News
Person to Know: Erik Ivan Hernandez
September’s Person to Know is Erik Ivan Hernandez of the Rio Grande Valley Chapter. Erik was born in Brownsville, TX and spent his childhood in Matamoros, Mexico, before returning to Brownsville at age 14. He has one brother and one sister. Erik was born with Stickler Syndrome, which caused partial blindness.
Announcing the 2015 State Convention
The annual convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas is scheduled to take place during the weekend of Nov. 13-15, 2015 at the Holiday Inn Austin Midtown, located at 6000 Middle Fiskville Road, Austin.
Gabe Cazares
“I love politics; that’s what I do. I had the privilege of working in Texas for Senator Wendy Davis’s gubernatorial bid, where I got a lot of field experience. I was the first blind person to actively work with the Texas Democratic Party doing field work.
'Visual Challenges Art Exhibit' Raises $5,000 for Braille Literacy Programs
The Rio Grande Valley Chapter’s “Visual Challenges Art Exhibit” raised $5,000 for upcoming NFB-BELL and Silver Bells programs sponsored by the affiliate. The exhibit, which took place Oct. 21 at the Altum Restaurant and Bar, was created in conjunction with the Artists Factory, a local and growing school of art.
Our Move to Houston Affords New Partnerships, Lower Costs
The National Federation of the Blind of Texas office officially moved to Alvin, Texas, a suburb of Houston, on Oct. 1.
The change will allow the team, and especially our affiliate’s President, to spend more time building the Federation rather than paying for transportation to Austin, which is a three-hour drive.
NFB of Texas Launches New Website
Designed to be more interactive and focused on reaching people who have never met us before, our new site showcases the wealth of information and resources available to Texans who are blind or have low vision. Designed to be fully accessible to those who use screen magnification or text-to-speech screen readers, our new site brings some of the latest Web 2.0 technologies and further showcases that accessibility, w
Register Now and Learn How We're
The theme of this year's convention is "Live the Life You Want at Work." Raising expectations about employment for blind Texans is our goal. We'll have speakers who can tell us how to navigate the rehabilitation process as we work through changes in our service deliver model. We'll hear from successful blind people who juggle work, school, and home life.
Austin-Area Blind Sue Ridesharing Companies for Discrimination
Two ridesharing companies who rolled into Austin as Uber and Lyft moved out earlier this year, Fare and Get Me, refused to make their mobile phone apps accessible to riders who use text-to-speech softw
Win $500 to Attend a 3-Day Legislative Event in Washington, DC
Every year, members and leaders of the National Federation of the Blind meet with our elected senators and representatives to introduce the agenda of blind Americans. This year, during our meetings scheduled for Jan.
Su Park
As an incoming high school senior, Ms. Park became the youngest member on the team of a for-profit, British-based company developing a product for high-stakes testing environments. "Taking the job was very scary and surreal," she said. "I basically didn't expect anything to come of my comments, so I was very thankful that my manager thought me important enough to put me on his team.
Funeral Services Set for Longtime Leader Harley Fetterman
It is with profound sorrow that we must report the passing of Harley Fetterman, who has been battling leukemia over an extended period of time. On Friday, July 29, doctors told his family that there was nothing more to be done, and he joined Heaven’s angels Sunday, July 31.
Counting Down to the NFB-BELL Academy of Texas
The NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy provides blind and low-vision children, ages four through twelve, with concentrated braille and nonvisual skills instruction through fun, hands-on learning.
We're Seeking Donations of Gently-Used Braille Books
At our annual convention this summer in Orlando, we'll be giving away gently-used, braille books to students, teachers, parents, and even adult braille learners. Whereas sighted children can easily browse their local library for reading material, blind students often wait weeks or pay extra for braille materials.
Tamer Zaid
The reason I have my job is because the NFB gave me a positive outlook on life. Blind people, I learned, could work in any job. The NFB also gave me independence. Every day, I know that the loving family of Federationists around the country is rooting for me. That’s a big motivator. Without the hope that the NFB gives to me, I could not go to work every day.
Mourning the Loss of Longtime Leader Jeff Pearcy
Mourning the Loss of Longtime Leader Jeff Pearcy
Remembrance | Funeral Arrangements
Remembrance
We’ve lost one our affilaite’s pioneers, and—for many of us—a dear friend. Jeff Pearcy has been waging a battle against dementia for the past few years, and Sunday, he passed away.