In The Mountain of SGaana, Haida filmmaker Christopher Auchter spins a magical tale of a young man who is stolen away to the spirit world, and the young woman who rescues him.
https://www.nfb.ca/film/mountain_of_sgaana/

Need a break from the gonzo politics and general bullshit? Here's a documentary about Cree fiddlers from North Ontario, Canada traveling to the Orkney Islands, Scotland tracing the roots of their music:

https://www.nfb.ca/film/fiddlers_of_james_bay/

This is going to ruffle some feathers but its my opinion. Personally, I believe its possible for #Blind people to be employed, and not just in blindness specific jobs that don't pay well enough to be worth the work, no, I believe its possible for blind people to be employed into the mainstream at high levels, and by mainstream, i mean both government and private sector, and I'm not talking 5 figures here, which isn't bad, i won't lie there, but no, 6 figures and above. I also personally believe that largely, the blind community has essentially given up. I think its a matter of 3 things, 1, learned helplessness, why try when everyone else has failed so logically, there's no point when only less than 1 percent of the community makes it to those positions? I know that's what many people think and while I'm not saying its easy to do, I believe that its not as grim as people say it is because let's be honest, blind people have skills, bline people have the same abilities as anyone to do well at very high level jobs, and blind people can live rich lives filled with great things, but its that learned helplessness holding many back. The second thing is lack of connections, while the #NFB and #ACB are good organizations in terms of advocacy, they are having problems in terms of real tangible programming that allows blind people to get into these high level positions and that's due to 2 things, scandals, and organizational leadership mismanagement. We can't have the spector of these scandals that I won't go into especially with the NFB continue to block our path to success, and its important to regain the powers we once had in the world, because right now, the blindness specific organizations are much weaker than they were even in the 70's and 80's. My dad told me of a time when the NFB had the power to attract congressional leaders and now they can't even do that for their conventions, its mostly lower level government officials now. The third problem I see is that we continue to not push the making of our own paths, business isn't taught, learning how to affectively market ourselves if we want jobs or learning how to start businesses just isn't a thing and I've seen it, how many blind business owners are there? I know of very few personally, and that's sad because if we can't get jobs, why not make our own jobs? why must some people simply give up and continue living on the government's dime when blindness is perfectly able to be dealt with, especially in 2024? I've heard some people say well, its not worth it,or, its risky or its easier not to work and get a check than it is to do any of these things and to that I say, sure, its easier but is it a better life? Who wants to live in their parents house when they're 50? I know i don't. In the end, I'm not hear to judge anyone, that's not why I made this post, I made this post to point out that its actually possible to get to where you want to go if work is put into it. Hell, i wouldn't have my job now if I didn't do anything to make it happen, that and connections help, oh, and one more thing, we need to bring Braille literacy up, I mean by a whole lot, because if you can't read braille, you can't read, end of story, and I am not budging on this point and yes, I'm a fluent braille reader. If you can't read, you'll only get shit jobs, its just the deal and nothing will convince me otherwise. WE fix these things and we'll be alright, but it starts with the mentality, first and formost because without a better outlook on things, absolutely nothing gets done and that leads to more problems down the road. We're already not taken seriously by society and I'm sorry to say but that's our fault as a populous, and not necessarily all the sighted people's problems, even though I have a lot to say about the sighted population. Thank you for reading/listening.

Are you #blind or #LowVision and live in the United States?
Participate in a 90-minute study about #CloudComputing platforms.
$275 for completing the session.

Follow this link to apply and please specify Chris Smart, SmartWebTester@gmail.com as the person who referred you.
http://link.utest.com/cloud-accessibility-refchris

A good reminder why the blindness community needs to fight for excellent smartphone accessibility and uptake. A great opinion piece in tpday's Washington Post about how "Access to services, benefits and discounts is migrating to mobile apps — and leaving the needy behind."
#blind #blindness #nfb #Smartphones #accessibility
Link:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/12/04/smart-phone-access-unequal/

The Canadian National film board, in honor of Wade Hemsworth's birthday, just reminded me of the existence if this video. (Does anyone know if CBC is still playing it?)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upsZZ2s3xv8

@Peiress @jscholes Indeed, its why I appreciate my own O and M instructor. She has definitely helped me by teaching me to use all the tools possible, even telling me that its okay to get help sometimes if I'm lost. I feel like a lot of #NFB people are all about, "You should do it yourself and help is for the weak and getting help is a sign that your afraid to be blind.", but the thing is, that's not how real life works as much as NFB people think it is, or at least the ones who preach the philosophy but don't have jobs whatsoever and aren't seriously looking for work. Anyway, using tech, learning routes, learning cardinal directions, all things I am and will be learning to do, but my instructur's philosophy is that its good to learn, but learn as many tools as you can use to get around safely so that you have as many tools in the toolbox so you can make sure to get home safely at the end of the day. #Blind

You know that old memory game we used to play on long car trips? “I went to the shop, and I bought …” and you would add one more item to the list with every person who took a turn at the game? Well we have a new version from Bonnie. “I went to the exhibit hall, and I bought or was given, an #NFB telescopic white cane, so much candy that it would drive Jonathan out of ketosis if it was even written down, a set of headphones, a phone lanyard, a keychain, another keychain with a USB stick on it, yet another keychain, some coffee, a travel mug that says “Live the Life you Want” in Spanish, and a snack pack. Then I left. And then, yes and then, I went back to the exhibit hall the next day, after a really big think overnight, and I bought…a new Brailliant. Mate! #NFB24

Jaws Discount. Like in past years, Freedom Scientific is offering a 20% discount for upgrading your SMA or Annual license during the time of the ACB and NFB conventions; July 3rd thru 12th. You can call and do it by phone, or do it online. You will just need one of these codes, ACB24 or NFB24. If doing it online, just know that the place you put in the code is on down the page past all of the charges. Here is the link to do it online... https://support.freedomscientific.com/Products/UpgradeAndSMARenewal. #Jaws #Discount #ACB #NFB #Convention #Blind

From the NFB Mailing list:
FAA Reauthorization Act Signed into Law
Dear Federation Family,
Congratulations to us all on our hard work regarding the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act! Because of our tremendous work, the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate passed H.R. 3935 with overwhelming bipartisan support keeping all the accessibility provisions intact. On May 16, 2024, President Biden signed into law H.R. 3935, the “FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024.”
Specific accessibility provisions in H.R. 3935 that would benefit blind and disabled air travelers include:
• Training requirements for assisting passengers with disabilities.
• Better access standards for the accessibility of in-flight entertainment.
• Improved access to airline websites.
• Initiates a pilot program for air passengers to register their service animal, eliminating the need to complete the service animal forms for each flight.
Statement from President Biden After Signing FAA Reauthorization Act.
Message from President Riccobono
“While blind people use air travel like everyone else, it is often not an accessible or pleasant experience for us,” said Mark Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind. “From booking our trip on an airline website to ensuring that the airline will accommodate our guide dog or cane to receiving appropriate assistance from airport and airline personnel, any trip can present a series of challenges, sometimes even resulting in delayed or denied travel. We cannot even always relax after jumping through all those hoops to enjoy the in-flight entertainment because the systems and content may not be accessible. Provisions in this version of the FAA Reauthorization Act will help to address all of these issues. We therefore commend Congress for its passage and President Biden for signing it into law." #NFB #Blind #Aviation

An open letter to the NFB board of directors:

"The NFB, as an organization that advocates for the rights and well-being of the blind, has the responsibility to ensure all of its members, including those from the LGBTQ+ community, can participate fully and safely.
The time for dialogue without action has passed. We are calling for tangible, immediate changes that would ensure a future where the NFB fully supports and advocates for its LGBTQ+ members. No organization that claims to fight for the rights of blind people can afford to overlook the interwoven tenets of human rights for all."

Read more and sign here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vRDvIgrbsKxLTL7IK7CuswgT2zJF8dibKANV1tAXw3Gi3AwlImqoP0YSRMRmUqfZztI-uCC0JUKu6qX/pub

#transRightsAreHumanRights #NFB #NFB24 #lgbtqia #lgbtqia+ #blind