In The News

National Federation of the Blind Announces Winners
of 2011 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest
Competition Encourages Braille Usage Among the Blind
Baltimore, Maryland (December 14 , 2011): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and largest organization of blind people in the United States, is proud to announce the winners of the 2011 Onkyo Braille Essay Contest. The NFB administered the Onkyo Braille Literacy Essay Contest in the U.S. on behalf of the North American/Caribbean Region of the World Blind Union. The essay contest, sponsored by Onkyo Corporation, a Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer, and the Braille Mainichi, part of the Mainichi Newspaper Company in Japan, was created to promote Braille literacy and to encourage the sharing of social and cultural information among blind and visually impaired persons.
The essays were required to be written in Braille and to pertain either to how the individual gains knowledge or independence through Braille or to an individual concept about world peace from the viewpoint of persons with disabilities. There were two groups of competitors: a junior category for persons up to age twenty-five and a senior category for persons over age twenty-six. Each winner received a substantial cash prize, a plaque, and other gifts from the Onkyo Corporation.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "We are very pleased to have been a part of this important contest. There can be no doubt that the ability to read and write Braille competently and efficiently is the key to education, employment, and success for the blind. Despite the undisputed value of Braille, however, only about 10 percent of blind children in the United States are learning it. We congratulate the contest winners and commend them for demonstrating the impact Braille has had on their lives through their essays and also for raising awareness of the importance of Braille literacy throughout their everyday lives."
The seven winners from the North America/Caribbean Region were as follows:
OOTSUKI PRIZE
Kim Kilpatrick, Ottawa, Canada
EXCELLENT WORK AWARD, SENIOR
Allison O'Day, Minnesota, USA
FINE WORK AWARDS, SENIOR
Lori Miller, Indiana, USA
Jason Meddaugh, Michigan, USA
Khadija Mohamedbhai, Ottawa, Canada
EXCELLENT WORK AWARD, JUNIOR
Hanna Chadwick-Dias, California, USA
FINE WORK AWARD, JUNIOR
Brittany Stovall, Missouri, USA
The NFB encouraged all countries in the North America Caribbean Region to participate in the Onkyo Braille Essay Contest. Essays were submitted from the United States and Canada.
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)

National Federation of the Blind Urges Swift Action
on Recommendations for Accessible Higher Education Materials
Baltimore, Maryland (December 13, 2011): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) commented today on the recently released final report of the Advisory Commission on Accessible Instructional Materials in Postsecondary Education for Students with Disabilities. The commission was created by Congress following extensive advocacy by the NFB as part of the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008. The report sets forth specific recommendations to facilitate the production and distribution of accessible instructional materials—including printed and digital books, journals, course packs, articles, tests, videos, instructor-created materials, and Web pages, as well as any hardware, firmware, software, or other means of accessing such materials—to students who are blind or have other disabilities. The report focuses on making mainstream educational products accessible to the maximum extent possible, allowing students with and without disabilities to access the same materials at the same time and at the same price.

Governor David Paterson Urges Immediate Passage
of Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act
New York City, New York (October 10, 2011): David A. Paterson, 55th governor of the state of New York and a member of and consultant to the National Federation of the Blind, today urged immediate passage of the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act (H.R. 3086), which was introduced in the United States House of Representatives last week.
Governor Paterson said: "It is long past time for the anachronistic provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act that allows workers with disabilities to be paid less than the federal minimum wage to be phased out. As Samuel R. Bagenstos, former principal deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights, has reported, Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act does not encourage mainstream employers to hire disabled workers; does not result in the training of workers with disabilities to participate in competitive employment; and does not even produce wages tied to the alleged lower productivity of disabled workers, which is a myth in any event. This anachronism must be stricken from America's statute books, and workers with disabilities must receive equal pay for equal work and an equal opportunity to succeed."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
National Federation of the Blind
Comments on Steve Jobs
Baltimore, Maryland (October 6, 2011): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) today commented on the death of Steve Jobs, co-founder and former chairman and chief executive officer of Apple, Inc.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "Like so many others, we are saddened to hear of the death of Steve Jobs and extend our condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues. Mr. Jobs demonstrated tremendous vision in leadership in many ways, one of which is the incorporation of access for the blind and others with disabilities into the design of Apple's groundbreaking product line. Virtually no other manufacturer of mainstream consumer technology has done more to build accessibility into its products than Apple has under Mr. Jobs's leadership. Apple's monumental access achievements include the ability for blind users, for the first time, to use touch-screen technology, as well as the inclusion of built-in support for Braille-aware devices. The National Federation of the Blind commends and thanks Mr. Jobs for his extraordinary work."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
U.S. Representatives Stearns and Bishop Introduce
Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act
National Federation of the Blind Commends Action
Washington, D.C. (October 4, 2011): Congressman Cliff Stearns (R-FL) and Congressman Tim Bishop (D-NY) today introduced the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act of 2011 (H.R. 3086). The bill would phase out Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which allows employers holding special wage certificates to pay their workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act is a long-overdue effort to correct an injustice written into a law meant to protect all American workers from abuse and exploitation. Workers with disabilities were excluded from the protections of the Fair Labor Standards Act because of the false belief that we cannot be as productive as Americans without disabilities. Courage and creativity are required to replace the misguided benevolence that has historically shaped policies toward people with disabilities with real opportunity for our equal employment and full participation in the workplace. We applaud Representatives Stearns and Bishop and we hope that a significant majority of their colleagues possess the courage and creativity to end over seventy years of exploitation of people with disabilities."
"Simple fairness and decency require that workers with disabilities receive equal pay for equal work," said Congressman Stearns. "I am asking all of my colleagues to join me in this historic effort to end wage discrimination against workers with disabilities once and for all."
"Ensuring that Americans with disabilities receive equal pay for equal work is more than a matter of basic fairness, it's a long-overdue acknowledgement of the value disabled Americans contribute to our workplaces every day," said Congressman Tim Bishop. "I hope all of my colleagues will support this bipartisan effort to correct over seventy years of injustice."
For more information about the Fair Wages for Workers with Disabilities Act and the National Federation of the Blind, please visit www.nfb.org.

National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire
Baltimore, Maryland (September 29, 2011): The National Federation of the Blind commented today on the release of Amazon's new Kindle Fire, which cannot be used by people who are blind.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "Blind Americans have repeatedly asked Amazon to include accessibility for the blind in its Kindle product line. The feasibility of including accessibility in similar products has been demonstrated. The Department of Education and the Department of Justice have made it clear that Kindle devices cannot be purchased by educational institutions, libraries, and other entities covered by this country's disability laws unless the devices are fully accessible. Despite all this, Amazon has released a brand new Kindle device, the Kindle Fire, which cannot be used by people who are blind. Enough! We condemn this latest action by Amazon and reiterate that we will not tolerate technological discrimination. The National Federation of the Blind seeks nothing less than equal access to all technology for blind people. It is one of the most critical civil rights issues facing blind Americans in the twenty-first century, and we will do everything in our power to see that this right is secured."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen@nfb.org

The National Federation of the Blind at its national convention voted unanimously to demand fair wages for blind workers. On Wednesday, July 20, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will vote on the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which contains language reauthorizing the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. The Rehabilitation Act is supposed to provide services to disabled Americans so that they can obtain competitive employment, but Title V, Section 511 of the proposed Rehabilitation Act language references Section 14(c) of the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), which allows certain entities holding special wage certificates to pay workers with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. For more information on this critically important matter, please read the resolution passed at the NFB national convention or the official press release.
go to www.nfb.org

June 13th, 2011 @ 5:40pm
By Geoffrey Fattah

Blind groups at odd over state division's approach to training

SALT LAKE CITY — State officials who work to help people who are blind or visually impaired say it takes pushing clients out of their comfort zone to teach skills that will allow them to live independently and hold down full-time jobs, but a group of blind clients say state workers are pushing them too hard.
"They need to ease up," said Leslie Gertsch, who stood in front of the Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. "They frighten people off due to their rigidity."
Gertsch joined a group of other blind and visually impaired people who held a protest Monday afternoon outside the DSBVI facility, complaining about what they say is a heavy-handed approach to skills training.
"They need to ease up. They frighten people off due to their rigidity." -Leslie Gertsch
TerriLynne Pomeroy, another blind client, said people are being pushed into dangerous situations, like crossing streets on their own, without adequate training. Many clients are too afraid to complain to DSBVI for fear they will be removed from programs out of retribution. Others, Pomeroy said, are discouraged from using guide dogs when they want them or are forced to use Braille when their sense of touch is poor.
DSBVI Director William Gibson, who himself is visually impaired, said his division's goal is to train people in skills that will allow them to lead independent lives and able to compete for jobs against people who can see. This includes training clients to travel unassisted, learn to use a cane and develop professional skills, such as typing and accessing the Internet. A big part of this, Gibson said, is encouraging clients to push themselves into unfamiliar territory and toward independence. While he acknowledges that the training programs are not popular among every blind or visually impaired person, they are supported by several studies that show a high success rate in getting clients employed.
"I think our training program is one of the best, if not the best, in the country. We support training with high expectations." - William Gibson
"I think our training program is one of the best, if not the best, in the country," Gibson said. "We support training with high expectations."
A local advocacy group has come to the state's defense. "We have high expectations for blind people," said Ron Gardner, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Utah. "It takes work. It takes effort."
Gardner and other NFB members also gathered Monday outside DSBVI in a show of support for the state organization. Gardner said it can be scary for a blind person to learn how to live independently, and it takes an instructor who can encourage them to realize they can do more than they thought they were capable of.
Pomeroy agrees that having high expectations can be good for some, but she says others may need a more gentle approach and DSBVI should be sensitive to those needs. "They're not listening to their concerns," she said.
Norm Gardner, a professor of finance at Utah Valley University, said he never would have been able to achieve a career as a professor if he hadn't had training that set a higher expectation of what he was capable of.
Donald Uchida, executive director of the Utah State Office of Rehabilitation, which oversees DSBVI, said his office is open to hearing the concerns of all clients. Gibson proposed employing more of a two-track approach in which clients who are not yet ready to be pushed can opt for less demanding training.

Email:gfattah@desnews.com
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=1

This is critical news. I just received the press release below. The issue of lack of access to important information effects almost every blind person and the lack of accessibility is one of the barriers that prevents us from opportunities in colleges and universities, and in the work place, and so many other places. Please read the press release below and know that Dr. Marc Maurer is leading our efforts to make more and more opportunities accessible for each of us. Ron Gardner

March 15, 2011

Adoption of Google Apps Program Discriminates Against the Blind
National Federation of the Blind Asks
Department of Justice to Investigate Schools Across the Country

Baltimore, Maryland (March 15, 2011): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind people in the United States, today requested that the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, investigate civil rights violations committed by New York University (NYU) and Northwestern University against blind faculty and students. The NFB made the request because the schools have adopted technology that is not accessible to the blind. Both universities have recently adopted Google Apps for Education as a means of providing e-mail and collaboration tools to students and faculty. Google Apps for Education is a free suite of hosted communication and collaboration applications that includes Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Talk, Google Docs, and Google Sites. Each of these applications contains significant accessibility barriers for blind people utilizing screen access technology, which converts what is on the computer screen into synthesized speech or Braille. A similar request for investigation has been filed against four Oregon public school districts that are using Google Apps. The complaints allege violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. For further illustration of this matter, please view a demonstration of screen access technology used by the blind and the accessibility barriers that a blind person experiences using Google Apps.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “Given the many accessible options available, there is no good reason that these universities should choose a suite of applications, including critical e-mail services, that is inaccessible to blind students. Worse yet, according to recent data more than half of the American higher education institutions that are outsourcing e-mail to third-party vendors plan to deploy this suite, even though they know that it cannot be used by blind students. Nor can these universities claim ignorance of their legal obligations, since the United States Department of Justice and the United States Department of Education have specifically warned all university presidents against the adoption of inaccessible technology. The National Federation of the Blind will not tolerate this unconscionable discrimination against blind students and faculty and callous indifference to the right of blind students to receive an equal education. We urge these higher education institutions to suspend their adoption of Google Apps for Education until it is accessible to all students and faculty, not just the sighted, or to reject Google Apps entirely.”

The National Federation of the Blind is represented in this matter by Daniel F. Goldstein of the Baltimore firm Brown, Goldstein, and Levy.

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen@nfb.org

National Federation of the Blind In the News

National Federation of the Blind Commends
House for Passage of Safety Legislation
Washington, D.C. (December 16, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind today commended the United States House of Representatives for passing the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act (S. 841), which will protect the blind and other pedestrians from injury as a result of silent vehicle technology.

Because blind pedestrians cannot locate and evaluate traffic using their vision, they must listen to traffic to discern its speed, direction, and other attributes in order to travel safely and independently. Other people, including pedestrians who are not blind, bicyclists, runners, and small children, also benefit from hearing the sound of vehicle engines. New vehicles that employ hybrid or electric engine technology can be silent, rendering them extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity with each other.

“The National Federation of the Blind commends the United States House of Representatives for the wise and decisive action taken today to preserve the right to safe and independent travel for the blind,” said Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “The blind, like all pedestrians, must be able to travel to work, to school, to church, and to other places in our communities, and we must be able to hear vehicles in order to do so. This bill, which is the result of collaboration among blind Americans, automobile manufacturers, and legislators, will benefit all pedestrians for generations to come as new vehicle technologies become more prevalent. We hope that President Obama will sign this legislation into law before the close of the year.”

“The trend toward putting more environmentally friendly, quiet vehicles on the road has unintentionally jeopardized the safety and independence of the blind and other pedestrians,” said Representative Edolphus Towns, the sponsor of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act, who spent many years teaching travel with a white cane to the blind. “This bill will prevent many injuries while still allowing more clean vehicles on our nation’s roads.”

“I understand the safety concerns of blind pedestrians with these quiet automobiles; I have heard the same concerns from senior citizens in my district, and I appreciate the threat to children, bicyclists, and runners,” said Representative Cliff Stearns, the original Republican co-sponsor of the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act. “I deeply appreciate the support of all parties in working for the passage of this important safety legislation.”

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen@nfb.org

for up to the hour breaking NFB news go to www.nfb.org