NFB BELL® Academy In-Home Edition Registration

While we are living in unprecedented times, we know that the National Federation of the Blind has and will continue to meet the challenge of the times with hope, love, and determination. One of the commitments we made early in this COVID-19 pandemic was to provide resources for blind children and their families and supporting the teaching of critical nonvisual techniques and Braille literacy at home. We want to make sure that students, parents, and volunteers have the best NFB BELL Academy experience possible. We are condensing our academies into three nationally taught and coordinated sessions with support from NFB affiliates. This summer two-week-long sessions of NFB BELL Academy will take place at 11:00 a.m. EDT and at 6:00 p.m. EDT. Each session will last for 45 minutes during the following dates:

June 1, 2020 through June 12, 2020—This session has reached its capacity and is now full.
June 22, 2020 through July 3, 2020—This session has reached its capacity and is now full.
July 27, 2020 through August 7, 2020

Please note the 11:00 a.m. session taking place June 22, 2020 through July 3, 2020 will be bilingual. This session will be conducted in English and in Spanish.

Each registered student will receive the materials to complete all lessons alongside their parent/guardian via mail. Each day during the two-week session, there will be two opportunities to connect via web or phone with an experienced teacher. This gives students and families the opportunity to ask questions and get to know each other.

Complete the registration form below to sign up for one of our NFB BELL Academy sessions (spaces are limited). The cost of this program is free to participating families; however, if you wish to support our efforts in providing Braille literacy please visit https://www.nfb.org/donate

Please Note: Users of accessible mobile devices may have difficulty completing this form on a mobile device. We are working with the mobile device manufacturers to resolve this problem.

Session Selection

Please select the session you wish to attend *

Please select the time you wish to attend *

Student Information

Student First Name: *

Student Last Name: *

Student's Gender *

Student Pronouns *

Birth Date *

The NFB will provide each participant with a new cane. To help ensure a correct size please indicate your child’s height in inches. *

Student’s Grade as of Fall 2020 *

What is the student’s reading medium? *

Has the student attended an NFB BELL Academy before? *

How many times has the student attended the NFB BELL academy and which NFB BELL programs did he/she attend? - Optional

Please describe the student's experience at previous NFB BELL Academies - Optional

Does your family have access to a Perkins Braillewriter? *

Does your family have access to the internet? *

Does your family have access to a Talking Book Player? *

Is your family registered for NFB-Newsline® *

Is your family members of a local NFB affiliate? *

Parent/Guardian Information

First Name *

Last Name: *

Street Address: *

Address Line 2 - Optional

City *

State *

Zip Code *

Email *

Primary Phone *

Phone Type - Optional

What is the primary language spoken at home? *

What is the parent’s reading medium? *

Additional Student Information

Please tell us about your student’s blindness/vision loss. Please include your student’s visual acuity, visual field, and the cause of your student’s blindness. *

Is the student currently enrolled in school or home schooled in the United States? *

Describe your student’s academic performance. Please include a list of all strengths and areas of need *

Describe any technology your student uses. *

Describe your student’s experiences with Braille, if any (for example, use of a slate and stylus, use of manual or electronic Braille reading and/or writing devices, reading speed, knowledge of Braille contractions, knowledge of Braille math (Nemeth), experience with Music Braille, etc.). *

Describe your student’s understanding and usage of nonvisual (in other words, using his/her hands, ears, or other senses to gain information that a sighted person would gain visually) techniques. *

Tell us about your student. What interests does he/she have? Does he/she have any favorite books or authors? Feel free to share any additional information. *

Is there any other information about your student you would like to share? - Optional

Other Information

NFB BELL Academy pursues grant funding to support the programs, and some of these grantors ask us to describe the racial/ethnic/socioeconomic backgrounds of our students. In order to improve our program delivery and to respond to these requests, we ask you to answer the following three questions:

Ethnicity *

East Asian or Asian Indian

Black, African American, or African

Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish

Native American or Alaska Native

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

Other

Prefer not to answer

White

What is the approximate average annual household income for the child’s primary residence? *

NFB Discharge

I give permission for my child to participate in the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) BELL® Academy In-Home Edition events and activities. I have read and understand the questions and information on this registration form, and have answered the questions truthfully to the best of my knowledge *

Upon submitting this form your responses will be saved, and you will receive an email copy of your responses. For additional questions or concerns please contact us at BELL@nfb.org or by phone at 410-659-9314, extension 2418.