[Nfbnet-members-list] FW: NFB Imagineering Our Future: Meet Someone Unforgettable
Miller, Pat Woelfer
PMiller at nfb.org
Wed Oct 5 08:35:26 UTC 2011
Dear Dave--Please distribute this to the members list. Thanks, PWM
Graphic Logo: NFB Jernigan Institute
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=xHoplyFFHTSg4I9VY6EOxw>View
this newsletter as HTML in your browser.
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=vrRqyxk9IwlvchSHdgxgHQ>View
last months newsletter.
Imagineering Our Future
Issue 38
September-October 2011
In this issue:
* Message from the Executive Director
* Whats New
* Education
* Braille Initiative
* Research
* Advocacy
* Straight Talk About Vision Loss
* Product and Access Technology Talk
* From the tenBroek Library
* Independence Market
* Parent Outreach
* Spotlight on the Imagination Fund
* NFB Calendar
* Citation
[]
Message from the Executive Director
Dear Friends,
It has been said that You meet people who
forget you. You forget people you meet. But
sometimes you meet those people you can't forget.
Those are your friends. For the average
person, it is not very often that the person you
meet is blind. Yet, we know that the best way to
help people discard the misconceptions they have
about blindness is to meet a blind person who is
living life every day with the alternative
techniques necessary to be successful. Even when
a person does meet a person who is blind it is
even less likely that enough time is spent
together to become friendsunless of course the
blind person is a family member, a co-worker, or a neighbor.
To help eliminate misconceptions about
blindness and improve understanding of the truth
about blindness, ten years ago the National
Federation of the Blind established October as
Meet the Blind Month. During October, NFB
chapters are making an extra effort to get out
into the community to teach people about
blindness by meeting others at community outreach
events. If you are receiving this message, it is
likely that you are blind or that you already
have friends or family who are blind.
Consequently, I want to encourage you to
participate in our 2011 Meet the Blind Month activities and be unforgettable.
Oftentimes, the fact that we are the first
blind person someone has met makes us
unforgettable. However, we know that blindness is
not the sole characteristic that defines who we
are. We should make ourselves unforgettable by
actively shattering the misconceptions that
people have about blindness and helping them to
understand the truth about blindness. By spending
time meeting people and creating new
understanding, we change what it means to be
blind and establish a better environment of
opportunities for all blind people. Some believe
trying to be unforgettable is a negative,
self-centered way to live; I believe that at
least in this instance it is entirely the opposite.
During Meet the Blind Month I will be working
with my blind friends to figure out ways to have
us be unforgettable, with the goal of teaching
others the truth about blindness. In the process,
I know we will have a lot of fun, we will get to
know some people who are themselves
unforgettable, and we will strengthen our friendships with each other.
Sincerely,
Graphic: Signature of Mark Riccobono
Mark A. Riccobono, Executive Director, NFB Jernigan Institute
[]
Featured NFB News
Image: Whozit, the NFB's symbol
October is Meet the Blind Month
Meet the Blind Month is a nationwide campaign to
increase awareness of and support for the
National Federation of the Blind (NFB). During
the entire month of October each year, affiliates
and chapters throughout the country join forces
to spread the message that the NFB is the voice
of the nations blind and that blind people are
the best resource for learning about vision loss,
blindness, and rehabilitation.
This year, as part of Meet the Blind Month,
participants are challenged to organize
innovative and creative events in their local
communities. We welcome all chapters and
affiliates to join in the challenge. For general
information on Meet the Blind Month or more
information on the challenge, please visit the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=OE5JoPJES16pXnQdnTq8Mw>Meet
the Blind Month Web page, contact Melissa
Kobelinski by <mailto:mkobelinski at nfb.org>e-mail,
or phone Melissa at (410) 659-9314, extension 2423.
Make Your Bid for Excellence!
The National Federation of the Blind Bid for
Excellence national auction opens for bidding on
Tuesday, November 1, 2011! We already have many
exciting items for the auction including luxury
accommodations in Cancun, Mexico, an opportunity
to watch Hardball with Chris Matthews with a
behind-the-scenes tour, and plenty of gift items
just in time for the holidays.
Excellence in Science
Photo: Excellence in Science
The Bid for Excellence is an exciting opportunity
to raise funds to support the work of the NFB.
The NFB provides programs, encouragement, and
opportunities that help blind people all over the
nation achieve excellence in their education,
employment, and all aspects of their lives. You
can help us make Bid for Excellence a success!
Tell your friends! The most important way you
can help is by telling your friends, family, and
acquaintances. Please tell everyone in your phone
book and e-mail address book and everyone you
come into contact with about Bid for Excellence,
and encourage them to participate. Another easy
way to get the word out is through your social
media, like Facebook and Twitter. The more people
who know about the auction, the better!
Donate an Item! Another way to help is by
soliciting donated items or services for the
auction or making a donation yourself. Popular
auction items include travel packages; sporting,
celebrity, and/or unique experience packages; and
memorabilia and unique items. If you have
collectables, art, gift baskets, vacation homes,
or condos that you would like to donate, please let us know.
Become a Sponsor! Contact us to find out how you
can take advantage of promotional and marketing
opportunities for your business, or to pledge your individual support.
For more information, help in how to promote the
auction, to donate an item or service, or to
become a Bid for Excellence sponsor, contact
Ann-Marie Laney at (410) 659-9314, extension
2371, or reach Ann-Marie by <mailto:alaney at nfb.org>e-mail.
Don't forget to mark your calendarsbidding begins on November 1, 2011!
[]
Education
Photo: Right to Live in the World bulletin board
The Right to Live in the World Bulletin Board
The current accessible bulletin board on display
in the Jernigan Institute Betsy Zaborowski
Conference Room pays tribute to the legal
scholarship of Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, the founding
president of the National Federation of the
Blind. The white letters of the boards title,
The Right to
Live in the World, pop off the
black background. The title is divided into two
segments: The Right to
left-justified across
the top of the board, and Live in the World
right-justified across the bottom. The boards
trim depicts a city skyline with craft foam
cut-outs providing tactile representations of the
buildings. Six white boxes are affixed to the
board, three on the left side and three on the
right. The boxes are classic cigar boxes with the
flat lid swinging upward to reveal the contents.
They are mounted with the closed lid of each box
facing the observer. The words The Right to
appear in raised print and Braille on the outside
of each box. When you open each lid, you find
additional text, including a quotation outlining
one of the rights Dr. tenBroek claimed for us as
people who live in the world. Inside the boxes
are tangible objects that represent the right
described on the lid. A few of the box contents
are lighthearted, illustrating for onlookers a
bit of Dr. tenBroeks sense of humor.
The first box focuses on Dr. tenBroeks fight for
academic freedom. The second features an issue
Dr. tenBroek began working on in the 1940s and
one that the Federation is still working on
today, the right to organize and earn a decent
wage. The third discusses the right to due
process in law, and it quotes Dr. tenBroeks
thoughts on the internment of Japanese Americans
in relocation camps. The right to equal treatment
regardless of race is the focus of the fourth
box, including a quotation from Dr. tenBroeks
Law Review article, which was cited in the Brown
v. Board of Education decision. The fifth box
addresses the right to have a funny nickname. It
provides the back-story on how Dr. tenBroek
acquired the nickname Chick. The last box is
the most lighthearted of them all. It features a
quote from a letter Jacobus wrote to his parents
while he was a student at the California School
for the Blind. In the letter he talks about
sitting around in his underwear on a Saturday
morning. So the right to sit around in your
underwear is the focus of box number six.
Centered near the top of the board is a picture
of Dr. tenBroek superimposed on a tactile map of
the world. To the left of the map is the
following quotation from Dr. tenBroeks Law
Review article The Right to Live in the World:
The right of access to public accommodations and
common carriers is a civil right. It is a basic
right indispensable to participation in the
community, a substantive right to which all are fully and equally entitled.
Below the map, a quotation explains to passersby
that, in addition to rights, Dr. tenBroek
believed all people had responsibilities. Cards
in primary colors and shaped like four of the
seven continents, print and Braille writing
instruments, and push pins are available near the
bottom of the board so that visitors can write
out the responsibilities they think we have and
then pin their cards somewhere on the board.
Hoby Wedler. Photo credit: RANDY PENCH / rpench at sacbee.com
Photo: Hoby Wedler
2011 NFB Youth Slam Participants in the News
As usual with NFB youth programs, the NFB Youth
Slam of summer 2011 continues to gather attention
in the media well after its finish.
Youth Slam mentor Hoby Wedler was featured in the
Sacramento Bee article
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=GY8Amztd3fw3iOLxV9A3yQ>Student
Has No Trouble Visualizing a Doctorate in
Chemistry, about his experience pursuing
graduate work in organic chemistry as a blind
person. Hoby was awarded a cash prize and trip to
Washington, D.C., by Learning Ally (formerly Recording for the Blind).
Similarly, sixteen-year-old Youth Slam student
Tommy Browns aspirations to become an engineer
were the topic of
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=Z_vAb33e6e0porHUIZ_TkQ>Franklin
Regional Junior in 5-day Science Program for
Visually Impaired Youth in the Pittsburgh
Tribune-Review. Tommy gives this advice to other
blind students: You can do anything. If theres
something you want to do, go for it.
NFB of D.C. Convention
On October 7, the NFB of the District of Columbia
will host a day-long student seminar in
conjunction with their annual state convention,
and NFB Jernigan Institute education team member
Meleah Jensen will be there to lend support. Some
noteworthy agenda items include team-building
exercises and hands-on technology demonstrations.
In addition, students will have the opportunity
to take a Risk by diving into discussions about
blindness through a variety of games.
Keeping Up with NFB Programs
Are you interested in keeping up to date with
Youth Programs? Do you want to know what happened
at the Youth Slam? Check out
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=7fTDgWSec1TIGM9lsiLysg>Whozits
page on Facebook. There you can find updates on
activities and a gallery of
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=YvpiXL2Rv1kUo-AluzqjTA>Youth
Slam pictures. And, theres a new Twitter account
where you can direct all questions you may have
about blindness or the NFB:
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=_yrOQVszTGmNOiDwUnTzVQ>@AskNFB!
[]
Braille Initiative
Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
Its time to register for the 2011-2012
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=QUdt_oKQe7GsrX06vZwBUQ>Braille
Readers Are Leaders contest. Registration for the
K-12 and adult contests opens October 1, 2011.
For the past 29 years this contest has encouraged
children in grades K-12 to be proud of their
ability to read Braille and to continually work
to improve their skills. This will be the third
year the adults have joined in the fun of the
Braille Readers Are Leaders contest.
The reading period starts November 1, 2011. Start
gathering your reading material now so you can
hit the books hard on November 1 and start the
contest strong. Registration will remain open
through the end of the contest, January 4, 2012.
Visit
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=bH9UYIHhH5xgeyPoyzMg8Q>www.nfb.org/bral
to register today. If you have questions about
the contest, please
<mailto:BrailleReadersAreLeaders at nfb.org>e-mail
Braille Readers Are Leaders or call (410) 659-9314, extension 2312.
NFB ShareBraille
Thinking about entering the 2011-2012 Braille
Readers Are Leaders contest? You should! When you
do, check out the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=HNFrL-fkNfJNgpZZlWtryA>NFB
ShareBraille Web site to find a plethora of books
you could read throughout the contest. NFB
ShareBraille is an online community for sharing
Braille materials. Belonging to the community and
sharing books is totally free! The community
offers a wide variety of Braille books, a perfect
source of materials while you prepare for contest
domination, and for keeping you engaged in
reading during the contest and afterward.
BELL
After participating in the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=epxYsX0M36ozU7jih38hCg>Braille
Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL)
program the last two years, Texas has expanded on
the program. The NFB of Texas hosted the first
BELL Reunion the weekend of September 17. During
the reunion, BELL kids were able to socialize and
catch up, but more than that, they participated
in a full day of activities. From 10:00 a.m.
until 3:30 p.m. kids worked on Braille, cane
travel, and blindness skills. Great job Texas!
What a fun way to keep in touch with the BELL
kids and keep them learning all year long.
[]
Research
Digital Technology and Accessibility in Schools Questionnaire
The NFB is seeking information about
accessibility barriers in the digital technology
used by all students, teachers, and
administrators in K-12 schools, universities, and
colleges in the United States.
We encourage students, teachers, administrators,
and parents of blind students to complete
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=GNqr9FRIiDLckcD_xjTv8g>this
questionnaire so that the NFB can learn more
about educational technology that is either
helping or hindering the learning process for
blind students. If you are a parent of a blind
student who is unable to complete the
questionnaire on his/her own, please complete the
questionnaire on behalf of your child and include
your name and contact information. The NFB will
not voluntarily release your identifying
information or responses without your permission.
If you have questions about completing this form,
please contact Clara Van Gerven by
<mailto:cvangerven at nfb.org>e-mail or by phone at
(410) 659-9314, extension 2410.
[]
Advocacy
Jeff Bezos introduces Kindle Fire. Photo credit: AP
Photo: Jeff Bezos introduces Kindle Fire
A message from Dr. Maurer Condemning Lack of Access to the New Kindle Fire
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National
Federation of the Blind, made these comments on
the release of Amazons new Kindle Fire, which
cannot be used by people who are blind:
Blind Americans have repeatedly asked Amazon to
include accessibility for the blind in its Kindle
product line. The feasibility of including
accessibility in similar products has been
demonstrated. The Department of Education and the
Department of Justice have made it clear that
Kindle devices cannot be purchased by educational
institutions, libraries, and other entities
covered by this countrys disability laws unless
the devices are fully accessible. Despite all
this, Amazon has released a brand new Kindle
device, the Kindle Fire, which cannot be used by people who are blind.
Enough! We condemn this latest action by Amazon
and reiterate that we will not tolerate
technological discrimination. The National
Federation of the Blind seeks nothing less than
equal access to all technology for blind people.
It is one of the most critical civil rights
issues facing blind Americans in the twenty-first
century, and we will do everything in our power
to see that this right is secured.
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=RyhvZpsEnNMcnYLRPUObjw>NFB
press release
A Chicago Sun-Times article reviewing the Kindle
Fire release,
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=PYzx1TzpsynsF593arc0gQ>Amazon
Kindle Fire Explodes onto Tablet Scene, bemoans
that Alas, Amazon has nothing to announce
about the Fires accessibility features, beyond
the Kindles existing text-to-speech reading
feature. Kindle has uploaded to
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=VYcBRK9lvQM5Yy08bY68pQ>YouTube
video of the entire press conference introducing the Kindle Fire.
NFB Urges Maryland Libraries to Purchase Accessible E-readers
The National Federation of the Blind, the
nations leading advocate for accessible
technology, sent letters urging the Enoch Pratt
Free Library and the Howard County Library System
in Maryland to purchase e-book readers that can
be used by the blind. The libraries are currently
lending Barnes & Nobles NOOK device to patrons,
but this deviceunlike some other e-book readers
and platformscannot be used by the blind or
others who cannot read print. E-readers can be
made accessible through text-to-speech technology
and/or the ability to output content to external
Braille displays, but the NOOK does not have any of these features.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National
Federation of the Blind, said: E-books and the
devices with which to read them present a
historic opportunity for blind readers to have
access to the same books at the same time as
sighted readers, but only if publishers and
manufacturers design their products in a way that
allows access by blind and print-disabled
readers. It is disturbing that institutions
committed to free access to information for
everyone would purchase e-readers that cannot be
used by all of their patrons when technology that
would serve everyone, including those who are
blind or print-disabled, is readily available. We
hope that our Maryland libraries will honor their
legal and moral obligation to provide equal
access to their blind patrons and send a clear
message to publishers and technology vendors that
access to information and literature is critical
for all Americans, not just those who can read print.
[]
Straight Talk About Vision Loss
Tom Foreman, CNN Correspondent, in BDC vehicle driver's seat
Photo: Tom Foreman, CNN, reporting on BDC
In the closing act of the 2011 NFB Youth Slam
talent contest, Barby Elliott turned NFB
philosophy into music. Our thanks go out to Mika
Pyyhkala for this recording of Barbys original
composition,
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=BfAKJqolOW0J30SfMrvsdg>Strive.
In this video
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=v-DhIeZtLtqXVJHPcsgQDQ>High-Tech
Car for Blind Drivers, Tom Foreman reports on
the Blind Driver Challenge® for Anderson Coopers 360 news show on CNN.
Coming soon: ABC's Juju Chang drives the Blind
Driver Challenge® car at the NFB headquarters.
[]
Product and Access Technology Talk
News from the Access Technology Team
This September was the second time the NFB hosted
the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=NvA2T35a3-xO_erJCSzLcw>Web
Accessibility Training Day with the Maryland
Technology Assistance Program. The event was a
great successseats were fully booked. The day
was jam-packed with sessions helpful to anyone
with an interest in Web accessibility. Speakers
covered both policy and technical angles in
breakout sessions, so attendees with various
responsibilities and interests could get their
questions answered. The attendees came from a
wide range of sectors, with government,
education, and business being especially well
represented. Participants also got an excellent
opportunity to meet others in the field and to
explore business solutions for accessibility
issues during the exhibit hours. For those who
were not able to attend, you can
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=r-keg9w18Fdmp1kP2xuB3w>download
the materials for each session.
In other news, the team has been busy writing up
some exciting findsimprovements to
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=iLgCu6l5iIhKx6NqJ6oxSg>Ninite
and UpdateFlash.org and
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=z9PACC4BsuNg1R31qjggcA>Google
apps are all current topics on the blog, and more posts are in the works.
As fall sets in, we are also gearing up for the
next conference.
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=Rkeabwc4WD-LwUOerivQgg>Accessing
Higher Ground in Colorado targets accessibility
in higher education, which makes for a very
interesting (and interested) audience. The team
will make presentations on November 17 and 18 on
Tactile Graphics and Promoting Nonvisual
Accessibility through Task-based, First-hand
Testing, with
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=54Yb104aO85Y3C9WW91fHA>Desire2Learn.
Graphic: eBay logo
eBay is Recruiting
The Reuters news service published
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=_OXROdKaXORsNvYKMi-oTA>the
following entry on August 25, 2011, on its small business blog:
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=2q8v8QjwFLIuOt_zMJ8cnA>eBay
is recruiting an unlikely group of new
entrepreneurs into its selling ranksthe visually impaired.
Blind citizens have staggeringly high rates of
unemployment, with some 70 percent of
working-age, legally blind adults out of work,
according to the National Federation of the Blind.
So the online marketplace, in partnership with
NFB, began recruiting test sellers in the blind
community late last year. In February, it began a
pilot program with 15 blind entrepreneurs. In
total, they have sold more than 2,100 items,
including everything from packing tape to clothing and makeup.
We have a commitment to making our pages
accessible, said Jonas Klink, senior product
manager of accessibility for San Jose,
California-based eBay. The company was also the
title sponsor at NFBs national convention in July.
These 15 pilot program participants have been
selling above and beyond even the majority of our
sighted community, said Klink, adding that word
has spread through the blind community. A number
have become top-rated sellers.
The blind sellers use enhanced tools such as
screen access software that verbalizes content on
the Internet, which has primarily been designed for sighted participants.
When you look at the Web as a whole, youre
looking at a very visual medium, Klink said.
Designing for the visually impaired is in some
cases harder because you don't have the luxury of well-known graphics.
At the NFB convention, some 300 people signed up
for the next phase of eBays commitment to work
with visually impaired sellers, he said.
Technology and Print Disabilities
The American University radio station WAMU's
broadcast of The Kojo Nnamdi Show on September
7 was about reading using access technology.
Guests were Jim Fruchterman and George Kerscher.
Hear the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=y9no4EixuWsS4e6bhkm0vA>Technology
and Print Accessibility program or read a full
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=anQawNafx09OU_KJ2UxmkQ>transcript.
[]
From the tenBroek Library
Photo: Second Sight of the Parthenon Frieze image 1
Second Sight of the Parthenon Frieze
The tenBroek Library does not usually acquire
books simply because they are in an accessible
format. Most of our books in fact are ink-print
(and not necessarily large type). This is because
most books on blindnessjust like most books on
any subjectare ink-print and have never been
published in an accessible format.
We are gradually dealing with the inaccessibility
of the ink-print-only books through our
digitization program. And we'll also do on-demand
digitization for a fee. For example, a researcher
recently visited and spent some time with a
librarian reviewing a number of ink-print items
that were of potential interest. He left us with
a request to digitize almost a hundred pages. We
were happy to do that and send the digitized
material to him as e-mail attachments (along with a bill).
But this is not what this months From the tenBroek Library is really about.
Our subject this month is an accessible book we
recently acquired. It is not about blindness, but
it merits a place in our library because of the
care that was taken to make it accessible both
visually and tactilely. Its a beautiful book
called Second Sight of the Parthenon Frieze,
published by the British Museum in collaboration
with an Italian publisher of fine books. Heres a
paragraph from the introduction to the book:
This book forms part of the Tiresias project,
which includes a permanent exhibition in the
British Museums Parthenon Galleries. Tiresias is
the blind seer of Greek myth who was blinded by
Hera but compensated by Zeus with the power of
second sight. The purpose of both the book and
the exhibition is to provide second sight of
the Parthenon frieze for sighted and visually impaired people alike.
Second Sight of the Parthenon Frieze image 2
The frieze, which the British took (some say
stole) from Greece two hundred years agoalong
with statues and other antiquitiesshows people,
animals, wheeled vehicles, and other objects in a
procession honoring Athena, the patron goddess of
ancient Athens. This book reproduces the frieze
in an inventive way that allows both blind and
sighted people to appreciate its beauty without
being in London, where it can be directly viewed. Again, from the introduction:
Most pages of this book are divided into three
bands. The top band shows the frieze modified for
the partially sighted. Over this is a transparent
layer of tactile images, in which the frieze is
further adapted for the blind user. This
simplified version is calculated to convey the
most important elements. The second band of the
page features a selection of figures that have
been isolated so as to make them more easily
understood, while the third band shows a
birds-eye view of the procession. This plan
offers an opportunity for both visually impaired
and sighted readers to understand the procession
better than ever possible before.
Second Sight of the Parthenon Frieze image 3
The book provides tactile maps of ancient Athens
showing the route of the procession, a plan view
of the Parthenon, and elevation views of each
side of the Parthenon. There is also a
visual-tactile lexicon that defines each image in the procession.
All the text in the book is in Braille as well as
ink-print. Accompanying the book is a five-hour
spoken commentary on three cassettes. We plan to
digitize the audio and make it available to library users on CDs.
Whether youre blind or sighted, this book can
only be experienced in person. It is another
reason to visit Baltimore (unless a library near you also has a copy).
[]
Independence Market
The ending of summer heralds the beginning of the
school year. Blind students of all ages may find
some of the following items available from the
National Federation of the Blind Independence
Market of use in their academic studies and
extracurricular activities. We have grouped items
into two broad categories: personal management
and study aids; however there is some overlap, so
you'll want to look through both sections.
Personal Management
* Using a white cane gives a blind person
independence in moving around his/her home and
school environment. The Independence Market sells
a variety of
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=pME0ZRRhByNxsz7owjBybA>white
canes.
* An accessible watch and/or clock are useful
tools that assist students to get to class on
time. The Independence Market sells a variety of
Braille and talking
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=EBgNICraWTanMK6b_kpMVg>watches
and clocks. Braille watches allow the wearer to
check the time unobtrusively, which is especially
useful in class or in church. Talking watches
have the advantage of having an alarm.
*
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=NlkVYC5_J6Pgwe4743S3jA>Accessible
locks help to keep books and other materials
secure when using a locker at school or at the gym.
* Most students have several devices that use
batteries. A
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=6yYNRee2w3jGir7Ex-GUqw>battery
tester is a must for anyone needing to
distinguish discharged batteries from new ones.
* We also carry a small selection of handheld
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=JWJrXBAcRbDkQl_t2Ig2Bw>magnifiers,
ranging from 5X to 14X.
Study Aids
* A
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=WlI6rgEoFuk9hq4mdVsDbg>calculator
or abacus is helpful when doing basic math functions.
* Here are some tools for
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=yu6tpE-KwxyLH4Ut7JOETg>listening
to books and recording classes. The new digital
recorders like the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=Xmeo7ZiuPUiMk0rCK4xMFw>Olympus
DM-420 offer some definite advantages. The
feature-filled
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=B0CJKPMn2jX1WlAB7K-RnA>Victor
Reader Stream gives blind students access to textbooks like never before.
* Every student needs to take notes in class.
We have some
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=Pb3U79twoqGgbDESu8Q6Og>tools
you may find helpful, including 20/20 pens, dark
lined writing paper, writing guides, slates and
styluses, and Braille paper. It is always good to
be armed with a
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=Ca6RyFldxs8ngb3KljHY0A>slate
as a backup, just in case some of the fancy technology fails.
* We also carry
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=4iArxsEHMmTqMM-9i-4O-A>supplies
for making Braille labels. Braille labels are great for getting organized.
For more information or to place an order for
products, please contact the
<mailto:IndependenceMarket at nfb.org>NFB
Independence Market via e-mail or by phone at
(410) 659-9314, extension 2216, Monday-Friday
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. eastern time.
[]
Parent Outreach
Kendra
Photo: Kendra with plunger
The Summer 2011 issue of
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=3j1QwDUuy2wvHGzzhygmFA>Future
Reflections<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=3j1QwDUuy2wvHGzzhygmFA>,
Volume 30 Number 3, is out. Future Reflections is
the NFB's quarterly magazine for parents and
teachers of blind children. Read it for the
newest content on Learning, Making Friends,
Advocacy, Transitions, Technology, and more. To
whet your interest, here's the beginning of the
first article in the Learning section:
Dad, Wheres the Plunger?
by Richard Holloway
From the Editor: It is often said that 80
percent of all learning is visual. For a totally
blind child, however, 100 percent of learning
occurs nonvisually. Given plenty of opportunities
for hands-on exploration, a blind child can
acquire most of the information about the world
that sighted children possess. In this article,
Richard Holloway describes how he helped his
blind daughter, Kendra, fill in some important information gaps.
Dad, do we have a plunger? my daughter asked
one afternoon. Where's the plunger?
I was a little concerned. Why would my
eight-year-old daughter possibly need a plunger,
after all? This just couldn't be good!
I want to know what a plunger feels like! she explained.
Wow! I had done it again. I pride myself on
describing the visual world to my blind daughter,
but there it wasanother little hole in her
understanding. Did we have a plunger? Sure. Was I
going to let her explore it with her hands? Well,
no, that didn't seem the best plan. You might
find ours to be as well-washed as any slightly
used plunger anywhere, but I'm not going to put
it into a child's hands for tactile exploration.
I'm sorry, I said, we don't have a plunger
that you can touch. It isn't clean enough. But
what if I take you to the store and let you explore a new, clean plunger?
Kendra was delighted with the idea. That's how I
came to take her on her first Home Depot expedition. . . .
This article is continued in
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=Z2wiwezCyKC8rFopir3OFg>Future
Reflections<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=Z2wiwezCyKC8rFopir3OFg>
online.
[]
Spotlight on the Imagination Fund
One of the purposes of the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=6bwPRHTesR0q7i_87mpCQg>Imagination
Fund is to support the innovative, informative,
and inspiring programs of the affiliates and
divisions of the National Federation of the Blind
through Imagination Fund grants.
Sean Whalen and Kimberly Flores, former NABS
board member and current president of the NFB of Texas
Photo: Sean Whalen and Kimberly Flores
The National Association of Blind Students (NABS)
applied for and was awarded an Imagination Fund
grant to send NABS board member representatives
to NFB affiliate conventions and state student
events. The funds helped NABS to assist in
division building, increase cohesion between
state and national student divisions, and develop
the leadership skills of future leaders of the NFB.
Overall, NABS fulfilled eighteen requests for
representatives. According to Sean Whalen,
current president of NABS, representatives are
extremely beneficial to affiliates and students
alike, from helping to launch a student division
in West Virginia, to keeping already strong state
divisions, like Georgia, abreast of, and involved
in, the work we are doing on a national level, to
speaking to conventions, students, and parents at
large in nearly twenty states, NABS was able to make significant progress.
The benefits of the program include strengthening
relationships, mentoring, and leadership
development. Sean Whalen describes a few of the
outcomes of the program: Each of us who has
traveled as part of the program has been told by
NFB leaders, students, or parents of blind
students that our presentations, conversations,
and encouragement throughout the course of an
event have added valuable perspective, provided
useful information, or, sometimes, even changed
peoples outlooks on blindness.
To learn more about how the National Association
of Blind Students is changing what it means to be
blind, visit the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=F-vn2zAAKyO1XArgM8H29w>NABS
Web site.
To help support worthwhile programs of the
National Federation of the Blind, become an
Imaginator and join the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=ZLOVxD6mk4lZaGcwWsVduQ>Race
for Independence today!
[]
NFB Calendar
The Fall Convention Season The yearly meetings
of NFBs state affiliates cluster in the fall and
spring. The following states meet in September
and October: Arizona, North Carolina, Montana,
New York, Kentucky, Georgia, Alaska, D.C.,
Illinois, Minnesota, Rhode Island, California,
Arkansas, Indiana, Hawaii, Nebraska, Kansas,
Washington, Maine, Iowa, and Maryland! To look up
when other state annual meetings occur, see the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=aNT-oGF_a991TOViOlcUZg>state
conventions page on the NFBs Web site.
October
2011
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=kW5RfHbEC5gba-WEmXgZBQ>Meet
the Blind Month, a campaign conducted by NFB
chapters throughout the country. We challenge you
to participate in innovative and unique
meet-and-greet events in your local community
this year. For information, contact
<mailto:mkobelinski at nfb.org>Melissa Kobelinski.
October 7-8,
2011
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=GeSPVPxvnniimuzDgahUdw>Computer
Science Academy, presented by the NFB and the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=pcVgfyXLAJ91nvo1SHHSdg>Rochester
Institute of Technology at the NFB Jernigan Institute.
November 1, 2011 National Federation of the
Blind Bid for Excellence national auction begins.
For more information, help in how to promote the
auction, to donate an item or service, or to
become a Bid for Excellence sponsor, contact
Ann-Marie Laney at (410) 659-9314, extension
2371, or by <mailto:alaney at nfb.org>e-mail.
February 6-9, 2012 NFB
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=NSjtXSgdRvnWnNx7sWHNwg>Washington
Seminar, Holiday Inn Capitol, 550 C Street, S.W., Washington, D.C.
[]
Citation
Activities began on Sunday morning, July 3, when
parents, rehabilitation professionals, technology
enthusiasts, job seekers, and artists gathered to
begin their work. President Maurer addressed the
rehab professionals and emphasized how crucial
their work is in making the dream of full
participation real in the lives of blind people.
He visited with the children and tried to
convince a young girl named Jessica that her
unsuccessful struggles to read print probably
meant that she should be concentrating on
Braille. Sighted people should use the
techniques of the sighted, and blind people
should use the techniques of the blind, he
argued. The exchange was spirited, and it was
evident just how much this little girl had been
taught that the only path to praise would come
through what she could see. A young man named
Drake wanted to know how a blind man could invent
a time machine. The president seemed a bit
surprised by the question so early in the morning
but opined that, if a time machine could be made,
he was certain that a blind person would be as
likely to come up with it as a sighted person.
Lindsey asked what he had done in his time as
president, and for a moment he was
uncharacteristically silent as he considered how
to address the many challenges that have
characterized his presidency in a way this little
girl and the rest of his young audience could understand.
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=JPM6rNt7xuS9VdXree9XXw>The
2011 Convention Roundup, Gary Wunder, Braille Monitor, August-September 2011
Back to Top
Thank you for reading the NFB Jernigan Institutes Imagineering Our Future.
Mentor Trevor Attenberg leads campers along the nature trail
Photo: Group on white water raft
Support the Jernigan Institute through the
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=mcskkWV4xOTPWNQjSiPZTQ>Imagination
Fund
Photo: Young woman playing flute
Interesting links:
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=sRJv14y6qROWVf8NJ0eSaA>Archive
of Straight Talk about Vision Loss videos
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=SsX1tl5nwMeV0aPCmy81Yg>National
Center for Blind Youth in Science
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=Y52AH_k9FShYSz5VWBbvWA>Access
Technology Tips
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=9fl8dCDLrHLFL3uUDGGldQ>TeachBlind
Students.org
Photo: Youth practicing martial art
Blogs:
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=9QbnyQQNizseJ9rKr2_81Q>Access
Technology
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=eXbpxyc1lGfKN0G_emUtAA>Voice
of the Nations Blind
Photo: Senior couple
Publication archives:
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=WbZp2D417eGRqq-16hAgxQ>Future
Reflections
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=FITPYChorgJE9i2strGeLw>Braille
Monitor
Photo: Mom and son take a moment and a hug
Graphic: National Federation of the Blind logo
Photo: Blind little girl with cane
Photo: Blind youth reading Braille book
Photo: Blind girl examining model of constellations
Photo: Blind boy with tactile globe
Blind Teens Carry the 2007 Youth March for Independence Banner
Visit us at
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=GQE5V7bn42C0T1t2dTN7lg>nfb.org
Imagine a Future Full of Opportunity
[]
Jernigan Institute, National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314 Fax (410)
659-5129 E-mail
<mailto:JerniganInstitute at nfb.org?subject=Reply%20to%20Imagineering%20Our%20Future>JerniganInstitute at nfb.org
Visit us at www.nfb.org
Better Business Bureau logo
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=Xmym_tHLT_0C2E802VYd5A>
American Institute of Philanthropy logo
The National Federation of the Blind meets the
rigorous Standards for Charity Accountability set
forth by the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and is
Top-Rated by the American Institute of Philanthropy.
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=1FXtc-xfiVm0EikBBsBIqw>Forward
this newsletter.
If this issue was forwarded to you and youd like
to subscribe, please e-mail
<mailto:JerniganInstitute at nfb.org?subject=Reply%20to%20Imagineering%20Our%20Future>JerniganInstitute at nfb.org.
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=chQlPIWHtLO8RALYFafAkQ>
powered by CONVIO
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=chQlPIWHtLO8RALYFafAkQ>
<http://www.raceforindependence.org/site/R?i=DcceFAMGsLktMVRcyhN4hA>nonprofit
software
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbnet-members-list_nfbnet.org/attachments/20111005/d0970985/attachment.html>
More information about the NFBNet-Members-List
mailing list