The real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight. The real problem is the misunderstanding and lack of information that exist. If a blind person has proper training and opportunity, blindness can be reduced to a physical nuisance. |
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Upcoming Events
September 22, 2009: Web Accessibility Training Day
The NFB and the Maryland Technology Assistance Program, with sponsorship from the Maryland Department of Information Technology, are proud to present the Web Accessibility Training Day, the first event of its kind in Maryland. The sessions will highlight strategies for achieving web accessibility in a government or nonprofit setting and will take place at the National Center for the Blind in Baltimore. The registration fee for this day-long training is $80, including a box lunch. For more information please visit the Web Accessibility Day web page.
October 2009: 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. Watch here for more information as it becomes available.
What's New
Support Braille Literacy -
Buy the Louis Braille Coin Now!
There is a Braille literacy crisis in America. Only 10 percent of all blind children learn to read and write using Braille. In response to this crisis, the National Federation of the Blind has launched the largest Braille literacy campaign in history. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar - the first United States coin with readable, tactile Braille - will go to support Braille literacy. Urgent action is needed to address this crisis, and these beautiful coins are in limited supply, so buy the Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar now!
Blind Drivers Take the Wheel
On July 31, students from the NFB Youth Slam got to drive a specially-customized four-wheel dirt buggy developed by the Blind Driver Challenge team from Virginia Tech's Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory. The buggy uses laser range finders, an instant voice command interface and a host of other innovative, cutting-edge technology to guide blind drivers as they steer, brake, and accelerate. For more information, please read the Washington Post article on the Blind Driver Challenge.
National Federation of the Blind
Awards $50,000
The National Federation of the Blind presented $50,000 in cash awards to individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions toward achieving the full integration of the blind into society on a basis of equality. The second annual Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards honored eight innovators in the blindness field at the National Federation of the Blind annual convention in Detroit on Wednesday, July 8. For the list of winners and more information, please read the official 2009 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Award Winners press release.
