Dear Students:
Greetings from the National Association of Blind Students (NABS)! The spring
semester is well on its way, and by now, you are all anxiously awaiting the
last days of school! For those of you who will be graduating from high school
or college, congratulations and best wishes on your next adventure! To the rest
of you, hang on! Summer is almost here, and you will get a well-deserved break!
NABS has been busy over the past year. Last spring, we participated in a conference
at Ohio State University, where we presented on the rights and responsibilities
of blind students in relation to Disabled Student Services offices. Because
we received such a positive response from that conference, we have been researching
other similar opportunities. Next fall, we will be presenting to the AHEAD conference,
sponsored by the leading professional organization for individuals who work
with people with disabilities in higher education. By participating in such
events, we have the opportunity to help disability professionals understand
the perspective of blind students, as well as share with them best practices
for working with blind students.
Along the same lines, NABS is continuing to work on the development of a student
manual that will outline best practices for both blind students and disability
professionals. The intent of this handbook is to help blind students better
understand their rights and responsibilities when dealing with entities such
as Vocational Rehabilitation and Disabled Student Services offices. It is also
meant to give professionals a better idea of how to work with blind students,
as well as how to best support blind students on their way to success.
In February, the National Association of Blind Students held its annual student
seminar in Washington, D.C. The seminar focused on charting a successful future.
Anil Lewis delivered an outstanding banquet address, and all of the presenters
on the agenda provided sound, practical advice. During the seminar, Recording
for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D) had a surprise for us! Everyone who was
in the meeting room that was a member of RFB&D, a member of NABS, and a
current student was given a voucher for a free digital book player. We want
to thank RFB&D for their generosity, and we would like to thank all of those
who supported the student division by donating items or funds to the NABS auction!
Now that Washington Seminar is behind us, it is time to look ahead to the NFB
national convention that will be taking place in Louisville, Kentucky. NABS
will conduct its annual division meeting on Sunday, July 3, 2005 from 7:00 P.M.
to 10:00 P.M. Registration is $5.00 and will begin at 6:00 P.M. We will also
be hosting Monte Carlo Night on Wednesday, July 6 from 8:00 P.M. until midnight.
Come network with other students, gather great information, and support the
student division!
In addition to all of these endeavors, the National Association of Blind Students
continues to host the NABS-L listserv, where students from across the country
can discuss pertinent issues on-line. We are also in the process of updating
and revamping our website, so keep visiting us to see the changes we are making.
As always, we are taking submissions for our next publication of The Student
Slate, and we welcome you to share your experiences as a blind student with
us! I would like to give special thanks to Allison Hilliker and Kimberly Aguillard
for helping to edit this issue of the Slate, as well as to those who submitted
articles. The members of NABS are working diligently to better the lives of
all blind students, and we hope you will continue to join us in our efforts!
Warmest Regards,
Angela Wolf
President, National Association of Blind Students