Kid Talk

Kid Talk

American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults
Future Reflections Convention 2016 NOPBC CONFERENCE
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Kid Talk
Presented by Mark Riccobono
Introduction by Kim Cunningham: It is a great pleasure to introduce to you the president of the National Federation of the Blind, Mark Riccobono. President Riccobono is married to NOPBC board member Melissa Riccobono, and they have three kids, two of whom are blind. This morning our kids have the chance to gather in a circle around Mark Riccobono for a conversation at the front of the room. Please welcome NFB President Mark Riccobono. [Applause]

Mark Riccobono: Good morning, everybody! Okay, I’m going to sit down on the floor here—I don’t get the chance to do this very often at convention! All right, we’re passing some stuff out to you kids. Don't open your boxes yet. Can you tell me your names real quick? . . . Okay, I've got Sydney, Julia, Niall, Emery, Andrew, Abby, Christopher. Now, do you guys like to build things?
Sydney: I like to build funny designs and funny pictures.
Mark Riccobono: Let me tell you something. In the National Federation of the Blind we're always building things. Did you ever notice that? We're always building something for blind people! We're building it for blind people and by blind people. A lot of times we're told that we can't build stuff. Have you ever been told that?
Sydney: No!
Mark Riccobono: Awesome! That's because you're here with the NOPBC! But you know, a lot of times we're told we can't build stuff because we're blind. I think one of the cool things we get to do as blind people in the Federation is learn how to build. We build our own lives every day by sharing with each other what we know about blindness. We get to go out and build things in society. We teach blind kids how to be engineers. We just had a bunch of blind kids build some boats. They all floated, and nobody drowned.
One of the things I like to do is build with LEGOs. Now, my daughter Oriana, who's six, loves cats. Recently I got to meet a cat who is blind. I thought Oskar is a pretty cool cat. He can do all sorts of things.
Sydney: How does he know if there are toys?
Mark Riccobono: That's a good question! How does he know?
Sydney: He has to feel them with his paws.
Mark Riccobono: There you go! Alternative techniques for cats! Maybe Oskar can teach his techniques to other blind cats.
Now, I thought maybe we could build a cat together. In your box there are ten different pieces. I want you to find the biggest piece. It's a LEGO brick that's two pieces by four. Those little bumps on top, those are called stets. Think you can find that piece? When you find it, take it out and put it aside. We're going to wait till everyone finds that piece.
Now you need to find a LEGO brick that's one by two. Now if you're raising your hand, that's not going to help me, because I'm a blind person. You have to say your name. Turn your first LEGO upside down, and put that one by two brick at the end of it.
Niall: I don't know how to do this.
Mark Riccobono: You know how you get good at something? By practicing! Now we're running short on time, so I'm going to build my cat and pass it around. Emery, you're the closest. Here's the cat. You guys can keep these LEGOs, and you can build this cat because we're going to put the video online.
I know that some of you haven't built with LEGOs before, and some of you have. I want you to take these kits with you. There's a video where you can watch the instructions. Don't forget that as a blind person, you can build the things that you want to build! Focus on your hopes and dreams, and know that the National Federation of the Blind is here to help you build them.
Thank you for coming to build LEGOs with me. I hope you stop by the Presidential Suite later, and we can build some more. [Applause]

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