Blind Coloradoan Blog
April 15, 2022
Writer,
Aggregator: Kevan Worley.
Contributors: Dan Burke & Erin Daley. With assistance from Lisa Bonderson
National Federation Of The Blind Of Colorado, President, Jessica Beecham.
Email, jbbeecham@gmail.com
Here is what you need to know-
From the Western Slope to the Eastern Planes and throughout the Front Range, our National Federation Of The Blind Of Colorado is in action. According to our President, Jessica Beecham, “Our Colorado Center For The Blind programs are stable and robust. FAST Saturdays, Learning Box program, and marketing efforts to promote our expanding youth programs are in high gear. Committees are working hard on the resolutions passed at recent conventions, including Accessible 16th Street Mall, and changing attitudes and approaches to blind customers by transportation network companies. Our transportation committee, ably chaired by Gary Van Dorn is working with Denver International Airport to create safer pickup protocols. Our chapters are on the move with social events, fundraisers, informative seminars, and person-to-person outreach to members and non-members who may need our help, support, and love. The student Network 22 event held with Colorado Association of Blind Students and NFBCO Project Literacy on March 26th was a smashing success, in person, at our center, and over zoom. More than a dozen scholars from across the state have applied for state and national scholarships. Colorado Association of Guide Dog Users is working on a project to educate offices and facilities providing health care on access for blind people who use guide dogs. And we continue to work with valued partners, The Anchor Center, Colorado School For The Deaf and the Blind, Colorado Talking Book Library, the city of Littleton, independent living centers, Comcast, the public utility commission, and numerous teachers and parents of visually impaired students. Plans are well underway for our next NFBCO 6 dot-dash to be held on Saturday, September 10th. If you would like to be involved in one of our signature events contact NFBCO 6 Dot Dash, Cody Bair. And don’t forget about the Wild West Golf Tournament on Monday, August 22nd. Contact, Wild West President Paul Sandoval at blindtechtraining@gmail.com. Our affiliate advocacy and legal efforts on behalf of blind people continue to be a major part of our civil rights movement.”
Jessica continued, “our Parents of Blind Children Division, our Blind Merchants, Sports and Rec division, Blind Parents Division and other groups have all had running starts, over the first quarter of 2022, reaching toward our goal of true equality of opportunity. I congratulate you all, keep up the great work and feel free to contact your President at jbbeecham@gmail.com. I believe what we say is true, “Together with love, hope, and determination we transform dreams into reality” This is what we are doing in 2022. Read more about what we are doing in this Blind Coloradan Blog.”
Dan Parker, a Blind Man, Breaks Driving Speed Record
From the aggregator: This is a longer lead article than we usually post. Some of our dear readers have likely seen this, from the Press Room at nfb.org. Whether you have or haven't, this is a feat worth celebrating.
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico (April 5, 2022): Dan Parker, a blind racecar driver, achieved the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® title for the “Fastest Speed for a Car Driven Blindfolded” on Thursday, March 31. Parker set a new speed record of 211.043 miles per hour on the runway at Spaceport America in his custom-built Corvette, which included an innovative audio guidance system designed to his specifications. The previous record was held by Mike Newman of the United Kingdom, who achieved a speed of 200.51 miles per hour in 2014. Parker went blind as the result of a racing accident that took place ten years before, on March 31, 2012, and graduated from the Louisiana Center for the Blind seven years ago on March 31 as well. The record attempt was made as part of the acceleration of the National Federation of the Blind’s Blind Driver Challenge™ — an initiative that aims to call attention to the importance of breaking barriers in mobility and to demonstrate the incredible achievements of blind people. It was sponsored by San Francisco-based zero-emission self-driving company Cruise and certified by Guinness World Records official Michael Empric.
The effort built on the inaugural Blind Driver Challenge event that took place on January 29, 2011, when Mark Riccobono, now President of the National Federation of the Blind, independently operated a modified Ford Escape hybrid on the Daytona International Speedway Road Course. Mr. Riccobono navigated the course’s turns and steered the car around dynamic obstacles by following haptic prompts generated by input from the vehicle’s GPS, cameras, and LIDAR sensors.
“Our Daytona Blind Driver Challenge demonstration changed the perceptions of blindness held by society, including the perceptions that we ourselves held as blind people,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “It further demonstrated to the world that the expertise of the blind is critical to the development of nonvisual vehicle interfaces. NFB member Dan Parker has now raised the expectations of blind people even higher by independently driving a vehicle faster than any blind person has done before, proving that the combination of accessible technology and our own capacity allows blind people to safely operate motor vehicles even at high speed. This demonstration reinforces our determination to work with Cruise and other partners to make cars that can be operated independently by blind people on America’s roadways a reality. Transportation is a critical barrier faced by blind people across the nation and we seek the increased availability of all transportation options in order to successfully live the lives we want.”
“With the help of my Federation family, my outstanding pit crew, and our partners at Cruise, I am proud to bring the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for fastest speed for a car driven blindfolded to America,” said Dan Parker. “We have not only demonstrated that a blind person can operate a vehicle safely, but that we can do it at over two hundred miles per hour. We hope this success inspires blind people and shows the world the potential of modern technology like self-driving cars to help the blind break barriers in everyday mobility and beyond.”
Mountains and Planes announces April 21st emergency preparedness evening seminar over zoom
From the president of our at large Mountains and Planes chapter Renae Anderson we have this announcement
Over the past few years, Colorado has experienced many wildfires, blizzards, floods, and other unexpected emergencies. What is one to do if you have a disability, especially blindness if you need to evacuate? The Mountains & Plains At Large Chapter NFBCO is hosting a chapter seminar on “Emergency Preparedness.” Martha Mason, former director of SW Independent Living Center in Durango will be discussing with us ways to be prepared before the emergency happens.
Everyone is welcome on April 21, 2022, at 7 pm. Make sure you mark the date so you will not only be better prepared for the next emergency but will have an opportunity to win an emergency kit. Hope to see you there!
https://zoom.us/j/95715238944?pwd=YXBBdEx2MXd2bGV1cmhkNXNpVTBLdz09
Minding the space
By Julia Zanon
Dear reader, you will recognize Julia Zanon as a regular contributor to this newsletter. We want to thank her for this very timely, tender, and challenging article. Julia’s grace and her pointed observations make her one of our most effective members of the Colorado Center For The Blind Board of Directors.
I was listening to the news this morning and the announcer was describing yet another violent shooting resulting from road rage. This story was followed by an update about the Will Smith/Chris Rock incident at the Academy Awards, describing how Chris Rock had chosen not to press charges against Will Smith for the on-screen slap and how Will Smith has now apologized for his moment of violent reaction. Interviews with people who know Will Smith have commented that his reaction seemed so out of character. There seem to be so many more news stories about people reacting with violence now, as if something has happened to the collective anger threshold. When I visit with friends and family, it seems, that they often relate stories about having been wounded by harsh words from others and how they are struggling to keep their own emotions in check.
Perhaps, the unintended outcome of more than two years of overwhelming stress from COVID 19, unemployment, global warming, deadly weather events, increased homelessness, and worldwide suffering has shifted our sense of safety and security and now there is a realization of vulnerability that was not there before the pandemic. It is easy to feel patient, generous, and kind when one is secure and there is no fear of loss or injury, or worse. It is so uncanny how the fight or flight reflexes quickly kick in when we feel threatened.
When I pause to reflect on my own behavior over the past year, I recognize my own struggle with self-monitoring my anger. I am horrified by the times I have lost my temper, missing my usual empathy and compassion. I also realized how often fear had entered my vocabulary: fear of getting sick, fear of dying, fear of strangers, fear of the weather, fear of leaving my house, fear of failing, fear of the unknown. At first, I thought it was just because I had spent so much time alone during the worst of the pandemic. However, I think it is more than that. I feel more vulnerable now than before the pandemic. How and what could I do to regain confidence and freedom and shift the grip of fear into a healthier mindful awareness?
I have found that a key component of overcoming fear is to replace it with what is already true and known. It is as simple as remembering past experiences when I chose to face what seemed frightening at the time, and after pushing through the fear, experiencing success. As a blind person, I have learned to overcome and live with a certain level of vulnerability, leaning into resilience, acceptance, and courage. How could I have forgotten that pushing through a moment of hesitation is not difficult? The moment of fear is replaced with knowing that I can do whatever it is that caused me to pause. Let’s call it self-confidence fitness, staying strong by remembering and reliving past success.
Another key to reducing the fear has to do with what I call “Minding the Space.” Imagine that events that occur throughout the day are the stimulus and how you react or respond to these events are the response. The phone rings and you answer the call. Your stomach growls and you find some food. We all make hundreds of choices throughout the day without realizing that between the stimulus and response, there is a space, and we make a choice in the space. Most of the time, we are not conscious of this process and in the absence of fear or anxiety, it is easy to make rational, logical choices. You give yourself time to check the caller ID before answering the call and you think about healthy food choices before grabbing a snack.
For me, when I am living with constant fear or anxiety, my fight or flight reactivity wants to take over and I forget to take a moment in that space between stimulus and response to make a wise choice. This is where anger and frustration show up. Being aware of the space between stimulus and response and remembering the self-reliant person who knows how to overcome the fear create the possibility of regaining confidence in a world that feels less stable. I also recognize that others who lose their temper are probably feeling vulnerable and that understanding and having empathy can make a big difference.
This is the quote I find most useful:
“Between stimulus and response lies a space. In that space lie our freedom and power” (author unknown)
One additional and very important resource for me has been to stay connected with the support provided by the NFB. Whether it is attending a chapter meeting, reading the Blind Coloradoan, reading an article from the Braille Monitor, talking with friends, learning about technology and resources, or meeting new blind people, the connection is present and reminds me that we are stronger together and that I am not alone. People say the world is different, but I am not sure the world is different. I know that I feel different as a result of events from the past few years and that staying connected and supporting each other is more important than ever.
A culture of crisis. A historical perspective
By Kevan Worley
“Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it” -American philosopher George Santayana
Let me preface this article by saying that I have been an operator in and observer of the Colorado Business Enterprise Program for 30 years. For almost 2 decades I served as President of the National Association Of Blind Merchants. I served as the chair of the Colorado elected Committee Of Blind Operators for 18 years. And I have been privileged and proud to have built businesses that have thrived due to The Business Enterprise Program and the positive culture of The National Federation of the Blind. It is in fact a company or organization's culture that creates true value and progress. There have been times in the history of the Business Enterprise Program of Colorado in which a crisis of leadership and lack of an inclusive culture has brought this program to the brink of demise.
Howard Stevenson, Professor Emeritus, Harvard University has observed that, “Maintaining an effective culture is so important that it, in fact, trumps even strategy.”
This morning, the Blind History Lady, Peggy Chong emailed me a 1958 letter from the leaders of our affiliate to Dr. Jacobus tenBroek. tenBroek, the first president of NFB was a constitutional scholar of national regard. The correspondence detailed the effort of the agency for the blind to make blind vendors wards of the state and to ensure that they would be considered employees of the agency much like the employees of the sheltered workshop. At that time, the state rehabilitation agency managed a sheltered workshop. The state paid blind workers a pittance. Note (in the early 1960’s the advocacy of The National Federation of the Blind of Colorado brought about the disillusion of the sheltered workshop) In 1958 vendors succeeded in getting opinions from the attorney general and the Colorado court system ensuring that blind vendors were, not wards of the state and were not by federal and state law agency employees. The operators had the right to be responsible for their own workman's compensation, taxes, and all other duties commensurate with private sector entrepreneurs. The letter also points out that the director of the agency for the blind had submitted his resignation citing the conflict caused by blind operators as the reason for his resignation.
History shows that in succeeding years the Colorado Business Enterprise Program began to thrive. More lucrative opportunities were secured through a positive level of active participation between new agency management and blind vendors. There was a culture of respect and resilience.
“I used to believe that culture was ‘soft,’ and had little bearing on our bottom line. What I believe today is that our culture has everything to do with our bottom line, now and into the future.” – Vern Dosch CEO at National Information Solutions Cooperative
In the middle part of the first decade of this century, a culture of conflict and confrontation again reared its ugly head. Threatening the health and vitality of the program. Following a procession of program directors who brought respect and understanding of blindness and business acumen combined with operators and agency staff working closely to sustain and build a vibrant culture. The Department of Vocational Rehabilitation that housed the program determined to hire a manager with little experience and a dismissive attitude toward staff and blind vendors. Phone calls from blind operators were not promptly returned. Emails from the new program manager of condescension and dismissal became the rule. Suggestions from operators for blindness training by the new manager were mocked. Committee meetings were fraught with mutual disrespect, mistrust, accusation, and anger. Ideas offered by operators and staff with significant experience in blindness and business were rejected out of hand. This toxic culture led to an immediate decline in program revenue and new business opportunities. Both operators and staff felt the disrespect and disenfranchisement. The despair was palpable. The culture became unsustainable.
“If you are lucky enough to be someone’s employer, then you have a moral obligation to make sure people do look forward to coming to work in the morning.” - John Mackey, Whole Foods
At a 2007 annual meeting of operators and staff, a glowing summary of the financial health of the program was detailed. However, within months Dr. Ken Schmidt, DVR Director of Field Operations, called an emergency meeting of the blind business operators. Dr. Schmidt brought bleak financial news. The documents that had been provided at the annual meeting were wrong. The program was, essentially bankrupt. Blind vendors were shocked and dismayed. They had suffered enough. It was no exaggeration to suggest that a familial culture of hard work, opportunity, and joy had been replaced by one of tyranny. What operators did not know at the time was that frontline program staff had also suffered enough abuse and disregard. Operators took action. Demanding the dismissal of the program manager. They were finally heard by the Governor's office, members of the General Assembly, and the Department of Human Services which housed the program at that time. The program manager was dismissed. The agency and operators we able to renew a culture of trust and transparency. Over the next few years, the program was revitalized. Revenues were up and new locations were secured. Innovative ideas were honored, and the program became one of the very best in the country.
Any observer of the program over the past 2 and a half years has to have been aware of numerous disagreements between operators and the program. Many operators contend that the department seems to spend time interpreting regulations in ways that consistently disadvantage vendors. We wrote about only one issue of importance to operators in the March blog. Frankly, that article just scratched the surface of the tension and turmoil. There seems to be no good guys in this picture. But clearly, that is not the case. There are many engaged in the work of this program weather operator, operator employees, program partners, agency personnel, and others who are truly committed to a program that works as intended. The problems that now besiege the BEP are too many to enumerate here. It has to be recognized that the pandemic and our current world of trials have to have played a part in the current culture of disfunction. Well-intended people are struggling everywhere. This program is no exception. However, the question has to be asked, have we reached another crisis moment in the culture of the Business Enterprise Program? One time-honored truth about the program is that it thrives when all parties understand its complexity. It is more than a series of laws, policies, and regulations. It is a program designed to empower human beings. At its best, it balances social programs with free enterprise. There is no other program that attempts to do this in quite the way the Randolph Sheppard Act envisions. History proves that when this program has relied less on dotting i’s and crossing t’s and more on honor, collaboration, and humility the program thrives. In the excellent book, From Good to Great by James E. Collins, he said, “When [what you are deeply passionate about, what you can be best in the world at, and what drives your economic engine] come together, not only does your work move toward greatness but so does your life. For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work. Perhaps, then, you might gain that rare tranquility that comes from knowing that you’ve had a hand in creating something of intrinsic excellence that makes a contribution. Indeed, you might even gain that deepest of all satisfactions: knowing that your short time here on this earth has been well spent and that it mattered.”
― Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't
Randolph Sheppard has a podcast?
We received the following from Pipi Adams. Pipi is the president of our Colorado Association of Blind Merchants.
Please check out the We R Randolph-Sheppard podcast. In this month's episode, Nicky Gacos and Terry Smith discuss the history of the Kennelly Amendments and the impact that vending at the interstate rest areas has had on the lives of blind entrepreneurs. You can find the podcast wherever you get your podcasts or click on the link below.
https://we-r-randolph-sheppard-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/a-look-at-the-kennelly-amendments
FAST/Learning Box
From the aggregator: In this month's lead article President Beecham mentioned the energetic work of our youth programs. Below is a flyer spotlighting both our FAST, Fun Activities and Skills Training, and our innovative Learning Box series.
When: April 23, 2022 (12:00 PM to 2:00PM)
Where: Colorado Center for the Blind (2233 W Shepperd Ave., Littleton, CO 80120)
We’re combining FAST and Learning Box again this month for an all in-person Saturday afternoon of fun and learning! We have two activities planned for students: learning about planting and playing goalball. Students will get to do both.
Ann Cunningham will teach about the life stages of a lima bean, from germination to a full-grown plant. She will have tactile pictures and plants in several stages of growth that students will explore. Then students will plant seeds in a small planter box. They will also have an option to take home lima beans and necessary supplies for planting more.
Of course, there will be Goalball in the gym, and everyone gets to play! Do we have to say that goalball is a lot of fun? But it also offers the lessons of any team sport - teamwork, collaboration, and communication.
For Parents:
Parents of blind children and blind parents will collaborate on making fun snacks for all the kids. Members of the Blind Parents Division of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado will lead the activity by teaching their sighted fellow parents safe and effective nonvisual techniques in the kitchen. These are techniques parents can then teach to their own children in order to help foster greater age-appropriate independence.
For Young Children:
We invite all members of the Blind Parents Division to attend with their little ones. Our younger participants can plant lima beans. Afterwards, they can spend time with friends, playing various games, such as Red Light, Green Light. One of our blind parents will read a braille story to the children. Supervision and snacks will be provided.
Click the link below to register your student by April 20.
https://cocenter.org/civicrm/event/register/?id=95&reset=1
If you have any further questions, please contact Anahit Labarre, alabarre@cocenter.org or 303-778-1130,,223
Boulder Valley Chapter held an iPhone knowledge swap event in early March
Curtis Chong and Boulder Valley President Maryann Migliorelli tell us that it was well attended and highly productive. Fortunately for you, dear reader. There is a recording. Here is the link. Tell us what you think.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gw6hnofjjcnps6y/iPhone%20Knowledge%20Swap%20Audio%20Recording.mp3?dl=1
Free Internet & Discounted Mobile Service Through Affordable Connectivity Program
We received the following from Comcast:
Comcast is participating in the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) and recently introduced two new ACP-focused offers giving consumers new choices to take full advantage of the up to $30/month credit.
• Internet Essentials Plus – To provide more options for Internet Essentials (IE) customers, Comcast is introducing a new, faster tier of home broadband service which will be fully covered by the ACP credit and has twice the download speed of the original IE service. Internet Essentials Plus will offer download speeds up to 100 Mbps (10 Mbps upload) for $29.95/month. Existing IE customers can upgrade to this tier anytime, and new customers can sign up for the service regardless of whether they participate in ACP. Internet Essentials Plus customers who enroll in ACP will have their broadband service charges completely covered by the $30/month government credit.
• Xfinity Mobile – Comcast’s top-rated Xfinity Mobile service is now available to customers participating in the Affordable Connectivity Program, giving them the ability to save even more money on their connectivity needs both at home and on-the-go. Internet Essentials customers can use their $30/month ACP discount to pay for both Xfinity Internet and Xfinity Mobile service.
Since 2011, Internet Essentials has connected a cumulative total of more than 10 million people nationwide to the Internet at home, most for the first time. New and existing Xfinity Internet or Internet Essentials customers can visit www.xfinity.com/acp or call 844-389-4681 for more information, to determine eligibility, and sign up.
We in the NFBCO wish for each of you a restful, worshipful celebration of faith and family during this season of Easter, Passover, and Ramadan.
That’s all she wrote. Forward, Always Forward!
