Category: News & Upcoming Events

If you’re like most blind people, every day you encounter UPO’s (unidentified print objects), from mail to flyers to package labels. Now you can read virtually any printed material with the phone that you carry every day. KNFB Reader Mobile is recognized worldwide as the best reading app available, and you can now get it for your iPhone, Android phone, or other compatible Apple or Android devices. Click on the links below to learn more or buy it today! Learn more: http://www.knfbreader.com Buy from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/knfbreader/id849732663?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 Buy from the Google Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sensotec.knfbreader

Live the life you want with NFB-Live.org; this live “chat site,” works with the use of a microphone and headset, allowing participants to interact with others using nothing else but their own voices.

NFB-Live.org was created to improve communication, provide a forum for learning and offer a place for fun and relaxation. The National Federation of the Blind of New York President and NFB-Live.org host, Carl Jacobsen notes that the site is “a place to build programs which we have yet to create in our dreams.” NFBLive.org is open to members of the Federation and non-members alike. It is our belief that increased communication and opportunities to socialize can bring further understanding between people. Events hosted on NFBLive include: Personal interviews of a variety of individuals who have impacted the blind community, open discussions on a variety of topics and presentations from our members and our sponsors on topics affecting the blind community. NFBLive also hosts games that users can participate in as teams or individually including: Family Feud, Password, Jeopardy, Crossword and several other dice, board and card games.

You can join the site at no cost. All you need is a microphone and access to the internet. Visit nfblive.org and go to the Join Our Community link. You can register with the form at the bottom of the page. Once you have signed up, you will receive a username and password to begin interaction and communication with others from around the world; it’s all at your fingertips! For questions regarding NFB-Live.org contact: support@nfblive.org

 

 

Monday, January 27, through Thursday, January 30, 2014

It is time again for us to take our concerns directly to our legislators in Washington, DC.
This year’s issues again includes the Technology, Education, and Accessibility in College and Higher Education (TEACHE) Act.

College students need access to their textbooks and online resources as much as students in earlier grades.

Another issue this year is the fight for Fair Wages for People with Disabilities.

The current laws allow employers to pay disabled employees less than the minimum wage, and this practice needs to be stopped.

The third issue is the Air Carrier Access Act, which is a movement towards making airport kiosks and web sites accessible.

In addition to meeting with members of Congress and Senators, Washington Seminar is the site of student seminars and meetings of many NFB groups and divisions.

For more information about Washington Seminar, please visit: http://nfb.org/washington-seminar

Members of the Keystone Chapter will once again be holding a Louis Braille Carnival at Saint Lucy’s Day School in Philadelphia.

Games like Braille Twister and a Braille-oriented version of musical chairs are hits with the kids who have fun while learning about the importance of Braille.

Story Time shows how Braille can be used to read books at the same speed as using print and encourages the kids to keep practicing.

There is always an art activity, too, that brings Braille and the kids’ creativity together.

This year’s Braille Carnival will probably be held on Valentine’s Day, but stayed tuned for more details.

Americans are living longer, and vision loss occurs more frequently among those who are older.

More than 50 percent of the 70,000 individuals who become blind in this country each year are over the age of 65, and this population is expected to more than double by the year 2030.

Yet less financial resources and fewer services are available to those over 55 losing vision than to younger blind people.

This Possibilities Fair will provide a hands-on opportunity for those 55 and older who are losing vision to learn how to improve their lives.

The Fair will include demonstration areas featuring alternative techniques, equipment, services for older adults losing vision, and helpful hints about enjoying life.

The exact date has not yet been announced, but it will be in April or May of 2014, so stay tuned for more information.

Surrey Services is partnering with the NFB of Pennsylvania to host this event.

For directions or transportation information, please call our main office at (215) 988-0888 or e-mail us at fair@nfbp.org.

At the Microsoft Center in Malvern, PA, over eighty volunteers came together to help twenty-five charitable organizations build or improve their web sites.

The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania was one of the organizations that was helped. This event, put on by the Philly Chapter of the national Give Camp organization, started on Friday night, January 17, and lasted through Sunday afternoon, January 19.

Volunteers from Microsoft brought volunteers together with the charities that needed their help, and their skills were put to good use.

Graphic designers, WordPress experts, database wizards, and many others donated their time and experience to give these charities leading-edge web sites.

Significant planning and information-gathering took place before the event to make the best use of time during this whirlwind weekend.

August 24 marked the launch of the official NFB Blind Driver Challenge Web site! BlindDriverChallenge.org is now up and running. Visit the site regularly to stay up-to-date on all the latest news, videos, and photos relating to the Blind Driver Challenge. The Web site will be updated continuously; when there is breaking news or exciting new content, you will be among the first to know! In addition to visiting www.BlindDriverChallenge.org, you can get updates on the Blind Driver Challenge and the Race for Independence by becoming a fan on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Driver-Challenge/108549352515974), following us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/nfb_voice) or visiting the YouTube page (www.youtube.com/nations_blind).