This is being provided in a rough-draft format. Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) is provided in order to facilitate communication accessibility and may not be a totally verbatim record of the proceedings
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: The afternoon session is in order.
(Cheering)
How about a door prize? Busy afternoon coming up.
BENNETT: Yeah, I want to do virtual and the general one again. We've got 50 dollars for the next three names I call if you go to [email protected] and use the code word of... I had it a minute ago. Code word NOPVC. Let's hear it for the parents’ division. So the first name is Dewayne Davis from California. And then we have Claress Knight of New Jersey. And finally Shawn Mayo from Iowa.
KENIA: Good afternoon. Our in person door prize is 100 dollars in cash. And that goes to... Colin Wilson from Baltimore, Maryland!
Is Colin here? Let me tell y'all, I was going to the restroom, and someone was like, no one from Maryland has been called! Okay. What about Heidi Williams from Clifton, New Jersey? Make some noise if you are Heidi Williams.
What about Patrick Weiss from Louisville, Kentucky?
What about Robert Hicks from Hamilton, Alabama?
What about Mikayla Osabi from Hampton, Georgia?
What about Deana O'Brian from New Hampshire?
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Deanna O'Brian, are you here?
KENIA: What about Russ Stapleton from Florida? Nobody is here today!
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: We'll get somebody.
KENIA: Is Russ here?
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: No.
KENIA: Oh, we got them. Thank you!
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: You got them...
KENIA: Sorry, we did not get... What about Zachary Denny from Boston, Massachusetts? Tina Hanson from Salem, Oregon? Wave your hand, Tina, if you are Lear. Oh, she's here.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Way in the back. All right, we got 'em. It says that AfterShokz are still available at the GIVE25 table for those who have donated a minimum of 50 dollars to the campaign. You should get them. It's while supplies last, says Patti Chang. So this afternoon we were going to start off talking about some history. But, unfortunately, circumstances came about that our first presenter could not be here at the convention in Orlando.
So we're sorry about that. We hope we can have Dennis Billips another time on our agenda. We're still going to talk about history. Our presentation, our first presentation was going to relate to the Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the 26-day occupancy of a San Francisco federal building taken on by people with disabilities, which helped lead to those regulations. Now, tomorrow we will actually have on the agenda the gentleman who led the Office of Civil Rights and helped get those regulations out the door.
So we'll get part of the story.
But there's many other stories to talk about. And many of them relate to why we want to have the Museum of the Blind Peoples Movement.
So this is my opportunity to remind you that floating around the convention are cards with QR codes on them. There are five different cards out there. Many have answered four of them, so you're eligible to get a pin. It's an M shaped pin. I have one on here myself. If you have completed at least four questions you can go to the GIVE25 table and claim your pin. You might have to fight through the AfterShokz crowd, but you can get it. And be sure to carry your cards with you and even bring them to the banquet. We'll still have some activities related to this at the banquet for those who are able to complete all five questions.
So share your cards and scan your QR codes. I see a lot of people have learned how to scan QR codes this week, which is cool. So in honor of history, there is really one person that is well qualified to talk about history... can I have your attention, please? There is one person who is really well qualified to talk to us about history. She's been acknowledged with the Jacob Bolotin Award and it's right in her name. So I want to give a few minutes to the Blind History Lady.
(Music playing)
¶... here on in ¶
¶ History has its eyes on you ¶
¶ Oh, oh ¶
¶ Oh, oh ¶
¶ History has its... on you ¶
SPEAKER: That's very nice. I like that walkup song, thank you. I wanted to just highlight a few of the things that I know about some of our national conventions over the years. Just focusing on National Convention, because if we focus on NFB history, that's why we need the museum.
So I just want to tell you a little bit about why the National Federation of the Blind is a Blind Peoples Movement. In 1940, as many know, we had 16 delegates from seven states. The next year we had 104 delegates at our convention in Milwaukee that was held in August, by the way, and there were 11 states represented. In 1942 we lad 150 people at our convention with 15 states represented. One of the resolutions that year was a resolution stating that the national organization, that the board of directors would always use union printers. And encouraged every affiliate to do the same. Why was that important?
During 1942, of course, World War II was going on, and the unions were helping blind people get jobs. They were helping us with national legislation. And they wanted something in return. Meaning that we would use union contractors for things such as printing. We didn't do much else with unions other than prisoning at that time. Didn't have hardly any money. In 1949, the convention was held in Denver, Colorado.
(Cheering)
They like it when I mention Colorado. And we had a representative from Canada speaking on our responsibilities as citizens at that convention. I must tell you that convention was not as harmonious leading up to the convention as it could have been in Colorado affiliate, because Julia May Courtney Way. I love her name; she was a poet. She was the delegate at the 1947 convention, and she got really into bidding for the convention to come to Denver in 1949. At that time states got up and made their presentation, hey, we want you to come to our state and so on, and what are we going to give you.
So Julia May came back home from Minneapolis in 1947 really proud of herself until she told the president, guess what I did! He was not amused, because it cost money to host a convention. Well, it still does, as in Florida we'll tell you. But it meant that you had to find the hotels, negotiate the contracts, did the hotel have a kitchen, where were you going to get the banquet from, entertainment and so on and so forth. So it took a little while for her to warm the board up to the idea.
In 1952, Dr. TenBroek's speech was covered over the NBC Network. In 19532NBC Network covered a panel discussion of professionally employed blind people. This time CBS was not to be outdone and they took and covered the banquet speech that year. In 1959 we began the practice of having a registration fee. Why did we have a registration fee? Well, Julia May Courtney Way had she been alive could have told you why, because it cost money. The New Mexico affiliate had bid for the convention and, of course, the convention was growing. The hotel they hoped to house most of the delegates backed out. They were scrambling for hotel rooms, rooms in their friends' houses, any place that would welcome some of the delegates. And hopefully have a bathroom. Because at that time a bathroom, if you had a hotel room with a bathroom, that cost extra money, by the way.
1960 we had the convention in Miami, Florida. There were 900 delegates at that convention representing 47 states. The Florida attendees at that time came from all walks of life. Everything from osteopaths to workshop -- sheltered workshop employees, to business owners. One of the delegates at that convention from Florida was a man who owned his own pet shop. And he hired sighted employees because his pet shop kept growing and growing.
In 1965, that was our silver anniversary convention. There is a lot of fun stuff if you want to read the Braille Monitor from that convention. One of the presenters at the convention was Vice president Hubert Humphrey. He was no stranger to the convention as he addressed the Minneapolis convention in 1947 when he was mayor of Minneapolis and a friend to the Federation until the day he died. There was a lot of activities going on, because we had many representatives from Congress, from the U.S. Senate at our banquet and at our meetings. John Nagle was our Washington office person at the time, the Jim Gashel, if you will.
And he went to check out of the hotel, and the hotel was a bit concerned talk to him about his bill, because they came up and said, well, Mr. Nagle, this is when you had to pay for every phone call in your room. Of course you do at this hotel too, but that was just common back then. And they said, Mr. Nagle, sir, does 120 phone calls seem all right to you? And Jim Nagle thought for a minute, and he said, probably 60, 70, 80 calls over to the Hill, all the calls to press, and he turned and said, actually, that kind of sounds kind of low. So he went to his room a lot and made a lot of phone calls.
We had a lot of fun at conventions. When we talk about fit breaks now, in 1965, one of the students from the Iowa Commission for the Blind had a fit break every day. He climbed to the top and climbed down from the Washington monument. Anybody interested in doing that today?
(chuckles)
We had humorous activities that happened at the convention. Our banners today have just two letter designations, but in 1965, they were the entire state name spelled out. Somebody borrowed the Missouri banner, brought it back the next morning, and it was missing the four letters. It was missing the M I S at the front and I at the back. So Missouri just had a "sour" banner, that was all. In 1971, Jim Omveg, a young man at the time and such, he was dealing with some of the press, and they were out at the pool having a great time, and somehow it got to be a challenge that he would dive off of the high dive at the hotel pool, and he did it.
And I was all caught on film, made the press all over. Jim was very pleased that it went well himself. We had at that I'm some traditions we don't have today. We had a reception line before the dance. So all officers and their spouses and the board members and spouses stood in this line and the Federationists lined up and began shaking the hand of everybody in line.
Can you imagine doing that at our 2022 convention? That would have -- that would have been very interesting. We also had long registration lines. If you've only been around the last decade or so, you don't know about that, but you could meet all kinds of people in the registration line and talk to them, car are you on long conversations, get their contact information, make plans for dinner, know how many kids they had. It was a great way to meet people when you went to register.
We have a lot of other interesting stories to tell, but just one more I want to tell, because I was very impressed. And that was in 1984, we had a member of the Louisiana delegation who had a baby one day and showed up to answer roll call the next day. That was Joanne Fernandez, now Wilson.
(Applause)
Those are just some of the highlights of our conventions where every year we break new barriers, we break new something record, depending on what it is. We have new plans, new proposals, new traditions. And I hope that will all be reflected in our Museum for the Blind. So thank you.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: All right, thank you to the Blind History Lady and you can sign up for her regular emails and communications. You can follow her on Mastodon at NFB.social. So nod to history, but also a reminder to think about what each of us can do to support our Museum of the Blind Peoples Movement effort. If you want to talk about what you might be able to do, you can find Patti Chang at the GIVE25 table, and I'm sure she will be pleased to talk to you about it. Bennett, do you want to give a door prize, or should I keep going?
KENIA: We are going to give out a door prize just in person right now. We will be giving away two 25 dollars gift cards and a snack pack. Thank you to the California students for that. That goes to Kevan Roberts from Pine Mountain, Georgia! Not here? Okay. Eileen Gallegos from Denver, Colorado! Got her, thank you!
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Okay. All right. We've been talking at this convention, our theme has been around our core values, and now we're going to talk about putting our core values into action, a report from our research and training programs at the Jernigan Institute, which now celebrates its 20th anniversary of innovation.
We're not going to cover all the history, because it would take a long time. We've done a lot of great stuff. And, of course, one of the reasons to think about our history is to think about what we're going to build in the future. And here to talk with us is a dear friend of -- well, I'm going to say everybody in this room. I couldn't think of who wouldn't be his friend.
I have had the pleasure of knowing him for the last 25 years when we participated in the Three Strikes Seminar, best seminar ever at the National Federation of the Blind, and he has been an affiliate president, a chapter president, he served on the national board, but now he serves as executive director for blindness initiatives... here is Anil Lewis!
(Music playing)
¶ that's the way it is ¶
¶ That's just the way it is ¶
¶ Some things will never change ¶
¶ That's just the way it is ¶
ANIL: All right!
¶ oh, yeah ¶
ANIL: Woo!
How about that!? That's my fit break.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Walking up here?
ANIL: President Riccobono said, walking up here? Yeah, that's it, man. This is what 60 looks and feels like. If you live right, you will get here one day. Man, it's good to be halfway there. I can't wait to see what the next 60 years look like. Was that Barbara that said she's been there?
All right, good. Nice. Whew! I am winded. Before I get started, what a powerful presidential report. I mean, I'm a staff member...
(Applause)
... so I know this stuff is going on, but every time it's... we did that? We did that? We did that too? Powerful, love it! President Riccobono, awesome job, and congratulations on your re election and congratulations to our board members. We're pleased and proud for people willing to serve. I've been in those shoes, and I know it's an awesome responsibility.
President Riccobono was talking about anniversaries earlier, and it reminded me, I didn't realize that the pledge was 50 years old. That's pretty cool. From what I understand, Dr. Jernigan wrote that on a sheet of paper. It wasn't something he planned. In the moment he wrote it, and it's had a lifespan of 50 years. It's been 10 years for Mark Anthony Riccobono as president of the National Federation of the Blind. Ten more years! Yeah! Ten more years!
And I tell you, it's been ten years for me as executive director for blindness initiatives, because... nope, nope, nope! This is what 60 looks like, man, I'm telling you! I can't do ten more. But luckily Hill has already offered to come. So we got to start training Hill. Putting the students on the spot.
It's a 20th anniversary for something I hadn't even thought about until I was hearing all the anniversaries. Think back 20 years ago, in a room similar to this one. Lots of blind people in the room. And for those of you who were there, I would get up to the mic and I would say... how are you feeling!?
We got a few survivors! Awesome! That's nice. 2004 convention was Atlanta, Georgia, and Peachy Keen was the theme. Every time we got up to the mic, how you feeling? Peachy keen. There to dream that we can build a research institute run by and owned by the blind.
And we transformed that dream into reality. We really did.
Just out of curiosity, how many of you guys have participated in one of our projects or programs for an institute? Please stand if you were there at the Jernigan celebration where we opened it. If you participated in one of our imagination funds grant funded opportunities, if you have been in the BELL Academy in person or home. Have you been participating in the "Braille Is Beautiful" program?
If you have had any Braille related conferences, legislative advocacy in Washington, our law program, for the youth. Any of our youth slams, any of our other science programs, any summer internship persons. Any people participating in seniors’ possibility fairs. Any of the career mentoring programs. Any of the tactile art graphic symposium, any train the trainer seminars, any of our Apple Google app accessibility seminars, or any of our boutiques. There's been so many more I can't name them all. If you participated in any of those programs, please stand.
Yeah, yeah!
(Applause)
Awesome. Thank you very much. It's only because we as an organization are committed to doing this in a real way. Excuse me. The construction of the Jernigan Institute was an ambitious undertaking. And we have indeed been extremely successful, and we've been successful because we are the National Federation of the Blind. So people ask you know, what is the secret to our success? Can you guys keep a secret?
(Laughter)
At least they're honest. So people said, no, I can't, nope, just like water. Well, I'm going to trust you, because there's multiple secrets to our success. One of the secrets to our success is that we believe in blind people.
(Applause)
With the Aira experiment, Dr. Jernigan changed the future for all blind people. One of his students learned from him and started the Louisiana Center for the Blind, Joanna Wilson, continued to grow and evolved what he had learned into something new and better and progressive. She was followed by Dan McGeorge who opened the Colorado Center for the Blind and continued to grow our space and provide equality training for blind adults. Joyce Scandlin started Blind Incorporated in Minnesota. We continued to leverage and build on each success.
As long as we believe in blind people and have the heart and dedication to continue to make it happen Blind Inc. will rise again, just like the Phoenix.
(Applause)
And it will continue to be bigger and better, because that is what we do, we go bigger, better, bolder. Our belief in blind people is fundamental to all our projects and programs. So that is one of the secrets to our success. Another is that we lead courageously. That's one of the secrets to our success. In the face of those who say Braille is obsolete, we courageously in their face say no, it's not, it's an essential tool for literacy and productivity of blind people. We make sure we promote Braille and we're working with the National Library Service to continue Braille certification training program, because if we don't train qualified Braille transcribers we won't have quality Braille for all of us to take advantage of.
Also simultaneously exploring new ways to teach Braille. You heard from Casey Roberts, the innovative way she is changing hearts and minds of teachers of blind students and how they teach Braille. If you have participated, Marie, one of our researchers from Johns Hopkins has done a lot of Braille in the brain kind of research. That will be interesting. Never know what may come out of that but she's doing it in conjunction with the Federation. Which means when she comes out what she comes out with, we know it will have efficacy. Early childhood initiatives speak to our parents in a way that make them courageous about setting real expectations for their children to be literate and independent travelers.
So our Braille reading pals program and early explorers and all the Braille programming that we do in conjunction with our partners in America Action Fund, that's what we're the doing, we're courageously letting parents know we're lock step with them and making sure they can continue to set high expectations for their children. Our BELL Academy was one of the most courageous things because we went around and realized there wasn't enough Braille in the school systems.
So in addition to providing two-week experiences and sometimes a week-long residential experience, we're marrying that in a way that takes it back to the school system and really pushes them toward meeting their mandated responsibility of including Braille in their IEPs. And how do we make sure that happens?
Well, we fund an IEP advocacy academy, and we teach our members to go into those rooms and make sure that we can move and shake in a way that when we come out of that loom that individualized education program developed for that student has Braille and any other services they need to be successful.
(Applause)
And thank the Lavelle Fund for supporting that. There was a time when they were saying blind students cannot do science, technology, engineering mathematics. Luckily for us we were there by Marc Maurer as president and our president now Mark Riccobono had the job I had, and they said, that's not acceptable.
So that was the birth of all our science, technology, engineering and mathematics and I'm sure many people in this room have benefited from that. We did it courageously in the face of a system that said we couldn't do it. And now everybody wants to try to do it. But they can't do it like the Federation.
(Applause)
So we're now building on a new STEM program, our STEM 2U program. Thank you, DM, for funding it. We're taking the programs that we incubate and use to execute and taking it to our local areas and helping affiliates support blind youth who may be interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
We continue to shatter the myths and misconceptions about our capacity for competitive integrated employment. I love this story. Pardon me, I know it's corny, but it's still mine. When I used to do job placement, people would come to me all the time and say, well, what are blind jobs? Believe it or not still people are asking that today. Back when I was doing job placement, I would tell them, I'm just so lucky you asked me that, because we publish this every day in every paper across the country. They say... really? I say, yeah, it's called "The Want Ads." It's corny now because nobody reads Want Ads, they're on monster.com and LinkedIn.
But still I started this, right? Never mind, the Internet, stay in your lane, Anil, stay in your lane. So we confront these misconceptions that blind people have specific jobs by producing the "Where the Blind Work" video and virtual series. And we have blind people performing jobs that are white collar, blue color, no collar, just showing the world that blind people can do any job out there when we put our minds to it.
The projects of the Federation continue and would not be possible without the active participation of our members. And this brings us to our next secret, which is we champion collective action.
Without the active participation of our members we would not be able to be as successful. So of course, funding, you have heard a lot of that today, and we appreciate you donating to the different funding sources of the Federation, and through that we can do some dynamic things. I love the fact that through our Kenneth Jernigan Fund we actually have funded the development of a rising leadership program, the Kenneth Jernigan Leadership and Service Program and we have 15 of those program participants here with us this convention.
(Applause)
We are looking forward to what that next cohort will look like. The current cohort has done a tremendous job in helping us frame and shape this program. So although they won't be the beneficiaries of what they created personally, they helped us create a dynamic robust program for the next cohort coming up. Speaking of collective action I want to applaud the work of the school division, Lauren and her leaders within the division have been continuing to collaborate with us. We have already executed NABS regional seminars. Let me say, the students who are doing this in a real way in collaboration with affiliates.
But we recognize if we want to give them the opportunity to exercise their creativity and programming and really get to meet the students where they are, then we need to take some of that administrative responsibility off of them. So collaborate with the national office, chosen affiliates in a student division, we are going to make sure that every year we are able to move this regional seminar so that students who are all across the country can interact with students in a way that makes sure they learn the philosophy of the Federation and leave more empowered.
(Applause)
Our Employment Committee being co led by Leah and Jennifer have done a tremendous job in escalating what we've done around Career Fairs and the Virtual Career Fairs and the Career Fair at the Washington Seminar and all the virtual support we offer for blind job seekers. Again, collective action and partnership of the national office and Employment Committee.
Our rehab professionals division, Amy Porterfield, has done a tremendous job in helping us develop a program that we are going to -- unless we come up with a better name, but I like this name. Create an addendum to the professional certification of rehabilitation counselors to create a consumer certified rehabilitation counselor. That means we are going to be developing curriculum that infuses the philosophy of the Federation, lived experience, and strategies that we know work, to those individuals who have chosen to pursue vocational rehabilitation as their career.
And we'll make them a better counselor. I'll speak to the real impact of that a little bit later. The other secret to our success is we foster inclusion. One of my favorite quotes is from Frederick Douglass in 1987. He says power conceives nothing without a demand. That was appropriate in the time, but as we acquire more power, we should also recognize that power shares nothing without a relationship.
And the reason I think we should evolve that way is because we should recognize now that we have the power. We are the power in the blindness field.
(Applause)
And in order for us to continue to be powerful, we have to work to develop and share that power with other entities that are going to affect the lives of blind people. So this may be a sensitive topic for some, but we have to work very diligently to start partnering with and sharing with other professionals and blindness. We already have done a successful job in partnering in the education space, right? Because we can offer Bell programs top anywhere from 5 to 20 students in a Bell program, but when we work with teachers of the blind students, we not only work with them, but we also work with each and every student that they serve in their career.
So that's why we developed the Teachers of Tomorrow Program, and we have, I don't know, 14 or 15 of them with us today.
(Applause)
And I think that they recognize the value of partnering with the Federation. So again, they have gone through the whole process of getting certified under the existing traditional methods and now we have enhanced their understanding of blindness with our philosophy and the strategies that we use. We're making them better teachers and then they are going to create stronger students.
Our Career Quest program, we bring individuals here and take advantage of this tremendous opportunity and turn it into a learning experience for many blind transition age youths. we're pleased to have a partnership with Mississippi. Dorothy Young is a tremendous advocate within Mississippi, and we have 11 students from Mississippi here attending the convention under our Career Quest. I would be remiss if I didn't express appreciation for Federationists like Jessica Beecham and Jay Meddaugh.
The VR counselor training that we're developing is also going to do something similar, similar to what the teachers of Tomorrow Program is doing. We're going to bring VR counselors into a space where we can complement the training they received through whatever academic environment. In one of the trainings, I asked the rehab counselors, how many blind people you did throughout your matriculation, how many successful blind people did you come in contact with?
How many do you think they said? None. How do you set your expectations for blind people when you haven't seen our true capacity?
So we're going to make sure we correct that problem quick, fast, in hurry. That's the way my cousins talk from Detroit.
(Applause)
Our absence from the space is not a solution. We have to be in their space to make them comfortable with us, but we're going to create spaces that we own where they still feel comfortable. November 11 13 we're going to host the "Dare to Be Remarkable" conference and bring in educators and rehabilitation specialists into our house and teach them how we do it, so they will leave motivate and inspired and continue to leverage what we're doing in the work that they do.
When they understand that we have value, they will respect us. We must continue to foster an environment where they feel included.
Not just for them but for the students, the children, the adults that they serve. We Dream Big. This is the last of our secrets. All of the work that I have talked about from the list that I gave earlier to the work that we are doing now is a result of us dreaming big.
The National Federation of the Blind is the only organization directed by blind people that has the capacity, power, diversity, and love to transform our dreams into reality. Just in case you didn't figure it out, those secrets of our success are our values. And we have put our values into action. Unfortunately, we'll never accomplish it all. People say, yes, we will!
No, we won't. Because we're going to just keep building and dreaming bigger, better and bolder. We'll never do it all. Because we can't stop thinking about what the next step is. I love Dr. Maurer, who also is a student of Dr. Jernigan, who went on for 28 years to run this organization, talking about building on success.
(Applause)
But Dr. Maurer would say, once we have accomplished the goal, transform one dream into a reality, he said, let's celebrate a little and then say, what's next? And we'll continue to do that. Bigger, better, bolder. I truly count myself blessed to be working with President Riccobono. Our board of directors. Working alongside dedicated members of the organization and our committed staff members, so that we can all ensure that blind people can live the lives we want. That is my report. Let's go build the National Federation of the Blind!
(Cheers and applause)
ANIL: I'll reclaim my four minutes (laughing)
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: How about a door prize?
Thank you, Anil.
BENNETT: 25 dollars each for the people that I am going to talk to on the virtual participation list, and the password is Braille. The secret word you use when you go to [email protected] and say "I'm here, I need my money! " and then you can put" Braille" in there. And the first name is Katakam. Sorry if I pronounce it wrong. New Jersey. The next one is Jerry McKee from Alabama.
And the third one is Kelly Burma from New Mexico. So get those in. Now here is Kenia.
KENIA: Or in person door prize today is two 25 dollar gift cards as well as a cozy blanket and that goes to David Crane from Wichita, Kansas! Doesn't sound like David is here. Oh, he is here. Please wave.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Wave!
KENIA: We don't see you if you are here. Not here, okay? What about Sharon Crever Weissbaum from Baltimore, Maryland? She's here. Congratulations, Sharon!
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: All right. Our next presentation to continue hearing from our fine Federation staff is -- says it all in two words "We belong." Here to talk about our collective progress toward equality in society, we have our advocacy and policy group. I'm sure that they will tell you they're only part of the group because another significant part of it is everybody else sitting in this room, and folks who are listening virtually.
But they are the ones that day to day are tracking, keeping up on things, helping to create a strategy, along with the board of directors, finding opportunities for us. I sometimes say that John Pare's job is to make sure that no conversation in Washington, D.C. happens without someone saying National Federation of the Blind when it comes up, what is talked about might impact blind people. He does a great job at that. Along with the other members of our group who all bring different talents to the work, and they're all supported by a number of great folks, so I'll let John Pare introduce the rest of them.
But here in his -- I guess it's now his 17th year as our executive director for advocacy and policy, here is John Pare!
JOHN: Thank you!
(Music playing)
¶ we belong to the sound of the words ¶
¶ Whatever we decide on ¶
¶ The words are for better ¶
¶ We belong ¶
¶ We belong ¶
¶ We belong together ¶
JOHN: On July 26, 2010, Anil Lewis and I, along with hundreds of our friends with disabilities, were on the South Lawn of the White House. We were there to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and to witness President Obama sign the Americans with Disabilities Act website and software application draft regulation.
While the Americans with Disabilities Act requires websites and applications to be accessible, many public and private entities were saying that the law is not clear on exactly what this means. The National Federation of the Blind carefully reviewed the document, did research, and drawing on our lived experiences submitted comments reflecting the voice of the organized blind.
Nearly six years later, instead of proceeding to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the typical next step in the regulatory process, the Department of Justice asked over 120 questions in what amounted to a lengthy questionnaire. Then on December 26, 2017, the Department of Justice suddenly announced that they were stopping all work on the website accessibility regulation.
(booing)
We were shocked. We were incredulous. We were furious. While the law is still on our side, with websites and applications becoming more and more integrated into everyday life, we know that regulatory clarity was important. Over the next several years we broadened our reach, changed the intensity and doubled down on our advocacy. February 28, 2022, the National Federation of the Blind, along with over 180 other disability groups wrote the United States assistant attorney general for civil rights, urging her to move forward on the website accessibility regulation.
Then at our 2023 convention in Houston, we passed resolution 2023 01 demanding that the DOJ move forward on the regulation.
One month later on August 4th, the Department of Justice released the long-awaited ADA website Notice of Proposed Rulemaking.
While there were many regulatory details which we agreed with, there were also seven exceptions champion would not require content to be accessible.
There were seven especially -- there were seven exceptions two especially pernicious exceptions. One related to education for K 12 students, and one related to education for students in higher education. We are sick and tired of blind students not having accessible instructional material at the same time as their sighted peers!
(Cheers and applause)
We prepared over 20 pages of well documented persuasive arguments urging the Department of Justice to eliminate the seven exceptions, especially the two related to education. On April 24th, just a few months ago, the Department of Justice released the ADA website accessibility final regulation. The two exceptions have been removed.
Remaining five exceptions had been brought substantially in line with the existing statutory principles of undue burden and fundamental alteration. It was our relentless determination that refused to quit after even more than a decade of delays, denials and withdrawals. This regulation is a substantial step in the right direction by the organized blind. We will apply the same relentless determination to advocate for regulations applicable to places of public accommodation.
(Applause)
And to those still developing inaccessible websites, we want to be clear, the National Federation of the Blind will never stop advocating until all websites are fully accessible to all Blind Americans. Scott White is responsible for our NFB NEWSLINE service. That NFB NEWSLINE is the largest most effective audio newspaper service available for the blind anywhere in the world. It is available over the phone, the web, the Victor Reader Stream, the NLS digital talking book player, Amazon Echo and the iOS app.
We also are working on an Android app which should be available later this year. We have 595 publications and some portion of NFB NEWSLINE is access to every 1.85 seconds. Recent editions include Midwest Living, Chicago Defender -- Midwest Living, Rapid City Journal and the Colorado Springs Indie.
We have television listings for every cable and satellite provider, seven-day weather forecast, emergency alerts and job listings. If you don't already use NEWSLINE, I urge you to sign up. Shawn Seward is our manager of the Independence Market. We have over 400 items in our catalog, including white canes, Braille and audio watches, kitchen aids, measuring tools and games. Some of the most popular items include the Braille cell model fidget, our tactile Braille playing cards, our atomic talking watch with buckle band, and our regulation size soccer ball with rattles.
You can also get NFB logo hat, shirts and jackets. You can order items by calling our main number and you soon will be able to order items using the new e commerce system.
Soon.
So we have a legal programs coordinator. Over the past year we have assisted with over 450 advocacy matters in the areas of parental rights, K 12 and higher education, test taking, employment, physical and digital accessibility, and social security. We intend to fully participate in all aspects of society, and our advocacy work and legal work will help ensure that we are able to live the lives that we want.
Now, over to Jeff!
JEFF: Thank you, John. The website and software application Accessibility Act, HR 5813 and S2984 was introduced in the House of Representatives by congressman John Sarbanes from Maryland and in the Senate by Senator Tammy Duckworth from Illinois. Over the span of the 118th Congress, this bill gathered 36 cosponsors in the House and five in the Senate. This legislation is critical to making sure websites and apps are accessible by creating a statutory definition for accessibility, holding third party vendors accountable, and providing Technical Assistance Centers to help businesses understand and comply with accessibility requirements.
The National Federation of the Blind will never stop fighting until all websites and apps are fully accessible to all Blind Americans!
(Applause)
High access technology prices have placed unrealistic burdens on those in search of employment. Many of the devices cost more than 4,000 dollars per device, which is why access -- which is why the Access Technology Affordability Act is so imperative. The Access Technology Affordability Act, HR3702 and S1467 was introduced in the House of Representatives by congressman Mike Kelly from Pennsylvania and in the Senate by Senator Benjamin Cardin from Maryland it currently has 91 cosponsors in the House and 18 cosponsors in the Senate. Provisions in the bill will allow Blind Americans purchasing access technology devices to utilize a 2,000 dollars refundable tax credit. This bill will put more access technology in the hands of blind people, increase employment opportunities and sure independent living for Blind Americans. The National Federation of the Blind will never stop working until this bill is signed into law.
This is an election year. And ensuring voting is conducted both privately and independently is crucial to free and fair elections.
Having accessible ballot marking devices or accessible remote options is critical to make certain that blind and low vision voters can express their voice. 34 states plus the District of Columbia permit electronic ballot delivery, allowing blind and print disabled Americans to mark their ballot accessibly, then return their ballot.
13 states allow electronic ballot delivery and return, thereby allowing a blind or print disabled voter to mark, cast and verify their ballot from the comfort of their home. Those states are Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana...
(Cheering)
Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, and West Virginia. We have always understood that remote voting needs to be fully non-visually accessible. It didn't take a pandemic and countless natural disaster for us to recognize the benefits. This process provides full accessibility as it does not require the voter to print and sign a hand marked paper ballot. While we have made great progress in the area of website accessibility, the ability to purchase access technology and accessible voting, there is still work to be done.
None of this is possible if we do not organize, strategize, and mobilize to ensure that our voices are heard by those in power. And with that, now over to Justin.
(Applause)
JUSTIN: Thank you, Jeff. We continue to make great progress on the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act and the 118th Congress. In the House of Representatives, HR 1328 currently has 84 cosponsors, and some notable names include representatives Brian Fitzpatrick from Pennsylvania and Debbie dingle from Michigan, who serve as the co chairs of the bipartisan congressional disability caucus.
On January 18th, 2024, the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act was introduced in the Senate as S3621 by Senators Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire and Mike Braun from Indiana. We need to keep up the effort to build more bipartisan support ensuring these bills both in the House and the Senate one day soon will get passed.
(Applause)
As it relates to accessible prescription labeling, in 2024, the governors of Virginia, Minnesota, and Colorado signed bills into law requiring the state board of pharmacies to begin the regulatory process. The states of Nevada, Oregon, and Tennessee have concluded the regulatory process and have fully implemented their bills on this topic.
It is anticipated the State of Washington's Board of Pharmacy will issue their rules by the end of this year. Through our advocacy, we will ensure -- we will make it possible for all -- for blind people to safely, effectively, and accessibly use medical devices and correctly identify our medication.
(Applause)
We continue to approach the topic of ending subminimum wage with what two-pronged approach. At the federal level we continue to advocate for the passage of the Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act, HR 1263 and S533. Currently HR 1263 has 33 co sponsors, and S533 has three cosponsors.
During the week of May 20, 2024, the National Federation of the Blind and SourceAmerica, an organization dedicated to increasing employment for people with disabilities, sent a joint letter to the United States Congress urging further support for these bills. At the state level, there are 21 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico that have either completely eliminated or reduced the payment of subminimum wages.
(Applause)
In 2024, the states of Kansas and Florida passed laws that we believe will reduce the numbers of people with disabilities being paid subminimum wages. It is time this discriminatory employment practice once and for all be eliminated.
(Applause)
This year, the National Federation of the Blind strongly advocated for changes in the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act. This include better training for airline staff on how to interact with blind passengers. Improving the ability to nonvisually access the in-flight entertainment features. And being able to fly with our guide dogs without having to provides documentation related to our guide dogs for every single flight.
The FAA Reauthorization Act instructs the United States Department of Transportation to create a known traveler number system for service animal users. Thereby eliminating the need for these burdensome forms. We deserve the right to fly with our canes and our guide dogs everywhere and anywhere we please without interference from airline staff.
(Cheers and applause)
We will continue to advocate for accessible use of medical devices, accessible prescription drug labeling, the right to earn a fair wage, and the right to travel independently ensuring we may live the lives we want being productive members of society. And with that, over to Jesse.
JESSE: Thank you, Justin. On January 30th, 2024, at the Washington Seminar Congressional Reception, representative Pete Sessions from Texas made a promise. He pledged to introduce the Blind Americans Return to Work Act to Congress. And you know what... he's kept that promise!
(Applause)
On June 28th, 2024, HR 8878 was introduced by congressman Sessions with lead co sponsor from Maryland. Now that we, an Army of the Federation advocates have a bill number to fight for, we will change our collective future. In case you're not aware of the problem, let me introduce you to David a fellow Federationist from Wabasha, Minnesota. David's journey struggles faced by many of us. Raised on a Texas cattle ranch, David joined the Navy ready to defend our country in the Iran hostage crisis. An honorable discharge led him to work in the Texas oil fields where he soon learned to drive commercial trucks delivering construction materials.
But he didn't know what his future had in store. A sudden accident left David blind. He didn't give up. He received SSDI and acquired blindness skills training at Blind Incorporated. His dedication led him to work at the center, even volunteering during the Summer Buddies Program with blind youth.
Yet the earnings cliff loomed over him. Earning more than 1,640 in 2009 would have cost him his entire benefits check. Slicing his income in half. In 2017, David entered the Randall Shepherd program. Excited about his future and becoming a blind business owner, in 2020, the pandemic forced the closure of his vending stand. Leaving him without income, he lost his house, and now on the brink of retirement, he lives benefit check to benefit check. David's story is not unique. Unfortunately, thousands of us face the same struggle. We are not mere numbers. We are human beings with our own lived experiences that deserve to be shared. It is time we transform the earnings cliff into a true work incentive fostering financial security for all Blind Americans.
(Applause)
Unfortunately, the earnings cliff is not the only SSDI issue in need of solution. I want to draw your attention to the "We Can't Wait Act" 4129 sponsored by Debbie Stavino from Michigan and lead co sponsor Susan Collins from Maine. Current law mandates that five months after the first full month after the beneficiary has been determined eligible for SSDI, they will receive their first benefit payment. This bill would give applicants the option not to wait and receive their benefit checks in exchange for a 6.1% reduction in total benefits.
We believe the beneficiaries should have the choice to have financial security when it is needed most. The Autonomous Vehicles Accessibility Act, HR 7126 sponsored by congressman Greg Stanson of Arizona and lead co sponsor Brian Mask from Florida, protects the rights of all blind Americans. It ensures that eyesight is not a requirement to use fully autonomous vehicles. No driver's license should be a barrier. We thought we won this battle long ago, but on February 9th, 2024, we learned of HB1447. A bill in the Maryland general assembly threatened to strip away a fully autonomous vehicle technology by mandating a licensed driver behind the wheel of every autonomous vehicle in Maryland.
Can you imagine in the backyard of the National Federation of the Blind, the home of our headquarters, our dreams were threatened. And how did we respond? We did not hesitate for one second.
(Applause)
We rallied our members and took action. Led by the fierce testimony of our own Federation affiliate president Ronza Othman.
(Cheers and applause)
We killed this bill in committee. Now, let's move together as we did in Maryland and fight for the Autonomous Vehicles Accessibility Act to ensure that we will always be in the driver's seat of our future. Thank you. Back to you, John.
JOHN: Thank you Jeff, Justin and Jesse. As you can see, we have a strong government affairs team with strong specialists in this area. I want to emphasize what President Riccobono said... our government affairs team consists of everybody in this room. It's the big "we." It's we that are doing the collective action, that are making the progress over the past year, and we're going to work even harder together as a team to do even more in the next 12 months, so we have more to report at our next convention.
So for all of us, this is our report. Thank you. President Riccobono.
(Cheers and applause)
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Let's hear it for "We Belong ."
BENNETT: Door Prize.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: Sure, Go for It.
BENNETT: Okay, We Peeve Got for the Next Three Virtual Participants, 40 Bucks If They Can Remember the Word Sunshine and Go to [email protected] and write an email in the next half hour saying...
¶ you are the sunshine ¶
And you'll get it right.
And we got Ryan... okay, here is a name... Ryan McKinney from Nevada. Sherry Gomes of California, and Alberta Robinson from Louisiana. And now we have a good news from Kenia.
KENIA: We sure do. We are giving away two $25 gift cards as well as a Braille card game coup. And, you know, everyone in this room deserve a door prize, however...
(Cheering)
However... I hear you, Marilyn! However I believe this person deserves a door prize more than anyone else. John Berggren, are you in the room?
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: He's in the room.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: He's in the room, amazing. We will get a PAC update from Marilyn.
MARILYN: Yes, and I have a PAC mate to help me. Right now we are still with the same state, just higher numbers. Arizona, you are in the lead! All right, after Arizona is South Carolina following a little bit behind just for 15 dollars, you can tie them South Carolina, get back there to the PAC table! .
After South Carolina is my friends in Colorado! Get back there to the PAC table and get that PAC Rat. After that we see the percentages out of nowhere, Nevada has come from out of nowhere for the percentage. They're at over 170% increase. Nevada. But Vermont, keep it going, you're not too far behind. Keep up the good work.
Then for our divisions, seniors, you are doing it! You still got the kids following behind you. NABS, get over there, you just need 10 more students to tie, and then after the students is the parents. My friend McCauley Beasley from Arizona is going to tell you about the people who did not pick up their PAC prizes from earlier, as well as some new people.
MCCAULEY: Hey, everybody, I'm McCauley Beasley and I'm so glad to see Arizona number one! Let's keep bring eight in, guys. So please make sure you guys come to pick up your gift cards, because I would love to have them if y'all don't want them, I will be glad to take them. So we have Lori Malleoli from Massachusetts, Katherine Carlock from Georgia, Michael Horton from New Jersey. Lindsey from Philadelphia. Cornelia Turners from AZ. And Renaissance from AL. And we also have Simon from South Carolina.
MARILYN: We also cannot forget because I keep on getting a request for my wonderful singing...
¶ get on the PAC Plan ¶
¶ Sign up today ¶
¶ We need your contributions right away ¶
¶ Finding our movement ¶
¶ It must be done ¶
¶
So all our battles can be won ¶
¶ Woo ¶
¶
Get back there to the PAC table! Thank you, Mr. President!
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: All right, we're about to move into our resolutions. Before we do that, when we do that, I'm going to talk to you about the resolutions, but before we do that, we should have a fit break.
SPEAKER: All right, so in preparation for our carnival tonight, I need everybody to stand up. We're going to learn a few moves. These are going to be some of the things that we do at our fitness carnival tonight. So I need everybody to take their hands and put them above their hands and clasp your hands. Pretend you've got an ax in those hands and we're going to drop our elbows, so our hands go behind our head and then we're going to fling the tax forward and release at the top.
Next we're going to practice bouncing in the bounce house. So bounce it out, bounce it out. And then we are going to practice rock climbing, so with your left knee go up in the air, right hand up, and then alternate like you're climbing the mountain. Lastly, we're going to practice the bungee run. So we're going to run really, really, really fast. Hit the music!
(Music playing)
Throw the ax.
Though the ax. Oh, yeah!
Ax.
And ax.
Now bungee. Run it out!
Now climb that mountain. Climb the rocks.
Yeah, you guys are looking great on that rock wall.
Now bounce in the bounce house. Bounce in the bounce house.
Yeah!
Let's swing the bat. Home run!
Score a goal with the goal ball.
All right! Bounce it out.
And run.
All right. Great job, guys! Please don't forget to see us 7:00 to 10:00 we'll be down in this hallway by the outdoor parking lot and by ballroom D. We'll have lots of great activities. We're asking for a 10 dollars donation that will help offset the big cost that sports and rec has put out to bring these activities. So please come play with us tonight.
PRESIDENT RICCOBONO: All right, go check out sports and rec. You can throw an ax at the Vision Industrial Complex, or something, I don't know.
(chuckles)
Sounds like fun. All right, we're going to move to our resolutions. Now, reminder that members of the Federation who are here have the opportunity to speak to resolutions if needed. Resolutions are being presented by the committee. So they are considered to have support already by the committee at least. So we will first seek to see if there is someone who wishes to speak against the resolution. I noticed that it's 20 after 3:00. We have 20 resolutions to go. I wonder how you all feel about it, unless a resolution is controversial or there is a call for it, that we only read the resolves?
(Applause) I'll take that as an affirmative.
So there is going to be debate on a resolution, we will read the whole thing. Otherwise we will read the resolves. Again, you can also follow along on your mobile device NFB.org /resolutions. I think with that, remember that the microphones are in the aisles at Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and New Jersey. Please get to a mic if you plan to speak to a resolution. Mr. Chairman, back to you.
SPEAKER: Thank you, Mr. President, I have to say that walking in and hearing Hamilton and then a little bit of Tupac later on has been inspiring.
For more information on the 2024 resolutions, visit nfb.org/resolutions