Writer, aggregator Kevan Worley.
Contributing editor Dan Burke.
Here is what you need to know
Happy
Labor Day
More than the unofficial end of Summer, a day for family
get togethers, barbeques, and back to school sales, Labor Day is a celebration
of hard-working Americans. Of course, people who are blind face the monumental
hurdle of finding paid labor. We also know that blind people have often been
paid subminimum wage for performing equal labor. In the 1940s, 50s, into the
early 60s many people who were blind worked at a sheltered workshop in Denver.
Working conditions, pay, and treatment of blind workers was so terrible that
NFBCO labored over many years to reform the shop. The shelter shop overlords
refused any reform. So, the organized blind of Colorado shut down the shop. To
be sure, there are now many non-profits that do provide quality work
opportunities for people with disabilities. We respect those companies and
organizations who pay equally for equal work. We wish our blind and non-blind
laboring friends a Happy Labor Day 2020. Americans began celebrating Labor Day
in 1887.
Maya Angelou: Nothing will work unless you do.
Mother Teresa: The miracle is
not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.
Booker T. Washington: Nothing
ever comes to one that is worth having except as a result of hard work.
Reflection
and Contemplation, By Kevan Worley
As we move through the dog days of Summer into a crisp,
cool Colorado Fall, I reflect on the important work we have done and a busy
Fall ahead. It has been a year of trial and triumph for the NFBCO. We have
joined our fellow citizens taking steps to battle the pandemic. We have
carefully moved from all virtual training at our Colorado Center back to
in-person training. Executive Director Julie Deden tells us that we have half
the normal student load for this time of year. Although we missed the vitality,
energy, and imagination of all of our in-person Summer youth programs, the
Center served dozens of young people through a set of fun and vibrant virtual
activities. Our affiliate worked closely with our national center to manage our
BELL In-Home edition. BELL stands for Braille Enrichment for Literacy and
Learning. We managed a COVID-19 hotline, 303-778-1130 ext. 219. We held 56 Mountain
Time at 5 programs bringing timely important information to the blind of the
state and nation. Our affiliate participated actively in our national virtual
convention. And our chapters have been as active as ever. We continue to grow
our relationships with members of the General Assembly, the Governor, Division
of Vocational Rehabilitation, Anchor Center for Blind Children, Colorado School
for the Deaf and the Blind, and many others. When you consider so many of us
have been in lockdown or near lockdown mode, I reflect that we have done pretty
well. I contemplate the importance of what we do in the lives of so many. And,
like so many of my fellow members, I look forward to the work we will do this
Fall with great joy and anticipation. Soon you will be able to register for our
annual state convention. It will be held virtually on the 29, 30, and 31st
of October. Please share your convention ideas with Jessica Beecham. This year, the
registration will be free and it will be replete with informative seminars, a
spectacular Thursday evening opening ceremony, a report from our affiliate
President, Scott LaBarre, and, a virtual banquet featuring the young and
dynamic president of our Nevada affiliate, Terri Rupp. Mrs. Rupp is an
activist, wife, mom, competitive runner, and member of the Board of Directors
of the National Federation of the Blind. We warmly invite you to make plans now
for the NFBCO State Convention, Anywhere and Everywhere.
But wait! There’s more! Soon, you will be able to register
for our NFBCO Comcast Virtual 6 Dot Dash. Beginning October 1, we are planning
a series of engaging uplifting activities to get you moving and raise money for
the work we do.
It will be a busy Fall and we invite you along.
Calling
All Parents of Blind Children
Saturday, September 19 at 1 p.m. will be the next meeting
of the Colorado Organization of Parents of Blind Children, COPOBC. Parents,
teachers, family members, and blind role models encouraged to participate. For Zoom
coordinates email Amira. In these unprecedented
times of challenges and hurdles to overcome to ensure that our blind kiddos get
the best education possible, we hope you will share our COPOBC network with any
blind parents and educators of blind students you know.
Colorado
School for the Deaf and the Blind Acing the Test
We have all experienced or at least read about all of the
challenges parents, children, and teachers, are having as school opens in one
form or another this Fall. Our attention was recently captured by a brief and
powerful article on the CSDB
Facebook page. Article was written by Evan MacDonald, teacher of blind
students. We hope you enjoy it.
Connecting
with the Heartbeat of the Federation. Have You Ever Wondered About the Work We
Do at Our NFB Jernigan Institute?
Due to some time constraints at our recent National Convention.
We were not able to get to every important item. That’s what YouTube is for.
The NFB Jernigan Institute is our training and research institute. It’s training
and research on blindness driven by the authentic needs and wants of people who
are blind ourselves. In other words, it’s training and research connected to the
heartbeat of our movement. We urge you to give the Director of Blindness
Initiatives for the NFB, Anil Lewis, your attention. His report is introduced
here on YouTube by
President Riccobono.
Make
Dreams Happen. Support Blind Seniors
From the aggregator: Well, we missed it! August 21st
was Senior Citizens Day. In Colorado, we are extremely fortunate to have a
robust seniors outreach and support program based at our Colorado Center for
the Blind in Littleton. Each year, when the pandemic is not upon us, we
lovingly operate one-week programs called Seniors in Charge! We work hard to
include our senior citizens in chapter and other NFBCO activities. We recognize
that seniors often have obstacles in addition to blindness which can create
huge challenges. Our Federation family is committed to the inclusion and
empowerment of blind and low vision seniors and their families. In honor of
Senior Citizens Day, we urge you to consider making a contribution to support
programs which can often make the difference between a quality of life or a
life of just existence. For information call 303-778-1130 or email dlarsen@cocenter.org. And, a belated
Happy Senior Citizens Day to all of us. I’m certainly there.
NFBCO
Springs Chapter Goes in Person- Social Distanced, OR on Zoom
We received the following note from Joanne Franklin, Vice
President, Colorado Springs chapter:
Saturday, September 12th we will have our next Colorado
Springs chapter meeting which is from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. This will be our first in person meeting
since March. The meeting will be held at
one of our chapter members house, Brian Smith, and it will be in his back yard
so there will be lots of room for social distancing. After the meeting, the chapter will be
providing a free box lunch. In order for
us to get a good head count for how much food to order, please RSVP by Sept
9th. Please contact Joanne Franklin by
email at jfranklintx@msn.com or call 719-464-4864.
If you can’t make the meeting, we will still have it available online using
zoom.
Check the Colorado Talk list serv for the Zoom info
announcement late the week of September 7 or email jfranklintx@msn.com.
Putting Together a Powerful Virtual Convention
Program. NFBCO Releases Request for Seminar Proposals. We Encourage
Individuals, Chapters, Divisions, Professionals in the Field of Blindness to
Submit a Proposal by Close of Business September 11. For information contact Jessica Beecham,
NFBCO First Vice President.
Fun Activities & Skills Training. We’re
Chompin’ At the Bit!
Who? Blind students ages 4 and up and their
families
Where? Sterne
Park, 5800 S Spotswood St, Littleton, CO 80120
When? Sunday, September 13, 2020 from 12:00 – 2:00
PM
On
Monday, August 3 the Colorado Center for the Blind and the Arapahoe County
Sheriffs Office’s Mounted Unit collaborated for our first challenge recreation
activity in nearly 5 months. The sight of groups of 4, 5, and 6 people leaving
the Center on our way to Sterne Park looked eerily similar to Secretariat,
Seabiscuit, and Preakness leaving the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby. Our
adult students in our Independence Training Program (ITP) loved the experience
as did all of the staff. Shortly after the activity, our Executive Director
Julie Deden and Lieutenant Rich Anselmi with the Office of Professional
Standards at the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office began discussing the
possibility of hosting a similar event for our local youth. And so here we are.
On Sunday, September 13 from noon to 2:00 PM our blind youth will be able to
work with volunteers and deputies from the Mounted Unit to learn all about
horses, give them a treat and groom them. We will have horses of all sizes and
colors there, hopefully many of you will have the chance to work with the pony
Rainbow too.
Deadline
to register for this event is Wednesday, September 9, space is limited. Please
RSVP by emailing mbecerra@cocenter.org. For questions, please contact Director of
Youth Services Martin Becerra-Miranda at (303)778-1130 Ext: 223.
Calling
All Guide Dog Handlers
Remember that on the 3rd Sunday of most all months
we have a Colorado Association of Guide Dog Users Board Meeting. We call it a
board meeting. Officially it is. But, mostly, it is a general membership, come
one-come all. Join the crowd on Sunday afternoon, September 20 at 4 p.m. Bring
your ideas, your observations, and, of course, a guide dog story or two. For
Zoom in information check Colorado Talk the week of the 14th or
email Paul Sandoval, psandoval@nagdu.org.
Paul is First Vice President of the National Association of Guide Dog Users. We
are fortunate to have him on our COAGDU Board. He is also the proprietor of
Blind Tech Training and president of our Wild West Chapter. How does he do it
all? He rarely sleeps and has a beautiful family.
If you encounter discrimination based on your use of a
guide dog, please call our NFBCO assistance line at 303-778-1130 ext. 219.
Cane?
Guide Dog? Or Robot?
We received the following link from NFBCO member Gail
Hamilton. It’s an interesting article to contemplate.
Mobility device for the blind works like a handheld robotic
guide dog.
Guide dogs play an important role as a mobility aid for the visually impaired,
but they aren’t the perfect solution for everyone. Things like the cost,
smaller living quarters or even allergies can mean that these canines aren’t
suitable for many, but a technology under development at Loughborough
University offers up another possibility, by channeling the functions of a
guide dog into a robotic device you can hold in your hand. Read
more here …
NFBCO
Virtual Choir for State Convention
Hello
everyone!
We
are having a virtual choir for the state convention and we need more
men!!!! Right now, we have three and I
am incredibly grateful for the three men who have stepped up. In joining the choir, you won’t have to sing
in front of anyone. You see, you will be
recording it in the quiet of your own home and then sending in the
recording. So, if you are shy to sing in
front of others, we got that covered.
So…who’s
in?
E-mail
ReNae Anderson at mother27dragon@gmail.com for more information. We will be having our first practice on
September 4 at 6:30pm. That date is
coming up, so please reach out soon.
Thanks
in advance,
ReNae
USABA
Names Molly Quinn as New Chief Executive Officer
Becomes Organization's First CEO.
USABA is pleased to announce the addition of Molly Quinn as
the association’s new Chief Executive Officer. Quinn comes to USABA with over
20 years of progressive experience in sales, sports marketing, and
philanthropy.
In her new role at USABA, Quinn will work with the board,
staff, members, and other stakeholders to develop, implement, and achieve a new
strategic plan to increase membership, expand programs, and develop new revenue
streams among other goals. She will ensure a continued collaborative relationship
with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the International Blind
Sports Federation and other NGBs, and will support the men and women’s goalball
teams that have qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Mark Lucas, USABA Executive Director, will report to the
CEO.
Quinn stated, “I am honored to serve as the first USABA
CEO. This role aligns with my personal passion and purpose around sports and
fundraising. My career has been focused on creating life-changing experiences
and partnerships that drive new revenue through events, services, and
sponsorships, which I will continue at the USABA. I look forward to leading an
incredible organization focused on providing opportunities for blind and
visually impaired athletes to participate and compete. Through inclusion and
diversity, I want to be a bigger part of empowering people to live and grow
through sport; leading the USABA’s mission will allow me to do just that.”
She began her duties
with USABA on Aug. 3. Read
More...
From the Aggregator: NFBCO has worked closely with USABA
for many years. We are happy to hear that Executive Director Mark Lucas plans
to remain with the organization. We look forward to working with USABA on our
upcoming 5 weeklong virtual NFBCO Comcast 6 Dot Dash events. CEO Quinn, welcome
to Colorado!
The National
Federation of the Blind is working to ensure that all blind voters have the
ability to vote privately and independently.
We always encourage blind people, regardless of their political views, to
participate in the American democracy.
Hey! Did You Know We Have an Election Coming Up? I know.
This is big news to everyone. We are hardly hearing anything about it in the
media. But seriously folks, readers of this blog know that NFBCO has worked
diligently with the General Assembly and the Secretary of State’s office to
ensure that people who are blind can vote by mail. While it is a bit of a
clunky process it works. Many of our colleagues voted via this new accessible
system in recent elections. While there is still work to do, NFBCO leaders such
as Curtis Chong, Dan Burke, Scott LaBarre, and others are continuing to work
with officials to make it a more seamless process. We urge you to give this
accessible voting by mail system a try. For information you may email Curtis at
chong.curtis@gmail.com. For
information about what the National Federation of the Blind is doing to ensure
our right to have a secret ballot and to learn about our voter’s survey visit www.nfb.org/resources/voting-resources.
Note:
NFBCO would like to thank State Senator Jessie Danielson, State Senator Pete
Lee, all members of the General Assembly, and Secretary of State Jena Griswold.
Live the Life You Want. The
Darian Smith Story
Leading our NFBCO effort to ensure that absolutely every
member feels welcomed and knows that their contribution matters is Darian Smith.
Darian chairs our Inclusion and Diversity workgroup. The group has asked
chapter and division presidents to appoint at least one person to participate
in our regular Diversity Corner gatherings. These delegates, if you will, will share
information and strategies that will then be shared at chapter and division meetings
to encourage discussion. We thought you might be interested in Darian Smith’s
story from our National
NFB YouTube channel. Enjoy!
Note:
no play and all work make NFB committees boring. So, we in our Federation family
always have a good time along our journey doing our serious work. So, let me
just say to our Inclusion and Diversity committee; The word is
intersectionality not intersexuality. (I guess you had to be there.)
Genius is 1% inspiration and 99%
perspiration. - Thomas Edison
That’s
It for This Edition of the Blind Coloradan.
Forward, always Forward!
