Writer, aggregator Kevan
Worley.
Contributing editor Dan Burke.
Here is what you need to
know
National Convention—Don’t Delay, Don’t Delay, Don’t Delay:
Register today at no cost! National
Federation of the Blind members are requested, and non-members are invited to
register for the national convention, taking place July 14 through July 18.
Registration gives access to exclusive offers, convention announcements, door
prizes, and other exciting content. The deadline to register is June 15. Learn
more and register for the national convention today.
National Federation of the Blind, Black Leaders Serving for Advancement
Our Black Leaders Serving for Advancement
is a subcommittee under, Diversity and Inclusion. The BLSA warmly invites you to attend Happy
Hour.
June 12, 2020,
6:00PM MDT.
Bring your favorite beverage to toast and dialog with African
American leaders in the National Federation of the Blind.
There will be fun, door prizes and conversation!
This event is open to all!
For more information, contact, Shawn Callaway, Committee Chair
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 408 185 0851
One tap mobile
One tap mobile
+16468769923,,4081850851#
2020 Beginning with Great Turmoil but Hopefully Headed Towards Peace, By Scott LaBarre
As most readers of the Blind Coloradan
know, Scott LaBarre is the thoughtful, forceful, and loving President of the National
Federation of the Blind of Colorado.
I note that the 2020 calendar has not yet
given up half its days, but the world has been racked with great and
unimaginable turmoil thus far. Who would have ever dreamed that we would
have encountered a Presidential impeachment, global pandemic, and historic
racial injustice and civil unrest with only 162 days of 2020 passing as
this Blind Coloradan hits the either? Although I could comment on all
these events, my focus for this article is the recent police brutality and
ensuing social unrest, or more accurately, I intend to focus on our role in
current events and our response to it. First, I will start by reprinting
the National Federation of the Blind’s statement on recent events issued last
Thursday, June 4th.
National Federation of the
Blind Stands in Solidarity with All Those Impacted by Racial Injustice
For eighty years, the National
Federation of the Blind has viewed addressing discrimination and promoting
equality as essential elements of our work. Today we stand in solidarity with
the black community in their fight for justice and in their pursuit of equal
treatment under the law. We condemn the continued murders of black
Americans including those of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd.
Further, we acknowledge that these horrific deaths represent a vile and
long-standing pattern of institutionalized racism that permeates the criminal
justice system. While there are police officers that are doing good work, the
fact remains that black and brown individuals are disproportionally impacted by
police brutality, unfairly condemning people of color to prison cells and
graveyards.
As a civil rights organization
with a diverse membership, we strive to grow in our understanding of conditions
that affect us. Throughout our history, we have participated in civil
disobedience and honor the value that it holds to bring about social change. We
are firmly committed to enacting our organizational diversity statement, which
in part expresses, “We recognize that our views and convictions will be
challenged, and we expect this challenge to take place in a climate of
tolerance and mutual respect in order to maintain a united organization.”
Recognizing that this is a time of intense grief, a time of learning, and a
time of reflection, we stand with our members who are in pain and pray not only
for peace but for justice. We stand in solidarity with our black members and
publicly commit to do anti-racist work within our organization. We ask our
nonblack members to take the time to self-reflect in ways we can participate to
create an anti-racist world. With you in love, with you in justice, we affirm
that #BlackLivesMatter.
See also:
As you will note, this strong statement
ends with reference and a link to President Riccobono’s open letter of last
week, Love Conquers Hate. Together these two documents are a beautiful
and powerful summary of our Federation’s thoughts and reaction to the recent
civil rights crisis, and as an affiliate of the Federation, we strongly endorse
these important statements and welcome their moving words.
With the rest of my words today, however,
I want to provide a little personal reflection upon the events and issues
gripping our nation. As the Federation statement recognizes, our
diversity policy which is imbedded in our Code of Conduct anticipates
that our views and assumptions must be challenged from
time-to-time, but we must undertake such challenges in an atmosphere of
tolerance, mutual respect, and, I would add, love.
On a personal level, this means that I
must challenge my own beliefs and internal bias. Even before this crisis
began, I had been involved in the process of challenging my assumptions and the
intersectionality of my blindness with diverse characteristics possessed by
others in our organization and elsewhere who are not only blind but also face
discrimination based on other immutable factors. Last year in conjunction
with the Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium, some lawyers within the
Disability Rights Bar Association who were attending the symposium essentially
got into a Twitter War that invoked elements of bigotry and laid bare the
presence of white, male privilege which was instigating a climate where those
of additional diverse backgrounds did not feel welcome in the broader
disability rights community. Some within DRBA who were young and had
other diverse characteristics in addition to their disabilities assigned much
of the blame for the unwelcoming atmosphere and pointed the finger at the old
white guys who largely ran the NFB and DRBA.
As many of you know, I happen to be one of
those old white guys, well, sort of old anyway. So, at first, I sort of
took Umbridge and offense at these young lawyers and thought they were being
unfair. After all, my lived experience includes substantial
discrimination based on a characteristic that I can’t change, my blindness.
In fact, pretty much every day comes with some event or occurrence that makes
me feel belittled and/or excludes me from the mainstream because of my
blindness, or at least, that was the case prior to the COVID19 Pandemic when I
wondered out into and traveled across the world frequently. Anyway, how
in the world could these young, baby lawyers accuse me of bias and unfair
treatment or creating an unwelcoming atmosphere. I had faced as much
unfair treatment as them and suffered from its ramifications; hadn’t I?
How dare they?
Once I took a moment and got past my knee
jerk reaction, I came to realize that these individuals were raising valid
concerns that were highly deserving of serious reflection and deliberate
consideration. In fact, that is exactly what our diversity policy
challenges us to do. Admittedly, this is not always a comfortable
process, but it is critical. We all carry with us bias, and most of that
bias is implicit or unconscious. It is important to examine our own
misconceptions and prejudice about others and ask ourselves if the existence of
that bias is unfairly affecting our decision-making process and how we regard
others.
It is also important to remind ourselves
that as we collectively examine our own bias, we must do so in that atmosphere
of love and mutual respect. In other words, this is not about a blame
game but rather a process which exposes the beliefs and assumptions that create
needless barriers to those of diverse backgrounds. If we cannot identify
what is causing the lumps and bumps on our playing field, that field will
never be level for all of us.
In the coming weeks and months, I
challenge all of us to reflect and examine our thoughts and beliefs not only
about people whose skin is a different color than
ours but also the myriad of other diverse characteristics that many of us
possess. For the most part, I believe that we in the Federation
have not actively or intentionally created barriers to true racial
justice or equality regardless of differing backgrounds and lived experiences,
but we must become conscious of the implicit bias that sometimes governs our
actions. I’m sure Dr. tenBroek would agree that not only do we as blind
people have the right to live in the world, we all do!!
As these events have unfolded, many strong
and righteous pronouncements have been made declaring the need for change and
reform. These words are important, but I agree with those who say that
those words ring hollow unless they are followed by concerted action. At
our 2019 State Convention, we initiated our Diversity and Inclusion Committee
with a thoughtful and powerful seminar. That Committee, chaired by Darian
Smith, continues to work and is planning outreach to all of our chapters and
division along with plans to recruit new members of color and other diverse
backgrounds. We will most definitely hold another seminar at this year’s
Convention and highlight our efforts during a general session. All are
welcome to join the Committee and help us build the Federation through greater
diversity.
As we face the remaining 204 days of 2020, I pray for
healing, healing from this awful pandemic and healing from bigotry and
animus. Let us fully embrace our diversity and celebrate the strength it
gives us. Last evening, I heard Dr. Cornel West of Harvard being
interviewed, and he identified love as the key element, more than any other,
which has propelled the civil rights movement forward. Love is also what
has fueled our Federation and allowed us to make great strides forward.
Now we must call upon that love and face the difficult challenges that lie
ahead. We must secure true peace achieved through justice, justice for
all!!
Colorado Center for the Blind, 2020 Summer Youth Programs, By Martin Becerra-Miranda, Director Youth Programs, CCB
The Colorado Center for the Blind is moving forward with
our 2020 Summer Programs!
No, not in-person, but rather through virtual summer
sessions.
We will be holding a total of 12 sessions (on Tuesdays and
Thursdays) for youth between the ages of 13 – 21. Sessions will begin on
Tuesday, June 16 and go through Thursday, July 30 excluding the week of July 13
for the NFB National Convention (by the way, don’t forget to register before June 15).
What’s better than participating in these interactive,
skill building, fun, and informative sessions? How about the fact that all
sessions will be free of cost?
These online workshops will focus on Self-Advocacy; STEM;
College Readiness; and Employment.
For detailed information and to register, please visit:
Hope to see you there! And, if you have any questions,
please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Kind Regards,
Martin Becerra-Miranda, NOMC
Director of Youth Services
Colorado Center for the Blind
Office: 303.778.1130 Ext. 223
The Many Hats of Mrs. Spears
From the Aggregator: Jennifer Spears is a
published author, student, mom, wife, and instructor at the Colorado Center for
the Blind. She is also an active member of our Colorado Federation family. She
recently participated in a Mountain Time at 5 session that highlighted blind
entrepreneurs. Here is what Mrs. Spears submitted to your Blind Coloradan.
It is nearly 1:20 a.m. as I write. All of my handsome boys
(Husband, son and
puppy) are sound asleep. It is the final week of my current
classes at Southern New Hampshire University. All of the assignments for my
creative writing class have been turned in. My science class is all that needs
attention before Sunday at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time. Every week since
my return to college, that 11:59 p.m. deadline flickers frequently at the
center of my mind’s eye. As a working mom in school, I have to take things one
week at a time while keeping my final requirements in mind.
During this pandemic, I have gotten a taste of what it
would be like to work remotely while attending college and continuing to be the
best wife and mother I can be. Did I mention book three of my trilogy in
progress? Prior to getting schoolwork done in a different manner. I would enter
the Colorado Center for the Blind an hour or more before work hours had begun.
I would work through lunch hours that were not reserved for other meetings.
Yes, you know what I am gearing up to say, evenings and
weekends were partially sacrificed.
With this temporary norm in place for however long, schoolwork
still gets done. Only now it is more often done during late hours of the night
and on weekends. Rather than short sprints spread throughout the week, schoolwork
is done less often, but within longer stretches of time.
You may wonder how I maintain my sanity with a
four-year-old who is sick and tired of being stuck in the house among
everything else. I am fortunate to have a loving husband willing to step in
when it is time to hit the books.
Should both of us be on a Zoom call with staff and
students, that is where our roommate comes in. I can assure you that little
Mason is never starved for attention. If I need a quiet moment on occasion, I
take it. Something else that is important for anyone in a similar position to
mine is to have a couple of things that are yours. This could be anything from
art to a television show that you never miss. I love singing and writing. On
top of that, I never missed Empire before its finale. I have no shame. Everyone
needs to decompress, including working moms in school.
If you have thought about attending college in the midst of
working and family, it does not have to be as daunting as you think. A big
chunk of my motivation is how much I enjoy my major. If you are serious about a
journey like mine and countless others, be sure to pursue what you love. Be
certain it is what you want and not what others want for you. I can safely say
that I have no regrets. I will be overjoyed once both science classes are out
of the way. The next time I sleep through the night will be cherished. Sleep or
no sleep, the level of accomplishment that I feel increases at the end of every
single term. There is nothing like seeing those A’s under the Grades tab of
your courses. Returning to my physical office will be an adjustment, but a
wonderful one. It will be tough for my little boy, but how nice it will be to
come home from a day teaching Braille to the sweetest arms in the world.
Special Issue of the Braille Monitor Featuring Articles From NFBCO Leader Curtis Chong, NFBCO First Vice President Jessica Beecham, and Much, Much More
Want to know the best way to enjoy all
that our virtual National Convention has to offer? Read the feature article by
Jessica Beecham.
Foiled Again!
You’d be surprised what you can do with
tin foil. Join the CCB Tactile Art Club - June 16 at 5pm MT - Tin Foil Art
Explorations.
Meeting ID: 868 3773 1595 Password: 360637
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,86837731595#,,1#,360637#
+13462487799,,86837731595#,,1#,360637#
Nothing Trivial About the Work of Our Denver Chapter
Dan Burke says:
Are you registered for 2020 NFB Virtual yet? Well, the NFB
of Denver will hold another virtual chapter meeting on Saturday, June 20 from
10 a.m. to Noon, or thereabouts, and we’ll get ourselves warmed up for the
virtual convention July 14 to 18 with a little game show action. All I’m saying
… is you may not know all the answers, but you will surely learn something
about the National Federation of the Blind as part of the fun and excitement!
Join us –
Meeting ID: 213 957 100
Local Call: 720-707-2699
One tap mobile
7207072699,,213957100#
Who Is Howard? And How Can I Get Some Money to Spend On Essential Access Technologies? By Curtis Chong
From the Aggregator: Curtis Chong is no
stranger to this blog. He has been an active member, transformative figure in the
National Federation of the Blind since 1970. He is regarded as one of this
nation’s authorities on access technology for the blind. More importantly,
Curtis has worked tirelessly to help get necessary technologies into the hands
of people who are blind.
Meet the Howard Fund:
One Source of Funding for Technology.
One Source of Funding for Technology.
The Howard Fund, administered by the
Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), was established through a
generous bequest, made in 1932, by Mrs. Ida B. Howard. This bequest was made
for the sole benefit of people residing in Colorado with low vision or
Blindness for the purpose of increasing independence and the ability to
participate in all aspects of life.
Those of us who are blind and who find it
necessary to purchase braille note-takers, screen reading or magnification software,
CCTV's, braille embossers, or other technologies for the blind have historically obtained these devices with
the help of the vocational rehabilitation system—in Colorado, the Division of
Vocational Rehabilitation. Blind people not served by DVR have not, as a rule,
been able to afford to pay $5,000 plus for a braille note-taker or $3,000 for a
CCTV. Here is where the Howard Fund might help.
Grant requests up to $5,000 will be
considered. Only one application can be submitted per year. Individuals
applying for assistance from the Fund must be residents of Colorado and must be
blind or have low vision. In addition to all of this, in order to be eligible
to receive grants from the Howard Fund, household income must be lower than
400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Income is defined as all income actually
received by all members of a household—including salary before deductions for
taxes, public assistance benefits, social security payments, pensions, unemployment
compensation, veteran's benefits, inheritances, alimony, child support
payments, worker's compensation benefits, gifts, lottery winnings, and the
like. For example, the annual income for a household of one cannot exceed $47,080,
and the annual income for a household of 8 cannot exceed $163,560.
The Howard Fund website can be found at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dvr/howardfund. The
application for individuals can be found at this link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ta4AD4vpWmxHnItDGznudQ2TrSbJWL7d/view?usp=sharing.
Note: This link opens up a PDF file in Google
Drive; it may be more helpful for you to download the PDF file directly so that
it can be read using the Acrobat Reader DC software on the computer.
As a longtime member of the National
Federation of the Blind and an advocate for quality services and funding for
the blind, I cannot help wondering if the Howard Fund is perhaps a tad bit
overly bureaucratic and restrictive in its operation and application. Consider
the financial means test that Howard Fund applicants must pass. Technology for
the blind has been and continues to be more expensive than technology for
mainstream users. Combine this with the exceedingly high unemployment rate
within the blind community (more than 60%), and I have to ask why there should
be a means test at all. If (as some people have maintained) technology
represents the key to independence for the blind (I myself do not
wholeheartedly subscribe to this view), why not make it as easy as possible for
a blind person to apply for assistance from the Howard Fund. At a minimum, the
definition of household income could be liberalized to include only those funds
that a person receives on a regular monthly basis. Why should a gift be counted
as income?
In any case, if you, a blind person, want
some funding for technology, the Howard Fund does represent one possible
source. Give it a try and see how well it can work for you.
Ron Atchison and His Wife Marie By Michelle Chacon and Jon Deden
From the Aggregator: Michelle Chacon and
Jon Deden are long-time leaders of our North Metro chapter. Here is what they say
about the loss of a dear Federation family member. Ron Atchison passed away
last month leaving a legacy of love and laughter.
Ron was an amazing guy who was always thinking about
others. It must have come from the 26 years he spent with the Englewood Fire
Department as a paramedic. He was a happy-go-lucky guy who always had something
to say which would put a smile on your face. He and Jon Deden would always joke
that they were the “Jonny and Ronny show.” He was very dear to our hearts as a
member and as a friend. He will be truly missed.
Please find his Obituary:
North Metro is inviting you to join us on Saturday, June
13, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. for our monthly chapter meeting.
Please find the Zoom information below:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91172160210
Meeting ID: 911 7216 0210
One tap mobile
+14086380968,,91172160210#
Please find the Zoom information below:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/91172160210
Meeting ID: 911 7216 0210
One tap mobile
+14086380968,,91172160210#
Mountain Time at 5. When the Stars Come Out
NFBCO has produced more than 55 Mountain Time at 5 zoom
adventures since the pandemic brought so much change to our lives. Did you know
that most of those entertaining and information packed sessions are available
on YouTube. Were you with us when we met Country music singer/songwriter J.P.
Williams? Did you meet CEO and inventor Mike May? Did you participate with
President Riccobono when he discussed how he feels about our tagline, Live the
Life You Want? These and many more sessions are still available to you on our National Federation of
the Blind Colorado YouTube channel. Enjoy!
Another Story From the Blind History Lady, By Peggy Chong
Blind people have always given from their hearts, no matter
their station in life. Here is an article from an unidentified newspaper
from February of 1947.
Blind Donate to Fire Victim.
Within five minutes after the news reached them on
Wednesday of the fatal burning of Dwight Blandin 7, in a fire at Lakewood,
Twenty-five blind workers in the broom shop, Colorado Industries for the Blind,
100 W. Seventh Avenue, had started a collection for the stricken family.
One of them, Pete Campbell, is an uncle of the Blandin boy, who was an invalid,
and had lived with the family until two weeks ago.
Sighted workers also contributed, and in a short time more
than $30 was raised, officials of the institution said Thursday.
Note from the Aggregator: The broom shop mentioned in the
article did not change with the times. Due to their outdated views of blindness
and the low wages paid to the blind workers, the National Federation of the Blind
of Colorado led by Ray and Diane McGeorge took necessary advocacy action to
close down the Denver workshop for the blind and assist blind people to enter
integrated, meaningful employment.
It’s All About Staying Well, Staying Fit, Staying Relaxed. Working Out While Staying In Your Chair
Exciting news! Starting this Saturday, Morgan
Thomas will be teaching a second adaptive/chair yoga class every week! These
classes are accessible to those who have a physical disability such as
paralysis, limb amputation, stroke, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis,
Parkinson's, rheumatoid arthritis, or any condition that is progressive and
affects mobility. These classes are open to ALL - new-to-yoga folks and
experienced practitioners alike. Assistants demonstrate the postures from
various positions - on the floor, seated in a chair, and standing, so you can
choose your own adventure! Y'all know making yoga accessible is my passion and
I would love to see you, especially if you have always wanted to try yoga but
don't think you can do it. Invite your friends from all over to practice with
you! We like to laugh, so be prepared for silly jokes. :) For details and links
to register for class each week contact Morgen Thomas, 719-201-3186
Zoom with Blind Hoosiers and NFB-NEWSLINE
Have you never heard of NFB-NEWSLINE, or are you just
starting out? Are you a seasoned pro and would like to learn more of the
detailed features of the service? Do you use the iPhone app or Amazon ALEXA
devices and want to master the use of NFB-NEWSLINE on them?
Do you know all of the information you can get over a
touch-tone telephone? Did you get a new Victor Reader Stream, second
generation, and want to learn how you can easily use it to download your
favorite publications? Do you have questions about the service or suggestions
for new features?
NFB-NEWSLINE of Indiana is extending an invitation for you
to attend a training and informational get together with Mr. Scott White,
Director of Sponsored Technology Programs at the National Federation of the
Blind. Please join us on Thursday, June 11, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
During this unique session, Scott will be sharing with us
how NFB-NEWSLINE has benefited him and others in their daily lives. Scott will
be demonstrating some of his favorite parts of the service, and how you can
discover all that NFB-NEWSLINE has to offer.
Come get your questions answered and enjoy some
camaraderie!
Join Zoom meeting on your computer or mobile device by
following this link:
One tap mobile
+1 3 0 1 7 1 5 8 5 9 2, , 9 4 2 7 8 6 5 0 0 8 8 #
Dial: 6 4 6 8 7 6 9 9 2 3
Meeting ID: 9 4 2 7 8 6 5 0 0 8 8.
Colorado Springs Chapter Will Zoom Meet Saturday Morning, June 13
President
Jeanette Fortin brings down her mighty gavel at 10 a.m. sharp! Folks begin
gathering at about 9:45 to bring greetings and good cheer to one another. Please
encourage your colleagues and friends to join the Colorado Springs chapter for
elections of officers, discussion of community initiatives, information about National
Convention, and more!
Meeting
ID: 248 911 1969
Password: 1000
One tap mobile
34624877992489111969#,,1#,1000#
Breaking Blind
Moms
and Dads, Boys and Girls, who says orientation and mobility can’t be taught
virtually. Ask some of the instructors at the Colorado School for the Deaf and the
Blind and their students. They have been using Facetime. Ask Trina Boyd. Trina
teaches blind kids all over the Rocky Mountain region using Facetime. Trina
says, “in the beginning parents were skeptical. But now I have students who
travel, during their lessons, completely independently as I observe and provide
feedback virtually.”
David Nietfeld
has been providing basic instruction in cane travel through a new podcast,
Breaking Blind. Where there is a will there is a way. Find these Breaking Blind
podcasts on Spotify, Tune In, and the other usual podcast sources. They are
short, sweet, and family friendly.
An Announcement From Maryann Migliorelli
I invite you to Join Migs Motivation and Merriment and Poetry for Personal Power Thursday, June 11, from 10:00 A.M. until noon Mountain time for our wellness and resilience story circle.
Now
that the U.S. is coping with two viruses in real ways, how do we protect
ourselves from Covid19 while fighting racism in America. In this time of insane
social unrest, it is more important than ever to work on our wellness in
community. Please join us as we work on selfcare and community care during this
crucial time, because “Black lives matter,” and so does yours.
Join
the Zoom meeting by clicking
call 301-715-8592
Meeting Id: 594881826
Password: 686284.
If you
need help connecting to this meeting or have other questions, please contact
Maryann Migliorelli at 720-284-2318 or maryannmigs@gmail.com.
June Presidential Release Is Available
If you
missed President Mark Riccobono’s June Presidential Release live on zoom? Do
not fear. It is well worth a listen. https://www.nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/presidential-releases and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb4gTeNg2PQ
60 Seconds Could Win You Up To $200 As Part of the Convention Memory Minute Contest
We received this from Tracy Soforenko, Chairman of the Kenneth
Jernigan Scholarship Committee:
For many, our
very first convention becomes a life-changing experience. As a means of
encouraging others to register for this year’s convention, we ask that you
share a video or audio message about a special memory of your first convention
in less than sixty seconds. By tagging your social media post with #NFB20 or
submitting the entry directly to us by email or phone, you will be entered to
win a cash prize and have your story shared at this year’s convention.
Find
out more about this exciting opportunity.
Good luck!
Sincerely,
The Kenneth Jernigan Fund Committee
Good luck!
Sincerely,
The Kenneth Jernigan Fund Committee
That’s It for This Edition of the Blind Coloradan.
Forward, always
Forward!
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