[Brl-monitor] The Braille Monitor, October 2014
Brian Buhrow
buhrow at lothlorien.nfbcal.org
Tue Sep 30 22:37:12 PDT 2014
BRAILLE MONITOR
Vol. 57, No. 9 October 2014
Gary Wunder, Editor
Distributed by email, in inkprint, in Braille, and on USB flash drive
(see reverse side) by the
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
Mark Riccobono, President
telephone: (410) 659-9314
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of the Blind and sent to:
National Federation of the Blind
200 East Wells Street at Jernigan Place
Baltimore, Maryland 21230-4998
THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE
CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE
EXPECTATIONS OF BLIND PEOPLE, BECAUSE LOW EXPECTATIONS CREATE OBSTACLES
BETWEEN BLIND PEOPLE AND OUR DREAMS. YOU CAN LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT;
BLINDNESS IS NOT WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND
IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR
OURSELVES.
ISSN 0006-8829
© 2014 by the National Federation of the Blind
Each issue is recorded on a thumb drive (also called a memory stick
or USB flash drive). You can read this audio edition using a computer or a
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Vol. 57, No. 9 October 2014
Contents
Illustration: Raising the Bar and Creating Opportunities
SourceAmerica: the Source of America's Discrimination against Workers with
Disabilities
by Rose Sloan
Coming Soon, Ten Million Books: Landmark Copyright Rulings will
Revolutionize Access to Books for the Blind
by Chris Danielsen
The Advocacy and Policy Report
by John Paré, Rose Sloan, Lauren McLarney, and Jesse Hartle
iCanConnect: National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program
by Joe Naulty
Deaf-Blind Communication Technology
by Amy Mason
Bringing Beep Baseball and Much More to the Dominican Republic
by Richie Flores
Minimum Wage Guarantees for Disabled Workers-A Report from the Department
of Justice
by Eve L. Hill
Free Global Access for the Blind to the Computer
by Michael Curran
The Blind at Speed
by Dan Parker
For the Benefit of Those Who See: Dispatches from the World of the Blind
reviewed by Barbara Pierce
The GED and Alternatives
by Doris Willoughby
Recipes
Monitor Miniatures
Raising the Bar and Creating Opportunities
[PHOTO CAPTION: Yang Heppe works independently on his recycled racer.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Elijah Anderson and Angel Ayala work together building
their recycled racer.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Mentor Ashley Ritter mans the test ramp for the cars.]
[PHOTO CAPTION: Two girls investigate the tower of cups and construction
paper they will have to duplicate for copycat towers.]
September 5 to 7 the National Center played host to the NFB STEM2U
Leadership Academy, bringing blind high school students together for a
weekend of accessible, entertaining science. On Friday one of the
activities was building race cars out of recycled objects. Yang Heppe works
alone with Styrofoam, cord, old CDs, and wooden spools on his race car.
Others, like Elijah Anderson and Angel Ayala worked together on their car.
Elijah confidently wields scissors to cut package tape to secure dowel rod
axels onto their car, while Angel holds the CD wheel in place. Once the
recycled racers were completed, the cars were put to the test. Ashley
Ritter, one of the mentors, manned the top of the test ramp to keep
consistency in the starts for each car's test.
It wasn't all ramps and race cars, though. Other activities that
weekend included musical chairs, attempting to eat donuts suspended on
strings, and other activities to challenge the young scientists such as
copycat towers, where pairs were challenged to replicate the towers made
with paper cups and construction paper.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Blind and sighted, those who walked with canes, and those
who used wheelchairs all joined in at the protest.]
SourceAmerica: the Source of America's Discrimination against Workers with
Disabilities
by Rose Sloan
On Thursday, August 28, 2014, the National Federation of the Blind
conducted an informational protest outside the national office of
SourceAmerica in Vienna, Virginia. SourceAmerica, formerly the National
Industries for the Severely Handicapped, or NISH, is responsible for
distributing government contracts to nonprofits that employ Americans with
disabilities.
The National Federation of the Blind picketed SourceAmerica because
SourceAmerica chooses to distribute contracts to nonprofits that hold
special wage certificates which allow entities to pay people with
disabilities less than the minimum wage. Paying people with disabilities
subminimum wages should be illegal, but Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor
Standards Act allows entities to do just that.
To add insult to injury, SourceAmerica is actively lobbying against
HR 831, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. When passed, this
legislation will phase out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Additionally, staff of the National Federation of the Blind discovered, in
reviewing SourceAmerica's IRS Form 990 (a tax form that nonprofits must
complete), that over one hundred employees at its national office make over
$100,000 a year, while workers at nonprofits that SourceAmerica supports
fulfill government contracts by paying people with disabilities subminimum
wages, sometimes pennies per hour.
On the day of the protest, for blocks in all directions, over one
hundred people with disabilities could be heard chanting, "Equal work,
equal pay." Horns were honked by commuters to show their support for fair
wages for workers with disabilities. The National Federation of the Blind
(NFB) was not the only group protesting SourceAmerica. The Association of
People Supporting EmploymentFirst (APSE) and the National Council on
Independent Living (NCIL) joined the National Federation of the Blind in
showing their support at the protest, while ADAPT, Little People of
America, and TASH endorsed the event.
Many passionate speeches about the need to repeal Section 14(c) were
given. Mr. Jesse Hartle was the master of ceremonies and introduced
speakers including: Dr. Fred Schroeder, first vice president of the NFB;
Mr. Kelly Buckland, executive director of the NCIL; Ms. Rose Sloan,
government affairs specialist for the NFB; Mr. John Paré, executive
director for advocacy and policy for the NFB; Mr. Sean Whalen, president of
the National Association of Blind Students; Mr. Kevan Worley, board member
of the NFB of Colorado; Mr. Charlie Brown, former president of the NFB of
Virginia; Dr. Marc Maurer, immediate past president of the NFB; Mr. Shawn
Callaway, president of the NFB of DC; and Mr. Ryley Newport, public policy
associate of APSE. The event was concluded by an impassioned speech by
National Federation of the Blind President Mark Riccobono.
Colorful signs that read: "Same jobs deserve same pay," "Low
expectations lead to low productivity," "Proper training creates productive
employees," "SourceAmerica exploits people with disabilities," and "Minimum
wage should protect everyone," were visible to SourceAmerica staff working
in the office as well as many commuters who passed on the four-lane street.
People whose curiosity was sparked by the protest were given a flyer
titled: "SourceAmerica: the Source of America's Discrimination Against
People with Disabilities" [this flyer is found immediately following this
article]. Throughout the event, protest songs such as "We're Not Gonna Take
It," "Blue Collar Man," and "9 to 5" were interspersed among the speeches
and chants.
Most importantly, many people who before August 28 likely thought
SourceAmerica provided good employment opportunities for people with
disabilities learned about SourceAmerica's exploitative policy of
supporting nonprofits that pay Americans with disabilities less than the
minimum wage. The National Federation of the Blind and its partner
organizations made a loud and clear statement: we will not tolerate any
organization that endorses subminimum wages for people with disabilities.
SourceAmerica
The Source of America's Discrimination Against Workers with Disabilities
Since 1938 Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act has allowed
entities to pay workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage.
However, just because it is legal does not mean it is right. With proper
training and support, individuals with all types of disabilities can be
productive employees who earn at least the minimum wage. SourceAmerica
refuses to adopt 21st century business models and instead chooses to
support this antiquated and discriminatory provision.
SourceAmerica:
. Supports the payment of subminimum wages to Americans with
disabilities.
. Profits from exploiting workers with disabilities rather than training
them to reach their full potential.
. Lobbies against the responsible phase out of Section 14(c) of the Fair
Labor Standards Act.
. Ignores the demand of seventy-five disability-oriented groups in their
quest for equal pay.
. Fosters the dependency of Americans with disabilities on government
assistance.
URGE SourceAmerica to adopt 21st century business practices that provide
the education, training, and support for Americans with disabilities to be
productive and valuable employees, and to support fair wages for workers
with disabilities.
For more information visit <www.nfb.org/fair-wages> or call the National
Federation of the Blind at (410) 659-9314, extension 2330.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Chris Danielsen]
Coming Soon, Ten Million Books:
Landmark Copyright Rulings will Revolutionize Access to Books for the Blind
by Chris Danielsen
From the Editor: Chris Danielsen is the director of public relations
for the National Federation of the Blind and is the driving force behind
many of the press releases we issue to the media. He is trained as a
lawyer, and we are the beneficiaries of his legal knowledge and his ability
to communicate. Here is what he has to say:
On June 10, 2014, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second
Circuit issued what is probably the final ruling in a case whose
implications are nothing short of revolutionary. While the court's ruling
in Authors Guild, et al. vs. HathiTrust, et al. may or may not have other
effects on authors and the publishing industry, it will have an enormous
and positive impact on one of the greatest challenges that we have
historically faced as blind people: access to the printed word. As our
immediate past president, Dr. Marc Maurer, said in a statement on the day
the ruling was issued, the court "ruled clearly and unambiguously that
libraries may provide full digital access to the books in their collections
to patrons who are blind or print disabled and that providing such access
is a fair use of copyrighted works under our nation's copyright laws. Among
other things the ruling means that libraries need not rely on the
provisions of copyright law relating specifically to access by the disabled
in order to provide access to their collections for print-disabled readers.
This ruling will dramatically improve the lives of blind and print-disabled
Americans, allowing us access to the millions of books held by the
HathiTrust Digital Library and any similar collections created in the
future. The decision is a victory for the blind and print disabled, the
significance of which cannot be overstated. The court's historic action
hastens the day when the blind and others with print disabilities will have
full access to all of the world's written knowledge."
To understand the implications of the HathiTrust case fully, it is
useful to review briefly the history of access to books by the blind and
where copyright law stood before the case was decided. We all know that
acquiring access to books, magazines, and other published works has always
been a source of frustration for blind people. Although the efforts of the
United States government (primarily through the Library of Congress) and
many dedicated nonprofit organizations, some of them staffed entirely by
volunteers, gave us access to many publications, the process of doing so
was so cumbersome and laborious that this access was extremely limited. Not
only did books have to be transcribed into Braille or read aloud and
recorded, but this process could begin only once the entity that planned to
make the conversion had obtained the permission of the holder of the book's
copyright. This meant that blind people read the latest bestseller months
or even years after it originally appeared; waited until far into the
school semester for accessible copies of our textbooks; and relied almost
entirely on the radio or television for knowledge of current events, since
we could not obtain timely access to newspapers or magazines.
In the last two decades there have been incremental but significant
steps toward greater access. Computer technology has made books more
accessible because they can be converted into electronic formats that blind
people can use with access technology to generate Braille, large print, or
audio. Hardcopy books can be scanned and fed into optical character
recognition software and converted into electronic text files, or books can
originate in digital form. As ebooks have moved from being a technology
specifically used by blind people to a mainstream phenomenon, some (but
sadly not all) ebook providers have made their products accessible to the
blind. Our own NFB-NEWSLINE® service has made timely access to newspapers,
magazines, and other periodicals not only possible but simple and
efficient. On the copyright front the amendment to our nation's copyright
laws known as the Chafee Amendment (for its champion, the late Rhode Island
Senator John Chafee) eliminated the need for government entities and
nonprofits serving the blind to ask for specific permission from copyright
holders before producing accessible versions of published works. None of
these solutions have been perfect, and blind people in the United States
still have access to only around 5 percent of all of the published works
produced each year. Nonetheless, the undeniable trend has been toward
greater access.
Meanwhile, the trend toward digitization of the printed word has
changed the mainstream publishing industry and raised significant questions
about the copyright implications of converting hardcopy books into digital
form. The efforts of Google, a company which is trying to make all of the
world's knowledge electronically searchable and accessible, have been the
most dramatic, both in its potential significance and its ability to induce
sleepless nights among authors and publishers. We have this technology
behemoth and a coalition of university libraries to thank for the recent
court decision and all of its implications. Also, of course, the timely and
effective advocacy of the National Federation of the Blind played a
decisive role.
Beginning in 2004 several university libraries, including the
University of Michigan, the University of California at Berkeley, Cornell,
and more contracted with Google to scan all of the books in their
collections. In 2008 these libraries and others who had joined the project
created an entity known as the HathiTrust Digital Library (HDL) to house
the digital copies of the books in their collections. The HDL now has
eighty members and houses a collection of some ten million books. The HDL
planned to use these digital copies of books for three purposes: to create
a searchable database, to provide access for blind and print-disabled
readers, and to replace the books if the physical copies held by the
libraries were lost or destroyed. The Authors Guild, several individual
authors, and several other domestic and foreign organizations purporting to
protect the rights of authors and other copyright holders sued the HDL.
Recognizing the potential value of having access to ten million
digital copies of books, the National Federation of the Blind and other
organizations dedicated to providing access to the printed word for people
with disabilities asked to intervene in the suit. In essence this means
that we volunteered to be defendants, even though we had not been sued, so
that we could advance arguments for providing the digital books to readers
with print disabilities and so that the court could consider and rule upon
our arguments, as well as any made by the HDL. Fortunately we were granted
permission by the United States District Court for the Southern District of
New York, the federal district court then hearing the case, to become part
of the litigation.
The authors who sued the HDL maintained that the mass digitization of
the books held by the participating university libraries violated copyright
law. Our nation's copyright laws, which are specifically authorized by the
United States Constitution, give authors, publishers, and other copyright
holders a limited right to control certain uses of the works they produce
for a limited time, currently the life of the copyright holder plus seventy
years. At the end of the copyright period, if the copyright has not been
renewed, a work becomes part of the public domain, which means that anyone
can exercise the rights that the copyright holder once controlled. The
purpose of copyright laws, however, is not solely to protect authors,
musicians, and other artists or content creators; it is, as the
Constitution states, to "promote science and the useful arts." The idea is
that, by giving people a commercial incentive to write books, compose and
perform music, and so forth, more books, music, and the like will be
produced, thereby benefiting the public.
In order for this to make sense, however, the public has to be able to
make use of the works that are created. Books are no good if no one reads
them, nor is music beneficial unless it is heard. What our copyright laws
do is allow the author, composer, artist, publisher, or other copyright
holder to maintain exclusive control for the period of the copyright over
the way the work is disseminated and used, and to receive compensation for
the uses that he or she authorizes. Copyright holders can sell their rights
(to a publisher, for example) in exchange for the purchase price plus
royalties for each use of the work (e.g., each book the publisher sells),
or give the rights away, but the decision rests with the copyright holder.
If an author writes a book and a film producer wants to make a movie based
on it, then the film producer must get the author's permission and
compensate him or her for using the book in this way. When a radio station
plays a musician's song, the station pays royalties to an association,
which then distributes them to the musician. When the copyright runs out,
of course, those who want to exploit the work are free to do so at will.
This is why there is a constantly proliferating number of printed editions
and film versions of the works of authors such as Charles Dickens and Jane
Austen; the copyright holders left us long ago, so their works now belong
to all of us.
As mentioned earlier, copyright is not unlimited. The most important
exception to copyright law is a doctrine called "fair use." To oversimplify
a bit, a fair use is a use of the work that is considered not to be a
violation of copyright, primarily because it does not introduce a
substitute for the original work into the commercial market and take away
compensation to which the copyright holder is entitled. Two well-known
examples of fair use are book reviews, in which the reviewer can quote
passages from a book that illustrate and exemplify the reviewer's opinion
of the book, and home video recording of broadcast television programs.
The doctrine of fair use has been developed by our nation's courts
since its founding, and the judicial understanding of fair use was
eventually incorporated into our copyright statutes in 1976. The law does
not contain an exhaustive list of every use that is considered a fair use;
instead, it sets forth factors that courts must consider in deciding
whether a particular use is covered by the doctrine. As already mentioned,
the most important of these is whether the use takes away all or part of
the market for the copyright holder's work by effectively creating a
substitute. Other factors include whether the use transforms a work into
something other than the original (as happens, for example, when a
photograph is included in a collage), and the kind of work involved. The
defendants in the HathiTrust case, including the National Federation of the
Blind, argued that the uses of copyrighted works in which the HDL planned
to engage-including the creation of accessible copies for blind readers-
fell within the fair use exception.
In a ruling issued in October of 2012, the late Judge Harold Baer, Jr.
agreed that the creation of accessible digital copies for blind and print-
disabled readers was a fair use. He further ruled that the libraries
involved qualified as entities covered by the Chafee Amendment, because one
of their primary purposes was to distribute accessible copies of books to
readers with print disabilities. The ruling on fair use was significant,
but the ruling on the Chafee Amendment is even more significant. Chafee
entities can distribute content to anyone with a qualifying disability.
Arguably under fair use the HDL can distribute accessible copies of its
books only to patrons of its participating university libraries who are
blind or have print disabilities. But as a Chafee entity the HDL can
distribute these accessible copies to any blind or print-disabled
individual in the United States.
The Authors Guild and the other plaintiffs appealed Judge Baer's
ruling to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. This
is the court that issued its ruling on June 10 of this year. The Court of
Appeals agreed with Judge Baer's conclusion on the question of fair use,
although not with his rationale. Judge Baer had relied on the concept of
transformative use, the idea that in creating digital copies that are
accessible to the blind, HDL had fundamentally transformed the works.
Instead, the appeals court focused on the fact that accessible copies of
books do not undermine the market for the originals. The court noted that
authors and publishers have traditionally deemed the market for books that
are accessible to the blind to be so insignificant that they do not produce
accessible versions themselves and have often foregone the royalties that
they might have received from the sale of such versions. Therefore, by the
publishing industry's own logic, accessible digital copies of books could
not represent a threat to the market for the books.
The Court of Appeals concluded that, because it had found the
generation of accessible copies to be a fair use, it need not address the
question of whether the HDL was a Chafee entity. When an appeals court lets
a lower court ruling stand without altering it, the lower court's ruling
remains law. The appeals court allowed Judge Baer's ruling to stand as it
related to the Chafee Amendment. Therefore the HDL is free to distribute
accessible digital copies of the books in its collection, not only to
students and faculty at its participating universities, but to blind and
print-disabled individuals across the nation. Once the HDL is able to set
up a mechanism to facilitate this distribution, as it has indicated it will
do, blind and print-disabled Americans will have access to its ten million
books. Moreover, the ruling means that other libraries can do the same with
their collections.
There is a chance that the epic legal battle that has brought us to
this happy outcome is not yet over. The case was sent back to the lower
court for adjudication of a legal issue unrelated to our interests. Once
that issue is decided, it is possible that the case could continue with an
appeal ultimately reaching the United States Supreme Court. Unlike other
courts, however, the Supreme Court can decide whether or not to hear the
case. If it does, the National Federation of the Blind is ready to take our
arguments to our nation's highest court. There is no reason to believe that
they will be any less persuasive than they have been so far. But, if no
such appeal occurs or the Supreme Court decides against hearing the case,
then the existing rulings, as they relate to blind and print-disabled
readers, will stand. So, with very little fear of contradiction, your
correspondent is happy to tell Monitor readers that they should get ready
to do lots and lots of reading.
----------
The Advocacy and Policy Report
by John Paré, Rose Sloan, Lauren McLarney, and Jesse Hartle
>From the Editor: One of the most inspirational items to appear annually on
our convention agenda is the report of the Advocacy and Policy Department,
a primary component of which is our report on legislative action affecting
the blind. Here is what our team said on Saturday afternoon, July 5, 2014:
[PHOTO CAPTION: John Paré]
John Paré: Good afternoon, fellow Federationists. This is such an
exciting convention! This morning was historic. Dr. Maurer, I can't tell
you how much I've learned from you and benefited from in my relationship
with you, and I look forward to another ten or twenty or thirty years
working with you. I look forward to supporting the new president, President-
elect Riccobono. The other thing that really struck me this morning is
that, Dr. Maurer, you have really done an incredible job of nurturing each
one of us, but also nurturing an incredible board of directors. I'm just
awed by the strength of the depth in the knowledge that we have in our
leadership, and I'd like to give them a round of applause.
The advocacy and policy department is responsible for NFB-NEWSLINE,
governmental affairs, and public relations. Here is a brief review of some
of that activity:
NFB-NEWSLINE is the largest and most successful audio newspaper
service anywhere in the world. It is available in forty-six states plus the
District of Columbia. We have over 105,000 subscribers, 343 newspapers,
forty-three magazines, TV listings, job listings, advertisements, and
English- and Spanish-language content. Publications are available over the
phone, through email, as an iPhone app, on the Internet, or for download on
a variety of digital devices, including the NLS digital talking book
player. Since the 2013 convention NFB-NEWSLINE subscribers have enjoyed
over 38 million minutes of news, made over 2.1 million calls, received over
2.2 million email messages, and accessed over 6.4 million newspapers.
At last year's convention we announced a collaboration with
AccuWeather to provide emergency weather alerts. The services been expanded
to include a full weather forecast system. NFB-NEWSLINE subscribers now
have the ability to get their full weather forecasts both on the telephone
system and on the NFB-NEWSLINE app. The weather system also includes the
time of sunrise, sunset, and other things such as the current temperature;
wind speed; real temperature feel; air quality; and the air, wind, pollen,
and grass indexes. Let's hear it for Newsline!
Our public relations effort continues to expand our initiatives,
programs, and policies. The National Federation of the Blind has been
mentioned, featured, or spoken about in over 5,200 stories over the past
year. Here are a few examples:
On July 15, USA Today published an article about our work in
technology in higher education and the TEACH bill. USA Today is the largest
circulation newspaper in the United States. On August 3, 2013, the National
Federation of the Blind of Idaho's iteration of the BELL program received a
fine write-up in the Idaho State Journal. The article emphasized the
improved Braille skills of the young students who participated in the
program. On November 4, 2013, the Department of Transportation released its
rule purporting to increase air carrier access act requirements for website
kiosks, automated kiosks, and websites. This rule gives airlines three
years to make their websites accessible and ten years to make only a
portion of their kiosks accessible. Dr. Maurer wrote an incisive op-ed that
was published in The Hill, explaining his tremendous disappointment in the
weak rule. On April 23, 2014, The Atlantic published a story about the
importance of the accessibility of mobile news apps. Chris Danielsen, the
National Federation of the Blind's director of public relations, was quoted
throughout this article. We continue to work to expand the National
Federation of the Blind's social media presence and drive traffic to our
website. Our Facebook fans have grown to over 3,700 and our Twitter
followers had grown to over 5,000. Our Facebook content alone has reached
over 250,000 people over the past year. I urge you to like us on Facebook
and follow us on Twitter.
The National Federation of the Blind has launched a new effort to
increase and expand our video content on our YouTube channel, NationsBlind.
Our channel is devoted to content featuring the National Federation of the
Blind and our members. As part of this effort we have created a special
portal on our website for you to upload material to the Jernigan Institute.
Our goal is to publish seventy-five new videos by next year's convention.
If you would like to learn more, please go to <www.NFB.org/media>.
The National Federation of the Blind has been advocating against
Section 511 of the workforce investment act for the past three years. The
original Section 511 would have increased the number of disabled workers
being paid subminimum wages. Here is a review of some of that effort:
On July 7, 2011, we passed resolution 2011-17 demanding the removal
of Section 511 from the Workforce Investment Act. On July 26, 2011, we
conducted protests in front of twenty-six Senate office buildings demanding
the removal of Section 511. I imagine many of you participated in those
protests. We wrote letters, made phone calls, and had meetings. As a result
of our advocacy the Workforce Investment Act faltered. We continued our
advocacy, but Senators Harkin and Alexander did not listen. On Friday, July
19, 2013, the Senate released a new version of the Workforce Investment
Act. We had one weekend to review hundreds of pages and to submit comments
by that Monday, July 22. The bill had gone from bad to worse. Section 511
was still intact, and now the Senators proposed to move the Rehabilitation
Services Administration from the Department of Education to the Department
of Labor. On July 29, 2013, The Hill published a trenchant op-ed by Dr.
Schroeder entitled "Don't Sabotage the Rehabilitation Act."
We continued our advocacy, but on July 31 the Workforce Investment
Act, S 1356, was favorably reported by the Senate Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions. This was a sad day for disabled Americans.
Despite all of our letters, emails, phone calls, tweets, meetings, and op-
eds, the Senate refused to listen. They refused to acknowledge that we know
what is best for blind Americans. They refused to acknowledge that
extending subminimum wages for disabled workers is wrong, discriminatory,
and immoral. They told us that the deal was done and that there was nothing
we could do. But, did we listen? [No] Did we relent? [No] Did we give up?
[No] We doubled down on our efforts. We sent more letters, made more phone
calls, and had more meetings. On December 22, 2013, an op-ed written by
Michael Barber, the President of the National Federation of the Blind of
Iowa ran in the Des Moines Register. The op-ed demanded the removal of
Section 511.
Then we had a breakthrough. George Miller, the ranking member of the
House Education and Workforce Committee, after meeting with Anil Lewis and
Rose Sloan, said that he was opposed to Section 511, and he instructed his
staff to work with the National Federation of the Blind to develop new
language. As a result the objectionable language contained in Section 511
and the language moving the Rehabilitation Services Administration was
removed. This language will now preserve the rehabilitation system and,
while not eliminating subminimum wages, will make it more difficult to
track disabled youth, blind youth, into subminimum wage jobs. This was a
tremendous victory for the National Federation of the Blind. We could not
have done it without all of you; our passion, our persistence, and our
teamwork paid off. I would also like to give special thanks to Anil Lewis,
the new executive director of the Jernigan Institute, for all of his
tremendous leadership.
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines us. Barriers to our success are created by
society's low expectations, but we do not accept these low expectations,
and that is why we fight and speak out. No matter how many times we are
told that our opinions and our aspirations do not matter, we will not give
up. No matter how, we will live the lives we want. This is what we believe,
and this is what we will do. We will not let anyone, including the United
States Senate, give up on our dreams.
Now I want to introduce Rose Sloan to talk about the President's
executive order and subminimum wages.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Rose Sloan]
Rose Sloan: For those of you who have not yet had a chance to meet
me, I started my job at the National Center this past September. Five years
ago, when I began my undergraduate program in social policy at Northwestern
University in Illinois, I knew I wanted to be an advocate for policy at the
national level. Attending my first Washington Seminar in 2011 only sealed
the deal for me. Going to Washington and talking to members of Congress is
fun. Nine months into the job and I still love it, and I plan on loving it
for a very long time.
My favorite part of the job is when I learn that yet another member
of Congress has decided that he or she is going to sign on as a cosponsor
to HR 831, the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act. Now I have
gotten this information in many different ways. Sometimes it is as simple
as getting an email from a legislative aide. Sometimes I check Thomas [a
source for information about bills and other federal information] and am
pleasantly surprised to see that the number has increased. But my favorite
way to be informed that yet another member of Congress believes that it is
unfair for people to be paid subminimum wages is when you, the
Federationist, email me and let me know that your member of Congress is
going to be signing on to HR 831.
Let's take a step back for a second. I really did say that right now,
in 2014, people with disabilities can be paid less than the minimum wage,
but we're going to change that. We have introduced HR 831, the Fair Wages
for Workers with Disabilities Act. This will repeal section 14(c) of the
Fair Labor Standards Act. This antiquated law says that entities can pay
people with disabilities less than the minimum wage. HR 831 will phase this
out over a three-year period. We, the National Federation of the Blind,
have been working toward fair wages for blind Americans for many years. I
am honored that I have been handed the reins on this very important issue,
and I would be remiss if I didn't take the time to express my appreciation
to the role models who set the stage for me. Specifically, I would like to
thank Mr. Anil Lewis for being my go-to person on this issue. His passion
for the topic is contagious, and there is no question he can't answer
regarding this issue. I would also like to thank Dr. Maurer for offering me
this opportunity. Finally I must say thanks to Dave Meyer, Patti Chang, and
the entire Illinois affiliate, who have been my cheerleaders and my rock
from the beginning. Thank you.
When I started back in September, I hit the ground running. On my
third day in the office I was already making appointments to visit with
members of Congress. In the next week Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers
from Washington declared that she was going to cosponsor HR 831. Soon
after, the chair of the Rules Committee, Congressman Pete Sessions of
Texas, also declared his support. It is no coincidence that these two
members signed on to HR 831. Along with our sponsor, Congressman Gregg
Harper of Mississippi, they all have children with disabilities. They
understand in a real way that they don't want their children to be paid
less than the minimum wage, and they wouldn't want to see any other
American be paid less than the minimum wage because they have a disability.
In October I had the opportunity to attend the Vermont Conversion
Institute. While there I was introduced to many different organizations
that train people with even the most severe disabilities on how to be
productive citizens. I learned about a man who has an intellectual
disability and who uses a wheelchair and is illiterate. Yet he is still
being paid the minimum wage because he loves to shred paper. It's a win-win
situation. He has a micro-business in which businesses hire him to shred
their paper, and the businesses are happy because they no longer have to
waste time shredding their own paper, and their employees can focus on
other tasks. This is just one example.
As we rolled into November, we had many affiliates participate in the
delivery of our change.org petition to Goodwills throughout the nation. Our
petition has over 170,000 signatures. We got the point across. Newspaper
articles were written about the event. Goodwill executives throughout the
country repeatedly told us that it is a local decision whether or not to
pay people with disabilities subminimum wages, and guess what: two-thirds
of Goodwills actually pay all of their employees the minimum wage or more.
We are especially encouraged by organizations such as the Goodwill of
Northern New England. Its website says, and I quote, "The Goodwill of
Northern New England supports public policy initiatives that align with our
commitment always to meet or exceed minimum wage for all workers."
We've been taking other steps too. We've not only been gaining
cosponsors on HR 831, but I'm happy to report that we have over seventy-
five other organizations who agree with us that 14(c) is absolutely wrong.
As many have already said, but it is definitely worth repeating, on
February 12, 2014, President Barack Obama announced that he would be
issuing an executive order, and in this executive order all federally
contracted service providers would be receiving $10.10 an hour starting on
January 1, 2015, and this includes people with disabilities who used to be
paid under 14(c). I thank each of you who wrote President Obama and
Secretary Perez and told them how important it was for us to be included.
We did this, guys-this was us, so well done.
This executive order gave Ms. Cari DeSantis the courage to speak out.
Ms. DeSantis is the CEO of an organization called Millwood, a community
rehabilitation program that employs over seven hundred people with
disabilities. She said, "When I became the organization's CEO almost a year
ago, I ended the practice of paying workers with disabilities less than the
minimum wage despite the 14(c) certificate program." Millwood was able to
transform its business model in just a year. HR 831 gives nonprofits three
years to transition. Even though Millwood had the 14(c) certificate, it has
decided that it is wrong to pay people with disabilities less than the
minimum wage. This is just one example of entities doing the right thing,
but we can't count on all 14(c) certificate-holding entities to do the
right thing, and that's why we need to pass HR 831.
In the spring a resolution was dropped in the California legislature
that urges the United States Congress to phase out and eventually repeal
Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. I am happy to announce that
this resolution has already passed out of the assembly in the California
legislature and has since moved on to the Senate. On June 25 it passed the
relevant committee in the Senate of the California legislature, and we are
eagerly awaiting it to get to the floor of the Senate. Congratulations,
California.
As outlined by this report, we are making great strides to ensure
that Americans with disabilities are paid the fair wages we deserve. I
thank each and every one of you for allowing jobs such as mine to exist,
and I also thank each of you who've contacted your member of Congress in
some way, shape, or form. I can email and visit the offices of national
legislators, but only you, the constituents, can truly make legislators
care about the issues that you care about.
At the beginning of this report I mentioned that gaining new
cosponsors is my favorite part of the job. I have experienced this ninety-
four times. We have ninety-four cosponsors on HR 831. Now this is good, and
every once in a while it's good to give ourselves a pat on the back, but we
need more. We have to get more, and I challenge you to get this bill up to
one hundred cosponsors by July 26, the anniversary of the ADA. Six more,
let's do it! Who's with me? [Convention hall erupts with applause and
shouts of support]
When you email your members of Congress, when you email their
legislative aides, please copy me on those emails. I ask you to do this
because then we can have a dialogue between you, me, and the legislative
aide, you being the constituent, me being able to answer any questions that
they may have, and the legislative aide having the power to get the member
of Congress on the bill. If you ever have any questions, email or call me.
I look forward to hearing from you. No one does it like us. Together we
will pass HR 831, and we will ensure that we too are insured the economic
independence that every other working American enjoys every day.
[PHOTO CAPTION: Lauren McLarney]
Lauren McLarney: Good afternoon, everybody. I want to start out by
saying that I'm so glad Rose is on the team, partly because she's really
smart, and also because it's a little easier to share clothes with her than
it is with Jesse because he's so tall.
I am here to give a TEACH Act update, and for starters can you remind
me what the TEACH Act stands for? Yes, it is Technology, Education, and
Accessibility in College and Higher Education. What does the bill do? It
creates guidelines. The bill calls on the access board to create voluntary
accessibility guidelines for electronic instructional materials used in
postsecondary education and incentivizes colleges and universities to use
only technology that conforms to those guidelines with a safe harbor from
litigation.
The reason we need this bill is that the overwhelming majority of
electronic instructional materials, learning management systems, lab
software, PDFs, ebooks-I could go on and on-but these are mostly
inaccessible, even though it is easy to make them accessible, and the law
calls for schools to use only accessible things. We know that the reason
for this disconnect is that there is no criterion in the law to facilitate
that. This bill creates that missing criterion, and it does it in a way
that stimulates the market, facilitates the mandate, reduces costs of
lawsuits, and does all of that without creating any new requirements for
schools or any mandates on technology companies.
There's nothing to dislike about this bill. I said it at the
Washington Seminar, and I'll say it again: there are no cons to this bill.
It's a no-brainer.
Consequently, we have forty-eight cosponsors in the House which, for a
new bill, is very good. We have Republicans like Coffman from Colorado. We
have McAllister from Louisiana. We have Representative Jolly from Florida,
who will be here to speak to you tomorrow. We have Don Young from Alaska,
who is the most senior Republican in the House, and we even have Paul Ryan
from the Senate, who was once a vice presidential candidate. He wrote on
change.org that he publicly supports the bill. Speaking of change.org, I
want to tell you something. Thanks to your advocacy, the change.org
petition for the TEACH Act has over 160,000 signatures from across the
country and is one of the most successful legislative campaigns that site
has ever had.
We've had the same kind of success in the Senate. We have six
cosponsors, and I know that sounds small, but they are one great
combination of people. We have Senator Hatch from Utah, who is a senior
conservative; Senator Warren from Massachusetts, who is a freshman liberal;
Senator Ayotte from New Hampshire; and we have Senator Bennett from
Colorado. Recently everybody has been saying that people from Capitol Hill
can't get along, but at the same time we got two new cosponsors: Senator
Markey from Boston and Senator Marco Rubio, the Tea Party darling from
Florida-and those two people came on at the same time, so that tells you
something about how popular this bill is.
Just two weeks ago Senator Harkin's staff contacted us. Two years ago
I showed them this bill, and they said, "You guys have to go back and
rework this bill because it's not strong enough, and it doesn't do enough."
Two years later they contacted us; they wanted us to come in and take a
look at the Higher Education Reauthorization draft. They took the TEACH Act
verbatim and put it in that bill and dropped it last week.
We've gotten press in USA Today, op-eds published in the Boston
Globe, on the front page of the Salt Lake Tribune, and in Inside Higher Ed,
and we have support from every major disability group in the country. We
have AAPD, MAD, Nickel, Hearing Loss, ACB, AFB, our partner AAPD-even the
Home School Legal Defense Association, the same group that tried to defeat
the CRPD [the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities]
officially endorses the TEACH act.
So you might be asking, why isn't it law yet? Why hasn't it passed if
it's so great? Well, number one, this is a Republican Congress, and there
is a stigma against education issues. It's mostly based on
misunderstanding, so, if we can get to those offices, we can win them over,
and we're doing that, but we need to do it better. A lot of the Republicans
in Congress are new, and we need to build relationships with those offices
before going to sit down in front of them and get them to see how great the
bill is.
Second, sometimes people just object for the sake of objecting. Some
people are just difficult. I know it's a shock that politicians may be
difficult, but some of them are. They give all sorts of goofy reasons and
questions such as, "What do the schools think? Would this inconvenience
them? We've heard that they might not like it." My favorite line is, "We
have decided not to cosponsor at this time. We ask that you please bear
with us." Another of my favorites is "We are still reviewing." Ladies and
gentlemen, this is only a four-page bill.
No matter how frustrated we get, the bottom line is that we have to
have patience and win them over. But what we really need more than patience
is persistence and passion. Because the truth is that, no matter how good
this bill is, this bill will not pass itself. Every time an office asks if
this inconveniences schools, they are basically saying that they are okay
with inconveniencing blind students. They are saying that you should settle
for a so-so accommodation, that you should settle for partial access. Every
time they fail to cosponsor and don't give you a reason, they are saying
that they are okay with things as is and that they want you to settle for
the status quo, settle for just getting by, settle for mediocre
expectations-and we don't settle-that's not what this organization is
about.
I think it's really easy for some of these people to say that you
should settle because they've never lived it. The truth is that I haven't
lived it. I don't know what it feels like to get to college and not be able
to use the materials. I know what it feels like not to use them-but not to
be able to use them-I haven't experienced that, and that's the problem
faced by every single blind student in this country-they have experienced
it, and they're asking for decisions from those who have not. We have to
tell them that we're not going to settle for so-so accommodations, we're
not going to settle for partial access, because we know that blindness is
not what holds us back. We know that just enough is never acceptable. We
are not going to settle for anything less than living the lives we want.
I want everyone to understand that, as good as this bill is, it is
not going to pass itself. There is a song by a country group called
SugarLand, and they talk about not settling. I think it says it all-about
what we need to feel. If you are a college student and taking classes,
please stand up. If you are in high school, it is likely you will go to
college, so you, too, should stand. I'm going to tell you the lyrics, and I
want you to repeat them because this is the message that needs to be in
your head and your heart if we're going to pass this bill, if we're going
to get through college, if we're going to get through life without buying
it when people tell us we have to settle. Please repeat after me:
I ain't settling for just getting by.
I've had enough so so for the rest of my life,
Tired of shooting too low, so raise the bar high.
Just enough ain't enough this time.
I ain't settling for anything less than everything!
[PHOTO CAPTION: Jesse Hartle]
Jesse Hartle: Good afternoon. I want to take a quick moment on behalf
of the Advocacy and Policy Team to note that Rose, John, Lauren, and I have
the opportunity to come before you every year, but I want to recognize the
members of our team who don't have that opportunity to speak to you: Scott
White, Nijat Worley, Bob Watson, Bill Jacobs, Carylin Walton, Chris
Danielsen, Jessica Freeh, Mya Jones, and Lorraine Rovig. All of these
people deserve your recognition for the work they do. [Applause]
"I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National
Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for
the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to
abide by its constitution." This is the pledge of the National Federation
of the Blind. Two words make our pledge more than just words on a page.
Those two words are "participate actively." The National Federation of the
Blind stands up and actively participates in changing what it means to be
blind in America. Fifty years ago Dr. tenBroek spoke during the banquet at
the national convention, and he described what Federationism means. In part
he said:
Federationism is an indispensable means of collective self-
expression, a megaphone through which the blind may speak their minds
and voice their demands-and be assured of a hearing. Federationism is
a source of comradeship, the symbol of a common bond among the blind.
Federationism is a tool of political and social action, an anvil on
which to hammer out the programs and policies, projects and platforms
that will advance the mutual welfare and security of the blind as a
group. It is the restoration of pride, the bestowal of dignity, and
the achievement of identity, and an opportunity to demand for the
conferral of rights too long withheld and hopes too long deferred.
Federationism is a dedication, a commitment of the mind and heart, an
act of faith, and an adventure of spirit, which issues a call to
greatness and a summons to service on the part of all of those who
volunteer to enter its ranks.
Dr. tenBroek's words describe the essence of the Federation
philosophy. Those in this room hold that philosophy, and we know it to be
true, but there are many not in our ranks who don't know that the blind
speak for ourselves. Many of those find themselves in the halls of
Congress. Some of those members of Congress believe that they know better
than the blind what we need. Still other members take no stand on our
issues. An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by another
object. An object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an
object of greater force. Lauren, Rose, and I need the full power of the
Federation to act as that force which will redirect those members who think
they know what the blind need and to energize those members who are
inactive to follow the voice of the blind, that is, the voice of the
National Federation of the Blind.
The right to access information is a fundamental right, however, most
often permission by rights holders to reproduce published works in
accessible formats has traditionally been denied or has taken far too long
to acquire. Today in the United States of America blind people are denied
access to published works around 95 percent of the time, and yet we are a
leader throughout the world. For blind people in developing nations access
to published works occurs less than 1 percent of the time.
The National Federation of the Blind began to work with the World
Blind Union to develop treaty language that will solve the book famine
around the world. Scott LaBarre has carried the torch of the Federation
philosophy, taking on those who challenge the need for such a treaty. On
October 2, 2013, the United States of America became a signatory of the
Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works to persons who are
blind, visually impaired, or otherwise print disabled. This treaty will
allow for the cross-border sharing of materials in accessible formats.
Currently the State Department and the Patent and Trade Office are working
to develop the treaty package that will be transmitted to the Senate to
begin the ratification process. Once this takes place, it will be up to us,
the members of the National Federation of the Blind, to secure the sixty-
seven Senate votes needed for ratification of this important piece of
equality.
But I thought you should know what others are saying about our chances
to succeed on the Marrakesh Treaty. They are saying that no disability
treaty will be ratified if it isn't ratified in the next six weeks. They
are saying that some members of the Senate will never vote to ratify a
treaty that deals with the United Nations. They are saying that, if the
Republicans take over the Senate this fall, we shouldn't even try. They say
that the blind don't have enough clout on Capitol Hill to get this done.
Stroll with me down memory lane for a moment if you will. In 1995 the
House of Representatives was set to vote on the careers bill. It was going
to the floor, and they said it's too late, you can't stop it. In the early
2000s we were told that we wouldn't be able to get access to materials for
students in K-12. When the House Appropriations Committee voted to
underfund the digital conversion of the Talking Book Program of the
National Library Service, we were told that we would never be able to
increase the funding enough to keep the program on track and on time for
the digital conversion. We were told that we wouldn't be able to get
legislation through the Congress that would require hybrid and electric
vehicles to make a sound that would allow blind people safe and independent
travel, and most recently we were told that we would never be able to
change the language contained in Section 511. I don't know about you, but I
think we have a pretty good track record of doing things we're not supposed
to be able to do.
Make no mistake, though: this effort will require the active
participation of every member of the Federation. My question to you is, are
you ready to get access to published works? Are you ready to stand up and
take on those who say this treaty is not necessary? Are you ready to show
the world the power of the collective action of the National Federation of
the Blind? [The Convention's unambiguous response was yes.]
Well, I have good news for you: we don't need to wait for the
ratification package to go to the Senate. We have an opportunity to teach
the Senate something about our power right now. The Senate has been a
roadblock to equality for our blinded veterans as it relates to
participation in the Space Available Program. Last summer I stood before
you shortly after the United States House of Representatives passed its
version of the fiscal year 2014 National Defense Authorization Act, which
incorporated our language to include 100 percent service-disabled veterans
on the list of those who can participate in the program. Our Senate leader
on this issue, Senator Jon Tester of Montana, filed an amendment to the
Senate version of the defense bill. It contained the same language that the
House included in its bill, and Senator Tester was joined on his amendment
by Senator Chambliss of Georgia, Senator Heller of Nevada, and Senator
Baucus of Montana. However, that amendment was not allowed to be debated
during Senate consideration of the defense bill. In fact Senate leadership
said that no senator could offer an amendment on the floor. Because of this
procedural decision, Senator Tester was not able to get matching language
in the Senate bill. Giving the difference in language as justification for
its action, the conference committee stripped our space-available language
out of the final bill passed on December 19.
Well, you know what they say: sometimes you may lose a battle, but,
when it comes to equality for the blind, we will never lose the war. On
January 4, 2014, we renewed our efforts to build cosponsor support for HR
164. On that day the bill had 171 cosponsors listed in support of extending
the Space Available Program to those who became disabled defending our
liberties. On May 22 that number had increased to 233 members of the House
of Representatives, and on May 22, for a second time, the House of
Representatives voted to include Congressman Bilirakis's language from HR
164 as part of its national Defense Authorization Act. It is now time for
the Senate to feel the force of the National Federation of the Blind. We
must stand up and defend the rights of blinded veterans-just as they stand
up and defend the rights of blind students to enact the TEACH Act, just as
they defend the rights of those who are being paid less than the federal
minimum wage when they advocate for the Fair Wages for Workers with
Disabilities Act. If your senator is not a cosponsor of S. 346 at this
time, we need your help to get them signed on to this legislation.
Together we speak as one voice in the National Federation of the
Blind. Together we all go up, or we all go down. In everything that matters
we are one. Together we will be victorious, and together we will ensure
that disabled veterans take their seats on space available flights.
[Applause]
I pledge to you to participate actively in the efforts of the
National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, equality in the
workplace, by eliminating the disgraceful language contained in Section
14(c) from the history books of American law; to achieve equality, equality
for disabled veterans who became disabled on the front lines defending our
freedoms; to achieve opportunity, opportunity for blind students to be
challenged by the coursework in colleges and higher education, not to be
challenged by how well they can access information through inaccessible
technology, a situation that will be remedied by the enactment of the TEACH
Act; to achieve opportunity to increase our access to knowledge by leading
the charge on Capitol Hill for ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty; and
lastly to achieve that security, the security that can only be attained by
reaching our status as first-class citizens.
We are now being challenged, and we will continue to be challenged by
those who want the blind to stand down, to accept less in life and like it,
to simply exist. We will not simply exist; we have the right to live on
full and equal terms with our sighted peers. My brothers and sisters in the
Federation, no thought can serve as a better roadmap for success on our
legislative agenda than was expressed by Dr. Maurer at the 2002 national
convention, and I will leave you with these words of wisdom:
We know our strength, and we know what we must do to bring full
equality to the blind. We must be willing to work with every ounce of good
that is in us; we must be willing to sacrifice for that which we know is
right; we must be prepared to meet the challenges wherever and whenever
they arise; and we must never interrupt our march to freedom. This is our
obligation; this is our opportunity; this is our commitment. We have the
power composed of ability, confidence, public understanding, and love; and
we will not fail. Tomorrow is ours, for we will never rest until it is.
Come, join me, and we will make it come true!
God bless you all.
----------
iCanConnect: National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program
by Joe Naulty
From the Editor: Joe Naulty is the president of the Deaf-Blind
Division of the National Federation of the Blind. Currently the division he
heads is working hard to influence an important federal program, and here
is what he would like readers of the Monitor to know about it:
The Deaf-Blind Division of the National Federation of the Blind has
initiated communication with each state affiliate regarding the equipment
and services available through the iCanConnect Program. People with vision
and hearing loss whose income will qualify them may be eligible to receive
equipment, training, and support to connect with family, friends, and the
community.
iCanConnect is a federally funded program made possible by the Twenty-
First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010. Project
partners are the Federal Communications Commission, Perkins School for the
Blind, and the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youth and
Adults. To be eligible, the individual must:
. Have combined hearing and vision loss verified by a doctor or
professional service provider.
. Be able to be trained to use adaptive technology that makes it
possible to use telephone, computer, or other communication equipment.
. Meet the program's income guidelines.
Hearing Guidelines
. Chronic hearing disabilities so severe that most speech cannot
be understood with optimum amplification, or
. Progressive hearing loss having a prognosis leading to the above
condition.
Vision Guidelines
. Visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with
corrective lenses, or
. A field defect such that the peripheral diameter of visual field
subtends an angular distance no greater than 20 degrees, or
. Progressive visual loss with a prognosis leading to one or both
of the above conditions.
Many types of equipment are available including, but not limited to,
refreshable Braille devices; computers; software; mobile devices; phones,
and signalers. There is an assessment component to this identification
process. To assist in determining which equipment is right for the
individual, an iCanConnect specialist will assist in identifying,
installing, and providing training for the equipment that meets the
individual's needs.
A wide range of communications technology-hardware and software-is
available to suit the varying needs of those who have combined hearing and
vision loss. There is also specialized equipment such as screen
enlargement, screen readers, or Braille displays. A program specialist can
help identify equipment to meet individual needs. Training is available
once the new equipment arrives.
The Federal Communications Commission is currently in the process of
making iCanConnect a permanent program. The Deaf-Blind Division of the
National Federation of the Blind has information on iCanConnect in large
print and Braille. Call (321) 768-9500 or email <jnaulty at cfl.rr.com>; the
information will be provided. To access iCanConnect directly, go to
<www.iCanConnect.org>. At the top of the page select "choose your state";
then select the state where you live from the drop-down menu. Information
pertinent to each state is provided.
Learning more about the iCanConnect program is the key to navigating
the application and communicating individual needs. Just get started. This
is a wonderful opportunity to get needed technology for those who qualify.
Sources:
Perkins School for the Blind, Watertown, Massachusetts. By phone (800) 825-
4595 or TTY (888) 320-2656
New Jersey Affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind, Sounding
Board, Spring, 2014
(973) 743-0075
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Amy Mason]
Deaf-Blind Communication Technology
by Amy Mason
From the Editor: Amy Mason works in the International Braille and
Technology Center and frequently writes about and evaluates technology.
Here is an in-depth review of techniques used by deaf-blind people to
communicate with others. The piece is long, but this is information
everyone needs to understand as we reach out to all blind citizens. Here is
what she says:
Author's Note: This article is based heavily upon a presentation for
the 2014 CSUN Conference on Technology and Persons with Disabilities by my
friend and colleague Scott Davert and me. Scott is a deaf-blind technology
teacher and an expert in the field. I wish to thank Scott for all of the
information he shared, making that presentation and this article possible.
His personal experiences with the technology in question and vast knowledge
of the area of deaf-blind communications in general made both this article
and the presentation far stronger than they otherwise would have been based
only on my own research.
Deaf-blind communication can be a tricky topic to tackle, since there
are a number of solutions which meet different needs for deaf-blind users.
Some tools are intended for face-to-face communication, while others are
meant for communication at a distance. Certain tools that will work for
some users will be woefully inadequate for others. Deaf-blindness, like
deafness or blindness alone, is measured on a spectrum. A person may be
totally deaf, totally blind, low vision, hard of hearing, or any
combination of these four states. Additionally, some deaf-blind individuals
will have been deaf first and be familiar with alternative techniques which
focus on vision, while others may have been blind first and are therefore
more comfortable with solutions that rely on hearing. Deaf-blind people may
also have other advantages or disadvantages that must be considered when
choosing a solution, such as poor reading skills or a higher level of tech
savviness. Therefore, the spectrum of needs which must be met by solutions
for deaf-blind communication are quite broad.
In this article we will focus on technology-based solutions to deaf-
blind communications which are specifically designed to facilitate face-to-
face communications: their costs, potential benefits, and detriments. Other
major methods of communication will be briefly touched upon in order to
provide a clear picture of the landscape of deaf-blind communications at
this time.
It is important to understand that a wide range and variety of tools
for amplification and focusing of audio, such as hearing aids, loupes, and
FM transmitter systems are available. However, the Access Technology Team
is not sufficiently familiar with such devices to speak about them in
detail. In the same vein magnification may be used to great effect by deaf-
blind people with some residual vision, but these topics will not be
discussed in detail except where they intersect with tools specifically
intended to meet the communication needs of those who are deaf-blind or as
ancillary add-ons to other services that are being used by this population
already.
When considering any technological solution to a problem, it is
always important to remember that nontechnical solutions also exist and
that in some situations these solutions can be the best tools for the job.
In the case of deaf-blind communication, the low-tech/no-tech tools on the
table are communication cards and Support Service Providers. Since this
article deals primarily with technical solutions, these options will be
only briefly discussed.
A communication card is a simple Braille/print or large print card,
usually laminated, which asks a specific question or requests assistance
concerning a specific item or task. For instance, to get help in crossing a
street, a user might lift a card which reads, "I am deaf-blind and need
assistance to cross this street. If you can help, please tap me on the
shoulder." Other cards might include the user's preferences for ordering
coffee or determining on which track a train will be arriving. Simple
question/answer pairs can be handled by sliding paper clips under the
appropriate answer. Communication books are a collection of these cards
that can be used by a deaf-blind user to meet common needs.
Communication cards are fairly inexpensive to create or purchase.
They often meet the need of the user far more quickly and simply than more
complex solutions, and, if damaged or lost, they can be easily and
inexpensively replaced. However, they are limited by their linear nature. A
user cannot carry on a long, complex, or detailed conversation or
transaction with a communication card or booklet. However, for simple,
often repeated tasks, they provide a fast and generally effective way for a
user to get his or her needs across.
Support Service Providers (SSPs) are professionals who have been
trained in skills such as tactile sign, close up visual sign, and other
communication strategies. They work with deaf-blind people to gather visual
and auditory information from the environment and often act as sighted
guides. These people may-depending on the preferences, skills, and
abilities of the deaf-blind person-provide close visual sign or tactile
sign interpretation services, type messages to the user using another
technological tool, or speak into an FM system or another amplification
device. The advantages to this solution are that the deaf-blind person has
a great deal of flexibility in receiving information about the environment
from working with the SSP, and trained SSPs are capable of assisting with
very complex or lengthy transactions. The major difficulties with this
system include the fact that SSPs can be difficult to locate and expensive
to hire. Furthermore, SSP assistance may not be desired for dealing with
matters of a sensitive or personal nature.
Many deaf-blind people use computers to meet longer-distance
communication needs. Some of the services regularly used include different
IM [instant messaging] clients, SMS text messaging, Skype (for text chat or
video in the case of low-vision users) or other video and text chatting
services, and email with their preferred screen-access software, Braille
display, or magnification package. The use of full-sized computers for face-
to-face communications is somewhat limited, however.
The one notable exception to the above statement is the Interpretype
DBCS 2.0 package sold by Freedom Scientific and Interpretype. This package
consists of a pair of laptop computers, a carrying case, a Focus 40 Blue
Braille display, JAWS (installed on one computer), and the Interpretype
software. These computers come already paired and set up to talk to one
another, according to the documentation, though this has not been verified
by the Access Technology Team. One machine is already loaded with JAWS and
paired with the Focus. The two machines connect using a special USB cable,
Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi, and they can be used for face-to-face communications.
Furthermore, the Wi-Fi connection can be used to connect up to one hundred
unique clients with the Interpretype software installed, according to the
Interpretype website.
The Interpretype system is quite powerful since it is based on a full
Windows system; however, in order to use the package for face-to-face
communications, the deaf-blind user must carry around a pair of computers
and a Braille display. For anything but the longest sessions of face-to-
face conversation, this seems like a lot of trouble, setup, and wait time
for minimal payoff in comparison to other options on the market.
Furthermore, nowhere in its promotional materials was there any mention of
the specifications of the computers, other than to say that they are "full-
featured." This solution may be beneficial if it is intended for semi-
permanent placement, such as in an office or educational setting, but for
portability it seems a very poor choice due to the need to carry so much
equipment, wait for both machines to boot, and have a large enough area to
set up and hold a conversation. Furthermore, since only one of the devices
contains screen-access software, a deaf-blind owner of the system would
have to go through the additional step of adding such software to the
second machine in order to maintain her own equipment. The software can be
purchased separately and added to a user's existing computer system if
preferred. Pricing for Interpretype fluctuates depending on the options
required by the user. Contact Interpretype for more information, including
pricing.
Some deaf-blind users already own or would benefit from having access
to an electronic Braille notetaker. These devices replicate the basic
functionality of a personal data assistant (PDA) by providing functions
such as a calendar, an address book, a calculator, basic note taking, and
book reading. They may also offer instant messaging, email, basic web
browsing, and other online services. Many of these devices can also be
upgraded to offer GPS navigation. Because these devices are highly
portable; can function as Braille displays for computers, phones, and
tablets; and are often carried regularly by their users, they make ideal
candidates for face-to-face applications.
FaceToFace PC Communicator is a software package installed on the
user's PAC Mate and a Bluetooth enabled computer. The package allows the
user to connect a PAC Mate to the computer using the included compact flash
Bluetooth module. In the case of the PAC Mate and a computer, the computer
is designated as a "server" and the PAC Mate is designated the "client."
Once this is set up, the PAC Mate user is able to send messages between the
PAC Mate and the computer. Two users with PAC Mates can also use this
software to talk. When two PAC Mates are paired, one device needs to be set
as the server, the other as the client, and the communication proceeds as
above. This software allows the user to save conversations for later
review. Furthermore, a user can create preset messages in order to send
frequently used questions or statements easily and quickly.
Unless a user already owns a Mate and does not intend to upgrade
soon, there are no compelling reasons to recommend this product. The PAC
Mate is an older technology, missing many of the portability and hardware
benefits of newer tools, and any system based upon it is going to be
equally outdated. Due to the need for pre-installation of the FaceToFace
software on the PC, a deaf-blind user would have to carry around not only
the PAC Mate, but also a laptop for any impromptu communication sessions
and would be limited to many of the space and time constraints that plague
the use of the Interpretype. If, however, a user already owns a PAC Mate
and wishes to add this functionality to it, the FaceToFace PC Communicator
package can be obtained from Freedom Scientific for $495.
The Deaf-Blind Communicator (DBC) is a package built by HumanWare
intended to offer a simple solution to the need for portable face-to-face
communications. It consists of two pieces of hardware: an older Windows
Mobile 6 cell phone with a full QWERTY keyboard and a BrailleNote mPower.
These two devices are set up to communicate with one another over
Bluetooth. When the phone is first turned on, it immediately boots into the
communications software and offers a greeting message that explains that
the owner of the system is deaf-blind. It then asks the recipient to take
the cell phone and use it to communicate with him or her. The deaf-blind
user reads messages on the mPower's Braille display and can reply to the
sighted user by typing on the notetaker's keyboard (both Perkins and QWERTY
are available), while the sighted participant uses the screen and keyboard
of the cell phone to read and write messages to the deaf-blind person.
Either the notetaker can be left in Deaf-blind Communicator mode,
which offers only the basic deaf-blind communication tools of the face-to-
face application (SMS and TTY) functionality, or it can be set to a more
advanced user mode, which allows the user to take advantage of the full
range of software available to users of the BrailleNote, such as basic
Internet browsing, email, notetaking, book reading, and personal management
functions. This allows it to be very simple or more robust depending on the
needs of the user.
Once again the DBC is unfortunately based heavily on outdated
technology. With the exception of the DBC, a user can no longer purchase a
BrailleNote mPower from HumanWare, and Windows Mobile 6 has not been
relevant or widely available for several years. Since this system offers a
truly portable design and a simple setup compared with many of the other
tools on this list, it would be an excellent choice for users if the
technology were not already so outdated. As time goes on, these devices
will become harder and harder to maintain, repair, or replace, so those
buying one now would be doing themselves a great disservice. This is
expensive technology, and, if it cannot be expected to work and be
maintained for at least the next several years, it is not a good solution.
For more information or to purchase the Deaf-Blind Communicator, contact
HumanWare. A system with eighteen Braille cells retails for $6,379, and one
with thirty-two cells of Braille is $8,239.
HIMS, like HumanWare and Freedom Scientific, has also begun to offer
its deaf-blind communications solutions. They are based upon the Braille
Sense line of notetakers. However, unlike its competition, HIMS has chosen
to offer the basic notetaker with a couple of relatively inexpensive add-
ons and no specialty software.
The Braille Sense U2 and U2 Mini are the most recent Braille
notetakers to come out of HIMS and are equipped with all of the software
that a user would come to expect from a recent notetaker, but they also
have some unique features that make them compelling options for deaf-blind
users. First, each of these devices is equipped with a vibration motor in
order to provide tactile feedback, which can replace system sounds for all
important notifications on the device. Second, the Braille Sense with a
thirty-two-cell display and Perkins-style keyboard includes a small, one-
line LCD, which can be flipped to face away from the user, thus allowing a
sighted user to view what is being written on the notetaker. The other
devices in the line, as well as this device, can also be connected to a
small USB-powered LCD visual display in order to offer the same
functionality. Thus, with the addition of a Bluetooth or USB QWERTY
keyboard, two users-one deaf-blind and reading the Braille display, the
other sighted and using the LCD, or blind and using audio, or sighted and
deaf-can take turns typing back and forth in the word processor of the
Braille Sense in order to conduct face-to-face communication.
Like every other solution in this article, this solution has
advantages and disadvantages. The greatest advantage is portability. The
entire system consists of one Braille notetaker, a small QWERTY keyboard
(which can be purchased from HIMS or other retailers as suits the
individual), and a visual display that is about the size of a Snicker's
candy bar. Reliability and relative ease of setup are also major
advantages, since users are able to connect everything with wires if they
so choose. Avoiding the fight with Bluetooth connectivity may suit some
users very well and can speed initial setup of the conversation.
Unfortunately the very small screen of the notetaker and the close
proximity of the built-in LCD screen on the Perkins style U2 can make
reading the conversation less comfortable for the sighted participant. The
fact that both users are navigating and manipulating the same document to
review and read new content may also pose challenges until they get used to
one another and find a method for sharing the visuals (in this case this
includes Braille) since each will see only a single line of text at any
given time.
All in all, this is a fairly simple solution to the problem of face-
to-face communications and may suit some users very well. If it sounds like
a good option, a user can contact HIMS Inc. to discuss different packages.
Prices are as follows: 32-cell Braille Sense U2 with Perkins Keyboard,
including a USB keyboard: $5,685; including a Bluetooth keyboard: $5,740;
32-cell Braille Sense U2 with QWERTY keyboard, including a USB LCD display
and USB keyboard: $5,789; with Bluetooth keyboard: $5,844; 18-cell Braille
Sense U2 Mini, including a USB LCD display and Bluetooth keyboard: $4,244.
The LCD screen can be purchased by itself for users who already own a
compatible HIMS notetaker for $99.
Apple's iOS devices are extremely powerful tools for users who are
blind and deaf-blind. With VoiceOver screen-access software, Zoom
magnifier, and support for Bluetooth Braille displays built into the
platform, it has been widely adopted in education, professional, and
personal environments. Due to the flexibility of the operating system, the
size and portability of the devices, and the robust accessibility features,
many apps in countless categories have been made accessible to deaf-blind
users, including a number for both long distance and face-to-face
communications.
On iOS, like the PC, many users will find benefit in a number of
mainstream tools for communicating over long distances. These include
texting applications, email, instant messaging software, and video-
conferencing tools like FaceTime and Skype. Deaf-blind users also have a
few unique options for face-to-face communications. Furthermore, outside
the realm of interpersonal communications, deaf-blind users will also find
many accessible apps for reading books, keeping up on news, social
networking, entertainment, health, and productivity.
iOS is available on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, and each of these
may have advantages for certain users. Deaf-blind users with some usable
vision may find that the larger screen of the iPad allows them to
accomplish more visually than the smaller screens of the iPhone and iPod
Touch. The iPod Touch is less expensive than other devices and may be a
good choice for a device that is being shared regularly with strangers; and
the iPhone, beyond telephone services, also offers GPS, mobile data, and
vibration.
These advantages having been stated, it is important also to consider
some of the disadvantages in using iOS as the user's primary platform for
face-to-face and other communications, not necessarily to dissuade the user
from iOS, but simply to ensure that he or she is aware of what to expect
when using the device.
Trouble with Braille displays with iOS devices can pose significant
frustration for deaf-blind communications. Because a user needs to use
Bluetooth to connect the device, he or she may require assistance to pair
or reconnect the Braille display with the iOS device initially. If a user
cannot hear VoiceOver, there is no way to complete this task independently
or repair a connection if something goes wrong. Second, typing Braille in
iOS is subject to some challenging quirks. To illustrate: if a user is not
a fast Braillist and has contractions turned on, he may find that iOS will
automatically translate the word he is writing, whether or not it is
complete. If the word to be written is "frustrate" and it takes some time
for the deaf-blind person to enter the letter "u" following the "r", the
word will appear as "friendustrating." Furthermore, if he attempts to fix a
typo and does not place a letter sign in front of the character he adds to
the end of a word, that character will be translated as though it was typed
by itself. So, if a user types "hikd," erases the d, and forgets to enter a
letter sign prior to typing an e to make the word "hike," he will find that
the word is translated in iOS as "hikevery."
Another concern for users of iOS devices as face-to-face tools is
that i-devices are quite small, mobile, and expensive. Unfortunately, iPads
and iPhones are quite popular with thieves, and the deaf-blind user may be
understandably disinclined to hand an expensive device to a stranger. This
can be partially mitigated by using a case which keeps the iOS device on a
retractable leash or tether. An example of one such product is the T-Reign
ProLink Smartphone case, available on Amazon. This is not an endorsement of
the specific case, but merely a suggestion to mitigate some of the concern
of using an iOS device for face-to-face communications. Unfortunately, a
foolproof method for protecting one's device does not exist, and this
suggestion is simply one solution to such conundrums.
A third disadvantage to using an iOS device as a communications tool
is that it may be more involved than a user needs or desires. For some
users iOS may be overwhelmingly complex, and, although many users with
practice come to appreciate the flexibility that is possible using these
systems, it is important to point out that it will not be the right
solution for everyone. Despite these concerns and those inherent in the
options listed below, many deaf-blind users will find an iOS device an
excellent tool for communications as well as access to information and
other services.
Many users may find that all they need for impromptu face-to-face
communications is their iOS device and a paired Bluetooth Braille display.
The basic setup involves deaf-blind users' ensuring that the print keyboard
is available on screen (or pairing a Bluetooth keyboard) at the same time
that their Braille device is paired, opening a file in an application like
Notes or another suitable writing program, typing a welcome message to the
person they wish to communicate with, and handing that person the iOS
device.
The primary advantage to this option is that, after a user has done
some initial setup on the device, it is quite simple to implement and
requires no training or purchases beyond the iOS device and Braille display
that the deaf-blind person already owns. It is extremely portable and
fairly easy to set up on the go. Furthermore, it can be used to facilitate
communications with either blind or sighted people with little if any
change to the setup. Finally, the user has a full record of the
conversation saved in the device after its completion.
Unfortunately some limitations to this approach must be considered
above and beyond those inherent in using the iOS platform for face-to-face
communications. First, users may have difficulty explaining to the people
they are communicating with how to type on an iOS device which has
VoiceOver enabled. Because VoiceOver changes the way that gestures are
interpreted, a sighted user who is unfamiliar may be unsure about how to
proceed when using the phone while VoiceOver is enabled. One method that
partially mitigates this concern came about with the advent of iOS 7.
Initially a user could set the keyboard to a mode called "Touch Typing,"
which would allow a user to place a finger on the screen, and, when he or
she lifted, it, the letter would be typed. The problem was that, until iOS
7, "Touch Typing" had a noticeable delay, which would cause quickly typed
keystrokes to be rejected by the device. Although other parts of the phone
will still be difficult to navigate for those unfamiliar with VoiceOver,
the sighted person reading the display will now find it much easier to type
on the screen. A second option which may suit some users is to offer the
person they wish to communicate with a Bluetooth keyboard. This means the
user has to carry one more piece of technology and ensure that it is ready
to use, but it also makes many of the people the user wishes to communicate
with more comfortable, especially if they are not tech savvy or if the
conversation is expected to be long.
If a user chooses to build his or her own solution in this way, he or
she may find some other tools beneficial. For instance, one can use iOS's
built-in text shortcuts to create one's own macros and preset commonly used
phrases. To do this, the user can go to Settings, General, Keyboard, Add
New Shortcut and follow the prompts to add the text he wishes to use, as
well as the shortcut for implementing it. Second, some users have reported
that the "Notes" app provided by Apple can become sluggish when used for
longer conversations and recommend experimenting with other applications to
find one that works better for lengthier documents. One that has been
positively reviewed is AFB's AccessNote, which can be purchased for $19.99
in the app store and offers extra keyboard and Braille display shortcuts to
improve note taking for blind iOS users.
HIMS Chat is a face-to-face communications solution offered by HIMS.
It can be downloaded free in the iOS app store and is intended to be used
with the HIMS Braille Sense or Braille Edge. Despite the fact that it is
intended to work with the HIMS devices, it will also work with any other
Braille display that the user owns.
HIMS Chat's main menu consists of several buttons: New Conversation,
Greeting, Macros, Saved Chats, and Documentation. In Greeting, a user can
set the message he or she wishes to use to open a conversation with the
sighted user. It defaults to a basic message which explains that the user
is deaf-blind and can communicate using the iOS device. The Macros tab also
allows users to create a number of preset messages. Conversations can be
saved, and the app seems like it would be a fairly good solution.
Unfortunately the HIMS app has one major flaw; it simply does not
work reliably. In testing the app, we found that it would often lose focus
and would leave the user somewhere other than the editing area. This meant
that it was not always possible for the user texting with a Braille display
to get a message typed. Macros also did not appear to work when tested. At
times the Braille display would not match what was being spoken by
VoiceOver, and it simply did not work as intended. Most frustratingly, the
bones of a good face-to-face application are there, with support for lots
of macros, an optional conversation history, easy-to-start operation, and a
fairly straightforward interface. If HIMS were to iron out the bugs in the
application, it would be an excellent tool, but, as it stands now, it's not
worth the download.
The HumanWare Communicator is a face-to-face solution sold by
HumanWare. Like HIMS Chat, it offers a programmable greeting and macros.
When a deaf-blind user wishes to start a conversation, he or she can
activate the New Conversation button. Once this is activated, the user
feels the phone vibrate. At the same time it will be producing an audible
ringing noise to attract the attention of the person to whom the deaf-blind
user is handing the device. Once that person has touched a finger to the
Okay button on the bottom of the screen, the communications window pops up.
The deaf-blind user can then enter the message he or she wishes to
communicate, using the Braille display, and the sighted user will see it
appear on screen. Once the deaf-blind user has asked his or her question,
the sighted user will be instructed to place a finger inside the text box
to begin typing a reply. The keyboard will come up on-screen, and the
sighted user is then able to type normally. Conversations can be saved for
later perusal, and the app includes decent documentation.
HumanWare Communicator is relatively simple to set up; it offers
large, eye-grabbing text for the opening message and tactile and audible
indications that the deaf-blind user is attempting to begin a conversation.
It has full support for up to one hundred macros (designated "me-00"
through "me-99"). As such, it is a relatively powerful solution, with some
nice features, which will be of benefit to many users.
It does have a few drawbacks to be aware of, however. First, although
VoiceOver can read the characters on the on-screen keyboard, it is clearly
meant to be used by a sighted correspondent, and using the application with
a blind user who is sharing VoiceOver causes the app to misbehave rather
badly, including missing input, unintentionally moving focus for the deaf-
blind user, and toggling the on-screen keyboard unexpectedly.
Second, a bug introduced in iOS 7 causes the on-screen keyboard to
pop up regularly when a blind user is using a Braille display. Since the
keyboard covers the text area the blind user is typing in, one may find
that he or she is not always able to read the text he or she is inputting
or may find that the focus has shifted to the keyboard instead of moving to
the Send button when attempting to navigate to it. This bug has been dealt
with in iOS 7.1 and 7.1.1, but, for users who have not yet updated, it may
be a concern.
The HumanWare Communicator can be purchased as a standalone app in
the Apple app store or can be bundled with a package containing either a
BrailleNote Apex or a Brailliant BI Braille display and an iPhone 5 or iPod
Touch. Prices are as follows: HumanWare Communicator App only: $99;
BrailleNote Apex (32 Braille Cells) Communicator package with an iPhone 5:
$6,395; with an iPod Touch: $5,995; BrailleNote Apex (18 Braille Cells)
with iPhone 5: $4,795; with iPod Touch: $4,395; Brailliant (40 Braille
Cells) with iPhone 5: $3,895; with iPod Touch: $3,495; Brailliant (32
Braille Cells) with iPhone 5: $3,495; with iPod Touch: $3,095.
Android is a particularly difficult platform to discuss, because no
deaf-blind communication solutions at present are marketed specifically for
it. Furthermore, BrailleBack, the Android Braille driver, is badly hampered
and not robust enough to be used by people who would rely on it solely or
primarily for interacting with the device. For the majority of deaf-blind
users (at least those reliant on Braille), it is wisest to steer far clear
of Android at this time. That said, there are some things about Android
that might make it an appropriate option to consider for users with very
specific needs.
Some deaf-blind people with enough vision to navigate a smartphone
and few to no Braille skills might prefer an Android phone due to their
ability to choose high-contrast or larger print launchers and make other
customizations that are not possible on iOS devices. One such launcher is
the "BIG Launcher," available for $10 from the Google Play Store. For more
information on BIG Launcher, visit <http://biglauncher.com/>.
Looking again at the customization of Android as its primary
advantage over iOS, a deaf-blind user might find that Mobile Accessibility
from Code Factory on an Android device is a simpler solution than dealing
with the full interface of either stock Android or iOS devices. With quite
decent Braille support in its own apps, Mobile Accessibility might be a
smartphone solution that would be less intimidating for users who are
fluent in Braille, but not as technically fluent. Mobile Accessibility
contains phone, SMS, "Where Am I," simple GPS information, web browsing,
email, calendar, alarms, settings, and access to other applications
installed on the device. Mobile Accessibility's Braille support is fairly
easy to use and very consistent, however, it does not work outside the
suite of bundled applications, so a deaf-blind user considering this
solution is essentially restricted to these applications only.
Mobile Accessibility is sold by Code Factory and can be purchased
from the Google Play store for $99. Some carriers subsidize the price of
this application, so it is worth the user checking to see if their carrier
is one that does. For more information on Mobile Accessibility visit
<http://www.codefactory.es/en/products.asp?id=415>.
The National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program is a pilot
created by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in order to meet the
requirements of the Twenty-First Century Video and Communications
Accessibility Act by ensuring that deaf-blind people have access to the
Internet and other communications technology. The program provides up to
$10 million a year to provide low-income deaf-blind people with access to
hardware, software, and training solutions to ensure their ability to
communicate. Many of the devices in this article, as well as others that
may be of use, will be available to participants in the program. The pilot
will be run through 2015, at which point a more permanent solution is
expected to be implemented. The NDBP is managed by different entities in
each state. More information, including the names of agencies managing the
program, can be found at <www.iCanConnect.org>.
The solutions for deaf-blind communications in this article offer a
number of different approaches to the fundamental question of deaf-blind
communication. Which is right will need to be determined by each user. It
is expected that a mixture of different solutions will best meet most
users' needs. For many tasks a simple communication card might work; for
others something more freeform, like many of the computer, iOS, and
notetaker-based face-to-face packages, will suit, and for some the best
solution may be working with an SSP. As with most alternative techniques,
some experimentation on the part of the user will be the best way to
determine a solution or set of solutions that will work.
Please feel free to contact the Access Technology Team of the
National Federation of the Blind using the Technology Answer Line (410) 659-
9314, extension 5, or email us at <access at nfb.org> if you have any further
questions about the technologies discussed in this article or any other
access technology solution for the blind.
Other Resources
CODE FACTORY, S.L.; C/ Major, 19, 2-3, 08221-Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain;
Email: <sales at codefactory.es>; Website: <http://www.codefactory.es>
Freedom Scientific, Blind/Low Vision Group; 11800 31st Court North, St.
Petersburg, FL 33716-1805; Phone: (727) 803-8000; Toll-Free (800) 444-4443;
Fax: (727) 803-8001; Tech support for all products: (727) 803-8600; Email:
use Web form; Website: <http://www.freedomscientific.com>
HIMS, Inc.; 4616 W. Howard Lane, Suite 960, Austin, TX 78728; Toll-Free
Phone: (888) 520-4467; Technical Support: (512) 837-2000; Fax: (512) 837-
2000; Email: <sales at hims-inc.com>; support at hims-inc.com; Website:
<http://www.hims-inc.com>
HumanWare; HumanWare USA Inc., 1 UPS Way, P.O. Box 800, Champlain, NY
12919; Toll-Free: (800) 722-3393; Fax: (888) 871-4828; Email:
<info at HumanWare.com>; Website: <http://www.HumanWare.com>
Interpretype; 3301 Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Road, Suite 200, Rochester,
New York 14623; Toll-Free: (877) 345-3182; Phone: (585) 272-1155; Fax/TTY:
(585) 272-1434; Email: <info at Interpretype.com>; Website:
<www.interpretype.com>
National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program; Phone (800) 825-4595;
TTY (888) 320-2656; Email: use Web form; Website: <www.iCanConnect.org>
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Richie Flores]
Bringing Beep Baseball and Much More to the Dominican Republic
by Richie Flores
>From the Editor: Richie Flores has served as president of the National
Federation of the Blind of Austin, Texas, has coordinated youth
programming, and has played beep baseball with the Austin Blackhawks for
quite some time to raise awareness of the blind in his community. Here is
what he has to share about a recent international awareness mission
sponsored by the National Beep Baseball Association:
I have dedicated most of my life to educating my world regarding the
capabilities of the blind. I also play beep baseball. This summer I got to
do both when the Austin Blackhawks, the most celebrated beep baseball team
in America, were invited to play a game in front of thousands in Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic. Vladimir Guerrero, Albert Pujos, and Pedro
Martinez began their careers on the same Quisqueya Stadium ball field,
where we took part in one of the most empowering steps toward first-class
citizenship for the disabled. The team's interactions with political
leaders and the mass media, coupled with amazing international
sportsmanship, redefined "blind" that day for a Caribbean nation.
How did beep baseball come to the Dominican? It's a terrible story
with a hopeful ending. It starts with a horrific carjacking that blinded a
young engineer named Francina Hungria. That tragedy led to the creation of
La Fundacion de Francina Hungria. Ms. Hungria's survival brought about a
revival-a true desire in her country for better understanding and
acceptance of people with disabilities. The fundamental mission of La
Fundación Francina Hungría is to take part in projects that demonstrate the
potential of blind people. With the support of the vice president,
Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, Ms. Hungria hosted the Austin Blackhawks for
five days of national awareness and education.
Not only did we Blackhawks tap our canes upon the historical floor of
the Presidential Palace in Santo Domingo, but we got to have a face-to-face
meeting with the vice president, who confided in us that she produced
Braille business cards during her election campaign. She believes in
literacy, and she believes in blind people. That faith was apparent in the
treatment the Blackhawks received. All five days we rode in a bus chartered
by the vice president's transportation staff, expertly maneuvered by soon-
to-be team favorite Miguel (the most incredible driver in Santo Domingo).
Each morning we dodged in and out of the chaotic traffic of the city to
arrive at various newspapers to support Ms. Hungria's mission to tell the
world about what blind people can do, what we think, and what we want.
One such newspaper, El Día, led an interactive interview with our
team in which the topic discussed was our vocations. In true blindness
public relations fashion, we proudly announced our individual careers. We
are business owners, state employees, warehouse workers, accountants,
counselors, students, and proud parents-the Austin Blackhawks have it all.
Seven of the nine legally blind players who attended this awareness mission
trip are employed. The other two are current college students, one of whom
recently earned his associate's degree in physical education; the other is
certified in crossfit training and can almost certainly outlift most who
are reading this article.
One of the most memorable moments for me was on the television show
Divertido con Jochy. This was a nationwide variety television show similar
to our own Michael and Kelly (with a Jimmy Fallon edginess). We were
dancing for disability awareness alongside La Fundacion de Francina
Hungria. Thousands saw the show, which translates to "Fun with Jochy."
Through these fun activities we made an impact.
Then it was time for the game. Los Hurricanes Del Caribe (Caribbean
Hurricanes) are the new beep baseball team in Santo Domingo, and much of
our media tour was spent publicizing the Clásico Beep Béisbol. The
gentlemen on the Dominican team were excited to learn from us of the
security, equality, and opportunity that can be possible for their
country's blind citizens. Together with Francina, they are encouraged to
open minds on disability. In the Clásico Beep Béisbol over four thousand
watched as the Blackhawks and the Hurricanes demonstrated beep baseball.
Faith Penn-a close personal friend and a female ballplayer-actually smashed
a beep ball pitched by Cy Young-winning pitcher Pedro Martinez. Beep
baseball's own Hall of Fame pitcher, Kevin Sibson, pitched to a
blindfolded, hard-hitting outfielder named Moises Alou.
This event was bigger than a game; it was a rally for empowerment.
Thousands cheered the players and learned about their potential. If you can
play baseball blind, they realized, then you can hold down a job under the
same circumstances.
I had tears of joy as both teams shook hands, slapped backs, and
hugged each other in joint respect for moving forward toward acceptance and
inclusion in front of thousands of our sighted peers. Together, Francina
Hungria's nonprofit, the Austin Blackhawks, beep baseball, and the
organized blind movement made a difference one groundball and one life at a
time.
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Giving a Dream
One of the great satisfactions in life is having the opportunity to
assist others. Consider making a gift to the National Federation of the
Blind to continue turning our dreams into reality. A gift to the NFB is not
merely a donation to an organization; it provides resources that will
directly ensure a brighter future for all blind people.
Seize the Future
The National Federation of the Blind has special giving opportunities
that will benefit the giver as well as the NFB. Of course the largest
benefit to the donor is the satisfaction of knowing that the gift is
leaving a legacy of opportunity. However, gifts may be structured to
provide more:
. Helping the NFB fulfill its mission
. Realizing income tax savings through a charitable deduction
. Making capital gain tax savings on contributions of appreciated assets
. Providing retained payments for the life of a donor or beneficiary
. Eliminating or lowering the federal estate tax in certain situations
. Reducing estate settlement costs
NFB programs are dynamic:
. Making the study of science and math a real possibility for blind
children
. Providing hope and training for seniors losing vision
. Promoting state and local programs to help blind people become first-
class citizens
. Educating the public about blind people's true potential
. Advancing technology helpful to the blind
. Creating a state-of-the-art library on blindness
. Training and inspiring professionals working with the blind
. Providing critical information to parents of blind children
. Mentoring blind job seekers
Your gift makes you a partner in the NFB dream. For further
information or assistance, contact the NFB planned giving officer.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Eve L. Hill]
Minimum Wage Guarantees for Disabled Workers-A Report from the Department
of Justice
by Eve L. Hill
From the Editor: Eve Hill is well known to those who attend the
convention or read accounts of it in this magazine. She has worked for the
law firm of Brown, Goldstein and Levy, as the director of the Office for
Disability Rights for the District of Columbia, as the senior vice
president for the Burton Blatt Institute, and now for the United States
Department of Justice. One of the reasons she is a regular fixture on our
convention agenda is that she always has something of interest to say. Here
is what she said on the morning of July 6, 2014:
I'm so happy to be here, back at the National Federation of the
Blind. Thank you for having me. It's a little intimidating seeing you all
out here, but I'm going to try and be calm.
On February 12, 2014, President Obama issued Executive Order 13658,
establishing a minimum wage for contractors. The executive order generally
raises the minimum for certain federal service contractors and
subcontractors to $10.10 an hour beginning January 1, 2015. The purpose of
the executive order was to increase the morale of employees and in turn
increase their productivity and efficiency. And whose pay and morale are
most likely to be increased by this? People who are blind and have other
disabilities, because their pay is now lower than anyone else's.
So what does the executive order mean to people with disabilities?
The executive order specifically says that covered federal contractors who
have special minimum wage certificates under Section 14(c) of the Fair
Labor Standards Act must comply with the executive order. Now, as you all
know, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act allows employers to pay
wages below the prevailing wage and below the minimum wage to workers with
disabilities. Section 14(c) can be used by federal contractor employers and
nonfederal contractor employers. Many of the employers who take advantage
of Section 14(c) are segregated sheltered workshops, and 20 percent of them
are federal contractors who participate in the AbilityOne program, which
gives them a contracting preference if their worker population is 75
percent people with disabilities. So, not only are they relatively
segregated, but they also get the benefit of paying below minimum wage. And
once an AbilityOne employer is approved and its services are placed on the
procurement list, that contract is often renewed automatically.
The executive order does not change the Fair Labor Standards Act
itself, because that would require legislation, so these AbilityOne
employers can still pay workers with disabilities a percentage of the
prevailing wage, which is usually for service contracts set by the Service
Contracts Act and the Department of Labor. They're mostly higher than the
federal minimum wage and often already higher than $10.10, but, because of
the interplay of 14(c), those contractors have, until now, been able to pay
below $10.10 and even below the minimum wage. But under the executive
order, employers under new covered-service contracts, including AbilityOne
employers, must pay their workers, including workers with disabilities, at
least $10.10-$10.10 becomes the floor.
About fifty thousand people with disabilities under AbilityOne
contracts currently make below the minimum wage. Most of those, however,
work on product contracts, which aren't covered by the executive order. So,
according to the Office of Management and Budget, the vast majority of
people with disabilities working on service contracts already make $10.10
an hour. But, if it applied to current contracts now, the executive order
would apply to thousands of people with disabilities who are currently
working on AbilityOne service contracts and currently making less than
$10.10 an hour, and even less than minimum wage.
The executive order applies only to service contracts by executive
agencies, not independent agencies, but it strongly encourages independent
agencies to comply as well, and it applies only to new contracts. It
doesn't apply to contracts being applied outside the US, and it doesn't
apply to federal grants.
So what's happening now? The executive order requires the Department
of Labor to issue regulations by October of this year. On June 17 the
Department of Labor published a notice of proposed rulemaking to implement
the executive order. Comments from all of you-all of you and the rest of
the public-are due by July 17. I can't say much about the rulemaking
because it's not my rulemaking and because the process has started, so I'm
not allowed to give a lot of information beyond what's in the notice of
proposed rulemaking. I understand that Pat Shiu spoke about this from the
Department of Labor already. I'm a little afraid that because of that
limitation my presentation may be a little boring. So, if I start to get
interesting, you'll know I've gone off script.
The NPRM would define a new contract covered by the executive order
as one that results from a solicitation issued after January 1, 2015, or a
contract that is awarded outside the solicitation process on or after
January 5, 2015. This includes new contracts and replacements for expiring
contracts, and under the NPRM the executive order would not apply to
automatic renewals of contracts that were issued before January 2015.
What Dr. Maurer really asked me to talk about was how this fit and
how this represents an evolution in federal policy. Both Section 14(c) and
the AbilityOne program came from statute originally enacted in 1938. How
many of us were around in 1938? Well, you may recall that the statutes were
well before the enactment of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or the
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. They were before reasonable
accommodations were required of public and private employers. They were
before Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act required affirmative action by
federal contractors to hire and retain people with disabilities. They were
before the development and widespread implementation of supported
employment services and supports. At the time of those statutes, people
with disabilities were largely presumed unable to work in integrated
competitive employment. At that time people with disabilities were assumed
to have access to charity and public benefits sufficient to meet their
needs, so why did they need wages? All I clearly disagree with.
But much of that has changed. The ADA now prohibits employers from
discriminating against applicants on the basis of their disability and
requires them to provide reasonable accommodations. Section 503 now
requires affirmative action to hire and retain people with disabilities.
Supported employment services have been recognized in the Developmental
Disability Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 1984 and are now widely
available. People with disabilities have consistently demonstrated that
they-we-are capable of working in integrated, competitive employment.
People with disabilities are unwilling to rely on charity and public
benefits, but insist on making a real living and contributing to their
families and communities. So the executive order is recognizing that people
with disabilities work hard and that they need and deserve the same living
wage as people without disabilities. [Applause] As I often say, we are not
leprechauns; we do not have a pot of gold. If you can't live on less than
$10.10 an hour, neither can we.
People with disabilities, like other employees, will improve their
morale, their efficiency, and their productivity when they are paid fairly.
The executive order is consistent with and builds on other federal policies
that recognize that people with disabilities are capable of competitive
integrated employment and are entitled to be free of discrimination, to be
accommodated, and to be fairly paid for their work.
This is not the beginning of this federal recognition-it's been
coming. In 2001 the Federal Rehabilitation Services Administration program
eliminated permanent placement in sheltered workshops (or so-called
extended employment in the agency's lingo) from the agency's list of
services it will fund. The Rehabilitation Services Administration remains
committed to supported employment in competitive integrated settings as an
effective service for clients of state VR programs. The agency's
regulations define supported employment for people with disabilities to
mean competitive employment in integrated settings or employment in
integrated work settings in which individuals are working toward
competitive employment, consistent with their strengths, resources,
priorities, concerns, abilities, capabilities, interests, and informed
choice. Similarly, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, referred
to as CMS, which oversees the Medicaid program providing long-term services
and supports, has embraced supported employment services and declared that
prevocational services provided in sheltered workshop settings should be
time-limited and designed to lead to integrated employment. They cannot be
services without placement. Their informational bulletin in 2001 said that
"Medicaid community services funding is not available for the provision of
vocational services delivered in facility-based or sheltered workshop
settings where individuals are supervised for the primary purpose of
producing goods or performing services. Those services should be designed
to create a path for integrated community employment where the individual
is compensated at or above the minimum wage, and no less than a customary
wage or benefits shall be paid for similar work by individuals without
disabilities."
The Department of Education has also recognized the importance of
supplementary aids and services, including supported employment, as part of
in-school transition services for youth, to enable students to work in
integrated settings both while they're in school and after they are out of
school, and it defines transition services to include supported employment.
Even Congress is getting on the bandwagon and is considering restricting
eligibility for subminimum wage work through the Workforce Innovation and
Opportunity Act.
I'm sure that Dr. Maurer thought, when he asked me to speak about the
subminimum wage, that would stop me from talking about all the great things
DOJ is doing, but ha-it will not! This work also has a significant overlap
with the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division's efforts in
implementing the ADA's integration mandate, the Olmsted Mandate as we call
it in the employment arena. Because many of the entities that employ people
below minimum wage under 14(c) are segregated sheltered workshops. Olmsted
requires that state services be provided in the most integrated setting
appropriate for the individual, and that includes not just residential
services, not just healthcare services, but employment services as well. So
we recently reached a statewide settlement with Rhode Island to transform
its day services program from one that relied primarily on segregated
subminimum wage sheltered workshops and segregated day programs to one that
relies on integrated competitive supported employment and integrated day
services. We are also in litigation on the same issues in Oregon.
Now we have the additional benefit of Section 503 of the
Rehabilitation Act. So we've been talking about the push, where we push
people to provide the services people with disabilities need. Now we're on
the pull side, where we want employers pulling to hire people with
disabilities. Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act has new regulations
that require federal contractors to implement affirmative action programs
to get over past discrimination, to hire people with disabilities,
including a utilization goal in all job classifications to have 7 percent
of their employees be people with disabilities. These regulations also
require data collection so contractors can keep track of how well they are
doing. We all know that what gets counted gets done.
I'm personally involved in three interagency groups that are working
on increasing the integrated competitive employment of people with
disabilities and particularly people with significant disabilities, who
should not be left out of this. Like the executive order itself, these
changes in federal policy are not just about justice-wouldn't it be nice if
that was all that we needed. They are about the bottom line for business
and for the country and for people with disabilities, and we're already
seeing results on the business's bottom lines. Employers are looking for
people with disabilities. Employers who have already been committed to
inclusion are benefiting.
At a summit I was at just a week and a half ago on the employment of
people with disabilities in Rhode Island, large, medium, and small
businesses all made it clear that they believed their employees with
disabilities contributed positively to their workplaces, not just through
their productivity and doing a good job, but also through their
reliability, their positive morale (many of these employers became a no
whining zone), and even their accommodations, which often made the
workplace more safe and efficient for everybody. As a result, from
employers large, small, and medium, we heard over and over again their
commitment to the same jobs, the same standards, at the same pay for their
employees with disabilities. Even businesses are starting to notice that
they've been contracting with sheltered workshops to do some of their work-
sometimes as what they thought of as a good thing-their diversity in
contracting programs. Then they shockingly found that those workshops were
paying below the minimum wage to people with disabilities who can work and
should be paid. So some of them are now considering demanding that all of
their contractors and subcontractors pay at least the minimum wage.
[Applause] Some are now hiring out of the workshops that they used to
contract with and are choosing to do the jobs in-house at regular wages.
From a societal standpoint federal policy focusing on competitive
integrated employment is also paying off. Studies keep showing that
supported employment services offer a great return on investment. Supported
employment services return an average of $1.46 for every dollar in taxpayer
investment. People with learning disabilities return as much as $2.20 for
every dollar. That is a fantastic return on investment; think about what it
would be like if you invested in the stock market at that rate. And that's
not counting the benefit to the workers with disabilities themselves, who
make a great deal more money in competitive integrated employment than in
sheltered workshops. That's buying power that they and their families can
use to buy products and services from companies that hire people with
disabilities.
But that benefit is more than money. Even though money is important-I
like it-I have met several people in Rhode Island who used to work in
sheltered workshops during the course of the last year and who now work in
competitive integrated jobs. I've seen them each several times over the
past year, and every time I've seen them, they've changed. One man,
Stephen, who worked for about $2 an hour for thirty years, now works for
minimum wage in an office and is taking computer classes. Just as
important, he has come out of his shell and is a passionate, funny speaker,
talking about employment of people with disabilities. And Pedro, who went
straight from a school-based sheltered workshop-who knew this was still
happening-to an adult sheltered workshop and earned $0.48 an hour. Now he
works at a restaurant kitchen and was recently chosen as employee of the
month. He doesn't use a job coach anymore. In fact he teaches his former
job coaches how to teach others. Lewis used to make below minimum wage in
the workshop. Now he works full-time in an office for more than minimum
wage. He is a whiz at Excel, he drives to work every day (having gotten his
license), he wears a necktie (which he hates), and he has decorated his
office with Red Sox paraphernalia-he's a big fan, and I'm a Mainer [from
Maine], so I'm with him-sorry Broncos and Seahawks. Different sport, but,
seriously, all Boston. And when the Red Sox won the World Series, he bought
his father and his uncle (also avid fans) championship t-shirts with his
own money.
Since Peter left the workshop, he has a full-time job doing
janitorial work-not a group of people with disabilities doing janitorial
work after the office has closed-he does it as part of a group of people
without disabilities. He makes above minimum wage and works full-time. He
bought a car, took driving lessons, got his first parking ticket the last
time I saw him (which he can pay), and has gotten engaged.
And then there is Orquedio, who goes by Q for obvious reasons. He
made $2.85 an hour in the workshop. Now he works in an auto garage. His
work and his accommodations showed his boss how to make the garage more
efficient for everybody who works there. He takes two busses to work every
day, he is always the first to arrive, and he arrives in snowstorms when
nobody else makes it in. I saw him a week or so ago at the summit I was
talking about, and when we first saw him in the workshop, he was very shy
and didn't want to talk to us. Then the next time I saw him, when he was
working in the garage, he would say a little bit to me, a couple sentences
about rotating tires on a car-I have always wanted to know how to do that.
Last week at the summit he spoke on a panel in front of two hundred and
fifty people, and I swear he's gotten taller.
Why-with all of this good news on how much this benefits society, how
much it benefits the employers, how much it benefits the people with
disabilities-why are over 200,000 people with disabilities still in
sheltered workshops and 200,000 more in the segregated day programs, not
working at all? Why are people with disabilities still making less than
minimum wage? You don't know either?
Why do we as a community still tolerate segregation and poverty based
on disability-just on disability? You don't know the answer to that one?
Why are the unemployment rates still so high for people with disabilities,
three times as high as for people without disabilities, two times as high
even if you're a college graduate? Are we less competent? [Convention
answers no] Are we less confident? [No] Do we have low expectations for
ourselves? [No] Are we afraid of hard work? [No] But do we have low
expectations of employers, businesses-I'm afraid we may. Do we have low
expectations of government? [Yes] Do we have low expectations of service
providers? [Yes] That may be. But we are at a tipping point. We can accept
the argument that we'll be the last ones hired as the economy continues to
recover. We can accept that we'll be paid less because we are lucky to be
working at all. We can accept charity and poverty because they are safe. Or
we can stand up and insist on high expectations for ourselves, for our
employers, for the businesses we buy from, and from our government. And
they will respond! Thank you all very much.
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[PHOTO CAPTION: Michael Curran]
Free Global Access for the Blind to the Computer
by Michael Curran
From the Editor: Nonvisual Desktop Access (NVDA) is a popular screen-
reading program available to the blind without charge but with the request
that we donate to its continued development. The NFB has assisted in its
funding, but even a little from each user will help substantially in the
ongoing development and maintenance of the product.
Attempts to lower the cost of screen-reading solutions are not new,
but few of them have been as popular as this program, and the developers
are committed to see that their work continues to make NVDA a robust
product and to investigate other areas in which expansion will help in our
access. Here is what Michael Curran said on the morning of July 6 at the
2014 Convention of the National Federation of the Blind:
Thank you, everybody, thank you for having me. The NVDA screen-
reading software is changing the lives of blind and vision-impaired people
across the globe by providing them a free alternative to commercial screen
readers that may be either too expensive or not available in their location
or language. It is enabling these people independently to use computers to
produce written content; read news; socialize; shop and bank online; and,
most important, participate actively in education and employment. It is
developed by users, for users. It is used by both the young and old; it's
used at home, at school, at university, at the workplace, and on the go. It
supports over forty languages, and it can be run portably without the need
to install it. NVDA is open source software. We have received contributions
of code documentation and translations from over 140 people across the
world. NVDA is downloaded roughly 60,000 times per release, with over
17,000 users depending on the product every day, spanning over 160
countries. Since NVDA is free for anyone, the greatest impact is for people
living in developing countries, where it is often impossible to access a
commercial screen-reader. However, even in the developed world, NVDA is
having a significant impact. The second-highest country for NVDA use is the
United States, suggesting that even here there are people for whom NVDA is
a necessity due to the prohibitive cost of other products.
Over the past several years we have continued to strive to ensure
that NVDA is a fully featured solution, not only for those who have no
other option, but also for those who simply like choice. For anyone who
hasn't looked at NVDA in the last two years or so, some of the major
changes and improvements have been a repackaged download allowing you to
install or create a portable copy (all from one file); automatic updates,
ensuring that you have the latest and greatest NVDA when it becomes
available; support for NVDA add-ons, allowing you to add optional features
created by others in the community; support for Asian character input and
improved support for reading right-to-left languages such as Arabic;
support for Microsoft PowerPoint, allowing you both to read and to edit
PowerPoint presentations (special thanks go to the NFB and several other
blindness agencies for contributing financially to this project); Microsoft
Word enhancements, including support for form fields and revisions and
comments; and a configurations profile manager, allowing you to create and
switch between multiple configurations for different applications or
situations. Other developments have included support for touchscreens on
Windows 8; computer Braille input; support for many more Braille displays;
customization of keyboard, Braille display, and touch commands;
enhancements and fixes to webpage and PDF content; stability fixes; and
much more.
As a small taste of what's coming for the next release of NVDA, some
enhancements you can look forward to, particularly with Microsoft Office
are support for the Outlook Calendar; less verbose reading in the Outlook
inbox and other message lists; commands to read the current comment in
Microsoft Word and Excel; Microsoft-Word-specific enhancements, including
reporting of paragraph indenting, distance from the left edge when pressing
tab, feedback in speech and Braille for most formatting shortcut keys
(bold, italic, underline, etc.); automatic column- and row-header reading
for tables where the author has specified headers compatible with JAWS;
improved automatic column- and row-header reading in Excel, including
setting headings for multiple regions, and per worksheet storage, again
compatible with JAWS. Some other features that should be available in the
not-too-distant future are improved support for rich-text editing in web
browsers, further enhancing the accessibility of products such as
GoogleDocs, Office 365, and other content editors; and access to complex
math equations in web browsers and Microsoft Office via Design Sciences
MathPlath Alpha, allowing for meaningful navigation within equations, with
feedback in both speech and Braille.
In conversations almost ten years ago my close friend James Tay and I
talked about the possibility of a fully featured screen reader for Windows.
Due to the high cost of commercial products, there was unfortunately a fair
amount of illegal use of the existing commercial products. Given the
importance of access to computers, it was difficult for many to resist
doing this. However, both of us realized that, in addition to the obvious
legal and ethical reasons against software piracy, this approach simply
ignores the underlying problem of screen reader cost and availability.
Blind people, regardless of their economic status, should not have to break
the law just to be able to use computers and gain independence. [Applause]
The idea of a free screen reader was not new. There were several free
screen readers for Lenox, and Apple at that time was introducing VoiceOver
for the Mac. There were even some free options for Windows, but at that
time they were mostly limited or abandoned. Another group had a similar
idea to ours, but their project never seemed to get off the ground.
In April of 2006, while just out of university and also out of a job,
I decided to start working on the NVDA screen-reader software. I certainly
wasn't the best programmer around, but previous life experience and
participation in Blind Citizens Australia taught me that, if you want or
need something, someone has got to start it sometime. Although perhaps a
little skeptical about the chance of success at first, James Tay joined me
on the project in July of that year, and together we have worked as the
lead developers on the project for the last eight years. There were many
reasons why we developed NVDA as a free and open source project. The first
was because this enforced the ideal that it should always be freely
available to anyone who needs it. Second, based on our previous experience
with open source software, we knew that a project of this size and
complexity could really benefit from input and contributions from the
community. Finally, we believed that for too long screen reading techniques
had been locked up in the proprietary world. Each time a new screen reader
project was started, programmers had to reinvent the wheel. There was no
reference, no baseline from which to start, and NVDA would be a chance to
open this up and allow the blind and visually impaired community to learn
and access from code knowledge and techniques that help them access
computers each and every day. [Applause]
Although we understood well the issues around screen reader costs for
ourselves and for others in situations similar to our own, we did not
appreciate at first just how much more of an impact NVDA would make on the
blind in developing or non-English-speaking countries. In these countries
commercial screen readers can be up to four times the price that we are
used to, and sometimes the commercial screen readers are outdated or just
not available in that language. This further spurred our efforts and led to
a framework for translating NVDA into any language by anyone so that
everyone, regardless of language, can benefit from access to computers.
We realized it was now imperative that we put in place an
infrastructure to ensure NVDA's long-term continuation. In 2007 James Tay,
several other blind people, and I founded NV Access, an Australian-based
nonprofit organization, to develop and promote NVDA. NV Access raises funds
through grants, donations, contracts, and potentially other avenues in the
future. Among other things NV Access employs us to work full-time on the
project, provides the technical infrastructure for the website and other
online services, and allows us to offer related services such as support
and consulting. NVDA is now a world-renowned screen reader used by tens of
thousands, but its impact reaches far beyond the direct benefits to its
users. It has helped to change the landscape of an industry where fully
featured free or low-cost products were previously considered an
unrealistic dream. It has provided greater competition in the assistive
technology space, thus driving continued development and innovation. Both
NVDA and NV Access have played a continuing part in pushing the
accessibility industry forward, especially in the area of web
accessibility. Because NVDA is free and unrestricted, more developers are
able to test with a screen reader when implementing accessibility into
their products, lowering even more barriers to accessibility. All of this
ensures the importance and relevance of our work now and into the future,
even despite the emergence of other free options such as Window-Eyes for
users of Microsoft Office.
Today NV Access still continues actively to develop NVDA. With the
rapid pace of technology developments we must continually update NVDA to
ensure compatibility with the latest versions of Windows or other popular
third-party applications. Aside from NVDA development we are also focusing
on several other areas in order to increase awareness and uptake for those
who truly need it. In order to achieve our mission, NV Access needs to grow
as a business and be sustainable into the future. Also we need to grow the
ecosystem of the products and services around NVDA. Thanks to a grant from
the Nippon Foundation, we have recently hired a general manager, who is
focusing specifically on these issues.
The lack of official training material and technical support is
something that many people have identified as a barrier to NVDA uptake. We
recognize the importance of this and are working towards a solution. The
hope is first to have a set of official text-based training materials in
the not-too-distant future with the aim of also putting into place a
certification system around this training to ensure quality from those
offering training in their local communities. Ensuring the existence of
training will allow the NVDA user to work more effectively with the
product, get beginning users up to speed faster, and also quash a fair bit
of ignorance around NVDA's current capabilities. We are also seeking to
partner with various blindness agencies, rehabilitation organizations, and
companies, including organizations here in the US, who could offer end-user
technical support to NVDA users in their own communities and around the
world. We already have a corporate support model in place which allows
these organizations to receive second-level technical support, training, or
custom development from NV Access for a monthly fee.
Another major barrier to uptake is of course the speech. NVDA comes
with the eSpeak speech synthesizer built in. It's extremely responsive and
can speak in many languages. I myself use eSpeak all the time, and many
others also do, especially in developing countries where other synthesizers
are not available. However, we are very much aware of the reluctance of
those who hesitate to use eSpeak apparently due to its robotic or metallic
nature. Perhaps the most popular speech synthesizer among screen reader
users is ETI Eloquence from Nuance. IBM also incorporated the same engine
in their IBM text-to-speech product. Unfortunately we have been unable to
license this for NVDA, despite several attempts to negotiate with both
Nuance and IBM. Furthermore, both products are considered end-of-life.
Nuance continues to wholesale Eloquence but does not really provide support
or updates, while IBM text-to-speech can no longer be purchased at all.
Perhaps more unfortunately we are aware of a significant number of users
who choose to use the synthesizers illegally. NV Access certainly does not
condone this process. One potential solution we are pursuing is attempting
to restart research into formant synthesis by developing a prototype flat
synthesizer. If successful, it could be a replacement for those who cannot
adapt to eSpeak but have been comfortable with the sound of eloquence and
DECtalk. Like NVDA it is being developed as open source software, ensuring
that others can contribute and that the future of the product is not
dependent on just one company. The prototype synthesizer is already
available in English and can be found on our extra voices webpage under the
name of NV Speech Player.
The aim of NV Access has always been to lower the economic and social
barriers associated with accessing information technology for people who
are blind or vision impaired. The company is thus dedicated to the ideal
that accessibility and equitable access are a right and should be available
to all no matter their language, location, or economic status. NV Access
upholds this ideal through its continual commitment to keep NVDA freely
available to all blind and visually impaired people who need it; however,
in order to achieve this ideal, the blindness community must work together.
We welcome open and candid discussion with all in the blindness community,
including the NFB, on ways we can ensure NVDA's continuation. There are
still many blind people in the US and elsewhere who don't have access to
computers or the Internet for lack of screen readers. In the twenty-first
century for some this means the inability to participate equally in
education, the inability to get a job, or the inability simply to
socialize. We believe that everybody, blind or not, has a duty and a right
to contribute to society in some way. We implore organizations such as the
NFB to ensure that all blind people have the necessary tools to do so. Let
us also make sure that at least some of these tools are owned and
controlled by the blindness community.
Access to technology is essential, and we as blind people must play a
significant part in shaping the future of that access. I'd like to thank
our current primary sponsors, who include Adobe, the Nippon Foundation, and
Google. I also want to acknowledge past support from Microsoft, and
especially past support from Mozilla, with whom we share many values.
Finally I'd like to think the NFB for the opportunity to speak today and
for your support of the NVDA project. You can find out more about NDDA or
NV Access or download a copy of NVDA from <www.NVAccess.org>. Thank you.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Dan Parker]
The Blind at Speed
by Dan Parker
From the Editor: Those who attend concerts know that the way one makes
an entrance is important in setting the stage for the show. Not since
former President Maurer entered the hall driving a small crane has the
convention of the National Federation of the Blind witnessed the spectacle
of the kind that started the Sunday morning session of the 2014 Convention
as Dan Parker entered the hall on his motorcycle, reached the stage, and
turned off his machine after two short revs of the engine. Here is what he
said to the convention:
Good morning, Federationists. I hope the smell of a little racing gas
is okay this early in the morning. My name is Dan Parker, I'm from Salem,
Alabama, and I'm honored to be here to share my life story.
I look at my life in the same way that I look at chapters in a book.
Chapter one was before blindness, and chapter two is after blindness. In
chapter one I was born in Columbus, Georgia, raised by a racecar driver,
and my father (who is seventy-one) still races today. In my adult years I
studied machine work, welding, fabrication, and built race cars and
motorcycles all across the United States and as far away as the country of
Qatar. In 2005 I was the ADRL Pro Nitrous Champion, reaching top speeds of
224 miles an hour in the quarter mile.
On March 31, 2012, I started chapter two. It was like any other day
I'd been through a thousand times before. My team and I went to Steele,
Alabama, to test a brand-new racing engine that was 864 cubic inches plus
four stages of nitrous oxide. On the third pass the car made a horrible
right turn. It cut the car completely in half-from the dash forward there
was nothing-No motor, no transmission, no steering wheel, nothing. Two
weeks later I woke from an induced coma at the University of Alabama, and
my family and girlfriend realized that I was totally blind. It took months
of physical therapy, rehab, and numerous surgeries for me to get to a point
in my life where I could think about trying to get out of the house, much
less race again. During one of those sleepless nights a dream came to me,
and that dream was that I would not let blindness define me and stop my
racing.
I had always known about the famed Bonneville Salt Flats, which are
in Wendover, Utah, 120 miles west of Salt Lake City, where men have been
setting land speed records since the 1930s. Cars have traveled at speeds
over 650 mph, and motorcycles have been over 300. This was my new goal in
life: to become the first blind man to race the Bonneville Salt Flats.
[Applause]
I had a goal, but I didn't have a path to get there. I had to figure
this out. Through some research I was lucky enough to learn about the Blind
Driver Challenge, Mark Riccobono, and the programs of the NFB. When I first
called the NFB, I thought they might think I was crazy, but I got Joanne
Wilson on the phone, shared my story with her, and she got me in touch with
Mark Riccobono. I went to the NFB, met with Mark Riccobono, Dr. Maurer, and
we decided this was an achievable goal. In ten short months we embarked on
an aggressive mission to build the first motorcycle to race the Bonneville
Salt Flats by a blind man.
We started the project, and, as with many aggressive projects,
friends and family asked me if I was crazy and was trying to get myself
killed. I explained to them, "This ain't about dying; this is about
living." I had a lot of volunteers come to the house, and I'm proud to say
that I fabricated and designed about 50 or 60 percent of the motorcycle
myself. I still run my milling machine, my lathe, and all my bending
equipment. I built my jigs on the frame machine and did everything to build
this motorcycle. For those who can't see it, the motorcycle is a red three-
wheel bike, two wheels on the back, a real aerodynamic body, with a 70 cc
engine and a five-speed transmission. Realistically it has a top speed of
about 85 mph.
A few weeks before the Salt Flats in August, we got the motorcycle
together, and it was crunch time-it was time to test. My engineer, Patrick
Johnson, who built the guidance system along with me and the team, met at
an airport in North Alabama to test. The first day we had some problems,
but we came back, regrouped, redesigned the guidance system, and, with one
week to go, we tested successfully at the airport. I was successful on the
very first pass and did so 100 percent independently. [Applause]
When we got to Bonneville, Mark Riccobono was there with us, and we
had to demonstrate our capabilities and to prove to racing officials that
blindness was not the obstacle that was going to stop us. The race
officials were absolutely impressed with our entire team, our organization,
how we went about it, the guidance system-everything-and they granted us
permission to race the Salt Flats. On the morning of August 26, 2013, we
embarked on a mission that was successful. At eleven o'clock in the morning
we made a pass down the Salt. The Salt is ten miles wide by twenty miles
long, so you have two miles to accelerate on the short course, one mile to
drive at average speed. I started off at mile marker one, accelerated at
mile marker two, and between mile marker two and three I did not vary four
feet from center with the audible cues that my guidance system gave me. I
averaged 55.331 mph, setting a record for the fastest blind man on the Salt
Flats, along with being the first blind man on the Salt Flats.
That night at dinner Mark Riccobono, Bill Clap, my team-everybody was
celebrating, and we said to ourselves "This morning on the way to the Salt,
we were saying that we could; tonight we're saying that we did!"
In the next few months my life had slowed down a lot, and I had to
reflect on what the next chapter was going to be. I was reading a book by
racing legend Smokey Yunick. Smokey, in his later days, was a little
depressed about the way his life had went-was wanting to give up-and his
wife brought him home a picture frame with a message in it: "A man without
a problem to solve is out of the game." I think Smokey's wife put it in a
picture frame because she knows us men: if she didn't nail it to the wall,
we'd forget about it. But, if you think about that message, a problem to
solve is a challenge, and if you're out of the game, you're on the
sidelines of life.
My current challenge is that I am now at the Louisiana Center for the
Blind receiving proper training-that's right, LCB. That quote stands true
for all of us. We all have a problem to solve to better ourselves every
day, to reach out to other blind people, and to prove to ourselves and to
prove to society that infinite possibilities are only defined by ourselves,
not others. So when we leave here tomorrow and everybody starts heading
home, I wish you all would take that one quote with you: "A man without a
problem to solve is out of the game," and everybody here, we're going to
stay in the game. Thank you very much.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: The book For the Benefit of Those Who See: Dispatches from
the World of the Blind]
For the Benefit of Those Who See: Dispatches from the World of the Blind
by Rosemary Mahoney
Reviewed by Barbara Pierce
Little Brown and Company
New York Boston London, Copyright 2014
From the Editor: Barbara Pierce needs little introduction to readers
of the Braille Monitor. Her service as its editor means that her influence
on what we have published about blindness and the organized blind movement
is unparalleled. Here is a book review she has recently written, one so
compelling that I read the book before we could publish Barbara's
observations. Here is what she says:
Reading this book is a little like accidentally overhearing someone
talking about one. The old saw has it that you never hear any good about
yourself. That was certainly my experience of this book.
Rosemary Mahoney had a brief brush with blindness after an injury in
college which affected her profoundly. She says that it was like being
trapped in a coffin, a fate worse than death. Why she was attracted to
write about blindness is not at all clear to me. It must be like the
attraction one's tongue feels exploring a sore tooth.
Four or five years ago she accepted an assignment to write a magazine
article about Braille without Borders, the school for the blind in Lhasa,
Tibet, founded by Sabriye Tenberken, the blind German woman who with her
sighted Dutch partner, Paul Kronenberger, founded the school. In 2014 she
arranged to teach English to blind students in a school for the blind in
Trivandrum, Kerala, in south India, another school established by Tenberken
and Kronenberger. In this book she talks at length about her stay at
Braille without Borders and her experience teaching in India.
She is explicit about wanting to learn everything she can about how
blind people think and talk and carry out the functions of daily life. In
addition she manages to work in bits of the history of the blind and to
explore the problems of regaining sight after years of blindness.
I suppose that there is nothing wrong with such goals, and she seems
to me to have done a pretty good job of reading and summarizing the
literature about the contemporary understanding of the visual cortex and
how it gets reassigned in blind people. This is the reason people have a
difficult or impossible time making visual sense of the world when they
regain sight.
The distressing part of the book for me was her fixation on what
blind eyes look like. Sabriya Tenberken, whom the author very much admires,
has beautiful blue eyes that look directly at the person with whom she is
conversing. Sabriya also moves swiftly and unerringly through downtown
Lhasa, never bringing her cane in contact with any obstacle. The other
blind people are not so lucky in Mahoney's handling. In her descriptions
their eyes twitch, are white or grey, or show other signs of their
dysfunction. She describes in detail the various glasses that people wear.
It never occurred to me that people might be taking painful note of my
eyes. She made me wonder how distasteful people find my gaze. It is hard to
find the words to describe how disconcerting all these descriptions were.
So much of the book was devoted to these descriptions: I believe that every
blind person discussed in the book is subjected to a minute description of
his or her eyes.
Perhaps to compensate for all this implied criticism of her blind
students, she cites examples of superhuman feats of blind people's sense of
smell or listening. Sometimes these are plausible. One student recognized
her in the computer room because her typing on a keyboard was faster than
anyone else's. That seems reasonable, as does the students' recognizing her
footsteps by their speed and absence of cane tapping. But smelling a glass
of beer in a large room filled with people seems implausible.
Mahoney includes a number of what must be transcriptions of students
telling their stories. These are quite moving and capture the range of
backgrounds of the students in the Indian school. Clearly the author comes
to love and respect the people with whom she is working, but one is left
with the impression that she continues to feel superior to them-there but
for the grace of God go I.
Mahoney's boyfriend, who suffers the same dismay when confronting
blindness as Mahoney does, visits her at the close of the book. He is
appalled at the distance she has traveled in accepting blindness and blind
people. But the reader is still convinced that she wants no part of
experiencing blindness firsthand.
The book is gripping and a quick read. Mahoney is an interesting
writer. But when all is said and done, much of my fascination with it was
like probing a canker sore. In short, reading the book was painful and
disconcerting.
----------
[PHOTO CAPTION: Doris Willoughby]
The GED and Alternatives
by Doris M. Willoughby
From the Editor: Doris Willoughby has had a distinguished career as a
teacher of the blind and as an author of books about how to teach the
blind. In June she wrote an article expressing concern about problems in
accessing the GED for those wishing to take this high school equivalency
test. This is what she has learned in the interim:
Following up on a Monitor Miniature in June, I continue to seek
information about the new GED test and accessibility. I do not yet know of
a blind person who has actually taken the test since the changes occurred
in January 2014. However, here are some pieces of information I have
gathered:
. The new version of the test is only offered in electronic form.
. The individual applicant must arrange and order the test directly from
its publisher. The publisher will then arrange with a local entity to
provide a setting where the test can be taken.
. Three companies publish the test: PearsonVue, Educational Testing
Service, and McGraw/Hill.
. Websites include <pearsonvue.com> and <gedtestingservice.com>.
. There are a great many complex diagrams and illustrations.
. The education authorities of the various states decide which
version(s) of the test will be officially recognized in their venue.
Some states are considering alternative tests, online tests, etc.
. Obtaining approval for using an accessible test is complicated because
so many different entities are potentially involved.
In researching these matters, it is difficult to find a live person
to talk with. Generally it appears that one should look online. However,
the websites quickly ask for the name of the applicant; if the researcher
is a teacher or other person, it may be difficult to proceed.
For these and other reasons some applicants may want to look into
alternative paths to high school equivalency. Some school districts and
other educational entities offer an adult high school. A particularly
viable alternative is the Hadley School for the Blind, a free
correspondence school, which is a source of many educational opportunities.
After my previous Miniature was published, I was delighted to hear from
Karen Woodfork at Hadley. She called me and introduced herself as the
coordinator for high school diplomas. She explained that Hadley offers many
alternatives leading to a diploma. A student may take all his/her courses
from Hadley or arrange a combination with the local school district. Ms.
Woodfork and others can be contacted at: <woodfork at hadley.edu> or by
telephone at (800) 526-9909.
I will continue to collect information and would be pleased to hear
from others with suggestions on this important issue. I can be contacted
using email by writing to Doris M. Willoughby at
<Dmwauthor at forethought.net>, or by telephone at (303) 424-7373.
----------
Recipes
This month's recipes come from members of the National Federation of
the Blind of Oregon.
Moscow Mule Punch
by Tamera Snelling
Tamera Snelling is a licensed massage therapist, practicing in Oregon
and Arizona. She is a musician and an avid gardener. She won a National NFB
scholarship in 1999. Tamera is an active member of the Rose City Chapter.
Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh mint
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
24 ounces vodka, apple flavored
24 ounces ginger beer
1 cup lime juice
Method: Combine the water, sugar, and mint in a saucepan. Bring to a
boil and remove from heat. Let stand one hour. Remove the mint leaves and
pour the syrup into a punch bowl or pitcher. Stir in remaining ingredients
and chill. Serve over ice and garnish with sliced lime, mint leaves, and
sliced ginger root. Serves eight to ten.
Tamera Snelling says: "Every summer when the mint begins to smell
wonderful, I look for recipes that use it. With a patio party coming up, I
tried this one. It was a hit."
----------
Mediterranean Marinade
by Carla McQuillan
Carla McQuillan is the president of the NFB of Oregon and was
formerly a national board member. She is the executive director of
Children's Choice Montessori Schools in Oregon and serves as the director
of child care services during the national convention.
She says about this recipe: "This marinade is great for grilling
fish, beef, lamb, chicken, or vegetables."
Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon dry oregano or 1/2 cup fresh- oregano chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
Method: Combine all ingredients. Marinate meat for at least one hour,
or overnight. Grill on the outdoor or indoor grill. Vegetables can be
brushed with the marinade right before grilling.
----------
Basic Quiche
by Carla McQuillan
Quiche is an easy, healthy, and inexpensive way to use leftovers, or
start from scratch.
Ingredients:
1 single pie crust
6 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup filling (see filling suggestions below)
1 cup shredded cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Method: Warm milk in a saucepan but do not scald. Season with salt,
pepper, and oregano to taste. Slowly incorporate the milk into the eggs,
whisking as you do so. Spread filling and cheese evenly over the bottom of
the unbaked pie crust. Pour the milk and egg mixture evenly over
filling. Bake at 375 degrees for thirty to forty-five minutes, or until the
center is set. Slice into six pieces. You can serve it hot or at room
temperature.
Filling can be meat, vegetables, or a combination of both. I even
used leftover Chinese food once. Here are some classic quiche fillings:
bacon, sausage, seafood, chicken, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, and
potatoes, but almost anything will work.
----------
Double Chocolate Bundt Cake
by Carla McQuillan
Ingredients:
1 package dark chocolate cake mix
1 small package instant chocolate pudding
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs, beaten
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Method: Thoroughly combine the wet ingredients. Stir in the cake mix
and pudding until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be
thick. Grease or coat with cooking spray a bundt or angel food cake
pan. Spread the batter evenly around the pan. Bake at 300 degrees for one
hour. The cake should be rounded in the middle, and a toothpick should come
out clean when inserted.
This cake is excellent served with vanilla ice cream and a fresh
raspberry sauce.
----------
Mediterranean Olive Bread
by Carla McQuillan
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 envelope dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
Scant cup warm water
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for brushing
1 cup pitted black and green olives, coarsely chopped
Method: Combine yeast, water, and olive oil. Stir to dissolve yeast.
In a large bowl combine the flours and salt. Make a well in the center of
the flour. Add the water and blend to make a soft dough. Knead on a lightly
floured surface for about ten minutes, until smooth and elastic. Place in a
lightly oiled bowl and cover with oiled plastic wrap-cooking spray works
well for this. Let rise in a warm place for one hour.
Turn out onto a floured surface and punch down and flatten. Sprinkle
on the olives and fold and knead to distribute the olives. Let rest for
five minutes, then shape into an oval loaf. Place on a greased baking
sheet. Make 6 deep cuts in the loaf. Cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap
and let rise again for thirty to forty-five minutes, or until doubled in
size. Brush with olive oil and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 35
minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool.
Note: This bread is good with a dipping sauce of olive oil,
salt, crushed garlic, and balsamic vinegar.
----------
Diabetic-Friendly Oatmeal Cookies
by Robert Jaquiss
Robert Jaquiss has been an active member of the Federation since
1990. He currently serves as the secretary of the Oregon affiliate and the
secretary-treasurer of the At Large Chapter. Robert has his own business,
Tactile Graphic Solutions LLC. On occasion, Robert will be found in the
kitchen whipping up a batch of cookies or making some other diabetic
friendly item. Robert reports that these cookies, because of the use of raw
sugar and whole wheat flour, do not cause trouble with his blood sugar.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup Sucanat
1 cup Sucanat with honey
2 large or 3 small eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups oats
Method: In a large bowl cream butter, Sucanat, and Sucanat with
honey. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Sucanat is much coarser than sugar,
so make sure it is mixed well. I melt the butter in a microwave for one
minute. This makes the mixing easier. In a separate bowl combine flour,
cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter-egg mixture.
Stir in rolled oats and mix well. Scoop onto baking tray and bake for
twelve minutes at 350 degrees. Yields: two dozen cookies.
Notes: When using raisins, I let them soak several hours before using
them. Adding soaked raisins makes the dough sticky. A cup of shredded
coconut is also a tasty addition. The dough is very stiff, so use a heavy
duty mixer. It does not spread much on a cookie sheet, so 1/2 inch is a
good thickness. Optionally, 1-1/2 cups of raisins, semisweet chocolate
chips, chopped nuts, or a combination may be added.
----------
Monitor Miniatures
News from the Federation Family
New Chapter:
On Tuesday, July 22, 2014, the San Diego chapter of the National
Federation of the Blind of California was born. The elected officers are
president, Lisa Irving; vice president, Kyle Woodard; secretary, Allison
Depner; treasurer, Debbie Ciampoli; and board member, Joseph Burton.
Elected:
The annual convention of the NFB of North Dakota was conducted on
September 13. The board of directors elected was as follows: president,
Amber Kraft; vice president and treasurer, Milton Ota; secretary, Caroline
Congdon; and board members, Candace Rivinius and Duane Iverson.
In Brief
Notices and information in this section may be of interest to Monitor
readers. We are not responsible for the accuracy of the information; we
have edited only for space and clarity.
National Association of Blind Merchants Announces Lone Star BLAST 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Cheryl Gross
Merchant Relations
National Association of Blind Merchants
Phone: (866) 543-6808, extension 10
cherylgross at blindmerchants.org
The National Association of Blind Merchants (NABM) announced today
that the President of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), Mark
Riccobono, will provide the opening address at Business, Leadership and
Superior Training (BLAST). NFB President Riccobono will bring his insight,
humor, and inspiration to conference attendees at the leadership breakfast
Wednesday morning, November 19. NABM, a division of the NFB, encourages you
to place your hotel reservations and register now for the powerful BLAST
training conference in November 2014. Lone Star BLAST 2014 will be held at
the Austin Renaissance Hotel from November 18 to 20.
This year's BLAST has expanded its scope. There is great excitement
building around the Blind Entrepreneurs Succeed Today (BEST) mentoring
program for blind clients of vocational rehabilitation who may be
considering or embarking on a career of entrepreneurship, either within
Randolph-Sheppard or other forms of self-employment. Many state agencies
are providing stipends for clients to attend the BEST track at BLAST.
Interested consumers and rehab counselors should get in touch with our
office for details.
Nicky Gacos, president of the National Association of Blind Merchants,
said: "In coordination with Business Enterprises of Texas and the elected
committee, we are planning the biggest, boldest, most far-reaching training
for blind entrepreneurs and state agency personnel. It will be a BLAST as
big as Texas."
NABM and the National Federation of the Blind Entrepreneur Initiative
will jointly stage the conference. The group has already begun planning the
biggest trade show in its history, working in conjunction with the RSA
Buying Group and the Committee of Blind Operators of Texas. NABM is also
pleased to announce that, in coordination with the National Counsel for
State Agencies for the Blind, BLAST will again this year feature a day-long
training event exclusively for State Licensing Agency staff. The
association is also working with NCSAB to offer continuing education for
attorneys working with state VR agencies and Business Enterprise programs.
Those sessions will take place on Tuesday, November 18.
BLAST seminars will begin the morning of Tuesday, November 18, with
business development training on the morning of Wednesday, November 19. The
trade show will take place Wednesday afternoon. There will be a full day of
targeted education related to personal and professional growth on Thursday,
November 20. Thursday evening, BLAST will conclude with an all-star Lone
Star BLAST banquet and celebration featuring guest speaker/performer, blind
American Idol finalist Scott MacIntyre.
Room reservations at the luxurious Austin Renaissance are available
now at the unbelievable rate of $129.00 per night plus applicable taxes.
There are a limited number of executive suites available on a first-come,
first-serve basis at $149.00 per night. Rooms are available from Sunday,
November 16, through Saturday, November 22, 2014. Reservations should be
made online at <www.blindmerchants.org>, or by phone at (800) 468-3571.
Explain to the agent that you are registering for Lone Star BLAST under the
National Association of Blind Merchants group. You must mention Lone Star
BLAST to get the discounted rate. The Austin Renaissance is located at 9721
Arboretum Boulevard, Austin, TX 78759.
This year BLAST registration will be $200.00. Remember that the BLAST
registration fee covers BLAST activities, excluding out-of-hotel tours or
events that may be offered. Your registration fee covers training, training
materials, welcoming reception, leadership breakfast, trade show and trade
show reception, evening banquet, and a "lunch and learn," featuring an
address from Dr. Marc Maurer, Immediate Past President, National Federation
of the Blind, on Thursday, November 20. Register now at
<www.blindmerchants.org>. For questions or assistance with hotel
reservations or Lone Star BLAST registrations, please call (866) 543-6808.
Austin is the home of the most diverse and lively music scene in the world.
NABM invites you to come for the high-caliber training, networking, and
Texas hospitality. In an email to constituents, President Gacos said: "If
you plan to attend any national training conference in 2014, make it the
Lone Star BLAST!"
Think training! Think opportunity! Think Austin, Texas!
Think BLAST!
We Need Your Help:
The American Action Fund for Blind Children and Adults has back
issues of books from the Free Braille Books Program that it would like to
get into the hands of children who would love to have them. These books
have been returned to us but are in excellent condition. All of the books
are in contracted Braille, and they are at two reading levels. The first
level is for children in grades kindergarten through second grade. The
second level is for children in grades three through six.
If you would like to have some of these books sent to you from the
Free Braille Books Program, please send an email to
<actionfund at actionfund.org> or <communityrelations at actionfund.org>. To sign
up for the new books in the current year, please visit
<https://www.actionfund.org/free-braille-books>. You may also call (410)
659-9314, extension 2287. All blind youth, blind parents, teachers of the
blind, schools, and libraries serving the blind are eligible to participate
in this program.
Cherokee Braille Code Developed:
A Cherokee Braille code has been developed by Tamara Kearney of the
Commonwealth Braille & Talking Book Cooperative. This code permits the
reading and writing of the Cherokee syllabary in Braille for the first
time. The Cherokee Braille code permits the "blind as well as the sighted
to be able to read and write in their native language," Ms. Kearney said.
"It's exciting that our Cherokee citizens who are visually impaired
can now read stories in their first language," said Roy Boney, language
program manager. "We provided copies of our Cherokee syllabary, sample
text, and other items to make Braille in Cherokee a reality. We want to
stay in the forefront by offering the Cherokee language on as many written
tools as possible to preserve and protect our native tongue." The full
description and use of the code can be found at:
<http://www.cbtbc.org/cherokee> or <http://www.cbtbc.org/???>.
The Cherokee syllabary stands as one of the major advancements in
literacy among the native peoples of North America. It was invented by
Sequoyah (c. 1770-1843) between the late 1810s and early 1820s. The
creation of the syllabary is noteworthy in that Sequoyah could not
previously read or write in any script. It remains today the only example
of a modern writing system developed independent of a previous background
in an existing writing system. The Cherokee Braille code was developed by
Tamara Kearney, who is also the developer of the Inuktitut Braille code
used by the First Nations people of Canada's far north.
Cherokee Braille is supported in version 2 of Braille2000, a
commercial Braille production system offered by Computer Application
Specialties Company of Lincoln, Nebraska. This computer program permits the
publication of Cherokee Braille from existing and future Cherokee texts. In
addition translation tables have been developed for the open source
Liblouis computer Braille translation system. It is hoped that other
Braille translation systems will also include Cherokee as an option.
For more information write Commonwealth Braille & Talking Book
Cooperative, 605 Robson Street, Suite 850, Vancouver BC V6B 5J3, Canada, or
email <info at cbtbc.org>.
2015 Writing Contest Theme Announced:
"75 in 75" is catching on everywhere within the Federation family. We
all want to live the life we want, to build the Federation, and to take our
part in the cause. Some of us are getting pretty creative as to how we do
this. The Writer's Division has found its own way to honor the anniversary
of the National Federation of the Blind. The yearly writer's contest is
making a major change, at least for 2015, so start getting those fingers
limbered up and those creative juices flowing. Details will come later in
the year, but prepare yourself now for what is to come.
Are you ready for this? The yearly writing contest will, for the
first time ever, have a required theme. All submissions will need to
somehow incorporate the theme of seventy-five in the piece. It does not
necessarily have to be about the anniversary of NFB. It could just be the
number; or perhaps the diamond anniversary, seventy-five steps to your
destination; or even seventy-five balloons. Thinking of past entries, I
might even add that seventy-five aliens would work. Seriously, let your
imagination take over. Write the piece you want. Just remember to include
the theme of seventy-five, and remember that this is inspired by the
seventy-five years of the great work that has been happening within and
because of the National Federation of the Blind.
Ski for Light to Celebrate Its Fortieth Anniversary in Colorado;
Applications Being Accepted:
Ski for Light (SFL) will return to one of its favorite venues to
celebrate its fortieth year in 2015. The SFL International week will be
held in Granby, Colorado, from Sunday, January 25, through Sunday, February
1, 2015. Join over two hundred active blind and sighted adults from across
the US and around the world who pair up for what many have called the
experience of a lifetime.
We will stay at the Inn at Silver Creek and ski at nearby Snow
Mountain Ranch. We have returned again and again because the combination of
great skiing and the comfortable event hotel is hard to beat. The Inn at
Silver Creek offers more than two hundred rooms, an indoor/outdoor swimming
pool, both indoor and outdoor hot-tubs, and plenty of convention and
meeting space. Snow Mountain Ranch, near Winter Park and part of the YMCA
of the Rockies, has 100 kilometers of wonderfully groomed trails. It is
consistently rated one of the top Nordic venues in the country.
Ski for Light Inc. is an all-volunteer nonprofit that teaches the
basics of classic cross-country skiing to adults who are visually- or
mobility-impaired, while giving participants who have already learned the
basics of the sport the chance to improve their skills or to just have fun
skiing with a trained guide. The total cost of the week per person is $850
for triple-occupancy, $900 for double-occupancy, or $1,225 for single-
occupancy. This includes room and all meals for the entire week, round-trip
transportation between the Denver airport and the Inn at Silver Creek, all
trail fees, and all afternoon and evening activities. Skis, boots, and
poles will be provided free of charge to first-time blind or visually-
impaired participants. Partial stipends based on financial need are
available for guides and first-time and second-time participants.
Apply early for our exciting fortieth anniversary event. Applications
are due by November 1, 2014. Those who apply after November 1 will be
accepted only if space permits, with priority given to first-time
applicants. For more information and to submit your application, please
visit the fully accessible website at <www.sfl.org>.
If you do not have web access or need more information, please
contact the chairman of the Visually Impaired Recruitment Committee, Bob
Hartt, Alexandria, Virginia, by phone at (703) 845-3436, or by email at
<bobmhartt at gmail.com>.
Monitor Mart
The notices in this section have been edited for clarity, but we can pass
along only the information we were given. We are not responsible for the
accuracy of the statements made or the quality of the products for sale.
Brooks Technology Talking Infrared Thermometer Now Available:
The Brooks Technology model IRT-1 Talking Infrared Thermometer is a
new and unique device designed for use by the blind. Because it uses
infrared technology the user can measure temperatures of many different
objects without contact and from a safe distance. The user can now do
things with much more confidence. It's essential when cooking to make sure
oil and food temperatures are in a safe range, something you can only guess
at without this device. Do you have a flat cooktop stove? How do you know
the pan is centered over the burner or even where the burner is located?
Many folks will use their hands to feel the heat from the burner, which may
be adequate for some, but people with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy
cannot feel heat and risk serious injury in attempting to do so. The IRT-1
has a scan mode to safely do this for you! Simply hold the SCAN button
while moving the thermometer a safe distance above the cooktop, a beeping
tone will vary from slow to fast as you zero in on the source of the heat.
The fastest beeping is the location of the burner. So, what are people
using the device for? Here's a quick list: cooking oil in the pan, locating
burners, refrigerator and freezer temperatures, air conditioning vents,
heating vents, outdoor grills, bath water, coffee, tea, soups, stews, and
bread rising in the oven. There is even a blind auto mechanic that uses his
to check engine temperatures. Your imagination is the limit!
For more information check out our webpage at
<www.brookstechnology.com>, email at <philb at brooks-technology.com>, or call
(408) 781-4577.
Braille Micrometers for Sale:
I have a set of Braille micrometers for which I no longer have a need.
There are four in the set: sizes 0 to 1 inch, 1 to 2 inches, 2 to 3 inches,
and 3 to 4 inches, and they are zeroed in.
I would like to find a new home for them. They are valued at $800. I will
take $400 or best offer. If interested, please call Al Hicks at (801) 595-
8078.
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NFB Pledge
I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National
Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for
the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to
abide by its constitution.
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