The Way I See Itt-- July, 2022

The Way I See It—July, 2022

????????????Hello again, Everyone! After returning from the National Federation of the Blind, NFB National Convention in New Orleans, I’m filled again with the positive energy, hope, and determination of the blind community, as well as the NFB’s positive philosophy of blindness. It’s hard to believe there hasn’t been an in-person Convention in two and a half years, but this year truly made up for this long-awaited moment. I reconnected with friends, met several influential blind and sighted individuals alike, toured the Exhibit Hall for new technology, and finally, was engaged in several uplifting and powerful sessions. My 10th?convention will likely remain as one of the most extraordinary yet!

????????????When I arrived on Sunday at the New Orleans Marriott, I heard the tapping of thousands of canes and the shaking of guide dog harnesses. It was such a thrill to be back at the Convention once again in person! Unlike previous years where the convention was only in one hotel with the Exhibit Hall and Independence Market in one area, and the sessions and banquet in another area, this year, it was split up into two hotels. The New Orleans Marriott was the main hotel where the banquet and sessions were held, and the Sheraton across the street featured the exhibition space. To cross the street, however, there was a gigantic 8- lane highway separated by an island of traffic along with streetcar tracks. This street really didn’t offer as much of an audible traffic signal when crossing, so it was difficult to determine when it was best to cross with several signals on one street. A few days into the Convention, however, I plucked up the courage to cross this street on my own using Aira and assisting a new friend I just met who also happens to be an Aira Explorer (user) as well. Using Aira throughout the sessions and navigating the hotel was an invaluable resource for me, since it allowed me to gain a greater sense of understanding of the hotel’s layout, as well as provide the independence that cannot be matched even with family or friends for assistance. When I’m connected with an Agent, all the stereotypes surrounding blindness and disability fade, and working with an Agent becomes an unmatched team effort where anything is possible.

????????????A couple of the top sessions I attended included one relating to Structured Discovery and technology training and teaching. Structured Discovery is a method of training where the Socratic Method is used to aid with problem-solving, guided learning, and later, independent learning to foster growth and independence in an ever-changing environment. One speaker mentioned learning more about technology is considered as an art, rather than a science. For example, if a blind student trained under the Structured Discovery Model like I did and he/she encountered a dilemma with an inaccessible website or any other issue with equipment, they would immediately try and figure out how they could best solve this.

????????????One other event which was also incredible was seeing the film?Surpassing Sight, a documentary about four members of a blind tandem bike team who completed the Race Across America, which is one of the most challenging bike races in the Untied States. Over nine days, one must travel 3,000 miles while only taking a limited amount of rest while encountering wind, storms, heat, and a plethora of other challenges that lay before them. The film not only tells this main storyline; it also discusses the lives of Jack Chen, a blind software engineer and patent attorney at Facebook who I had the opportunity to meet at the Convention. He is also a Harvard graduate, and his three teammates are just as impressive. Dan Berlin and Kyle Coon are well-respected athletes, mountain climbers, and marathon racers, and Tina Ament is a top US attorney for the Justice Dept. All are also blind. The film documents various plotlines of their life-stories and provides inspiration for employment and living life to the fullest regardless of ability. If you have an opportunity, I highly recommend viewing the film.

????????????My exploration of the Exhibit Hall allowed me to examine various pieces of technology and network with several individuals. I will mention a couple of the technology devices here that I found interesting including a new pair of Google Glasses called Envision. The Envision glasses run on a new version of Google Glass Enterprise, which includes a better camera and speaker. There is a speaker on the frame itself, so I was able to hear the sound well. Currently, the glasses are only AI based and offer a reading mode for text, the capability to detect simple scenes, read currency, light detection, colors, and more. To operate the glasses, I just had to swipe up, down, backward, or forward to move from menu to menu. While I tested out the Envision glasses, I also tried a new small Braille controller, which is similar to a Bluetooth keyboard. The little Braille device looks similar to a Braille keyboard and is about the size of a tv remote. There are six traditional Braille buttons, as well as one button for a space bar and the other button for deleting text. You can control your phone simply by pressing a combination of buttons on the keyboard, such as the letter “h” to go to the home screen.

????????????One final interesting device I will mention here were the Kellogg’s cereal boxes; Kellogg’s partnered with the NFB at the highest level of sponsorship to provide employment for blind job seekers, as well as accessible cereal boxes that offer audio and Braille on each box. In order to access the information, the user can scan the QR code on each box with their phone, and the VoiceOver screen reader on an iPhone will speak the nutritional information aloud.?

????????????From the incredible sessions, to the documentary about Jack Chen, to meeting friends and networking with other professionals, my experiences at this year’s convention are unforgettable. This has always been a highlight of my summer that I consistently look forward to, and it’s hard to believe this is my tenth convention!?