[Mt-blind] NFB Convention Reports

[dmgina]

Hi Jim,
Did you take on the walk as well?
I got reports that the sound of folks chanting was an experience?
I am not sure how far this lady can walk.
Glad it was cooler there,
but Billings didn't do to bad in weather until Friday.
then it found one hundred.
Dan congratulations on a two year term.


--Dar
www.mypowermall.com/biz/home/5779
Every Saint has a past
Every Sinner has a future

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Marks" <blind.grizzly at gmail.com>
To: "'Montana Association for the Blind List'" <mt-blind at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 12:55 PM
Subject: [Mt-blind] NFB Convention Reports


> Hi All,
>
> Thought it would be good to report on the NFB Convention that occurred 
> last
> week.  It was quite the convention, not the least of which was the fact 
> that
> it was cooler in Atlanta than it was back home.  Who would have thought
> Montanans would have to go to Atlanta in July just to cool off?
>
> Highlights included the March for Independence, Cody Greiser's 
> scholarship,
> new technologies, and changes in NFB leadership.
>
> The March was a lot of fun.  Seems like we do not often get the 
> opportunity
> to do something pro-active that's physical these days.  The March was 
> loaded
> with civil rights fervor, and we all felt stronger through the collective
> action on changing what it means to be blind.
>
> Cody Greiser won a scholarship for educators for $3,000 plus $1,000 from 
> Ray
> Kurzweil, Kurzweil 1000 software, and a K-NFB Reader.  That's quite a 
> haul,
> and all should know that Cody did us proud.
>
> Two new technologies really caught my attention.  One is the new device
> called the Stream.  The Stream is a digital book reader much like the
> Book-Port.  The Stream plays MP3 files and several talking book and 
> computer
> file formats, including books from Bookshare, the Montana Talking Books
> Library, and Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic.  It is a device jointly
> produced by Humanware and the NFB.  The really nifty thing about the 
> Stream
> is that it uses high quality Eloquence and Real Speak voices for reading
> computer files.  This one piece of technology to watch closely as I think 
> it
> will become a vital tool for anyone who likes to read books.  The other
> interesting technology that came out was the proposed screen reader for
> Blackberries.  Blackberries are cell phones and PDA devices that are often
> used by government for its employees.  Previously, this common device was
> inaccessible.  Now it looks as though Humanware will be working with the
> maker of the Blackberry to make it work for blind people.  And there were
> many other technological items to discover, too many to describe here.
>
> Last thing to mention is leadership changes.  Dan Burke was elected to a 2
> year term on the NFB Board.  Congrats, Dan, for this well deserved 
> election
> to a very important leadership position.  You are doing us proud!  Another
> leadership change is that Peggy Elliott will be replaced by Anneal Lewis 
> as
> chairman of the NFB Scholarship Committee.  I am sad for this change, but
> I'm sure Anneal will do fine.
>
> It would be great if others would post their observations on the 
> Convention
> just past so that others can get a more rounded perspective of what the
> Convention was like.  I sure had a great time, learned a lot, and came 
> away
> stronger as a result of my participation.  Bet others did as well.
>
> Thanks much!
>
>
>
>
> Jim Marks
> blind.grizzly at GMail.com
>
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> Mt-blind at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/mt-blind
>
>
>
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