MINNESOTA BULLETIN

(Editor's Note: This is the winner of the 2006 Metro Chapter essay contest. Tom Scanlan has been a member of the NFB of Minnesota since 1970, treasurer since 1974, and editor of this publication since 1995.)

Many people are lucky enough to have a turning point in their lives that puts them on a path to more happiness and success than they would have otherwise had. That point for me was the convention of the National Federation of the Blind held in Minneapolis in 1970. I can easily divide my life into two parts: before and after that convention.

By all appearances, before the convention I was successful. I grew up an only child on a farm near Rochester. My parents soon discovered that my vision was not good, and did what all good parents do to fix the problem by taking me to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and doctors in Minneapolis. No one could explain what was wrong, and finally my doctor at the Mayo Clinic said there was nothing that they could do, and I should be sent to the Minnesota Braille and Sight Saving School (now the Academy for the Blind) in Faribault. My father resisted the idea, but the doctor and my mother convinced him that I would someday go away to college and this was just an early start. So off I went to Faribault, and I did get a good education including academics, music, drama, athletics, and social activities. However, the summers were not good being a blind child on a farm. My mother even took me out of summer Bible school because I was taunted by sighted kids as a near-sighted "Mr. Magoo."

Life went on, and I graduated from the Braille and Sight Saving School and was admitted to the University of St. Thomas. There had never been any question by my parents that I would go to college, so I had grown up with the idea that I was as capable as anyone else. However, I had to overcome new problems such as not being able to read the blackboard (some colleges rejected me because I couldn't). I solved the problems and graduated in the top 10% of my class with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration.

Then the real trouble started. It was during the economic boom of the mid-60s and if you had a warm body you could get a job, especially with a degree from a top college such as St. Thomas. That is, unless you were "not normal" such as being blind. The St. Thomas placement director said he had never seen anything like it. I was told by several companies that they didn't hire the handicapped. I was hired by one major corporation for their accounting department and sent for a pre-employment physical exam. The nurse giving the exam panicked, saying "You're blind. Why don't they tell me these things?" She sent me off to lunch, and when I returned I could hear arguing in the office. The man who wanted to hire me was saying "But he's the best qualified candidate for the job," and someone else was saying "It doesn't matter. We don't hire blind people." So I was un-hired before I even started.

When I told my counselor at State Services for the Blind about it and said that we should do something, he just told me to let it go. I didn't think that was right, but I had no power to do anything about it. Instead, my counselor arranged for me to take the various tests for state-government employment. I passed the exams with high scores and was placed on lists for several positions.

Then my luck got better. I was interviewed for a research analyst position in the state highway department by a woman who knew all about discrimination. She was Jewish and had fled Austria when the Nazis took over. She thought I was well qualified for the job and hired me. She still had to fight management above her to keep me, but she prevailed.

A large part of my job involved dealing with computer programs and the people who wrote them. The man assigned to us gave me a book on programming and let me write a program to process some data we dealt with. He brought the output of the program back to me and said "You're either very good or very lucky," since the program had been perfect. He got me transferred to the computer department, and we worked together for 35 years. Early in that job, he told the head of the department that I studied all the computer documentation and understood the computer system better than anyone else. To which the big boss replied, "He's blind. What else does he have to do?"

On the surface I was very successful, with a good job and the respect of my co-workers. But underneath I was not happy. I did not want to be blind, even "legally." I was "near sighted," had "low vision," or "didn't see well." But I was not "blind" and wanted to have little to do with blind people, because I wasn't like them. Still, I didn't really believe I could do as good a job as my co-workers and was afraid they would agree with me. Anytime anyone would say or do something that indicated they knew I was blind, I was mortified.

Then the National Federation of the Blind convention came to town. A friend called and asked me to come and have some fun. I had never heard of the organization, but had nothing better to do. So I left work on Friday saying, "I'll going to this convention of blind people and see if they run into each other, I'll probably be back on Monday, but here's my vacation slip just in case." I did not come back on Monday. I stayed at the convention until it finished on Tuesday.

What I found at the convention were blind people who did not feel sorry for themselves, were confident in their abilities, and above all believed it was respectable to be blind. And there were lots of them. They filled the largest hotel in the state. This was no little group of pitiable blind people; there were lawyers, teachers, merchants, factory workers, and even computer programmers like me. I came to party and found the parties, but also something else. I sat in the hotel lobby reading literature that described the NFB's philosophy and programs. I was hooked.

After the convention, I got involved in the state organization. They were glad to have me, and I helped with whatever I could such as legislation and public relations.

Part of the legislation I helped with was an amendment to add "disability" to the Minnesota Human Rights Act (Minnesota Statute 363A). That meant that the flagrant discrimination I had experienced when employers outright refused to hire me because I was blind could not happen anymore. Employers can find more subtle ways, but there is less discrimination because of the NFB of Minnesota's legislative success.

I helped form a student division and served two terms as its president. Then I was elected treasurer of the NFB of Minnesota, and continue to serve in that position.

One of the issues that emerged about then was the lack of blind people in the management of the Minneapolis Society for the Blind, now known as Vision Loss Resources (VLR). Some of us tried to participate in the annual meeting of VLR to elect blind people to the board of directors. We were cast off by the sighted management of VLR as "not able to contribute." We sought relief in court, and the judge ruled that VLR had "rejected those who had shown the most ability in overcoming their handicap," and ordered a new board election. I and seven other NFB members were elected to the VLR board. But it soon was apparent that they had learned nothing from the experience, and they continued to refer to blind people as patients. The eight of us agreed that a different course was needed, and we resigned from the board at the end of our term.

Over the past several years, there have been several articles in these pages regarding accessible voting machines, and several of us have reported on related issues at our conventions as well. Many of us have attended numerous demonstrations of voting equipment and we have patiently endured countless legislative hearings. There have been challenges that have arisen questioning whether accessible voting was even possible. Some felt that perhaps only certain elections should be accessible. Questions were raised in some states as to whether machines that gave us access to a secret ballot could be trusted. Certain counties in Minnesota felt they needed to chart their own course and this raised compliance questions. We have worked through all of these issues, though, and at long last, the blind of Minnesota finally have voted for the first time with a truly secret ballot.

We first used the AutoMARK machine to vote in Minnesota's primary elections last September. Now we have used it in the November general election. Almost without exception, the experience has been smooth and very positive.

I did not expect to be able to vote independently in my lifetime, and I must say that the feeling of knowing my vote was completely secret evoked more emotions than I had expected. My feelings seem to have been shared by many blind people throughout Minnesota and the entire country who voted for the first time using a completely secret ballot.

Where do we go from here? The Minnesota Legislature created a workgroup to monitor issues surrounding the AutoMARK machine and the Help America Vote Act, and we are involved in that effort. Following our experience with the elections, many of us completed the survey put together by this workgroup. Please continue reporting problems when they occur.

Voting systems and processes will continue to change as technology changes, and as is always the case, we will need to watch this closely to ensure that new technology doesn't exclude us. Efforts need to continue to expand the use of accessible voting equipment so more people can benefit, particularly as the population ages. There are many people who do not yet realize that accessible voting machines can help them, too. The more this equipment is used, the harder it will be for anyone to reverse our progress in this area. In short, the work continues and we will stay involved.

But this is also a time to celebrate and enjoy the fruits of our labor. Probably most of us assumed that a completely secret ballot was beyond our reach. Sometimes, it can be a lot of fun to be wrong. Thank you to each of you for helping make this possible.

One of the main objectives of the National Federation of the Blind is to dispel the many misconceptions that the general public has about blindness. It is toward this end that the NFB began promoting "Meet the Blind Month" several years ago. Here's how we celebrated it in October of 2006.

Proclamations

For many years, mayors and governors proclaimed October 15th as White Cane Safety Day; however, we have now expanded it to be "Meet the Blind Month". Here is the state proclamation from Governor Tim Pawlenty. We thank the many mayors who also issued similar proclamations.

WHEREAS: The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) was founded in 1940 to serve as the voice of the nation's blind, to end discrimination against the blind, and to secure first-class citizenship for all blind persons; and

WHEREAS: The National Federation of the Blind represents more than fifty thousand members across the country and continues to work to secure equal rights and opportunities for the blind; and

WHEREAS: To change attitudes about blindness, the National Federation of the Blind provides information about blindness to parents, teachers, school administrators, and business, political, social, and civic leaders; and

WHEREAS: Since blind people and blindness are still frequently misunderstood, the National Federation of the Blind has developed a public education campaign, Meet the Blind Month, to create opportunities for the people of Minnesota to learn firsthand that blind people are basically like everyone else; and

WHEREAS: The Minnesota affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind, now in its eighty-sixth year, invites neighbors, coworkers, and classmates to join them at various Meet the Blind events throughout the month of October to learn how blind people lead full and active lives.

Now, THEREFORE, I, TIM PAWLENTY, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim the month of October 2006 as:

MEET THE BLIND MONTH

in the State of Minnesota.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota to be affixed at the State Capitol this 16th day of September in the year of our the Lord two thousand and six, and of the State the one hundred forty-eighth.

Contact with the public

Several chapters set up tables in public places to distribute NFB literature and demonstrate Braille and assistive technology. We answered many questions and met folks whose family members were blind. Children loved receiving a Braille alphabet card and a card with their name written in Braille. They were able to check our work to see if we wrote it correctly. Visits to schools enabled us to answer many direct questions about blindness.

Media coverage

We involved radio, television and newspapers in helping us spread the message. Television coverage came from Rochester when they filmed our tabling at the Hy-Vee supermarket. Our radio interviews aired on Clear Channel stations in the metro area, and we received newspaper coverage of the Great Blind Race.

The Great Blind Race

On the chilly morning of October 14, 2006, more than 35 enthusiastic Federationists converged on the Crystal Court in the IDS Center in Minneapolis for the first annual Great Blind Race.

The racers were divided into twelve teams, and each team was provided a list of ten locations around downtown Minneapolis - well-known landmarks like the Basilica of St. Mary's, the new Guthrie Theater, the Public Library, and the Target Center. The object was to get to as many locations as possible within a two-hour time frame, using only buses, light rail, or walking, and to arrive back at the Crystal Court before noon. A Metro Chapter member waited at each of the locations handing out NFB brochures and Meet the Blind Month Proclamations to passers-by, and giving the teams a Braille card proving they had reached the destination. Some of the twelve teams included parents and children, and several of the teams made it to all ten landmarks.

When the race was done, the happy group descended on the 8th Street grill for lunch and presentations to the winners. The winning teams received medals: first place, Zach Ellingson and Greg Stilson; second place, Jeff Thompson and Sheila Koenig; and third place, Emily Zitek and Gene Riebe.

A photographer from the Star Tribune rushed around downtown with one of the teams for the entire two hours. The October 15 Sunday paper contained a visibly-placed feature that was widely seen even outside the Metro Area. It included a blurb about the event and two large photographs of the team, white canes clearly visible. The description of the event was upbeat and matter-of-fact, no talk of amazing feats or overcoming great hardships--simply information about a fun and competitive event.

Minnesota Federationists can be proud of our Meet the Blind Month activities that certainly had a positive effect on public perceptions of blindness and are an excellent way to highlight the work we do all year long to change what it means to be blind.

(Editor's Note: This article was published in the Star Tribune on September 18, 2006. Steve Jacobson is a member of the NFB of Minnesota board of directors as well as an active member of the NFB of Minnesota Metro Chapter.)

Steve Jacobson whips through Target.com, fingers flying on his computer keyboard. "This is all super good," the Edina resident says, jumping from gift cards to baby gear on his way to furniture.

Then Jacobson hits a bad link and his computer starts sputtering incomprehensibly. In a mechanical voice, the machine rapidly spews out a list of numbers and letters that add up to gibberish.

Jacobson, along with other blind people, wants the retail giant to fix the glitches in its website. The National Federation of the Blind filed a lawsuit earlier this year in federal court in California, alleging that Target.com violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Jacobson, 55, has been blind since birth. With special software that reads Web pages and his keystrokes aloud to him, Jacobson is able to shop on the Internet with Best Buy, Wal-Mart and many other retailers. But not with Target.

Disability advocates say the Target case could set a precedent requiring all U.S. retailers to make their websites accessible to the blind and others with disabilities.

"This is the first case in the country where a court ruled that the ADA applied to a website," said Mazen Mohammed Basrawi, a Berkeley, Calif., lawyer who's handling the case for the National Federation of the Blind. "We think thousands of businesses will take note of accessibility issues."

'Public accommodation'

One piece of the ADA forbids discrimination against the disabled in places of "public accommodation," which many courts have construed to mean brick-and-mortar locations. Minneapolis-based Target asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that its website didn't qualify as a place of public accommodation.

This month, U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel refused Target's request, opening the way to a possible jury trial. In her order denying dismissal, the judge said that Target appears to treat its website as an extension of its stores and a piece of an integrated marketing effort.

"The website is a means to gain access to the store and it is ironic that Target, through its merchandising efforts on the one hand, seeks to reach greater numbers of customers and enlarge its consumer-base, while on the other hand it seeks to escape the requirements of the ADA," the judge wrote.

The Federation complains that Target.com doesn't include features that make web sites fully usable for the blind, such as an invisible code that allows a blind customer's software to interpret and vocalize graphic images. Target.com also requires the use of a mouse to complete a transaction, the lawsuit complains, making blind customers unable to make purchases independently.

Vigorous defense

Target says it will defend itself vigorously.

"We believe our Web site complies with all applicable laws," the company said in a statement. "We will continue to implement technology that increases the usability of our Web site for all our guests, including those with disabilities."

The time is ripe for the Internet to include all Americans, regardless of disability, said Cynthia Waddell, a California lawyer and professor who wrote the federal government's web-accessibility standards.

"Technology changes, but civil rights do not," she said. Waddell added that there are sound business reasons for making websites widely accessible. Some disability features, for example, are used to translate graphics and photos into text; the same features are useful in adapting content from large computer screens to handheld devices for non-disabled customers.

Jacobson, a 3M computer analyst and a board member of the Minnesota Federation of the Blind, said he doesn't understand why Target is fighting the accessibility lawsuit.

"The issue isn't that my life is gonna stop if they don't fix it," he said. "The issue is that corporations using the Internet -- which has had and continues to have some government subsidies -- shouldn't lock us out.

"I can't imagine it would cost anywhere near as much to fix it as they're paying their lawyers."

(Copyright 2006 Star Tribune. Republished with permission of Star Tribune, Minneapolis-St. Paul. No further republication or redistribution is permitted without the written consent of Star Tribune.)

(Editor's Note: One of our goals in the National Federation of the Blind is to help rid blind and sighted people of common misconceptions about blindness. One way to do this is to invite our sighted friends and colleagues to work alongside us. In the following article, Susan Brueske, one of our new sighted members, relates her perspective on a cleaning day we held at our building in Minneapolis. Susan wrote this report as an assignment for a course titled "Disability and Society" taught at Bethel University by one of our members, Kathy McGillivray. Here is how Susan describes what happened.)

On Saturday, April 1, 2006, I participated in the National Federation of the Blind's (NFB) "Building Repair Day." As a result, I did not have a particular shadowing volunteer to observe, but rather a whole group of individuals with a disability. The majority of them are blind, but others have various degrees of visual impairment. There were also several other sighted individuals such as me; some of them are members of NFB or family members of an NFB member. Several other sighted men that came to help with building repair projects are co-workers of NFB member Justin McDevitt; they came to offer their skills and time and to learn about blindness. It reminded me of a neighborhood gathering we had at my house when my father was building a new garage: friends, laughter, teamwork and a lot of work getting done in a very short time.

I spent most of the day in the dining room cleaning woodwork and removing many years' accumulation of cobwebs and dust from the heat registers which are behind a wood-paneled casing with intricate metal grillwork through which the heat radiates. Above these radiators are windows all the way up to the ceiling, almost like a full wall of 10-by-12-inch windows side-by-side.

Near my work area, a long table was filled with many buckets of water and piles of cleaning rags that were being handed out by Al Spooner. As people arrived, Al would direct them to different areas of the building for cleaning, according to what kind of task they would like to do. There were many opportunities for cleaning windows, polishing woodwork, vacuuming carpet, painting and more. I got to chat quite a bit with Al and many others as they came in to choose their tasks and pick up their cleaning tools.

From 9:00 a.m. until 12 noon, I worked in the company of Charlotte Czarnecki, the NFB Metro Chapter secretary, who was polishing the wooden panels of the dining room, and Judy Sanders, who was cleaning the windows above the registers I was working on. There was a constant stream of chatter and laughter among the three of us the entire time, nothing specific I can remember, but just enjoying each other's company and friendship. I probably spent more time observing them than doing my own job, partly because it was part of this assignment, but also because I was fascinated by how thorough a cleaning job they were doing without vision, for which I rely on heavily for cleaning and most everything else. I noticed how I relied on my visual senses while they relied on their senses of touch and/or smell, depending on what task they were doing, and yet the end results were no different than if I had done all the work myself. I had to ask myself "Why should it make any difference how a person does something, when the final outcome is the same as if I do it my way?" It shouldn't. There have been so many times I have been too quick to jump into a situation and say, "Here - let me show you how to do that."

If you are not over 50, this is what you have to look forward to.

1. Kidnappers are not very interested in you.

2. In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.

3. No one expects you to run--anywhere.

4. People call at 9 p.m. and ask, " Did I wake you?"

5. People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.

6. There is nothing left to learn the hard way.

7. Things you buy now won't wear out.

8. You can eat dinner at 4 p.m.

9. You can live without sex but not without your glasses.

10. You get into heated arguments about pension plans.

11. You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.

12. You quit trying to hold your stomach in, no matter who walks into the room.

13. You sing along with elevator music.

14. Your eyes won't get much worse.

15. Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.

16. Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.

17. Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.

18. Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.

19. You can't remember who sent you this list.

Question: How many days in a week?

Answer: 7 - 6 Saturdays and 1 Sunday.

Question: When is a retiree's bedtime?

Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch.

Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb?

Answer: Only one, but it might take all day.

Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees?

Answer: There is not enough time to get everything done.

Question: Why don't retirees mind being called seniors?

Answer: The term comes with a 10% discount.

Question: Among retirees, what is considered formal attire?

Answer: Tied shoes.

Question: Why do retirees count pennies?

Answer: They are the only ones who have the time.

Question: What is the common term for someone who enjoys work and refuses to retire?

Answer: NUTS!

Question: Why are retirees so slow to clean out the basement, attic or garage?

Answer: They know that as soon as they do, one of their adult kids will want to store stuff there.

Question: What do retirees call a long lunch?

Answer: Normal.

Question: What is the best way to describe retirement?

Answer: The never-ending Coffee Break.

Question: What's the biggest advantage of going back to school as a retiree?

Answer: If you cut classes, no one calls your parents.

Question: Why does a retiree often say he doesn't miss work, but misses the people he used to work with?

Answer: He is too polite to tell the whole truth.

I'm sure all the retirees you know can relate to some of these! And, if you have not yet retired, look what you have to look forward to.

Exciting times are coming in NFB conventions. Keep these in mind as you plan your activities throughout the coming year.