Category Archives: Advocacy

2019 National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind Review

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NFB Logo
NFB Logo

I want to reach out and tell you of my experiences at the recent 2019 National convention of the National Federation of the Blind. For me it was a great opportunity to again be part of the @Aira experience and to be with over 3,300 blind people to discuss the issues facing blind and low vision people today.

I had the chance to catch up with many friends and colleagues. One of my relatively new favorite friends is @EricBurton. I met Eric last year through Aira. For years, after losing his eyesight Eric sat on a couch believing that his life was a thing of the past. When he discovered #Aira everything changed.

It is a beautiful thing to see Eric blossom and evolve into a productive and quite incredible testimony to the fact that, as Mark Riccobono the president of the National Federation of the Blind says, “Blindness is not what holds you back”.  Check out Eric’s web site at http://www.elburton.com. He is an inspiration to us all.

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Walmart Announces Nationwide Rollout of ScripTalk Service

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Walmart ScripTalk Audible Label Device
Walmart ScripTalk Audible Label Device

Walmart has officially announced the nationwide rollout of ScripTalk audible prescription labels as a free service for their low vision, blind and print impaired pharmacy customers.  This expansion of services means all pharmacists and locations should now be aware of the service which will make requesting the service at any Walmart location a lot easier!!

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Aira Three Million Minute Milestone Celebration – March Madness

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Dear Friends & Family of Aira,

michael hingson wearing Aira glasses

In celebration of our three million-minute milestone, we’re running a promotion where you can get three months of Aira absolutely free. This is an exclusive offer for new users, and Friends & Family of Aira (that’s you!). Sign up for the Intro Plan today, pay for the first month, and we’ll cover the cost of the next three consecutive months.

That’s $29 for four months of on-demand access to our certified agents.

To sign up using this promo, call our toll free number at 1-800-835-1934 and make sure you mention “March Madness”. But you better be quick, we’re only running this offer until March 31, 2019! This offer is only valid if you have a free Aira account and have never paid for a monthly plan before.

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Do More Foundation

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Do More Foundation Logo

A Further Way Aira is beginning to work to address the issue of the cost of its service comes through the formation of a nonprofit organization called the Do More foundation. Recently I have been asked to accept the position of donor relations within the foundation to help it secure funding. Our initial effort will be to secure funds to help cities and other public facilities establish Aira access within their borders. It would be great, for example, if any blind person could go visit any city public building and travel independently to any office with Aira and not have to pay for the service because the service was subsidized by the city with the help of the Do More foundation. How about visiting public libraries? How about visiting city parks or even going to the county fair and having full access to Aira? These are all the immediate kinds of things we will be working to make happen with the help of the foundation. You can learn more about the foundation by visiting http://domore.io. Continue reading →

Help Me Assist Students Who Are Blind, Low Vision or Deaf-Blind

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Hello! Back to school season is nearly upon us. For many, the phrase back to school conjures thoughts of new experiences, making new friends, buying new school supplies, and maybe even working with new technology. For thousands of students who are blind, low vision, or deaf-blind, and entering college, the phrase also conjures thoughts of navigating a new and exciting campus environment. To support these students we are launching a new campaign – the Back to School Fundraising Campaign – and we would love for you to be a part of it!  Continue reading →

Express Employment Professionals Makes Testing Accessible to Blind Job Seekers

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Baltimore, Maryland (July 11, 2018): Express Employment Professionals, a leading national staffing company, has committed to ensuring that its employee testing solutions can be used by blind and low-vision job seekers and employees. The decision was made after consultation with the National Federation of the Blind, the oldest and largest nationwide organization of blind people in the United States and a leading advocate for equal employment and digital accessibility. The commitment means that Express’ testing solutions will be usable by blind applicants who access computers and digital information with technologies like text-to-speech screen readers and/or Braille displays. Continue reading →

United States Senate Greenlights Marrakesh Treaty and Implementing Legislation

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National Federation of the Blind Applauds Senate Vote

Washington, DC (June 28, 2018): The United States Senate today provided its advice and consent for ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled. The chamber also approved the treaty’s implementing legislation (S. 2559), which will make modest adjustments to US copyright law to fully comply with the treaty.

 “For more than six years, the National Federation of the Blind has worked tirelessly toward this historic day for the blind of America and the world,” said Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “We applaud the United States Senate for providing its advice and consent for ratification of the treaty, as well as for passing S. 2559, the ‘Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act’. We urge the US House of Representatives to join their Senate colleagues in swiftly passing S. 2559, so that the door to expanded literacy and access to the world’s knowledge will be unlocked for millions of blind Americans.”

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 About the National Federation of the Blind

 The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.