
      BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 54, No. 3   March 2011
                             Gary Wunder, Editor

      Published in inkprint, in Braille, and on cassette by

      THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

      Marc Maurer, President


      National Office
      200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
      Baltimore, Maryland  21230
      telephone: (410) 659-9314
      email address: nfb@nfb.org
      Website address: http://www.nfb.org
      NFBnet.org: http://www.nfbnet.org
      NFB-NEWSLINE information: (866) 504-7300


      Letters to the president, address changes,
      subscription requests, and orders for NFB literature
      should be sent to the national office.
      Articles for the Monitor and letters to the editor may also
      be sent to the national office or may be emailed to gwunder@nfb.org.




Monitor subscriptions cost the  Federation  about  twenty-five  dollars  per
year. Members are invited,  and  nonmembers  are  requested,  to  cover  the
subscription cost. Donations should be made payable to  National  Federation
of the Blind and sent to:


      National Federation of the Blind
      200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
      Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998


         THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION
       SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES


ISSN 0006-8829
             2011 by the National Federation of the Blind
[PHOTO CAPTION: Palm-lined drive leading to front entrance to Rosen Shingle
Creek Resort]
                     Orlando Site of 2011 NFB Convention

      The 2011 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take
place in Orlando, Florida, July 3-8, at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort at
9939 Universal Boulevard, Orlando, Florida 32819-9357. Make your room
reservation as soon as possible with the Rosen Shingle Creek staff only.
Call (866) 996-6338.
      The 2011 room rates are singles, doubles, and twins, $63; and triples
and quads, $67. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at
present is 12.5 percent. No charge will be made for children under
seventeen in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested.
The hotel is accepting reservations now. A $75-per-room deposit is required
to make a reservation. Fifty percent of the deposit will be refunded if
notice is given to the hotel of a reservation cancellation before June 1,
2011. The other 50 percent is not refundable.
      Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Reservations may be made before June 1, 2011, assuming that rooms are still
available. After that time the hotel will not hold our room block for the
convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon.
      Guestroom amenities include thirty-two-inch flat screen television
with NXTV; two telephones; laptop safe; coffeemaker; hairdryer; and, for a
fee, high-speed Internet access. The Rosen Shingle Creek Resort has a
number of restaurant options, including two award-winning restaurants, and
twenty-four-hour-a-day room service. It has first-rate amenities and
shuttle service to the Orlando airport.
      The schedule for the 2011 convention will follow the dates of last
year's:
Sunday, July 3         Seminar Day
Monday, July 4   Registration Day
Tuesday, July 5  Board Meeting and Division Day
Wednesday, July 6      Opening Session
Thursday, July 7       Business Session
Friday, July 8         Banquet Day and Adjournment
2011 National Convention Preregistration Form

      Please register online at <www.nfb.org/preregistration> or print all
requested information legibly on this form and mail to the address below.
Registrant Name ___________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________________
City ____________________________________________________________
State ___________________________________ Zip ____________________
Phone __________________________________________________________

___ I will pick up my registration packet at convention.
___ The following person will pick up my registration packet:
Pickup Name ______________________________________
           Please register only one person per registration form.
         One check or money order may cover multiple registrations.
     Check or money order (sorry, no credit cards) must be enclosed with
                            registration form(s).

Number of preregistrations x $15 = ____________
Prepurchased banquet tickets x $40 = ____________
Total ______________

All preconvention registration and banquet sales are final (no refunds).
Mail to: National Federation of the Blind
Attn: Convention Registration
200 E. Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, MD 21230
Registrations must be postmarked by May 31, 2011.





      Contents

Vol. 54, No. 3                                           March 2011


Blind Driver: Ultimate Insult or Statement of Fact
by Gary Wunder

The 2011 Washington Seminar
by Gary Wunder

Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:
Priorities for the 112th Congress, First Session

A Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind

Ensuring Equal Education for Blind Children:
Setting Standards That Promote Excellence

Americans with Disabilities Business Opportunity Act

Blio: A Formative Technology of the Twenty-First Century
by Marc Maurer

Creating Future Leaders from Scratch
by Garrick Scott

Winter in the North Woods
by Ron Schmidt

Science and Philosophy
Guided Learning versus Structured Discovery
by James S. Nyman

Making the Ask
by Parnell Diggs

When Disability Is Just a Special Skill in Disguise
by Lori Rottenberg

The Ties That Bind
by Barbara Pierce

A Misguided Question from a Student Gets an Interesting Response
by the staff of the Jacobus tenBroek Library

Convention Scholarships Available
by Allen Harris

Recipes

Monitor Miniatures

[LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: This spring-themed bulletin board features 26 large,
colorful butterflies. A hefty tree trunk made out of corrugated cardboard
anchors the left side of the board. Two green egg-crate caterpillars climb
the tree trunk side by side. The caterpillar on the left has the numbers 1,
2, and 3 going down his back, and the one on the right has the numbers 4,
5, and 6. The caterpillar segments represent the layout of the Braille
cell. Two-thirds of the way up the trunk, a hollow provides a resting place
for a small print/Braille board book. A few inches further up the trunk a
tree branch juts to the right with a small stuffed cardinal resting on it.
At the very top of the bulletin board, just above the bird's head, are
leaves made of felt.
      The display title in tactile print letters-Catch the Literacy Bug!-
extends across the middle of the board in a wave pattern. Four circular
pictures of blind children reading Braille fit snugly between the waves.
The Braille title of the board appears twice: once superimposed on the word
"literacy" in the center of the display and again in the bottom left
corner. Twenty-six butterflies flit above and below the title. Each
features one letter of the alphabet. The spots on the butterflies' wings
form jumbo Braille letters; with dots 1, 2, and 3 on the left wings and
dots 4, 5, and 6 on the right. For example, the "R" butterfly has dots 1,
2, and 3 on her left wing and dot 5 on her right wing. The butterfly wings
are made of craft foam, and the dots are made of textured paper. The
Popsicle-stick body of each butterfly bears its print letter once and the
standard-size Braille letter several times, embossed in a column. Each
butterfly is secured to the board with Velcro. Interspersed across the
board are smaller, three-dimensional butterflies made of soft fabric. A
real butterfly net continues the line created by the title and extends past
the right side of the board. A few of the smaller fabric butterflies are
caught in the net. Visitors are invited to catch the literacy bug and move
the alphabet butterflies to the Velcro strip at the bottom of the board to
spell a word in Braille.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono drives the NFB's blind-drivable car around
the track at the Daytona Speedway.]
             Blind Driver: Ultimate Insult or Statement of Fact
                               by Gary Wunder

      Being blind presents many challenges for the person who intends to
live a full and normal life, and getting where one needs to go when he or
she wants to get there is foremost among them. Ask any blind person to tell
you what is most difficult or irritating about being blind, and
transportation is likely to be number one on the list. Whether a person has
been blind from birth or had vision before becoming blind, the desire to
have the independence that most people who drive a car enjoy is universal.
So too has been the belief that there is nothing we can do about it short
of the restoration of vision.
      In 2000 President Maurer asked us to dream about what we might do as
together we built the Jernigan Institute, the nation's first and only
research center run for and by the blind. He suggested two possibilities.
One would be a handheld reading machine portable enough to let us read
print wherever we might go and wherever we might find it. The second was a
car that a blind person could drive. While the possibility of a handheld
reader seemed remote to many of us who had scanners and desktop computers,
and even more remote to those who couldn't afford the technology available
at the turn of the century, at least we could envision how the device might
work and the technology it might use. But this blind-drivable car was a
stretch--a very big stretch-and, while we all wanted what it promised, we
were reluctant to commit to the dream. We had many reasons for applauding
the change it could bring in our lives but held tight to our reservations.
For one thing many of us knew what it was like to be told that one day, in
the not too distant future, science would come up with a way for us to
drive.
      For as far back as I can remember, my parents called me to listen to
news stories they had just read in the Kansas City Star promising vision: a
device to convert images to audio; a device with a TV camera and vibrating
pins to make a picture on the back of a blind person's neck; and, most
promising, an implant that would connect directly to the brain with nothing
more intrusive than a pair of glasses. Our discussion of each new device
would conclude with the confident assertion that "By the time you turn
sixteen, there's no question that science will find a way for you to
drive." That was easy to believe at six; it was exciting at eight; when ten
came around, I was still anxiously waiting; when twelve came, I was still
optimistic but nervous; at fourteen I knew something had to happen in a
hurry, but those fellows were going to the moon, so perhaps there was still
a chance. But sixteen came, and the technology did not. Eighteen came and
with it the right to vote, but the car was still for someone else to drive,
and it was hard to watch my younger brother getting an opportunity his big
brother was supposed to have had first. Twenty-one came, and with it the
lectures about not drinking and driving, but the cautions meant nothing to
me except that I should not ride with someone who was drinking.
      Most blind people who lived through my experience looked at the
technology available and gave up on the dream. Driving might be possible
someday, but we weren't making any of our plans for the future contingent
on it. Driving, that special dream we held so dear, soon became the example
of the very few things a blind person couldn't do, taking its place
alongside jet pilot and art critic. Some of us even thought piloting an
airplane or recasting a painting so it would be understandable through
touch would be easier than the act of driving a speeding vehicle down a
crowded street.
      So, when President Maurer asked us to consider a car that blind
people could drive, we cheered his can-do attitude, gave him credit for
believing in us as blind people and trying to expand the frontier of
possibility for the blind, and said to ourselves that we had to be
realistic. Our experience said be cautious. Our hearts said don't do this
again. Our left brain said the challenge of driving was much too difficult
to take in all of the parallel information required to stay on course,
watch other drivers, and be on guard for the pedestrian; so we told
President Maurer that we shouldn't devote a lot of time and energy to this
work and that our time would be better spent on things that seemed more
achievable. As long as we could identify problems in education and equal
access to technology and an unemployment rate of seventy percent for blind
people, we could avoid saying that we didn't think the blind would ever be
capable of driving and that we doubted that the organized blind could bring
about the invention to make it possible.
      So we built our reading machine and watched as it was transformed
from a three-part handheld device to a reader in our pockets. With its
success we once again found ourselves talking about a car the blind could
drive. We had done what people said was impossible: we helped to invent a
machine that could go where we wanted to go and read most of what we wanted
to read, but the confidence gained from that venture went only so far.
Holding a camera above a printed page was not nearly as challenging as
directing a vehicle weighing thousands of pounds at speeds that would
demand split-second reactions.
      Once again President Maurer asked what we thought about developing a
car blind people could drive, and again we said we thought other things
were more important. When he assured us that anything we did to create a
blind-drivable car would not come at the expense of the efforts we were
making to secure better education, better technology, and increased
employment, we thought to ourselves that we had reached a good compromise
and ducked a bullet. We didn't have to tell our strongest advocate and the
man we deeply admired that we thought this well beyond the capabilities of
the blind and our organization. Instead we could argue to the public that
this was something we were working on, certain this little nugget would get
us some much needed press, but most of us felt sure that so little resource
would be devoted to the idea of a vehicle that it would die a slow death.
      People who lived through and can remember the most famous decade of
the twentieth century, the 60s, saw clear parallels between the challenge
to send a man to the moon and the challenge to put a blind driver behind
the wheel of a motor vehicle. Before the technology was the dream, and
before the dream could move beyond the musings and fantasies kept safely
inside, it had to be publicly articulated by someone brave or foolish
enough to think the far-off possibility could become reality. Like the
dream the technological advancement continued, and so too did the message
that we were going to develop a car that the blind could drive. Though the
blind-drivable car didn't always make the presidential reports and the
banquet speeches, we were all aware of efforts to interest other groups who
wanted to see a change in the way the world drives. Insurance companies
want cars that can help their drivers avoid collisions. The military wants
a car that can drive itself through dangerous territory. Every car
manufacturer would like to be the first to boast new technology to make the
driving experience easier and more enjoyable, and for every competition
aimed at changing how America drives, we were there and pitched our idea
that one day there would be a car that the blind could drive.
      Eventually we realized that, while the convergence of these
technologies could contribute to a blind-drivable car, it would take our
direct involvement to create it. That effort couldn't be an unintended spin-
off of something someone else wanted; it would have to be something we
created because the blind wanted it and were determined to make it happen.
We started looking for partners who knew about the state of the art in auto
safety and navigation and challenged them to learn about us and join with
us to build the car of our future. Virginia Tech answered the challenge,
and with the work of its innovative students under the guidance of Dr.
Dennis Hong, we began work on developing the interface that would let a
blind person drive a car.
      Eventually that work turned into a promise: one we made to ourselves,
and one we made publicly and without equivocation. We were going to develop
a car that the blind could drive, and we were going to demonstrate it
before a crowd of tens of thousands. With a date certain and our intentions
broadcast on the Internet, the cable news channels, and newspapers across
the country, the question was not would the blind really try to do it, but
would they succeed. The time for talk was over; the test was at hand, so
the blind, hundreds of us, came to Daytona, daring to dream, daring to
believe, and daring to put the integrity of our organization on the line to
send a message to all who cared to listen: we, the National Federation of
the Blind, are prepared not only to identify the problems faced by blind
people, but we are prepared to lead the way in developing the technology to
solve them.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Anil Lewis speaks at the podium during the Blind Driver
Challenge.]
      On Friday evening, January 28, approximately three-hundred-sixty
people gathered at the Plaza Ocean Hotel to prepare for our time on the
track, which would happen in sixteen hours. Who would drive? How had he or
she been selected? How would we get to the event, where would we sit, and
how would we know what was happening as the demonstration progressed?
President Maurer, John Par, and the real celebrities of the evening and
the weekend that followed, Mark Riccobono and Anil Lewis, answered these
and other questions. President Maurer explained that, in the weeks
preceding this event, five blind people had been tested with simulators and
in the two modified vehicles with the technology we had developed. He was
one of the people who learned and was tested using the technology. He was
not, however, one of the finalists in the competition to drive the car
because this decision was based not on politics but on skill.
      There were a number of theories about who would have the advantage in
learning to drive using this nonvisual technology. Some speculated that,
because they had once had sight and had driven, they would have the
advantage. Others thought that, having been blind since birth, they would
have the advantage in learning and using the interface. It turns out that
neither of these factors seemed to be significant, though youth may have
played a part. Mark Riccobono was chosen to drive on the 29th in Daytona
and Anil Lewis was selected as his backup or, as Anil liked to say, our
insurance--ensuring we would get press coverage, ensuring things would go
smoothly, and ensuring we had a willing and able driver should Mark be
unable to maneuver our vehicle through its victory lap. When Mark addressed
the group, he told us that what would happen tomorrow was not because of
the competence of one but the competence of many. "I am not the focus: I am
the representative of the thousands of blind people who believe enough to
make this happen." Bringing a bit of levity, Mark said, "Since the
announcement people have asked me if I'm nervous, and I've said no, but
today it occurred to me that I'm the one person here who can really screw
things up. Now that makes me a little nervous."
      On Saturday morning seven buses headed for the Daytona Speedway, and
the excitement was evident in every conversation. "What do you think he's
feeling right now?" "In one way I'd love to be Mark Riccobono, and in
another I wouldn't have his job today for anything."
      So that we could be sure not to miss the event, most of us arrived by
9:00. In the Sprint Fan Zone Federationists took front-row seats, which we
commissioned the NFB Grandstand. Once we knew where to sit, most decided to
use the two and a half hours before the Blind Driver Challenge to explore.
This was Daytona, one of the racing capitals of the world; what were the
chances we would ever come back to see it again? Wasn't the whole point of
this adventure to show that the blind were on the move? A carnival had been
set up just outside the speedway featuring rides; games; and, of special
interest to yours truly, a stand selling funnel cakes, though I passed them
up for a healthier breakfast.
      The mix of people was exciting. It was not the traditional one-blind-
guy-in-a-crowd, but neither was it an NFB convention, where everybody used
a cane or a dog. Some visitors were fascinated by what we were doing at the
speedway and were excited by our vehicle, while others were clearly there
because their thing was racing, and the sooner it began the better. The
buzz among the blind people present was not only the demonstration to come,
but what they had heard on Friday evening. As a breakfast companion said,
"I came because I'm a team player and because I support what we do, but I
don't think what we are doing really connected with me until I heard Mark
Riccobono talk about the feeling he had when he buckled in his children,
kissed his wife as she sat in the front seat, and took his place in the
driver's seat to take his family for a ride. I know it's not tomorrow or
next week or even next year, but I think at that moment I began to see the
real possibility this initiative has to change my life and those of other
blind people."
      As 11:30 approached, we returned to the grandstands to listen as
Kevan Worley addressed the crowd to explain some of the technology. He told
the crowd about the seat strip which is used to indicate whether to
accelerate, slow down, or stop, and the gloves, or Drive Grips, used to
provide information for directing the car. If the car should go left, there
is a vibration in the left drive grip, and the extent to which the steering
wheel should be turned is communicated by the intensity of the vibration
and how many fingers are stimulated.
      Finally the event began when Mark Riccobono was driven to the track
in the lead van, and Congressman John Mica of Florida's seventh district
drove the blind-drivable car onto the track. Mr. Mica chairs the Committee
on Transportation and Infrastructure. President Maurer accompanied
Congressman Mica, and, when they got out of the car and Mr. Mica handed the
key to Mark Riccobono, the adrenaline began to flow and the long-awaited
event was at hand.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Virginia Tech Professor Dennis Hong, NFB President Marc
Maurer, and Florida Congressman John Mica stand on the track.]
      In the booth with Kevan Worley were two announcers employed by the
Daytona Speedway, Larry Henry and Jim Mueller, who helped by telling us
what they saw as Mark got in the car, put on his Drive Grips, and checked
out the technology he was about to debut. As Mark readied the vehicle for
its historic trip, Kevan and his announcing crew talked about the
difference between a vehicle that drives the blind and a vehicle driven by
the blind. Kevan clearly explained the difference, but the astonishment of
the Daytona announcers captured the fascination of sighted people at the
thought that a person without sight would try to drive safely through a
slalom course of barrels; poles; and, later, boxes thrown at random from
the lead van.
      When Mark hit the gas and began his historic journey, the emotions we
felt were mixed. We were elated that one of our own was behind the wheel of
a car that we had brought into being, but at the same time we all knew we
were dealing with new, experimental technology. What if it failed? Yes, we
could tell the world that for its first debut it had done pretty well, but
what footage would be shown if Mark brushed a pole or knocked over a
barrel? Could we really expect and would the public demand a perfect run?
As the car got moving, Federationists in the crowd were torn between
cheering and hearing. The announcers provided our view as the car
progressed through the horseshoe turns and around obstacles and eventually
arrived in front of the grandstand, where most of us could no longer
contain the roar within us. When the lead van started throwing boxes and
our car moved to avoid them, cheers from other parts of the speedway
reached our ears, and the feeling inside each of us was beyond the ability
of words to convey.
      When Mark accelerated passed the lead vehicle and crossed the finish
line, the crowd went wild with cheers and applause. We all knew we had
witnessed something historic, and the joy and relief we felt created a
special bond that few experiences in my life have been able to match.
      When we gathered for the press conference, reporters from Orlando and
as far away as Tokyo, Japan, were there to hear from our president, the
blind driver, and members of the technology team who worked with us to make
all of this possible. The press understood the technological accomplishment
and marveled at how a person without sight could drive on a track and avoid
striking fixed and moving obstacles, but it is doubtful any of them could
really understand what this first step might mean to the blind in
education, employment, and greater integration. As we read the comments
about this event, it is clear that even some blind people fail to see the
significance of this step: what it means technologically and what it means
for the blind as we struggle to redefine what we had thought to be the
fixed and immutable limitations that would be our lifelong companions. The
struggle of the blind to guide our own vehicles is nothing more or less
than the struggle of the test pilots who, when they became astronauts,
demanded to fly their spacecrafts and refused to be Spam in a Can. They
were not content to be mere passengers and were convinced that, if that was
all NASA wanted, it could keep sending monkeys into space.
      Driving a car is a powerful symbol, and in the end it matters very
little whether we are licensed to drive generation twelve of the blind
driver vehicle, Google 26.2, or something none of us can yet envision. The
most popular science fiction writers of the last century failed to
anticipate the personal computer, email, and the cellular phone. They saw
taxi cabs with automation that could bring them to passengers and whisk
them away without their ever having to turn a wheel or push a throttle, but
those cabs were called by landline phones housed in phone booths. The blind
can't expect to fare any better in predicting the future than the writers
whose business it is to pull us into that future, but we certainly can and
should be expected to act forcefully in the present to address problems as
we find them and look hard for solutions that might one day consign those
problems to the history books. Might this event have begun the process of
changing our language so that the term "blind driver" might one day move
from insult to statement of fact?
      More immediate than the car we may drive on the streets and highways
of our nation are a host of applications waiting for technological
solutions our pioneering work might address. Virtual tours are becoming
popular for the sighted. If our technology can provide a platform to let us
navigate through virtual reality, think of the possibilities that open for
the blind. Imagine being able to tour a house listed by a local realtor as
sighted people so often do now. Imagine using a version of the handgrips to
explore the texture of the shag carpet or the smooth, aged feeling of a
wooden floor. Imagine being able to wear headphones, walk into one of the
rooms, snap your fingers, and instantly know its size the way we do when we
visit new places now. Imagine going on safari and romping with lions and
tigers, never having to fear the loss of life or limb because you want to
touch them as they run and play.
      I have had more than a fair shot at conveying to you my impressions
of our Blind Driver Challenge, and, in bringing our coverage to its
conclusion, allow me to give you a direct link to audio-video coverage of
the event and to reprint what others have thought, felt, and taken the time
to send.  Watch the blind driver in action by going to
<http://tinyurl.com/4qyd2tp> (provided with assistance from Blind
Bargains).  For more videos, go to
<http://www.blinddriverchallenge.org/bdcg/Video_Highlights.asp>.
      "To me it was an important day because we moved from wishing, hoping,
and praying that one day we would be able to drive, to knowing that one day
in the foreseeable future we will be able to drive."
      Another writer said: "For the blind this event represents so much
more than just being able to drive a car. The Blind Driver Challenge not
only shatters misconceptions about the capabilities of the blind, it
provides a means to develop new technologies that will help the blind
become more independent on and off the road and make the world safer as a
whole. GPS was a technology originally developed for the military, but now
hardly anyone can live without it in some form. Many of the technologies
used to make a car accessible to the blind could have this same ripple
effect, and I was excited to be a part of this momentous beginning and also
cover it for Blind Bargains."
      Another writer said: "Maybe one way to explain this to Monitor
readers is to describe what it was like to listen to the audio of the Blind
Driver Challenge over the Internet. When I heard the announcer describe
what was happening, I experienced the same thrill I did when listening to
radio broadcasts of rocket launches at the beginning of the space program.
We hadn't landed on the moon yet, and we didn't have the space shuttle, but
still there was this incredible sense of excitement and looking forward to
the future."
      Another thoughtful observation is found in this extended comment:
"While I'm in favor of having a vehicle that can drive around autonomously,
I take exception to the notion that a computer is smarter than I am and
that it can drive better than I can in all situations. The problem with
blindness in almost all cases is that it presents a barrier to information.
Given enough information in a timely manner, there's no doubt in my mind
that blind people will be better drivers and make better decisions on the
road than any computers we can dream up today. The challenge is how to
circumvent the information barrier that blindness presents. The notion that
a car can drive itself better and with greater dexterity than a person can
is similar to the notion that guide dogs take their owners to where they
want to go. This is not true. Guide dogs are a very sophisticated and
highly individualized tool that blind people use to enhance their travel
skills.
      "The purpose of the Blind Driver Challenge is to foster the creation
of tools and information systems that will make it possible for a blind
person to drive a vehicle among their sighted colleagues. The key word
here, for me, is `information systems.' If tools and techniques can be
developed that give blind people enough information so that they can drive
a vehicle independently, those same information systems can be used to get
blind people jobs, a better education, and a host of other things.
      "Our philosophy is that, given the proper training, tools, and
opportunity, blindness can be reduced to the level of a mere nuisance. If
we can get around the information barrier that blindness presents, I
believe all the other issues related to blindness will be much easier to
resolve. The Blind Driver Challenge is about much more than driving, and,
by the time this project is done, we will know a lot more about how to
drive, yes; but we will also know a lot more about how the blind gather and
use information and how to get more information into a blind person's head
in a timely manner. The Blind Driver Challenge is as much about education
and expectation as it is about technology. Eyesight is a very high-
bandwidth informational medium. Technology for the sighted is using
increasingly greater percentages of that bandwidth. As it does, blind
people's ability to get at that data in a timely enough manner to remain
competitive with their sighted colleagues falls behind. We need to do what
we can to close that information gap. The Blind Driver Challenge is an
attempt to address that issue. For that reason I believe we should support
the Blind Driver Challenge so that we can continue to change what it means
to be blind even as the world changes what it means to be sighted."
      As a final quote I leave you with this: "For my part, I have seen
history, real dramatic history, made only a few times in my life. I
remember President Kennedy being shot. I watched in awe and was enraptured
when Apollo 11 landed on the moon and Neil Armstrong took his first step on
the moon. I was in the World Trade Center and was a part of all the events
of 9-11. For blind people the event on January 29, 2011, was just as
dramatic. Never in history has a blind person independently driven a car,
much less in public. We all were in the car with Mark Riccobono, and we
shared his joy and triumph. The success of Daytona was for every blind
person because we had the dream and we made it happen. Teamwork doesn't get
better than this."
                                 ----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: The Iowa delegation to the Washington Seminar had breakfast
with their Senator, Tom Harkin, while they were in town. Visible from left
to right are Ted Hart, Curtis Chong, Senator Harkin, NFB of Iowa President
Michael Barber, Jeremy Ellis, and Miranda Morse.

                         The 2011 Washington Seminar
                               by Gary Wunder

      When the weather is brisk, the snow is flying, and the blind converge
on our nation's capital, the signs are unmistakable-it is time for the
Washington Seminar. There is always a lot of energy and enthusiasm as
people arrive at the hotel, meet old friends, and catch up on all that has
happened since the national convention, but the excitement this year was
even greater, for everyone knew that something wonderful had happened two
days earlier in Florida when a blind man independently drove a car while
thousands breathlessly watched from the sidelines.
      Activities started the day before our 5:00 p.m. great gathering-in.
Some have become tradition while others are new. The National Association
of Blind Students, the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children,
and the Teachers of Tomorrow conducted meetings and seminars.
      When the gavel fell at five o'clock and President Maurer called the
meeting to order, more than five-hundred Federationists filled the Columbia
and Discovery rooms at the Holiday Inn Capitol. This year, for the first
time ever, representatives from every state, the District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico were present to take our concerns to the Hill.
      President Maurer began by talking about the Pedestrian Safety
Enhancement Act, which was passed and signed by the president late in 2010.
Much of what we do is life-changing, but this effort was life-saving.
Passage of this act required a massive education effort to change the
expectation of Americans so that instead of demanding that a car be
manufactured to operate as quietly as it can, we now want cars to be
manufactured so they operate as quietly as they safely can, and no quieter.
      As John Par reminded us, at first no one wanted to hear our message:
the car companies wouldn't return our calls, and the regulators said they
needed data, which meant show us your bruised and maimed. Once we got so
many cosponsors that everyone realized this bill, if brought to the floor,
had enough votes to pass, many different interests came together to craft
not only something they could live with but something they could really get
behind. Though it is hard for those who once couldn't get the automobile
industry to take our calls to believe, once this group realized something
was going to pass, they encouraged us to act before someone was hurt. In a
time when people decry the lack of cooperation and civility in our public
dialog, the National Federation of the Blind brought together the blind,
the auto industry, the regulators, the Congress, and the president, who
joined hands to pass a law enhancing the safety of all pedestrians, blind
and sighted alike.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Federationists pose with Senator John Kerry after
presenting him with our award. Pictured left to right are John Par, John
Kerry, NFB of Massachusetts President Mika Pyyhkala, Selena Sang, and Jesse
Hartle.]
      To recognize the hard work of the Senate sponsor of this vital act,
we presented to Senator John Kerry the Distinguished Legislator Award. That
award reads:

                      National Federation of the Blind
                    Outstanding Legislative Service Award

                                Presented to

                             Senator John Kerry

                 For your leadership and championing of the
                     Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act.

                     Your hard work and dedication have
                  made the roads safer for blind Americans.

            You champion our movement; you strengthen our hopes;
                            you share our dreams.

                              January 31, 2011

      Shifting from the blind pedestrian to the blind in the driver's seat,
President Maurer talked about the creation of the first-ever blind-drivable
vehicle and the demonstration that had been held at the Daytona Speedway
the previous Saturday. Parnell Diggs, the person who persuaded officials at
Daytona to let us rent the track and conduct our demonstration, was
introduced to talk about the Imagination Fund, which is the vehicle through
which we are making this and so many of our dreams come true. Anil Lewis,
the man who coordinated publicity for the Daytona event and who was the
backup driver or, as he said, our insurance, told us that this was the
beginning of something historic and that one day we would move from the
development of an experimental vehicle to the legislatures of the land
demanding our right to drive. The crowd responded enthusiastically with the
chant "NFB to the DMV."
      Finally Mark Riccobono, the man behind the wheel in Daytona,
addressed the gathering and said how wonderful it had been to be a part of
making history as he drove for all of us on the road to changing what it
means to be blind. More about the Imagination Fund and the Blind Driver
Challenge can be found elsewhere in this issue.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Retired Senator Chris Dodd]
      A longtime friend and supporter of the National Federation of the
Blind, retired Senator Christopher Dodd, spoke about our long and fruitful
relationship, beginning with his work to lift the ban on blind people's
becoming foreign service officers in the State Department, helping to make
textbooks accessible, helping to promote the teaching of Braille by
supporting the striking of the Louie Braille commemorative coin, and
supporting the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act. The Senator has often
been a major sponsor of our effort to eliminate the barriers for blind
Social Security recipients who wish to work.
      Senator Dodd said that, not only are we changing the lives of blind
people, but through our example we are enriching the lives of all Americans
through our hard work, perseverance, and absolute determination to change
the world for the better.
      He ended by noting that his sister Carolyn is a former president of
the Hartford chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut
and that he will continue to be one of our strongest admirers and
supporters.
      Jim Gashel, secretary of the National Federation of the Blind,
chairman of the Jacob Bolotin award committee, and vice president of K-NFB
Reading Technology was introduced. He urged that individuals and
organizations doing good work for the blind be nominated for a Dr. Jacob
Bolotin Award and reminded us that the deadline for nominations is March
31. He asked that nominations be made online at
<www.nfb.org/nfb/bolotin_award.asp>. Although the committee prefers online
submissions, applications will be accepted by regular mail and should be
sent to the national office.
      In his capacity as vice president for business development for K-NFB
Reading Technology, Jim announced that Blio is no longer a demonstration
program but a product which is now available to all of us. More about Blio
can be found elsewhere in this issue.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Colorado Senator Michael Bennett]
      Kevan Worley took the floor to introduce Senator Michael Bennett, who
was just elected to the United States Senate. Senator Bennett was appointed
two years ago by the governor of Colorado when Senator Salazar was
appointed as secretary of the interior. The senator congratulated us for
our seventy years of work and for the strength of our belief in one another
even when many were willing to discount our capacities and contributions.
"Many come to Washington asking for special consideration, a loophole or a
handout, but I can tell you that, when your Colorado affiliate comes to
visit me and my staff, they come asking only for a pathway to inclusion and
armed with solutions.... As the president told us last week, we must win
the race to educate our kids, and I tell you that blind children must be
part of our national race to the top. If we are going to prepare 100,000
new teachers, let us prepare at least some of them to be proud advocates
for and proud teachers of Braille and the other important skills for the
blind. My staff and I will be working with you to craft the kind of
legislation that will bring literacy to blind kids all across the
country.... We cannot let the United States Senate forget about blind
Americans when we take steps to support the creation of more and better
jobs; we must consider the blind. My staff and I will work closely with the
National Federation of the Blind to make sure we create opportunities for
the blind, and this includes promoting entrepreneurship and making sure
that small businesses have the resources to create jobs and hire workers.
It also means making sure the blind have the type of workforce training
opportunities to be competitive in a rapidly changing economy. In addition
I will work to make sure we pass a technology bill of rights so that a
blind person can go to an airport, walk up to a kiosk, and print a boarding
pass just like everybody else.
      "Before leaving you I want to publicly acknowledge the leadership of
your great president, Marc Maurer. I know that I don't have to tell you of
his passion and extraordinary intellect. Without a doubt he is this
generation's civil rights leader of the blind. He's a man of unparalleled
vitality and great vision, but you may not know how highly regarded Dr.
Maurer is beyond your NFB family. You are lucky to have such an eloquent
spokesman, who, more than anything, believes."
      While organizationally we do not endorse candidates or parties,
Senator Bennett publicly credited NFB members Kevan and Bridget Worley with
helping him stay in the Senate, and he regards Kevan as an important
advisor, not only on issues of blindness, but on other important challenges
facing our country.
      John Par, director of strategic initiatives for the National
Federation of the Blind, then introduced Lauren McLarney and Jesse Hartle
to outline the issues we would take to Capitol Hill. Lauren reminded us
that the change in the composition of the House of Representatives may
alter some of the arguments to be confronted in the passage of our
legislative agenda, but the fundamental principles at the root of all of
our proposals cross party lines and are as basic as individual
responsibility, equality of opportunity, and the right to pursue the
American dream. Technology the blind can use, educational standards to
prepare the blind for competitive work, and opportunities for the blind to
start our own businesses and to extend to us the opportunities afforded
other minorities make up the proposals presented to the 112th congress. At
the end of Jesse Hartle's remarks he said, "This is our week on Capitol
Hill. It is time to move away from political correctness; it is time to
move towards political action. Together we will change what it means to be
blind."
      The third and newest member of our legislative team was then
introduced, to the surprise of most of us in the room. He served in the
legislature in New York, came to be the minority leader in the New York
Senate, became the lieutenant governor of his state, and went on to be its
governor. Governor David Paterson began by thanking the president of our
New York affiliate, Carl Jacobsen, for recruiting him. He said how grateful
he was that he and President Maurer worked out a way to work in the service
of this organization, noted how thrilled he was to be working with Lauren
McLarney and Jesse Hartle on our legislative issues, and said how proud he
was to be a member of the National Federation of the Blind.
      Governor Paterson reminded us that Dr. Maurer was not the first to
use vehicular travel to highlight civil rights, that Dr. King did so in
1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, where he spotlighted a woman who refused to
sit at the back of the bus. Governor Paterson asked who the first woman
was, and the crowd confidently responded with the name of Rosa Parks. We
were wrong. At least two women before Rosa Parks were removed from busses
and interviewed by Dr. King but were not used in bringing the famous civil
rights case because one was an unwed mother and the other punched the
policeman who tried to remove her. Both would have distracted from the
case, and it was important to bring the right case at the right time so the
issue would be clear. So too was it important that we bring together the
right technology at the right time to advance our desire that one day blind
people enjoy the right to drive.
      One other point the governor made in his presentation parallels what
former President Jernigan observed in his banquet address in 1979 entitled
"That's How It Is at the Top of the Stairs." The governor said that, when
he was elected a state senator, people wrote about how great it was. When
he became the minority leader of the senate, that was great too. When he
became the lieutenant governor, the papers celebrated how wonderful it was
that he had reached such high office and noted that since the lieutenant
governor doesn't do much of anything, why not have a blind man occupy the
office? Then one day he woke up and became governor, and all of a sudden he
was the object of ridicule: a blind man occupying a real position of power.
Soon he became the poster boy highlighting the absurdity of a blind man
trying to govern New York State. When Governor Patterson confidently told
an audience that we would completely rebuild on the property referred to as
Ground Zero, press accounts suggested that, because he was blind, he must
be unaware of activities already underway there and should be taken to the
site so he could get close enough to see that building had already started.
      His ability to read his important documents received press attention
when a staff member who reportedly did much of his reading quit and the
press opined the governor would no longer be able to do his job. The
governor wryly observed that he had many ways to read his material and
that, with 200,000 people working for him, surely he could have asked one
of them to do it. All of the negative publicity about this blind governor
culminated in repeated skits on Saturday Night Live, and the governor noted
that, of all the disabled and blind groups he had addressed in his career,
only one (the National Federation of the Blind) came to his defense, and
the result was the first-ever apology by Saturday Night Live in its thirty-
six-year history, which he received in person when he was invited to appear
on the show.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Mark Riccobono and Anil Lewis cut the cake at the
reception.]
      After the great gathering-in, five-hundred Federationists moved to
the Discovery Room for a reception to celebrate the success at Daytona. The
food and drink were first rate, but they were not the reason for the spirit
that filled the room and made us all feel we were part of history in the
making.
      On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday Federationists went to the
Capitol with the message that we want to learn, to work, and to use the
technology of the day to enjoy all of the benefits available to us as
citizens of America. The legislative memorandum and fact sheets we carried
appear in full elsewhere in this issue. On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings
we gathered to make reports about those who were interested in sponsoring
our proposals, those who were willing to help as cosponsors, and those who
had questions that needed to be addressed before they could tell us where
they stood. When Thursday evening came and we boarded airplanes for home,
our bodies were tired, but our hearts were full of joy at what we had
accomplished. We know the problems facing blind people; we have solutions
to address them; and we know how to get the attention of the leaders in our
country who can help us move ever closer to first-class citizenship. The
future for blind people in this country rests with us, and we left,
confident that it couldn't be in more capable hands.
                                 -----------
                   Legislative Agenda of Blind Americans:
              Priorities for the 112th Congress, First Session

      The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is the oldest and largest
organization of blind people in the United States. As the Voice of the
Nation's Blind, we represent the collective views of blind people
throughout society. All of our leaders and the vast majority of our members
are blind, but anyone can participate in our movement. There are an
estimated 1.3 million blind people in the United States, and every year
approximately 75,000 Americans become blind. The social and economic
consequences of blindness affect not only blind people, but also our
families, our friends, and our coworkers.
      Three legislative initiatives demand the immediate attention of the
112th Congress in its First Session.

Initiative 1
      We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to create a Technology
Bill of Rights for the Blind which mandates that consumer electronics, home
appliances, kiosks, and electronic office technology and software provide
user interfaces that are accessible through nonvisual means.
This legislation should:
     Mandate that all consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
electronic office technology and software be designed so that blind people
are able to access the same functions as sighted people by nonvisual means
and with substantially equivalent ease of use.
     Create a commission within the Department of Commerce to establish
standards for nonvisual accessibility of electronic devices intended for
use in the home or office. Such a commission should represent all
stakeholders, including:
-     organizations of the blind;
-     manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
electronic office technology and software, or associations representing
such manufacturers; and
-     experts on universal design, electronic engineering, and related
fields.
     Establish within the Department of Justice the authority to enforce
the regulations promulgated by the commission established by this
legislation.
     Authorize the commission to reexamine and rewrite standards
periodically as consumer electronic technology continues to evolve.

Initiative 2
We urge Congress to work with blind Americans to establish an independent
commission within the Department of Education to set uniform nationwide
standards for the education of blind students in grades K-12. The
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other existing laws and
regulations do not currently provide objective standards to measure the
educational progress of blind students.
This legislation should:
     Create an independent commission, comprised to ensure representation
of all stakeholders, to set educational standards for blind children, and
to promulgate regulations.

Initiative 3
We urge Congress to increase business opportunities for disabled Americans
by enacting the Americans with Disabilities Business Opportunity Act.
This legislation should:
     Authorize tax credits to for-profit businesses that purchase goods or
services from businesses owned by individuals with disabilities (including
from businesses operated under the federal Randolph-Sheppard program),
     Amend Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act to include people with
disabilities as presumptively socially disadvantaged,
     Change federal procurement law to provide that businesses owned by
individuals with disabilities (including businesses operated under the
federal Randolph-Sheppard program) are included on the list of preferred
small businesses to which subcontracts must be awarded, and
     Create training and technical assistance programs to prepare
individuals with disabilities to operate businesses capable of securing
federal and private contracts.

For more information about these priorities, please consult the attached
fact sheets.

Blind Americans need your help to achieve our goals of economic security,
increased opportunity, and full integration into American society on a
basis of equality. Enactment of these legislative proposals will represent
important steps toward reaching these goals. We need the help and support
of each member of Congress. Our success benefits not only us, but the whole
of America as well. In this time of national economic insecurity, these
measures will contribute to increasing the tax base and encouraging the
purchase of consumer goods.
                                 ----------
                  A Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind

Purpose:
      To mandate that consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
electronic office technology provide user interfaces and software that are
accessible through nonvisual means.

Background:
      In recent years rapid advances in microchip and digital technology
have led to increasingly complex user interfaces for everyday products such
as consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and electronic office
technology. Many new devices in these categories require interaction with
visual displays, on-screen menus, touch screens, software, and other user
interfaces that are inaccessible to people who are blind or have low
vision. Settings on the stove, dishwasher, or home entertainment system are
no longer controlled by knobs, switches, and buttons that can be easily
discerned and readily identified. Inaccessibility of these devices is a
major barrier to a blind person's independence and productivity. If a blind
person cannot operate the interfaces of basic office equipment or software
such as copiers, fax machines, and basic word-processing programs, that
person's opportunity to join the workforce or maintain an existing job is
in great jeopardy.
      Many popular, cost-effective mechanisms are available for
manufacturers to create interfaces usable through nonvisual means. For
example, text-to-speech technology is inexpensive and more prevalent than
it has ever been-it is used in everything from automated telephone systems
to the weather forecasting service broadcast by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration. Apple has incorporated VoiceOver (a text-to-
speech function) into the touch-screen iPhone, making it the only fully
accessible wireless handset on the market. The key is to build in nonvisual
access at the design stage. Despite these available accessibility
solutions, the majority of manufacturers have continued to design
interfaces that do not include nonvisual means of use. This trend of
inaccessibility will continue to grow as technology becomes more advanced
and accessibility solutions are ignored.

Need for Legislation:
      No enforceable mandates currently exist for manufacturers of consumer
electronics, home appliances, kiosks, or electronic office technology to
make their products accessible to blind consumers. There are also no
accessibility standards to provide guidance to manufacturers on how to
avoid creating barriers to access for the blind.
Congress should enact a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind that:
     Establishes that manufacturers must create accessible user interfaces
for their products,
     Provides a means for enforcement, and
     Establishes standards that will provide meaningful benchmarks that
manufacturers can use to make their products accessible.
      The legislation should not mandate a single, one-size-fits-all
solution for all consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, or
electronic office technology. Rather it should mandate regulations setting
meaningful accessibility standards that allow manufacturers to select from
a menu of potential solutions or create new ones. This will not only give
manufacturers the freedom and flexibility they desire, but will also
encourage innovations that make consumer technology more usable for
everyone.

Proposed Legislation:
      Congress should enact a Technology Bill of Rights for the Blind that:

     Mandates that all consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
electronic office technology be designed so that blind people are able to
access the same functions as sighted people by nonvisual means and with
substantially equivalent ease of use.
     Creates a commission within the Department of Commerce to establish
standards for nonvisual accessibility of electronic devices intended for
use in the home or office. Such a commission should represent all
stakeholders, including:
-     organizations of the blind;
-     manufacturers of consumer electronics, home appliances, kiosks, and
electronic office technology and software, or associations representing
such manufacturers; and
-     experts on universal design, electronic engineering, and related
fields.
     Establishes within the Department of Justice the authority to enforce
the regulations promulgated by the commission established by this
legislation.
     Authorizes the commission to reexamine and rewrite standards
periodically as consumer electronic technology continues to evolve.

Requested Action:
      Please support blind Americans by sponsoring the Technology Bill of
Rights for the Blind to ensure that blind people can fully participate in
all aspects of society. Increased access leads to increased independence,
increased employment, and increased tax revenue.

Contact Information:

Lauren McLarney
Government Programs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Phone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2207
Email: <lmclarney@nfb.org>
                                 ----------
                Ensuring Equal Education for Blind Children:
                  Setting Standards That Promote Excellence


Purpose:
      To establish an independent commission to set uniform nationwide
standards for the education of blind students in grades K-12.

Background:
      Blind students have been integrated into America's public schools
since the 1960s, but educators have never made an attempt to quantify or
measure the quality of their education consistently and effectively.
Although school districts are required by law to provide a "free,
appropriate public education" to all students with disabilities, current
regulations and practices only establish what services and accommodations
blind students will receive individually and do not measure or attempt to
measure the effectiveness of these services and accommodations. All too
often this means that blind students are burdened with low expectations and
inferior educational services.
To the extent that a blind child's performance is poor, too many educators
incorrectly believe that this occurs because of the child's incapacity due
to blindness rather than because of the inadequacy of the services and
accommodations provided. The real problem, however, is what former
President George W. Bush called "the soft bigotry of low expectations." The
low expectations of educators for blind children become self-fulfilling
prophecies when blind students receive inadequate Braille instruction; are
not provided textbooks and other educational materials in specialized
formats on time; or are not given adequate instruction in the skills of
blindness including the use of access technology. Materials supporting the
Common Core State Standards recently developed by the National Governors
Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School
Officers state that students with disabilities "must be challenged to excel
within the general curriculum and be prepared for success in their post-
school lives, including college and/or careers" and must receive
appropriate accommodations to achieve academic excellence. In order for
this goal to become a reality, however, uniform national standards are
needed to ensure that blind students have the skills they need to perform
at age- and grade-appropriate levels throughout their educations. Such
standards will finally put an end to the vicious circle of low expectations
and inadequate services that has condemned far too many blind children to
lives of frustration, illiteracy, and ultimately poverty.

Existing Law:
      The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) provides that
every student with a disability must have an Individualized Education
Program (IEP), agreed upon by a team that includes the student's parents,
teachers, and school administrators. While the IEP sets out what services
and accommodations a student will receive and sets goals for the individual
student's progress, the effectiveness of the IEP itself is not measured
against objective benchmarks in order to determine whether the blindness
skills being taught and services being provided are allowing the student to
perform to the same standards as other students of the same age, grade
level, or level of intellectual functioning. Procedures exist for a child's
parents to object if they believe that the IEP is not being followed or
needs to be changed, but the process is onerous and puts the burden of
proof on the parents to show that the child is not receiving an adequate
education, rather than on school administrators to show that the IEP is
producing good results. Uniform standards outlining the services and
accommodations that must be made available to all blind children, as well
as the specific blindness skills the students need to acquire in order to
succeed, would solve this problem by establishing benchmarks against which
each child's performance would be measured, providing a clear and unbiased
assessment of whether the child is being educated effectively.

Need for Legislation:
      The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and other existing
laws and regulations do not currently provide objective standards to
measure the effectiveness of the education of blind students against
accepted standards like the Common Core State Standards. Such standards
must be set by a regulatory body that consists of and receives input from
all stakeholders, including educators, blind Americans, and parents of
blind children. Congress should enact legislation that creates an
independent commission within the Department of Education to ensure
representation of all stakeholders in order to set educational standards
for blind children and to promulgate regulations providing for the
enforcement of the standards throughout the United States. Only through the
establishment of objective standards by such an independent body will blind
children in America finally be freed from the chains of inadequate
instruction, lackluster educational support, and low expectations.

Requested Action:
      Please support blind Americans by sponsoring legislation to establish
an independent commission to set standards for the education of all blind
children in America.

Contact Information:

Jesse Hartle
Government Programs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Phone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2233
Email: <jhartle@nfb.org>
                                 ----------
            Americans with Disabilities Business Opportunity Act

Purpose:
      To unleash the entrepreneurial capacity of Americans with
disabilities in order to reduce the staggering unemployment rate among
these individuals and welcome them into the mainstream of American
business.

Background:
      According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than two-thirds of
Americans with disabilities are unemployed or vastly under-employed. Strong
and innovative initiatives are necessary to remedy this problem and put
Americans with disabilities to work. To a substantial degree America's
economic success is tied to the freedom to engage in entrepreneurial
activity and create one's own wealth. It has long been the policy of the
United States to promote the economic well-being of traditionally
disadvantaged groups by creating a variety of business incentive programs
that allow these groups to participate in the mainstream of the nation's
economy. These programs have not, however, been extended to Americans with
disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Business Opportunity Act
(ADBOA) would greatly expand the ability of Americans with disabilities to
secure entrepreneurial opportunities by:
     Authorizing tax credits to for-profit businesses that purchase goods
or services from businesses owned by individuals with disabilities
(including from businesses operated under the federal Randolph-Sheppard
program);
     Amending Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act to include people
with disabilities as presumptively socially disadvantaged;
     Changing federal procurement law to provide that businesses owned by
individuals with disabilities (including businesses operated under the
federal Randolph-Sheppard program) are included on the list of preferred
small businesses to which subcontracts must be awarded; and
     Creating training and technical assistance programs to prepare
individuals with disabilities to operate businesses capable of securing
federal and private contracts.

Need for Legislation:
      Each of the four components of the ADBOA would enhance the ability of
businesses operated by Americans with disabilities to be fully integrated
into the mainstream of the American economy. Together these components
would reduce the unemployment rate among Americans with disabilities and
make them fully productive members of society.
1.    Tax Credits: One effective method of encouraging and enticing
business entities to subcontract with, or purchase goods and services from,
businesses owned or operated by Americans with disabilities is to offer
such entities tax credits. These tax credits would allow traditional
businesses to realize substantial tax savings and also promote the goal of
integrating businesses owned by people with disabilities into the economic
mainstream.
2.    Amendment of Section 8(a): Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act is
a powerful program allowing businesses owned by racial, cultural, and
ethnic minorities or women to secure federal contracts. Anyone seeking
Section 8(a) certification must prove that he/she is socially and
economically disadvantaged. Individuals who are from a racial, cultural, or
ethnic minority or women are presumed to be socially disadvantaged. It is
currently possible for individuals with disabilities to secure 8(a)
certification, but such individuals must prove that they are socially
disadvantaged. It is onerous to establish such a disadvantage under current
laws and regulations. Placing people with disabilities on the presumptive
list of those who are socially disadvantaged would create a much easier
path to 8(a) certification for such individuals and therefore to the
opportunity to secure federal contracts.
3.    Changes to Federal Procurement Practices: Under current law business
entities attempting to secure large federal contracts must guarantee that
they will subcontract a portion of the work to small businesses that are
owned by traditionally disadvantaged populations. Businesses owned by
individuals with disabilities are currently not on the list of
disadvantaged populations. ADBOA will permit for-profit business entities
attempting to secure large federal contracts to meet procurement
requirements by subcontracting with businesses owned by individuals with
disabilities.
4.    Establishment of Technical Assistance and Training Programs: Through
the award of federal grants, ADBOA would establish technical assistance and
training programs allowing business owners with disabilities to acquire the
technical expertise to secure federal contracts and otherwise maximize
entrepreneurial opportunities. The purpose for these federal grants will be
to increase substantially the number of individuals with disabilities
capable of operating successful businesses. The emphasis in federal
disability policy in the past has not been on providing people with
disabilities the tools and training necessary to support themselves. Rather
many governmental programs for the disabled have been based on a welfare
model. ADBOA would emphasize economic independence for individuals with
disabilities by training them to run their own businesses. ADBOA grants
would also allow entities to create tools to assist individuals with
disabilities in running a successful business.

Requested Action:
      Please support blind Americans by sponsoring the Americans with
Disabilities Business Opportunity Act, legislation to increase business
opportunities for disabled Americans.

Contact Information:

Jesse Hartle
Government Programs Specialist
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Phone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2233
Email: <jhartle@nfb.org>
                                 ----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Marc Maurer]
          Blio: A Formative Technology of the Twenty-First Century
                               by Marc Maurer

      As members of the National Federation of the Blind know, I serve as
president of the organization and as a member of the board of directors of
K-NFB Reading Technology, Inc., an organization created by Ray Kurzweil and
his associates and the National Federation of the Blind. Their original
purpose was to build a portable reading machine for the blind. The first
version appeared in 2006, and the technology is now software that operates
on a cell phone.
      The K-NFB Reading Technology company subsequently developed an e-book
reader which it calls Blio. This is an innovative technology used to find,
acquire, and read books in print and audio.
      I began hearing about Blio some time ago. Electronic books may well
become the primary method for distributing publishable work, so the Blio
became for me a matter of fascination. I wanted to know what this new
technology would do, how it worked, what books I could read with it, what
machines (computers, cell phones, and the like) would let me run the
program, how much it would cost, and how soon I could get it. In discussing
Blio with K-NFB Reading Technology board members and staff, I learned that
what I had suspected about digital books was accurate. In the 1990s we in
the National Federation of the Blind had been working on documents produced
in PDF (Portable Document Format) or prepared through a publishing program
called Quark. Transforming these documents into forms that could be read
nonvisually was either difficult or impossible. The print form of the book
could be made readable through optical character recognition programs such
as those created by Ray Kurzweil, but a simple and easily usable program to
give access to these documents didn't exist.
      Eventually the programs were modified so that a number of PDF
documents today are accessible, but the inaccessible kind still exist. Blio
was being created so that books read with this eReader could be viewed
visually or presented nonvisually. In designing this technology, a
mechanism had to be created that would make it practical to alter books
automatically and quickly for presentation. The task of converting
inaccessible digital information into accessible form was tremendously
demanding.
      During its development I was able to experiment with Blio from time
to time. Visual presentation of digital books and nonvisual were being
constructed simultaneously. Occasionally developments in the visual
presentation interfered with the operation of the nonvisual. Occasionally
the nonvisual portions appeared to exceed the visual presentation in
simplicity and ease of use.
      In September of 2010 the company announced the debut of the Blio.
Apparently an early release date had been selected for the first public,
widespread distribution even though the Blio did not yet work nonvisually,
which caused disappointment and substantial negative comment from people in
the blind community.
      The second public release of Blio occurred on January 31, 2011. Jim
Gashel, vice president of K-NFB Reading Technology and a longtime leader of
the National Federation of the Blind, now serving as secretary of the
corporation, demonstrated Blio at the NFB's 2011 Washington Seminar. He
said that this new reading technology, available without charge, would give
the blind access to sixty-three-thousand books for sale, along with a
library of free books estimated at three million titles. The number of
books offered through the bookstore and the online library increases by
about a thousand books every day.
      I loaded Blio on my computer and bought a book called The Informant
that had been recommended to me by Dan Goldstein, a lawyer often used by
the National Federation of the Blind. I also bought a second book, Portrait
of a Lady, by Henry James. I had wanted to read this book for some time,
and I had not found it in an accessible form on the Internet before
installing Blio.
      Shortly after the public release of Blio in January, I traveled to
New York on a train with Jim Gashel. I recommended a book to him that I had
previously found in recorded form on Audible.com. While riding on the
train, he looked for the book in the Blio bookstore, and, when he found it,
he bought it and began to read. He, a blind person, now has instant access
to books.
      The original, inaccessible release of Blio caused negative comment
and doubt among the blind. However, I am now impressed with the current
release, so I thought I would learn what my colleagues thought about it. I
have asked Jim Gashel and Anne Taylor, director of access technology for
the National Federation of the Blind, for their comments. Much of what
follows is what they told me. Jim Gashel describes how to use the Blio in
more detail than I could offer. However, when my own experience gives
illustrative detail, I have added that.
      Several e-book readers are currently on the market. Amazon makes the
Kindle; Barnes and Noble makes the Nook; and Sony offers the eReader. Blio
is accessible to the blind, but the others are not. Amazon has made a
halfhearted attempt to build accessibility into the Kindle, but, if this is
the best that Amazon's engineers can do, they are in need of serious help.
Apple has an accessible e-book reader on a number of its products. So far I
have been most impressed with Blio.
      According to the United Nations' Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), 275,232 new books were published in the U.S. in
2008, the most recent information available. A survey of major audio and
Braille book producers indicates that only about 16 percent (or an
estimated 45,000) new books are made accessible for the blind annually. The
remaining 84 percent of books, about 230,000, are not accessible.
      How do you find a particular book that might be interesting or
useful? If you can find the book, is it available in a format that meets
your needs? The books from the library for the blind are generally
accessible to blind people, though some blind people cannot read Braille
well enough to make this medium useful, and some blind people have
sufficiently limited vision that large print titles are of no use. Then too
deaf-blind people can easily use only the Braille versions. Even with
adequate funding and the best efforts of the professional staff at the
libraries for the blind, only a small number of books are available to us.
Because the libraries have done such yeoman service, because they have
often been the only substantial source of reading matter, and because they
respond to our needs and welcome our thoughts, they have been the most
vital source of reading matter for the blind for the past eighty years.
      Now comes Blio, which brings to one place the processes of finding,
browsing, choosing, obtaining, and reading books. All that is required is a
personal computer or other device able to work with Blio. More about
platforms, present and future, in a moment.
      Blio is much more than software; it is software and access to well
over three million books and growing each day. Blio can make more books
immediately and conveniently available than may be had at even a very large
bookstore or public library. Although Blio is still quite new in the
emerging e-book industry, its growing popularity and public use as a
mainstream e-book reader assure that books are likely to be promptly
available. The price for the blind and the sighted is identical. When Blio
makes books available for the sighted, they are available for the blind,
and the blind have the same content. This is the access standard we have
dreamed would come true--same book, same time, same price.
      Notice the use of the term "mainstream." In the past all books
prepared for the blind were special, hence rare. Manufacturing techniques
for books for the blind did not take advantage of mainstream technology.
With Blio this has changed.
      Once published only in print, a growing number of popular books are
now being published in one or more digital formats. In 2010 it is estimated
that 10 percent of all books published were produced in electronic
editions. This number is expected to grow to 50 percent by as early as
2014. Meanwhile the capacity of personal computers and other portable
handheld devices is growing to meet the expected demand.
      While the demand for conventional printed books will almost certainly
remain, both publishers and book sellers also have strong incentives to go
digital. Printing, binding, shipping, and warehousing costs can be saved
with digital publishing--not to mention the costs from copies not sold.
Digital books, consisting of bits and bytes, can be updated easily and at
low cost--saving much of the expense of producing new editions and
discarding the old. Digital editions can include direct links to
references, resources, and supplemental content.
      Enter Blio, an e-book technology designed to be both flexible and
accessible--attractive to the sighted and the blind. For readers who want
electronic books to look like the printed version, Blio offers a double-
page view and a 3-D view, incorporating pictures, graphics, and other
visual characteristics such as pages that flip and curve inward at the
spine to separate the page on the left from the page on the right. Blio
offers large print, very large print, or exceedingly large print. The two-
page layout can be changed to show just one.
      Blio is mainstream technology designed for everyone to use, and the
software itself is absolutely free. Those using JAWS as a screen reader
have instant access to every book available with Blio. Blind people who use
other screen readers such as Window-Eyes, System Access, and NVDA will soon
have the same access. Braille access for users of refreshable Braille
displays can also be expected, making it possible for every book to be a
Braille book.
      Same book, same time, same price--that's been our dream, and the
dream is coming true. Bookstores connected with Blio are accessible from
the largest urban area to the smallest rural community. Buying a book using
Blio is an experience available to everybody, because with this technology
being blind is not a limitation.
      What about books for free? Coming soon, the local public library will
have the opportunity to purchase and offer books for time-limited use with
Blio. The free books section, which is part of Blio itself, provides the
opportunity to find and read a vast collection of free books, estimated to
consist of more than three million, assembled by Google through a
partnership with the world's largest academic and research libraries.
      Those who need to know more about robotics for a science class
project can check out the Blio bookstore. Robotic Micro-assembly by Michael
Gauthier and Stephane Regnier, Killer Robots by Armin Krishman, Wired for
War by P.W. Singer, or perhaps Gearheads, by Brad Stone are all available.
Here are just a few of the books offered in Blio's free books section
dealing with the founding of the United States: Readings In American
History by David Seville Muzzey, Original Narratives of Early American
History by John Franklin Jameson, The Critical Period of American History,
1783-1789, by John Fiske, or Great Debates in American History: Civil
Rights, Part 1 or Foreign Relations, Part 2, both by Marion Mills Miller.
      Sounds good, you say, but how does Blio work? No problem. Access to
Blio is available right now by using a desktop, laptop, notebook, or
Netbook, running with Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7. Coming soon Blio is
expected to be available on even smaller, more portable devices starting
with the iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4, iPod Touch, and the Apple iPad as well.
New computers from Toshiba, Dell, and HP are even being sold with the free
Blio software installed, along with a convenient desktop icon. Otherwise,
to use Blio on your Windows-based computer, just visit Blio.com and
download the software free. The installation options are presented with the
standard Windows interface and use standard keyboard commands such as Tab,
Shift-Tab, Space, or Enter to complete the process quickly.
      After installation you can launch Blio from the icon on your desktop
and wait a few seconds as the program opens. A customary software licensing
agreement, including options to read, accept, or decline, appears the first
time you start Blio. Other options, including read, buy books, account
setup, or sign-in are offered on the next screen presented. Note that this
second screen, called the welcome screen, also includes an accessibility
checkbox so Blio will work optimally with the JAWS screen reader, along
with another checkbox telling Blio to bypass the welcome screen and open
directly in your library in the future.
      Aside from getting started as described, the actual Blio experience
begins with your library. This is where the names of books you have chosen
will always appear, whether the book was purchased in the Blio bookstore or
downloaded from the free books section. While your library is empty the
first time you start Blio, a few sample books provided free immediately
appear in your library books list as soon as you establish your Blio user
account by entering an email address and selecting a password. Billing
information needed to purchase books is filled in at the time of your first
purchase only and is not required for your user account to be active.
      A menu available by pressing the alt key anywhere within Blio
provides options to go immediately to any of the major views-library, free
books, reading view (provided a book is open), and store view, which shows
books available for sale. An application submenu includes options to enter
or change account information, change your password, or review and modify
other settings like page layout, speaking rate, sources used for reference
lookup, etc. All options and controls can be accessed with simple-to-learn
keyboard commands, and a list of keystroke shortcuts is available.
      The names of all books you can read are listed in your library and
can be sorted alphabetically by author or title. The option "press enter to
download" will be offered for any book just purchased or chosen from the
free books section. Otherwise, the option will change to "press enter to
read" once any book has been downloaded to your computer. While the length
of time for downloading varies according to the size of the book, an
average book of about four-hundred pages takes only a few seconds. Free
books take somewhat longer since the text is converted to the Blio format
during the download process.
      Press Enter on the name of any downloaded book in your library and
within a few seconds the name of the book will be spoken by your screen
reader as the open book displays on your computer screen. Press Page Down
and notice that the page advances forward through the book. Press Insert
plus Page Down to hear the page number. Page Up moves page by page toward
the front of the book. Press Control plus t to get the table of contents,
Down Arrow and Up Arrow to locate the chapters or sections presented, and
Enter to jump to the chapter or section you want. Arrow keys have their
traditional functions and allow reading by character and word in either
direction, adding the Control key to read by word, using the Alt key and
the up- or down-arrow keys to read by sentence, and the Control with Up- or
Down-Arrow to move and read by paragraph. Use Control plus c to jump
forward to the next chapter or Control plus Shift plus c to jump to the
previous chapter. Press Control plus j followed by a specific page number
and press Enter to go to the beginning of the page chosen. If you use JAWS
and press Insert plus Down Arrow, the text will be read continuously from
the cursor; it is stopped by pressing the Control key.
      Although many books can be read aloud with an internal read-aloud
function available within Blio, use of this feature may be restricted by
the publisher. However, the speech provided by your screen reader will
always work on any book you choose without restriction. Done reading? Just
press Alt with the F4 key to close Blio altogether or press Alt followed by
Right or Left Arrow to cycle through the options on the menu, including
close the book and go back to your library or just go directly back to the
library, the free books, or the bookstore, while the book you have been
reading still remains open in the background.
      Regardless of what you do, you can be certain that Blio will remember
your most recent reading position in any book you have opened, and your
reading can begin from that point the next time you return. Need to use a
different computer? No problem. The books remain in your personal book
vault and are always yours to keep. Your books can be used on up to five
separate devices at any time. Just run Blio on any other computer you need
to use and sign in with your email address and password. Then any book in
your personal book vault can be downloaded again because the book belongs
to you.
      For blind people Blio means having the opportunity to join the
mainstream of book consumers with libraries of our own, not to be simply
beneficiaries of specialty services. This is the power of the Blio
experience, and the power can be yours right now on a computer near you.
                                 ----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Garrick Scott]
                    Creating Future Leaders from Scratch
                              by Garrick Scott

      From the Editor: Garrick Scott is president of the NFB of Georgia. He
often serves as a mentor in our programs for young people because he has a
way of communicating with them in terms that they understand and respect.
In the following brief article he offers some suggestions to those who
would like to attract young people to their chapters and affiliates. This
is what he says:

      All NFB leaders over the age of forty raise your hands. Yes, that
includes you. It is not a bad thing to be forty, but it is an age when we
should consider those who are substantially younger than us. Why should we
be giving them special consideration? Because they are the future of our
organization, and we should do all we can to make them into leaders.
      In this article I hope to give you a recipe that will help you
recruit and include young people in your chapters and affiliates. Unlike
traditional recipes, I'm going to list ingredients that you should avoid as
well as those you should include. I am by no means claiming to be the
Wolfgang Puck of working with young people, but I have found a recipe that
works for me. Now here are those ingredients:
Avoid:
1 cup condescending talk: No matter how much experience we have, we must
remember that people who are younger than we also want to be treated with
respect. Many are already adults in the eyes of the law. We may have
experience from which they can benefit, but being condescending in the way
we present whatever wisdom the years have given us will repel rather than
attract young people.
1 cup nostalgia: Young people aren't interested in hearing that you knew
them when they were toddlers clinging to their mothers' pant legs or
recollections of their participation in their first Braille Readers Are
Leaders Contest, Junior Science Academy, or Youth Slam. No way. These
people are now young adults, and recollections of those years are as
interesting to them as you would find a discussion of your receding
hairline or expanding waistline. There will be time to reminisce, but now
we have work to do, and they want to be a part of it.
Ingredients:
2 cups openmindedness: They will have thoughts and ideas that you may find
a little risky or time consuming. Sometimes we just have to allow them an
opportunity to fail or succeed on the merit of their ideas. Either way they
will grow in confidence or wisdom, depending on the outcome of their
endeavors.
2 cups friendship: Engage in activities and conversation that have little
to do with what you want them to learn but lots to do with what they want
for themselves and what experiences you have had that might relate to it.
Avoid asking questions only about what they are going to do with their
future. Concentrate on what they are doing now. Don't act like their
grandfather. Students want your friendship more than your advice.
2 cups interest: Find out what they like to do. Most of them are on
Facebook and Twitter, things that may be foreign to you. But we get excited
when people show an interest in the things we like. These young people are
just the same.
1 cup foreign language: Some may assume I mean Spanish, French, German, or
one of the Asian languages, but no, I mean pop culture as in Hip Hop. Just
as you want young people to have some appreciation for the terms used by
your generation, you should know terms such as the following to get you
started:
"Get sick widit"-you did a great job.
"Trippin"-you're not following the plan or are acting silly,
"Going hem (pronounced ham)" -going crazy or getting extremely angry. This
phrase is taken from the word "mayhem."
"Stacks on deck"-you have a large supply of money, or you have money to
burn.
"Rents"-Living with parents.
5 cups philosophy and history: We want our students to understand and
appreciate the time, energy, and money that have been contributed to this
organization. If we are to make the most of these gifts given us, we must
give back with equal generosity. We are an organization built on paying it
forward. Thanks to those who came before us, we now understand that it is
respectable to be blind. To quote Dr. Jernigan loosely, "They know where
they came from, and they won't go back."
      This recipe involves a lot of my grandmother's style of cooking: you
measure with guestimation. Some students will need a little more of one
thing than another. But if you use the recipe thoughtfully and carefully,
the result will be a nice batch of future leaders.
                                 ----------
Giving a Dream

      One of the great satisfactions in life is having the opportunity to
assist others. Consider making a gift to the National Federation of the
Blind to continue turning our dreams into reality. A gift to the NFB is not
merely a donation to an organization; it provides resources that will
directly ensure a brighter future for all blind people.

Seize the Future

      The National Federation of the Blind has special giving opportunities
that will benefit the giver as well as the NFB. Of course the largest
benefit to the donor is the satisfaction of knowing that the gift is
leaving a legacy of opportunity. However, gifts may be structured to
provide more:
 . Helping the NFB fulfill its mission
 . Realizing income tax savings through a charitable deduction
 . Making capital gain tax savings on contributions of appreciated assets
 . Providing retained payments for the life of a donor or beneficiary
 . Eliminating or lowering the federal estate tax in certain situations
 . Reducing estate settlement costs

NFB programs are dynamic:
 . Making the study of science and math a real possibility for blind
   children
 . Providing hope for seniors losing vision
 . Promoting state and local programs to help blind people become first-
   class citizens
 . Educating the public about their true potential
 . Advancing technology helpful to the blind
 . Creating a state-of-the-art library on blindness
 . Training and inspiring professionals working with the blind
 . Providing critical information to parents of blind children
 . Mentoring blind job seekers
      Your gift makes you a partner in the NFB dream. For further
information or assistance, contact the NFB planned giving officer.
                                 ----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Shown here are Ron Schmidt and his dog guide enjoying the
outdoors.]

                          Winter in the North Woods
                               by Ron Schmidt

      From the Editor: Ron Schmidt grew up on his family's farm near
Springport, Michigan, where he managed the cows. He has a lifelong interest
in the outdoors and astronomy. He earned a bachelor's degree in physics
from the University of Michigan. He has raised twin daughters as a divorced
father and has written a personal memoir and three children's books based
on his experiences.
      Ron has always enjoyed pushing himself beyond his own notions of what
was possible, and he likes reading about other people's adventures. He
credits his parents for expecting him to do everything that sighted kids
could do, and he hopes that his experience in the North Woods in winter may
inspire other blind people to challenge themselves to stretch beyond the
expected. Here is his story:

      I am awakened by a cold nose nuzzling my right ear. It is Groundhog's
Day, 2011, and my yellow lab Patti wants breakfast and a walk in the woods.
I tell her the groundhog was frightened by his shadow and didn't take the
time to leave her any ham this year, just a few crackers and an extra slice
of bread--her favorites.
      Six weeks ago, we spent our first Christmas together at my rustic
cabin in the woods of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We have no neighbors, and
the logging road that ends at the nearest highway, three miles distant, is
not snowplowed in winter. I wear snowshoes to pack down the snow and create
a half-mile trail for Patti and me to use on our twice daily walks.
      Once a foot of snow falls, we are isolated until mid April. That
first foot fell on December 10, and I've been shoveling paths to the well,
the outhouse, and the wood pile ever since. Yes, I said "outhouse." I have
no indoor plumbing or bathroom. I keep warm by loading my woodstove each
day with two-hundred pounds of firewood my brother and I cut and split in
June. I get my water from an outdoor hand pump like you would find in
campgrounds. The pump freezes when the temperature falls below thirty
degrees, so I have filled several storage containers ahead of time to
prepare for the weeks when it's usually twenty degrees in daytime and ten
at night.
      I have a propane tank I filled before the snow fell, and propane gas
powers my kitchen stove and refrigerator as well as some overhead lamps I
light with a match for visiting friends. I myself don't need lamplight
since I have been totally blind since age three from a disease I inherited.
I heat up water on the stove for bathing and doing dishes. I have a cell
phone I rely on for keeping in touch with my friends and family. When the
batteries run low, I re-charge them using an electrical system I made from
a couple of golf-cart batteries, an inverter, and a generator. With this
system I can also listen to movies on my TV and keep my radio and Talking
Book player running. That way I can enjoy favorite books, music, and news.
      Since retiring from my job nine years ago, I have spent six months of
every year here at my cabin. May through October has found Patti and me
walking in the woods while listening to the many kinds of birds that also
summer here. I feed them sunflower seeds and love to hear their varied
songs and beating wings as they fly to and from the feeder. Ruffed grouse
live in the marsh west of my cabin, and they drum with their wings in the
spring. Loons and sandhill cranes live at the end of my small lake, and
it's thrilling to hear them call. In July and August I enjoy picking wild
raspberries and blackberries that grow along the two-track roads Patti and
I walk between my cabin and the highway three miles distant.
      You might think I would get bored out here alone, but nothing is
further from the truth. In summer I canoe, build campfires when the
mosquitoes aren't too ferocious, and entertain friends who drive north from
Michigan's Lower Peninsula to visit. When I need my mail and more
groceries, I ask a friend to pick me up, and we drive nine miles to the
nearest town, where we have a fun outing with pizza or sandwiches I don't
have to prepare.
      Now that the road's impassable except on snowshoes, skis, or
snowmobiles, this friend comes once a month on a snowmobile to bring me
things I want or need, such as fresh produce, snacks, and chocolate. In the
fall I stockpiled lots of canned goods, fruit, and soup, as well as pasta,
frozen fruit, and meat, not to mention the Diet Coke I am lost without. I
had to plan ahead to stock a myriad of other essentials, including dog
food, toilet paper, paper towels, and other daily items we all use. My
brother brought a pickup truck full of these things a week before the big
snowstorm blew through.
      Now I'm cozy and really like taking care of my basic needs without
modern so-called conveniences that rely on power from electric lines, which
all too often go down in storms and leave people without water, heat, and
the ability to use their bathrooms. I never have these worries, and I feel
great about that.
      So this is my first winter at my cabin. I had thought about staying
here through the winter for many years but chickened out when snow was
imminent. I had always gone south and lived in a rental home with all of
the conveniences we take for granted. I did like getting out with my
friends for dinners, movies, and concerts but always wondered what it was
like at my cabin. In the Snowbelt, where I am, the usual snowfall is 150
inches. I worried that a tree might fall on the roof and also wondered what
birds and animals would be spending their winters here. I finally decided
last fall that I needed a new adventure while my health was still good.
      I'm gratified to know that I was encouraged in my adventure by my
sighted friends, who have known me for years and years and have no doubts
about my ability to function and enjoy the cold season without the need for
sight. Many who do not know me well think I am foolish and bound to fail
and to need rescuing. But they don't know what a determined, competent
blind person is capable of. They will be more educated about what people
who are blind can do after this year. I hope they will no longer see
blindness as an inability to do what one wants to do. As with all things we
accomplish as blind folks, our own satisfaction is coupled with showing
sighted folks that we are normal people. As a positive consequence, blind
kids growing up now will have an easier time living and finding jobs they
want to do and are skilled in doing. A very happy 2011 to everyone from
Patti and me in the North Woods outside Grand Marais, Michigan.
                                 ----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: James Nyman]
                           Science and Philosophy
                 Guided Learning versus Structured Discovery
                              by James S. Nyman

      From the Editor: The following article appeared in the winter 2011
newsletter of the Orientation Center of the Nebraska Commission for the
Blind. It describes what we mean by the structured-discovery method of
teaching cane travel and contrasts it with the more traditional method of
instruction provided by the education and rehabilitation system. Here are
the article and the headnote that accompanied it:

      Dr. James S. Nyman is the former executive director of the Nebraska
Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. His career also included a
time as a professor of political science and philosophy at UC Berkeley. His
life has always been driven by his belief in people, especially blind
people, and a desire to make a difference. For Dr. Nyman the opportunity to
be the director of a state agency serving the blind led to much more than a
dramatic change in the nature of services provided to blind people in
Nebraska. His influence led to the convergence between a consumer-driven
approach to rehabilitation and the emerging scientific framework of
cognitive learning theory. This approach to blindness rehabilitation is now
known as structured discovery.


      This essay explores the distinctions between two approaches to
providing training to blind people: the structured-discovery and guided
models. Both approaches are familiar to education theorists, and each has
its adherents. Elements of both are involved in actual practice but can be
distinguished from each other. The guided model is underpinned by an
academic education that claims scientific status in university programs.
Cane travel instruction (generally called orientation and mobility) most
fully exhibits the characteristics explored below, but other areas of
blindness skill training are related. A more philosophically based approach
emphasizes the role of the blind person as a learner. While each approach
has its friends and its critics, neither can claim exclusivity in the field
of blindness rehabilitation.

      Out of the night: In 1875 the British poet William Ernest Henley
composed a poem titled "Invictus." In the poem, whose title is Latin for
"unconquered," he gives voice to the despair he feels over a medical
episode in his life. He had had his left leg amputated below the knee and
was threatened with a similar fate for his right leg. He captures the
essence of his reaction to this drastic event in the opening lines of
"Invictus":

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole.


      By the end of his struggle, in the concluding lines he declares
victory over his despair in these defiant words:   "I am the master of my
fate; I am the captain of my soul." Even though he found himself "in the
fell clutch of circumstance" the spirit that freed him is that he has "not
winced or cried aloud" and his "head is bloody but unbowed."
      Henley portrays the dark and frightening world he sees before him as
he confronts his disability, but blindness is often portrayed in even
darker colors. In his poem he voices the admiration he feels for his own
brave defiance of an unkind fate. Those who are blind will recognize a
similar admiration that society heaps on us for the courageous way we are
believed to deal with this dreadful condition. It is difficult to see how
this admiration could rescue us from that "fell clutch of circumstance."
However much courage and defiance may ease the impact of blindness, they
are, at best, only the first step back to normal life. They do little to
help the transition. The true path lies in persistent effort guided by
philosophy. No preaching, please:
      What is this philosophy, and how does it guide our return? To begin
with, it is easier to say what philosophy cannot do. Preaching the truth to
the newly blinded can ring hollow at this stage. Perhaps I can illustrate
this point with a story that purports to be true. Here's the story:


      Once upon a time a long time ago in a faraway place, a rhinoceros and
a butterfly fell madly in love. Unfortunately they found that they could
not express this love in the ordinary way. After some discussion they
decided that rhinoceros should consult with that well-known philosopher,
Wise Old Owl. After waking Owl from his nap, Rhinoceros said, "Wise Old
Owl, Butterfly and I have fallen madly in love but find we cannot
consummate our love. What can we do?"
      "The solution," said Wise Old Owl, "is very simple: you must become a
butterfly."
      "But," moaned Rhinoceros, "how can I do that?"
      "I haven't the slightest idea," said Wise Old Owl. "I only propose
the solution; it's up to you to implement it."
      Mr. Henley, and the rest of us I suspect, would find the butterfly
solution difficult if not impossible to implement.
      Perhaps more helpful is a statement in "Blindness: Handicap or
Characteristic" by Kenneth Jernigan, former president of the National
Federation of the Blind: "It has been wisely observed that philosophy bakes
no bread. It has, with equal wisdom, been observed that without a
philosophy no bread is baked." So how do we become bakers?

      More than courage: To begin with, we should not disparage courage. We
will often find it necessary to encourage the blind individual to initiate
even modest steps toward an understanding of blindness, a chore that, we
hope, may not prove as difficult as becoming a butterfly.
      The first step may be recognition that blindness does not occur to
each person in the same way. Differences of age, sex, culture, family,
education, economic situation, personality, and visual status affect the
range of responses. A butterfly solution rarely works. A more modest step
based on a firm conviction that blindness can be managed by practical steps
that can be learned will suggest itself. The key concept here is "can be
learned." This concept immediately places the emphasis on the blind
individual as a learner and casts the counselor in the role of the trainer.

      The science model: Medical science has a well-documented claim to
successful intervention in cases of physiological problems. Surgery can
remove an offending growth or a bodily part to effect a cure. In these
cases the patient need only submit to the procedure, often under
anesthesia. This is a tempting model for the counselor who has been
educated in behavioral and other human sciences. Those who are educated in
the psychology of blindness have generally regarded their intervention as
the decisive factor in returning the individual to a semblance of normal
existence. This orientation governs their practice.
      The loss of sight is thought to present professionals with a set of
known limitations stemming from diminished visual functioning. They believe
that their scientific knowledge equips them with the diagnostic tools
needed to devise a rehabilitation plan for the client. Knowledge of
training techniques and technological devices provides the instructor with
the necessary tools to effect specific compensations for the particular
functional limitation. Training based on the science model is devised and
controlled by the professional. The blind individual is expected only to be
responsive, carefully guided by the instructor, who will correct or
reinforce behavior by extrinsic feedback as the process continues. Thus,
confronted with a client who is blind, the counselor need only take charge
of the individual's behavior and with patience and skill effect the
equivalent of a cure.
      The expertise of the training counselor may also extend to devising
modifications to the individual's domestic environment or more generally in
the wider world. Each modification is designed to enable the person with
known visual limitations to live in the world. Accountability for
performance on this model parallels that of the medical profession. The
health care industry has been criticized in recent years because its method
of accountability has been based more on procedures than on outcomes.
Medical services, in the form of sophisticated diagnostic tests, can be
readily documented. Similarly, the services provided by the specialist in
the blindness field and the results obtained are recorded in the case file.
Accountability is assured by reference to the record maintained by the
provider. Thus even the evidence of effectiveness is under the control of
the professional.
      When we adopt the commonplace distinction between guided and
discovery learning, the roles of the instructor and the blind student
become clear. In the guided model the instructor, academically educated in
the science of blindness, designs and delivers training. The student learns
it either well or poorly, and the instructor measures success by some
appropriate test, scoring the student on a scale of achievement. While it
may have been experimentally shown that guided instruction can be more
effective for initial training and testing for specific technical skills,
performance based on the guided model tends to be limited to those specific
skills. The skills are liable to degrade unless reinforced by regular
practice. It is not necessary for the student to know the science behind
the training, only to execute the acquired skills to a prescribed standard.

      The philosophy model: The characterization of the science model
presented above almost certainly does not describe the practice of any
given professional in the field. I have deliberately exaggerated some
features in order to emphasize certain tendencies. Nevertheless, control of
the process through expertise is a standard feature of academic education.
When the training is deemed successful, how does the counselor relinquish
control and transfer it to the blind person? In practice the locus of
control may have gradually shifted to the increasingly competent
individual. But relinquishing control by case closure when training has
been completed is ending the process where it should have begun.
      A more philosophical approach would be to initiate steps to center
control in the blind person. How can this be done? I said earlier that
preaching the well-known verities is much like proposing a butterfly
solution, as, for example, when we declare that, "With proper training and
opportunity blindness can be reduced to a mere physical nuisance." However
valid this assertion may be, it is more like the conclusion of a
philosophical argument than the starting point of an inquiry. In this essay
we treat philosophy as an activity of encountering the world. The encounter
occurs when the nonvisual senses are actively engaged in exploring the
world and reason is employed to solve problems that confront us. Philosophy
is not a set of doctrines that can be proved by argument; it must meet the
test of experience. That experience is not merely passive reception of
impressions but active exploration of the world as we pursue our goals and
activities.
      Those who possess normal or near normal vision from infancy learn to
rely on visual feedback as they live and move in the world. This intrinsic
feedback forms part of a complex interaction with their surroundings. In
the ordinary course of maturing, the curious child frequently seeks
guidance from others. By contrast, those who are blind from childhood or
become blind later in life typically acquire some alternative nonvisual
methods for interacting with the world. Acquisition of blindness skills
will vary, depending on the initiative of the blind person and the quality
of guidance from others. Methods for actively gathering limited auditory,
kinesthetic, and tactile information can be readily learned by the
enterprising individual. For the rest, the person who has been blind from
childhood, or who has been sheltered and protected from the reality of
blindness, is likely to rely on vital knowledge of the environment
communicated by others from their visual standpoint. As a result,
information gathered and interpreted by those others becomes the basis of
his or her interaction with the world. When the counselor reinforces this
reliance, the control of environmental knowledge remains with those others.
A counselor who understands this danger will soon introduce the blind
person to more systematic nonvisual techniques for obtaining and processing
information about the environment.
      Most of this knowledge is derived from reflection by generations of
blind people on their shared experience in developing alternative
techniques for accessing relevant information. This is the foundation of
the philosophical approach known as structured-discovery learning. It is
the theoretical basis of an approach that guides the practice of those who
are committed to this philosophy of teaching. Its core belief is that
people who learn how to access and process information about the world
independently will retain the ability longer and apply it over a wider
range of situations.
      Accessing information by sensory means is, however, only the
beginning of a process that leads to interacting with the world. The
information must be interpreted in order to guide behavior. While a person
who gains his or her knowledge of the world visually may appear to respond
naturally and automatically, in reality some mental activity has occurred
between reception and response. In the case of blind people this process
must be learned by conscious attention until it has the same habitual
status as that involving visual contact with the world. Learning the most
efficient methods of reasoning on tactile, auditory, kinesthetic,
vestibular and-in a limited way-even olfactory and gustatory sensory input
requires a systematic effort. Effectiveness can be improved by conscious
attention to the methods of reasoning. It is this reasoning activity that
constitutes the philosophical approach.
      The method called structured-discovery learning starts by putting the
learner in charge of acquiring information about the situation that the
instructor has initiated. The student is expected to make discoveries
through the sensory information that he or she has consciously gathered.
Conclusions based on reasoning about the acquired information will enable
the individual to identify the nature of the problem being confronted.
Memory of past encounters with the world and general knowledge of physical
environments enable the person to make decisions on the best way to solve
the problem that the situation has posed.
      Reflection on the experience of solving problems that have been
deliberately constructed or confronted in the course of activity can lead
to useful generalizations. This process of generalization from the solving
of practical problems can be enhanced by the counselor or other blind
people by means of a well-designed strategy of follow-up. This should
always begin with the student's being asked to identify how he or she has
discovered the information. Solving the problem may be guided step by step
by others but must never be decreed by the instructor on the basis of
extrinsic feedback. On the other hand, intrinsic feedback generated by
active probing leaves the student in control of the process. Conscious
attention to the methods of problem-solving and decision-making is the key
to the development of the cognitive tools that are essential for coming to
know and act in the world. Confidence in these tools and reliance on
intrinsic feedback are the core of this philosophy of blindness. In the end
it is this philosophy that helps us bake the bread that nourishes our
conviction that blindness can, indeed, be reduced to a mere physical
nuisance.
                                 ----------
 [PHOTO CAPTION: Parnell Diggs]
                               Making the Ask
                              by Parnell Diggs

      From the Editor: Parnell Diggs is president of the NFB of South
Carolina, a member of the NFB board of directors, and chairman of the
Imagination Fund. This is what he says about this year's Race for
Independence:

      On a Tuesday afternoon I stepped off the bus (long white cane in
hand) at the end of another workday and began to make my way along the
familiar path to my home. A man who might have been in his early twenties
passed me on a bicycle heading in the opposite direction.
      "Praise God," he exclaimed over his shoulder. "You'll see soon."
Realizing that he had gotten my attention, he turned around and headed back
toward me, stopping at a respectful distance. "Just praise God." I could
hear the smile in his voice, and I surmised that he was sincere.
      I smiled back. "What if God wants me to be blind? It's not such a bad
thing."
      "Oh no," he countered. "He doesn't want you to be blind."
      "How do you know?" I asked.
      Rather than answering, he simply turned the bike around and headed
off, assuring me that everything would be all right if I would "just praise
God." "Actually, I would rather have a million dollars," I called after him
as he peddled away. But I don't think he believed me.
      With my blue suit and briefcase, I looked like a typical businessman
who might have been heading home from the office; however, the young man on
the bicycle observed my white cane and made an assessment of my life's
ambition. His repeated assurances that I would "see soon" suggested that he
thought I wanted sight more than anything in the world.
      Of course, those of us who know better realize that blindness is no
big deal. But how do we communicate this message to those who don't know?
Our programs of Braille literacy, technological development, quality
education for blind children, and employment opportunities for blind adults
are creating a new reality of blindness every day. In 2011 we are
continuing what has been perhaps the biggest research initiative in the
seventy-one-year history of the organized blind movement: the development
of a technological interface that will capture the imagination and inspire
innovative methods of approaching the issue of access to technology for the
blind of today and of generations to come.
      Since its inception the Blind Driver Challenge has garnered one
billion audience impressions, saturating the world with the positive
philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind. Our efforts to
encourage blind youth to pursue careers in the fields of science,
technology, engineering, and math have replaced feelings of hopelessness
and futility with dreams of opportunity and achievement.
      The Imagination Fund is the point of origin for all programs of the
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute and many of the
initiatives launched among the affiliates across the nation. It is the
mechanism by which we ask Federationists to generate financial support from
beyond the organization for programming that is shifting the focus of
rehabilitation of the blind from basketry to rocketry.
      Let me draw a distinction, at this point, between the Imagination
Fund and the PAC Plan. It may seem obvious to some, but in reality it seems
that some Federationists participate in one program or the other, but not
both. Our participation in the PAC Plan gives us the chance to make monthly
contributions to the National Federation of the Blind out of our own
financial resources. In my case I have participated in the PAC Plan
continuously since 1990. I was twenty-one, in college, and on SSI and had a
limited income. I started at $10 per month, and I have increased my PAC
pledge steadily through the years as my income has risen. But I also
participate in the annual Imagination Fund campaign.
      By registering to be an Imaginator, I am making a commitment to ask
others, outside the movement, to help me reach my fundraising goal. I have
a friend who happens to be a multimillionaire. On more than one occasion he
has said that "There is a lot more money out there than there is in here."
      The meaning of his advice is clear. Simply put, we can raise more
money by seeking support from others than we can raise by drawing only upon
our own resources. Most of us would agree with this logic. Nevertheless,
more Federationists are on the PAC Plan than are registered for the Race
for Independence. Why?
      I would hazard a guess that, generally speaking, we are more
comfortable just making a donation ourselves than we are asking others to
do so. Moreover, I would suggest that some of us register for the Race for
Independence, or choose not to do so, because we figure on simply writing a
check before the end of the campaign. But this is not the purpose of the
Imagination Fund. The Imagination Fund is intended to build the Federation
using resources from outside the movement. "There is more money out there
than there is in here."
      A fellow Federationist registered for the Race for Independence about
two weeks before this writing. A few days ago he called me to say that he
has already raised $410 without donating a penny of his own money. How did
he do it? He registered and made the ask. You can do the same thing. Now is
the time to register for the 2011 Race for Independence. But don't plan
simply to make a donation to the Imagination Fund. Instead, make the ask,
and be quick about it!
      Because the Imagination Fund is designed to raise money outside the
movement, we have created tools to aid you in soliciting donations from
others. There are online tools at <www.raceforindependence.org>. Brochures,
solicitation cards, and Text2Give cards are available upon request. Use
them, and you will raise more than you could ever donate yourself.
      Each year 50 percent of the amount we raise is used to fund programs
at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute. Twenty-five
percent is divided equally among the fifty-two affiliates, and 24 percent
is awarded in the form of grants to affiliates and national divisions. Over
sixty thousand dollars in grants was awarded in 2010.
      We can award more in 2011 if we register and make the ask. If you
take nothing else from this article, I want you to realize just how easy it
is to ask someone for a donation. Not everyone will say "yes," but you will
be surprised at the amount of money you can raise if you ask ten people
outside the movement using email or simply by distributing ten brochures.
      But let me show you in a more practical way how easy it is to ask
people outside the movement for donations. Here is a text that I have used:

      I am participating in the 2011 National Federation of the Blind Race
for Independence, and I need your help. Did you ever think a blind person
could drive a car without sighted assistance? During 2011 we are debuting a
car that I will be able to drive. Don't worry, you won't see me on the road
just yet. But I do want to emphasize the urgent need to make technology
accessible to the average blind user and prove how easy it is to do it if
we try.
      While our progress through the decades has been tremendous, I have
been thinking about what life will be like for blind people in the future.
Will blind people live in a world of opportunity? If I do nothing, less
than half of all of the blind children attending school in the United
States today will earn a diploma. Fewer than three in ten will get a job,
and only one in ten blind children will even be able to read when they grow
up.
      This is why I am writing to you. I too am making a donation, because
I would not ask you to do what I am not willing to do myself.

      Feel free to borrow from my letter, create one that is entirely your
own, or any combination thereof. But whatever you do, please do something.
The only wrong way to make the ask is not to make it at all. Some fabulous
incentives are being planned for Imaginators who reach the $250, $500, and
$1,000 levels. We will talk more about these incentives between now and the
time we arrive in Orlando for the 2011 convention. But it all starts with
registering and making the ask.
      To register for the Race for Independence, please visit
<www.raceforindependence.org>, or simply call the National Federation of
the Blind Jernigan Institute at (410) 659-9314, ext. 2371. The suggested
goal is $250 for each Imaginator. There is plenty of time to reach and even
surpass your fundraising goal, but you need to start now.
      If I can help you in any way to reach your full potential as an
Imaginator, please do not hesitate to contact me directly in Myrtle Beach,
South Carolina, at (843) 492-7411, or drop me an email at <pdiggs@nfb.org>.
Please join me in building the Imagination Fund and supporting Braille
literacy, quality education, access to technology, employment opportunities
for blind adults, programs for seniors, and more. Come on: sign up today,
and let's race!
                                 ----------
             When Disability Is Just a Special Skill in Disguise
                             by Lori Rottenberg

      From the Editor: After 9/11 I got a number of letters asking if the
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri was interested in identifying
our members in various cities so they could be helped in the event of a
disaster. These same letters invited suggestions from our organization
about what emergency personnel could do to meet our needs most effectively.
Never in any of the correspondence was there the suggestion that blind
people could be a part of helping ourselves or others in times of
emergency, so it is refreshing to see that a blind person is an active
participant in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) which is a part
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Department of Homeland
Security. This article is taken from the CERT national newsletter for
January 2011:

      One of the most challenging moments of CERT Basic Training in
Greenbelt, Maryland, comes when participants have to find their way in
complete darkness during a maze-like search-and-rescue exercise. But for
CERT coordinator Ken Silberman finding his way in the dark is no big deal.
      Silberman, an engineer and patent attorney who works for the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), has been blind since birth. He
first read an article in his local newspaper in 2005 that advertised the
formation of a new CERT program in his area. "The article said everyone was
welcome and that there were no age or physical requirements, so I went
because I was interested in learning disaster skills that would help me and
my neighbors."
      Silberman said his instructors were nervous at first about having him
in the course but did allow him to participate. To prepare for the class,
Silberman downloaded the participant manual from the national FEMA Website
ahead of time and arranged transportation to the training site with some
friends. Once he got to the class, sighted classmates helped him read any
handouts that were not covered in his downloaded materials.
      Silberman said the rest of the training posed little problem for
someone without sight. During the fire extinguisher exercise, for example,
he simply pointed the extinguisher at the heat he felt from the fire and
swept it back and forth. The shutoffs for circuit breakers and gas and
water valves were also easy to distinguish by touch alone, he said. Even
real blood would be warm and sticky through the gloves, so he felt that not
being able to see a victim's injuries would also not be an issue.
      Nonetheless, Silberman said he "Wasn't accepted that much" until the
search-and-rescue activity. "Blindness skills proved invaluable in the
search-and-rescue phase of the training when we had to traverse a pitch
black, multi-story maze and apartment, looking for victims. There was a lot
of panic due to disorientation. However, it was business as usual for me.
So I ended up leading the operation. The instructors and students accepted
me after that."
      Silberman so enjoyed the CERT experience that he continued to take
more advanced training as well as leadership roles within the group. During
an advanced training session on helping with emergencies in the Washington,
D.C., underground Metrorail system, Silberman's special skills again proved
invaluable. "I had no trouble and used sighted assistance when near the
power rail," he said. "Blindness skills were critical during a fire
simulation in a Metrorail car. I was able to cut right through the smoke,
grab the emergency kit from under the seat, and direct people to the door
at the end of the car. The transit police were very supportive after that."
      Silberman's commitment to and enthusiasm for CERT paid off. In August
2010 he was elected by his fellow CERT members to be the new coordinator of
the Greenbelt CERT, making him the nation's first blind CERT coordinator.
In this position he deals with the same issues that other CERT coordinators
handle, from marketing the program to new members to providing ongoing
training opportunities for existing members to practice their skills.
However, Silberman also hopes his work will help transform the way people
with disabilities are perceived.
      "It's an opportunity to change people's views," said Silberman. "I
hope that my experiences will expand the discussion of disabilities and
disaster preparedness to go beyond caring for persons who have
disabilities." He would like to see people with disabilities viewed as
potential service providers rather than just service recipients in times of
disasters. "This will prevent responders from diverting their attention
from victims to persons with disabilities who are quite capable of taking
care of themselves," he noted. "Second, a pool of talented and capable
volunteers who have disabilities shouldn't be ignored or underused. In a
real disaster, all hands will be needed on deck."
                                 ----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Barbara Pierce]
                             The Ties That Bind
                              by Barbara Pierce

      For some time now Ramona Walhof has been working on a possible book
highlighting the life and work of Dr. Kenneth Jernigan. While longtime
Federationists are familiar with his work as a leader, teacher, and mentor,
many members of the general public do not know his name and cannot
appreciate the wisdom and inspiration found in a thorough review of his
work, philosophy, and commitment to others.
      Ramona Walhof has graciously given the Braille Monitor some of the
articles contributed for this book, and we hope that, by publishing them,
we will enhance the possibility that a commercial book chronicling the life
and work of this great man will be published. We also hope that bringing
some of these articles to the attention of younger Federationists and new
members will ensure that Dr. Jernigan's work will continue to inspire
others in the same way he inspired those of us fortunate enough to have
known him during his life.
      What follows is a splendid article by the former editor of the Monitor
with a moving introduction by Ramona. She has captured in her remarks
everything I try to bring to readers to let them know how lucky we are to
share a common bond and commitment in the National Federation of the Blind.
Here are Ramona's introduction and Barbara's reflection on the influence
Dr. Kenneth Jernigan had on her life:

      Note: Barbara Pierce has worked tirelessly in the National Federation
of the Blind for more than thirty-five years. She is an articulate,
thoughtful, and charming spokeswoman for the organization in Ohio, where
she lives, and throughout the country. Here she describes her relationship
with Dr. Jernigan while he lived. After his death she has continued to move
ahead with the NFB under President Marc Maurer's guidance. She is perhaps
best known as editor of the largest and most influential magazine in work
with the blind, the Braille Monitor. However, she has also worked actively
for decades as a member of the NFB scholarship and resolutions committees;
assisted parents of blind children; served as president of the NFB of Ohio;
and represented the NFB president at conferences inside and outside of the
Federation. Pierce has handled press relations at national conventions,
Washington seminars, NFB demonstrations, and numerous other events.
      Barbara and her husband Bob raised three children, spent Bob's
sabbaticals in England, and held positions of leadership in their church,
and they are well known as contributing citizens in Oberlin and beyond. In
the following pages Barbara describes herself and her relationship with
Kenneth Jernigan. Her comments demonstrate how and why she is one of the
people who learned from him to continue to build and refine opportunities
for the blind around the world.

      I consider that I knew Dr. Jernigan from January of 1974 until his
death. That January was the first time I listened to recordings of his
speeches, and doing so gave me the feeling that I had met the mind and
spirit of this remarkable man. It was not until that June that I actually
had direct contact with him. I had written him a letter. I am not sure how
I expected him to respond, but it was certainly not the long, thoughtful,
prompt letter I received. I could not have been more surprised or delighted
if the letter had come from the president of the United States or the queen
of England. That was always my experience of Dr. Jernigan--a man who gave
and expected more of himself and me than I did.
      Part of his genius was challenging the people around him to do more
than they thought themselves capable of. For example, he told me fairly
early in my life as a Federationist that he wanted me to begin representing
the NFB in media interviews. This was unsettling news, but, since he had
assigned me the job, I began reading the Braille Monitor even more
carefully and listening to presidential releases with great attention. Then
I went out and did my best. You always wanted to do your best for him
because he always gave his best to all of us, and that best was very good
indeed.
      Living as he did on the public stage, every evolution in his thought,
every change in a lifetime of behavior became public property. I remember
his reflections in print when he concluded that he must walk a picket line.
As one who came of age in the sixties, I found nothing perturbing about
picketing, but I was powerfully impressed at Dr. Jernigan's willingness to
rethink his long-held values and to reveal his conclusions with everyone
who read the Braille Monitor. When I became the Monitor editor, I tried to
draw on his example as I found myself telling thousands of readers my
personal and professional struggle to grow. I have come to understand that
such honesty and openness help to strengthen the ties that bind this
movement together as a family whose members genuinely care for and respect
each other.
      His courage, humanity, integrity, and leadership notwithstanding, the
most wide-reaching impact that Dr. Jernigan had on my life was his teaching
me to use and appreciate language. I was an English major in college, so I
already had a working knowledge of grammar and correct punctuation when I
found the Federation. But I hated to write. I suspect that, even in my
earliest days in the Federation, President Jernigan recognized that I could
write a literate sentence, and he ensured that I would have plenty of
opportunity to use that skill. He appointed me to the public relations
committee and saw that I was invited to a PR seminar. I began helping to
write press releases at national conventions and even coauthored a PR
handbook. I was far from comfortable carrying out these assignments, but
the NFB has always challenged its members to reach beyond their knowledge
of themselves and their strengths to see what more they can accomplish.
      By 1987 I had been chairing the PR committee for about seven years
and had been president of the NFB of Ohio since 1984. I was working full
time for Oberlin College-a job that I had found the courage to apply for,
accept, and succeed in largely because of what the NFB had taught me about
my ability to compete on terms of equality with my sighted colleagues. My
husband and I had three growing children, a son at Yale and two daughters
in high school. I was busy and happy and felt that I was doing my best to
embody the Federation's philosophy.
      I was sitting in a 1987 convention session when Dr. Jernigan called
me to the platform to speak to him. To my astonishment and dismay he asked
me to try my hand at writing that year's convention round-up. He told me to
study what he had written the year before and then give it a try. I was
dubious about my ability to produce anything that would save him time, but
again I did my best, and with a bit of first-aid he was able to use it.
      In 1988, when Dr. Jernigan asked me to write the convention roundup
for the second time, I should have been suspicious. After all, he had been
telling the world that he had to find a Monitor editor because after ten
years he could not continue to do that job along with all the other
responsibilities he was carrying. I can't remember exactly what I was
thinking, but I had only a nebulous sinking feeling in my stomach when he
asked me to come to Baltimore in August. His invitation in that visit to
leave my job in order to become associate editor of the Braille Monitor
made me a bit sick. I had never before done anything like editing. I did
not think of myself as a writer, even though much of my Oberlin job was
writing everything from letters to brochures. Deciding to accept his
invitation was one of the braver decisions I have ever made. Looking back
on it, it was also one of the best steps I have ever taken.
      For almost ten years I had the privilege of working closely with Dr.
Jernigan. Watching him write was fascinating. He usually began an article
seated at his desk, his secretary in the chair across from him with a steno
pad on her knee. After thinking a moment, he would dictate a title. He
might throw out two or three suggestions before he got it right, but he
never began writing without at least a working title. Then the sentences
began coming, word by word, complete with correct punctuation. Soon the
phone would ring. He would stop and deal with whatever the call brought;
then he would ask to hear the last paragraph or, more often, everything he
had written so far. He might well make changes or even rewrite or insert an
entire sentence or paragraph. Eventually he might get up to pace around his
office as he dictated or corrected text. I often marveled that his
secretaries could decipher the layers of correction. So it went,
interruption after interruption, hour after hour. Sometime late in that
first day of observation he turned to me and said: "People think that those
who write well throw long touchdown passes; they don't realize that we have
to grind out our progress yard by yard on the ground, just like everybody
else."
      When he completed a draft or a day's work on a draft, he would ask
for the text in Braille. That's what he took home to read over. The next
day he was back, draft in hand, to read the text aloud and make the changes
he had decided upon so his secretary could pencil them in on a print copy.
He would listen carefully to his own voice as he read. His ear told him
when a subtle alteration in the text would improve the work. "That will
have a better ring," he would comment as he substituted a word, and, when
you thought about it, he was right.
      That was how he began teaching me to shape my own writing. Gradually
I learned to avoid word repetition, the passive voice, and jargon words
like "utilize" or "usage" instead of short, vigorous words like "use."
Having seen the merciless rigor with which he edited his own writing, I
found it exciting rather than depressing to watch him tinker with and
rework my text. The process was always instructive.
      Not until I began to train my successor did I fully appreciate how
much faith, tact, and patience I had received at Dr. Jernigan's gentle
hands. He never tried to alter my voice. In fact he warned me that I must
find my own voice and outlook. I could not, he warned, make myself into an
imitation of him. I could only succeed as Monitor editor if I made myself
independent. Then he had the discipline to keep his hands off my writing
enough to let me find my own way, and gradually I did. He was so subtle and
sure-handed that I was hardly aware of the training that was going on. Only
once did he insist on a prohibition. He told me that I was forbidden to use
the word "desperately" for an entire year. I realized that I was overusing
the word, thereby undermining its impact. Even today I hardly ever use that
word in my writing.
      Then there were the Braille lessons. I mastered the Braille code as a
teenager, but I never bothered to work on reading speed. Decoding those
little dots was slow and hard, and I never saw anyone read quickly. Not
until I listened to those speeches in 1974 did I realize that it was
possible to read Braille at speaking speed and faster. And not until I
began working closely with Dr. Jernigan did anyone suggest that there was
any point in my trying to make up the deficit in my education rather than
complaining about it.
      As usual, Dr. Jernigan didn't just suggest that I do something about
it. When I hesitantly asked whether he thought I could increase my speed,
he offered to help. That was the beginning of a remarkable period of
investigation and discovery. Dr. Jernigan undertook to analyze how he used
his hands when he read. He taught me to anchor my left hand and read the
first few words of each line with that index finger while the rest of the
hand marked the place and held on to the page--a handy skill when reading
standing up. Meanwhile he explained that the right index finger reads the
right two thirds of the line, and the middle and ring fingers travel
lightly across the space at the top of the line, keeping place and
gathering information about the tops of the letters. He would often
interrupt his own proofreading to point out some detail his ring finger had
discovered.
      Unfortunately I don't think I increased speed as rapidly as Dr.
Jernigan expected, but he was always optimistic and encouraging. Despite
the important matters constantly demanding his attention, he regularly
inquired whether I was continuing to read every day and how my speed was
coming.
      I can attribute many, many of the skills I use every day without
thinking about them to my years of close observation of Dr. Jernigan. When
I conduct a meeting efficiently and fairly, when I comfort a newly blind
person or give hope to the parent of a blind child, when I write a
difficult letter or quickly turn a mediocre article into one that may
inspire readers, when I wend my way through political mine fields to help
rescue a chapter or affiliate-I recognize that I have my mentor and very
dear friend to thank for these skills. But mostly I treasure the memories I
have of watching him work and write so that we can all continue to share in
his wisdom and commitment to helping blind people.
      My work in the Federation under Dr. Jernigan's guidance and after his
death included several kinds of activity. In 2000 and 2001 we devoted a
good number of pages in the Braille Monitor to the activities of Erik
Weihenmayer, the amazing blind mountain climber who finally summited Mt.
Everest on May 25, 2001. The Monitor story that recounted the final stage
of the adventure was "Weihenmayer Reaches the Top," which appeared in the
July 2001 issue. I wasn't at Base Camp, but I was linked by email and
satellite phone to the climbers and helped to keep them in touch with the
thousands of people around the world who were following their adventure.
NFB President Maurer assigned me to work with the team, the PR firm
marketing the climb, and those working on the Website. In my memory I can't
separate the various components of that responsibility. I only know that
the relief and pleasure I felt when I learned that nineteen members of the
team had made it to the top and had all returned to the highest camp in
safety was like nothing I have ever felt before or since.
      Preparing the January/February 1999 issue of the Monitor was the
hardest editorial work I have ever done. That was the obituary issue for my
beloved friend and mentor, Kenneth Jernigan. I wanted it to capture the
essence of the man, and nothing that anyone could have written could have
done him justice. For me, as for many others of my generation, he
represented the best in us. He embodied our highest ideals, our most
determined and principled positions. He was my friend and the blind person
whose good opinion has meant the most to me. He taught me to think
politically and to write with clarity. I wanted that issue to represent all
of that. I am certain that I fell short of my goal, but I also know that
reading that issue will give anyone who did not know the man the best
understanding of who he was and what he stood for.

      The last letter I wrote to Dr. Jernigan, September 11, 1998, just a
month before he died, contained my heartfelt promise to him and to myself.
I have done my best to keep that pledge.
"We who love you will continue to nurture and build the organization you
have given your life to define and strengthen. The time and thought and
love you have poured into shaping me, I promise I will pass on as best I
can to those who come after me. You believed in me at a time in my life
when I hardly dared believe in myself. I promise you now that I will do my
best to pass on what you have given me-the love, the commitment, the
wisdom, the patient concern, and the dedication. To whatever degree I
possess these things, I will offer them to the movement you have built and
taught me to cherish."
                                 ----------
 [PHOTO CAPTION: Jacobus tenBroek]
      A Misguided Question from a Student Gets an Interesting Response
                by the staff of the Jacobus tenBroek Library

      From the Editor: The following is another in our series of historical
documents in the Jacobus tenBroek Library. While exploring Dr. TenBroek's
correspondence files in search of a document that could answer a reference
question, the staff chanced upon this amusing and insightful letter,
written in 1960, to a recently blinded college student. Known as a powerful
and intelligent public speaker who happened to be blind, tenBroek was asked
how he prepared for and delivered his speeches and addresses. Using a
quotation from 1936 Olympic gold medalist, Jesse Owens, tenBroek's response
is witty, forthright, and a great example of NFB philosophy. Here is what
he wrote:

October 31, 1960

Mr. Richard Norton
Ouachita Baptist College
Arkadelphia, Arkansas

Dear Mr. Norton:
      I have your recent letter and shall do my best to answer it, although
I have very little to say about methods of delivery of any significance.
      In many ways I would adapt to my case the famous speech of Jesse
Owens when he was asked his technique for breaking the world record in the
broad jump-"I get back to about here, move forward to about there, and then
take off."
      Formal speeches for state occasions I write out in Braille. Sometimes
I read them; other times simply use the manuscript as an elaborate system
of notes; still other times I prepare a few short notes on a card; and
often I use no notes whatsoever.
      I do a tremendous amount of public speaking, frequently in connection
with my function as president of the National Federation of the Blind, or
chairman of the State Social Welfare Board. Much of this speaking is
extempore or impromptu.
      A blind person who acquires facility with Braille has no problems in
public speaking that are not common to speakers with twenty-twenty vision
acuity. If you can't read Braille, or can't read it rapidly, I can see that
you would enter a range of very considerable problems.
      You might write to Kenneth Jernigan, John Taylor, Professor Kingsley
Price, and Professor Mumford Boyd. All four of these are totally blind, all
are excellent speakers, and all use Braille with facility. Kenneth Jernigan
and John Taylor can both be reached at ______. Professor Price may be
reached at the Department of Philosophy, Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, Maryland; Professor Boyd may be reached at the University of
Virginia Law School, Charlottesville, Virginia.
      You should, by all means, join the Arkansas Federation of the Blind
which, in turn, is affiliated with the National Federation of the Blind.
Why not get in touch with Richard Nelson, who is the President of the
Arkansas Federation of the Blind? His address is _____.

Cordially yours,
Jacobus tenBroek, Chairman
Department of Speech
                                 ----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Allen Harris]
                      Convention Scholarships Available
                               by Allen Harris

      From the Editor: Allen Harris chairs the Kenneth Jernigan Convention
Scholarship Fund committee. He has an important announcement for those who
would like to attend this year's national convention but find themselves
short of funds. This is what he says:

      The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund is looking for
individuals who can use some financial assistance to attend our national
convention in Orlando, Florida. In 2011 our convention will begin on
Sunday, July 3, and run through Friday, July 8. The convention ends with
the banquet Friday evening.
Who is eligible to receive a Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship?
      If you are a member of the National Federation of the Blind, you are
eligible to apply. Preference, however, will be given to first-time
convention attendees. The scholarship selection committee is able to make
an occasional exception, but first-time convention participants are the
target group.
What do I have to do to apply for a Kenneth Jernigan Convention
Scholarship?
      You must do the following and are responsible for these application
requirements:
1. Find out who your state NFB president is and get him or her to write a
letter of recommendation for you, or you may have a chapter president or
other officer write a letter of recommendation, but we must have a letter
from a Federation leader who is familiar with you.
2. You must write a letter to the Kenneth Jernigan Fund committee
expressing the reasons why you want a scholarship. Describe your
participation in the Federation and what you think you would get and give
to the convention. Please send all information to Allen Harris, 5209
Sterling Glen Drive, Pinson, Alabama 35126, or email the information to
<allen.harris@dwx.com> or <joy.harris@dwx.com>.
3. You must register for and attend the entire convention, including the
banquet.
What else must I do to insure that my application will be considered?
      We must receive all of the following:
1. Your full name
2. Your address
3. Your telephone numbers (home, business, cell)
4. Your email address (if you have one)
5. Your state president's name and the name of your local chapter, if you
attend one
      All applications must be received by April 14, 2011.
How do I get my scholarship funds?
      You will get a debit card at the convention loaded with the amount of
your scholarship award. The times and locations to pick up your debit card
will be listed in the notice you receive if you are a scholarship winner.
The committee is not able to provide funds before the convention, so work
with your chapter and state affiliate to assist by advancing funds you can
pay back when you receive your scholarship.
When will I know if I have been selected as a Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship
winner?
      The committee makes every effort to notify scholarship winners by May
15, but you must do several things to be prepared to attend if you are
chosen:
1. You must make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from
attending, you can cancel your reservation.
2. You will receive a letter with the convention details which should
answer many of your questions. It is also helpful to find a mentor from
your chapter or affiliate to act as a friend and advisor during the
convention. Although you will not know officially whether or not you have
been selected until mid-May, you must make plans to attend and then adjust
your plans accordingly.
      This past summer in Dallas the Jernigan Fund scholarship committee
awarded seventy Kenneth Jernigan Scholarships. The average grant was $600.
You can include in your letter to the committee any extenuating
circumstances which the committee may choose to take into consideration.
Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first convention and
join several thousand other blind Federationists in the most important
meeting of the blind in the world.
      If you have questions or need additional information, call Allen
Harris at (205) 520-9979 or email him at <allen.harris@dwx.com>. You may
also email Joy Harris at <joy.harris@dwx.com>. We look forward to seeing
you in Orlando.
                                 ----------
                                   Recipes

      This month's recipes have been provided by Robert Kelly, treasurer of
the National Federation of the Blind of Alabama and president of its
Montgomery chapter. He operates three dining halls on a military base.
These dishes are personal favorites that he often takes to family
gatherings.

                                Rainbow Salad

Ingredients:
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 small carton sour cream

      Method: Combine all ingredients and mix gently. Chill for one to two
hours before serving.
                                 ----------
                            Three-Vegetable Dish

Ingredients:
1 can French-cut green beans
1 can lima beans
1 can English peas
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Dash Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 3 boiled eggs, diced

      Method: Combine green beans, lima beans, and peas in a saucepan and
bring to a boil. Simmer for fifteen minutes and drain. Combine remaining
ingredients to make the sauce and toss with the vegetables before serving.
                                 ----------
                           Twenty-Minute Spaghetti

Ingredients:
1 pound thin spaghetti, uncooked
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2 8-ounce cans tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

      Method: Cook spaghetti according to package directions and drain.
Meanwhile brown meat in skillet, breaking it into small chunks with the
back of a spoon. Add tomato sauce, water, and spices. Simmer over low heat
for five minutes. Transfer cooked spaghetti into a large bowl and add the
sauce to serve.
                                 -----------
                                Baked Chicken

Ingredients:
2 whole chicken breasts
1/2 stick margarine
1 can condensed cream of celery soup
Salt and pepper to taste

      Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken, skin side up, on
large piece of foil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and dot with margarine.
Pour celery soup over chicken and wrap it tightly. Place on broiler pan and
cook for forty-five minutes. Open foil to expose chicken and bake another
thirty minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4
                                 ----------
                              Mexican Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup cream style corn
2 small jalapeno peppers, chopped

      Method: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a
large bowl and cook in a greased baking dish for thirty minutes or until a
toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Serve hot.
                                 ----------
                                 Pound Cake

Ingredients:
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup shortening
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

      Method: Cream butter, shortening, and sugar until smooth and light.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk and
flour alternately a little at a time. Add vanilla and lemon extracts. Fold
in baking powder last. Grease and flour an angel food cake pan. Carefully
pour batter into pan and place in a cold oven. Turn the temperature to 350
degrees. Bake for one-and-a-quarter hours. Do not open the oven during this
time. Let cake cool in the pan. Before removing from pan, run a knife
around center post and outer edge. Invert cake on a rack or cake plate.
When completely cool, wrap tightly till ready to serve.
                                 ----------
                                 Fruit Punch

Ingredients:
2 3-ounce packages cherry Jell-O
4 cups water
1 46-ounce can orange juice, chilled
1 46-ounce can pineapple juice, chilled
1 32-ounce bottle ginger ale, chilled
1 cup sugar

      Method: Mix hot water with Jell-O and sugar. Cool mixture to room
temperature. Just before serving, mix liquid Jell-O and juices. Pour the
ginger ale into the punch bowl slowly along the edge. Gently stir to mix
well.
                                 ----------
                             Monitor Miniatures

      News from the Federation Family

Elected:
      The Omaha Chapter of the NFB of Nebraska has elected a new slate of
officers. We have large dreams, strong intentions, and great talent. Our
new board consists of president, Robert Leslie Newman; first vice
president, Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter; second vice president, Carol
Jenkins; secretary, Sandy Alvarado; treasurer, Ross Pollpeter; and board
members, Bob Burns, Debbie Jensen, Chad Weber, and Henry Vetter.

Braille Books Available:
      Ever go to a store and see the children's book you wanted and find
yourself wishing that book were in Braille? Well, wish no more. Beulah
Reimer Legacy, (BRL), has many of the most popular children's picture books
such as Clifford, Corduroy, Curious George, Disney Princesses, Dora, and
the Berenstain Bears in Braille at affordable prices. BRL's mission is to
increase Braille literacy and reading opportunities by placing Braille in
the hands of eager readers. Whether you are a child who wants Braille books
that she doesn't have to return to the library; a blind parent,
grandparent, or other blind adult who wants to share a book with a child;
or a teacher of the visually impaired, BRL is dedicated to meeting your
Braille needs.
      All of our books are Brailled with clear plastic strips placed on top
of the printed text. Our books are shipped free of charge. Please allow two
weeks for delivery. BRL accepts checks, money orders, and purchase orders.
We also accept payment online using PayPal.
      To request the most recent booklist, place an order, or receive more
information about BRL, contact April Enderton, 7758 Southeast 36th Street,
Des Moines, Iowa 50320; phone (515) 282-0049; email
<endertona@wildblue.net>; Website <www.beulahreimerlegacy.com>. Happy
reading in 2011.

New Chapter:
      Larry Keeler reports that Ann Arbor, Michigan, now has a new chapter
of the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan. Elections were held on
January 8, 2011, at Pizza Pino's. The officers are president, Terri Wilcox;
vice president, Nick Wilcox; secretary, Larry Keeler; and treasurer, Morry
Nathan.

                                  In Brief

      Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor
readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we
have edited only for space and clarity.

2011 Hall of Fame Nominations Now Being Accepted:
      Who should be the next inductees into the Hall of Fame for Leaders
and Legends of the Blindness Field? If you are interested in learning more
about the easy electronic process for submitting a nominee to join the
forty-six inductees, visit <www.aph.org/hall_fame/nominate.html>. The
nomination process closes Thursday, March 31.
      The Hall of Fame for Leaders and Legends of the Blindness Field is
dedicated to preserving, honoring, and promoting the tradition of
excellence manifested by the specific individuals inducted into the Hall of
Fame and through the history of outstanding services provided to people who
are blind or visually impaired.
      Visit the Hall of Fame Website and learn more about the Hall and
those honored there <http://www.aph.org/hall_fame/index.html>. If you have
questions, contact Jim Deremeik, chair, Hall of Fame Governing Board, at
<jderemeik@jhmi.edu> or Bob Brasher, Hall of Fame curator, at
<bbrasher@aph.org>.

Coming This Month:
      HeartSight Cards are handmade, print/Braille greeting cards using
layers of patterned and textured papers and decorative buttons, ribbons,
rhinestones, and other embellishments so that they can be enjoyed with both
fingers and eyes. Each card has a simple, occasion-appropriate inside
greeting that can be personalized with your own message. Current categories
include birthday, thank you, kids, thinking of you, love and friendship,
and all occasion. At present there are seventeen different card designs,
and new designs will be added regularly.
      At HeartSight Cards, owner Haley M. Dare believes that everyone
deserves a beautifully designed card. Her cards are appealing to the blind
as well as the sighted and are more than just a tactile shape on a
monochromatic background. The artist combines patterned papers and other
card-making supplies that used together create a lovely, tactile card. A
detailed Braille description is included with each card. HeartSight cards
are mailable and affordable, costing $2 to $3 less than the competition.
Your card order will be sent directly to you or to your special person,
usually within one to three days of order receipt.
      HeartSight Cards was inspired by a special friendship. This friend,
along with others in the National Federation of the Blind, encouraged and
supported Haley when her young son was diagnosed with vision problems.
Therefore she intends to help the NFB further its training and advocacy
services by making a donation of 5 percent of the sale of each card.
      To order, contact HeartSight Cards at 4794 Geneva Avenue, Portage,
Michigan 49024 or phone (269) 779-2216. The email address is
<heartsightcards@att.net>, and the Website address is
<www.heartsightcards.com>.
Because you don't need sight to see into the heart.

Cofounder of Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation Dies:
      On February 2, 2011, the New York Times carried the following
obituary:

               Charles Kaman, Helicopter Innovator, dies at 91
                               by Motoko Rich

      Charles H. Kaman, an innovator in the development and manufacture of
helicopter technology and, following a wholly different passion, the
inventor of one of the first electrically amplified acoustic guitars, died
on Monday in Bloomfield, Connecticut. He was ninety-one. Mr. Kaman, who had
suffered several strokes over the last decade, died of complications of
pneumonia, his daughter, Cathleen Kaman, said. He lived in Bloomfield. Mr.
Kaman (pronounced ka-MAN) was a twenty-six-year-old aeronautical engineer
when he founded the Kaman Aircraft Company in 1945 in the garage of his
mother's home in West Hartford, Connecticut. By the time he retired as
chairman in 2001, he had built the Kaman Corporation into a billion-dollar
concern that distributes motors, pumps, bearings, and other products as
well as making helicopters and their parts. Within the aerospace industry
Mr. Kaman is best known for inventing dual intermeshing helicopter rotors,
which move in opposite directions, and for introducing the gas turbine jet
engine to helicopters. The company's HH-43 Huskie was a workhorse in rescue
missions in the Vietnam War.
      Mr. Kaman, a guitar enthusiast, also invented the Ovation guitar,
effectively reversing the vibration-reducing technology of helicopters to
create a generously vibrating instrument that incorporated aerospace
materials into its rounded back. In the mid-1960s he created Ovation
Instruments, a division of his company, to manufacture it. The Ovation
allows musicians to amplify their sound without generating the feedback
that often comes from using microphones. It was popularized in the late
1960s by the pop and country star Glen Campbell, who played it on his
television show, The Glen Campbell Good Time Hour, and who appeared in
advertisements for the company. A long roster of rock and folk music
guitarists began using it as well.
      With his second wife, Roberta Hallock Kaman, Mr. Kaman founded the
Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, which trains German shepherds as guide dogs
for the blind and the police. Since 1981 Fidelco has placed 1,300 guide
dogs in thirty-five states and four Canadian provinces, said Eliot D.
Russman, the foundation's executive director.
      "It came down to the helicopters, guitars, and dogs," Mr. Kaman's
eldest son, C. William Kaman II, said in a telephone interview. In addition
to his daughter Cathleen, an artist who is known professionally as Beanie
Kaman, and his son William, Mr. Kaman is survived by another son, Steven;
four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
      Born on June 15, 1919, in Washington, Charles Huron Kaman was the
only child of Charles William Kaman and Mabel Davis Kaman. As a teenager he
loved building model airplanes from balsa wood and tissue paper and flying
them in indoor competitions. He had once hoped to be a professional pilot
but abandoned that ambition because he was deaf in his right ear. He
received his bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from the
Catholic University of America in 1940. After graduating, he went to work
at Hamilton Standard Propeller Corporation, a unit of United Aircraft. He
soon met Igor Sikorsky, another pioneer in helicopter design, who ran
United's helicopter division and who inspired Mr. Kaman to begin developing
his own parts. One of his first inventions was the servo-flap, which could
be added to the edges of a rotor blade to help stabilize a helicopter. But
one of his greatest contributions was to introduce jet engines to
helicopters. "It gave them more power," said Walter J. Boyne, chairman of
the National Aeronautic Association and the author of numerous books on
aviation. Helicopters really moved into their own.
      Terry Fogarty, who worked closely with Mr. Kaman for nearly a decade
developing the K-MAX aerial truck, said Mr. Kaman, who developed the first
remote-control helicopter in 1957, envisioned an unmanned cargo helicopter
that would take over the "dull, dirty, and dangerous missions." The company
is developing such a helicopter, based on the K-MAX, and has a contract to
deploy it to the Marine Corps for use in Afghanistan.
      Mr. Kaman married Helen Sylvander in 1945; they divorced in 1971.
Later that year he married Roberta Hallock, who died last year. Ms. Kaman
recalled her father strumming different versions of the Ovation in a studio
at home, trying to figure out how deep or shallow to make the rounded back
to produce the best sound. "That was his big gift to the three of us," she
said. When he would come home, he would play guitar.

Free Home Fire Safety Booklets Available:
      We have large quantities of our free large-print, regular-print, and
Spanish editions of "Home Fire Safety For People who are Blind/Low Vision."
If state conventions or other organizations would like copies in quantity
of any of these versions, please email Jan Lavine at <JLavine@osufpp.org>.

Summer Camp Sessions for the Blind:
      Announcing the twenty-ninth Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind four
one-week adult vacation programs and four-day family get-away. Mark your
calendar: Adult High Adventure I: July 16-22, Adult Adventure II: July 25-
31, Adult Friends and Alumni: August 5-11, Adult Moderate Adventure: August
15-21, and Family Get-Away: August 25-28. The Oral Hull Park's twenty-three-
acre campus is located in the foothills of Mt. Hood, Oregon. The average
summer temperature is in the low eighties. The costs are adventure I or II,
$450; moderate adventure, $425; and friends and alumni, $395. Free round-
trip transportation provided to the Portland Airport. Payment plans are
available.
      If you are new to the Oral Hull Foundation for the Blind or are a
returning participant, feisty or shy, artistic or athletic, an adventurer
or one who just wants to sit in our formal gardens or fourteen-seat spa and
relax in the company of friends, you do not want to miss our 2011 season-a
summer of excellence.
      Registration is now open for all of our 2011 summer vacation
programs. Oral Hull's four one-week adult sessions provide high-quality
programs and activities that appeal to a wide array of tastes. This summer
participants will dine on fine cookery, enjoy ideal weather, and have a
choice of participating in traditional summer experiences with plenty of
opportunities for exciting adventure activities, including whitewater
rafting, windsurfing, skydiving (additional fee), horseback riding,
archery, hiking, rock climbing, swimming, and more. Last year our
participants came from across the United States and beyond, enjoying a few
weeks of activity, peer support, and personal growth. As described by one
participant from the Midwest, "An Oral Hull is something all blind
individuals with an interest in living life to the fullest should
experience." For information about Oral Hull's summer programs, year-round
weekend retreats, and other special events, contact Jeff Lann, executive
director, (503) 668-5195, email <oralhull@teleport.com>, Website
<Oralhull.org>.

Refurbished Braillewriters:
      In an effort to promote Braille literacy, AT Guys is pleased to offer
refurbished, like-new Perkins Braille writers. All Braillers are thoroughly
examined and refurbished by an experienced technician and come with a one-
year warranty against defects. The cost is $299, including shipping by Free
Matter. Money orders and all major credit cards are accepted. For more
information or to place an order, call (269) 216-4798 or visit
<http://www.atguys.com>.

Descriptive Videos Available:
      Now you can enjoy 150 movies with added audio information on the
soundtrack making it easier for visually impaired people to know what is
going on in the movie. The movies are on VHS and DVD. Call Ken Mann at
(972) 530-2949 for information and a print or audio-cassette list of the
movies available. A contribution of $25 gets you started on years of
enjoyment. This service is provided by the Texas Center for the Visually
Challenged, 3101 High Plateau, Garland, Texas 75044; (214) 340-6328.

Music Lessons by Ear:
      Learn to play your favorite musical instrument without having to read
printed or Braille music. At Bill Brown's Music for the Blind there are
beginner courses for over a dozen instruments, including piano, guitar,
harmonica, violin, banjo, saxophone, and flute. These courses are taught
totally by ear in all-audio format so there is no print or Braille to read.
Each course contains at least four tapes or CDs and costs as little as $39.
As well as these beginner courses, over eight-hundred individual song
lessons are taught in the same all-audio format. These individual lessons
start at only $11.95 each. For more information go to the Website at
<www.MusicfortheBlind.com> or call (888) 778-1828.

[PHOTO CAPTION: Frank Kurt Cylke]
Frank Kurt Cylke Honored:
      In a tribute to the advent of digital Talking Books and players for
blind and physically handicapped readers--and to the man who ushered in the
new medium-Braille Institute Library Services (BILS), Los Angeles,
presented the first Frank Kurt Cylke Digital Platinum Awards during its
annual open house on October 22, 2010. BILS director Henry C. Chang and
Open House Committee Chair Tina Herbison presented Cylke, director of the
National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS),
Library of Congress, with his own Digital Platinum Award "for thirty-seven
years of unwavering leadership and commitment to the blind and visually
impaired communities throughout the United States."
      The new award recognizes the NLS transition from cassette books and
machines to digital Talking Books on flash memory cartridges and two models
of digital player. "I thank Dr. Chang and the Braille Institute Library
Services for the recognition," says Cylke. "But the real reward is seeing
the joyful reception of this new equipment by blind and physically
handicapped readers."
      The Digital Platinum Award, which replaces the BILS Golden Cassette
Award, is given to individuals and organizations who are standouts in the
library community. Congratulations to Kurt Cylke for this well-deserved
honor.

New Website for Disabled Travelers:
      People with visual handicaps can now plan their trips while exploring
a broad range of travel opportunities at <http://www.i-can-travel.com>. The
site is designed to serve a huge and growing American market. According to
the most recent U.S. Census Bureau figures, 51.2 million people report some
level of disability, and for 32.5 million of them the disability is
considered severe. This number will only rise as the US population ages.
But the numbers alone do not explain the impetus of the new site. Marlene
Wechselblatt, who has MS and uses a wheelchair, put it this way: "There's a
common belief that people with disabilities can't do very much, but we know
that's simply not true. We created this new site to promote creative
thinking, expand travel options, and live as free from our disabilities as
we can. All visitors will receive up-to-date information about all aspects
of traveling with disabilities, including a directory of resources. Members
will discover exciting ways to enjoy the world and will share their own
experiences and knowledge to help others make their travels easier and more
meaningful."
      NFB Members can join free of charge when they sign up for a free
eBook, 10 Hidden Gems. Among the sites listed: a small fishing village in
Ecuador, a town in Nova Scotia near the Bay of Fundy, an ancient mountain
resort town, and a university town in the midwestern US guarded by a black
angel. NFB members are also invited to contribute guest posts to Steve
Wechselblatt at <i-can-travel.com> about their experiences traveling or
advice for other sight-impaired travelers. An ebook on mini-vacations in
the US in 2011 is also available on the site.
                                 ----------
                                 NFB Pledge
      I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National
Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for
the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to
abide by its constitution.

