Braille Monitor

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Jun 2026

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The Braille Monitor is the flagship publication of the National Federation of the Blind. It covers the events and activities of the organized blind movement, addresses the issues we face as blind people, and highlights our members.

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June 23, 2026Episode 392 hr 39 min

Braille Monitor, Vol. 69, No. 7, July 2026

Vol. 69, No. 7 July 2026 Contents From the Editor by Chris Danielsen From the Backseat to the Driver’s Seat: A Federation Journey with Waymo by Jordan Moon Federation Sues Government Agencies Over Delayed Web Accessibility Rules by Chris Danielsen National Federation of the Blind Official Comments in Response to the Department of Health and Human Services Interim Final Rule Regarding Section 504 Digital Accessibility How I Came to the Federation by Amy Porterfield Becoming Blind: Finding the Truth Beyond Vision by Ahmad Shafi BELLs Should Be Ringing Everywhere by Eric Duffy Eye Condition Twins: A Double-Edged Sword by Justin Salisbury Of Seniors and Seeds by Sandy Halverson The Golden Rule, the Platinum Rule, and the Right to Speak for Ourselves by Gary Wunder Trainers Committee for Structured Discovery: A Name Change Reflecting Expanded Mission and Professional Impact by Jimmy Morris Monitor Miniatures Photo and Web List Issue: [July 2026] Photos: Chris Danielsen Jordan Moon Amy Porterfield Ahmad Shafi Eric Duffy Justin Salisbury Sandy Halverson Gary Wunder Jimmy Morris Web Links: www.nfb.org www.nfbnet.org https://nfb.org/convention https://nfb.org/advocacy Blind Driver: Ultimate Insult or Statement of Fact Neither Dog nor Cane nor Blindness Should Deprive Us of a Ride https://nfb.org/braille-monitor nfb.org/donate nfb.org/pac https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind YouTube.com/NationsBlind www.nfb.org/planned-giving www.nfb.org/make-gift https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/first-timers-guide .

May 29, 2026Episode 382 hr 15 min

Braille Monitor, Vol. 69, No. 6, June 2026

Vol. 69, No. 6 June 2026 Contents Convention Bulletin From the Editor by Chris Danielsen Employment Events at the 2026 National Convention by Lia Stone How to Be a Blind Wheelchair User by Ellana Crew When the Pain Is Real, but the Reason Is Invisible by Kaleigh Brendle Becoming the Voice His Daughter Will Need by Ismael Collazo Keep NFB Advancing: Give $25 in ’26 The Super-Braillers and Me by Will Hendrick Indiana Drops Out, but States Continue to Threaten Section 504 in Lawsuit by Anna Claire Vollers Once Again, the Federal Government Delays Equal Access by Chris Danielsen DOJ Delay of ADA Web Rule Undermines Equal Access by Mark Riccobono and Eve Hill From the President’s Desk Photo and Web List Issue: [June 2026] Photos: Chris Danielsen Lia Stone Ellana Crew Kaleigh Brendle Ismael Collazo Will Hendrick Anna Claire Vollers President Riccobono Eve Hill Web Links: www.nfb.org www.nfbnet.org nfb.org/convention https://nfb.org/advocacy https;//nfb.org/braille-monitor https://askablindperson.wordpress.com https://nfb.org/give25donate nfb.org/donate nfb.org/pac https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind YouTube.com/NationsBlind www.nfb.org/planned-giving www.nfb.org/make-gift https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/first-timers-guide .

May 7, 2026Episode 372 hr 41 min

Braille Monitor, Vol. 69, No. 5, May 2026

Vol. 69, No. 5 May 2026 Contents Convention Bulletin From the Editor by Chris Danielsen Keeping Convention Weird: Plan Your Visit to Wacky, Wonderful Austin by Norma Crosby Resolution Reminders by Donald Porterfield Building Momentum from Coast to Coast by Rachel Held Two Displays, Two Philosophies: Comparing and Contrasting the Monarch and the Dot Pad X by Jonathan Mosen The Courage to Bloom by Elizabeth Rouse Generational Federationism by Latonya Phipps Cross Course Corrections: Developments in LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired of San Francisco Governance and DeafBlind Services by Chris Danielsen The Nature of Independence An Address Delivered by Kenneth Jernigan Learning Independence through Life Experiences and the National Federation of the Blind by Andrew D. Adams The Meaning of Membership and Independence by Melissa Riccobono, Anil Lewis, and Denise Avant Oregon State University Commits to Accessibility Improvements for Blind and Low-Vision Students NFB Kids Camp: Tons of Fun! by Harriet Go Photo and Web List Issue: [MAY 2026] Photos: Chris Danielsen Norma Crosby Donald Porterfield Rachel Held Jonathan Mosen Elizabeth Rouse Latonya Phipps Cross Dr. Kenneth Jernigan Andrew D. Adams Melissa Riccobono Anil Lewis Denise Avant Harriet Go Web Links: nfb.org/convention nfb.org/movers nfb.org/donate nfb.org/pac https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/nfb-camp-registration-form www.nfb.org www.nfbnet.org Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind YouTube.com/NationsBlind www.nfb.org/planned-giving www.nfb.org/make-gift https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/first-timers-guide .

April 3, 2026Episode 361 hr 42 min

Braille Monitor, Vol. 69, No. 4, April 2026

Vol. 69, No. 4 April 2026 Contents Convention Bulletin The Continued Fight to Protect Section 504 and the Integration Mandate by Sanho Steele Louchart My Walk with Astronomy as a Blind Scientist by Cary Supalo A Troubling Tragedy in Buffalo by Chris Danielsen Friendship in Action: Nyal McConoughey’s Story by Nichole Chrissis and Alison Tyler New Jersey’s Blind Refused to Be Collateral Damage by Linda Melendez Finding Your Caregiving Superpower: Reflections from a Blind Caregiver of a Parent with Dementia by Catherine Samuel From the UK to the USA: Moving Forward Together by Sania Kellogg From the President’s Desk Photo and Web List Issue: [April 2026] Photos: Sanho Steele-Louchart Cary Supalo Chris Danielsen Nichole Chrissis Alison Tyler Linda Melendez Catherine Samuel Sania Kellogg Web Links: nfb.org/convention The Braille Monitor, November, 1957 Braille Monitor, April, 1958 https://www.nj.gov/govelect www.nfb.org www.nfbnet.org nfb.org/donate nfb.org/pac Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind YouTube.com/NationsBlind www.nfb.org/planned-giving www.nfb.org/make-gift

February 27, 2026Episode 351 hr 53 min

Braille Monitor, Vol. 69, No. 3, March 2026

Vol. 69, No. 3 March 2026 Contents Convention Bulletin 2026 Cold Weather and Common Sense: The 2026 Washington Seminar by Chris Danielsen The Significance of Washington Seminar 2026 by Mark Riccobono Protecting Education, Employment, and Independent Living Fact Sheet Access Technology Affordability Act Fact Sheet Blind Americans Return to Work Act Fact Sheet Adventure in Annapolis by Shawn Jacobson National Federation of the Blind and Blind Entrepreneurs File Federal Lawsuit Challenging Army-Wide Waiver of Randolph-Sheppard Act But I Don’t Know How to Dance by Catherine Horn Randall Filling in the Gap by Shawn Callaway Divorce Me by Peggy Chong Blind and Print-Disabled Harris County Voters File Federal Lawsuit Seeking Accessible Vote-by-Mail Ballots Monitor Miniatures Issue: [MARCH 2026] Photos: Chris Danielsen Mark Riccobono Shawn Jacobson Catherine Horn Randall Shawn Callaway Peggy Chong Web Links: nfb.org/convention https://nfb.org/washington-seminar The complaint, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland, statement by the National Federation of the Blind https://nfb.org/donate https://www.nfb.org/pac https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/ways-give/planned-giving https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-bell-academy https://nfb.org/programs-services/education/nfb-stem2u www.nfb.org www.nfbnet.org Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind YouTube.com/NationsBlind www.nfb.org/planned-giving www.nfb.org/make-gift

February 5, 2026Episode 342 hr 2 min

Braille Monitor, Vol. 69, No. 2, February 2026

Vol. 69, No. 2 February 2026 Contents Correction and Apology Convention Bulletin 2026 National Federation of the Blind Responds to Attack on Randolph-Sheppard Priority for Army Dining Facility Contracts by Chris Danielsen Position Statement on Structured Discovery Training by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board (NBPCB) Case Closed: The Story of Technology, a Blind Woman, and an Eyewitness Account to Solve a Mystery by Kristen Dockendorff Becoming a Federationist: The Lesson I Didn’t Ask For by Gary Wunder Sexual Health Education and Research: A Community-Centered Approach Driven by the Blind by Mika Baugh, PhD The 2026 Dr. Jacob Bolotin Awards by Everette Bacon A $10,000 Investment by Anil Lewis The 2026 Distinguished Educator of Blind Students Award by Carla McQuillan The 2026 Blind Educator of the Year Award by Robin House Monitor Miniatures Photo and Web List Issue: [FEBRUARY 2026] Photos: Chris Danielsen Kristen Dockendorff Gary Wunder Mika Baugh Everette Bacon Anil Lewis Carla McQuillan Robin House Web Links: www.nfb.org www.nfbnet.org Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind YouTube.com/NationsBlind www.nfb.org/planned-giving www.nfb.org/make-gift www.nfb.org/scholarships www.touchofgeniusprize.org

January 8, 2026Episode 332 hr 22 min

Braille Monitor, Vol. 69, No. 1, January 2026

Vol. 69, No. 1 January 2026 Contents Illustration: A Brailler from Early in the last Century Convention Bulletin 2026 From the President’s Desk: The Federation Shares Pressing Concerns with Vispero’s CEO by Mark A. Riccobono A National Home for Our Stories: Members of Maryland Congressional Delegation Introduce Legislation to Designate the National Museum of the Blind People’s Movement by Alison Tyler The Myth of the SuperBlind by Cricket X. Bidleman The Key to Keeping Benefits While Saving for the Life You Want by Jesse Shirek Razor-Blade Reflections: What You See Isn’t Always What You Get by Marie COW-Hooft Changing Words, Changing Minds, Changing the World by Gary Wunder Perspectives on Growing Pains in the Organized Blind Movement: A Panel of Student Leaders Moderated by Anil Lewis Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship by Tracy Soforenko Announcing an Exciting Update to the 2026 NFB Scholarship Program Monitor Miniatures Photo and Web List Issue: [JANUARY 2026] Photos: Convention sites Mark Riccobono Alison Tyler Cricket Bidleman Jesse Shirek Marie Kouthoofd Gary Wunder Tracy Soforenko Anil Lewis Gene Kim Manahil Jafri Kinshuk Tella Web Links: www.nfb.org www.nfbnet.org Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind YouTube.com/NationsBlind www.nfb.org/planned-giving https://www.nfb.org/pac www.nfb.org/scholarships https://nfb.org/donate https://nfb.org/form/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scho?q=form%2Fkenneth-jernigan-convention-scho nfb.org/convention ABLETODAY.org

December 3, 2025Episode 321 hr 53 min

Braille Monitor, Vol. 68, No. 11, December 2025

Vol. 68, No. 11 December 2025 Contents Convention Bulletin 2026 Running for the Federation: Meet Roger Oberholzer Double Your Impact: A Matching Gift Challenge to Advance the Lives of Blind People Fifty Years of Federation Love: The DC Affiliate Honors Gail Snider with the 2025 Presidential Award by Shawn Callaway Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income Updates for 2026 by Jesse Shirek Accessible Independent Check-Out: Blind-Centered Leadership Makes All the Difference by Jake Konerza, Rick Walstrom, and Steve Decker Owner of “Blind Guy Boards” Travels to DC on a Mission to Save Services for His Community by John Hult A Failure of Access, a Betrayal of Trust: Why Two Blind Students Are Suing West Virginia University by Gary Wunder LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired of San Francisco Seeks Its Way through a Storm, but May Hit the Rocks by Chris Danielsen iOS 26 and Braille Access: Apple’s Impressive Investment in Braille Literacy by Jonathan Mosen Announcing the 2026 NFB Scholarship Program Monitor Miniatures Photo and Web List Issue: [DECEMBER 2025] Photos: Roger Oberholzer Shawn Callaway Gail Snider Jesse Shirek Jake Konerza Rick Walstrom Steve Decker John Hult Gary Wunder Chris Danielsen Jonthan Mosen Web Links: www.nfb.org www.nfbnet.org Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind YouTube.com/NationsBlind www.nfb.org/planned-giving www.nfb.org/make-gift https://www.abletoday.org/ www.nfb.org/pac www.nfb.org/scholarships nfb.org/donate https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/braille-monitor/early-access-articles/beacon-over-troubled-waters https://nfb.org/braille-monitor

October 31, 2025Episode 312 hr 16 min

Braille Monitor, Vol 68, No. 10, November 2025

Vol. 68, No. 10 November 2025 Contents Illustration: Ray Kurzweil Honored at his Alma Mater, MIT Running for the Federation: Meet Ken Duke Bountiful Expressions of Thanksgiving from the Mississippi Affiliate Compiled by LaShawna Fant Back to School Bags for Braille Readers by Peggy Chong United States Department of Justice Sues Uber for $125 Million by Chris Danielsen Graduating from the Colorado Center for the Blind Means More Than Skills by Jeremy Smith National Federation of the Blind Commends House Introduction of Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act National Federation of the Blind Denounces Devastating Job Cuts Within the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services When Cuts Become Catastrophe: Defending Braille and Deafblind Education by Justin Young Equal Access to Live Theater: Opening New Worlds through Audio Description and Touch Tours by Cindy Scott-Huisman Blind-Centered Innovations through JAWS for Windows: Celebrating Thirty Years and a Commitment to Leadership into the Future by Glen Gordon and Ryan Jones A Commitment to High Expectations: Leadership through Reflecting the Hopes of Blind People in Education by Anne Lancaster Monitor Miniatures Photo and Web List Issue: [November 2025] Photos: Ken Duke LaShawna Fant Peggy Chong Chris Danielsen Jeremy Smith Justin Young Cindy Scott-Huisman Glen Gordon Ryan Jones Anne Lancaster Web Links: www.nfb.org www.nfbnet.org Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind YouTube.com/NationsBlind www.nfb.org/planned-giving www.nfb.org/make-gift www.touchofgeniusprize.org https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/legislative-priorities/legislative-alerts/reinstate-funding-critical . freedomscientific.com/insertjclub

September 26, 2025Episode 302 hr 14 min

Braille Monitor Vol. 68, No.9, October 2025

Contents Vol. 68, No. 9 October 2025 What is Braille Monitor Early Access? by Chris Danielsen Twenty Years of Dr. Edward C. Bell and the Institute on Blindness by Gary Wunder Remembering the Why, the Purpose, and the Philosophy: My Journey to Becoming a Structured Discovery Cane Travel Teacher by Denise Mackenstadt The New NLS DTB Player: A Compelling Upgrade by Karl Belanger “Access On” through Collective Action: Mobilizing Leadership through Blind-Centered Technology Perspectives by Jonathan Mosen Collective Action through Financial Technology: Utilizing Disability Wisdom to Build Meaningful Innovations by John Ciocca From the NFB Archives: A Story of tenBroek’s Groundbreaking Work in Civil Rights A Bridge to Myself, a Bridge to Our Dreams by Melissa Riccobono Remembering Ruth Miriam Swenson: Advocate, Leader, and Friend by Gary Wunder From the President’s Desk Monitor Miniatures Photo and Web List Issue: [OCTOBER 2025] Photos: Chris Danielsen Gary Wunder Dr. Edward Bell Denise Mackenstadt Jonathan Mosen John Ciocca Melissa Riccobono Ruth Miriam Swenson President Riccobono Web Links: www.nfb.org www.nfbnet.org Facebook.com/nationalfederationoftheblind YouTube.com/NationsBlind www.nfb.org/planned-giving www.nfb.org/make-gift www.nfb.org/pac www.blindpilots.org . https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm25/bm2507/bm250707.htm https://nfb.org/donate . https://nfb.org/movers , https://nfb.org/baybridge