October 2008: Meet the Blind Month
Meet the Blind Month is a nationwide campaign to increase awareness of and support for the National Federation of the Blind. During the month of October, chapters throughout the country will conduct activities that spread our message to their local communities.
Affiliate conventions are an important part of our nationwide movement and generally feature information about issues, programs, and services affecting the blind at the state level; the election of state officers; deliberations on state and local policy matters; special exhibits of interest to members; opportunities to develop friendships and mentoring relationships; and more. Fall convention season is approaching, so here is a list of some of the upcoming scheduled conventions. For more information about state conventions, contact your affiliate.
Date(s) Affiliate City
September 19-21: Iowa, Des Moines
September 19-21: North Carolina, Charlotte
September 26-28: Kentucky, Louisville
September 26-27: Arkansas, Jonesboro
September 27: New Hampshire, Concord
Learning to love books and reading begins at home long before your child starts formal reading instruction. Braille Reading Pals is a free program that encourages and rewards parents who spend time reading daily with their blind or visually impaired child. The program starts November 1 and ends December 31, 2008. Blind and low vision children ages newborn-7 and older children who are not yet reading are eligible to participate. Parents and other caregivers of children eligible for this program can register online now! For more information about the Braille Reading Pals program, please visit the Braille Reading Pals page.
In the latest episode, Mark Riccobono sits down with Fred Schroeder to discuss the National Federation of the Blind's historic Braille literacy campaign. For further information, please visit www.Braille.org.
The most recent amendments to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) include provisions intended to ensure that blind elementary and high school students receive their textbooks at the same time as other students. These provisions are now fully in place, but there are indications that problems exist in putting instructional materials into the hands of blind children on time. Learn what the National Federation of the Blind is doing to make sure that the law is followed and that all blind children have their textbooks on time by visiting our Textbooks on Time page.