Braille?
What was your most memorable experience working with blind students?
Why should you be selected to receive this award?
Email is strongly encouraged for transmitting nominations; letters of support and other relevant materials should be included as attachments. Applications sent by mail and postmarked by the deadline will also be accepted. Send all material by May 1, 2024, to Carla McQuillan, chairperson, Teacher Award Committee, [email protected] or by mail to:
Carla McQuillan
2378 11th Street
Florence, OR 97439
Phone: 541-653-9153
by Anil Lewis
"The Teachers of Tomorrow program opened my mind to all the possibilities my students could achieve," says Jodi Powell, a teacher of blind and low-vision students. "This was the first opportunity I had to meet adults who are blind, who followed their dreams, created their families, and achieved their goals. The Teachers of Tomorrow program taught me that my students can achieve, as long as they have the tools they need."
In January 2021, with the generous financial support of the Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation, the National Federation of the Blind revitalized its Teachers of Tomorrow program. The program grew out of recognition that few sighted teachers who work with blind and low-vision students know any blind adults. They have never met blind people who actually use the skills they teach to their students. It would be as though a classroom teacher who teaches print reading and writing to sighted students had never met any adults who read and write print in their daily lives.
Teachers of Tomorrow provides a group of teachers of blind students with the chance to meet and learn from blind adults who live rich, active lives. The 2023-24 Teachers of Tomorrow program brings together an enthusiastic group of new and early-career teachers for monthly virtual professional development sessions and periodic face-to-face gatherings. Participants got an overview of the organized blind movement when they visited the NFB Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, and they gained hands-on experience with advocacy by attending Washington Seminar. At the Louisiana Center for the Blind they observed the Structured Discovery method of teaching orientation and mobility skills.
Each meeting focuses on a specific aspect of teaching, but all meetings highlight the lived experiences of blind people. Teachers hear firsthand about the educational opportunities and outlooks on blindness that prepare blind students for lives of personal and professional fulfillment.
"There simply aren't enough words to describe the incredible experience that I've had, and continue to have, with NFB’s Teachers of Tomorrow program," says program alum Ashley Walley. "I anticipated every meeting with pen and paper at the ready to take in all of the lived experiences of the amazing blind adults I would never have had the opportunity to encounter without this program. I gained many friends through this program whom I keep in regular contact with, consistently bouncing ideas off one another, seeking solidarity with one another, and reminding each other of the inspiration we felt through the program to continue forth in our chosen field."
"I have incorporated adding Braille to picture books, and I also use more physical items in my teaching," says Teacher of Tomorrow Heather Janes. "My students have enjoyed this opportunity for more engagement. I look forward to other experiences as I continue to grow into my TVI role, and I am grateful for this group."
This July our Teachers of Tomorrow will join thousands of enthusiastic Federationists at the NFB National Convention in Orlando, Florida. At the largest gathering of blind people anywhere in the world, they will examine the latest technology, listen to dynamic speakers, and meet blind people from all over the United States and beyond. We're confident that our Federation family will make them welcome. At Convention they will have the chance to meet thousands of blind people who are living the lives they want.
To learn more about Teachers of Tomorrow and to apply for the 2024-25 program, visit https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/teachers-tomorrow.
Launched in Maryland in 2008, the NFB BELL® Academy has become one of the flagship programs of the National Federation of the Blind. In states across the country, preparations are now underway for the 2024 BELL Academies.
"We have a student who has attended BELL Academy every summer from the age of four, and one summer she attended two different BELL programs," says Jenny Carmack, a BELL teacher from Missouri. "Her parents tell us that after she attended her first BELL she insisted on coming back each year, and that her insistence increased as she grew older. The family made summer plans around BELL. This student stated repeatedly that her favorite thing about BELL is that so many teachers and volunteers are blind, so they understand the students better than most other people do."
The NFB BELL Academy is a one- or two-week summer program that gives blind children ages four through twelve the opportunity to build their Braille skills. BELL is an acronym that stands for Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning. Throughout each program BELL students are mentored by blind adults who serve as volunteers. The program is designed to help blind kids discover that reading can be fun and that Braille skills can be part of activities that include travel, cooking, and conducting science experiments.
In 2020, when COVID-19 transformed the world overnight, the NFB redesigned BELL Academy for the new reality. Though it wasn't safe for students to gather in person, it still was important for blind children to be exposed to Braille in fun and exciting ways. With only a few weeks to plan, the NFB created the NFB BELL In-Home Edition. Each student who signed up for the program received a jumbo box of supplies in the mail. During daily online sessions students read stories, played games, and followed Braille instructions as they worked on crafts and science projects. Each online class was taught by an experienced teacher of blind students. In addition, families were connected with blind mentors from their state. Between sessions families met with the mentors by phone, asking questions and building connections.
In 2022 several states held in-person BELL Academies again, while BELL In-Home Edition continued for students who could not attend a face-to-face program. More BELL Academies were held last summer. There is nothing like the opportunity for blind children to gather in the same space with peers and successful blind adults!
Today teachers and volunteers are preparing for the 2024 NFB BELL Academies. Students will spend time working on Braille, cane travel, and other skills of blindness while having fun and being exposed to a positive philosophy of blindness. Incidental learning during the program can be just as important as the planned lessons. Children may find out how to put a straw into a juice box independently, how to cut paper with a scissors, or how to find a dropped object on the floor.
Most BELL Academies are two-week day programs, running from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Some states also run residential BELL programs, bringing students together for a week of intensive training and fun activities.
Louisiana is one of the states that has already mapped out its plans for this summer's BELL Academies. It will host two programs, one for students ages four to ten (June 2-8, 2024) and one for students ages eleven to fourteen (July 21-27). Both programs will be held at the Louisiana Center for the Blind in Ruston. NFB of Louisiana President Pam Allen explains, "BELL is for all blind children, including low-vision students who receive insufficient Braille instruction, students who are new to vision loss, students who have been blind since birth, and blind students with additional disabilities."
For questions or additional details about the Louisiana programs, contact Krystal Guillory at 318-245-8955 or [email protected].
The most powerful recommendations for BELL Academy come from parents whose children have taken part. "I just wanted to send you a quick note, as I'm too emotional to tell you in person," wrote one mom. "I'm forever grateful for you all! Truly, I never imagined that camp would be this amazing! I know that all moms believe in their children, but getting others to believe in my son has been a struggle. You all have readily accepted his challenges and pushed him to persevere, and he is thriving because of you! He's so worth it! My only regret is not finding you all sooner, as we would have been back every summer until he aged out!"
Registration for the 2024 NFB BELL Academies opened in February. To learn more and to register your child, please visit nfb.org/bell.
by Julie Deden
From the Editor: Since the 1990s blind and low-vision teens have gained skills and confidence by attending summer programs at the Colorado Center for the Blind (CCB) and other NFB centers. In this article CCB Director Julie Deden describes this summer's programs and explains how they can make a positive difference for blind youth.
For more than thirty years our NFB training centers have hosted programs for blind youth of all ages. The programs at each center have been unique, though the core components have remained constant. Our centers have offered summer programs to teens from all over the country. We have also provided year-round training that primarily serves blind teens locally.
Cody came to the Colorado Center the summer after he graduated from high school. Totally blind from birth, he had been fully mainstreamed, and he did not know any positive blind role models. Cody used a cane at school, but he did not take his cane with him when he went out with his family and friends. He had good skills in the areas of Braille and technology, but he had only minimal experience with cooking, cleaning, and other household management skills.
Cody jumped right into training at the CCB. He thrived on the challenging aspects of cane travel. He worked well with his counselor and roommates, cooking and cleaning in his apartment. The summer program gave him the confidence he needed to be successful in college and beyond.
Today Cody is a certified public accountant (CPA) who works for Price-Waterhouse. He travels regularly throughout the US for work, and he has visited Europe. Cody is a leader in the National Federation of the Blind.
At the CCB we believe blind people can do just about anything. Every day we encourage and challenge each of our students. They come to understand their potential as they build the skills and confidence to live the lives they want. We know that when you believe in yourself and experience a thriving community of positive blind people, nothing can hold you back from pursuing your dreams.
Here are the elements that have made our summer programs vibrant and life-changing for so many teens.
What Do Students Gain?
Cody explains, "The summer program gave me belief in myself and the connections to blind people that have truly made the difference. When I started college, I began using my cane everywhere. I realized that I could compete with others and that I truly was an equal."
This summer the Colorado Center for the Blind will again offer its No Limits to Learning program for blind teens. In addition to the four-week program we offered in 2023, we will also offer a seven-week program that will include attending the National Federation of the Blind Convention in Orlando.
No Limits to Learning
Seven-week Program
Dates: June 21 through August 9
This program will provide students with additional instruction to cement their skills and confidence. Students enrolled in this seven-week program will have the opportunity to attend the national convention of the NFB that will be held in Orlando, Florida. They will learn about techniques of airport travel and how to navigate in a large hotel. They will have the opportunity to examine a wide array of technology, meet blind people in many fields, learn more about the NFB, and much more.
To participate in this program applicants must be sixteen years of age or older. They are required to submit an essay discussing why they want to attend the NFB National Convention.
No Limits to Learning
Four-week Program
Dates: July 12 through August 9
Except for attending the national convention, this shorter program will cover all elements listed above, including challenge recreation activities.
Applicants for the four-week program must be fifteen or older.
The Colorado Center for the Blind is located in Littleton, Colorado. We place a strong emphasis on safety and security and follow the Youth Protection Policy established by the National Federation of the Blind. All staff members receive extensive training prior to the students' arrival. Students live with a counselor and will be supervised.
All potential students and their parents or guardians are interviewed by our director of Youth Services, Chaz Davis. Chaz has a master's degree in social work (MSW). He is blind, a marathon runner, and the father of a two-year-old. This is his third summer with us.
Funding to attend the summer programs is typically available through vocational rehabilitation programs.
For more information please contact:
Chaz Davis, Director of Youth Programs
303-778-1130
[email protected]
Visit our website at www.cocenter.org
"As a blind parent of three children, two blind and one sighted, I am always looking for books in Braille to read aloud. I very much appreciate receiving books from the American Action Fund, and my children also look forward to helping me rip open the envelope to discover what book is inside. Recently, I read Rat and Roach, Friends to the End to my two youngest children, ages four and two. My seven-year-old also sat down to listen about halfway through the story, after he heard us laughing."
The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults is dedicated to providing free Braille books for blind children. We make sure to get thousands of Braille books each year and share them with blind children and parents across the country. Our goal is to help blind people develop a love for reading and learning.
The Braille Books Program goes beyond just giving access to important reading materials. It plays a big role in making families stronger. The excitement of finding a new Braille book, the fun of laughing together during a story, and the eagerness of kids to join in the reading create lasting memories for families with blind members.
We are committed to promoting literacy, supporting blind students in their education, and spreading Braille literacy everywhere. All of this work is possible because of kind-hearted individuals like you. If you can give, your tax-deductible gift to the American Action Fund can really make a big difference in helping the Braille Books Program reach even more people.
The Braille Books Program not only opens up a world of imagination and knowledge for blind individuals; it also makes family connections stronger. It lets blind parents and children share the joy of reading, making a positive and inclusive learning space at home.
We recently announced the 2024 book selections. They include the following: Jo Jo Makoon's Snow Day by Dawn Quiggly, Select Your Superpower: You Save the World Adventure #1 by David Blaze, Magnificent Makers #1-#8 by Theanne Griffith, Would You Rather Game Book—Travel Edition by Archie Brian, and The 100 Best Brain Teasers for Kids: A Mind-Blowing Challenge of Wordplay, Math, and Logic Puzzles by Danielle Hall. Read the 2024 Braille Books Program Press Release here: https://actionfund.org/2024-braille-book-selection-announcement!
By supporting the American Action Fund, you're not just helping a program; you're investing in making family lives better and creating a more inclusive world for the blind community. Join us in making a lasting impact, ensuring that Braille books continue to bring joy, connection, and shared experiences to blind individuals and their families across the nation.
Your support helps keep our resources free for blind children and adults. You can contribute to the Action Fund in three easy ways:
Often the simplest and most significant way to make a charitable contribution is to plan a legacy gift. Creating a lasting impact is easier than you might think. Choose an option that works best for your circumstances.
You can plan to give all or part of a bank account, insurance proceeds, investment assets, real estate, or a retirement account. You can even give a required minimum distribution from your IRA directly to charity and avoid taxes on the distribution. After providing for your loved ones, you could bequeath a specific dollar amount or a percentage of your estate to an organization whose mission is important to you.
The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults Legacy Society recognizes and honors the generosity of friends of the Action Fund who have chosen to leave a legacy through a will or other planned giving option.
If you wish to give part or all of an account, simply fill out a P.O.D. (payable on death) or T.O.D. (transfer on death) form. For pensions and insurance assets, you can designate a charity as a beneficiary. If you would like to leave a legacy to the Action Fund in your will, include the following language:
I give, devise, and bequeath unto the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults, 1800 Johnson Street, Suite 100, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, a Maryland nonprofit corporation, the sum of $______________ (or) _________ “percent of my net estate" or "the following stocks and bonds": ____________________, to be used for its worthy purposes on behalf of blind persons.
If you have questions or would like more information, please reach out to Patti Chang at 410-659-9315 or [email protected]. If you have included the American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults in your will or have made some other provision for a future gift, please contact Patti so we can recognize you as a member of our Legacy Society.
Legacy gifts carry the values and ideals that have been important to you throughout your lifetime and provide for generations of blind children and adults. Please consider the American Action Fund in your future plans.
National Federation of the Blind Scholarships
nfb.org/scholarships
Application Deadline: March 31, 2024
The National Federation of the Blind's annual scholarship program is the largest of its kind in the nation. Every year the NFB awards more than $250,000 in cash and prizes to blind scholars across the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in recognition of their achievements and professional aspirations. Thanks to many generous partners, there are thirty merit-based scholarships currently available, each valued at eight thousand dollars. All scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, community service, and leadership. The finalists attend the NFB National Convention, when the winners of each individual scholarship are selected.
Applicants must be legally blind in both eyes; must reside in the United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico; must be eighteen years of age by July 3, 2024; must be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, postsecondary course of study in a degree-granting program in the US or Puerto Rico in the fall of this year; and must participate in person in the entire NFB Convention and all of its scheduled scholarship program activities.
Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards
nfb.org/bolotin
Contact: Everette Bacon, 801-631-8108
[email protected]
Application Deadline: April 15, 2024
Dr. Jacob W. Bolotin (1888-1924) was the world's first physician who was blind from birth. Winners of the annual Jacob Bolotin Awards break down barriers facing blind people in an innovative way, change negative perceptions of blindness and blind people, and push past existing boundaries to inspire blind people to achieve new heights. Winners receive a cash award. They have included entrepreneurs, filmmakers, authors, mathematicians, technology developers, artists, teachers, nonprofit organizations, programs, partnerships, and more. The awards are presented annually at the NFB National Convention in July.
The Jacob Bolotin Awards are funded by the National Federation of the Blind with assistance from the Alfred and Rosalind Perlman Trust.
National Association of Blind Students 2024 Midwest Student Seminar
Contact: Hunter Kuester, [email protected]
920-285-8530
Registration Form: https://nabslink.org/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&action=preview&id=2
Location: Holiday Inn O'Hare, 5615 N. Cumberland, Chicago, IL 60631
Dates: March 22-24, 2024
The National Association of Blind Students (NABS) is thrilled to invite students to "Embrace the Quest; Experience the Now!" Students from the Midwest and beyond are invited to share experiences, challenge perceptions, and network with blind peers and mentors. There will be a mix of activities, thought-provoking conversations, and riveting presentations on topics from securing accommodations to finding identity as a blind person. This seminar promises to empower students to live the lives they want, regardless of where they are in their education.
NFB Writers Division Contest
https://writers.nfb.org/contestpage.html
Contact: Barbara Hammel
7408 Bryn Mawr Dr
Urbandale, IA 50322
Deadline for Entries: April 30, 2024
The NFB Writers Division sponsors an annual contest for blind writers. Adult contest categories are short fiction, nonfiction (including personal essay and memoir), novel excerpts, and poetry. Youth contest categories are short fiction and poetry. The youth contest is divided into three groups, determined by grade level: Elementary (first through fourth grade), middle (fifth through eighth grade), and high school (ninth through twelfth grade). Contest winners will receive cash prizes and may be published in the Writers Division magazine, Slate & Style. Youth prizes will be $30 for first place, $20 for second place, and $10 for third place. The youth contest is a contest for students who use Braille. See the online guidelines for more details.
InSights Art Contest
https://insights-art.org
Contact: [email protected]
Deadline for Submissions: March 29, 2024
Amateur and professional artists from around the world are encouraged to enter their work in the annual juried art competition sponsored by American Printing House for the Blind. The contest is open to all legally blind artists. Original works of two-dimensional art, sculpture, and crafts will be considered. Winners will receive prizes and will have their art displayed during APH’s annual meeting. They will have the chance to travel to Louisville, KY, to receive their awards.
Be My Eyes
https://www.bemyeyes.com
Contact: [email protected]
Using a smartphone Be My Eyes connects people who need sighted assistance with volunteers and companies around the world. Be My Eyes is pleased to announce a major new feature called Be My Eyes Groups. Not every person is comfortable asking for help from an unknown volunteer. Be My Eyes now offers a major new capability to give blind people more choices. In addition to their existing 7.1 million volunteers, now blind people worldwide also can build their own custom network of people to help with everyday tasks. Build your own trusted group of friends or family members to help with personal and sensitive tasks you might not wish to share with an unknown volunteer. Once you've assembled your trusted group, press the "My Groups" to connect with the first available person who is known to you. To create a new group, click on "My Groups" in the Be My Eyes app homepage and follow the instructions. After you have created and named your first group, you will be able to send an invite link to your friends and family members. You can enter up to twenty people in your circle and have up to five different groups on Be My Eyes.
Braille Signage
In July 2023 United Airlines began to add Braille signage on its aircraft. Braille markers are being posted to indicate row and seat numbers, and Braille signs are being placed inside and outside airplane bathrooms. United plans to install Braille signage in its entire fleet by the end of 2026.
At the end of September, 2023, Lukas Franck retired after serving The Seeing Eye for forty-five years. At the time of his retirement his title was Senior Consultant for Special Projects. In addition to being a gifted guide dog mobility instructor, Franck made invaluable contributions to the international guide dog movement. His work with traffic engineers to improve safety has benefited all pedestrians, blind and sighted alike.
64 Ounce Games
https://64-ounce-games.myshopify.com
3911 Greenwood Dr., Pearland, TX 77584
64 Oz. Games accessibility kits allow blind and sighted players to play together with a retail product. What is included in an accessibility kit can vary, depending upon the needs of the game. Most kits consist of a printout with the text of all of the game cards and instructions on assembly. Most kits require a blind and sighted person to work together for assembly. Some kits include custom dice or tokens specific to the game. All kits require the original retail game to be played. Some kits, listed as combo kits, come with both the game and the kit but are not yet assembled. Game kits available include Apples to Apples, Exploding Kittens, Bananagrams, Taboo, Five Crowns, Ticket to Ride, Catan, and Scattergories.
Guidelines for Standardizing the Design of Tactile Maps: A Review of Research and Best Practice
by Jakub Wabinski, Albina Moscicka, and Guillaume Touya
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00087041.2022.2097760
The Cartographic Journal, The World of Mapping
Vol. 59, Number 3, 2022
Based on questionnaires and an extensive literature review, this open-access article is a detailed investigation into methods for creating maps that easily can be read and used by blind and low-vision persons. With its extensive references, it consolidates an extensive body of information on this topic.
Research about Identity and Participation in the Blindness Community
Contact: Gina Ouellette
[email protected]
Gina Ouellette, a doctoral candidate at California State University, East Bay, seeks blind persons between ages eighteen and thirty-two for an online survey about identity and participation in the blindness community. Ten to twelve participants may be selected for an additional sixty- to ninety-minute interview via Zoom. Interview participants will be compensated with a Target or Amazon gift card.
Educational Technology Survey
https://nfb.org/legal/surveys
The NFB is gathering information regarding the accessibility of educational technology used in our nation's schools (kindergarten through graduate level). If you are a student, parent, teacher, or administrator who uses screen access software or other accommodations to participate nonvisually in educational programs or services, or if you are the parent, teacher, or administrator of someone who does, please complete the Education Technology Survey once a semester and contribute to this important research.
(contents)