San Antonio – Larry Johnson is a resident of San Antonio and a registered voter in Bexar County. He is also totally blind. Since he is eligible to vote absentee in the state of Texas due to his disability, he has done so in the past, but he has had to have a sighted person help him fill out his ballot, compromising its rightful secrecy.
Baltimore, Maryland (May 11, 2022): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the nation’s leading advocate for equal education of the blind, today announced the finalists for its annual scholarship program, which provides financial assistance and connects students with mentoring and other resources.
Springfield, Illinois (May 31, 2022): The Illinois State Board of Elections (SBE) announces the launch of a remote accessible vote-by-mail system for the June 2022 primary election.
MONTGOMERY – TODAY the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), the Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program (ADAP), and Brown Goldstein & Levy, on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind of Alabama (NFB-AL) and individual Alabamians, filed litigation against the Alabama Secretary of State for denying voters who are blind or have print disabilities access to the state’s absentee ballot program in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act (RA).
Share the story of the largest gathering of blind people living the lives we want, learning from each other, teaching the next generation, and transforming dreams into reality. Please post to social media with #NFB22. Join us!
New Orleans, Louisiana (July 7, 2022): The National Federation of the Blind has presented its Blind Educator of the Year Award to Corey Grandstaff of Vancouver, Washington. Mr. Grandstaff serves as the Associate Director of Transition and Residential Programs at the Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB), a position he has held since 2016. He recently earned his principal certificate from Washington State University. He holds additional certifications from Washington State in the areas of social studies, history, orientation and mobility, and teaching the visually impaired. He earned his M.A. from the University of Northern Colorado in 2015.
New Orleans, Louisiana (July 7, 2022): The National Federation of the Blind has presented its annual Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award to Scott McCallum, the superintendent of the Washington State School for the Blind (WSSB). Mr. McCallum oversees the faculty, staff, curriculum, and facilities of the school, which provides educational and transition services to blind and low-vision students and their families on its campus and throughout the state. The school also collaborates with the National Federation of the Blind of Washington to conduct summer NFB-BELL® Academy sessions, as well as on other initiatives. Mr. McCallum has been a teacher of blind students and orientation and mobility instructor since 1999 and accepted the position as superintendent of WSSB in 2016.
New Orleans, Louisiana (July 11, 2022): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) has presented fifty thousand dollars in cash awards to individuals and organizations that are a positive force in the lives of blind people and whose work advances the goal of helping transform their dreams into reality. At the National Federation of the Blind annual convention, the fifteenth annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards honored five individuals and organizations who are helping blind people live the lives they want.
Raleigh, North Carolina (July 14, 2022): UNC Health Care System (“UNC Health”) will pay $125,000 in damages and admit to violating federal disability rights laws to settle legal claims by blind patients that UNC Health does not provide written materials in Braille, large print, or other accessible formats.
Berkeley, California (July 25, 2022): The Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD) has agreed to put new policies for the testing and evaluation of online learning technology in place to ensure that such technology is fully accessible to the blind and other students with disabilities.