On B.L.A.S.T.

NFB Conducts Successful Protests
Across the Nation
(www.nfb.org)

The National Federation of the Blind conducted over twenty informational protests across the United States to raise awareness about the practice of paying wages below the federal minimum wage to Americans with disabilities.  The protests were held on the twenty-first anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act at the primary district office locations of United States senators serving on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (the HELP Committee).  The HELP Committee is currently considering legislation—the Workforce Investment Act—which would reauthorize the payment of subminimum wages to disabled workers. 

Lakeisha Holmes, A student at Valdosta State University, had the oppourtunity to participate in this historic event, while working as a Braille instructor at the Colorado Center for the Blind’s Summer Enrichment Program. Here is her experience in her own words: 

“Equal Rights, Equal Pay, We Want Equal Wages Today!”
On the early morning of Tuesday July 26, 2011, blind and sighted individuals from across the state of Colorado caught buses to downtown Denver to participate in a protest that could possibly change the lives of blind individuals across the country. We were all fighting for the equal wages of blind working individuals. The protest started around 10:00 AM in front of Senator Bennett's office. We all held signs reading "Do you believe in equality or Exploitation?” As we held our picket signs, we chanted "Equal rights, equal pay. We want equal rights today." This was an amazing experience for me. I had never participated in a protest before and to know I was doing it for an amazing cause made me excited. We chanted and marched nearly two hours. After our vocal efforts, we were hoping that a representative would come and address the crowd. Unfortunately, we were not granted this request. However, this did not discourage us and we knew our efforts did not go in vain.  I am grateful to have been a part of such an amazing event. I am also glad that I got to have this experience alongside my wonderful Colorado Center for the Blind Summer Enrichment students! I hope they had a great experience as I did! Because of our protesting, the bill to vote on subminimum wages for blind individuals was delayed and wouldn't be signed for another full month. That made everyone involved realize that they did something amazing. Thanks to the Colorado Center for the Blind for allowing me a chance to take part of such an unforgettable movement.

The Opportunity Of a Lifetime
By
Mary Fernandez
	
“Oh Mary, who do you know at the White House?” At hearing those words, my whole body perked up. Just moments ago, my biceps had been screaming at me.  They were not used to carrying twenty pound boxes across campus, But as I heard the question coming from a post office worker who was peaking at my mail, I immediately forgot the pain. Dying to know what exactly that little envelope from the White House contained, I ran to my apartment across campus. I made it in record time and thankfully one of my roommates was sitting in the living room. I breathlessly greeted her and started to hand her the envelope. Seeing the address, she did not even wait for me to ask if she could please read it. Excitedly, she tore it open and began to read:
“The President and Mrs. Obama cordially request the pleasure of your company at the Cinco de Mayo celebration being held at the White House.”
After much screaming and squeaking, I began to plan for the big day.
	 Amidst my finals and moving out of college for the summer, I also had to figure out the all-important problem of what one wore to a gathering with the President of the United States, and who did one take? That next weekend found me shopping for a dress I would change the day before the event to another dress that I had fallen in love with, but decided to leave in the store at the last minute. The shoes and the jewelry were picked out. The makeup bag was replenished with all the right shades to make me look stunning that night and my date was chosen. Finally May 5th came along. My stomach was filled with butterfly as I got dressed. Thanks to the nerves, my usually rock steady hand when applying mascara was not so steady, which slowed me down some, But finally I was all primped and ready to go.
	After going through three security points, we began to walk along the perimeter of the Southwest lawn of the White House. We finally arrived at the East entrance and were welcomed by the staff who gave us further directions. The feeling of the White house was of complete elegance. Nothing was overstated. There was no golden tapestry, but rather quiet tones, natural plants and beautiful marble floors. We proceeded to the upstairs of the East Wing. And as we entered, Marines dressed in Mariachi regalia played Mexican music. As we walked further into this space, we were greeted by even more staff and were offered drinks. Yes, the White House has a full bar. After grabbing some bubbly, we continued to explore.
	Most of the East Wing was opened to guests. That meant we were able to see the Blue, Yellow, Green and Red rooms. Many of these rooms were favored by one President or another. My favorite was the Red Room, which is where the First Lady holds her social gatherings. There was some beautiful furniture and I took pictures sitting on some of the First Lady’s couches. The event was being held in the East Room, which is where the President, just the week before, had delivered his remarks on the Bin Laden capture and death. We also got the chance to see the State Dining Room, which is just a big dining room with many tables. 
	After chatting with the Marines stationed at each room, my companion and I found out that the President would be doing a rope line. Basically, anyone standing closest to the rope, which would separate the audience from where he would be standing during his remarks, would get to shake his hand. Armed with this information, we proceeded to the East Room and stood right by the rope before the crowd got any bigger. Soon, everyone began to gather in the East Room and although it was only about 300 people, we were standing shoulder to shoulder. At last, the President came out and immediately, cameras began going off from every person in the audience. Not about to be outdone, I talked the lady NEX to me into taking some shots of the President and the First Lady.
	After the President was done speaking, the rope was let down and the crowd began to surge to the next rope up, which would be where the President and Mrs. Obama would be meeting us. I immediately grabbed my date’s hand and did my Jersey girl thing and began to push through the crowd to get my spot. Fortunately, most people realized what I was doing and that I had a cane so they gently steered me in the right direction. Finally, I felt the beautiful velvet rope in front of me and with it the certitude that I would be meeting the President of the United States. While we waited, the Secret Service agent closest to us explained that President Obama and his wife would not be able to stand and take pictures with us so if we wanted more pictures to take them as they came down the rope line.	Finally, I could hear Michelle Obama’s voice right next to me. I’m extremely proud of how cool and composed I remained, despite the fact that I was meeting the first lady of the United States. As she stood in front of me, she grabbed my hand, but someone else was trying to talk to her. She quickly ended the conversation and gave me a hug! I told her how wonderful I thought she was and how I admired her sense of style and the elegant way she carried herself. She thanked me and expressed her appreciation for attending the event followed by a hug. I realize she said the same thing to pretty much everyone there that night, but I was okay with that. Michelle Obama had hugged me, Mary Fernandez!
	The President came next. My date had a few words for him that he had always wanted to tell the President. Obama bestowed a man hug on him and then moved to me. I must admit, the first thing that struck me was that his hands were kind of small, and that his wife was almost as tall as he was. Although, I had managed to be somewhat coherent with his wife, all I could say was, “Mr. President, I just want to tell you that we love you.” He said, “Awl. I love you too.” And while still holding my right hand, he reached up and touched my curls! Yes, he touched my hair!
	After I had recuperated sufficiently, we grabbed a few Hors d'oeuvres and soon it was time to go. As we walked out into the perfect DC night, and stood in front of the East Portico of the White House for a last picture, I knew that as long as I lived I would never forget the night that Michelle Obama hugged me and Barack Obama touched my hair.

DID YOU KNOW???

Did You Know:
Bernard Morin, born 1931, was a French mathematician who is now retired. He has been blind since age 6, but his blindness did not prevent him from having a successful career in mathematics. Morin was a member of the group that first exhibited an eversion of the sphere, i.e. a homotopy (topological metamorphosis) which starts with a sphere and ends with the same sphere but turned inside-out. He also discovered the Morin surface, which is a half-way model for the sphere eversion, and used it to prove a lower bound on the number of steps needed to turn a sphere inside out.

Did You Know:
Erik Weihenmayer - born September 23, 1968 - is the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on May 25, 2001. Erik was born with a disease called retinoschisis and became totally blind by the age of 13. He has also completed the Seven Summits in September 2002. Erik is also an acrobatic skydiver, long distance biker, marathon runner, skier, mountaineer, ice climber, and rock climber. In 2004, he led an expedition in Tibet called Climbing Blind project, including blind teens from the Braille Without Borders school for blind at Lhasa, Tibet.

Who’s Hot???
Name: Shaquanteay Mack
Age: 23
Hometown: Sandersville, Georgia
Why She’s Hot: Shaquantaey, the creator of Connecting The Dots, is the first person from Georgia to attend Blind Incorporated, a NFB training center located in Minneapolis,  Minnesota. After completing her training, she was selected to serve as a summer counselor for Blind Inc’s summer enrichment program. Since returning to Georgia, Shaquantaey is attending the university of Georgia, where she is working towards her MBA. Shaquantaey is not only striving to make a difference in her own life, but she gives back in the efforts to make a difference in the lives of others. For that Ms. Mack, we commend you.

Now That’s Hot!!!

Eight Great Apps For The iPhone
http://assistivetechnology.about.com/od/ATCAT6/a/Top-Iphone-Apps-For-The-Blind-And-Visually-Impaired.htm

Apple TV commercials are so visually stunning they make the company's advancements in assistive technology all the more impressive. Products such as the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch are becomingly increasingly accessible to blind and visually impaired people.
With screen-access technology (VoiceOver) and a magnification program (Zoom) built into its iOS mobile operating system, users can enlarge the screen for easier viewing or drag a finger over it to hear app names and onscreen content read aloud.
Here are 8 popular apps designed to help blind and visually impaired people use their mobile devices. All of these work on the iPhone (3GS and up); iPod touch (3rd generation and up); and the iPad 2.
1. LookTel Money Reader 
The LookTel Money Reader ($1.99) recognizes US currency in standard denominations ($1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills) enabling blind and visually impaired people to quickly identify and count bills. Point the iPhone camera at any US bill and LookTel's object recognition technology via VoiceOver tells users the denomination in real time. Best to organize bills before hitting the nightclub; the app doesn't work as well in low light.
2. SayText 
SayText (free), developed by Norfello Oy, scans text within any image, such as a medical form or restaurant menu, and reads it aloud. Center the document under the iPhone camera and double-tap the "Take Picture" button. Then raise it slowly: a beep indicates that the entire document is in the phone's frame. The app's Optical Character Recognition utility then scans the text. Tap the screen for status updates. Once scanned, swipe right on the screen to hear the document.
3. Color Identifier 
GreenGar Studios' Color Identifier ($1.99) uses the iPhone camera to identify and speak color names aloud. Shades identified are specific to the point of annoyance (Paris Daisy, Moon Mist) for some users. The company makes a free app called Color ID Free that sticks to basic colors. Blind people will never wear mix-matched socks or the wrong shirt again. An interesting offshoot is using the app to distinguish shades of sky, enabling one to experience sunsets or gauge possible weather changes.
4. TalkingTag LV 
TalkingTag(tm) LV ($9.99) from TalkingTag enables blind people to label everyday items with special coded stickers. Users scan each sticker with the iPhone camera and record and replay via VoiceOver up to a 1-minute audio message identifying what's being labeled. The app is ideal for organizing a DVD collection, locating boxes during a move, or picking the right jelly jar from the refrigerator. Stickers can be erased and recorded over.
5. RFB&D Audio 
The RFB&D app ($19.99) provides access to Learning Ally's library of more than 65,000 audiobooks is considered the best source for K-12 and college-level textbooks. Users can download and play on all iOS devices. A Learning Ally membership is required and is free to those with print disabilities, including visual impairments and dyslexia. Readers navigate DAISY books by page number and chapter, can adjust playback speed, and place electronic bookmarks throughout the text. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic became Learning Ally in April 2011.
6. Navigon MobileNavigator North America 
NAVIGON's MobileNavigator North America ($44.99) transforms the iPhone into a fully functional mobile navigation system that uses the latest NAVTEQ map material. The app offers text-to-speech voice guidance, enhanced pedestrian navigation, a turn-by-turn RouteList, location sharing via email, and a Take Me Home function. It also provides direct access and navigation to iPhone address book contacts. Navigation is automatically resumed after an incoming phone call.
7. Talking Calculator 
This easy-to-read app calculator ($0.99) speaks button names, numbers, and answers aloud through a customizable built-in directory that lets users record their own voice. Button names are spoken as your finger moves over the screen. Double tapping activates enters buttons. The calculator also has a high-contrast display mode to enhance visibility. Developer Adam Croser also makes the Talking Scientific Calculator app.
8. iBlink Radio 
Serotek Corporation's iBlink Radio was the first application promoting the digital lifestyle among the visually impaired, providing access to community web radio stations with formats spanning every genre. The iBlink network also offers radio reading services (USA Today, the New York Times, among hundreds), and podcasts covering assistive technology, independent living, travel, and more. The app's latest player toolbars simplifies navigation.

F.Y.I. (For Your Information)

October 2011: Meet the Blind Month
(www.nfb.org)

Meet the Blind Month is our nationwide campaign to increase awareness of and support for the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). During the entire month of October, affiliates and chapters throughout the country will be joining forces to spread the message that the NFB is the voice of the nation’s blind and that blind people are the best resource for learning about vision loss, blindness, and rehabilitation.
The CTD Newsteam encourages you to get involved. Find a local chapter in your city and get out into the community to help shatter the misconceptions about blindness. Whether it be passing literature out to the public or taking the time out to read books to children at the local library, get out and do your part!  

38TH Annual NFB of Georgia State Convention
(www.nfbga.org)

The National Federation of the Blind of Georgia would like to invite you to our Thirty-Eighth Annual State Convention. Our theme is: “Let’s Go, Let’s Grow, Let’s Glow.” This year, our State Convention will be held on Friday, October 7 thru Sunday, October 9, at the Macon Marriott City Hotel | 240 Coliseum Drive | Macon, GA 31217. The State Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia is the largest gathering of the blind in the state. Approximately 200 blind people, family members, friends, and blindness service providers come together for a weekend of seminars, presentations, workshops, and general discussions on training, technology, and strategies for improving the quality of life of blind people. The following is just a sample of the topics and activities: 

* NFB-NEWSLINE® New Features and Enhancements 
* Braille Literacy Initiatives
* Georgians Empowered Through Mentoring Success
* Braille Enrichment through Literacy and Non-visual Learning
* NFB Youth Slam
* Parents of blind Children Seminar
* Blind Students Luncheon
* Updates on State Education and Rehabilitation Programs
For more information call the office at 1-866-316-3242. It promises to be an exciting and educational weekend.

Bline Tech Support.. What is it?

       Meet Neil McCullough. A guy from the northern part of Ireland who went against the mad dash of IPopularity and got himself a Droid. At first, there was a lot of controversy on how accessible the Droid was as compared to the IPhone. And that was how the idea was born.
       Together with a group of friends, Neil thought to himself, “What if I could prove it? What if I could compare, and contrast the two?” So he and his wife started a comparison on the things in which the two devices were similar, and demonstrating the differences. That was how the first podcast came to be. And, because of the nature of the ideas, the demonstrations of the products, this collection of podcasts began to grow.
Now, it is a creative, and very demonstrative website: Blind Tech Support. Their podcasts range from further comparisons of IPhones to Droids, but to other things such as how to use certain aps on both devices. They even cover a range of topics involving screen readers: Jaws, NVDA, and WindowEyes.
       This website is still growing, however, and they could use the ideas any of us are willing to give. Even visiting their website just to promote them is a big help. Any ideas are welcome, just post a comment on the new boards that are now appearing. Blind Tech Support is a great, interactive user’s guide for anyone learning any of these 2 phones, or using new programs with screen readers. These are just regular guys, who don’t know, who don’t even pretend to know, everything there is to know about these things. But the things they do know, they share with the hope that we will take what they have to offer and pass it along.
       So, if you have a moment, go check out www.blindtechsupport.net Follow then on twitter at, @Blindtechsupport. Like their page on facebook at  http://facebook.com/blindtechsupport/. But overall, happy learnings!!

Ruth With The Truth

Dear Ruth,

I am sixteen years old and I have never been shopping on my own. I live with my grandmother and she believes that since I am blind, I can’t pick out my own clothes. I love my grandmother, but her idea of style is tops with ruffles and long skirts that sweep the floor. Yuck!!! I have gotten ideas from my friends on how to shop as a blind person and I am constantly reading the online fashion blogs to keep up with the latest trends. How do I convince my grandmother that I am able to do my own shopping? Please help!!!

Sincerely,

Granny Skirts and Ruffled Shirts

Dear Granny Skirts,

Firstly, you should try talking to your grandmother about the situation. Try explaining to her that blind people use alternative techniques to do their shopping. If possible, show her the fashion blogs and how the trends are always changing. Most importantly, you should show your grandmother that you can shop independently the next time you two go out to the store. Talk is one thing, but action is another! Hopefully, she will see that you are very capable of selecting your own clothes. I am sure she will give you this freedom sooner than later and maybe you could show her a fashion thing or two. Good luck!

Ruth

Upcoming Events

October 7-9 				NFBGA State Convention
October 23 				GABS Teleconference 
October 31 				Happy Holloween!!!
November 24 				Happy Thanksgiving!!!   
November 27 				GABS Teleconference 

Letter From the Editor

Dear Connecting the Dots Readers:

The CTD news team would like to thank you for taking the time out to read our division’s newsletter. This newsletter was designed not only to provide you with a variety of information, but also to give you, the reader, am opportunity to speak out and express yourself. If you enjoyed the newsletter, spread the word. If you weren’t quite satisfied and you would like to contribute a submission or you just had a question, contact us at ctdnewsteam@gmail.com. Remember, Connecting the Dots was not only created for the students, but by the students so we hope to hear from you guys. Look out for the release of the next issue sometime in December. Peace and Blessings…

  To