National Federation of the Blind to distribute free, white canes nationwide

The
National Federation of the Blind
is undertaking an “historic initiative …the largest effort ever of its kind to provide white canes to individuals who are blind or have low vision.”

In an action I’ve never heard of before, the NFB is offering
Free white canes across the USA.

It is estimated that 109,000 of the 1.3 million legally blind people in the United States use a white cane. By supplying canes free of charge, this program provides the opportunity for all blind Americans to have a white cane and to participate fully in society.

The National Federation of the Blind will provide a straight, light fiberglass cane to any blind individual in the United States or Puerto Rico who requires the cane for personal use. Canes are available in the following lengths: 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, or 63 inches. Individuals may only request one free cane the cane for personal use. Canes are available in the following lengths: 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, or 63 inches. Individuals may only request one free cane in any six-month period.

Here is the link to
apply for a free NFB cane.

This is also a well-timed campaign to help raise the awareness concerns that come with
White Cane Day,
which is coming up on October 15.

Most blind people have a white cane provided to them by their respective blind rehabilitation agency, but as anybody who has used one of these knows, with use, white canes do get banged up and bent and need to be replaced. This is a good two-fold effort of the NFB to provide a service to their target community and also promote their organization.

Updated: Latest news about the ADA Restoration Act of 2007

The most pressing news to share today is that there is a celebration of support planned tomorrow in Washington D.C. to show solidarity for the Restoration of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Those gathered will also welcome back the Road to Freedom bus.

Senator Tom Harkin will join other supporters from 11 am – 1 pm at the U.S. Capitol to mark the return of the year-long, 50-state bus tour and traveling exhibit. In that year, the bus has logged more than 25,000 miles and made more than 100 bus stop events.

Then, to ice the cake, there is a Senate hearing on the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 at 2 pm.

Below are details from the news release:

When:
November 15, 2007
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM:
Bus and Exhibit of Disability Rights History, welcome from Senator Tom Harkin and Yoshiko Dart, Speakers including NCIL's John Lancaster, AAPD's Cheryl Sensenbrenner, AARP's Brewster Thackeray, CCD's Day Al-Mohamed, NDRN's Curt Decker, NCDR's Youth Advisory Committee Member Ari Ne'eman, NSCIA's Marcie Roth, ADA Watch's Jim Ward, Tom Olin and more.

2:00 PM: Senate Hearing on the ADA Restoration Act of 2007 in Room 430, Dirksen Senate Office Building

Where:
U.S. Capitol and National Mall at 3rd Street, NW

The Road To Freedom is a project of ADA Watch and the National Coalition for Disability Rights (NCDR), an alliance of hundreds of national, state and local disability, civil rights, and social justice organizations united to defend and promote the civil rights of children and adults with physical, mental,
cognitive, sensory and developmental disabilities.

For more information go to:
www.roadtofreedom.org

and for tour photos, go to:
http://adawatch.smugmug.com/gallery/2925333

Major sponsors of Road To Freedom educational activities include Open Society Institute, IndependenceFirst, AARP, AOL, Bruce Hornsby, Ted Leonsis Foundation, Dircks & Associates, Browser Media, Arizona Bridge to Independent Living, Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, Embassy of Austria, Embassy of Croatia, Democracy In Action, National Disability Rights Network, Sweet Honey In the Rock and more.

Special thanks to DC organizers Bobby Coward and Direct Action, DC Center for Independent Living, ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia, Freedom Center, Capitol Area ADAPT and more. Thanks also to ADAPT, National Council on Independent Living, Consortium of Citizens with Disabilities, American Association of People with Disabilities, National Association of Rights Protection and Advocacy, Mind Freedom International and our state and local organizers throughout the USA.

ADA Watch/National Coalition for Disability Rights
1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20004

Update: 11/16/07

Day Al-Mohamed was present at the big day’s activities, and will be posting her comments about it on her
Day in Washington
web site,hopefully by this weekend.

Being these events were on Day’s home turf, and land squarely on her professional domain, I look forward to reading her impressions.

Yahoo acknowledges inaccessible content, yet still fails to innovate

Well, if this doesn’t take the cake.

I have posted on Access Ability previously about
Yahoo’s inaccessible CAPTCHA,
those distorted letters and numbers that appear in a graphic and require the user to type them into an edit field to prove there is a human on their end of the computer and not some spam robot. Screen readers like the one I use, JAWS, do not recognize these images and Yahoo has been unwilling to present an accessible solution, of which several varieties already exist on different web sites.

It is as if Yahoo is sticking their head in the sand and ignoring the mere existence of blind computer users and their need for accessible web content. Maybe that is part of the grand Yahoo master plan, just play dumb and we can offer that as our defense.

I personally know, as of today, for a fact that Yahoo can not plead ignorance. (Its not like they really could, given the public outcry and awareness that has been raised over the past few months by advocates such as Darrell Shandrow at
The Blind Access Journal
Over inaccessible CAPTCHA.)

How did I find out that Yahoo knows blind people exist? Let me explain...

I use a Yahoo mail account for email and news alerts pertaining to this blog, and while signing in to my Yahoo account this morning, I was prompted to upgrade to the “ALL-NEW Yahoo! Mail.” In the pitch, I was told that I should “Be a better pal!” This was followed by claims that “We've built a better Yahoo! Mail, so upgrade to the all-new faster and easier version,” and given a list of what was better about their new service.

This all sounds really good, but below that list was the following message in a link:
“Unfortunately the new Yahoo! Mail doesn't currently work with screen readers. Until then, please return to Yahoo! Mail Classic.”

So, Yahoo acknowledges that they recognize there are blind people using their site and products. And, this includes me, as I was being personally directed to go back to Classic mode. Furthermore, they grant that their “ALL-NEW” and “better” Yahoo doesn’t work with screen readers. And, put this all together and Yahoo is saying blind people can’t be “better pals,” at least not if Yahoo has anything to say about it.

This means that one day, if Yahoo decides to make this much ballyhooed product accessible to screen readers, it will be a retrofit used to provide a virtual on-ramp that blind people can use onto this information superhighway, instead of having built in accessibility from the beginning. I just find it disgusting that people like the developers who make these products that can be designed with accessibility from the beginning, choose not to even attempt this. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, a new building must include wheelchair accessibility and only older buildings are allowed to retrofit. Why do information technologies not fall into some equal category for providing accessibility?


After this mornings experience, I have a question for Yahoo that comes to mind about their technologies. If you can detect that I am using a screen reader, and your company considers itself a leader and innovator of web content, then why in the world can the geniuses on your staff not incorporate the screen reader detection that I encountered today with your CAPTCHA to present an accessible method of human verification when you find a blind user is present?

This just gives me another reason to beat the awareness drum for the
Yahoo accessibility improvement petition.
If you have not yet signed the petition, please do so and help spread the news of this still on-going battle.

Raising awareness about DSS office and services

I just read a good news article describing how a
Michigan community college is accommodating students with learning disabilities.

No, the school is not doing anything earth-shattering or new. As a matter of fact, they are doing the same job you are doing, serving the population of students with disabilities.

The reason I’m linking to it here is that this article highlights the community support that is critical to raise awareness of the roles of DSS counselors. It shows how an alliance with the local media can help spread information about the services offered by your office. Given the need for students to self identify, I believe we all know of students who can be aided by just knowing that help is out here.

What about your office, do you have an alliance with the local newspaper? If not, don’t wait for them to call you; initiate contact yourself. Line up your resources. This might include a student success story like the above article, letting one of your shining stars get some well-deserved attention. Or you might want to begin with news about a new program your office is beginning, then segueing to share more information about your office and what services you provide. Whatever it takes, some good press never hurts to raise awareness, letting somebody learn about your office that might not otherwise know of help that is readily out here.

It's October so get to raising awareness the United Spinal Association way

USA! USA! USA!

That’s not just the cheer for American teams in international competitions. It is also what each of us should be calling out to recognize what the
United Spinal Association
is doing to recognize Disability Employment Awareness Month. They are using the promotion of this to raise awareness about the ADA Restoration Act of 2007. This is definitely good, as there are so many people I’ve spoken with who had not heard of the pending legislation until I brought it up.

The step that United Spinal is taking is a good tool for all of us to remember. Take something that you were going to promote anyways and co-brand an important issue with it. Way to go, USA!

White Cane Safety Day is upon us

While it is a little late in the day, today is nonetheless National White Cane Safety Day. What is your city/campus/office doing to promote awareness?

As I’ve posted about before here on Access Ability, there is a good collection of White Cane Day resources, including activities planned in the cities of Austin and Houston, on the
WhiteCaneDay.org
Web site.

I’ve been in contact with the webmaster of the web site and discussed future plans of the page. My suggestion is to keep it for a future resource for information about National White Cane Safety Day. It is only logical to keep it. The site already has the common sense web address and the basic blocks of information are already in place. All that would need to be modified are the different events which are being planned. It might even grow to include a directory of several different cities across the country for next year’s awareness day. There is a lot of potential there.

For the last month, traffic to the Access Ability blog has included several web searches each day that included terms related to White Cane Safety Day. There are many people looking for resources as the day approaches. I feel strongly that the WhiteCaneDay.orgsite should continue to build and collect resources to have a potentially mega-resource that everybody can call upon next year.

White Cane Day, from the heart of Texas and beyond

Annually, various organizations have a special day or month they use to promote awareness about their particular disability. I try to include these here when I am aware of them.

October 15 of each year has been officially designated as White Cane Day. I have known this for some time now, but that’s because I’m in the loop on this one. There is a long history behind the white cane and the national designation of White Cane Day has been in place for more than 40 years.

I know it might be a little early to promote a day that is almost two months away, but there is a reason for doing this. See below for an important information that will be upon us in only eleven days.

Austin, Texas has the largest White Cane Day celebration in the nation. There is now also a web site to share information about this year’s Austin event.

whitecaneday.org
is the web site for information about White Cane Day in general, and about the planned celebration in Austin, in particular. There are a couple of good informational links about the history of the white cane.

There are also very reasonably priced T-shirts for sale on the site for marking this year’s Austin celebration. If you’re in the Austin area and interested in ordering shirts there, hurry up as orders must be placed by noon on Aug. 31.

I found the following Information on the web site about the T-shirts interesting:

“Students at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired were invited to produce artwork depicting what White Cane Day meant to them. We selected nine pieces of artwork for the front of this year's shirt. The design is a collage of what kids created for this empowering day! The back of the shirt will have a raised-dot contracted Braille statement: "I'm not just blind � I'm out of sight!"
"Being blind is something to be proud of!! I know, because I am!!" This statement also will be in print for non-Braille readers. There will be a tiny Braille quote on the back at the bottom of the T-shirts stating, "Ready to work � ready to contribute." This notation was on last year�s shirt, and the plan is to continue to put this on T-shirts each year. “

I just love that line…”will be in print for non-braille readers!”

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month

May 1 is often referred to as May Day. This is not to be confused with a mayday distress call or the fictional Sam “Mayday” Malone character from the TV sitcom Cheers.

May 1 is also the beginning of Better Speech and Hearing Month, according to an audiologist who wrote a letter in April to the newspaper columnist

Hints from Heloise.

While she doesn’t cite her source, this audiologist gives a figure that, if true, we should all pay attention to: about 30 million Americans have hearing loss.

Additionally, while she shares with Heloise these five low-tech tips for those who use hearing aids, they give some good guidance for all. Everybody can learn to be more aware when dealing with people who use hearing aids.

1. Listening in noisy environments is difficult. Move closer, and turn off the TV or radio before talking. (Hearing in noisy environments is the No. 1 complaint of those with hearing loss/hearing aids.)

2. Get attention. Make sure your face is visible, and avoid talking from another room.

3. Practice clear speech. Speak in a natural way, pronouncing each syllable. This automatically slows your speech and gives the listener more time to process your information.

4. Avoid cross talk when in a group. In restaurants, request that background music be turned down or off.

5. Teach children to use their "big girl/boy" voices. Lower-pitched voices are easier to hear.

Disability service professionals work with people who have a variety of disabilities including hearing loss. We should set the example and be aware of these things that make for better communication. Share these with your faculty and students.

Got any more to add to this list?

April is Autism Awareness Month

The
Autism in Connecticut
Blog site reminds us that April is autism awareness month.

This blog makes a good autism resource and is sponsored by the Autism Society of Connecticut. It offers a good assortment of news and information for issues dealing with autism, including grants, training opportunities, and other available resources.

In a related bit of news, I wrote a post several weeks ago about Amanda Baggs, a woman with autism, and her
Ballastexistenz
Blog.
If you haven’t been following her web site, she has more to say. Her most recent posting is an interesting passage about describing autism to others. She discusses what autism is like for her as it pertains to interacting with people versus objects. Check it out for an enlightened perspective of what life is like for a person with autism.

Also, you might want to check out Ms. Baggs' March 31 posting about the real barriers in communication. In it, she discusses using text-to-speech software on a laptop (and other assistive technology) as a means for communicating with others. This concept is actually not too far-fetched. Think about it. She is unable to communicate in a method that most people understand, but by typing her thoughts on a computer, it can speak via the text-to-speech software and act as a translator, enabling all to communicate. That type of thinking is a good idea to keep in mind when facing a problematic situation where additional resources are needed.

As a reminder, Ms. Baggs Describes herself as a “non-speaking physically disabled and autistic woman. Again, I proclaim that for someone who is “non-speaking,” she sure has a lot to say and says it most eloquently.

Kidney Early Evaluation Program offering free screenings

Until I read a recent letter in
Dear Abby
about the National Kidney Foundation sponsoring the
Kidney Early Evaluation Program,
or KEEP, I was unaware that such a program even existed.

However, now that I am aware of it, I can work to pass along the news of this great screening program in hopes that the news gets disseminated even further.

March 8 is World Kidney Day and it is the day that the NKF is offering these free screenings.

According to the author of the letter in Dear Abby, 20 million, or 1 out of every 9, adults in America have chronic kidney disease and another 20 million are at risk of it.

KEEP is offering free evaluations to people at high risk of kidney disease and has been doing this since the year 2000. Those at high risk include those with diabetes and high blood pressure, two of the leading causes of kidney disease, as well as a family history of kidney disease. The screening is able to find symptoms of kidney disease that might otherwise go undetected with traditional screenings and tests most patients undergo.

To locate the nearest center offering screenings,, check out
www.keeponline.org
or call 800-622-9010.

Awareness is preventative medicine at its best, so please share the news of this screening to those you know that may be at high risk of kidney disease.

NAD celebrating Read Captions Across America

On March 2, the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) is launching its 2nd
Read Captions Across America Campaign.
This event is in conjunction with the National Education Association’s (NEA) Read Across America celebration.

In the press release on its web site, the NAD explains this observance as:
“Read Captions Across America puts emphasis on the importance of captioned media (DVD, CD-ROM and Internet streaming) as a reading tool for deaf and hearing children alike.”

“The Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP), administered by the NAD and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is organizing and promoting Read Captions Across America and loaning captioned media for the event as well. “We are pleased to be joining the NEA in celebrating the joy of reading,” says Nancy J. Bloch, NAD Chief Executive Officer. ‘Teachers and parents of young children are fast discovering the benefits of captioned media in fostering literacy development.’”

“Captions are text forms of the spoken word and often convey sound effects. Captions and subtitles can be carried on DVD, videotape, broadcast TV and cable TV. Also, an increasing amount of content on the Internet has sound, with some of it being captioned. While captions were originally developed for deaf and hard of hearing persons, they are increasingly used by others to develop reading skills.”

Please share the news of this great awareness campaign. While they are marking this observance during the week of March 2, and the week following, both Read Captions Across America and Read Across America are year-long campaigns.

October 15 is National White Cane Safety Day

I know, October 15 falls on Sunday this year, and campuses are pretty much shut down, but I still wanted to get this out here.
Below is the text of the official White House press release designating this day.

********

FR:
Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq.
Associate Director for Domestic Policy
The White House
- - - - - - - - - -
Just a few hours ago, the President signed a proclamation, declaring
October 15, 2006, as White Cane Safety Day. I therefore wanted to send
the text to you right away. Please distribute this widely.
Commemoration of this occasion enables communities all around the
country to focus attention on the abilities, independence, and spirit of
blind and visually impaired Americans. Since (as you have recently
seen) October is also National Disability Employment Awareness Month,
the appropriate related themes tie in quite well.
If you would like to receive a framable copy of the Proclamation which
is worthy of prominent display (featuring the Seal of the President in
gold and the signature of the President), please fax requests to (202)
456-2806. (Note that such requests are not processed through my
office.)
**********
WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY, 2006
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Our Nation believes in the promise of all our citizens, and we must work
to ensure that the opportunities of America are more accessible to every
person. Many Americans who are blind or visually impaired use white
canes to enable them to enjoy greater mobility, engage in productive
work, and participate fully in all aspects of life. On White Cane
Safety Day, we celebrate the many achievements of Americans who are
blind or visually impaired, and we recognize the white cane as an
important symbol of their determination and independence.
My Administration remains committed to removing barriers that confront
Americans with disabilities. Since we launched the New Freedom
Initiative 5 years ago, we have worked to improve access to community
life, expand educational opportunities, strengthen training and
employment services, and promote the development of technology for
people with disabilities. We are building on the progress of the
Americans with Disabilities Act and working to make America a place
where all citizens have the opportunity to realize their full potential.
The Congress, by joint resolution (Public Law 88-628) approved on
October 6, 1964, as amended, has designated October 15 of each year as
"White Cane Safety Day."
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of
America, do hereby proclaim October 15, 2006, as White Cane Safety Day.
I call upon public officials, business leaders, educators, librarians,
and all the people of the United States to join as we work to ensure
that the benefits and privileges of life in our great Nation are
available to Americans who are blind or visually impaired, and to
observe this day with appropriate ceremonies, activities, and programs.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twelfth day of
October, in the year of our Lord two thousand six, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and
thirty-first.
GEORGE W. BUSH
- - - - - - - - - -
Olegario D. Cantos VII, Esq.
Associate Director for Domestic Policy
The White House
Washington, DC 20502
(202) 456-7330 [Phone/Relay]
(202) 456-5557 [Fax]
ocantos@who.eop.gov

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

If you haven’t noticed the multitude of pink ribbons around us as a reminder, October is
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Statistics on the incidence of breast cancer, according to the
National Breast Cancer Awareness Foundation, Inc web site
Show that:

“This year in America, more than 211,000 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 43,300 die.
One woman in eight either has or will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
In addition, 1,600 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer and 400 will die this year.
If detected early, the five-year survival rate exceeds 95%.
Mammograms are among the best early detection methods, yet 13 million U.S. women 40 years of age or older have never had a mammogram.”

That last statistic is particularly interesting, as information on the
American Cancer Society web site
States:

“The Best Early Warning System for Breast Cancer?
A mammogram. Every year. Every woman age 40 and older. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, mammograms are In the Spotlight.”

There are more than enough resources for reference material at these three linked sites, and they are much more athoritative than AccessAbility can be, so I’ll leave it to them to provide you you with more information.

What I will do is to encourage your DSS office to take an active role in supporting breast cancer awareness. Co-sponsor campus events highlighting awareness and get out there with reference material and resources. Join with your student health center and do something to promote awareness.

Look at those statistics, then look around you. The odds are that you will know one or more women who are dealing with or have survived breast cancer. If not, you will.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Don’t forget that October is
National Disability Employment Awareness month.

This is a great time to coordinate activities with your college’s career counseling office. Just think, you may be able to educate the career counselors and potential employers in your area on what the needs of people with disabilities are. Go forth, dispel the false ideas, and share what you know!


Do you have anything planned for the month in conjunction with this designation? If so, please post a comment and share it with the rest of our readers.