The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exist. If a blind person has proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a physical nuisance. |
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Upcoming Events
July 3 - July 8, 2009: National Convention
Please join us for the 2009 NFB convention, held at the Detroit Marriott, Renaissance Center. You won't want to miss the excitement! For reservations and more convention information as it becomes available, please visit the National Convention web page.
July 6, 2009: Motor City March for Independence
Register now or sponsor a marcher for the third annual March for Independence, to be held in Detroit, Michigan, this summer! You won't want to miss March Co-chair Martha Reeves, former lead singer of the Motown group Martha and the Vandellas. For more information, please visit www.marchforindependence.org.
July 26 - August 1, 2009: Youth Slam
Attention blind and low vision high school students: join us for the second NFB Youth Slam! This summer academy will not only provide hands-on experience with science, technology, engineering, and math, but also give you the chance to meet other blind and low vision youth and adults from all over the United States.
What's New
Listen to National Convention
Live from Detroit!
The NFB is once again streaming portions of its annual convention over the Internet, thanks to VBrick Systems, Inc. The NFB National Convention is the largest gathering of the blind anywhere in the world. If you cannot be in Detroit, Michigan, to catch the excitement in person, you will be able to get portions of the convention via the Internet. Visit the convention streaming schedule to find out when the convention is streaming live or listen now!
NFB Files Discrimination Suit
Against Arizona State University
On June 25, the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind filed suit against Arizona State University to prevent the university from deploying Amazon’s Kindle DX electronic reading device as a means of distributing electronic textbooks to its students because the device cannot be used by blind students. The Kindle DX features text-to-speech technology that can read textbooks aloud to blind students. The menus of the device are not accessible to the blind, however, making it impossible for a blind user to purchase books from Amazon’s Kindle store, select a book to read, activate the text-to-speech feature, and use the advanced reading functions available on the Kindle DX. For more information, please read the official press release.
Two Louis Braille Coins
Return From Space
When the space shuttle Atlantis landed on May 24, it also returned from space two Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollars. The NFB congratulates NASA on a successful mission. To purchase a Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar, visit www.usmint.gov or call 1-800-USA-MINT (872-6468). For details on the Braille literacy crisis in America, please read the NFB Jernigan Institute's groundbreaking report.
