July in Dallas, Texas, is usually hot, but in 2006 it was even hotter as the largest group of blind people assembled together this year attended the 66^th annual National Federation of the Blind National Convention. The convention is held annually during the first week of July, and this year’s opening ceremonies appropriately commenced on Independence Day, when NFB President Marc Maurer announced the theme of the convention, proclaiming, “The Revolution Is Here!” to over 2800 members and friends of the Federation. Revolutionizing independence was the release of the Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader.  This portable, handheld reading machine brings a new independence to blind and low vision folks across the country and around the world.  Combining a state-of-the-art digital camera with a powerful personal data assistant, the "camera that talks" puts the best available character recognition software together with text-to-speech conversion technology--all in a single, handheld device.  Users hold the Reader over print--a restaurant menu, an airline ticket, a business card, a school assignment, an office memo--and in seconds they hear the contents of the printed document played back in clear synthetic speech.  The Kurzweil-National Federation of the Blind Reader has the ability to dramatically enhance the lives of millions of people who have difficulty seeing or reading print by providing access like never before.  To see the national media coverage the Reader generated visit the following links:

http://video.ap.org/v/en-ap/v.htm?g=95c071d3-cf1a-4193-afdd-d5a7991eff61&f=youridhere&fg=copy 

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/06-26-2006/0004386982&EDATE

 

Another exciting announcement was the NFB Youth Slam, which will be held July 30-August 4, 2007, at the Institute.  Expected to be the largest gathering of blind youth ever, two hundred blind or low vision youth will participate in four days of activities that expose them to the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields in a way that powerfully demonstrates that these challenging careers are open to them.  In conjunction with partners such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering, and other institutions and corporations working in STEM, the Slam will create a greater understanding among parents, teachers, and the general public that blind people can learn and excel in these fields.  The Slam will culminate with an inspiring rally at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and a celebration at the Institute.  For more information about the 2007 NFB Youth Slam visit http://www.blindscience.org/ncbys/Youth_Slam.asp?SnID=1723555634.

Following convention and back at home, our work continued as the third annual Jernigan Institute Science Academy got underway.  On July 14, 2006, Rocket On!, the first of two Science Academy sessions for school age youth, had its kick off.  Twelve blind high school students became the third NFB team to successfully launch a 10½-foot sounding rocket from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia.  This year's Rocket On! academy was as successful at fulfilling dreams as it was at shattering the myth that challenging and technical sciences are dangerous for blind youth.  To learn more about this program go to http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=20335.  Additionally, on July 29^th, ten blind middle school students from across the U.S. arrived at the National Center for the Blind to participate in the Circle of Life session of the Science Academy.  This second academy session focuses on natural sciences and includes the dissection of a dogfish shark.  For more information, visit the NFB Science Academy Web site at http://nfb.org/nfbji/science_academy.htm.  

Every day as we enter into the work that we do at the Jernigan Institute, we are grateful for the strength of our movement, the support of our friends, and the inspiration, innovation, and influence that the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute represents.  As you can see, the Jernigan Institute is not simply advocating for skills and resources, we are actively changing what it means to be blind!

 

Make sure to frequently check out Voice of the Nation's Blind and the Braille Monitor for more information on this and other important topics.

Betsy A. Zaborowski, Psy.D.
Executive Director
Jernigan Institute
NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

Thanks for your interest in the Jernigan Institute.  We’ll be sending out these releases periodically to keep you informed about how we are creating a future full of opportunity for the blind. These short updates are being distributed on NFB listservs and to others interested in what is going on at the Jernigan Institute. Help us spread the word about the Institute by sharing this and other information at chapter meetings and at other gatherings of the blind.

 

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