Washington Seminar

The 2008 Washington Seminar January 26th – January 30th

Each year members of the National Federation of the Blind of Utah are given the opportunity along with members of the National Federation of the Blind around the United States to participate in what is called the Washington Seminar. This is where members of the Utah affiliate go to Washington D. C. to meet with members of congress, both Senators and Representatives and share with them important issues pertinent to blind Americans. We were fortunate to be able to send members from Utah this year representing students, parents of blind children, seniors and mentors.

Our legislative agenda this year included three items of pressing importance: building Congressional support for legislation to require the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration to formulate regulations insuring that hybrid and electric vehicles can be heard in traffic; restoring the lost funding from last year and protecting the full $19.1 million needed this year and in the three successive years to complete the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped’s transition from cassette books to digital media and provide the equipment needed to play them; and passage of H.R. 3834 and S. 2559, raising the earnings limit for blind Social Security Disability Insurance recipients ultimately to that of working retirees who have not yet reached full retirement age. We were happy to learn that Senators Chris Dodd and John McCain introduced the bill on Friday, January 25, 2008.

Not only do we meet with legislators but there are other activities to participate in giving us greater insight on issues affecting blind persons.

Saturday the 26th we had some time to tour around Washington D. C. and become acquainted with our national capital. For the students that were a part of our Utah delegation this was a great experience. It also was an opportunity to use the alternative techniques we have learned as blind individuals.

Sunday, January 27, and Monday the 28th were overflowing with meetings and seminars. Here is at least a partial list, actually beginning on Saturday, January 26:

• A leadership seminar for 2007 NFB scholarship winners and their student mentors. This meeting took place at the National Center, and the students then traveled to the Holiday Inn Sunday morning in time for the general student seminar.
• The Research and Development Committee met at the National Center Saturday evening, Sunday, and Monday.
• The National Association of Blind Students conducted its annual midwinter seminar Sunday morning at the Holiday Inn.
• The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children conducted an intensive two-day leadership seminar for parents committed to organizing or strengthening their state parent divisions.
• A rehabilitation and orientation and mobility conference, complete with a luncheon and keynote address, took place at the hotel until mid afternoon Monday.
• The National Association of Blind Merchants conducted an afternoon seminar on building better businesses.

The Governmental Affairs and Affiliate Action Departments of the National Federation of the Blind collaborated to present the 2008 legislative seminar, including advice on making effective presentations, mastering the facts of the legislative agenda, and presenting our position and arguments effectively.

A weekend agenda with such diverse offerings would naturally attract hundreds of people, but at the heart of this one and dominating everyone’s thoughts was the Sunday afternoon memorial celebration of the life of Dr. Betsy Zaborowski, the executive director of the NFB Jernigan Institute from its opening to last summer. Dr. Betsy Zaborowski passed away in November of last year.

On Monday morning at ten a.m. there was a press conference to make an electrifying announcement. Everyone attending the Washington Seminar was invited, though members of the press were up front. Columbia—the largest meeting room in the hotel—was crowded when President Maurer and Ray Kurzweil stepped forward to unveil the knfbReader Mobile. The Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader, introduced to great acclaim less than two years ago, has now been replaced by its powerful software loaded into a cell phone with a digital camera. Compact as the original K-NFB Reader was, this is truly a reader that will fit into a shirt pocket.

Jim Gashel demonstrated this amazing technology to an incredulous audience. The controls have been simplified and speeded up. The camera can take photos closer to the page than sixteen inches. The speech is as clear as in the larger unit, and the currency identifier is very accurate.

The cell phone required by this reading software is a Nokia N82, which retails for somewhat under $600 if you shop carefully. Jim Gashel assured the audience that both the Talks and MobileSpeak software programs make this cell phone quite accessible. It can accept or send calls even while the Reader is operating. Users can also purchase a global positioning system that works well with both access programs. The cost of the Reader software is $1,595, a significant reduction in price from the original KNFB Reader, even adding in the cost of the cell phone.

The knfbReader Mobile went on sale February 15. To find the vendor nearest you, go to www.knfbreader.com for a complete list. Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader users will find generous terms for upgrading to the knfbReader Mobile.

On Monday evening we attended our briefing before meeting with legislators. Well over five hundred people attended the great gathering-in meeting. Lord Colin Low of Dalston, CEO of the Royal National Institute of Blind People in the United Kingdom, came to Washington this year to observe our efforts to educate the Congress. During the briefing he addressed the crowd in his usual charmingly understated way.

President Maurer announced that fifty of the fifty-two affiliates were present this year. Before Jim McCarthy and Jesse Hartle discussed this year’s legislative issues with the group, Congressman Edward Markey, representing the seventh district of Massachusetts, stopped by to encourage us in our efforts to deal effectively with quiet cars and described his efforts to increase video description on television programming. He called special attention to the need to voice the print crawls across the bottom of the TV screen.

On Tuesday the Utah delegation were able to meet with both United States Senators and all three members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Our U.S. Senators and Representatives met each of us warmly and listened carefully to our issues concerning blindness. Since our meeting in Washington, Congressman Jim Matheson has signed onto a “Dear Colleague Letter” supporting our Social Security bill. Senator Hatch and his staff are taking steps to help us resolve the quiet car issue. A presentation read in Braille to Senator Hatch by 12 year old Caroline Blair was the high point of our visit with senator hatch. She explained that due to the lack of noise from a hybrid car she was almost hit while on a travel lesson. She explained to Senator Hatch that she began crossing in front of the oncoming hybrid car because she could not hear it. We are excited about the interest Senator Hatch is showing in helping us resolve this important issue. We were pleased that we had a positive experience with each one. Wednesday we all headed home to Utah.

We were pleased to have several new members of our affiliate attend our Washington Seminar. We had several people who had never been to Washington, D.C. An educational experience and a good time with new friends from around the country highlighted our Washington trip.

In years to come we may well look back on the 2008 Washington Seminar with particular nostalgia, for it was both exciting and powerfully moving.