2014 Convention at a Glance

Thanks to our 2014 Sponsors

PLATINUM

New York State Commission for the Blind(link is external) • The Lighthouse Guild Services(link is external)
SILVER
C-Tech(link is external)
BRONZE
Vis-Ability(link is external) • Strictly Car Service(link is external)
WHITE CANE
HIMS International(link is external) • Vanda Pharmaceuticals(link is external) • New Utrecht Pharmacy(link is external)
Guide Dog Foundation(link is external) • Independent Living Aids(link is external) • 3D Photoworks(link is external)

AGENDA

Friday
Town Meeting with the Commission for the Blind of New York
Commissioner Brian Danials

Philosophy discussion: What’s your response when people offer unwanted assistance?
Mindy Jacobsen, Vice-President NFB of New York State

NFB of NYS Board of Directors meeting
Carl Jacobsen, President NFB of NYS

Saturday
Call to order, Carl Jacobsen, President, National Federation of the Blind of New York State and member, Board of Directors, National Federation of the Blind
- Invocation, Laura Herman
- Presentation of Colors and Pledge of Allegiance, Boy Scouts of America
- National Anthem, Valeria Paradeso

Presentation of the Scholarship Class of 2014
Cayte Mendez, Chair, Scholarship Committee; President, National Association of Blind Educators; and Secretary, New York City Chapter NFB.

State of the State Address
Carl Jacobsen

State of the Union Address
Kevan Worley, former President, National Association of Blind Merchants and Executive Director, Worley Enterprises of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The Future is Ours, with His Help
Christine Moore, Xavier Society for the Blind.

And Now a Word From Our Sponsors
Mindy Jacobsen.

Olmsted Center for Sight: What’s New?
Tammy Owen, President and CEO, Olmsted Center.

Library News
Jill Rothstein, Andrew Heiskell Braille and Talking Book Library.

Thanks for all your support: A presentation to Senator George Maziarz

My Long and Winding Road with the Beatles
Art Schreiber, former radio broadcast journalist.

Ringing our BELL: Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning
Cayte Mendez.

Communicating with Gestures, an interactive presentation
Maria Garcia, President, Parents of Blind Children of New York.

So How Do We Get It All Done?
Brian Daniels, Associate Commissioner, New York State Commission for the Blind, Rensselaer, New York

Banquet Keynote Address
Kevan Worley

Presentation of Scholarships to the class of 2014
Cayte Mendez

Sunday
Report from the Resolutions Committee
Chancey Fleet, Committee Chair, and 2nd Vice President, New York City Chapter, NFB

Presentation on Community Involvement
Cheryl Echevarria, Vice President, Long Island Chapter NFB, and President, Travel and Tourism Division, NFB

Chapter and Division Reports

Charting our Path into the Future

National Federation of the Blind of New York State
Resolutions for 2014

Resolution 2014-01
Regarding Accessibility Requirements in State RFPs and Contracts

WHEREAS, the State of New York and its agencies contract with private entities on a regular basis, and these contracts often involve information and communication technologies; and

WHEREAS, whenever new technologies are implemented through the State or any of its agencies, Federal and state law requires that those technologies be usable by all; and

WHEREAS, unless explicit and robust accessibility requirements are built into the language of a request for proposal and subsequent contract, accessibility of the resulting information and communication technology cannot be assured; and

WHEREAS, information and communication technology that is inaccessible excludes people with disabilities from activities of employment, education, civic responsibility, and other activities supported by technologies which the state procures: Now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of New York State in Convention assembled this ninth day of November, 2014, in the City of Niagara Falls, New York, that this organization work with New York State to ensure, through whatever means necessary, that all requests for proposal and subsequent contracts entered into by the State or any of its agencies require that all information and communication technologies be accessible.

Resolution 2014-02
Regarding TASC Accessibility

WHEREAS, the New York State Education Department adopted the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) as the replacement for New York's previous high school equivalency exam; and

WHEREAS, the TASC is available in hard copy standard print, large print, braille, and a computer-based version developed by CTB/McGraw-Hill, a producer of educational materials; and

WHEREAS, computer-based tests are notoriously fraught with accessibility issues; and

WHEREAS, both the computer-based and braille formats of the test require the provision of quality tactile graphics to be meaningfully accessible to blind test-takers; and

WHEREAS, CTB/McGraw-Hill plans to integrate Common Core Standards into the TASC over the next three years, altering the test framework to include questions with new forms of interaction which will necessitate new approaches to accessibility; and

WHEREAS, CTB/McGraw-Hill has not been fully transparent with stakeholders regarding the accessibility of its computer-based test and provision of tactile graphics; and

WHEREAS, the practice materials provided to stakeholders have not met the needs of all blind test-takers; and

WHEREAS, CTB/McGraw-Hill has been reluctant to allow for the needs of all blind test-takers when approving accommodations, including requests for multiple testing modalities; and

WHEREAS, fully accessible computer-based testing, meaningfully accessible tactile graphics, and the provision of multiple testing modalities are all critical components of a testing process that allows blind test-takers to compete on terms of equality: Now, therefore

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of New York State in Convention assembled this ninth day of November, 2014, in the City of Niagara Falls, New York, that this organization work with and support the New York State Education Department in its effort to demand that CTB/McGraw-Hill make the TASC fully accessible to all test-takers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization request that New York State Commission for the Blind continue to engage with the Education Department to provide technical assistance and advocacy to improve the accessibility of the TASC; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization call on CTB/McGraw-Hill to work with the NFB and other stakeholders to provide all test-takers with a level playing field by making the TASC fully accessible now and going forward as changes are made to integrate Common Core Standards.