MY WRITINGS FOR THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND

I am an active member of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). I belong to the Omaha Chapter. I am also the Chairman of the Newsletter Publications Committee, and President of the NFB Writers’ Division-

This page has links to articles that I have written and published in NFB publications and to a series of "Chapter Building Exercises" which are to stimulate philosophical discussion on a variety of blindness issues.

"THE BRAILLE MONITOR" ARTICLES: the monthly news magazine of the National Federation of the Blind

#1 BEING BLIND AND BEING FIT ARE COMPATIBLE CHARACTERISTICS- "The Braille Monitor," October 2007

#2 SHOVELING SNOW BLIND- I describe a non-visual method for shoveling snow and comment on the responsibilities of being a home-owner- "The Braille Monitor," January 2008.

#3 STRUCTURED DISCOVERY LEARNING GOES TO TURKEY- An accounting of my 2007 trip to Turkey as a team member of Blind Corps, to provide training to the trainers; to increase the effectiveness of rehabilitation and education of the blind in Turkey- "The Braille Monitor," May 2008.

#4 A description of technique for swimming blind and what it feels like to physically reach a "swimmer's high-" "The Braille Monitor," June 2008.

#5 HEARING WORDS VERSUS READING WORDS- Discusses the literary trap caused when you only listen to literature, and are not visually or tactually experiencing formatting, spelling, and/or punctuation- "The Braille Monitor," July 2008.

#6 LOUIS BRAILLE KEYNOTE SPPEECH- 2009 was the 200 year since the birth of Louis Braille. I wrote a keynote speech that I felt that Louis Braille might have given if he had been available to speak at the Omaha's anual White Cane Banquet.

CHAPTER BUILDING EXERCISES USING PHILOSOPHICAL DISCUSSIONS:

#1 CHAPTER BUILDING EXERCISE- What is philosophically acceptable solicitation of funding? Released in September 2010.

SOLICITATION SURVEY- This is a collection of responses that I had gotten from poling the NFB Mailing List, NFBtalk; it is in support of "#1 Chapter Building Exercise- What is philosophically acceptable solicitation of funding.

#2 CHAPTER BUILDING EXERCISE- "Blindness and Sharks," all about expectations and restrictions of the blind. Released October 2010.

#3 CHAPTER BUILDING EXERCISE- When are You Blind, this exercise is to get at why it is that some blind people refuse to admit to the degree of their blindness and will not use a proper "blindness skill" to offset the limitation they experience. Released November 2010.

#4 CHAPTER BUILDING EXERCISE- Framing Blindness, the words you use to describe you and your situation, will either set you up in a positive light, or not. Released December 2010.

#5 CHAPTER BUILDING EXERCISE- The National Federation of the Blind; our resources and gifts. Released March 2011

FUTURE REFLECTIONS ARTICLES:

#1 BECAUSE I LOVE HER- This is THOUGHT PROVOKER 66, wherein a government socialworker comes to check out the injury of a child, to interview a parent who had allowed her young blind daughter to climb into a treehouse. This appeared in the spring/summer 2003 issue of "Future Reflections." and it is one out of the eight THOUGHT PROVOKERS which were written by a guest author; this one by, DeAnna Quietwater.

#2WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE BLIND- One of my THOUGHT PROVOKERS, a young blind girl who uses a mix of non-visual skills along with some useable vision, explaines her blindness to a new friend. This appeared in the 2006 summer issue of "Future Reflections."

#3 JOBS FOR THE FUTURE PANEL DISCUSSION- this is the transcript of a speech I gave at a panel during the 2007 National Convention, during the morning session of the parent’s seminar. It appears in the Convention Report 2007 issue of "Future Reflections."

"THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT" ARTICLES: The biannual news magazine of the Nebraska affiliate

#1 WHITE CANES AND WINDMILLS- This is THOUGHT PROVOKER 154, wherein a young boy will be taking his white cane to school for the first time and he finds that he has to work out some inner devils before he can leave his home. Appeared in the January 2010 issue of "The Nebraska Independent.

#2 WHERE THE BLIND WORK- A description of the employment resource which I created and and got the NFB Writers' division and the Jernigan Institute to adopt as a joint project to collect job descriptions which are being performed by blind people- gives the job title, describes the job, tells how the blind person does it, presents the path to enter the job, and laysout the supports the person used to be successful.

#3 LOUIS BRAILLE KEYNOTE SPEECH- The uncut version of the keynote sppeech that I wrote for the 2009 Omaha chapter's annual White Cane Banquet. Appeared in the January issue of "The Nebraska Independent."/a>

#4 GOLFING BLIND- A description of how a blind person plays the game of golf - presents the differences, the history of the game. Appeared in the 2010 August issue of “the Nebraska Independent.”

#5 "TEACHERS ARE IT-" Blind Corps's 2010, our Third trip to turkey in our series of "training the trainers. Appeared in the 2010 August issue of “the Nebraska Independent.”

"THE NFB, NEWSLETTER PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE: Reports available heare are those generated to promote the creation and maintanence of a newsletter to promote our goal of changing what it means to be blind.

Audio of the 2011 July 5th meeting of the Newsletter Publications committee meeting.