December 2024

Letter from the President

Dear Friends,

This past week the aromas of cookie baking and food roasting wafted through the halls of the Federation as we prepared for our supporter celebration, Board of Directors meeting, and Federation Thanksgiving. A lot of work goes into these end-of-year events, but even more work is done throughout the year by our program staff, volunteers, partners, and local leaders. The work that they do, the messages that are shared, and the connections that are made are the ingredients that constitute the success we achieve together. 

Though there are a lot of things that we need to work on in our society and many challenges face us, all across the country we are changing the misconceptions about blindness and creating opportunities for blind people. We are introducing families with blind children to the benefits of Braille and non-visual skills, getting long white canes into the hands of newly blind people, exposing teachers of blind students to the high expectations that will help their students succeed, and so much more. Our movement works because so many people give of their heart, their personal experiences, their energy, their talents, and their imagination. Each of you adds something to this movement and makes it more powerful. 

We have a big family of people in the National Federation of the Blind who are constantly cooking up innovative ways to advance the lives of blind people. It's made a difference in my life, for my family, and thousands of people across the country. I am incredibly grateful for this large and diverse organization where everybody--newly blind, experienced leaders, and those blind at heart--has a seat at the table. 

Thank you for all that you have done and contributed in the past year. I hope that each of you has a blessed holiday season, that you enjoy the richness and traditions that are part of your family's lives this season. I encourage you to show gratitude to others and use that as motivation to contribute to your community in the next year. With love, hope, and determination, let's continue to build the National Federation of the Blind in 2025.

With gratitude,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind

Advocate for Accessible Home Appliances

The National Federation of the Blind advocates for nonvisual access to appliances and equipment through legislation, education, and partnerships with manufacturers. Interestingly, when almost all home appliances and equipment had buttons, dials, or switches, accessibility was easy. But as we move to digital displays, flat panels, or touchscreens which lack built-in nonvisual access, accessibility degrades. Technology exists to make appliances and equipment accessible, such as the iPhone, which comes with voiceover, and ATMs in the U.S. which are born with text to speech built-in, but most manufacturers do not build in access for all. Inaccessible appliances and equipment impact blind people’s daily lives in small and profound ways. 

Regina Mitchell, chair of the NFB in the Kitchen Group, shared:

“I can remember quite vividly times when I baked jam cakes and pound cakes with grandmother, and enchiladas with mama, a simple turn of the dial to 350 powered it on and preheated the oven. Move ahead a few decades, and enter into the trending, the sleek, the smooth and the stylish--yet inaccessible--interfaces of a large variety of countertop and floor appliances. 

As a professional chef, a culinary educator, and a recent restaurateur, I’ve worked in many commercial kitchens where appliances are designed to meet the rigors and challenges of high-demand, high-trafficked environments.

However, when I close the doors of my restaurant and enter the doors into my home, I now cook for my family. My home kitchen is outfitted with all the modern appliances which unfortunately lack nonvisual means of operation. Without adaptation, all of my appliances are inaccessible to me. How do we gain better control of the epicenter and heartbeat of our home? Advocacy! 

The National Federation of the Blind has tirelessly advocated on many fronts, holding companies, manufacturers, and designers accountable for their services, engineering, designs, and products. I am so grateful that the NFB has included another area to step into--the forefront of all things kitchen, and to stand with the home cooks, the foodies, and those who have a passion to prepare meals for themselves and their families.”

In addition to advocacy, the Federation teaches work-arounds and nonvisual skills required for blind home cooks. The NFB in the Kitchen Group connects blind people with the tools, techniques, and resources useful to excel as a blind person in the kitchen, and serves as a community for cooking enthusiasts.

To learn more, check out the Access On podcast, join a division, committee, or group or participate in a NFB listserv. Learn more about our advocacy by reading factsheets on the Home Appliance Accessibility Act and the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act. 

Latest News at the NFB

Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest Opens

The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults opened the Braille Readers Are Leaders contest registration on November 15, 2024. The annual contest promotes the joy of reading for pleasure, a pride in Braille as a viable literacy medium equal to print, and demonstrates the importance of independent reading in the development of Braille literacy skills.

The contest started December 2, 2024, but registration lasts through the end of the contest, January 17, 2025. The contest includes youth, adult, and teachers of blind students tracks. Participants use the Beanstack website or the Beanstack app to log minutes of reading. Have fun and challenge your friends, family members, and colleagues who read Braille to join you!

National Federation of the Blind Applauds U.S. Department of Labor for Proposed Rule Phasing Out Subminimum Wages

The National Federation of the Blind expressed its commendation of the U.S. Department of Labor for its proposed rule aimed at phasing out the payment of subminimum wages to disabled workers under section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The antiquated and discriminatory practice of paying subminimum wages is based on false and stereotypical assumptions about the capacity of the blind and other disabled workers. While we commend this regulatory proposal, we continue to urge the United States Congress to codify this change into our nation’s statutory law with no further delay, ending this shameful practice once and for all.

Learn more in our Press Room.

BT Speak Pro and Victor Reader Stream 3 Winners Announced

The National Federation of the Blind, along with our partners at Blazie Technologies and HumanWare, held a live drawing for the BT Speak Pro and Victor Reader Stream 3 giveaways. Host Jonathan Mosen, President Mark Riccobono, Bryan Blazie and David Goldfield from Blazie Technologies, and Peter Tucic from HumanWare had a conversation about how our partnership led to the development of the devices, did product demos, and discussed and the importance of investing in dignity. 

Learn more about the Invest in Dignity Matching Gift Challenge and watch the video of their discussion and giveaway announcement.

Congratulations to the New Editor of the Braille Monitor

President Mark Riccobono officially announced Chris Danielsen as the new editor of the Braille Monitor, the flagship publication of the National Federation of the Blind, starting in January 2025. President Riccobono shares the importance of the Braille Monitor, reflections regarding outgoing editor, Gary Wunder, and background on Chris. You can honor our outgoing editor and challenge our incoming editor by writing something for the Braille Monitor. This is your publication, and we need it to reflect your ideas and concerns. Read President Riccobono’s full announcement.

Celebrating our Inaugural Participation in the Bay Bridge Run

Thank you to all of you who helped with our Federation Bay Bridge Run in November. We had forty-two people on the NFB Dreamers team who participated going across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge or virtually. We raised over 15,000 dollars. And every dollar gets doubled thanks to HumanWare and our anonymous donor for matching gift challenge. This was our inaugural participation in this particular event and we are excited for future similar opportunities. You can still contribute to our matching gift challenge at nfb.org/donate.

Take Action This Month

Here’s what you can do this month to get involved and support the National Federation of the Blind:

Important Dates