Convention to develop awareness about the visually impaired

A revolutionary new device which helps the visually impaired to read will be unveiled this weekend at the state National Federation of the Blind, NFB, convention at Four Points Sheraton in Rock Island.

“This is exciting,” said Lois Montgomery, president of the Illinois chapter of the federation, of the NFB Kurswile Reader. “You just hold it above any type of print and push a button and it’s going to scan the page and read it to you. It will scan anything. You can take it to the grocery store or out in public with you.”

The convention, which begins today, will feature speakers discussing a variety of issues pertaining to the blind, including workplace topics and dating. The forums begin this afternoon.

“How would a sighted person approach a blind person for a date?” Montgomery asked. “We want to educate the public. It’s as much for the sighted as it is for the blind.”

She said a new voting machine which will allow the blind to cast their votes independently also will be on display. Local dignitaries who plan to be in attendance include Rep. Mike Boland, D-East Moline, and Rock Island Mayor Mark Schwiebert.

Representatives from Illinois Rehabilitation Services and the federation’s training centers also will be on hand. “They will be discussing everyday living skills, travel and mobility skills, computer skills, cooking skills, anything that helps a blind person to become more independent on a daily basis,” Montgomery said.

On Saturday, there will be a panel discussion on blind people in sports as well as another forum on religion. The group will discuss two resolutions, one on rehabilitation issues and another on accessible software.

Robert Gardner, president of the local Blackhawk chapter of the federation, said attitudes about the blind also will be discussed.

“The type of attitude that sometimes happens is that people are ashamed of their blindness, and often times people who are newly blind try to hide it because they are embarrassed,” he said. “Part of the (federation’s) philosophy is that blindness isn’t anything to be ashamed of. It’s another condition of being human.”

He said the federation tries to dispel the myth that the blind are “helpless,” adding that many of the group’s members complain that people often are too eager to assist them while they’re walking down the street.

About 50 people belong to the local Blackhawk chapter, Gardner said.

“We have people of all conditions and ages,” he said. “At times we’ve had members who were in their low teens all the way to people who were well into their eighties. Some lost sight in middle ages, for others it was a genetic disease or diabetes.”

The last time Rock Island hosted that state convention was 1999. “We thought it was time to come back to Rock Island,” Montgomery said.

About 150 people plan to attend the convention.