No, this is not a futuristic dream.  This is a soon-possible reality.  This July, at the National Federation of the Blind Convention in Dallas, a blind driver will take to the road. Michael Hingson’s goal is to be that driver. Michael’s very life this far has defied all odds.  Surviving the 9/11 WTC Terrorist attacks with his guide dog Roselle was perhaps the most dramatic. But blind people are breaking barriers and stereotypes each and every day.

The 2010 Race for Independence – Blind Driver Challenge is an event guaranteed to change the very definition of being blind.  Advancements in technology combined with the spirit of innovation and the power of keeping an open mind are being brought together to turn our attitude about “abilities” and “disabilities” on its head!

Join Michael in making history by supporting him in forging a new “first” with your donation.  Select the “Support” button and help him reach his goal, while demonstrating that together we can make a difference and change history.

All of the money raised from this event will be returned to National Federation of the Blind state and local affiliates in the form of grants and direct funds to help in educating the public about blindness, provide scholarships for blind students, and to aid in the development of new technologies to help blind persons in all walks of life including an automobile which can be driven by a blind person.

It will also be used to support the NFB Jernigan Institute’s programs for children, youth, college students, adults, and seniors.

Together with the National Federation of the Blind, you and Michael will change what it means to be blind. Let’s rev up those engines!

Michael is a proud member of the National Federation of the Blind which raises funds to educate the general public about blindness.  This organization is of vital importance to Michael and countless others, as it has played a vital role in redefining what it means to be blind.

Michael’s fund raising team for this challenge is “NAGDU,” or the National Association of Guide Dog Users, of which Michael is Vice President.  Michael is an ardent advocate and teacher on the importance and value of the human-animal bond, and what it can show us about teamwork.  After all, it was his Guide Dog Roselle that led Michael and others down from the 78^th floor of Tower 1 of the WTC to safety on 9/11.

The NAGDU’s team goal is $30,000, which they must reach before the NFB Convention on July 1^st of this year.  Click on the support button now to be directed to the donation page.  Michael and his current Guide Dog Africa thank you in advance and will keep you informed of their progress.

###

National public speaker, teamwork and assistive technology expert, Michael Hingson is Vice President, National Association of Guide Dog Users (NAGDU) and President of the Michael Hingson Group, Inc. www.michaelhingson.com

Help Michael make history and by assisting him in his goal of raising $30,000!  Speed on over to the Race for Independence and donate today!

The need for keeping an open mind is evident in every area of our lives, whether related to medical breakthroughs, national healthcare, economic recovery and our personal qualify of life.  For example, as our nation is reportedly emerging from the economic recession which touched us all, has our response resulted in any substantive change? Even as the government is proposing widespread reforms, we have yet to hear leadership within the banking system taking any responsibility for the problems.  Nor are we seeing evidence that the banking industry is willing to open up small business lending.  Without a change in mindset within the banking industry, new regulations will likely fail to initiate policies which could foster the creation of new small businesses, creating jobs and generating profits that return to the community.

Self-assessment should be a part of our everyday lives, not just corporately, but individually.  “Did I do the best job here?”  “How could I have handled that conversation better?”  “How can I better teach my kids so they will grow up to be the kind of adults that any parent can admire?”  Truly looking at one’s actions is hard to do.  There is a reason why we are our own worst critic. Nevertheless, taking a minute or two several times a day to examine what we are doing and how we are doing it with an eye toward finding ways to improve will lead us towards becoming better workers, better family members, better friends, and better people.  The process starts with an open mind and a willingness to learn.

The enemy of growth and progress is a rigid belief structure that allows no room to learn from others or even ourselves.  As a suggestion, start each morning by asking “what can I do differently to improve myself today?”  Before going to bed at night ask what did I do differently to improve myself today?”  The very act of asking these questions will set you on a course towards progress.  As you genuinely look for answers, you may be pleasantly surprised.

This past March, I learned of the death of Dr. Arnall Patz at the age of 89.  Most people have never heard of Doctor Patz or his work.  I never knew him by name until three years ago.

In the late 1940s, Doctor Patz began to observe that babies born prematurely who were subjected to pure oxygen for two or more weeks exhibited a much higher incidence of blindness than babies who were not subjected to continuous pure oxygen for the same duration.  Upon definitive analysis and observation of 75 prematurely born children, Dr. Patz was able to establish a direct correlation between pure oxygen environments for some of these babies and blindness.

He applied to the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation for grants to study this phenomenon.  As he told me when I met him in 2007, his grant application was rejected by both organizations, saying that there could not possibly be any correlation between pure oxygen and blindness since, after all, we all breathe oxygen and that it was breathing oxygen that keeps us alive.  He was told that his observations could not possibly be scientific in nature.

By the mid-1950s, retrolental fibroplasia, (known today as retinopathy of prematurity) was recognized by many ophthalmologists as the leading cause of blindness in the United States.  In fact, it was so widespread among premature births that it lowered the average age of blindness in the United States in 1955 from 67 to 65 years of age.    Notwithstanding the original lack of support from the NIH and the NSF, Doctor Patz’ findings were validated and his position was vindicated.

I was one of those premature babies who became blind because of retrolental fibroplasia.  I was fortunate that my parents decided that they would not be using the “pity approach” to blindness to raise their child.

Today, retinopathy of prematurity still causes blindness, but only when a prematurely born child must receive continuous pure oxygen to survive.  It is now a “given” that if a newborn in an incubator can live without being subjected to ongoing pure oxygen for weeks, then irregular air supply should be utilized as much as possible in order to prevent the blindness we now know can be caused by pure oxygen.

You may be asking what relevance does this story have us personally and the for the world in which we live today.  The answer is quite simple if you take a look at the dynamics: On the one hand we had a lone doctor who observed something radically different than what traditional science believed to be fact.  On the other hand we had the predominant leaders of the scientific world who rejected scientific facts because they were unwilling or unable to keep enough of an open mind to objectively study Doctor Patz’s data.  As history revealed, Dr. Patz was correct and the so-called scientific community was wrong.  The delay on the part of science certainly caused more children to go blind than were necessary.

How often do we decide that something told to thus or even some observation we make ourselves cannot possibly be true because it goes against our established pattern of experience and belief?  How often do we fail to keep an open mind and thus miss a chance to learn something new?  A closed mind is a form of blindness.  If we close our minds to new ideas and concepts other than those we have come to accept we may never experience the growth and benefits that those new ideas and concepts potentially bring.

By “keeping an open mind” we can avoid unnecessary blindness figuratively, and as Dr. Patz’s life demonstrated, literally.

This innovative program will take place Thursday, March 4, beginning at 9PM Eastern time, 8PM Central, 7PM Mountain, 6PM Pacific and 4PM Hawaiian time. In order to attempt to make this program as available to all as possible we are offering two ways to participate.

If you wish to participate via phone Here are the dial-in instructions for the call. The call — in number is (218) 339-3600. The access code is 329906#. Simply call in no later than times given above to be a part of this call. The program is free. Only any relevant long distance charges will apply.

You can also log into our conference room as well.

Please bring your questions as well as your own reading techniques. Please be ready to share and learn from the many other KnfbReader Mobile users and experts who will be participating in the call. No question is too silly and no idea is unwelcome. If you do not own a KnfbReader Mobile here is a chance for you to hear first hand from users how they read, learn, and succeed using this marvelous invention.

I look forward to meeting you all Thursday evening. Thank you in advance for participating in this first KnfbReader Mobile users forum.

Best,

Mike Hingson

The first event was the announcement that President Obama was awarded the Nobel peace prize.  The second more subtle part to the national dialogue on teamwork came with the announcement that Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback Brett Farve “has now beaten every NFL team.”  What do these two events have in common?  In both cases, golden opportunities were missed to highlight “team spirit” and to enhance a greater feeling of unity in this country during such a critical time in our nation’s history.

In the case of “Brett Farve defeating every NFL team,” the last time I checked, football was not an individual sport but rather a game based on team play.  In fact, Mr. Farve has not, and I quote, “defeated every team.”  A more appropriate headline would have been, “Brett Farve has led his teams to victory against every NFL team.”  Brett Farve is a true leader and as such he himself has always pointed out that he is part of a team and that his victories are the team’s victories.  He like other true team sports heroes recognizes the value of teamwork.

His greatest accomplishment, I submit, is not his play on the field but rather the work behind the scenes which he accomplishes to create a winning team spirit and to unify a diverse group of people into a cohesive winning and successful team.

Now let’s take a look at President Obama’s achievement.  After the announcement was made that President Barack Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize, the backlash throughout the media was not a sense of pride over the positive recognition the President had brought to America by winning such a universally accepted honor but rather negative commentary such as: “what has he really accomplished to deserve this prize?, and “perhaps the Nobel Prize committee was making a political statement” instead of awarding the prize to someone who truly deserved it.

Of course, many of the less-than-positive comments directed toward this incredible award were politically motivated.  Steeped in politics or not, all of the negative commentary throughout the United States political spectrum only served to show how little concern our so-called “thought leaders” have for team spirit or desire to create a sense of unity in this country.

Over the past several years I have written many articles and given many speeches concerning the subject of teamwork and the concepts of teambuilding.  I constantly marvel at the fact that so many people say they want to build better teams but when shown how to do so refuse to take responsibility for making teaming relationships a  reality.  I constantly wonder why if teamwork is such an important goal and if people wanted so much why is it so hard to achieve?

I suspect that the answer is that people don’t really understand teamwork or they are hesitant to subject themselves to the interdependence that teamwork requires.

So how can we contribute to bringing back a sense of unity and teamwork in the United States?  First, we must want to be part of the team.  The fact is that we have team relationships throughout every aspect of our lives.  We have relationships with coworkers, spouses, other students and teachers if we are in school, and some of us even have strong team relationships with other creatures such as the one I have with my guide dog, Africa.  Think of what our world would be like if we didn’t have such team relationships.  We should be grateful for these relationships and the opportunities they afford us to add value and help shape our destiny, personally and nationally.

A sense of unity and teamwork in our country is no different.  It doesn’t matter that the whole United States team contains over 350 million members.  The fact is we should still view our entire population as other members on the same team.  If we don’t value and accept our interdependence and make that work for the greater good, how can we expect to reach our potential greatness as a country?

Second, we must lead by example.  What is each of us doing to help create a sense of teamwork in the United States?  Are we demanding that our political leaders find ways to work together?  Are we insisting that the various factions of Congress stopped throwing stones and start getting creative in finding solutions to our country’s problems?

I leave you with this question.  What have you done today to help build a better team?

Earlier today I decided to put a little adventure in my life and answer an invitation to take an online survey. In this case I knew the source of the survey and was expecting it. In the course of answering the numerous questions on a wide variety of subjects I was asked my employment status. I was asked to check the box most relevant to my situation. The choices I was given included “employed,” “concerned about my employment status,” “have a family member who is unemployed,” “unemployed,” and “retired or disabled.” “Ding ding ding” went the alarm bells in my head! “Retired or disabled”? What a strange choice to offer. I am sure that the creator of the survey had the best of intentions, but in that one choice he or she promulgated the long-standing inequality faced by disabled people and once again promoted the perception that disabled people could not really be employed.

As a disabled person or, if you will, a person with a disability, I encounter daily misconceptions and incorrect perceptions about my blindness. For example, when I am using my guide dog people often ask me questions such as “how does your dog know where it is going” or “how did your dog know to make that last left or right turn”? The perception is that the dog does everything and that I just tag along for the ride. When I use my white cane instead of a guide dog people seem to think that I’m even worse off and are always asking if they can “help” me especially when in the course of walking my cane encounters an obstacle. In reality, the cane is supposed to find obstacles and objects and then I determined how to go around or avoid them. However, sighted people interpret my cane locating an object as me bumping into it which in fact is hardly the case.

I understand these misconceptions because from birth, children in our society are taught to see without getting any real instruction about how to use their other senses as alternatives to sight. We do not teach children real inclusiveness where disabilities are concerned. Our children grow up to believe that if they could not see they would not be able to function.

For many years the Gallup polling organization has conducted surveys which show that one of the top five fears in our country is the fear of blindness. To a slightly lesser degree, so-called able-bodied people fear most any disability according to Gallup surveys. Certainly we all feel afraid of the possibility that we might lose something that we deem important in our lives. Losing a sense or”ability” would constitute a dramatic change in the way any of us live. However, there’s a difference between the fear of losing an ability and the perception that without it we could not live a “normal life.”

When people ask me if I need assistance while walking down the street I know for the most part they have the best of intentions. The fact is, like any of us, sometimes I even need assistance. Each one of us needs help and assistance from time to time. For example, someone simply walking to their car while carrying a number of bags or packages can always use an extra hand or two. There is the occasional person who will offer assistance to an individual laden down with stuff they are caring to their car. Far be it from me to condemn someone who offers me assistance because the person asking to help might very well be the one who would lend an extra hand to the person carrying all those packages.

The fact is, however, that many people offer assistance to persons with a disability because they do not know that disability does not mean lack of ability or competence. For my part, it is important that I respond appropriately to offers of help. It does no one any good to react in anger to offers of assistance. An invitation to help is at least an opportunity to educate just a bit. I must admit that sometimes the role of constant educator does get a bit trying. Nevertheless it is important to me to be patient, and sometimes even bite my tongue while attempting to change someone’s incorrect perception about what I can and cannot do.

I am often asked if I believe that blind and other disabled persons are better off today than in the past. In some ways I believe that we are. For example for me as a blind person Braille is easier and cheaper to produce. Technology offers me a plethora of ways to access information, travel more independently than ever, and in general live life with less difficulty than before those technological marvels were made available to me.

On the other hand, are we more socially integrated into society than we were 50, 20, or even 10 years ago? I think not, or at least I do not believe that we are significantly better off from a true social integration standpoint. The survey I took this morning is a perfect example of the lack of integration we face. Rather than offering an option of “retired or disabled” a more appropriate choice of words would’ve been “retired or unable to work”. Being unable to work opens up a whole realm of possibilities including temporary injury, illness, a family situation, and yes even a possibility of a severe disability which specifically keeps someone from working.

I will know that I am truly integrated into society when people regard me as amazing because of some amazing thing that I do rather than because I do the same things that they do except that I happened to be blind. I will know that I’m a real first-class citizen when I can walk into restaurants with friends and the wait staff asked me for my order rather than asking my sighted colleagues “what does he want?” I will know that I have arrived when I can go to meetings and conventions where all the materials given to sighted people are available to me in Braille or another accessible form.

In 2008 we elected a new president of the United States who ran on a platform of change and hope. President-elect Obama’s platform included statements reflecting his concern about improving the status of persons with disabilities in this country. I hope he follows through on the views he expressed on his website during the campaign concerning disabled people.

True and full integration is not easy. It starts with desire and it continues with education. I invite your comments and thoughts on the discussion. Only through enlightened and frank talk can we come to a better understanding of ourselves and each other and eventually attain a real inclusive world.

Another major change for me has been forming The Michael Hingson Group, a new, creative work environment and opportunity to add meaning to my life and the lives of others. For my part, I am excited and grateful for the opportunities and challenges ahead. I appreciate the fact that you are sharing this journey with me.

September brought more changes, personally as well as for our country. Let me first discuss the personal changes in my life and then offer a few comments about some of the changes ahead of us collectively.

As many of you know, in March 2007, my guide dog Roselle retired after seven years of service; she remains my friend, a member of my family and a hero to me and so many others. My sixth guide dog Meryl succeeded Roselle and has been my guide for the past year and a half. Unfortunately, Meryl has not been able to adapt well to the constantly changing demands of my active schedule. Last week, I had to retire Meryl to relieve her from the stress she was exhibiting while guiding.

For any blind person who has to retire a guide dog, the change associated with transitioning from one guide to another is difficult and sometimes can be very traumatic. For my part, I know that retiring Meryl was the best thing that I could do for her. She returned to Guide Dogs for the Blind for a complete evaluation, with the possibility that she be retrained and reissued to another blind person where she can be a better match. Meantime, I eagerly wait to see who my seventh guide dog will be.

The waiting leads me to reflect on the changes I had to face with each new guide dog. Change, obstacles, and opportunities all have choices associated with them. The most basic choice we face whenever we encounter something new is whether or not what is happening to us is positive or negative. Many times our first reaction to any kind of change is a negative one. As we grow and mature we seem to become conditioned to the idea that change is hard, difficult, and something to be avoided at almost any cost.

Most of us are reluctant to embrace the adventures and opportunities that change can offer us. 9-11, certainly one of the greatest tragedies this country has ever faced, brought with it the opportunity to make some very positive changes in our thinking and how we interact with the rest of the world. It is so very unfortunate, I think, that our leaders did not take full advantage of the opportunities to form much stronger international alliances, building on our shared values and goals as the basis for new friendships.

I suggest that whenever we, individually or collectively, face a change we should look beyond the obvious risks to examine the positive aspects and opportunities within the change. Both presidential candidates talk a great deal about change – the need for “something new” in Washington. I agree. I believe the person most likely to bring real change to our country is the candidate who presents change as positive, not driven by fear and negativity.

We should never precipitate change based simply on an emotional reaction, positive or negative. Change needs to be part of a plan for improvement with clear benefits. The goal of change is positive progress. The unifying reality, despite our ideological differences, is that each of us can and should participate in the choice. Our presidential candidates should do more than talk about change. If change is really to occur, then the winning candidate needs to prove to all of us that he knows how to bring about change and that he has a plan to positively manage it.

I could have continued to work with Meryl and it is even possible that I might have been able to work her through her fears and stress. Based on my many years of successful partnership, my prediction for successful was not high. I think her spirit might have suffered greatly in the process. I took the plunge towards change because I was prepared to manage the outcome, to ensure it was positive for both of us. I embrace Meryl’s retirement with joy and with eager anticipation for the future. I suggest that we can usually find a positive aspect to any change, especially when we remained focused on bringing about the greatest good.

Expect to hear soon about the launch of my updated website at www.MichaelHingson.com. Meanwhile, I again ask that if you or someone you know is planning an event that needs a speaker, please refer them to the current website, where my speaking topics can be found. You can also check out my profile under Michael Hingson at http://www.linkedin.com .

In my next letter, I’ll be sharing another one of my speech topics, “ETHICS — THE REAL BOTTOM LINE”. You can anticipate getting a different view of our current mortgage prices than you may have encountered thus far. Stay tuned.

Again, thank you all for your interest and support. Until next time, be well and embrace the concept of change – it may not be as bad as you think.

Warm regards,

Mike Hingson

Michael Hingson

I am writing to ask for your participation and support. As you may know, I have ended my official position as National Spokesperson for Guide Dogs for the Blind on June 30th to pursue my own speaking and consulting business. Toward that end, I am seeking new connections with people interested in finding a unique speaker with a powerful, transformational message for an upcoming organization or company event.

Since my guide dog “Roselle” and I escaped from Tower One of the World Trade Center on 9-11, I have traveled extensively, speaking on topics such as Trust and Teamwork, Safety Preparedness, Handling Change and Diversity. I have found that the audiences of events of all types, such as sales kickoffs, corporate retreats, non-profit fund raisers, graduations and school assemblies, respond to the powerful underlying message of empowerment and overcoming adversity.

You may learn more about my successful speaking experience by visiting www.michaelhingson.com and by reading my profile in LinkedIn.

Last month, I was featured in the first of a two part article about my WTC experiences in a widely circulated newsletter called the DAISY Planet. DAISY Planet promotes technological innovation, empowerment and awareness of accessibility issues. Regarding the July issue of the Planet:

“One of the major highlights in this issue is ‘Your Stories.’ Michael

Hingson’s story is to say the least, utterly amazing…”

The July DAISY Planet is now available at:

http://www.daisy.org/news/newsletters/planet-2008-07.shtml…”

If you are planning meetings or events and are looking for an unforgettable, transformational message to motivate and inspire, I would like to explore the opportunity to work with you. Likewise, please pass my information on to anyone in your personal or professional network who may be interested in finding a keynote speaker.

Thanks in advance for your consideration and assistance. Should you have any questions or want to get in touch please contact me at (415) 827-4084 or info@michaelhingson.com.

Take care. I hope we can talk soon.

Warm regards,

Mike Hingson

P.S. As I launch my new blog site and newsletter, building my online audience, I’ll be looking for positive synergies, interviewing guest speakers who valuable insights to share pertaining to accessibility and inclusion issues as well.