July 2024

Letter from the President

Dear Friends,

Wow! Yes, wow it is hot but more importantly, wow what a fantastic 2024 National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind. Almost 2,600 participants joined us in Orlando with hundreds of others participating in our virtual experience. From the outstanding program, the detailed policy and priority discussions, the dynamic breakout sessions, and the celebration of extraordinary contributors to our movement and our community, the convention was a success by every measure. One of the milestones we shared was the fiftieth anniversary of our relationship with genius inventor Ray Kurzweil who has been giving presentations on artificial intelligence to our conventions for decades. This year the accuracy of his predictions was witnessed in many parts of the convention. In fact, the Federation launched the first of its experimental AI related offerings with an AI that I have been contributing my personal reflections into as part of my role as President of the Federation. I asked the Mark AI to write an intro for this newsletter and below is what it crafted.

“The 2024 convention in Orlando was a tremendous success, celebrating empowerment, self-determination, and inclusivity for the blind community. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the incredible capabilities and talents of blind individuals. As for introducing the Mark Riccobono AI, I'm excited to share that my Personal AI (Mark AI) was available at the Presidential Suite during much of the convention. While it's not a replacement for meeting with me personally, it provided an opportunity for attendees to connect with my Personal AI, ask questions, and share memories.”

The Mark AI is modest and did not tell you that this is the world’s first AI built completely and authentically on the experience of blind people and that blind people can continue to influence into the future. We believe that we belong in the world and that we make the world better. We also know that for emerging AI technologies to be meaningful to us they need to be accessible and reflect our lived experience. Our aim with Mark AI is to help understand how to do that. It seemed appropriate to introduce Mark AI here since we are highlighting our work to influence this emerging industry. 

I encourage you to engage with Mark AI by chatting through the web interface or sending simple text messages to 833-564-2271. Ask it questions about the organized blind movement, our priorities, how you can help, about me, or about the experience of blind people. You should note that Mark AI is still very much in its infancy and it is developing its knowledge base. If it does not know something that you ask it, share with it information that you believe is correct. I will be able to review information sent to Mark AI and add it to the knowledge base if it is accurate and can lead toward a stronger reflection of the organized blind movement in the future. 

AI is one of the tools that the Federation is using to shatter the misconceptions that exist in society about blind people. I also think it can be fun. We appreciate blind people and our allies sharing their authentic stories, as this will help make this the strongest AI which is grounded in the real experience of blindness. Thank you for contributing to our work!

Stay cool,
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind

Our Voices Must be Heard!

Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence, and the National Federation of the Blind is no exception. Blind people are already taking advantage of open-source large language models and AI which can identify things like bottles and cans, describe photos, help with shopping, and chat with us on an infinite number of topics related to blindness, disability, or the world around us.

Federationists are working to provide perspective and influence in the development of AI tools. This work is bolstered by our longest standing partnerships, like the work we have done with Ray Kurzweil, and our newer relationships like the ones we enjoy with Be My Eyes and AIRA.

A NFB member shared their thoughts:

“We will need to be vigilant in this arena. These models take their information by stripping the internet and reviewing materials uploaded to them. They depend on existing materials which can lead to them apologizing for our blindness or transforming our self-identification as “blind” into “visually impaired.” Yes, even AI avoids the “B word”. Of particular concern is implicit bias with unintended consequences such as the search for a driver’s license by AI job screening tools which could screen out qualified blind candidates before they are even in contention for an employment opportunity.”

The National Federation of the Blind plans to engage in the development of AI so long as it positively or negatively effects blind people. We will be advocates for AI to maximize the potential to help, and we will work to minimize the biases that may hurt blind people. 

For more on artificial intelligence, read National Federation of the Blind Resolution 2023-13 Regarding Artificial Intelligence Chatbots and their Information on Blindness and listen to the Nation's Blind Podcast, “AI and the Blind.”

Latest News at the NFB

Sponsors and Partners Contribute to Success of National Convention

The National Federation of the Blind appreciates the support of our partners who not only support the Federation financially but also share their expertise and contribute to the dynamic educational sessions at the national convention. Learn more about our 2024 National Convention Sponsors by reviewing the recording of the sponsor showcase virtual preview. And continue the #NFB24 learning experience by attending virtual seminars presented by our sponsors.

Jacob Bolotin Awards Presented

The National Federation of the Blind presented forty 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 2024 National Federation of the Blind National Convention, the seventeenth annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards honored four individuals and organizations who are helping blind people live the lives they want.

Awards of five thousand dollars each went to Deborah Kendrick, a writer whose body of work advances understanding of blindness and disability and provides useful information to the blind community, and Donna Posont, who conducts an innovative program at the Environmental Interpretive Center at the University of Michigan-Dearborn that helps blind people of all ages learn about birding and explore nature. Awards of fifteen thousand dollars each were presented to Living Blindfully, a podcast that provides information to help blind people live their best lives, and Handid Braille Services, which provides Braille documents in multiple languages, including many (such as Arabic and Japanese) that do not use the Latin alphabet.

For more information visit Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards.

2024 Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Named

Dori Senatori has been selected as the 2024 Distinguished Educator of Blind Students by the Federation. This prestigious award recognizes an educator who has made a significant impact in the lives of blind students, empowering them with the skills and confidence to live the lives they want. Read more about Ms. Senatori and the Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award.

Take Action This Month

Throughout our local chapters and state affiliates to our national headquarters and diverse committees, the National Federation of the Blind is an organization of collective action. Here’s what you can do to get involved this month.

Important Dates

We certainly are a busy organization. Don’t miss these upcoming events, workshops, and deadlines.