[Nfbnet-members-list] National Federation of the Blind Newsletter - A High Five for the Federation, Family, and Furthering our Movement
Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind
IOF at nfb.org
Wed Jun 1 19:07:31 UTC 2016
National Federation of the Blind logo with tagline: Live the li
Imagineering Our Future
Issue 87
June 2016
In this issue:
Message from the President
What's News at the NFB
Braille Certification Training Program
From the tenBroek Library
Independence Market
Advocacy
Access Technology
NFB Calendar
Citation
Graphic: section divider
Message from the President
Dear Friends:
I have held many titles but without a doubt the
most important one is "Dad." As Father's Day
approaches, I need your help to protect the
rights of other blind fathers (and mothers) and
to ensure that future blind parents have access
to quality resources that will help them and
those around them know that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines their ability to be a great parent.
I am calling on you today to give a high five to
blind parents for Father's Day. By making a
contribution of $5 (or some multiple of $5), you
can help the National Federation of the Blind
strengthen and broaden our initiative for blind
parents. Last month we launched the first phase
of
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5430&qid=1285491>blindparents.org--our
online resource center for connecting,
empowering, and protecting blind parents in
fulfilling their dream of living up to the title
of mom, dad, grandmother, or grandfather. The
more high fives we get on this Father's Day,
themore blind parents or prospective parents we
can connect, empower, and protect.
Every day we come across blind people who are
preparing to be parents but who have never met a
blind parent. Unfortunately, these same
individuals are often surrounded by sighted
friends and family who question how they will
effectively serve as caregiver. These questions
are frequently rooted in misconceptions about
blindness and low expectations. Unless we get
these blind parents connected with other blind
parents like my wife Melissa and me, the
questions begin to add doubt and fear to the
general concern that every new parent faces.
Through the National Federation of the Blind, we
offer a meaningful personal mentoring connection
that helps answer the questions.
All new parents have questions, but there have
not been adequate resources for blind people to
discover and share the techniques, tools,
strategies, and tips that blind people use to
effectively parent without vision. Through the
National Federation of the Blind, we are building
out the resources to empower blind parents to
know and share the techniques and information
that they need to be outstanding caregivers. What
product is best for gaining access to a child's
temperature? What techniques do blind people use
to monitor their children? How do blind parents
deal with transportation and managing the daily
schedule of after-school activities, homework,
school meetings,etc.? These questions and others
are ones that successful blind parents already
have answers to, and through our work we will
create new means of sharing this knowledge base,
continuing to build it with new ideas, and
empowering blind parents to utilize it in their day-to-day parenting.
Some may be surprised that every week we learn
of more blind people who have had the custody of
their child threatened by social workers,
counselors, neighbors, and even other family
members who have low expectations and no
experience with the nonvisual techniques that
blind people use to be effective parents. Often
times children are separated from their parent
who is blind and the misunderstanding about the
capacity of blind people is the primary reason.
The characteristic of blindness should not be
used to rip these families apart and we can do
something about this discriminatory behavior.
Through the National Federation of the Blind, we
provide legal advocacy,assistance, and training
to protect blind parents in cases where blindness
is being used to unfairly divide parents from
their children. We also undertake advocacy to
eliminate state laws that permit blindness to be
used to demonstrate inability to parent.
Likewise, we are proactively developing resources
and training to reach more social workers, family
court personnel, hospital staff, families, and
others to break down the misconceptions and
strengthen understanding about the capacity of the blind to be great parents.
If you believe in our comprehensive strategy to
connect, empower, and protect blind parents, then
I need a high five from you. In fact, the more
high fives the better. You cannot put a price on
love; and our blind parents initiative is
protecting the bonds of love between blind parents and their children.
Please join with me by giving us a high five on
our donation page. Also help us spread the word
about our
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5430&qid=1285491>blindparents.org
webpage. To get involved in our blind parents
initiative, please send an email to
<mailto:parenting at nfb.org>parenting at nfb.org.
Sincerely,
Graphic: Signature of Mark Riccobono
Mark A. Riccobono, President
National Federation of the Blind
Graphic: section divider
What's News at the NFB
Thank You to our 2016 National Convention Elite and Platinum Sponsors
Elite:
Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Platinum:
Cardtronics, Inc.
Delta Air Lines
Google, Inc.
Oracle
Target
UPS
VFO (Freedom Scientific/Optelec)
Delay on Internet Regulations by DOJ
The National Federation of the Blind, the
nation's leading advocate for equal access by the
blind to information and technology, condemned
the
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5431&qid=1285491>announcement
by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ)
that it will further delay issuing regulations
under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities
Act (ADA) and instead seek further comments from
the public on what those regulations should
contain. Details can be found at
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5432&qid=1285491>https://nfb.org/national-federation-blind-condemns-delay-web-accessibility-regulations.
Uber Settlement
In an unprecedented settlement, Uber has agreed
to take affirmative steps to prevent
discrimination against blind riders who use guide
dogs in its transportation network across the
United States. Read our full press release at
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5433&qid=1285491>https://nfb.org/groundbreaking-settlement-end-discrimination-against-blind-uber-riders-who-use-guide-dogs.
Graphic: section divider
Braille Certification Training Program
Contest for Braille Readers
The Onkyo Braille essay contest is administered
by the National Federation of the Blind for the
North America/Caribbean Region of the World Blind
Union. Essays must be written in Braille and in
English or their author's native language and
must be completely original. Entries should be no
fewer than eight hundred words and no more than one thousand words.
The contest is divided into two groups of
competitors--one junior group, aged twenty-five
and under; and one senior group, aged twenty-six
and above. Prizes range from $500 to $2,000. All
essays must be received by June 30, 2016. Visit
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5446&qid=1285491>http://www.nfb.org/onkyo-braille-essay-contest
for more information and an application.
Graphic: section divider
From the tenBroek Library
The month of June is always busy at the NFB
Jernigan Institute as our staff work hard to get
everything ready for our annual national
convention, typically held the first week of
July. Since 1940, the size and shape of the
national convention has changed greatly; yet
looking at the early convention records housed in
the papers of our founder, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek,
it is easy to see that largest annual gathering
of blind people in American still remains true to
its roots. It is, and has always been, a time for
members to come together both to conduct the
serious business of the organization and to
strengthen the bonds of the Federation family
through networking, the sharing ofcommon goals,
and exciting adventures. A prime example of this
can be found in the convention agenda for 1952:
TENNESSEE ASSOCIATION FOR THE BLIND
OUTLINE OF PROGRAM of the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF
THE BLIND to be held in NASHVILLE at the ANDREW
JACKSON HOTEL SATURDAY, July 12 through TUESDAY JULY 15.
(Note: This is the first time for the National
Federation of the Blind to hold its annual
convention, not only in Tennessee but in the
South. This year the National Federation will
hold a Bowling Meet for the Blind. This will be
the first time that the Federation has sponsored such an event
)
PROGRAM
SATURDAY MORNING, July 12: Registration in the
lobby of the Andrew Jackson Hotel; 1. Atomic
Research - A Job for the Blind, Dr. Bradley
Burson; 2. How Safe are the Blind? Mr. Smith
Shumway; 3. Public Welfare Principles, Mr. George Card.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON: A Living Pension for the Blind
[panel presentation]
(On Saturday Night many of the delegates will
visit the Grand Ole Opry, where a block of tickets has already been reserved.)
SUNDAY MORNING, July 13: Rehabilitation,
Employment and Vending Stand Programs
[presentations]
SUNDAY AFTERNOON: Discriminatory Exclusion of the
Blind from Trades and Professions
[panel presentation]
SUNDAY EVENING, July 13: The climax of the entire
convention will come on Sunday, July 13, with a
reception for guests and delegates, followed by a banquet.
Kenneth Jernigan, President of the Tennessee
Association of the Blind will serve as
toastmaster at the banquet. Governor Gordon
Browning will introduce the principal speaker of
the evening, Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, President of
the National Federation of the Blind. Some three
hundred people are expected to attend the
reception and banquet. Besides Governor Browning,
Mayor West of Nashville, several of Tennessee's
Congressmen, and Representatives of several Civic
Groups will be present. At the banquet, Western
and Northern delegates who are visiting the South
for the first time will be treated to two
Southern specialities, fried chicken and chess pie.
MONDAY MORNING, July 14: Executive director's report.
MONDAY AFTERNOON: On Monday afternoon the
Tennessee Association of the Blind will conduct
the convention delegates and their guests on a
tour through Nashville and some of the
surrounding area. Among those places visited will
be the Parthenon, the Hermitage, and the new
school for the blind at Donelson. Lunch and dinner will be served on the tour.
MONDAY EVENING: A bowling meet will be held on
Monday evening. Blind people from several states
are expected to compete for honors.
TUESDAY MORNING: Legislative program.
TUESDAY AFTERNOON: White Cane report, treasurer's
report, election of officers and selection of a Convention city for 1953.
For more information on the timing and activities
of the 2016 NFB National Convention, please visit
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5434&qid=1285491>the
convention webpage today!
Graphic: section divider
Independence Market
Last fall we shared with our readers that the
National Federation of the Blind is starting to
update our brochures to reflect our new branding.
At that time we had just completed our main
brochure,
"<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5437&qid=1285491>What
is the National Federation of the Blind." If you
wish to know what text the brochure contains
before handing out hard copies in print or in
Braille, you may review the brochure text online.
The
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5447&qid=1285491>Braille
version may also be downloaded as a BRF file and embossed on demand.
We are excited to announce that we just completed
the revision of the
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5439&qid=1285491>National
Organization of Parents of Blind Children
brochure. You may review this one online as well.
Print and Braille copies of the National
Federation of the Blind brochure and print copies
of the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children brochure may be ordered from the Independence Market.
At this time the staff of the NFB Independence
Market are busily gearing up for our national
convention, which will be held this year in
Orlando, Florida, at the Rosen Shingle Creek
Resort from June 30 through July 5. In
preparation for the convention we are adding new
items to our stock and are updating our catalog.
At the convention itself almost all of our sales
products and much of our free literature will be
available in the exhibit hall. Convention
attendees will have a chance to examine demo
items of all our products, including the new ones.
Many volunteers will help staff our store at
convention to assist with demonstrating products
to our customers and processing the resulting
purchases. If you would like to volunteer for a
shift in the Independence Market, please contact
Patricia Maurer at our national office by phone
at 410-659-9314, extension 2272, or email her at
<mailto:pmaurer at nfb.org>pmaurer at nfb.org. Thank
you in advance to all of you who are helping out
in some capacity. We would not be able to run the
Independence Market at convention without you.
We hope to see many of you in Orlando. If you are
not able to join us at our convention, check out
the
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5440&qid=1285491>Independence
Market online or
<mailto:independencemarket at nfb.org>contact us via
email or by phone at 410-659-9314, extension
2216, for a catalog. Please note that we will not
be able to process any online or telephone orders
while we are away at convention.
Graphic: section divider
Advocacy
Help Advocate for Accessible State and Local
Government Websites - Your Stories are Needed by July 15
The need for access to public websites continues
to be an area of critical importance to the NFB.
Though the courts have increasingly identified
that websites fall within the intent and scope of
the Americans with Disabilities Act, and cannot
be vehicles of discrimination and exclusion
against blind citizens, the federal government
has yet to confirm regulations that would require
websites to be accessible to individuals with
disabilities. The NFBs advocacy for such
regulations cannot stop until websites are accessible.
In May, the U.S. Department of Justice published
its Supplemental Advance Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking titled Nondiscrimination on the Basis
of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information
and Services of State and Local Government
Entities (SANPRM) in the Federal Register. In
response to the new SANPRM, the NFB is gathering
comments and stories from members to highlight
the importance of access to state and local
government websites. We need your stories, both
positive and negative, regarding the importance
of accessible state and local government
websiteswebsites for voter registration,
applying for a state or local government job,
appealing a property taxassessment, renewing a
library book, requesting food stamps, registering
for a class at your local state or community
college, or any other state or local government
service. Visit
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5441&qid=1285491>www.nfb.org/TitleIISANPRM
for steps on how you can help the NFB advocate
for accessible websites, and/or contact Kyle
Walls at 410-659-9314, extension 2223, or
<mailto:kwalls at nfb.org>kwalls at nfb.org. We will be
gathering member stories through July 15.
Graphic: section divider
Access Technology
In the aftermath of the deluge of new technology
that was CSUN, the access technology team has
been catching up on a few things. We've also been
writing things upthe team wrote three blog posts
for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD),
covering the latest accessibility improvements on
Android, the new B2G notetaker, and accessible
browser choices. In other GAAD news, we also
presented to accessibility champions and other
interested staff at Expedia on web accessibility.
For those of you who live near Baltimore, you may
be interested to learn that we've announced the
next two accessibility boutiques. The topic for
the June boutique is converting printed text to
digital text: optical character recognition in
the office and on the go. That will take place on
June 23, 8:00-10:00 a.m. The July boutique on
July 25, 3:00-5:00 p.m. will be on accessible
websites, made accessiblyan introduction to
Wordpress. If you are interested in attending
either or both of these boutiques, RSVP to
<mailto:cvangerven at nfb.org>cvangerven at nfb.org;
space is limited. The event will be held at the
NationalFederation of the Blind Jernigan Institute at:
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
Graphic: section divider
NFB Calendar
Upcoming Events
May 23-August 26, 2016: NFB BELL Academy held at
forty-six sites throughout the nation. More
information at
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5442&qid=1285491>https://nfb.org/bell-academy.
June 19-25: NFB EQ (first iteration)
June 30-July 5: National Federation of the Blind
Convention, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando,
Florida,
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5434&qid=1285491>https://nfb.org/convention
July 31-August 6: NFB EQ (second iteration)
August 18-25: WBU-ICEVI General Assembly, Rosen
Centre Hotel, Orlando, Florida,
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5443&qid=1285491>www.wbu-icevi2016.org
Graphic: section divider
Citation
Our own National Federation has blazed the trail
and shown the way. We have demonstrated what
blind men and women can do in freedom and in
concert, through independence and
interdependence. We have proved, in the fires of
battle, our right to organize, to speak for ourselves, and to be heard.
Dr. Jacobus tenBroek.
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=5444&qid=1285491>The
Parliament of Man... The Federation of the World
1964 NFB National Convention, Phoenix, Arizona, July 2, 1964.
Graphic: section divider
Thank you for reading the NFBs Imagineering Our Future.
Help make a significant difference in the lives
of blind people across the country.
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Two girls attending Youth Slam smile widely.
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4050&qid=692780>Make
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Gift Today
To donate a vehicle to the NFB, call toll-free
(855) 659-9314
or visit our
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4051&qid=692780>vehicle
donation
page.
To donate clothing or household items to the NFB,
visit
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4052&qid=692780>www.nfbpickup.org/
or call toll-free
(888) 610-4632
to schedule a pickup or to find drop locations.
Photo: Father and Child
If this issue was forwarded to you and you would
like to subscribe, please email
<mailto:JerniganInstitute at nfb.org.>JerniganInstitute at nfb.org.
Two people use their canes as they walk down the sidewalk.
Please check with your company to see if it
offers a matching program that will match your gift.
A man uses alternative technologies to read a restaurant menu.
Interesting links:
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4053&qid=692780>Archive
of Straight Talk About Vision Loss videos
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4054&qid=692780>National
Center for Blind Youth in Science
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4055&qid=692780>Access
Technology Tips
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4056&qid=692780>TeachBlindStudents.org
A young blind boy examines the leaves on a tree.
Blogs:
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4057&qid=692780>Access
Technology
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4058&qid=692780>Voice
of the Nation's Blind
A blind girl reads Braille to her older sister.
Support the National Federation of the Blind
through the
<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4059&qid=692780>Imagination
Fund<http://nfb.org/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=4059&qid=692780>.
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street
at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
United States
(410) 659-9314
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