Braille Spectator, Summer 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Delegate Feldmark suggested an interesting compromise, which Save Our Vote, Common Cause, and the League of Women Voters were willing to support.  Under this compromise, the Maryland State Board of Elections would send a thumb drive to blind and print-disabled voters who requested it.  The voter would then place the filled-out ballot on the thumb drive and mail it back to the Board of Elections.  This compromise would have reduced the security concerns because the thumb drive would be placed in a stand-alone computer at the Board of Elections, so there would be no possibility of contamination.  Once again, the General Assembly chose to do nothing and the rights of voters with disabilities will be further postponed.

 

Many thanks to the General Assembly for passing the Textbook Equity Act. We have further work to do on the Better Bus Act and the Electronic Ballot Return Act. You will read more about these issues in the coming years.

 

 

For the Disabled Community, the Better Bus Services Act is Revolutionary

By Ronza Othman

[Editor’s note: In the 2024 Maryland legislative session, NFBMD advocated for passage of the Better Bus Services Act, which would implement a bus monitoring program throughout the state.  This monitoring system would enable local jurisdictions to use bus monitoring technology to enforce traffic laws, including citing those who illegally obstruct bus lanes.  When people illegally park in bus lanes, buses have to slow or stop entirely, get around them, and alter their paths, resulting in later pick-ups and even skipping stops.  The Better Bus Services Act passed out of the Maryland General Assembly in 2024, but it was stripped down in that it eliminated monitoring and enforcement for those who block bus stops and curb cuts.  Below is an op ed that NFBMD President Ronza Othman wrote which appeared in a couple of transportation-related publications.]
 

Vehicles illegally parked at bus stops prevent Marylanders with disabilities from safely accessing transit buses, keeping us from reaching jobs, schools, health care appointments and more on time – if at all.  This is a major problem that has gone unrecognized for a long time – but help is finally on the way thanks to Del. Robbyn Lewis and Sen. Arianna Kelly.

 

To combat this problem, last year WMATA launched its Clear Lanes program to enforce illegal parking at bus stops with bus-mounted cameras.  However, this program operates only in Washington, D.C., and must be turned off when a MetroBus goes into Maryland because there is no law allowing such critical enforcement there yet.

 

Throughout Maryland, blocked bus stops are an everyday problem.  When street parking is difficult, many are tempted to park at a bus stop.  It might seem harmless, but it’s not: the consequences of this illegal parking for people with disabilities are dire.

 

The Better Bus Service Act of 2024, introduced by Del. Lewis and Sen. Kelly would reduce illegal parking at bus stops by enabling transit agencies operating in Maryland to enforce these impediments to safe and reliable transit service with cameras mounted on buses.  This bill is essential to improving safety and transportation access for Marylanders with disabilities.

 

There is a reason buses are designed to pull parallel and even to a bus stop curb – to make boarding and exiting the bus safer and prevent riders from having to step down into an active road, which is critically important for blind and low-vision people.  A bus stop is a physical feature, so a blind or low-vision rider can independently and safely locate the bus stop using a long white cane, guide dog or other technique.  Blind and low-vision riders depend on the audible bus announcements to identify the bus number, route, and even the destination, as most cannot see the signs on the bus.  But if the bus stop is blocked, the bus can’t pull up where a blind or low-vision rider is waiting.  The rider may not know the bus is nearby, causing the rider to miss the bus, which means they are late or miss their appointments or work.  Many individuals on dialysis take the bus to their appointments, and if they miss the bus because the bus stop is blocked, they could literally die.

 

For people using wheelchairs and other mobility devices, blocked bus stops can make it impossible for wheelchair ramps to safely reach the curb, and those riders could be prevented from boarding or exiting at their stop.  Bus stops are specifically designed to have enough clearance from the bus door to the end of the ramp without obstructions.  But if the bus stops somewhere other than at the bus stop, then individuals using mobility devices have to rush to get to where the bus has stopped, often through obstacles not conducive to those using wheelchairs and other mobility aids, like tree roots and stoops.  The bus ramp may also not have sufficient clearance for the rider to get on the bus safely if the bus has to stop somewhere other than the designated bus stop.

 

In a recent study, Philadelphia showed that this is an urgent issue.  The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) found that on an average weekday, over half of bus stops on two key routes were blocked at least once.

 

Some bus stops were blocked up to 30% of the time – meaning that 30% of the time, a disabled person may not be able to safely board or exit the bus. This recent video from Liberty Resources, the Center for Independent Living in Philadelphia, highlights the severe consequences of blocked bus stops for people with disabilities.

 

This is a crisis in Maryland too.  And it is unacceptable.  The illegal parking status quo makes our streets more dangerous, not just for people with disabilities, older Marylanders and bus riders – but everyone.  A blocked bus can delay traffic when it can’t pull into a stop, and unloading passengers in the street creates risks for everyone who utilizes the roadway.

 

In addition to Washington, D.C., New York City Transit has been using this technology to combat bus lane violations for years.  The camera system forwards video evidence for parking authority officers to determine if a violation occurred. 

 

And it is a proven method of reducing dangerous parking violations.  In New York City, 86% of drivers who receive a ticket for parking in a bus lane never commit a second offense.

 

By reducing illegal parking at bus stops, camera-assisted transit zone enforcement will significantly improve safety for transit riders with disabilities.  According to a study by the University of Louisville, boarding and exiting is the most dangerous part of the bus journey for wheelchair users.  Keeping bus stops clear for buses will go a long way towards removing the danger.

 

The Maryland legislature must immediately pass this legislation and bring this much-needed technology to the Free State.  It’s time we put safety and accessibility first.

 

 

Judy Rasmussen Recognized!

By Toni March

[Editor’s Note: Toni March is the director of the Maryland Office of Blindness and Vision Services in the Department of Rehabilitation Services.  DORS awarded Judy Rasmussen, NFBMD affiliate Secretary, the prestigious Patrick McKenna Professional Award at the Maryland Rehabilitation Conference on May 17, 2024 in Towson.  Below are Toni’s remarks.]

 

Patrick McKenna was the assistant director for DORS for many years.  He was a highly respected administrator who believed in the mission of DORS. This year’s recipient of the Patrick McKenna Professional Award is not an administrator.  She is, however, a highly dedicated DORS counselor who wholeheartedly believes in the employment, self-sufficiency, and independence of individuals with disabilities.  

 

This individual has advocacy in her DNA.  She challenged preconceived ideas about the abilities of individuals with disabilities her entire life.  She is an active member of one of the strongest advocacy organizations in the United States since 1970, acting in various roles at the state and national level for that organization, including secretary and treasurer.  She touched the lives of countless individuals, through her advocacy, coaching, encouragement, and instruction as part of her participation in that organization.

 

After working outside of rehabilitation for several years, Judy Rasmussen spent about 16 years as the executive director of Services for the Visually Impaired (SVI).  Under Judy’s leadership, SVI provided valuable training and services for individuals with vision impairments.  SVI partnered with DORS as a vendor providing quality services for our mutual consumers.

 

After her tenure at SVI, and for her second career she became a DORS counselor for the blind.  Judy has worked for DORS since 2005, that is almost 20 years.  During that time, she assisted many individuals in achieving their personal and employment goals.  She has been an advocate for the consumers with whom she works and has “educated” management regarding the service needs of individuals with blindness to facilitate management approval of the services she has identified as necessary.

 

Whether from the outside, as a member of an advocacy group, or from the inside, as a DORS employee, Judy sets high expectations for services, for herself, and for her consumers.  Over the years Judy regularly exceeded her goal for successful employment.  She is successful because she is able to transform her high expectations for her consumers into consumers having high expectations for themselves.  She has transformed lives.

 

Judy Rasmussen is receiving the Patrick McKenna Professional Achievement Award from the Division of Rehabilitation Services for 2024, for her lifelong advocacy, dedication, and commitment to supporting and contributing to the success of individuals with disabilities in employment and independence. 

 

The award states:

Presented to a DORS staff person who demonstrates a deep commitment to the agency’s mission, values and vision.  This recipient is dedicated to improving the lives of persons with disabilities by promoting and inspiring others to effectively and continuously serve and respect the DORS community.

 

 

 

 

Uber Almost Got Me Killed! 

By Ronza Othman

[Editor’s Note: The National Federation of the Blind and its members have been fighting against discrimination from rideshare companies for about as long as rideshare has existed.  Guide dog users will tell you that it’s a common occurrence for an Uber or Lyft driver to refuse to transport them.  Increasing numbers of blind people with canes also experience drivers who either drive by them or flatly refuse to transport them.  This is outright discrimination, and it is unacceptable.  The National Federation of the Blind and NFBMD will continue to fight for access to rideshare services free of discrimination.  Sometimes, like in the story below, the stakes are higher than being late, missing an appointment, or the myriad of typical issues that arise when Uber and Lyft drivers refuse to transport blind people with their canes and/or guide dogs.  Sometimes, it literally becomes a matter of life and safety.  Ronza Othman, NFBMD President, shares her experience with rideshare discrimination and the horrific aftermath which was exacerbated by her intersectional identities of being blind, Arab-American, and Muslim.]

 

Discrimination against the blind is an all-to-frequent occurrence, but sometimes how companies and law enforcement respond could literally get us killed.  Uber discriminated against me and a fellow passenger who uses a guide dog in July of 2023, and instead of protecting me as the law requires, local law enforcement instead held me at gunpoint and treated me like I was the criminal.  Then, after I didn’t die at the hands of the police (probably because my friends were filming the encounter on their phones) and filed a report with Uber, Uber summarily kicked me off their platform in retaliation for my complaint.

 

On the first night of the 2023 NFB National Convention in Houston, the National Association of Blind Lawyers got together for dinner at the home of one of our division board members.  We brought along some other lawyers, because we tend to travel in packs, including Eve Hill, the lawyers’ lawyer and NFB General Counsel.  I also brought along three NFB National Scholarship finalists, two of whom were going into law.  One of the students had a guide dog.  We had a wonderful dinner, and everyone left in a jubilant mood.

 

I called an Uber to take my group of four bipeds and a quadruped back to the hotel around 10:15 p.m.; the driver, Troy, was driving a Black Mercedes – I’ll never forget that detail.  I got into the vehicle first, sitting in the middle of the back seat.  One of the students and her guide dog got in behind the driver.  One of the other students got in the passenger side back seat on my other side, and the third sat in the front seat.

 

The driver looked back as we were getting settled and asked, “Is that a dog?”  I remember thinking something snarky, like “No, it’s a whale.”  But I didn’t answer, because it wasn’t my service animal.

 

The student who was the handler said it was a guide dog.  The driver, Troy, immediately started fussing at us, stating at least 20 times that this was a “$60,000 Mercedes.”  The student calmly responded that her dog was a service animal that was protected under the ADA. 

 

Troy began shouting at us to get out of his car.  He said that he had the right to refuse to take whoever he wanted, and that we have to call Uber Pet.  We responded that service animals are not pets, and thus we do not have to call Uber Pet.

 

The student with the guide dog and I decided we were not going to exit the vehicle because the driver had an obligation to take us under the ADA.  The driver got out of the vehicle and began shouting in the street.  This is a quiet neighborhood, fairly up-scale, and fairly quickly we attracted notice.

 

Meanwhile, the rest of our friends came out of the house, and there was once again a gaggle of lawyers, this time standing on a Houston sidewalk nearing midnight.  What happened next seems surreal.

 

As the driver continued to shout about his $60,000 Mercedes, both of the students on the passenger side of the vehicle decided to leave the car.  The student with the guide dog and I decided to stay.

 

Troy then opened the driver’s side back door, reached into the car, and tried to physically yank the guide dog out of the car.  The student was holding onto the dog’s harness, but when Troy started using his might to try to force the dog out of the vehicle, she wrapped her arms around the dog to keep her from being pulled away from her.  She began to shout at the driver to stop pulling on her dog, that he was hurting the dog, and that she’s a service animal.  Troy did not stop for several minutes.  The student began to slide out of the car herself because Troy was pulling on the dog so hard.  I wrapped my arms around the student to keep her from being pulled out of the car.  I believed if Troy was successful at forcing the guide dog or the student from the car, they’d both fall on the ground and be hurt.

 

As I held onto the student, Troy started pulling on me too.  He used so much force that all three of us –the student, the guide dog, and I, were all sliding slowly out of the car.

 

I also started shouting at Troy to stop pulling on us.  Eventually, he took a break and walked away from the car.

 

I called 911 to report a physical assault.  They took my report and told me someone from the Houston Police Department would come soon.  They did not stay on the phone with me like they show in the movies.

 

After I hung up with Emergency Services, I called Uber to file a complaint.  While I was on the phone with Uber Support, Troy came back and did it again.  He pulled, using all of his might, on the guide dog and the student to force them out of the car.  I had my arm around the student’s shoulder to comfort her, so he pulled on me too.  The Uber customer Support person on the phone did nothing except take the report.

 

After this second assault and battery, the guide dog was very agitated, and the student was extremely upset.  We didn’t know if the dog had been hurt, and if so, how badly.  The student decided to get out of the car so she could have enough room to check out the dog and catch her breath.  I stayed in the vehicle, because I knew that if I also got out, the driver would just get in the car and leave, resulting in no accountability for his actions.

 

I have to pause and give you a quick lesson in the law you might or might not already know.  Assault is a crime – it is when someone takes an action that places another in eminent fear of a battery.  Battery means unwanted physical touching.  So, Troy both assaulted and battered the student and me.  Now, to compound the issue, a guide dog, like a cane or wheelchair, is, under the law, an extension of the person with a disability.  That means, if someone intentionally batters a guide dog while it is working, then they’ve battered the human handler.  When Troy grabbed the guide dog and tried to forcibly remove her by pulling her from the car, and since the student was holding the harness and then the dog, Troy battered and assaulted the dog and the student.  Then, when I tried to help her by anchoring her and he grabbed and yanked on me, he battered and assaulted me too. 

 

They teach you about assault and battery literally on the first day of law school, but as you’ll come to see, somehow two police departments and a multi-national company don’t know what it is.

 

Apparently, in response to the commotion, one of the neighbors called their local police department, which resulted in a faster response from Harris County law enforcement compared with Houston PD.  Two police officers from Harris County arrived within 20 minutes of the incident.  However, they were not there to help!  In fact, instead of helping the student and me, the clear victims here, they nearly shot me – an unarmed brown woman.

 

After hanging up with Uber, I called Cayt Mendez, who serves as the Chair of the Scholarship Committee to let her know that three scholarship finalists and I were in the midst of an Uber denial that turned into an assault, for which we were waiting for law enforcement intervention.  I also asked my lawyer friends standing on the sidewalk to call Eve Hill, NFB General Counsel, who by that time, had made it back to the hotel.  Both Cayt and Eve were on the phone with us when the next horrible thing happened.

 

Troy managed to get to the Harris County police officers before anyone else, and as best as I can tell, he told them that he was afraid of me, that I refused to leave his vehicle after he decided he didn’t feel “safe” driving me, and that he believed I may have a weapon.  He used incorrect and negative stereotypes about brown and Muslim people, and they believed him.

 

Throughout this ordeal, my lawyer friends, including the home owner, were standing on the sidewalk, less than 10 feet away from the car.  When Harris County police pulled up, the home owner shared with us that Harris County provides neighborhood support but that Houston police is the entity that handles real crime.  He shared that the Harris police provide a sort of neighborhood watch function, sort of like mall police.

 

As I sat in the back seat of the vehicle, with the windows open, talking to Cayt on the phone, a female police officer slowly walked up to the car on the right side.  I learned later there was another police officer nearby covering her.  She shouted at me to put my hands where she could see them.  She did not identify herself, and I had no idea who she was or that she was a cop.  I was holding my phone in one hand and the other was empty.  My cane was telescoped on the floor at my feet.  I was the only person left in the vehicle.

 

For a bit of context: I’m brown, Muslim, a woman, and blind.  I wear a religious head covering called a hijab, which makes me very obviously Muslim to the sighted.  My family are refugees, and I’m a United States citizen.  Houston is much more open to immigrants and people of color than other places in the southern United States, but I still harbor the same anxiety as many immigrants and people of color do when visiting some of the southern states.  In fact, I carry my U.S. passport in my bra at all times for my safety so I can quickly prove I am a citizen.

 

I dropped the phone – I don’t know if I even said goodbye to Cayt or not and raised my hands.  The officer then directed a very strong flashlight into my face, which was incredibly startling.  Once she saw me sitting there, she began to speak very loudly and slowly, as though I didn’t comprehend the English language. 

 

As she continued to flash the light into my face, I told her that I was blind and needed her to identify herself.  She initially did not and continued to speak to me in a loud, condescending voice.  Eventually, she moved the flashlight away from my face, and as I readjusted to the lighting, I realized that she was gripping her weapon in her other hand.  I was being held at gunpoint by Harris County police simply for being blind, brown, and Muslim.

 

She eventually told me she was Harris County police, I don’t know if she ever told me her name or not.  She asked me if I had a weapon.  I told her I did not.  She asked me if anything was on the floor of the car.  I told her, once again, while she held me at gunpoint, that I was blind and that my cane was on the floor at my feet.  She asked me what else was on the floor, and I told her that I did not know because I did not own the vehicle. 

 

She did not ask me any questions, or take my statement before deciding I was the threat.  I had called 911, but I was now the person with a gun on me. 

 

She told me that since it wasn’t my vehicle, I was trespassing, and that the “nice gentleman” had a right to kick anyone he wanted out of his car.  I told her that my friends and I were Uber passengers, that we had disabilities, and that he had a legal obligation to transport us under the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Meanwhile, I was trying not to panic as she still held her weapon on me.

 

She ordered me out of the vehicle and told me to keep my hands up at all times.  I told her once again that I was blind, that I needed my cane to safely exit the vehicle, and that I’d like to retrieve it first.  Initially, she was not going to let me retrieve my cane, but at that point her fellow officer walked up and told her that she should let me use it.  He whispered that everyone around the car had a cane, so I likely wasn’t making up my blindness.  

 

She shined the light on the floor of the vehicle to see that the cane was the only item there, and she ordered me to pick it up with one hand while the other was still raised.  I did so. 

 

She opened the door, and I slowly exited the vehicle, still holding my hands up.  I asked if I could retrieve my phone from the car, which was on the seat, and the other officer got it and handed it to one of my friends. 

 

The female Harris County police officer asked for my name still in that loud, slow tone, and I told it to her.  She asked me for my driver’s license, and I told her I didn’t drive.  She responded, “undocumented, I thought so.”  I replied that I had valid ID, that I was a U.S. citizen, and that I didn’t have a driver’s license because I am blind.  She ordered me to show her my ID.

 

I began to move my hand toward my passport but quickly realized that given how ignorant and suspicious this officer had been thus far, moving my hand toward my chest rather than my purse would escalate the situation.  I verbally talked her through what I was doing.  I was wearing a very small cross-body purse, small enough to only hold my phone, a thin wallet, and my airpods.

 

I narrated everything I did before I physically did it.  I told her I was going to open the flap of my purse using just the thumb and forefinger on my right hand.  I told her I was going to reach in with those same fingers to remove a pink wallet.  I told her I was using those same two fingers to open the wallet to show her my state ID.  I handed over the wallet, and she looked at it, then ordered me to remove it from the wallet and give it to her.  At this point, she appeared to me to holster her gun, and I gave her my ID.  I told her my passport was in my bra, and asked if she wanted to see it.  She responded “not yet.”

 

As she took my ID from me, one of my friends told her that she should Google me while she had my name and information.  She ordered me to stay put and went off to her vehicle, I assume to run me through law enforcement databases.

 

I collapsed onto the ground, right there, at the side of the road.  My legs could not hold me up anymore.

 

At some point, my friends had begun recording the encounter, but I’m not sure exactly when they began recording – I haven’t had the mental energy to watch the video.  Eve Hill was also on the phone for all or most of it.

 

But that wasn’t the end, not by a longshot.

 

While I waited to be run through all the law enforcement databases, my friends filled me in on what I’d missed, including what they heard Troy tell the Harris County officers.  They also shared that several of them had showed Harris County PD the Uber website that specifically states Uber’s non-discrimination policy and that denying service to service animal users violates the law and Uber’s policies.  Apparently, that wasn’t good enough either.

 

We also realized that our host had a video surveillance system on his home that likely captured the incident and its aftermath.  In fact, the camera footage shows the driver yanking on the dog, the student, and me both times and much of the Harris County police department’s actions.  The cell phone recordings my friends took show much of the same with sound.

 

Eventually, the lady officer from Harris County returned, giving me back my ID.  She told me again that Troy was just a “nice man” who wanted to keep his expensive vehicle clean.  I responded that people with disabilities are not dirty, and neither are our dogs.  I also reiterated that the ADA prohibits Uber drivers from refusing service to guide dog handlers and others with disabilities.  She said that Uber had to handle this.  I told her I had filed a complaint with Uber, but that since the driver assaulted and battered the student and me, this was now a criminal issue as well, and that law enforcement is required to enforce the anti-discrimination laws.  The student and I told her we wanted to press charges against the driver.  She ordered me to get the person from Uber with whom I filed the report on the phone.  I told her I’d try, but that Uber has a lot of customer service people.  I called Uber, waited on hold, and eventually got connected to a different agent than previously

 

I told Uber I was calling because I was with law enforcement who wanted to verify I’d called previously to file a report and to ask them questions. Initially, the Uber representative informed me that they would not talk to law enforcement.  The female Harris County officer insisted, so I asked for a supervisor.  I eventually was transferred to a supervisor, I explained the situation, and the supervisor agreed to talk to the police officer.  This all was on speaker phone, and what happened next was also on speaker phone.

 

The police officer asked if a driver has the right to refuse to drive someone if they have a guide dog, and the Uber representative said, “yes, the driver can refuse to drive anyone they wish.”  If I hadn’t already been sitting on the ground, I’d have fallen over.  This is a supposed supervisor in the escalation department at Uber, and they don’t even know the law or their own policies?  We all, including Eve Hill on the phone, started shouting that this was not true.

 

The police officer asked the phone representative from Uber to share the policy that gives drivers the right to refuse anyone, which frankly stunned me because I didn’t think that Harris County officer was capable of getting to actual true facts.  The Uber representative put us on hold, and after about 10 minutes, returned and read from the website that my friends had previously showed the officer, which was the exact opposite of what the representative had originally said. 

 

At no time did Harris County take my statement or anyone else’s.  At no time did they gather evidence or try to figure out what happened.  They took a cursory look at the dog and said, “she looks fine to me.”  They told us this was a civil matter and to work through Uber.  We reiterated we were assaulted and battered and wanted to press charges, and they reiterated that we and the dog weren’t physically hurt from their perspective, thus this was a civil matter.

 

At that point, about two-and-a-half hours after the incident began, Houston PD finally showed up.  This was a vastly different experience from Harris County.  The responding Houston PD officers took our individual statements, understood that the driver could not refuse services to passengers with guide dogs, and treated us with dignity and respect.  They also told Harris County PD they had it from there, and sent the Harris County officers away.

 

We told them we had recordings and showed them to Houston PD.  Nonetheless, they too did not immediately press charges or allow us to do so.  They informed us that their local prosecutor would review the reports and videos and make a determination within a few days.  They obtained Troy’s contact information and released him.  Roughly three-and-a-half hours after the ordeal began, we returned to the hotel.

 

A few days later, Houston PD informed us that the local prosecutor had declined to bring criminal charges against Troy.

 

Meanwhile, I supplemented my report to Uber to add additional details.  Three days after Uber nearly got me killed by Harris County PD, they kicked me off the Uber platform. 

 

Apparently, in an effort to try to save his job with Uber, Troy filed a complaint against me, stating I threatened him and had a weapon in his vehicle.  This was in direct retaliation for my complaint against him.  Though my supplemental report to Uber explained how Troy lied to law enforcement and the affect, Uber still, without ever talking to me or doing any sort of investigation, suspended my account.  This is a gross injustice, because if anyone who complains is subject to retaliatory suspension, then every person with a disability who tries to protect their rights, as described by the law and Uber’s own policy, will be removed from the platform simply for exercising their rights.

 

I shared what had happened with President Riccobono, and he contacted Uber himself.  Uber executives were at the convention, and President Riccobono arranged a meeting for those executives, John Pare, the scholarship finalists and me.  Uber made a lot of promises and commitments, but more than a year later, I’ve not seen any of them come to fruition.

 

I filed two complaints with the Department of Justice about this experience – one against Harris County Police, and the other against Uber.  DOJ closed the complaint against Harris County Police with no action.  I have not yet heard any information about the Uber complaint.

 

What happened to my companions and me isn’t rare.  There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t hear from someone about a rideshare denial because of their guide dog or long white cane.  These denials mean that blind people are late for work, doctor appointments, worship services, and so on.  The fact that Uber personnel didn’t know the law or their own policies is unforgivable.  The fact that law enforcement doesn’t know the law is disgusting and terrifying. 

 

 

Coffee with an NFB Staff Member: Bob Watson

[Editor’s Note: NFBMD is a proud state affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind.  In Maryland, we’re particularly fortunate to be the home affiliate of our National Organization’s headquarters, as well as the affiliate where many members of staff of our headquarters hold membership.  Our national staff work hard to offer national programming and implement operations for the NFB, and like all our sister affiliates, we benefit from that work.  But in Maryland, we share a unique relationship with the NFB national center due to our proximity and also because the staff of the NFB are often among the affiliate’s volunteers.  We will spotlight a different member of the staff in each edition of this magazine, and so we bring you: Coffee with Bob Watson, NFB Newsline Content Manager.  Bob retired from the NFB in July 2024, but he remains an active member of the NFB.]

 

Q: What is your role on the NFB staff?

A: I am the content manager for NFB-NEWSLINE

 

Q: How long have you worked for NFB?

A: 15 years

 

Q: Tell us about your educational and/or work background.

A: Degree in business management, 18 years with the Smithsonian Institution – IMAX Theater operations manager

 

Q: Tell us about your family to the extent you are comfortable sharing.

A: I have been married to Johnna for almost 40 years.  We have three children – oldest is Jess, who is blind. Son Jon, is a physician in Virginia; and daughter Lauren is a full-time mom to two, soon to be three, and they live in Luxembourg (Western Europe). Grandkids: Brooke, Corbin, June and TBD!

 

Q: What is your favorite beverage?

A: A nice, hoppy IPA beer

 

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: Toss up between pizza and scallops

 

Q: What is your favorite vacation destination?

A: Venice, Italy

 

Q: What is your favorite quote?

A: “You only get one life. It’s actually your duty to live it as fully as possible” – Jojo Moyes

 

Q: What is your favorite way to spend free time?

A: Quality time with family, playing drums, drinking good bourbon and beer and listening to music

 

Q: What motivates you?

A: Knowing that work I do and the people I interact with has some impact on their lives, however big or small that may be.

 

Q: If you could pick which actor played you in the movie about your life, who would it be?

A: Probably Adam Sandler, since I can identify as a goofball sometimes (most of the time, actually).

 

Q: What is your favorite part about your job?

A: Hearing from a subscriber that the NFB-NEWSLINE service is a very valuable part of their lives and that they do not know what they would do without it.

 

Q: What is your least favorite part about your job?

A: Not being able to satisfy all the subscribers 100% of the time. But I’d say 99% of the time, they are happy. Oh, and traffic on I-95 of course.

 

Q: What is one really memorable experience you’ve had during your time with NFB?

A: I was privileged to be part of the advance team for the NFB Blind Driver Challenge at Daytona in 2011. The historical event with Mark Riccobono and the hundreds of NFB members in attendance cheering him on was quite moving.

 

Q: If you could give the membership one piece of advice, what would it be?

A: I would say to get involved in as many activities, events and network with the knowledgeable national staff and elected leaders.  The amount of information that they can share will be invaluable. 

 

 

 

Chapter Spotlight: NFBMD Parents of Blind Children Division

By Barbara Cheadle and Sharon Maneki

[Editor’s Note: The Maryland affiliate has a rich and varied history that is not widely known.  As we move forward with our membership initiative, we will continue highlighting a particular chapter or division in each edition of this publication.  After all, members are the lifeblood of our organization, and chapters and divisions help build the foundation for membership.  Since the spring 2019 issue, we have been spotlighting a Maryland chapter or division in each issue to share how that chapter or division originated, what makes it unique, and other interesting information about it.  The division to be highlighted in this issue is the NFBMD Parents of Blind Children Division.]

 

In October 1992, the National Federation of the Blind published its third Kernel Book, As the Twig Is Bent.  Dr. Kenneth Jernigan, the renowned president from 1968-1986 and editor of the Kernel Books, wrote the following in his introductory note:

 

“There is a well-known saying that as the twig is bent, so grows the tree.  What is true of plants is also true of people.  The poet Wordsworth said, ‘The child is father of the man.’ He meant, of course, that our behavior and beliefs as adults are, to a large extent, determined by what happens to us when we are growing up… Every day all of us are, at least to some degree, bending the twig that will determine the final shape of their lives.”

 

This exemplifies the work we do in the Maryland Parents of Blind Children Division (MDPoBC).

 

The MDPoBC is the second oldest division in the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland. Some of its presidents have been blind, while others are sighted.  The first president of the MDPoBC was Sandy Halverson, who of course is blind and a parent.  The division was started in 1988.  The first luncheon at the state convention for parents and teachers of blind children was held in 1990, a tradition which continues to this day.  This is the first of two articles that will describe the activities of the MDPoBC, focusing on the philosophy and goals of the division.  The second article will come in a future issue of the Spectator and will concentrate on advocacy.

 

Building the Bridge to Possibilities

Successful parent divisions do not operate in a vacuum.  They are closely associated with the affiliates.  Activities, and relationships with blind adults are the key ingredients to blind children becoming successful blind adults.  In short, the job of the parents’ division and the affiliates is to “bend the twig” for blind children to become successful blind adults.  Can a blind child learn to cut their meat and to cook?  Can a blind child who plays an instrument march successfully with their sighted peers in a band?  Can a blind child participate in track and field meets?  Of course, the answer to these questions is “yes.”  These are questions that parents have that can easily be answered by a blind adult in their community.  The MDPoBC has fostered many social activities, such as holiday parties and picnics, where lots of interaction occurs.  Through these events, questioning parents can learn from other parents and from blind adults.  Parents don’t know what they don’t know, but by observation and asking questions, they can learn that there are no limits to the possibilities to which their blind children are open.  Blind children will become adults who will live the lives they want.

 

Building the Bridge to Living the Life We Want

The state convention affords many opportunities for parents and blind children to interact with blind adults.  For instance, parents observe blind adults successfully using their white canes to travel throughout the hotel.  In the MDPoBC, we started the practice of having instruction in cane travel for parents and their blind children.  Sometimes, they stayed in the hotel, and other times, they included crossing streets, going to a mall, etc.  Special seminars were also planned and conducted by the MDPoBC.  At first, these seminars were short, but since the parents wanted more, they had a day with numerous opportunities for workshops at the state convention, as well as other times during the year.  Trudy Pickrel was the first president of the parents’ division to start a daylong program of activities for parents and teachers of blind students at the state convention.  We held seminars on everything from “Should your blind child have chores?” to “Should your blind child be expected to do all of their homework?”

 

Parents were responsible for the development of special programs throughout the convention for tweens and teens.  The programs were carried out by adult blind role models.  Two of the outstanding coordinators over the years were Millie Rivera and Mary Jo Hartle.  Parents also took part in our Friday night hospitalities.  One time, we had a party based on the Love Boat.  Participants went to different stations and received information and a treat from countries around the world.  Parents were also involved in running karaoke on Friday nights for many years. 

 

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland (NFBMD) started the practice of giving a youth empowerment stipend grant for children to attend summer programs.  The child could attend whichever program they wanted.  Sometimes they attended NFB programs, such as those held at our centers in Louisiana, Colorado, and Minnesota.  Among the first to attend were Nicole White and Jeremy Lincicum.  They also chose programs at the Maryland School for the Blind and a program in Connecticut to learn braille music.  These stipends were important because they helped to strengthen relationships with the parents and helped the children become more independent.

 

In Maryland, we were an extended family of blind children, parents, and adults.  We worked collectively to build programs and provide opportunities to strengthen independence.  Literacy is an important skill, which means having to learn Braille for most blind students.  Too many teachers of blind students do not understand that students with limited vision need to function using both print and Braille.  Jackie Anderson is a blind adult who did not have the opportunity to learn Braille as a child, so she had to struggle to learn it as an adult.  Jackie did not want her blind daughter to go through the same hardships that she did, thus, the concept of the Braille Enrichment Literacy and Learning (BELL) Program was born.  The first BELL program was held in Maryland in 2007 and soon developed across the nation.  If the school system would not teach Braille to students, we would do it ourselves.

 

Building the Bridge Through Partnerships

Developing partnerships gives us exposure to the community.  Over the years, we have had many successful partnerships.  For example, we held a dance with a teen group from Barbara Cheadle’s church; blind and sighted students had a wonderful time while learning more about each other.  Parents developed many relationships with Girl Scout troops who came to play with the children during convention childcare, which was mutually beneficial to all.  Through our partnership of many years with the Lion’s Club of Garrett County, blind students learned to ski and sled, and had summer experiences with boating and swimming at Deep Creek Lake. Relationships with the community can lead to many productive opportunities for the children.

 

When we can, we have developed partnerships with entities that provide services to the blind, such as Blind Industries and Services of Maryland (BISM), the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (LBPD), and the Maryland School for the Blind (MSB).  Beginning in 1993 and throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the MDPoBC and BISM sponsored Kids Camp.  This program ran for a week in the summer and was based on NFB philosophy. Blind children had many classic camping experiences, such as cooking s’mores over a fire, hiking, and making ice cream in a bag.  The MDPoBC and BISM provided the staff, the MDPoBC and the affiliate provided funding, and Loretta White provided the leadership.  This arrangement proved very productive.  In addition to Kids Camp, we ran teen retreats, running for a weekend of practical hands-on experience and discussion of various topics.  BISM began to realize that they should hold programs for young people themselves.  They developed WINGS (Winning Independence Now Guarantees Success), which was a five-week summer program where teenagers learned the skills of independence.  NFBMD and the parents’ division continued to recruit students and provide funding and support for this program.  These programs were the seeds for successful programs of today, such as STAR and GLIDE, programs that support teaching independence and exploration of work for teenagers.

 

In the 1990s, the MDPoBC began to develop a relationship with the LBPD.  Beginning in 1993, the Braille Storybook Hour was sponsored by MDPoBC and held at the library each Saturday in August.  A blind adult read a story, and afterwards, the children made a craft related to the story.  This was great exposure to blind adults for the children and a way to encourage their use of the library.  The seeds of the Braille Storybook Hour led to the LBPD’s participation in today’s BELL programs.  The children’s librarian develops a program in conjunction with the summer reading program held throughout the state.  She visits each BELL program and conducts a program with the students.  Blind children are signed up for library services if they were not previously connected with LBPD, and prizes are awarded for the summer reading program.  In August 2022, Nile, a 40-foot inflatable humpback whale, came to the NFB to visit blind children.  The LBPD arranged for Nile’s visit so that the children could walk throughout the whale, examining his grandeur and listening to his calls. Blind adults enjoyed it just as much as the children.

 

Our relationship with MSB has been difficult over the years.  Some of the positive experiences that came from this relationship include the Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest and the joint conference between NFB and MSB.  On the national level, we started the Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest in 1983.  Children participated in this contest by reading Braille.  There were several categories that allowed the child to participate as he/she traveled throughout the grades of elementary, middle, and high school.  Barbara Cheadle saw an opportunity for us to reach out to MSB.  We invited all the MSB students to the NFB headquarters for a party to recognize their accomplishments.  Of course, each party always consisted of some fun activity that required reading Braille which was led by blind adult role models.  Barbara Cheadle, from NFB, and Dell Simmons, the librarian from MSB, got these parties off the ground and they went on for many years.

 

Eventually, the national office invited the families of each category of winners to attend the National Convention.  We are very proud of Shawn Abraham, a Marylander who was invited to the 2008 National Convention in Dallas, Texas.  This was the first introduction to the NFB for Shawn and his mother.  Shawn was once a struggling student who didn’t care too much for school.  Today, however, he is a graduate of the Colorado Center for the Blind, and a college graduate with a promising career.

 

In the fall of 2017, NFBMD and MSB had a joint conference commemorating the 30^th anniversary of the passage of the Braille bill.  This was a significant event because over the years we have had many struggles with Braille due to misunderstandings.  There were workshops presented by people from both NFB and MSB.  One of the highlights of the conference was the joint presentation by Michelle Horseman from MSB and Conchita Hernandez from NFB.  Their presentation was about the use of the National Reading Media Assessment.  This conference promoted a better understanding of the use of Braille and of the need for students with low vision to learn both print and Braille.  We also took the opportunity to recognize Delegate Sheila Hixson for introducing the Braille bill and Senator Joan Carter Conway for her sponsorship of the Braille standards bill and much other important legislation. 

 

The MDPoBC is a proud division of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland.  We strive to help blind children become successful adults.  We look forward to many more years of building bridges and continuing to “bend the twig” for blind children.

 

 

2024 Distinguished Service Award: Toni March

By Ronza Othman

[Editor’s Note: On extremely rare occasions, the NFB of Maryland deems it appropriate to recognize an individual whose contributions as a leader and ally in the disability rights movement has been a game-change; and 2024 was one such year.  The NFB of Maryland awarded the Distinguished Service Award to Toni March, Director of the Maryland Office on Blindness and Vision Services at the NFBMD 2024 banquet.  Read on for Ronza Othman’s remarks in presenting this award.]

 

In the National Federation of the Blind, we know blindness is not the characteristic that defines us and our future.  Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams.  We fight day in and day out to dispel negative and harmful stereotypes about the blind, and we are the blind speaking for ourselves.

 

However, we do not and cannot do it alone.  Allies and friends are critical to our raising expectations in society, and the first and most important piece of that is to find individuals who believe in the innate abilities of blind people to compete on equal terms and contribute meaningfully to society.  It is those sorts of people who both give us the space and opportunities to do so, and also who lead the way to others should do the same.

 

Tonight, we honor one such individual who believes in the ability of blind people.  More, this person has dedicated her career to empowering people with disabilities in Maryland.  This person has worked tirelessly to ensure blind and low-vision Marylanders compete with their sighted peers on terms of equality.  Her focus is in the employment arena, where the blind currently have a more than 70% unemployment or under-employment rate.  But for her, I have no doubt that figure would be higher in Maryland. 

 

Tonight’s winner is sighted in function but blind at heart.  She believes in the abilities of the blind such that she has hired and supervised many.  She listens to our lived experience and then serves as a conduit for change based on our recommendations and expertise.  Though she has worked in the rehabilitation system in Maryland for decades, she has not succumbed to the prevailing attitude among many that vocational rehabilitation staff know what’s best for their clients regardless of what the client thinks and wants.

 

Tonight, we will award the Distinguished Service Award to a remarkable woman who has significantly advanced accessibility, equity, and inclusion for the blind of Maryland.  The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland only rarely gives this award, and we only do so when the recipient is extraordinary.  In fact, in my memory, I only recall us giving this award two other times.

 

Tonight’s award recipient earned a BA from Towson University and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore.  This award recipient has spent more than 20 years working in the field of employment, including as a job placement specialist, as a job coach, as a vocational rehabilitation counselor, and as a supervisor and administrator in the state’s vocational rehabilitation program. 

 

In 2016, this recipient was promoted to the position of the Director of the Office of Blindness and Vision Services at the Maryland State Department of Education. 

 

I met tonight’s award recipient through a colleague when I needed an emergency Schedule A letter as I was transitioning jobs.  A Schedule A letter is a tool the federal government uses to non-competitively hire individuals with certain disabilities.  A prospective employer was willing to offer me a job, but only if I provided a valid Schedule A letter right away, within three days, as the vacancy would expire after that and the job would no longer be available.  I had just moved to Maryland from another state and had not established a vocational rehabilitation case in Maryland.  Tonight’s award recipient worked with me very quickly so that I had a case opened in Maryland and my Schedule A letter in hand within 24 hours.  I got the job, have been with that employer for 15 years, and have been promoted several times thanks to that original Schedule A letter and the person who made it possible for me to get it by the deadline.  I’m not kidding when I say I owe this person my career. 

 

I have had the pleasure of working with this person on behalf of our membership for the last six years while I’ve served as president of the Maryland affiliate.  She is always pleasant, energetic, and thoughtful in every encounter.  She embodies a demeanor of calm and a positive outlook on what can be done rather than raising the obstacles in the way of progress.

 

Tonight’s recipient and I speak often about individuals needing or receiving rehabilitation services and adjustment to blindness training.  My favorite encounters with this person are when she says, with so much energy and exasperation in the same tone I often use, “they just need to go to a structured discovery training center.”  Then she works to make it happen, even when the client themselves hasn’t thought of it.  It is a true rarity to have a vocational rehabilitation administrator – and as a result her staff – to be proactive about adjustment to blindness training and to not only value structured discovery but to champion it without prompting.  She is changing the life of thousands of blind and low-vision Marylanders, one client at a time.

 

Tonight’s award recipient has grown to be a dear friend.  I’ve learned tremendously from her, and she’s been open and willing to learn from me and all of you.  She believes in the innate abilities of blind people and the disabled generally.  Her willingness to grow and learn from those with whom she engages make her a fierce and effective ally.

 

It is my privilege tonight to present the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland’s Distinguished Service Award to Toni March. 

 

I’ll read the inscription on the plaque:

 

 

 

 

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

Distinguished Service Award

Presented to

Toni March

For enthusiastic support of and advocacy on behalf of Maryland’s blind citizens,

for championing equal access and inclusion for all, and

for implementing innovative policies and programs that foster dignity, equity, and productivity for Marylanders with disabilities.

 

You champion our movement; you strengthen our hopes; you share our dreams.

February 17, 2024

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marie Marucci: A Behind the Scenes Powerhouse

By Mary Ellen Jernigan

[Editor’s Note: Marie Marucci is a vital member of the NFBMD in numerous ways.  Marie serves as the long-time chairperson of the Convention Registration Committee, serves on the NFBMD Crab Feast Committee, and supports many other programs quietly and behind the scenes.  The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland honored Marie with our highest award, the Kenneth Jernigan Award, at the NFBMD state convention on February 17, 2024.  Below is what Ellen Jernigan, chair of the NFBMD Kenneth Jernigan Award Committee, shared with the convention in presenting the award to Marie.]

 

The individual receiving the Kenneth Jernigan award tonight came into our work many years ago — 29 to be exact.  So, as you might expect, there are many things to say about those years of service.

 

The first things that come to mind are faithfulness, generosity, and quiet behind the scenes work.  That quiet behind the scenes hard work is probably something that most of us would notice only if it were not being done by someone. 

 

A crab feast that runs smoothly, the right number of convention lunches that show up with the right number of tickets sold to pay for them, the president knowing which dignitaries are in the room before she acknowledges them to speak, your prepaid banquet tickets handed to you at registration, a tally made, announced and later followed up on when we take cash and pledges during our annual time of sharing at the banquet.  These and a myriad of others like them are the things that we all count on being done without giving much thought to who has done them.  So right now, I am outing Marie Marucci.

 

Yes indeed, yes indeed, as our affiliate’s unofficial, unpaid, unrecognized, administrative assistant so we can express our love and appreciation for her tonight.

 

Let me fill in a few more details.

 

Mrs. Marucci joined the national office staff of the federation in 1995.  During the 10 years she worked at the national center, she held a number of positions, including being part of the mailing services team, which sends out letters to millions of members of the general public each year describing the work of the federation and seeking their financial partnership to help us do them.  And working with Patricia Maurer on the various activities she was carrying out throughout those years as a volunteer.

 

Mrs. Marucci and her beloved husband Michael soon became active in the federation.  Together they established the Michael and Marie Marucci Scholarship, which in 2008 became the Michael Marucci Memorial Scholarship following Michael’s death. 

 

Michael was an expert in several foreign languages and became an essential early leader in our efforts to translate our materials into Spanish. 

 

In 1998, at the last convention Dr. Jernigan attended, he presented to Michael the federation’s Distinguished Service Award, and award that has only been given to a few individuals over the years.  Dr. Jernigan said, in presenting that award:

 

“Without expectation of public acclaim or fan-fair, you have tirelessly worked to translate English into Spanish, and you have done it on a continuing basis.” 

 

Those same words Dr. Jernigan spoke to Michael in 1998, “without expectation of public acclaim or fan-fair, you have worked tirelessly and you have done it on a continuing basis.”

 

Tonight, I speak on behalf of all of us to Marie, as I present to her the Kenneth Jernigan Award those very same words.

 

I have a plaque that reads as follows:

 

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

Live the Life You Want

 

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

Kenneth Jernigan Award

Presented to Marie Marucci

In appreciation for your many years of outstanding service

Whenever we have asked, you have answered

We call you our colleague with respect

We call you our friend with love

February 17, 2024

 

 

2024 Convention Awards

By Ronza Othman

[Editor’s note: Each year, NFBMD grants a number of awards to various individuals who promote and advance the civil rights of blind people.  Some of those awards recognize federationists who have worked diligently to gain independence, and other awards recognize our partners and supporters.  Below is a summary of the awards that were given at the 2024 NFBMD annual convention in February.] 

 

Several awards were presented at the 2024 Convention of the NFBMD. 

 

Conchita Hernandez received the Distinguished Educator of Blind Children Award at our convention banquet.  Conchita served as the low incidence specialist for the Maryland School for the Blind and the Maryland State Department of Education.  Conchita has been a member of the federation for many years, and her fellow teachers of blind students, school administrators, and blind and low-vision students all hold her in high esteem.  Conchita coordinated our NFB of Maryland Southern Maryland BELL Academy in 2023. 

 

We presented the Jennifer Baker Award during the NFBMD banquet.  Jennifer Baker learned to read and write Braille despite her multiple disabilities.  With this award, we recognize other students who have overcome their struggles to learn to read and write Braille and gain confidence in the skills of blindness.  Sophi Melis received this prestigious award.  Sophi, in addition to blindness, has other disabilities and has survived the foster care system and a brutal battle related to her adoption that took more than seven years in the court system. 

 

Harvey Guary, a member of the Baltimore County and Greater Baltimore Chapters, received the Anna Cable Award.  The Anna Cable Award is given in honor of Anna Cable, who lost her vision later in life.  Anna lived to be 108 years old, learned to travel independently, and learned to read and write Braille.  Harvey Guary received this award because of his high energy for life and persistence in gaining the blindness skills to live the life he wants.  Harvey loves goalball and sports, traveling nationwide for goalball matches.  Harvey is a great example of Anna’s spirit because of his determination to live independently and participate in all aspects of community life.

 

President Ronza Othman presented the Distinguished Service Award to Toni March, Director of the Maryland Office on Blindness and Vision Services.  Read more about this award on page 39 in this issue.

 

NFBMD awarded the Kenneth Jernigan Award, our highest honor, to Marie Marucci.  Read more about this award on page 42 in this issue.

 

Start thinking about who should receive these various awards at the 2025 state convention, to be held February 13 - 16, 2025!

 

The Librarian Who Spoke Out: Irene Padilla Steps Down After 22 Years as State Librarian

By Elijah Pittman

Published in Maryland Matters on June 27, 2024

[Editor’s note: Irene Padilla has served as the head librarian for the Maryland State Library Agency since 2002.  Irene often attended state conventions and has become a friend to many in our community.  The following article was published by Maryland Matters on June 27, 2024.]

 

Irene Padilla saw a lot of change in her 22 years as the Maryland State Librarian.  She is retiring on June 30.

 

Librarians are supposed to keep quiet.  Irene Padilla made her career as a librarian by speaking out.

 

Padilla is retiring Sunday, ending a 22-year run as head of the Maryland State Library Agency, where colleagues say she has been a voice against book banning, created a fund that has revitalized or renewed dozens of aging libraries around the state, advocated for readers with disabilities — and fought for the creation of the agency itself.

 

“The biggest achievement really was transitioning our library services for the state out of the Department of Education and establishing and having the Maryland State Library Agency established as an independent unit of state government,” Padilla said in a recent interview.

 

When she first started as Maryland state librarian, the agency was a division of the Maryland State Department of Education, which librarians said did not give it the attention — or the funding — it deserved.

 

“Because libraries were not identified as being curriculum-driven, or whatever, the Department of Education just either completely ignored libraries, or worse, used the resources coming in to MSDE that were earmarked for libraries for their own other purposes,” said Lynn Wheeler, the Carroll County Public Library director emerita.

 

Wheeler said the agency was not always getting the funding that was earmarked for it, which pushed Padilla to advocate for making the agency independent of the department.

 

“Irene got very very upset about this. Watching resources, being told no all the time, not given any leeway to help libraries,” Wheeler said. 

 

“So she really, with great guts, came to the directors and said, ‘Look, as long as we are tied to, and really under the foot of the Maryland State Department of Education, libraries can never realize what they could realize if they could be an independent department,’” Wheeler said. 

 

The agency won its independence in 2017, when a law created it. Padilla deflected credit, as she did repeatedly during an interview, checking off a list of other state agencies — the comptroller, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Legislative Services — that she said helped the agency get on its feet.

 

Even before the agency was on its own, however, Padilla was able to secure more consistent funding for the state’s libraries, pushing for what would become the State Capital Grant program, which now brings $7.5 million annually to renovate, build, and expand public libraries. The grant started in 2008 with a $5 million appropriation that grew to $7.5 million, which is allocated to counties on a sliding scale based on what each county can afford.
 

“So, wealthier counties have a 50% match, but some of the poorer counties have almost up to a 90% match,” said Al Martin a former library agency board member. “Which is really quite extraordinary and has certainly helped all of our various local area jurisdictions.”

 

The fund has allowed for renovation of libraries across the state as well as the construction of 21 new libraries, according to the grant’s site. Three have opened in the past year: Twin Beaches in Calvert County, Riviera Beach in Anne Arundel County and Middletown in Frederick County.

 

The progressive funding model ensured that low-income communities were not harmed, a value that Martin said is important to Padilla. 

 

“She also just has been a wonderful person on bringing people together,” he said. “Like any family, not everyone agrees with each other all the time, but it’s in everyone’s best interest to be there for each other and to support each other.

 

“She’s done an excellent job of coordinating and bringing consensus building, to create a shared common voice for libraries in Maryland,” Martin added. 

 

Padilla also worked to protect the blind and “print-disabled” community. The Library for the Blind and Print Disabled employs assistive technology, provides resources for students, operates an accessible textbook program and more.

 

“One of the programs we started under my tenure was a program whereby we translate textbooks for college and university libraries for students with print disabilities, into either braille or digital material,” Padilla said. 

 

Her latest fight was to protect Maryland libraries and librarians from the threat of book bans. 

 

“We are so thrilled that the Freedom to Read Act passed in the General Assembly this last session,” Padilla said of the law that prohibits the removal of library materials for “partisan, ideological, or religious disapproval” and bans retaliation against librarians who defend materials against being removed.

 

Goodnight Irene

By John Owen

[Editor’s note: John Owen is the director of the Maryland Library for the Blind and Print Disabled.  John loves music and can often be found accompanying “the band” on the piano during convention receptions or just playing for fun when he encounters a spare instrument.  Irene Padilla served as the Maryland State Librarian for 22 years until her retirement in June 2024.  John wrote the following lyrics in honor of Irene to the tune of “Good Night Irene.”]

 

Goodnight Irene

(with alternate lyrics by John Owen, May 21, 2024)

 

Chorus

Irene, goodnight!  Irene, goodnight!

Goodnight, Irene, Goodnight, Irene,

I’ll see you in my dreams.

 

Verse 1

In 2002 she accepted the job at MSDE

By 2017 she decided that we should all be free

 

Chorus

 

Verse 2

Her career has taken her places, came to Maryland from Michigan

She used to be the (spoken) Assistant Superintendent of the Department of Library Development Services, (sung) but now she’s State Librarian

 

Chorus

 

Verse 3

Stop checking those emails, stop worrying who's gonna call

It’s time to enjoy retirement, and don’t think of us at all . . . no, try this:

And we’ll see you again in the fall . . . no,

Just  go out and have a ball!

 

Chorus

 

Profile of an NFBMD Leader: Sharon Maneki – Part Two

By Ronza Othman

[Editor’s note: Most of us know the names of our affiliate’s leaders, and we associate them with the projects and events they have led.  However, we don’t always know how they came to be leaders in our organization.  We are continuing a series that profiles our affiliate’s leaders so our members can get to know them better on a personal level.  This is part two of a profile we began in the spring 2023 edition of the profile featuring Sharon Maneki, member of the NFBMD board of directors, vice president of the Central Maryland chapter, treasurer of the At Large Chapter, past president of the NFB of Maryland Board of Directors (twice), and current director of Legislation and Advocacy, among many other roles.  Sharon’s story is so rich and varied that her profile was split among two issues of this magazine.  Here is part two.]

 

We pick up from where we left off in Sharon Maneki’s (Maiden Name: Kelly) life story.  Sharon was a high school social studies teacher, mostly teaching eleventh and twelfth graders American History, which is her favorite part of history.  She is particularly interested in the colonial period, though she’d come to publish books later in her second career about World War II.  Sharon taught for 15 years, all at the same high school.  She shared that she graded assignments through the use of a reader, which she paid for herself.  Sharon also earned a master’s degree in history.  Though Sharon attended the School for the Blind during her formative years, she did not stay in touch with many of the blind people from that time.  As a result, she didn’t know many blind individuals who were working beyond low-level jobs, and she didn’t know of any blind teachers. 

 

Prior to 1976, Sharon shared that she knew of the federation generally, but most of the people in the NFB of New Jersey were older.  The federation in New Jersey consisted of the Blind Men Association and the women’s equivalent.  When New Jersey began to reorganize its affiliate, Sharon felt the federation was much more welcoming and interesting.  She was recruited by Judy Sanders, John Halverson, and John McCraw.  She attended a reorganizing meeting, which resulted in her being elected to a chapter board position.  However, the entire affiliate was in a time of transition, and she was quickly elected to the affiliate Board of Directors.

 

Sharon attended her first national convention in 1977 and attended a national leadership seminar also in 1977.  Sharon was elected to the position of first vice president of the New Jersey affiliate within a few years of joining the federation.

 

Sharon met Al Maneki, who would become her husband, at the NFB leadership seminar they both attended in 1977.  Though they kept in touch occasionally, they did not begin dating for five years.  They reconnected and began “going out” at a national convention and were married about a year later on September 9, 1983.  Sharon left her job, her family, and her leadership roles in the NFB to move to Maryland when she got married.  She shared that Al had a better job, and that teachers were very poorly paid even then.  Al was working as a mathematician for the federal government. 

 

Sharon worked in a number of different jobs when she moved to Maryland, but she was ultimately able to get hired by the Department of Defense to perform work that she largely has never, and we assume is unable to discuss.  She was initially hired into a program made available for family members of current employees to a part-time position, but she was ultimately made full-time.  Among the work she can discuss are the two books she authored, including, “Learning from the Enemy: The Gunman Project,” and “The Quiet Heroes of the Southwest Pacific Theater: An Oral History of the Men and Women of CBB and Frumel.”  Sharon retired from her federal position with the Department of Defense in 2012.

 

Sharon is arguably the best legislative advocate in the history of the NFB, having spearheaded the efforts to get dozens of pieces of legislation passed in Maryland, which often became the blueprint other affiliates followed.  But her first experience with legislative advocacy took place in New Jersey.  She learned how to organize, engage elected officials, and generally be relentless until getting a successful outcome.  One of the first issues she worked on was to get the sheltered workshop to pay the minimum wage.  This was decades before the national effort caught on to eliminate subminimum wages.  She and her colleagues were able to get a bill introduced, but the Commission for the Blind closed the workshop rather than pay the minimum wage.

 

The other early legislative initiative Sharon worked on in New Jersey involved strengthening the white cane law in New Jersey, which was successful.  The New Jersey legislature met year-round on Mondays and Thursdays, and Sharon and her team would just go to the legislative building and wait to see when the committee would meet.  They got an impromptu meeting with the committee chairperson, and they drafted the bill at that meeting.  

 

Sharon said that she and her team learned a lot, mostly by talking to people and making connections who would share information and strategy tips.  She later became friends with a Maryland legislator, who gave her the rundown on how the Maryland General Assembly operates, while sitting at Sharon’s kitchen table.

 

Sharon began leading Maryland’s legislative efforts in 1985.  Prior to Sharon’s leadership, the affiliate advocated for a particular bill every single year that would have created a blind subsidy, which had essentially no pathway to passage.  Sharon shifted the legislative agenda to other areas, including closing loopholes in the white cane law and prohibiting discrimination based on blindness in insurance coverage/eligibility. 

 

One memorable legislative issue was the Braille bill, which established the right for all blind students to learn to read and write Braille.  The Maryland School for the Blind was the most vocal opponent of the bill, which derailed its movement for a number of years.  Meanwhile, most of the other states were able to get the Braille bill passed, so Sharon led the effort again after a pause of several years.  Sharon met with the Maryland State Department of Education, with which we worked to craft and get the bill passed in 1992.  Sharon shared that the Braille bill was significant because it got us started in education.  Subsequently, NFBMD advocated successfully for legislation that: established standards for Braille reading, writing and math; guaranteed blind students the right to receive orientation and mobility instruction; ensured that post-secondary institutions in Maryland adopted non-visual access standards for online learning and procurement; ensured K-12 students received their textbooks on time and in the accessible format they need; mandate procurement of accessible instructional materials and online learning platforms; and numerous other education-focused pieces of legislation. 

 

Another memorable bill Sharon spearheaded was getting a new building for the Maryland Library for the Blind and Print Disabled.  She also led the effort to move the library out of the Maryland State Department of Education so that it’s funding could be secured and dedicated solely to the library.  Sharon subsequently became president of the Friends of the Maryland Library for the Blind and Print Disabled in addition to her work with the federation.

 

Sharon’s favorite work in the Federation is the legislative advocacy work, and she has historically organized our annual Day in Annapolis, where NFBMD met with all 188 members of the Maryland legislature.  Sharon is very well-known in Annapolis.  In fact, on more than one occasion, when she enters the building, elected officials have left whatever they were doing to come running to greet her.  Sharon believes that legislative success has two parts: changing the law to make good things happen; and blocking bad laws from being passed.  She thinks that making sure even non-blindness specific bills include accessibility requirements is key, e.g., adding accessibility requirements to the health care marketplace exchange legislation and the estate planning legislation.

 

Sharon believes that the best way to advocate for legislation is to tell lawmakers a story.  She selected advocates to testify on our bills who were directly impacted by the legislation.  She ensures that each witness says something different in order to keep lawmakers’ interest.  She has a knack for selecting the most compelling witnesses, especially children when the issue is appropriate for child testimony.

 

Shortly after their marriage, Sharon and Al founded the Central Maryland Chapter of the NFB, which is located in Columbia.  They originally met in a kindergarten classroom and sat on furniture sized for 5-year-old kids. They moved to the cafeteria of that same school before moving to a senior citizen apartment house.  Eventually they began meeting at The Other Barn, where they continue to meet today.  Sharon has held many roles in this chapter, and she currently serves as vice president.  Sharon and the Central Maryland Chapter has led NFB of Maryland Basket and Bag Bingo for many years.

 

Sharon also was one of the original founders of the NFB of Maryland At Large Chapter, where she continues to serve as treasurer.  She shared that she followed Joe Ruffalo’s vision of establishing a true chapter that did not have brick and mortar walls because not everyone has the ability to get to a local physical chapter. 

 

One common theme in Sharon’s story is that she took on a lot of roles in the NFB she never thought she would do.  This included everything from selling fruit cake, to asking people during the national convention to get on the PAC plan, to being elected to a board seat, to working on legislation, to mediating disputes among other members, and so on.  She would “just figure it out.” 

 

In 1984, Sharon was elected as second vice president of the Maryland affiliate.  She trained under then affiliate President Dr. Marc Maurer to become affiliate president herself.  Sharon was elected as the president of NFBMD in 1986, a role she held until 2006.  She then was re-elected in 2014, after President Mark Riccobono became NFB president, resulting in then NFBMD President Melissa Riccobono not seeking re-election.  Sharon served as affiliate president for the second time until 2018.

 

Sharon also shared that the NFB Braille Enrichment in Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy is very meaningful to her.  She shared that Jackie Anderson was the visionary of NFB BELL because she didn’t want her daughter to face the same challenges Jackie had encountered with inadequate instruction as a blind child.  Sharon was not president when NFB BELL first launched, but she was supportive and got to play a role in getting it off the ground.  The Maryland model was later adopted in many other states and is now a renowned program throughout the country.  Sharon has participated in NFB BELL in Maryland every single year since it’s inception.

 

Sharon is deeply involved in individualized education plan (IEP) advocacy.  Her philosophy on advocacy in IEP meetings is that we should fight for the child to have meaningful goals that are grounded in high expectations.  She shared that some people are reluctant to engage in IEP and other advocacy because they don’t know what to do, but the child isn’t going to be made worse off because of our advocacy.  She believes that the student will benefit from our advocacy because they’re likely to receive something more than they would have if we hadn’t participated, which is a win.

 

Sharon shared people come to the federation typically when they need something, and if we help them get it, then they’ll remember that.  Many of them stay around and want to give back. 

 

The thread of access to education is a common theme in Sharon’s work, from her legislative leadership to NFB BELL, to her IEP advocacy.  She also coordinated the content of a widely used publication, “Braille, Print, or Both,” which explains in detail the need for dual media instruction for blind students.  Her origins as a teacher and fierce advocate shine through her of her NFB work, but particularly in our efforts around education.

 

Sharon served as the Chairperson of the NFB Resolutions Committee for decades.  In that role, she coordinated and led the Federation’s collection of and consideration of our policies on everything from technology to education to employment and virtually every area touching blind people.  She also served for several decades on the NFB National Scholarship Committee.  She shared that she loved these roles because resolutions lay the foundation for the future of our organization with regard to policy, and the scholarship program lays the foundation for our organization’s future in terms of people.

 

Sharon is widely known for her ability to get a “yes” when she asks people to do something for the federation.  It is common knowledge that if Sharon calls, you know you’re about to be tasked with an assignment, and you will accept the challenge.  It is widely accepted that even if you don’t think you’re up to the challenge, you will perform it, and you’ll succeed because Sharon thinks you will.  Sharon believes that if you have faith in people, give them guidance when they need it, you instill in them confidence in their own abilities to succeed at the task you asked them to perform.  Then that confidence will expand to other areas.  Then, they’ll encourage the next person who comes after them.  This is what it means to do grassroots work.  Sharon shared that her philosophy on leadership is that it isn’t simply going into a room and running a meeting.  It is getting to know the people and seeing what they need, what they want, and what they can do.

 

Sharon has a keen sense of humor, but it is subtle and often takes you by surprise.  Sharon also has a booming voice that commands a room, but she is actually very shy.  She leads with love, but she does not suffer foolishness.  She is a living legend in the federation, and we’re incredibly lucky to have her leadership in the Maryland affiliate.

 

A Beast Named Jed

By Shawn Jacobson

[Editor’s note: Shawn Jacobson previously served as the treasurer of the NFB of Maryland for many years.  Shawn is an avid and talented writer, having had his work published in numerous publications and serving on the NFB Writers Division Board of Directors.  Below is a story Shawn wrote about an experience he had riding a camel.]

 

Fear of the unknown grips us as we exit the cramped interior of the bus.  We walk to the camel farm through the chill of a pre-dawn Outback morning.  We’d originally decided to take a pass on riding camels as part of our Australia trip, but one of our friends had done a camel ride and told us that it was a lot of fun and that it wasn’t scary at all.  So, here we were hoping that our friend was right.

 

The first order of business is to enter the lobby to sign the required release forms.  This step in the process is not one to inspire confidence in the morning’s activities, but it must be done.

 

After this, we exit the back of the building and view our rides for the next hour and a half.  My wife notices the barn where saddles uniquely designed for each camel are lined up on saddle stands.  I nod through my worry when she points out these individual saddles.

 

Then we see the camels, lined up in their kneeling positions just waiting for us like a line of cars for a roller coaster.  Each camel is lined up peacefully chewing his cud—a sign of their happiness.  My wife mentions that I exceed the weight limit by, say, 15 or 20 pounds.  Our cameleer tells us that this will not be a problem.  Said cameleer points us to the largest camel in the line; the camel’s name is Jed.

 

We will hear things about Jed that will put what courage we have to the test.  Jed is affectionately known as “the beast.”  Jed likes to run in the camel races used by the farm as enrichment activities.  Jed has a tendency to run out of turn.  Jed is high spirited.  Jed likes to bully the younger camels who have not earned his respect.  In fact, a special “peace maker” camel is positioned in front of Jed to keep him from biting the younger camel two positions forward in the line.  ‘Did we really want ride this beast,’ I wonder to myself.

 

Then it is time to mount our beast.  My wife, being smaller, mounts first in the front position.  After she’s up, I attempt to take my place behind her.  I swing my right leg over the camel as instructed but find that I’ve fouled my right foot in the rope between Jed and Archer, the camel behind us.  I try again, and this time I succeed in getting onto the saddle.  I settle down from the previous bad moment.

 

Camels’ hind legs are stronger than their front legs; so, when they stand, the rear end of the camel comes up first.  We were instructed to hold on to the saddle and lean back as far as possible when this happens.  Thus, we are ready when Jed arises.  For a second, I feel like I’m about to take a big drop on a roller coaster; then Jed is upright.

 

I settle on the newly upright camel.  I wish I felt steadier on the saddle than I do, but this will work for now.  But will I be able to stay on when Jed moves?

 

The camels before us move forward and I find out.  The gait of the camel is a rolling one which I am not used to; but I find that I am still steady enough in the saddle.  When I stay on board after Jed makes his first turn, I feel even more confident.

 

As we proceed down the trail my confidence grows and I risk taking one hand off the saddle to pull my mosquito net down over my face.  We are approaching dawn, when we’ve been told that the flies come out.  I would rather keep my hands on the saddle than use them to shew flies away with what is here known as “the Australian salute.”  Sure enough, as the sun comes over the horizon, the flies start zooming around my face.

 

As we walk, the cameleers tell us about the personalities of each camel, what they like to eat and their trail habits.  Each camel is as unique to the cameleer as dogs are to us.

 

We take another turn and start up a hill to where we will stop for a photo opportunity.  We reach the top and the line of camels comes to a halt.

 

Uluru, formerly known as Ayres Rock, sits on our right as one of the cameleers takes pictures from our left.  Thus, we appear with the great iconic rock in the background.  Kata Tjuta, a larger, but less iconic, rock sits to our left.  We sit there for several minutes as our pictures are taken.

 

I was surprised to learn that Australia has more wild camels than any other nation.  They were brought to explore the Outback in the 1800’s to replace horses who couldn’t thrive in the dry heat of the Australian interior.  When the work of development was done, the camels were to be disposed of, but the original cameleers could not do so.  Instead, they turned their camels loose in the desert.

 

The camels throve in this new land without natural predators or diseases.  They prospered so well that they became pests.  Today, if you catch a camel, you cannot release it back into the wild.  You must keep the camel, sell it to someone who will take care of it, or sell it for meat.  Indeed, we would eat camel later in our Australian adventure.  It might surprise people to learn that camels from Australia are sold back to nations in the middle east where they are prized for the purity of their stock.  Camel milk and cheese are also exported by Australia.

 

After standing around waiting for pictures to be taken, Jed starts shuffling.  I wish he would stand still and not disturb my perch on his back, but he keeps adjusting his position.  Then, I notice something touching me on my left.  Archer, the camel behind us, has moved up and is rubbing his nose against me.  I scratch his nose and he seems to be happy with my actions.  Finally, we start back down the hill.

 

The day has become beautiful.  The sky is cloudless, and the air has a cool, crisp feel.  We ride over rolling country dotted by slender trees.  The trees and other plants are greener than is typical for this area because of recent rainstorms.  In short, it is a beautiful morning for a camel ride.

 

Finally, we crest a small hill and see the barn before us; we know that our ride is almost over.  As we reach our original starting place, our cameleers bid our mounts to kneel starting with the front camel.  The camel before us knees and as the riders’ dismount, I feel Jed descend under me; he is kneeling on his own schedule, not waiting for the signal from the cameleer.

 

It turns out that dismounting a camel is easier than getting on.  All you have to do is swing your right leg over the camel and step down.  I walk from our mount feeling sore on the insides of my legs.  This is a change from my aching knees, the product of cramped bus rides.  In a way, I appreciate the change of pace.

 

Next, we go into the main room for breakfast and a chance to look at some exhibits about camels in Australia.  Along with the custom-made saddles, we see a picture of a camel carrying a piano; I needn’t have worried about my weight.

 

The camel ride is an absolute success.  Our friend was right.  The camel ride was safe and fun.

 

2024 NFBMD Resolutions

[Editor’s note: The convention is the supreme authority of this organization, and perhaps its most important function is to set the policy of the federation.  Below are the two resolutions that the Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland adopted on February 18, 2024.  NFBMD is actively working on these matters.]

 

Resolution 2024-01

Regarding Maryland Transit Administration

Paratransit and Supplemental Taxi Program

 

WHEREAS, people who are blind or have low vision must rely heavily on public and private transportation services in order to participate fully in work, healthcare, spiritual, and family activities, as well as other aspects of social and community life; and

 

WHEREAS, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) is the primary service provider for bus, MobilityLink/Paratransit, Light Rail Link, MARC Commuter Train, Metro Subway Link, and supplemental transportation services in Baltimore City and surrounding counties in the metro area, including service to Annapolis, Thurgood Marshall Baltimore Washington International Airport, Washington D.C., and many local communities and stops between these locations; and

 

WHEREAS, one service available to blind transit users is the Call-A-Ride program, which allows eligible MobilityLink/Paratransit users to pay only three dollars ($3) for a taxi trip with a standard trip fare of up to forty dollars ($40), and which is available through many participating local taxi and contract service companies; and

 

WHEREAS, the number of people needing MobilityLink/Paratransit services continues to increase, placing heavier burdens on this service; and

 

WHEREAS, the Call-A-Ride program is designed to help transit passengers have more flexibility and options for their travel needs and to reduce the number of MobilityLink/Paratransit passengers in order to help provide better service to those who are unable to use the Call-A-Ride program; and

 

WHEREAS, the Call-A-Ride program is administered by a contract company outside of the MTA, called MJM Innovations, that receives applications, determines eligibility, monitors trip fares, provides program information and identification cards, and directly communicates with those wishing to use the Call-A-Ride service; and

 

WHEREAS, there are multiple steps that must be followed to apply either for first-time certification or re-certification for MobilityLink/Paratransit, to wit: applications must be completed by the applicant and a range of medical providers or Independent Living or Rehabilitation specialists and returned to MTA for review, and this procedure must be completed before applying for Call-A-Ride; and

 

WHEREAS, once approved for first-time certification, the applicant must schedule an in-person interview and functional assessment test or, those applying for re-certification will receive a telephone interview and must complete a notification letter and return this to MTA, and, in either case, MTA has up to twenty-one (21) days to make a final determination and notify the applicant; and

 

WHEREAS, once an applicant has been approved for MobilityLink/Paratransit services MTA will then forward an approval confirmation to MJM Innovations for those wishing to apply for the Call-A-Ride program, and then an additional Call-A-Ride application must be completed for all new or renewing certifications, and then MJM Innovations has up to four (4) weeks to process the application and notify the applicant of a determination; and

 

WHEREAS, this multi-step lengthy process can delay a person with a disability in receiving accessible transportation, causing long periods of severe disruption to activities such as trips to medical appointments, attending to personal business, and other needs; and

 

WHEREAS, while there are some who cannot use and thus do not wish to apply for the Call-A-Ride service, those who are approved for MobilityLink/Paratransit and do apply for Call-A-Ride must wait for a second approval based on the same disability determination, and for most individuals, especially those who are blind or have low vision, their disability will not change or cause a transportation requirement change: now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind in convention assembled this eighteenth day of February, 2024, in the city of Towson, Maryland, that we demand that the MTA change its lengthy MobilityLink/Paratransit and Call-A-Ride procedures by adding a simple request checkbox to the MobilityLink/Paratransit certification and recertification applications, or otherwise modifying said applications, so that those wishing to also apply for Call-A-Ride can apply for both services at once, eliminating the delays caused by the need to apply to MTA a second time for Call-A-Ride and for MJM Innovations to receive and process this second application; and,

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we demand that MTA certify applicants for Call-A-Ride and forward all approved determinations with a request for Call-A-Ride to MJM for automatic and immediate approval and notification to applicants; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we demand that any changes to information and application documents be fully accessible on the MTA website to those using screen readers or other accessible technology and that the website be monitored to comply with current Web Content accessibility Guidelines (WCAG); and,

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon MTA to work with the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland to review MobilityLink/Paratransit and Call-A-Ride procedures to make this detailed, lengthy, and complicated procedure more streamlined, understandable, efficient, and accessible for those with disabilities needing accessible transportation.

 

 

Resolution 2024-02

Regarding the Placement and Implementation of Bicycle Lanes

 

WHEREAS, accessible and reliable transportation is essential for the independence and participation of blind people and other individuals with disabilities in all aspects of society, including education, employment, and community activities; and

 

WHEREAS, in order to achieve the laudable goal of incentivizing and facilitating the use of bicycles and similar conveyances other than motor vehicles, Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Montgomery County, and other jurisdictions in our state have begun to create more bicycle lanes on streets and roadways within their jurisdictions; and

 

WHEREAS, the placement of bicycle lanes in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Montgomery County has, in many instances, impeded access by blind people, wheelchair users, and other people with disabilities and pedestrians to fixed-route buses, paratransit vans, taxicabs, and rideshare vehicles; and

 

WHEREAS, to be specific, bicycle lanes are often the closest lanes to the curb, even where there is a curb cut for wheelchair access, and are further bounded on the street side by parking lanes or even lanes of moving traffic, forcing the blind and other people with mobility issues to traverse the bicycle lane and then navigate through parked cars or moving traffic to board the above-mentioned conveyances, and often forcing them to do so while avoiding oncoming traffic because they cannot access the opposite curb; and

 

WHEREAS, in situations where the operators of vehicles try to aid their blind or disabled passengers by temporarily pulling into the bicycle lane to allow these passengers to board, they are often fined by law enforcement for improperly using the bicycle lane, thus discouraging them from accommodating their passengers; and

 

WHEREAS, although bicyclists and other users of the bicycle lanes are required by law to yield to blind people using white canes or guide dogs and other pedestrians, they often fail to do so because they wrongly assume that their conveyances take priority over pedestrian access; and

 

WHEREAS, all of these impediments to disability access not only endanger the safety of blind people, wheelchair users, other individuals with disabilities, and pedestrians, but also constitute flagrant disregard for the rights of individuals with disabilities as enshrined in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Maryland White Cane Law, and other statutes; and

 

WHEREAS, the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) has a responsibility to ensure that the transportation infrastructure throughout the state meets the needs of all Maryland residents, including the blind and other Marylanders with disabilities: Now, therefore,

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in convention assembled this eighteenth day of February, 2024, in the city of Towson, Maryland, that we demand that Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and Montgomery County undertake a comprehensive review of the placement and implementation of bicycle lanes within their jurisdictions to ensure that these lanes do not interfere with disability access to fixed-route buses, paratransit vans, taxicabs, or rideshare vehicles; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we demand that the review process include meaningful consultation and collaboration with the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland and with other stakeholders from the disability community; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we demand that these jurisdictions issue guidance to the law enforcement agencies that they oversee commanding their officers to respect the rights of blind and disabled pedestrians under the Maryland White Cane Law and other applicable laws; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we call upon the Maryland Department of Transportation to issue clear, accessible, and implementable guidelines for the proper placement and implementation of bicycle lanes, or to amend any existing guidelines, prioritizing the facilitation of disability access and ensuring that future bicycle lane projects are designed in a manner that complies with the ADA, the Maryland White Cane Law, and other applicable laws and is safe, inclusive, and respects the rights of the blind and other Marylanders with disabilities, and also advising law enforcement agencies of the rights of people with disabilities and proper enforcement of traffic laws as it relates to those rights; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this resolution be distributed to the Mayor of Baltimore City, the County Executives of Baltimore County and Montgomery County, and the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation.

 

 

Spectator Specs

 

Deaths:

On February 12, 2024, Perry Blackstone passed away unexpectedly.  Perry was a member of the Greater Baltimore Chapter and the Baltimore County Chapter, as well as the NFBMD Senior Issues Division.  Perry had been looking forward to attending the state convention, which took place a few days after he passed. 

 

Steve Montgomery passed away on February 12, 2024 after a long illness.  Steve was a long-time member of the Central Maryland Chapter.  He loved to remind people that his birthday was on tax day, April 15. 

 

Imani Graham passed away very unexpectedly at the age of 42 from complications of pneumonia on April 5, 2024. Imani was a founding member of the TLC Chapter and attended state and national conventions frequently since she was a teenager.  Imani worked for many years at the Image Center and became its executive director last summer.  Imani leaves a tremendous legacy in that she changed the lives of so many.

 

Waltraut Staggs passed away on April 5, 2024.  Waltraut was an active member of the Greater Carroll County Chapter.  Her daughter, Laura McClennand, is also an active member. 

 

On May 6, 2024, Chris Baugh passed away. She celebrated her 90^th birthday on May 2, 2024. Many federationists knew Chris because she worked at the Maryland School for the Blind for more than 30 years. Chris loved Braille and taught it to many people. She also was a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of the Maryland LBPD for many years. Chris had a great work ethic and a spirit of dedication.

 

Ron Cox passed away on June 12, 2024.  Ron was a founding member of the NFBMD Greater Carroll County Chapter and Chris Nusbaum’s grandfather.

 

They will all be deeply missed!

 

 

Marriage:

On January 2, 2024, Cindy Morales and Linwood Boyd, both members of the Greater Baltimore Chapter, were married.

 

On May 11, 2024, Stephanie Flynt and Quinn McEben were married.   

 

Congratulations to the happy couples.  May they have a lifetime of love and joy together!

 

Happy Anniversary:

Bill and Bernadette Jacobs celebrated their 25^th wedding anniversary on May 20, 2024.  Congratulations, and may they have many more years of happiness together!

 

Graduations:

Derrick Day graduated from Westminster High School in Carroll County and plans to attend Carroll County Community College.  Derrick hopes to transfer to the University of Maryland College Park to study artificial intelligence.

 

Naudia Graham graduated from Centennial High School in Howard County and plans to attend Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. She will major in political science and hopes to be a lawyer.

 

Virginia Jacobs graduated from the Maryland School for the Blind. She has a variety of interests that she is pursuing to find a good career.

 

Alexis McPhail graduated from Howard High School in Howard County and plans to attend the University of Pittsburgh. She will major in biology on a Pre-Med track.

 

Mercy Rao graduated from Atholton High School in Howard County and plans to attend Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. She is in a five-year program and will obtain both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in occupational therapy.

 

Oriana Riccobono graduated from Patterson Park Public Charter School in Baltimore City. She will attend high school at Bard High School Early College Baltimore.  Oriana has played several key roles in a number of plays and musicals.

 

Kenny Smith graduated from Spring Ridge Middle School in St. Mary’s County. He will attend Great Mills High School. Kenny received the Presidents Award for Educational Excellence signed by President Joe Biden and US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona for his academic achievement. Kenny was nominated by the principal of his middle school Charles Dunbar.

 

Zanyiah Bell graduated from Kipp DC Charter School. She will attend high school at Benjamin Banneker Magnet School. She is also a graduate of BELL. She began BELL only a few short weeks after she lost her vision.

 

We are very proud of all these students, all of whom are members of the federation that we have known for years. Congratulations!

 

Retirements

On June 30, Irene Padilla retired as the Maryland State Librarian.  Irene has had a prestigious 22-year-long career as our State Librarian.  Read more about Irene’s career on page 45 in this edition.

 

Achievements:

Shawn Jacobson, former treasurer of the NFB of Maryland, continues his pursuit of his writing hobby. He had several articles published in 2024. “The Terrors of Yip,” can be found on the Bewildering Stories website in issue 1039. “Drink It Fast or Slow” is a nonfiction piece that can be found in the spring 2024 edition of Slate and Style, the NFB magazine produced by the writer’s division. “Space Tapestry” and “Running Behind the Racers” can be found in the spring/summer 2024 edition of the magazine Magnets and Ladders.  This magazine promotes the work of writers with disabilities. One of Shawn’s stories was published on page 53 in this edition as well.  Keep up the good work, Shawn!

 

Other

On Sunday, May 19, an accessible fossil exhibit by Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch and others opened at the Peale Museum in Baltimore.

 

In 1801, Charles Wilson Peale and his son Rembrandt embarked on the inaugural scientific expedition in U.S. history, unearthing mammoth bones discovered on an upstate New York farm. These bones, upon analysis, were identified as remnants of the prehistoric mastodon, inhabitants of North America during the late Pleistocene era, approximately 10,000 to 125,000 years ago. 

 

Fast forward to 2024. Conceived of by Dr. Cheryl Fogle-Hatch, a Baltimore-based archaeologist and accessibility consultant, this multisensory exhibit will include 3D-printed versions of the fossils originally collected by the Peales and early American leaders. The replicas can be touched and experienced by sighted and blind visitors alike. Dr. Fogle-Hatch worked with Dr. Bernard Means, an archaeologist with Virginia Commonwealth University’s Virtual Curator Laboratory, who has scanned all of these fossils, now in the collections at the Maryland Center for History and Culture. The exhibition will interweave replicas of the mastodon fossils with selected panels from a student-created graphic novel series.

 

The accessible exhibit is open until December 22, 2024 at the Peale Museum located at 225 Holliday Street in Baltimore.