Future Reflections
Volume 44, Number 2 Special Issue on Technology
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 © 2025 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]
Convention Bulletin 2025
The 2025 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, this summer. Start planning your trip now.
Tuesday, July 8 through Sunday, July 13
The Marriott New Orleans and the Sheraton New Orleans
As our headquarters hotel, the Marriott will host convention breakouts, general sessions, and the banquet. Right across Canal Street, the Sheraton serves as our overflow hotel and will be home to the Exhibit Hall and Independence Market.
If this will be your first convention, or if you need a refresher, check out our First Timer’s Guide at https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/first-timers-guide.
Book Your Hotel
Reserve your room by calling 888-236-2427 for the Marriott or 855-516-1090 for the Sheraton New Orleans. Ask for the “National Federation of the Blind 2025 Convention” block. Here are important things to know about the rates and booking the room:
Rates and Taxes
The nightly rate for both the Marriott and the Sheraton is $119 for singles and doubles, while triples and quads can be booked for $129 per night. You should also anticipate the combined sales tax and tourism support rate of 16.2 percent and note there is a hotel occupancy fee of $3.00 per night.
Deposit and Cancellation
At the time you make a reservation, a deposit of the first night’s stay 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 check. If a reservation is cancelled before Sunday, June 1, 2025, half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise, refunds will not be made.
Registration
Registration for convention will open in March. Registration will be $25 per person plus $80 per banquet ticket. Register early because prices go up if you register onsite in New Orleans. Registration includes the biggest event of the year, access to the event app, and communications on the latest news and events.
Convention Schedule
The 2025 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind will be a truly exciting and memorable event, with an unparalleled program and rededication to the goals and work of our movement.
A wide range of seminars for parents of blind children, technology enthusiasts, job seekers, and other groups will kick the week off on Tuesday, July 8. Convention registration and registration packet pick-up will also open on Tuesday.
Breakout sessions continue on Wednesday, July 9, along with committee meetings.
Thursday, July 10, will kick off with the annual meeting, open to all, of the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind. National division meetings will follow the board meeting that afternoon and evening.
General convention sessions will begin on Friday, July 11, and continue through the afternoon of Sunday, July 13.
Convention ends on a high note with the banquet on Sunday evening, so be sure to pack your fancy clothes. The fall of the gavel at the close of banquet will signal convention’s adjournment. Make plans now to be a part of it all!
Contents
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Stepping into the Future
by Deborah Kent Stein
FEATURE
Beyond the Buzz: What Really Prepares Blind Students for the Tech of Tomorrow
by Brett Boyer
GETTING STARTED
Early Exposure
by Anne Westbrook
The Knowledge of the Past, the Promise of the Future: Integrating Assistive and Mainstream Technologies into the Classroom Setting
by Isaac Raske
Passing It On: Learning and Teaching with Access Technology
by Chuy Vaca
Training Is the Key, an Interview with Raúl and Stacie Gallegos
by Deborah Kent Stein
CHALLENGES AND CHOICES
High Tech, Low Tech: Everything Serves a Purpose
by Ameenah Ghoston
Monarch: Shaping the Future of Tactile Literacy
by Sarah Gauer
EXPLORING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AI and Our Blind Children: The Potential and the Pitfalls
by Jonathan Mosen
Today's Artificial Intelligence: Our Future for Reading and Writing STEM?
by Al Maneki
How Artificial Intelligence Can Improve Education for Blind Students
by Justin Salisbury
ADVOCACY
IEPs in the Twenty-first Century: How to Get the Technology Your Child Needs
by Sanho Steele-Louchart and Ather Jammoa
RECREATION
Accessibility in Gaming for the Deafblind
by Daniel Hawkins
Video Gaming Accessibility, from National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled
REVIEW
Connecting Dots: A Blind Life
by Joshua A. Miele with Wendell Jamieson
Reviewed by Deborah Kendrick
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Letter to the US Secretary of the Department of Education
by Mark A. Riccobono
Bringing Books to Life: How Share Braille Connects Readers across the Nation
Congratulations! The 2025 Braille Readers Are Leaders Winners
by Lisamaria Martinez
Why Join the NOPBC?
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.
What is the NOPBC?
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.
Who is the NOPBC for?
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.
Why is the NOPBC a part of the National Federation of the Blind?
As a division of the 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.
What is our mission?
The NOPBC:
- creates a climate of opportunity for blind children in home and society.
- provides information and support to parents of blind children.
- facilitates the sharing of experience and concerns among parents of blind children.
- develops and expands resources available to parents and their children.
- helps parents of blind children gain understanding and perspective through partnership and contact with blind adults.
- functions as an integral part of the National Federation of the Blind in its ongoing effort to achieve equality and opportunity for all blind persons.
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.
Why Join the NOPBC?
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:
- emotional support and a network of other families dealing with challenges similar to those you face;
- information, training, and resources to empower you to take an active role in guiding your child’s development and education; and
- information on your child’s rights and on the laws and legislative issues that will enable you and your child to become strong and effective advocates.
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.
Programs, activities, publications, and resources of the NFB and NOPBC
- National and State Parent Seminars and Conferences
- Future Reflections magazine
- NOPBC website
- Books and videos
- Social Media
- NOPBC Facebook group
- NOPBC Facebook page
- NOPBC on X
- BlindKid & other listservs
- Parent Leadership Program (PLP)
- NFB Early Childhood Initiatives
- Early Explorers
- Braille Reading Pals
- Early childhood conferences
- Braille Letters from Santa & Winter letters (seasonal)
- Youth
- NFB National Scholarship program
- National Center for Blind Youth in Science website
- NFB EQ for Teachers: A Nonvisual & Accessible Engineering Curriculum
- NFB EQ for Parents: A STEM Learning Toolkit for Parents of Blind Children
- NFB STEM2U
- Youth Track at national convention
- Transition workshops
- Slate Pals pen pal program
- American Action Fund
- Free Braille Books program
- Braille Readers Are Leaders contest
- ShareBraille book exchange
- Writing contests
- NFB-NEWSLINE® newspaper service
- National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
- NFB BELL® Academy (Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning)
- NFB Radio Network
- Free White Cane program
- Free Slate and Stylus program
- NFB National Scholarship program
- Straight Talk about Blindness video series
- Where the Blind Work website
Contact Us:
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
[email protected]
www.nopbc.org