Future Reflections
The National Federation of the Blind Magazine for Parents and Teachers of Blind Children
Vol. 26, No. 4 Convention Report 2007
Barbara Cheadle, Editor
ISSN-0883-3419
Copyright © 2007 National Federation of the Blind
For more information
about blindness and children contact:
National Organization of Parents of Blind Children
1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, MD 21230
(410) 659-9314, ext. 2360
www.nfb.org/nopbc • nfb@nfb.org • bcheadle@nfb.org
CONTENTS
Vol. 26, No. 4 Convention Report 2007
BULLETINS
Dallas Site of 2008 Convention
FREE--Special Issues of Future Reflections
REPORTS FROM ATLANTA
Convention 2007 Photo Report
by Seth Lamkin
NOPBC 2007 Annual Meeting
by Carrie Gilmer
Another Braille Book Flea Market Success
by Peggy Chong
A Promise for Tomorrow, Help for Today
by Elizabeth Frampton, Bonnie Lucas, Kim Cunningham, and Leticia Flores
FEATURE
Expanding the Limits: The Uncertainty of Exploration
by Marc Maurer, President, National Federation of the Blind
COMING EVENTS
Come Celebrate with Us!
by Carol Castellano
March for Independence: Dallas, 2008
EDUCATION AND LITERACY
Braille Readers Always Ignite Learning and Living for Everyone
by Sister Margaret Fleming
A Declaration of Equality
by Fredric K. Schroeder
Taking Up the Braille Challenge
by Leslie Stocker
Braille Readers Are Leaders 2007-2008
by Barbara Cheadle
The Inside Scoop on the NFB Youth Slam
by Mary Jo Thorpe
JOB TALK
Jobs for the Future: A Panel Discussion
Piano Tuning: A Good Career That Doesn’t Require a College Degree
by Albert Sanchez
AWARDS
2007 Distinguished Educator of the Year
by Sharon Maneki
2007 NFB Scholarship Class
NFB Scholarship Applications Now Available
ODDS AND ENDS
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the NOPBC
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For thousands of parents and friends of blind children, PARENT POWER means membership in the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. The NOPBC is a national membership organization that provides vital support, encouragement, training, and information about blindness to members and to the broader community. As an affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind, the NOPBC is a bridge that connects families to blind role models and mentors. NOPBC is also a vehicle for expanding resources for parents, changing public attitudes about blindness, and creating greater opportunities for blind and visually impaired kids everywhere. Your NOPBC membership matters. NOPBC is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
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It is time to begin planning for the 2008 convention of the National Federation of the Blind. This year we are returning to Dallas and the beautiful Hilton Anatole Hotel, site of the 2006 convention.
Once again our hotel rates are the envy of all. For the 2008 convention they are singles, doubles, and twins, $61; and triples and quads, $66. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 15 percent. No charge will be made for children fifteen and under in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested. Please note that as of November 1, 2007, the hotel became a no-smoking facility.
For 2008 convention room reservations you should write directly to the Hilton Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75207, or call (214) 761-7500. The hotel will want a deposit of $60 or a credit card number. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card immediately, just as would be the case with a $60 check. If a reservation is cancelled prior to June 1, 2008, $30 of the $60 deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.
Guest-room amenities include cable television, coffee pot, iron and ironing board, hair dryer, and high-speed Internet access—this last for a fee. Guests can also enjoy one indoor and two outdoor pools as well as a fully equipped health club and tennis courts.
The Hilton Anatole has six restaurants, several bars, and even a disco. Nana, open only for dinner, offers a five-star dining experience with panoramic views of the city and prices to match. La Esquina Restaurant and Tequila Bar, with luncheon buffets and full dinners, offers south-of-the-border fare with a Texas flair. At Common Ground in the atrium you will find light breakfast and lunch fare. The Rathskeller Sports Bar provides a basement hideaway for lunch or dinner. The Gossip Bar is open for light breakfasts and lunch and is an evening hot spot. The Terrace is an open-air café open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. See later issues of the Monitor for information about tours and other attractions in the Greater Dallas/Ft. Worth area.
The 2008 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will be a truly exciting and memorable event, with an unparalleled program and rededication to the goals and work of our movement. Make plans now to be a part of it. The schedule this year is a departure from what many of us think of as the usual one. Preconvention seminars for parents of blind children and other groups and set-up of the exhibit hall will take place on Sunday, June 29, and adjournment will be Saturday, July 5, at 5:00 p.m. Convention registration and registration packet pick-up for those who registered online will begin on Monday, June 30, and both Monday and Tuesday will be filled with meetings of divisions and committees, including the Tuesday morning annual meeting, open to all, of the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind.
Immediately following the NFB March for Independence—the Walk for Equality to Victory Plaza, the general convention sessions will begin on Wednesday, July 2, and continue through the afternoon of Saturday, July 5. The annual banquet will take place on Friday evening, July 4. To assure yourself a room in the headquarters hotel at convention rates, you must make reservations early. The hotel will be ready to take your call or deal with your written request by January 1.
Remember that as usual we need door prizes from state affiliates, local chapters, and individuals. Once again prizes should be small in size but large in value. Cash, of course, is always appropriate and welcome. As a general rule we ask that prizes of all kinds have a value of at least $25 and not include alcohol. Drawings will occur steadily throughout the convention sessions, and you can anticipate a grand prize of truly impressive proportions to be drawn at the banquet. You may bring door prizes with you or send them ahead of time (identifying the item and donor and listing the value in print and Braille) to Denise Hopper, 3726 Dutton Drive, Dallas, Texas 75211, phone (214) 339-3697.
The best collection of exhibits featuring new technology; meetings of our special interest groups, committees, and divisions; memorable tours arranged by the Texas affiliate; the most stimulating and provocative program items of any meeting of the blind in the world; the chance to renew friendships in our Federation family; and the unparalleled opportunity to be where the real action is and where decisions are being made—all of these mean you will not want to miss being a part of the 2008 national convention. We’ll see you in Dallas in 2008.
“Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information on it.” – Samuel Johnson
While many find that the variety found in the pages of an issue of Future Reflections is one of its key components, sometimes focusing on a particular genre or issue can provide the greatest information and clarity. To that end, occasionally Future Reflections will release a special issue on a particular topic or area of interest.
Due to their popularity we have ordered larger quantities of these issues than of their regular counterparts. If you, or someone you know, would like to obtain either one or a number of these issues, please contact the NFB Independence Market at <IndependenceMarket@nfb.org>; by phone at (410) 659-9314, ext. 2216; or by fax at (410) 685-2340. Shipping and handling fees may apply to large orders.
If you have any questions about the publication, contact Parent Outreach at <parentoutreach@nfb.org>; by phone at (410) 659-9314, ext. 2361; or by mail at Parent Outreach, 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230.
Here are the current selections with order numbers in parentheses:
Volume 14, Number 2: Special Issue for Children and Youth (F1402)—also available
in Braille!
Volume 17, Number 3: Multiple Disabilities (F1703)
Volume 23, Number 2: The Early Years (F2302)
Volume 24, Number 3: Low Vision and Blindness (F2403)
Volume 26, Number 2: Sports, Fitness, and Blindness (F2602)
Since all of our issues are available in print and on cassette tape, please be sure to specify which version you would like. Please note that Volume 14, Number 2 is the only issue for which Braille is available.
by Seth Lamkin
The following photos and descriptions provide an overview of just some of the many activities, speakers, and events of the 2007 NFB National Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Obviously, the majority of the summary will center around the NOPBC agenda, but other highlights from the NFB activities as a whole cannot possibly be overlooked. It is an exciting week, packed with so much that we would be remiss if we did not point our readers to a full overview of the convention in the August/September 2007 issue of the Braille Monitor. The issue is available free of charge through the NFB Independence Market by calling (410) 659-9314, extension 2216, and it is also available on the NFB Web site at <www.nfb.org/nfb/Braille_Monitor.asp>.
The NFB convention lasts roughly one week each year—the 2007 edition beginning on Saturday, June 30: Seminar Day. A few pages can hardly contain what was accomplished this week, but with so much to see and do, what better place to begin than the beginning.
Saturday, June 30
Ready or not, registration for the 2007 NOPBC Seminar lasts from 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. as parents and their children gather outside of a conference hall at the Marriott Atlanta Marquis. Once everyone is equipped for the week—agendas, literature, and children in-hand, the program begins with the usual warm welcome by the president of the NOPBC, Barbara Cheadle, followed by Kid Talk with NFB President Maurer. Kid Talk, in its now annual form, takes place seated on the floor of the conference room, where Dr. Maurer and the children in the room gather to talk about blindness and just about anything else flooding into the youngest minds at convention.
After the laughter dies down (kids really will say the “darndest” things), our keynote speaker takes the stage. This year, Lisamaria Martinez, president of the Sports and Recreation Division of the NFB talks about her experiences growing up as a huge sports fan who just happens to be blind. She speaks of her experiences with judo, a sport which has taken her most recently to the International Blind Sports Association World Championships and Parapan American Games in Brazil—where we are happy to report that Lisamaria has taken home a silver medal. She also encourages parents and children alike to not be afraid to get out and stay active—to not be limited by others’ low expectations.
Following a panel discussion, children and teens depart for their own age-appropriate sessions or, for the youngest attendees, NFB Camp. NFB Camp is an opportunity for children age six weeks through ten years of age to enjoy games and activities while under the NFB Camp staff’s supervision. Carla McQuillan, executive director of Main Street Montessori Association and a longtime NFB leader, supervises the camp.
The parent’s portion continues with a speech by the 2007 Distinguished Educator of Blind Children, Sister Margaret Fleming, principal of St. Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments in Philadelphia. Her words of encouragement and inspiration are reprinted elsewhere in this issue.
The afternoon continues with workshops for parents and children alike, with a variety of topics and activities available to suit everyone’s interests and needs. One such workshop lead by cane travel expert and author Joe Cutter explains best practices and common misconceptions in orientation and mobility instruction.
For a parent/child combination activity, families can look to the Tai Chi for Toddlers activity. Eridan Monteiro and her daughter, Maria Louisa, age 4, (Georgia), learn that positive movement and focused energy not only stimulates the body, but also the mind.
A workshop entitled “Demystifying Chemistry” attracts the attention of those at the middle and high school level. Led by Andrew Greenberg and Cary Supalo, this activity demonstrates that the challenges and rewards of learning chemistry can be accessible to blind kids as well as their sighted peers. Stephen Toth, age 10, (Louisiana) uses a sensor to determine the color of a solution as Cary Supalo looks on.
Even those of the furred and feathered variety find their way onto our seminar agenda. MarChe Daughtry, age 9, (Virginia), attends a workshop on pets and pet care where, among other hands-on activities, she gets to pet a parakeet, or “budgee” as native Australian Heather Fields calls her favorite pets. Many blind children are held back from common household chores because of low expectations and fear. It may seem simple, but learning that they can take care of the family pet is another way in which blind children can learn independence and confidence.
Sunday, July 1
On Sunday, many take the opportunity to visit the exhibit hall and view the
latest products available to the blind and deaf-blind. Quite often we find that
the tried and true practical products, such as a cane, are the most necessary
and therefore draw the biggest crowds. Brianna McDowell, age 12, (Georgia),
tests one of the display canes before deciding on a purchase.
Technology makes a grand appearance as HumanWare, Freedom Scientific, and many
others put on an enormous showcase of their devices. Kayleigh Joiner, age 15,
and Kim Cunningham, (Texas), look on as Jim Halliday from HumanWare displays
myReader™ 600—a text magnification and reading device.
While shoppers make their trips to the exhibit hall, others find Sunday to be
an excellent time for other activities. The Affiliate Action Department of the
NFB sponsors a Division Expo, where members learn and network with other members
who share similar characteristics or interests. The Sports and Recreation Division
promotes recreation and fitness by putting on an arm-wrestling tournament where
members can test their mettle in matches throughout the day.
Now an annual event, the NOPBC Cane Walk is a time for instructors to pair-up
with children to introduce them to the benefits of the long white cane, as well
as various mobility techniques. Here instructor Darick Williamson of Louisiana
walks with a young boy under sleep shades to demonstrate that even without residual
vision, the cane is the ultimate tool for travel in any environment.
Monday, July 2
More NOPBC Seminar activities continue on Monday, including a workshop led by
Sandy Dunnam, an early childhood specialist from Louisiana. Here, Sandy speaks
to parents of multiply disabled children about the power of Active Learning
techniques and materials that stimulate young minds and bodies towards positive
development.
On Monday evening, the Braille Book Flea Market attracts huge crowds to an impressive
display of free Braille materials. It’s always a family affair, with many parents
holding outstretched arms to take the stacks of books their young Braille readers
pick through. J.W. Frampton, age 8, (Rhode Island), sorts through a stack while
his father, John, tries to keep up.
Nathan Clark, age 8, (California), a winner in the 2007 Braille Readers Are
Leaders Contest, continues his passion for reading while browsing through the
selections at the flea market (his mother Lorelei might need to make several
trips to drop off all of his choices at the shipping station). Nathan read 1,789
Braille pages over a period of three months to place in the top ten in the first
and second grade category.
Ahbee Orton, age 7, (Texas), another 2007 Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
winner, is also a patron of the Braille Book Flea Market. Ahbee read 2,609 Braille
pages during the contest to place at the top of her first and second grade category.
The all inclusive Braille Book Flea Market welcomes not only the younger readers,
but Braille readers of all ages. Here, Linda Anderson (Colorado) reads through
a few titles before taking her picks to the volunteers to be shipped home. From
popular fiction titles to cookbooks, dictionaries, and even encyclopedia selections,
the Braille Book Flea Market contains as much variety as the crowd that frequents
it.
Tuesday, July 3
Talk of the first ever NFB March for Independence continued unabated for months
both prior to and after the momentous event. At 7:00 a.m., hundreds of blind
and sighted participants gather outside of the hotel to draw attention and raise
money for the efforts of the NFB and its members.
Walking through the streets of Atlanta, marchers who spent the previous months
raising money from individual sponsors now enthusiastically pronounce their
independence in front of several media outlets and the city of Atlanta. With
a lead banner for the March on display, members from each state carry their
own signs to designate their state and its participation and support for the
March.
The young and less young alike raise money and march in the five kilometer demonstration from the hotel to Centennial Olympic Park, then back to the hotel for the start of the 2007 NFB National Convention. Here Ron Gardner (Utah), Megan Palmer, age 10, (Utah), and Adam Palmer, age 8, (Utah), stop to take in the sounds of the 2007 March for Independence.
After the excitement of the March and opening session has become somewhat subdued,
it’s back to seminar sessions and activities. A special session entitled “Hobbies,
Crafts, and Games” allows parents a chance to actively participate with their
children in various projects, including making a dream-catcher or playing board
games. Here, session leader Corinne Vieville works with Camille Blair (Utah)
and Stephen Toth, age 10, (Louisiana) to create beaded jewelry.
Wednesday, July 4
On our nation’s birthday, what’s more American than cars? A hands-on exhibit
and demonstration of automobile engines, tools, and miscellaneous parts, “What
You ‘Auto’ Know” is an excellent way for blind children to explore an area that
while captivating to many young minds, is sometimes treated as exclusive to
the sighted. Kayla Harris, (Maryland), uses the opportunity to feel the treads
of a tire brought by the event’s co-sponsors, the NFB CARS Division.
Ben Smith, like many boys his age, gravitates towards the all mighty toolbox
and the symbols of manhood therein. While a member of the NFB CARS Division
explains the various tools and their uses, Ben is allowed to tactilely investigate
any of the materials that would inspire his curiosity--independent of a restraining
hand.
In an event cosponsored by the NFB Sports and Recreation Division and Guide
Dogs for the Blind, several find an opportunity to release some energy built
up from that morning’s general session. “Row, Row, Row Your Way to Fitness and
Fun” provides that, as well as an opportunity for NFB Sports and Recreation
Division President Lisamaria Martinez (California) to challenge Daniel Brackett
(Florida) to an impromptu rowing competition. Niko Demartini of the Atlanta
Rowing Club is technically the official judge, but should the unthinkable happen,
is he really going to tell Lisamaria, an international judo medalist, that she
lost?
Thursday, July 5
Each year, the convention banquet is an opportunity for members to put on their
finest attire to gather together for the final night of convention and let everyone
know that they do, in fact, “clean-up nicely.” Once again, attendance for this
popular event is so great that a separate hall is provided for overflow, with
speakers and large video screens allowing everyone to have the best seats in
the house.
Blind violinist Allen Bailey, age 17, performs an excellent classical piece at the start of the banquet festivities and is rewarded with resounding applause from all in attendance. Following Allen’s performance and many others of equal note and skill, awards were presented to various important figures within the Federation and to non-members who have intensely supported its efforts.
The NFB Scholarship Committee always has a difficult job of deciding who will receive the thirty scholarships announced each year at convention. This year, Sachin Pavithran (Utah) receives the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship in the amount of twelve thousand dollars. The full listing of scholarship winners, along with information about next year’s scholarships, can be found elsewhere in this issue.
The presidential banquet address is always an eagerly anticipated experience and this year is no exception. Dr. Maurer’s banquet speech entitled “Expanding the Limits: The Uncertainty of Exploration” prompts many to consider the missteps of many so-called blindness professionals and take pride in the accomplishments and goals of the National Federation of the Blind.
Friday, July 6
With Friday being the closing day of the convention, the annual Pre-Authorized Check (PAC) Plan awards were handed out to two affiliates and a division of the NFB. Dr. Michael Gosse, president of the Maryland affiliate, is given the PAC Rat for the state with the most PAC additions and donation increases during convention. Barbara Cheadle, president of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children, is given the PAC Mule as the division with the most PAC additions and donation increases. Ron Brown, president of the Indiana affiliate, receives the PAC-iderm for being the affiliate to achieve the highest percentage increase on its PAC plans during the convention period. These honors, literally animating the proceedings, signify the commitment of members to their organization as well as a healthy commitment to competition and youthful exuberance.
At the end of a week full of inspiration, education, and occasionally perspiration, convention attendees make their way back to their respective homes, no doubt tired but intensely motivated. So, did this week sound like something you’d like to be a part of? Check out the convention bulletin found elsewhere in this issue for more information about registration, hotel rates, and more for the 2008 NFB National Convention in Dallas, Texas. And who knows, maybe two-year-old Chase Creer (Utah) will save you a seat.
by Carrie Gilmer, Secretary
In beautiful Atlanta, Georgia, on the afternoon of June
30, 2007, the twenty-forth annual business meeting of the NOPBC took place.
Officers present were President Barbara Cheadle, Maryland; First Vice President
Carol Castellano, New Jersey; Second Vice President Brad Weatherd, Wyoming;
Secretary Carrie Gilmer, Minnesota; and Treasurer Sandy Taboada; Louisiana.
Board members present were Maria Garcia, New York; Kevin Harris, Maryland; Debby
Brackett, Florida; Barbara Mathews, California; and Stephanie Kieszak-Holloway,
Georgia.
We were very pleased to have nearly one hundred members and guests in attendance at the meeting. The treasurer’s report as given by Sandy Taboada was approved by acclamation. The secretary’s report was deferred to the upcoming board meeting. A variety of announcements about activities at the convention and upcoming NOPBC programs were made. Especially exciting was an announcement about an effort to work with the leadership of Boy Scouts of America to improve the possibilities for more blind children to become involved in scouting. It was also announced with great pleasure that the next annual meeting of NOPBC would mark our twenty-fifth anniversary as an organization.
One visible sign of the dynamic growth in NOPBC was our decision at this meeting to expand our national NOBPC board by four members, bringing the total on the board to ten members plus the five officers. We have so many good, new leaders that we felt the need to take advantage of their energy and creative ideas. Also, by expanding the board, we broaden our diversity and expand our geographical representation. The decision required a motion to amend the constitution, which was made by First Vice President Carol Castellano, and the vote to pass it was unanimous.
Next on the agenda was elections. Officers are elected every two years and board members every year. Officers were elected in 2006, so only board members were up for reelection this year. Board Member Debby Brackett gave the nominating committee report and thanked her committee members, Carol Castellano, Sandy Taboada, and Brad Weatherd, for their service. The committee’s report was accepted and the following members were nominated to serve another term: Barbara Mathews, Maria Garcia, Stephanie Kieszak-Holloway, and Debby Brackett. The committee also reported nominations for the two open positions vacated by Kevin Harris of Maryland and Cindy Haley of Maine, and for the four newly-created positions. Nominated to these positions were Denise Colton, Utah; Jim Beyer, Montana; David Hammel, Iowa; Elizabeth Frampton, Rhode Island; Pat Renfranz, Utah; and Rose Marie Bowman, Michigan. As each name was brought forward for a vote and other nominations called for, it was clear that the membership overwhelmingly approved of the committee’s work. One by one, each nominee was enthusiastically and loudly elected by acclamation.
Barbara Cheadle thanked the former board members for their service and explained that the practice of the NOPBC is to use some of the national board positions as training for up-and-coming parent leaders. Therefore, we always expect a regular turnover in some of the board member positions to allow new parent leaders an opportunity to develop leadership skills and national recognition. As members go off the board, they usually increase their activity and continue to grow as leaders in their state parent divisions and NFB affiliates.
As the brief business meeting came to a close, President Barbara Cheadle made a special announcement. Reminding us of our decades of growth and movement toward the future, she declared the time had come for someone else to build on the foundation that she has laid and to carry forward the blueprints for the future that she has spent her life working toward; she will not seek reelection in July of 2008. Although President Cheadle felt that her personal mission as president had been fulfilled, she reassured everyone that she was not retiring from the NFB or the NOPBC, and that we will still have access to her passion and expertise. In remarking about the work still to be done, she announced that she would focus her energies by remaining the editor of Future Reflections and in continuing to serve the NFB and NOPBC in outreach and advocacy. She is the director of the Parent Outreach Department of the NFB Jernigan Institute, and she has many ideas and plans to make that department a vital arm of the NFB’s outreach to parents.
As we listened to President Cheadle’s candid sharing of her decision, we all took a deep breath as we thought about the possibilities of new growth, new changes, and of the challenges we face in changing what it means to be blind for our kids; and we felt the excitement of knowing that we have the strength of collective action with which to greet those challenges.
President Cheadle concluded her remarks with a beautiful quote about the role of children and parents from The Prophet by Kahil Gibran, and then called for a motion and the meeting was adjourned. It had been a short business meeting but a productive one full of hope and excitement for the future.
by Peggy Chong
The Braille Book Flea Market is a joint project of the National Association to Promote the Use of Braille (NAPUB) and the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC). It has been an annual event now for six years. Children and parents alike look forward to this opportunity to attend a child-friendly event where they can find quality children's books in Braille for their child. There are no such events in their home communities, and many parents cannot afford to buy Braille storybooks, or certainly cannot buy as many as their children might like to have.
Plans for the Braille Book Flea Market that was held at our national convention in Atlanta, Georgia, this summer began very early in the year. Because our print/Braille storybooks were gone in just a few minutes at the 2006 event, a call went out at the first of the year for print/Braille and young reader books.
The call was answered in many ways. Parents, libraries, and schools thought of us when weeding out their collections, as they always do. But the exciting part for me was that local chapters of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and groups that NFB members belonged to took this on as a project and Brailled countless print/Braille and young reader books for us this year. Many of the transcribed storybooks were new copies made by volunteers who have attended past Braille Book Flea Markets and have seen for themselves how excited the children are about being able to pick out their very own books and take them home to keep! The volunteers who helped unbox the books ooohed and aaahed over the beautiful handmade books before putting them up for display. One special source of books this year was from the children at this year’s convention who attended Gail Wagner’s Braille storybook-making workshop prior to the flea market. Over a dozen books were created and donated from this effort.
Many volunteers, including several students and staff from the Iowa Department for the Blind, showed up at noon to unbox, sort, and set out the tens of thousands of books sent to us in the past several months. UPS assisted us with the gathering and transportation of the books before, during, and after the event.
A line began to form outside the room twenty minutes before the doors opened. Eager parents and children wanted to be the first to look through the collection of books on hand. When the doors opened, the rush of people spread all through the room. Calls of “ Do you have any...” were heard throughout the room. Some families who have done this before got smart. If they were looking for more than one age group, the parents spilt up and scooped up what they could to take to an empty spot in the room to sort by themselves. When books were put back by one family, they were quickly scooped up by another.
Within an hour and fifteen minutes, almost all titles of books were taken from the display tables. It took a bit longer for the line at the tables where the books were shipped and labeled to go down. The hope was that the books could beat the children home. This year, there was nothing left to box up and save for next year.
While the children sorted through their treasures, they were
able to have a bit of supper, too. Hot dogs and lemonade were provided by the
NOPBC. That, too, was gone in short order. It was a great year, and we are already
looking forward to planning another great event in Dallas in 2008.
by Elizabeth Frampton, Bonnie Lucas, Kim Cunningham, and Leticia Flores
Editor’s Note: A Future Reflections convention report is not complete without some personal comments or reflections by parents (especially first-timers) about their experiences. No commentary is needed about the following remarks--these Moms are articulate and their passion for the NFB is unmistakable--but an explanation about the references to the Parent Leadership Program (PLP) may be in order. Funded by the NFB under the Affiliate Action department, this program was launched at the 2006 NFB convention to identify and provide training to potential and up-and-coming parent leaders in the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children. The funding included the cost of attending the 2006 and 2007 NFB National Conventions and expenses to attend the NFB Washington Seminar in January 2007 and 2008. The program consisted of special training sessions in topics such as leadership skills, fundraising, building membership, how to run a meeting, and, of course, lots of philosophy discussions about blindness and the importance of expectations. Two of the following parents, Elizabeth Frampton and Leticia Flores, are members of the 2007 PLP class, and one, Bonnie Lucas, a member of the 2006 class. Here is what they have to say about what the 2007 convention meant to them:
Elizabeth Frampton, President, Rhode Island Parents
of Blind and Visually Impaired Children (RIPBVIC):
I feel like I’m an old hat at advocacy. You see, I have been an advocate for
over eight years in the state of Rhode Island where we have created some pretty
amazing changes in a system that was, and still is, impossibly inflexible. I
have learned so much in the years since my son’s birth and have been proud to
become an advocate for the blind and visually impaired children in my state.
I felt unique and apart most of the time from my friends, associates, and of
course professionals within the educational system. They just didn’t understand
my tireless passion for these children. They didn’t see what I was seeing: the
unlimited possibilities for all our kids. The Atlanta ’07 NOPBC Parent Leadership
Program was my first experience being with a huge family of families like mine.
I met Moms and Dads who cared just as much as I do. I met leaders who are going
to change the way our kids are treated in society and how they are educated.
What a relief to know I am not doing this by myself, and how powerful it is
to be validated by such wonderful people who understand how difficult it is
to exist, day-to-day, while worrying, “Am I doing the right thing?” I left the
NFB convention feeling filled up with hope and a promise for a better tomorrow.
I’m glad to be a part of this very powerful group. Thank you!
Bonnie Lucas, Parent, Georgia:
The hardest part of going to the NOPBC presentations [at the 2007 NFB convention]
was not being able to attend each and every class. I have tried to incorporate
the things I learned at these seminars into our family and lives. This year
I learned some principles that were particularly useful. When I attended Annie
Hartzel’s presentation, All About Your Child’s IEP, and learned about the kinds
of technology and other things parents should expect to receive through the
IEP process, I realized I needed to make a request for a different electronic
notetaker for my daughter. I had made a request before convention and the response,
which came after my return, was a “we’ll have to see,” kind of response. Upon
my return, I wrote another e-mail. This time, I was very complimentary to the
staff while at the same time explaining precisely what Aubrie should have and
why. I informed the technology specialist that I was aware of the low incidence
disability funds, and that I was sure that sighted children would not have to
wait for weeks to get a pencil or pen. To my amazement, I was called before
school began and informed that the administrative and VI staff were in agreement
with my e-mail. Unfortunately, this piece of equipment hasn’t come yet because
of some bureaucratic ordering glitches, but the result of my e-mail did indeed
achieve the desired outcome. Thank you, Annie, for your presentation.
Kim Cunningham, Parent, Texas:
I would just like to take a moment to thank everyone involved for assisting
me and my daughter in attending the 2007 national NFB conference in Atlanta.
As a parent, this was a life-changing experience for me. I feel an even stronger
sense of hope, coupled with determination for my daughter’s future. My daughter,
Kayleigh Joiner, made several new friends and met some inspiring adults. Kayleigh
has always been an outspoken and driven individual; however, she has never felt
a part of any particular group. I believe that she has found a home with the
NFB that confirms her belief about her blindness and her desire not to be pitied
or thought of as disabled.
Leticia Flores, Secretary, Texas Organization of Parents
of Blind Children (ToPBC):
It is hard to believe that as of October 2006, just one year ago, I had never
heard of the NFB, much less NOPBC. As an older couple, Dan and I adopted our
daughter Kayla when she was seven years old. Not knowing anything about blindness,
we were lost; we didn’t know what resources were available to us. The first
couple of years were challenging just having Kayla attend a mainstream school.
We got involved with an organization that was informative, but was somehow lacking
in leadership and unity. One day a friend mentioned something about attending
a Braille is Beautiful conference and suggested I should go. During the conference
I realized everyone who presented and taught was blind. I couldn’t believe it!
First of all, I had never been to a meeting of any kind with so many blind people,
and to see blind people not only participate but conduct a conference without
sighted help was the most amazing thing I had ever encountered. I realized right
there and then this was an organization I wanted to be a part of.
Well, that was a year ago, and since then the Texas Organization of Parents
of Blind Children was formed, of which I am secretary. Being part of NOPBC has
truly been a life-changing experience for me. I love the commitment of this
organization to help and equip parents to be better advocates for our children.
This summer in Atlanta I attended the NFB convention. It was a remarkable experience,
one I will never forget, and the first of many to come. During the convention,
I attended the NOPBC Parent Leadership Program; needless to say, I was very
impressed. I was so motivated to see parent groups from all over the country
come together with the sole purpose of improving the quality of life for our
children. Finally, after seeking organizations to help me--as a parent—to better
equip and teach my daughter, my search was finally over. Not only did I find
the support I was looking for, but also the leadership and unity it takes for
an organization to be strong and successful. There is so much to learn and so
much I want to do for this organization because I know we have a common interest:
to help children live fulfilling, productive, and independent lives. Together
we will make a difference!
An Address Delivered by
Marc Maurer
at the Banquet of the Annual Convention
of the National Federation of the Blind
Atlanta, Georgia
July 5, 2007
Proceeding to a specific location is a journey; progressing
to an unidentified destination is adventure. In other words, if you know where
you’re going, it’s travel; if you don’t, it’s exploration.
Traveling often requires determination, energy, fortitude, and resourcefulness;
but exploration also demands intuition, faith, a tolerance for uncertainty,
the willingness to embrace change, and the recognition that the object being
sought cannot always be defined with precision and will sometimes lead to unpredictable
consequences.
When the exploration is pursued with passion and faith, the process not only produces knowledge but also stimulates the development of the explorers as well. Is exploration a matter of discovery, or is it the process of creation? T. S. Eliot said, “We shall not cease from exploration / And the end of all our exploring / Will be to arrive where we started / And know the place for the first time.”
To accept without criticism the revealed knowledge enunciated by our predecessors is to be frozen in a pattern of the past, although the capacity to build upon discoveries made in former times is one of the elements essential for creating civilization. However, to reject judiciously those thoughts that do not accord with our observations is to express an independent capacity for imagination and judgment and to assert a faith in ourselves. Exploratory endeavors are vital to the development of the pattern of human knowledge, which is a prelude to the attainment of freedom. To explore is to accept tacitly that a body of knowledge remains to be created or discovered.
As Richard Cecil, an Anglican clergyman, said, “The first step towards knowledge is to know that we are ignorant.” Therefore the first step in achieving freedom is to admit a measure of ignorance, to seek intuition, to exhibit courage, and to have faith. The second step is to act within our faith.
One of the more frustrating elements of daily life for the blind is that those we meet very often think they know everything there is to know about blindness. Much of the presumption of knowledge is, of course, incorrect. To break through the wall of preconceived notions about the blind requires persistence, ingenuity, and skill. As the Greek philosopher Epictetus put it almost two thousand years ago, “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”
Added to this frustration is the irritant of theoretically educated arrogance. Sometimes the putative experts in the field of blindness who have received an educational credential or been appointed to positions of prominence believe that they now have the right to tell us, who live with blindness every day, that they know what’s good for us. When we challenge the assumptions of these so-called experts, they seem astonished. They tell us that they have only been thinking of our welfare. When we respond to them that our welfare is our business, not theirs, they seem to believe that we have usurped their authority, belittled their professionalism, and rejected their superior intellectual comprehension of our condition—all with a healthy dose of ingratitude added to our insolence. They never seem to comprehend that they should be listening to us rather than demanding that we listen to them. Yes, I do have somebody in mind—somebody who receives a government check and works in Washington, D. C., but we will return to the Department of Education a little later. In the meantime it is well to remember two ancient sayings attributed to the Chinese, “Rotten wood cannot be carved,” and “An ignorant man is never defeated in an argument.”
Throughout most of history, before the time of the establishment of the National Federation of the Blind, others have told those of us who are blind what we should think, how we should act, how we should feel, and what we should know. But we have accepted the challenge of exploration, we know our minds, and we will follow them. We do not always know precisely what the outcome will be of the explorations we undertake, but we know for certain that we will explore. We are the blind. We will control the development of the pattern of knowledge about us, and our sighted colleagues will welcome us for the joyous people we are. We will seek to increase our knowledge and to expand our own capabilities, and we will share what we learn. We have the faith to trust in our own future; we have the courage to strive for what we aspire to know. We will speak for ourselves with the clarity that comes from experience. Hear us, and believe!
When Dr. Jacobus tenBroek and a few others gathered in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, in 1940 to form our Federation, the principles of our movement were adopted as one of the elements of our founding. We the blind have a right to speak on our own behalf, to create our own destinies, to participate fully in our society on terms of equality with others, to gain an education, to work in the professions and common callings, to establish families, to raise children, to engage in political action, to invent new products, to originate innovative conceptions of thought, and to join in all forms of endeavor available to the citizens of our nation. These principles remain as valid today as they were when first adopted more than six decades ago. However, some of our expectations of our own capabilities have changed.
During an early period of the Federation, some of our leaders believed that blind people could learn as much as the sighted, but that the learning would take longer for the blind than it would for sighted students. Today we would not make such a broad generalization. Some kinds of study do require more time for the blind than may be needed for the sighted. However, many do not. Sometimes blind people are more efficient in the methods used for learning than the sighted are.
In the early days of the Federation, according to Mrs. Hazel tenBroek, the wife of our founding president, many blind people were convinced that they could not adequately raise children. The number of children born to blind parents in those days was smaller than it has come to be today, she said. Also in the early days of the Federation, blind people often traveled by following one another in long trains or lines, each person holding to the shoulder of the person ahead, with a sighted escort in the lead. Although this sometimes still occurs, it is much less common today than it was fifty years ago. A very substantial portion of the blind population expects to learn to travel independently.
In my own case I often travel alone throughout the United States. When I fly to an unfamiliar airport, I walk off the plane and wonder where my connecting gate might be. I expect to travel independently. When I meet the agent outside the jetway door, I ask for directions to the next gate. The agent says, “Wait over here. I’ll get somebody to help you.” Sometimes the agent won’t even tell me the gate number for my connecting flight. When I respond by saying that I want directions, the agent repeats the previous instruction. Once in a while I actually get directions, but not often. After I have been through the question-and-answer exercise two or three times, I abandon the effort to extract information. Usually only two routes are available in departing from an airline gate. I start out in one of them. Very often the gate agent says, “You’re going the wrong way.” I think to myself, “Good, now I know which way to go.”
What I find particularly annoying in these exchanges is that airline personnel assume an attitude of superiority—they believe that they are responsible for me and that I am not. If I move from the place where I have been deposited without their permission, they resent it. They have a procedure, and they want me to follow it, whether it serves my interests or not and whether I like it or not. Because I expect to be responsible for my own behavior and because I object to anybody’s interfering with my freedom of movement, I find myself in conflict with officious airline personnel who think that I should ask permission from them to do virtually anything except breathe. I don’t want the airlines to care for me. I want them to fly the planes and see that my luggage gets there when I do. If I need help, I’ll ask for it, and I’ll expect airline officials to give me full and courteous answers to the questions that I ask.
Of course not all blind people have either the training or the bullheadedness I possess. Many blind travelers will need assistance, which should be freely given. Sometimes I ask for it myself, and, in the early days of my traveling, I assumed that I needed it. Whether a blind person asks for help or not is a matter to be decided by the blind person. Asking for an escort is one of the decisions to be made by a blind person traveling from place to place. That some blind people now decide not to make this choice is an indication that our expectations for ourselves have changed.
I remember the incident that started the transformation—at least for me. A number of us were having a discussion about air travel with Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, the second great president of the National Federation of the Blind. Most of us had been students in the orientation program Dr. Jernigan was then directing in Iowa. We were talking about how blind people get through airports. Some of us maintained the opinion (I was part of this group) that blind people needed escorts; others believed that moving through airports could be approached in much the same way as traveling through city streets—taking cane or dog in hand, the blind traveler seeks out landmarks, asks for directions from individuals along the way, and puts one foot in front of the other. We devised an experiment. During our next excursion through an airport, some of us asked to be escorted by airline personnel, and some of us stepped out on our own. The non-escort group arrived at the departure gate ahead of those who had sought assistance from the airline. This surprised me. I wondered, how did you manage to get this done faster than I did when I had assistance and you did not? One incident does not create a pattern, but it does offer food for thought.
Although our expectations have expanded through the decades, our objectives are clear and unaltered; we expect equality for the blind with all that this implies. Exactly how much more potential exists within blind people depends on our ambition and our imagination. Some would regard this as a frightening thought, but we do not. We do not avoid a challenge; challenge is requisite to progress. The power to decide belongs to us, and we glory in the possibilities we intend to bring into being.
Are blind people as smart as sighted people? A goodly number of articles have been written about a goodly number of studies which purport to shed light on this question. In the July 2004 issue of the Review of Optometry, published by Jobson Publishing, LLC, an article appeared entitled, “Does Cataract Surgery Restore Intelligence?” It says:
The intelligence level of the average adult decreases with age.
The same is true of visual function, which also decreases as we get older. A
review of published literature shows vision impairment corresponds with cognitive
deterioration and aging. So German researchers set out to see whether a link
between the two existed. Specifically, does restricted vision at least partially
explain age-related reduction of intelligence?
The article continues:
The researchers conducted a controlled, longitudinal study among five groups of senior citizens who have cataracts. The participants were divided into two categories, those who would undergo cataract surgery and those who would not. Intelligence testing prior to surgical intervention showed that cataract patients achieved lower than “normal” levels of mental efficiency when compared with the average population.
But a few weeks after IOL [intraocular lens] implantation, these
patients showed statistically significant increases in tested intelligence levels,
while the control group showed no change. The researchers concluded that surgical
removal of cataracts may have a considerable effect on the patient’s (sic) I.Q.”
There you have it. A scientific study has examined the facts. The restoration of vision increases intelligence. The deterioration of vision does the opposite. In the process of becoming blind, human beings also increase in stupidity. Have you noticed your intellect decreasing? But of course, if it is decreasing, you wouldn’t notice.
What a ridiculous bunch of nonsense! How could such a study have been performed? I do not know what testing methodology was employed to reach the astonishing conclusion that those who lose their vision also lose their brains. However, the testers in this so-called scientific study have a great deal to learn, and we intend to do the teaching. Our long-term longitudinal study, based upon the experiences of tens of thousands of blind people, demonstrates conclusively that blindness does not equal lack of intelligence. We say to these so-called scientists, “Meet us on the field of debate. Match your intelligence against ours. Let us devise the study to determine the intellectual prowess of the participants, and we have no doubt of the outcome. Your conclusions are false. However, we have a suggestion for you. When you try again, perhaps you should seek insight about testing blind people from those who have the knowledge to teach you—perhaps you should talk to the blind. If you do, you may get closer to the truth.”
A report dated July 19, 2006, from the Nation, a newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand, gives an account of an incident involving a blind passenger seeking to fly from Thailand to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The passenger involved was a blind person who was refused transportation because he was unaccompanied. Airline officials said that, because they were operating a low-cost service, they did not have personnel to care for the blind passenger. Monthian Buntan, president of the Thailand Association of the Blind, protested the action of the air carrier, declaring that the refusal to accept this passenger was discriminatory. Despite the arguments, the blind passenger was forced to take a different airline.
This report of discriminatory treatment of a blind air traveler (even though it happened less than a year ago) may seem remote. The incident occurred in Thailand, half a world away. The concept of civil rights for the blind has been discussed and pursued in the United States for well over half a century, but in many other nations it is less well known. Monthian Buntan is a very strong advocate for the rights of blind people and is himself blind. However, although he and the other members of the Thailand Association of the Blind have staged public protests to protect the rights of blind people, self-organization of the blind in his country is comparatively recent. Furthermore, a report from so far away might suggest that the blind person in question had little training in the specialized skills and techniques used by the blind or perhaps only limited experience with travel.
The matter is put into perspective when we contemplate the individual who was denied access to air travel. His name is Fred Schroeder. Perhaps a better-trained blind traveler can be found in the world, but Dr. Schroeder possesses a master’s degree in teaching the skills of travel to the blind as well as a doctorate in educational administration. He has directed the New Mexico Commission for the Blind and has served as the Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the federal agency responsible for all rehabilitation in the United States. He has traveled independently all over the world. Fred Schroeder was rejected by an air carrier for only one reason—pure, unadulterated, despicable discrimination based on blindness. It happened in a foreign country, where the writ of American jurisprudence does not run. However, it happened in our world, and it must stop.
Most of the time we in the National Federation of the Blind pursue legislation to protect the rights of the blind in our own country. However, within the past few years we have been participating in the drafting of an International Convention at the United Nations to protect the rights of blind people in all countries. Ironically enough, the person designated to serve as our representative in these negotiations is Dr. Fredric Schroeder. Discrimination does not stop at our borders, and we are seeking partners throughout the world to ensure that legal protection does not either. The voice of the blind will be heard throughout the world, and we will be doing the speaking.
At one time the American Foundation for the Blind, a private agency based in New York, proclaimed that it served as the clearinghouse for information about blindness to the professionals and to the government. Publications produced by the American Foundation for the Blind sought to set the tone and establish the agenda for programming throughout the United States and in some cases throughout the world. However, the Foundation did not work in partnership with the organized blind. As a result, the American Foundation for the Blind became known for distributing such sterling volumes as A Step-by-Step Guide to Personal Management for Blind Persons, a document which included such items as step-by-step directions for taking a sponge bath or brushing teeth.
After an excoriating review of this step-by-step guide by Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, then president of the National Federation of the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind has become more careful in its writings. Although it still does not cooperate very much with the organized blind movement, the American Foundation for the Blind has sometimes joined with us in conducting research projects or developing joint statements of principle, and sometimes personnel within the Foundation have been very warm in their admiration for some of the work of the National Federation of the Blind. Nevertheless, its president, Mr. Carl Augusto, who appeared on the program at the convention of the National Federation of the Blind a couple of years ago, refused to answer questions put to him by members and leaders of the organized blind movement. This refusal to respond has meant that our capacity to work with the American Foundation for the Blind is diminished.
One of the purposes of the National Federation of the Blind is to serve as a watchdog over agencies for the blind. With the Federation’s willingness to review and criticize documents published about blindness and programs established to serve the blind, the arrogance and conceit that were once common in programming for the blind have diminished. However, the dehumanizing phrase and the belittling assumption can still be found.
The Jewish Guild for the Blind, a private agency located in New York City that has occasionally considered working in partnership with the National Federation of the Blind, distributes a sixteen-page booklet entitled “The Sighted Guide Technique: An instructional guide for sighted people when assisting a person who is blind or visually impaired.” The text contained in this booklet demonstrates that any partnership considered with the organized blind movement has never developed to any substantial degree.
The service mark used by the Jewish Guild for the Blind to produce this book is “SightCare.” Though it may have been unintended, the opinion of the Jewish Guild for the Blind is readily discernible from this service mark. Blind people need care, and sight is required to provide it. Although blind people may not be completely helpless, they do not have the capacity for independence of action that the sighted take for granted. This is the implication of the text in the booklet, and SightCare is a most appropriate epithet to be used to express the tone and purpose of the publication.
Keep in mind that the blind, the intended beneficiaries of this booklet of helpful suggestions, are not addressed directly at all. The helpful suggestions in this booklet are directed toward the sighted caregivers who will interpret this advice for the benefit of the blind.
Contained in this brief little book are instructions about how
sighted people should make contact with a blind person, offer an arm to help
lead a blind person, take the proper body position in assisting a blind person,
take the proper steps to seat a blind person, help a blind person get through
doorways and other narrow spaces, assist a blind person in proceeding up or
down stairs, help a blind person get into and ride inside automobiles, and be
of help to a blind person traveling indoors. One of the noteworthy observations
that can be made in contemplating this list of activities is what has been omitted.
The sighted person is not expected to help the blind client find a job, locate
the nearest casino, or identify a suitably interesting person of the opposite
sex. In other words, the potential possibilities offered by the Jewish Guild
to blind people are limited and dull. Consider the item concerning assistance
to the blind in using a chair. This is what the book says. Listen to these instructions
from the experts; you may need them so that you can help a sighted person learn
to help you to sit down.
Guide the visually impaired person until her knees touch the front of the chair. Describe the chair, and place the person’s free hand on the chair’s arms or the seat. Alert the person if the chair is positioned against a wall, so she will not hit her head as she sits down.
The person will feel the arms or seat of the chair, turn around
and sit. Stabilize the chair with your free hand so it will not slide backward
when the person sits. In all cases maintain contact with the visually impaired
person until she is seated.
I interrupt to ask, can you imagine what dire consequences might occur if contact with the visually impaired person were broken? The blind person might bump into the chair without the guidance of the SightCare-giver, perish the thought, or, she might be so delighted at being away from her keeper that she would hightail it out of the room, seeking more congenial companionship. The SightCare-giver would be left all alone with nobody to boss. Psychological injury might occur. The heightened imaginary feeling of superiority might crumble away, leaving the SightCare-giver with no purpose.
As you reflect on the passage of instruction about being seated
in a chair, imagine what might actually be helpful. In unfamiliar surroundings
it is nice to know if an empty chair is nearby. However, for somebody else to
assume that we have to be maneuvered into it until our legs are touching the
seat and that we need somebody else to steady the thing while our posteriors
approach the appointed place is to assume a measure of superiority and condescension
which cannot be borne. But there is more. The Jewish Guild wants sighted people
to know how to help us get into an automobile. The directives in this complex
maneuver may not be as difficult as certain yoga postures or as complicated
as some acrobatic moves, but getting into a car, according to the Jewish Guild,
is not the simple process you might have thought. This is what the Guild says:
Open the automobile door. Stand behind the visually impaired person and place one of her hands on top of the door to show which way it opens, and the other hand on the roof to provide a sense of the height of the vehicle.
The visually impaired person will turn toward you so that her back is toward the door opening. She will then sit down on the car seat and bring her legs into the car. Hold one of your hands along the roofline to protect her from bumping her head, and offer your other arm to assist the person as she sits.
Pull the seat belt out of the retractor and hand it to the person.
Ask if she would like assistance in finding and securing the buckle. Always
confirm that the seat belt is properly secured. Alert the person when you are
going to close the door. Check that she is safely inside the vehicle, then shut
and lock the door.
These are statements from the guide distributed by the Jewish Guild. I ask you, is it always necessary to lock the blind person inside the car? Do the SightCare workers have child locks on their doors to prevent the blind person from escaping before the sighted person decides it is time to get out? Maybe the names of these locks should be changed—maybe they should now be known as “blind locks.” Without these locks maybe the blind person would get away. Is it permitted to let the SightCare-giver ask the blind person if she wants to be locked inside, or is the locking procedure mandatory?
They are talking about you and me. I have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles (sometimes with a sighted guide and sometimes without one); I have guided thousands of blind people and been guided by many. I have ridden in hundreds of automobiles (some of them my own, but most belonging to other people). I cannot imagine why anybody would believe that such advice is necessary.
We are not willing to be victims of somebody else’s condescension; we are not willing to be patronized by those who believe that they should take charge of our lives; we are not willing for this attitude to be imposed upon any of us. Is there any wonder that the organized blind sometimes feel a sense of betrayal when seeking to interact with agencies for the blind?
If this book had been drafted by a high school student for a term paper, perhaps it would be forgivable, although most high school students with any sense would know better. However, the people at the Jewish Guild for the Blind purport to be experts. They say that they know what they’re doing. Consequently, all of the damage, all of the hurt, all of the sorrow, all of the failed hope, and all of the missed opportunity created by the degrading and demeaning language of this book is chargeable to them.
However, their tactics will not work. The imbecility of what they have done will backfire on them. We the blind will insist that our talent be recognized, and we will bring reform to the thought processes of those who live in a bygone era. We want service providers who will work with us as partners, but we are not willing to sell our souls in the process. No agency can run our lives, for we will not let them. We will decide what our future will be, and there is no force on earth that can prevent it. Hear us, and believe!
The Rehabilitation Services Administration, the federal agency in the Department of Education charged with managing federal appropriations for rehabilitation, has a budget of just under three billion dollars, a substantial portion of which is designated for rehabilitation services for blind clients. Because this agency has statutory responsibility for providing rehabilitation to the blind and because properly conducted rehabilitation can have such dramatic results and because the track record of the National Federation of the Blind in devising successful rehabilitation programs for the blind is the most productive in the United States if not in the world, it might be anticipated that officials of this agency and senior policy makers within the Department of Education would want to work with us to give greater emphasis to this vital service. We begin with the assumption that those responsible for rehabilitation want blind people to receive a good education, want blind people to become successfully employed, want blind people to know the excitement of hope, and want their programs to be effective. However, the assumption of competence within the Rehabilitation Services Administration and the Department of Education may be unwarranted.
In October of 2005, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions conducted a hearing on the Randolph-Sheppard program, which is located within the Rehabilitation Services Administration to assist blind vendors in obtaining vending opportunities on federal property. A report circulated about the program prior to the hearing contained massive misstatements of fact. For some time officials operating sheltered workshops for the severely handicapped have been trying to take lucrative contracts away from blind vendors and to diminish the priority for the blind contained within the Randolph-Sheppard Act. This priority protects the right of blind vendors to operate vending facilities on federal property. Assistant Secretary of Education John Hager was invited to participate in the Senate hearing. He declined to appear; he declined to suggest that anybody else appear; and he took no steps to seek to protect the priority for blind vendors contained within the law even though the Department of Education has the responsibility for supervising this program.
The 2007 fiscal year budget for the Rehabilitation Services Administration is approximately 2.8 billion dollars. The law requires that a cost-of-living increase be included in the budget each year. Senior officials of the Department of Education have proposed that the budget for rehabilitation in 2008 not include this cost-of-living increase despite the statutory provisions requiring it.
In negotiations with the Department of Defense and the Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled, the Department of Education agreed to set a standard for granting food service contracts to blind vendors in military installations which is so restrictive that it jeopardizes the opportunity for the blind to participate in vending operations in these federal locations despite the legal priority contained within the Randolph-Sheppard Act. The Department of Education officials failed to consult with groups affected by these negotiations before reaching an agreement, and comments from department personnel strongly suggest that those conducting the negotiations did not consult with experts within the department itself and did not understand the agreement they made. When asked directly, department officials declined to reveal which people negotiated the agreement.
The Rehabilitation Services Administration has had regional offices throughout the United States for more than half a century. Officials in the Department of Education said they were unnecessary and closed them. In the process of closing these offices, Education Department officials cut the staff of RSA by approximately 40 percent. This is how they showed support for the rehabilitation programs in the United States. They said it would be cheaper to operate the program without these offices and without this staff. It might be pointed out that the cheapest program possible would be no program at all. Of course, the cost in terms of human potential and in terms of dollars wasted in support of those who might be working would be enormous. Properly conducted, rehabilitation always pays for itself. As we in the National Federation of the Blind have often said, those who work do not receive support from public funds and do pay taxes. Despite all of the evidence showing that well-run rehabilitation more than pays its way, Department of Education officials have cut the staff, closed the offices, and proposed to cut the budget.
Officials at the policy-making level of the Department of Education have not come to this convention. Although it would be tempting to criticize these officials for failing to interact with the largest organization of blind people in the nation, this failure to appear is more than simply an indication of lack of judgment—it is an admission that these public officials don’t know what they’re doing and that they don’t have the ability or guts to talk about why they’re not doing it. They admitted as much in October of 2005 when they failed to come to the Senate hearing about programs for the blind. They admitted it when they cut the staff and closed the offices. They admitted it when they accepted a proposal that would diminish the right of blind people to work in vending facilities on military bases. They don’t even know how to talk to us. Are they evil or incompetent? As Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, the founding president of the National Federation of the Blind, put it, “Is well-intentioned folly better or worse than knavery?”
If officials in the Department of Education will not hear us, others will have to be told, and we will set forth the facts. We are not prepared to have government officials diminish our lives because they lack the capacity to comprehend the future that can and must be ours. We would like to support the programs of rehabilitation within the Department of Education because the potential exists within them for such substantial contribution to the independence of the blind, but the hand of partnership has been refused. Consequently, we must take the argument into another arena. We will carry our message to the public; we will march in the streets; we will fight with our bare hands if we must to ensure that the rights we have fought so hard to secure are not misinterpreted, ignored, or reversed. We know our minds, and we will follow them. Hear us, and believe!
When I think of the work we do in the National Federation of
the Blind and when I think about our interaction with programs intended to support
blind people, I reflect that what we are doing has an impact upon the lives
of hundreds of thousands of individuals—each life distinctive, made up of the
hopes, fears, and aspirations that flow from the heart. Not long ago I received
a letter which said, “My name is __, and I am thirteen years old. I would like
to be a mechanic when I grow up, and I would like to take mechanic courses when
I get to high school (I’m in seventh grade now). I like to work with small engines
and tools. I have a problem, though; my mom and my Braille teacher don’t think
a blind person can be a mechanic. Do you have any ideas on how I could convince
them that I am serious and that blind people can be mechanics? My grandmother
says that I have lots of time to decide what I want to be and that I may change
my mind a lot before I’m grown. But I would really like to take mechanic courses
in high school. Also, could you give me any tips on how to organize my tools
and such? Thank you.”
This is the dream expressed in a letter of a blind boy who, in a few short years, hopes to have an occupation and hopes to earn a living with it. Will the rehabilitation system know that his ambition can be achieved? Will the Department of Education know?
Of course, on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind, I responded with encouragement. Dozens of blind people have been mechanics—some of them with extraordinary skill. With the new technologies used in automobiles, the tools are more complex than they were in the past, and many of them are built with electronic visual displays. Nevertheless, with imagination and faith we can help this blind boy to reach his dreams. We can, that is, if we are willing to share our imagination and experience with him; if we are willing to join him in bringing understanding to others; if we are willing to have as much faith in his intellect, fortitude, and drive as we have in our own.
Such dreams do not come into being by happenstance; they must be nurtured and cherished and supported. We must be prepared to fight for them. If the rehabilitation counselors or the teachers or the personnel in the automobile repair shops want to know if a blind person can be a mechanic, the answer is an unequivocal, resounding “yes!” We will do what we can to help this blind boy, and we feel certain that he will succeed.
The nature of exploration is seeking to comprehend the unknown, which presupposes risk. The quality or extent of the risk cannot be evaluated until it has been confronted. Sometimes we will demand of ourselves more than we currently know how to deliver, and sometimes the risk we face will be more than we know how to manage—this is the nature of exploration.
Sometimes the assumptions we make about the capacity we have will be mistaken. However, we will learn from our errors as well as from our successes, and we will incorporate our knowledge into the next set of explorations. Blunders always hurt—even if only a little. But those who fail to make them are sufficiently insulated from the rough and tumble of adventure that they never discover the ways of altering the pattern of understanding. Consequently, we must maintain a healthy respect for risk when we explore, but regardless of how we do it, we must explore.
Furthermore, we must avoid the errors that we urge others not to make. We must not believe that we know all of the answers to the questions that are raised—we must be open to new ideas—we must be ready to examine new methods of thought. We must be able to change our behavior when our minds tell us that what we have previously believed is better understood in a new way. We must not become obnoxious know-it-alls unwilling to engage in discussion and reflection. And above all we must have faith in ourselves and in each other.
Some will be daunted or dismayed by the prospects for our future. They will observe that the technology does not exist today to give us equal access to information; that the officials of governmental programs established to serve the blind do not comprehend the laws that have been adopted to create opportunity for us and do not believe in our abilities to be successful; that the administrators of agencies for the blind sometimes belittle us and tell the members of the public that we have almost no capacity for independence; that the scientists think that our mental capacity diminishes with our loss of sight; and that airline officials tell us we cannot fly unaccompanied on airplanes because we are unable to care for ourselves. However, our experience has shown us that we can attain an education, work in most jobs, fight to secure passage of legislation to protect us, expand the range of information available to us, create programs to serve our needs, devise technology of use to us, and speak with dignity and assurance to an ever-widening audience about the ability we possess. Those who explore take the risks, set the boundaries, determine the program of tomorrow—and we are the explorers.
We do not know what the possibilities are for us, for we have not explored all of the elements that constitute the pattern of what we are and what we will become. However, we know more about the pattern than anybody else, and we have decided to explore it all, to reach as far as anybody can, to dream as much as anybody will, and to build in a way that will bring into being possibilities for us beyond anything that has ever previously been imagined. What are the limits, and where will we stop? Nobody can say. Perhaps the limits expand along with our knowledge, our imagination, and our courage.
What we have decided to do is change forever the prospects for the blind of this generation and those that come after us. The hundreds of thousands of blind people who have planned and labored and believed in our potential in the generations preceding us stand with us at this banquet tonight. We want nothing less than the full integration of the blind into society on the basis of equality with the sighted and the complete recognition of the talent we have. And we will never stop until the recognition has come and the equality is ours.
Our goals will demand the best that we have in imagination and resources and judgment and effort. But whatever the costs, we will pay them; whatever the requirements, we will meet them; whatever the challenges, we will reach beyond them. The future belongs to us, and it will respond. We are the National Federation of the Blind, exploring tomorrow with unquenchable fire. Join me, and we will make it all come true!
by Carol Castellano
The annual seminar of the National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) is always an informative, exciting, and inspiring event. But this year, we’ve got even more to celebrate as we mark the 25th anniversary of the most effective and progressive parent organization for blind children in the country!
NOPBC, in its position as a division of the National Federation of the Blind, has been on the leading edge of just about every breakthrough regarding the education and development of blind children, from white canes for blind kids to Braille literacy to textbooks on time to Active Learning for blind children with multiple disabilities. If you’re looking for the action, you’ve found the spot!
So, do join us in Dallas in late June/early July as we look back and celebrate our history and our accomplishments and march forward toward a future of opportunities for our blind children!
WHAT: NOPBC 25th Anniversary Celebration
WHEN: Program items will be scheduled all week beginning with the parents seminar on Sunday, June 29, 2008, and a program that evening with food and other festivities at Family Hospitality.
WHERE: National Federation of the Blind Convention at the Hilton Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas 75207
HOTEL RATES: Singles, doubles, and twins $61; triples and quads $66; tax, 15 percent. (Note: See bulletin in this issue for more details.)
REGISTRATION: Information will be available by the first of the year at <www.nfb.org/nopbc>, or contact Parent Outreach, NFB Jernigan Institute at (410) 659-9314, extension 2361.
What is the March?
The March for Independence is a 5K walk-a-thon and celebration demonstrating
the independent spirit of the nation’s organized blind, their friends, family,
and supporters, which will raise funds for the Imagination Fund. The Imagination
Fund supports local and state outreach efforts for blind people in your local
community through the programs and initiatives of the National Federation of
the Blind Jernigan Institute.
When is the March?
The March for Independence will take place on Wednesday, July 2, 2008, amidst
the 68th National Federation of the Blind annual convention in Dallas, Texas.
To learn more about our national conventions remember to visit <www.nfb.org>
often for updates on the registration process. Please note that registering
for national convention is a completely separate process from registering for
the March.
Where Will We March?
Thousands of Federationists, their friends and family members will demonstrate
and celebrate for independence at our second annual March for Independence -
The Walk for Opportunity. This 5K walk-a-thon fundraiser will take place in
Dallas, Texas, on July 2, 2008. Remember, everything is bigger in Texas, so
this campaign and walk are bound to bring some big surprises. Stay tuned for
more information as we continue to plan this year’s exciting event.
How Can I Help?
You can register now at the March Web site listed at the top of this page to
start raising money and soliciting sponsors, or look to the contact information
at the bottom of this page. Even if you are unable to make it to Dallas this
year, you can still contribute to the effort by sponsoring another marcher or
even a team of marchers.
National Federation of the Blind
March for Independence 2008 – The Walk for Opportunity
1800 Johnson Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21230
Phone: (410) 659-9314, extension 2408
Fax: (410) 659-5129
E-mail: <MarchForIndependence@nfb.org>
by Sister Margaret Fleming
Editor’s Note: Every convention parents eagerly look forward
to hearing remarks from that year’s NFB Distinguished Educator of Blind Children
award winner. Here is an edited expansion of that address given by the 2007
winner, Sister Meg Fleming, on Saturday, June 30. Sister Meg’s expanded remarks
are prefaced by a transcription of the introduction from Barbara Cheadle, president
of the NOPBC:
Barbara Cheadle: Our next presenter is the 2007 recipient of the Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award, Sister Margaret Fleming. Sister Meg is principal of the St. Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments. She has taught for more than thirty-five years, eleven of them as a teacher of the visually impaired in which she taught Braille, access technology, daily living skills, and cane travel. She now draws on all that experience to direct the Roman Catholic Church’s only school for blind children in Philadelphia. This is the job that she has held since 1995. She is dedicated, enthusiastic, convinced of the capacity of blind children to lead normal lives, and therefore holds her children and her teachers to high levels of expectations. Her professional honors and responsibilities are many. She is an adjunct faculty member of Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO) from 1993 to the present time. Dr. Missy Garbor from PCO is here--Missy, did you want to stand and say, “Hi,” and wave?--here to see Sister Meg get her award. She is a recipient of the Elinor Long Pennsylvania Distinguished Educator of the Year Award for the Visually Impaired in 1992; the American Cardinal’s Award sponsored by Catholic University, 2003; the Pennsylvania Lynch Award, 2003; the recognition award given by the Pennsylvania Association for the Blind; and, she is president-elect of the Pendale Chapter of the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired, 2007. Her award comes with a $1,000 prize, an expense-paid trip to this convention, and the responsibility and honor of addressing us here today. She will also make herself available to meet and talk informally with parents throughout the convention. Here is Sister Meg:
Sister Meg: Thank you. Sounds like a eulogy, doesn’t it? Scary. Maybe I better leave now [laughter].
I am really honored to be addressing you this morning at your annual national convention. It has been my privilege to be part of the blind community for many years. I want to publicly thank the Pennsylvania Keystone Division of the National Federation. They have been an active part of St. Lucy Day School for many, many years and I appreciate their support. This time last year, they were scrubbing the new school--Jim Antonacci [the president of the NFB of Pennsylvania] and Lynn [the vice president], too, were down on hands and knees scrubbing toilets.
It’s a privilege for me to be here. As I look out at you, I know I am preaching to the choir. You are here because you want so much for our children. You are a gift. Any single one of you could be sitting in this chair and giving this talk. I really believe that from my whole heart. Parents in my mind come first always. You know your children more than any teacher, any principal--anybody. You are number one, and you can’t forget that. I try never to forget it.
Barbara told you a little bit about St. Lucy’s Day School, but let me tell you more. Saint Lucy Day School for Children with Visual Impairments (SLDS) was founded in 1955 because parents wanted a Catholic neighborhood day school where their children could learn the four “R’s” just like their brothers and sisters, and still be included in the mainstream setting. I was in first grade when SLDS opened. Blind students from St. Lucy’s were in my classroom from the beginning, so I always knew that the “Lucy Kids” could do it all. Our school is one of the buildings on a campus of a neighborhood parish. Our sisters run that elementary school and SLDS is an active part of that school. So, we have always worked hand in hand with the regular parish elementary school. It’s like the best of both worlds for the students and the teachers. I often tell folks that over these 55 years we have watched the educational pendulum swing between no inclusion and full inclusion. Throughout it all, SLDS has stayed the course and prepared students to be independent in any setting they choose.
The wisdom of St. Lucy’s is that we have followed the blessed middle path. We’re not perfect, but we’re good. We make sure the children can advocate for themselves. They know what they need to know so that they can be independent, and so that they don’t need somebody beside them every minute. It helps that we have instant contact with their regular teacher. Now that everybody has cell phones, somebody from the regular school will call me or Sister Elaine and say, “The Braille printer is not working.” Well, we don’t have to wait a week. We can walk over there and fix the printer. But back to my address. You have a title for my speech in your agenda, but the real topic for this talk could be labeled Braille Readers Always Ignite Learning and Living for Everyone--B.R.A.I.L.L.E.
My topic includes a call for you as parents to understand that intensive Braille instruction is needed by children who are blind/visually impaired in order to excel in the mainstream setting. In the elementary school years, our children need to be fluent in Braille. They need to be just like their siblings, and that means that they need to be able to read and write. They also need to know that we have the same expectations of them as we have for their sighted peers. I’ll talk more about that later. The goal is to keep our children’s emotional, academic, and spiritual needs uppermost in our minds.
Let’s ask ourselves the question, “What do our children need
to succeed?”
We know they need to study all the elements of what is often called the core
curriculum--these are not unlike the subjects you and I studied in school. Didn’t
we learn math, social studies, science, language arts, art, music, and health
when we went to school? Students in the twenty-first century still study these
subjects and more. (You will notice, of course, that computers were not in our
core curriculum--that’s a change.)
Students who are blind/visually impaired have needs that go beyond the core curriculum, thus the development of the term Expanded Core Curriculum as articulated by the loose coalition of professionals and organizations called The National Agenda. How many of you know about the Expanded Core Curriculum? Just clap. [Clapping.] Good. Thank you. Sometimes I think it’s a big secret in school districts. According to the National Agenda, the following list of topics is all part of the Expanded Core Curriculum.
Number one on that list is communication skills, which to me means literacy. If literacy is mastered then access to the regular core curriculum is a given. Phil Hatland from the Texas School for the Blind said at a conference I attended years ago that we should have an open mind about what we consider literacy. He says that literacy includes Braille, print, tapes, CDs, switches--all sorts of media. That may be right, but in my mind kids need to be able to read first--they need to be able to do Braille. Everything else can be a backup. Of course, there are kids who maybe won’t need Braille, or won’t be able to learn Braille the way we would hope they could learn, so we always have a global approach.
Second, orientation and mobility is a must and our students need intensive training in the early years so they can be independent in the educational setting. Not long ago a young man graduated from St. Lucy’s and headed for his neighborhood high school. By the way, a lot of our kids leave before high school. They go back into their neighborhood schools as soon as they can advocate for themselves, their Braille skills are good enough, and they don’t need somebody with them all the time. But back to my story. The neighborhood district wanted him to have an aide to go with him from class to class, but he didn’t want it. They wanted him to ride a special school bus. He didn’t want it. What he did want was orientation to the high school--which is one of the biggest schools in the Philly area--before school started in September. And he got it. They did put an aide with him for a little while, but not for long. He demonstrated to them that he didn’t need it. The capacity and confidence to make these kinds of decisions did not suddenly appear in this young man when he turned fourteen. When this young man was a little kid at St. Lucy’s, I used to tease him and tell him he would get lost in a paper bag. How did he get from that stage to the confident young teen capable of advocating for himself, and making it stick? We provided “age appropriate” orientation and mobility training, and we had the courage to let go. There is wisdom in letting your children explore their environment just like their sighted brothers and sisters.
It is never too early to let go--never easy, but never too early. I saw all of you parents do that just five minutes ago. You let your children go down the hall to other meeting rooms in the care of strangers. It was great that we were first introduced to these people--Angela Wolf, Gail Wagner, Melissa Riccobono, and all the others--but it’s still hard, isn’t it? Are you wondering what’s happening? Are you thinking, “Will they understand my child? Will they give my child enough help?” But you did it. You had the courage to let go. So again, I’m preaching to the choir.
Over the years parents have said to me, “I want more for my child than I had.” I’m sure that my mom said the same thing. My response over the years has turned into a thoughtful one. Here is what I have come to believe: If you want more for your child, you must do less for your child. Yes, you heard me. You have to do less. Be there for them yet demand independence. Have the same expectations for your child who is blind as you do for the child that can see. Do you remember what your keynote speaker, Lisamaria Martinez, talked about earlier this morning? Her parents did a whole lot, but they knew how to also do less. They knew how and when to step back and let her live her own life and make her own choices.
And that brings me to topic number three. Independent living skills are another part of the expanded core curriculum. This covers a lifetime of issues. Our teachers designed an at-home program for the parents of our students ages preschool to fifteen. This program is a twenty-four page developmental list of activities that are age-appropriate. The program is designed to help parents help their children do what needs to be done “on their own.” When our parents walk in the door, they get this at-home program. It’s simple, but parents need it, especially if the blind child is their only child or the first child.
Here’s an example. Several years ago, we had a little guy come to our preschool. His mom and dad carried him into the school. This is preschool and the little guy is three years old, but he didn’t walk--he had never walked. There was nothing wrong with his legs, but he was an only child and his parents had always carried him everywhere; he was jolly and happy as long as you carried him.
I told Poppy, “Put him down.”
“But, he’ll cry,” the dad said.
“He’s three. He’s going to cry,” I said. “What are you going to do when he’s sixteen and you’re seventy? Are you still going to carry him?”
The parents put him down, and he did cry nearly the entire year and a half in preschool, but he doesn’t cry anymore, and he walks.
It is important for kids to do things on their own. One of our six-year-old students walked into the office one day. He had just come out of the bathroom, and his belt and pants were undone, and he stood there and he said, “Mrs. Johnson, (the secretary) would you fix my pants?”
I came out of the office just then and said, “How are you doing?”
He said, “Oh, I’ll show you how I can fix my pants myself.” True story. [Laughter]
Number four on our list is social interaction. Yes, social interaction needs to be taught. One young man in our school is so skilled he could get the wall to talk to him. Another little guy is content to sit and wait for the world to come to him, and there are lots of little people in the middle. We need to teach all of them how to engage in conversation. How do you know who is in the room? What are ways that you can initiate a conversation? What do you need to know about body language and its importance to your peers?
And children need to know what to do when they are teased, ignored, or bullied. This is not common in our school--we are a typical, structured Catholic elementary school--but some things do slip by. You are your child’s safe haven and he or she needs to be able to come home to you and tell you what happened. Bullying, of course, has to be stopped. But all children are teased at some time, and you have to teach your kids the skills to deal with it. So, you need to know when you have to run up to the school and deal with it, and when you should give your child advice and encouragement, but stay out of it and let him or her deal with it.
Number five on our list is recreation and leisure. We are all so different. What is recreation for one may be torture for another. I love to read, that’s recreation for me. But my sister likes to go and do things--no sitting around for her. The key is exposure. Students need a wide variety of experiences with different recreation and leisure activities so that they can discover what re-creates them, what gives them “life.” If the only leisure experience a blind child has ever had is listening to a CD player, then what else can they choose to do if that’s the only thing they know? So, you have to help your kids get more experiences so that they can have choices.
Number six is career education, another piece of the expanded core curriculum. This year we took our sixth through eighth grade students to a special career day sponsored by the Pennsylvania Blindness and Visual Services. The day was designed for high school students, so there were parts that were very boring for them. The presentations about SSI and health benefits went over their heads. What did make an impression was the frightening statistic that seven out of ten blind/visually persons are either unemployed or underemployed. We took ten students to this career day. They came back and said, “Does this mean that seven of us will not have jobs?” These are bright, energetic kids and they don’t want to be a part of that statistic.
And I said, “No, that’s not what it has to mean.” I talked to them about doing the best that they can now, about valuing their education, about getting a summer or part-time job just like their 16-year-old sighted brother; I talked to them about working harder--they are never too young to hear that they have to work harder. I reminded them of the blind adults that talked to them at the Career Fair. Many of them were St. Lucy’s graduates, and they had jobs; they went to work every day. Yes, there were a few adults there who did not have jobs, but they had not given up; they were at the fair to learn what they could do.
The next expanded core topic is visual efficiency skills. You know how important those are. We know that our students with partial vision/low vision need to use all their senses to access the world around them.
Last and number eight on our list is technology. Today, every student needs to be able to access the World Wide Web of information--no exceptions, every student. Think about the development of technology in the last fifty or so years: Television. I remember when we got our first TV; it was 1955. Transistor radios, eight-track tapes, (remember those?), computers, flash drives, cell phones, text messaging, and iPods. Braille technology has come a long way, too. I started teaching at St. Lucy’s in 1982, and in 1984 we got our first Cranmer Modified Perkins Braillewriter. Up until then I Brailled every night until 10:00 p.m. so the kids would have their Braille materials the next day for their regular classrooms. When we got the Cranmer, I jumped up and down for joy. After that, I was only scanning and editing until ten o’clock every night.
All of our kids at St. Lucy’s get electronic notetakers--BrailleNotes--when their Braille skills are really, really good. That’s usually by third grade; their Braille skills are pretty good by then. Have you ever seen the BrailleNote manual? I told a sixth grader, Michael, “If you can just look at that manual, and figure out how to connect to the Internet, I’ll take you to lunch.” I said that at 9:00 a.m. one morning. At 10:30 a.m. he asked me, “Where are we going for lunch?”
I could talk forever, but I’m going to bring my speech to an end now. Where do we go from here? We want our children to be able to advocate for themselves. We want them to be independent. We want them to know their own unique strengths and their own unique weaknesses. We want them to make choices. We want them to have a career that they love. You notice each time I started with “we” want. But the truth is what we really want is for our kids themselves to say, “I want to advocate for myself. I want to be independent. I want to walk to that podium myself. I want to know my own unique strengths, my own unique weaknesses. I want to make choices, and I want a career I can love.”
So how do we provide an atmosphere where our children can learn and live their fullest potential? My answer--be sure they can read! In my mind, the one umbrella word that can make this happen is literacy. Being able to read opens us to so many life-giving experiences. It is never too early to label everything in your home for your baby or toddler. Instill a love for reading by reading to them. If your child can read in the mode that best suits them, he or she can tackle the regular education curriculum.
The most difficult part for Braille students is time. Students need daily contact with a qualified Braille teacher; one who knows Braille inside and out. Braille needs to be a part of every subject, every day, until the students are good enough to do it by themselves. It’s a must. I believe in literacy. In every skill, we need the ability to read. (I need to qualify my strong emphasis on Braille literacy. SLDS’ students are all cognitively able to have Braille as their primary tool for reading.)
Every skill our children need is enhanced by their ability to read. Consider the skills needed for orientation and mobility. Could you move and travel safely if you were not literate? You “read” your cane; you “read” the presence of a curb; you “read” the sound of traffic. And you literally read a tactile map.
And what about the expanded core curriculum topics I discussed today--career education, independent living skills, etc. How do we address them? The old saying that it takes a village to raise a child comes to mind. I believe our students deserve and have a right to a qualified teacher who can address these issues. Can we envision the local school districts sharing the responsibility with a school for the blind? Can we envision our students spending time between different programs, depending on different needs?
The goal is to keep our children’s emotional, academic, and spiritual needs uppermost in our minds, and who knows better what our children need than do you, the parents, and hopefully--in partnership with you--your principals and teachers. So let’s ask ourselves the question that is not new to any of us: What do our children need to succeed in the 21st Century? Thank you.
by Fredric K. Schroeder
Editor’s Note: On Thursday, July 5, 2007, NFB First Vice President, past Commissioner of the U.S. Rehabilitation Services Administration, and Research Professor at San Diego State University Dr. Fred Schroeder addressed the Convention. These are his remarks as reprinted from the August/September, 2007, issue of the Braille Monitor, the monthly magazine of the National Federation of the Blind:
On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress of the thirteen United States of America unanimously declared independence from the British Empire, severing ties between the colonies and the Crown. Today the Declaration of Independence is the nation’s most cherished symbol of liberty. Every school child in America is familiar with the Declaration of Independence and the words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Once independence had been declared, the new nation needed to agree on a constitution that would give structure to the principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence, “in Order to form a more perfect Union,” that would offer the protection of a centralized government and, at the same time, would safeguard individual freedom. Yet freedom was not for everyone. The Constitution included several provisions that explicitly recognized and protected slavery. Of course the framers of the Constitution knew that the equality of all men was the foundational premise of the Declaration of Independence, but it was understood that it had not been intended to grant rights or equal status to slaves and other so-called inferior people.
This is why, nearly a century later, on November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln invoked the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution, at the dedication of the military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. His words are familiar to us all:
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” Powerful, inspiring words, but Lincoln’s words did far more than honor the dead and memorialize their sacrifice; by invoking the Declaration of Independence, he challenged the Constitution’s protection of slavery. He placed morality above the Constitution; he claimed the authority of a higher law, the law of right and wrong, to denounce the oppression of one race of people by another.
In the early 1970s the courts ruled that the right of blind children and other children with disabilities to be educated is guaranteed under the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. As a result, in 1975 Congress adopted Public Law 94-142, assuring a “free appropriate public education” for children with disabilities across the country.1 But what does that mean? What is an appropriate education for a blind child? The legal standard has two parts: a program is considered appropriate if the school district has observed all procedural requirements in developing the child’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) and if the district’s IEP is “reasonably calculated to confer educational benefit.” 2 Said more plainly, blind children and others with disabilities are not entitled to the best education or to an education that will maximize their potential or, for that matter, even to a good education. They are only entitled to an education that is “sufficient to confer some educational benefit upon the handicapped child.”
The Constitution guarantees blind children the right to an education, but not necessarily to an equal education. As in earlier times the Constitution has been interpreted to apportion equality in different measures to different classes of people. For blind children the courts have said that they only have the right to an education that is sufficient to confer some level of benefit. That is the law. Yet in 1863 President Lincoln placed the Declaration of Independence and its “proposition that all men are created equal” above the law--above the Constitution--and so must we. We must declare our equality and place it above public opinion and the laws and interpretation of laws that flow from stereotype and prejudice.
It is estimated that as many as 80 percent of all blind people are unemployed: eight out of ten blind people--an entire class of people oppressed by virtue of a single defining characteristic. What can be done to change this condition? The link between literacy and employment is well known and well documented. So what is the literacy rate among the blind? Of the estimated 55,200 legally blind children in America, only 5,500 use Braille as their primary reading medium--fewer than 10 percent. 3 But does this mean that the other 90 percent are illiterate? Haven’t advances in low-vision technology offered access to print to more and more low-vision children, making Braille unnecessary? Aren’t most low-vision children doing well using print--going on to college, pursuing challenging careers? Don’t print readers end up doing better than Braille readers? The short answer is no.
While only 10 percent of blind people read Braille, as many as 90 percent of employed blind people are Braille readers. 4 In a landmark study by Dr. Ruby Ryles, she found that children who grew up reading Braille had a 44 percent unemployment rate as adults compared to a 77 percent unemployment rate among low-vision children reading print. 5 That means that while four out of ten early Braille readers will still find themselves unemployed as adults, nearly eight out of ten low-vision print readers will face unemployment. Said another way, Braille readers are nearly twice as likely to find work as the general population of blind adults, while low-vision print readers have essentially the same unemployment rate as the general population of blind people.
But only 10 percent of blind children are taught to read and write Braille. Why? If Braille offers literacy and literacy doubles a blind person’s chance of becoming employed, why aren’t more blind children--the majority of blind children--being taught Braille? Some of the reasons are practical in nature. There is a shortage of trained teachers. Many teachers of blind children have so many students assigned to them they can only spend a few minutes a week with each child. Many teachers did not learn Braille well in college, and very, very few know the technical codes, and the list goes on and on. So what have we done, and more to the point, what should we do from here?
In 1997 we succeeded in amending the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to include a presumption of Braille for all blind children. 6 Nevertheless, in spite of the clear requirement that blind children receive Braille instruction, the U. S. Department of Education has taken the position that the amendment made no change, since blind and visually impaired children already receive assessments to determine the most appropriate reading medium. 7 With this logic the Department totally dismisses the statutory presumption of Bra