By Jennifer Dunnam

At this writing, 87 Minnesotans have recently returned from Dallas, where we attended one of our best national conventions of the National Federation of the Blind.  We worked hard, learned much, participated in shaping the future direction of our movement, and had a good time while we were at it.  Whether or not you attended the convention, I encourage everyone to read about the proceedings in upcoming issues of the Braille Monitor.  Many of the speeches and other important activities will be printed there.  I also encourage everyone to join us next year at the convention, which will be in Orlando, Florida.  Our national convention serves many important purposes and helps us all get a broader view of our movement. 

Of course, one of the major issues discussed was our ongoing effort to get the exemption removed from the Fair Labor Standards Act so that blind people and others with disabilities must be paid at or above the minimum wage just like every other worker in the U.S.  Powerful presentations were made at the national convention by Anil Lewis, Fred Schroeder and others about why this exemption must be eliminated once and for all.  There are currently 81 co-sponsors of our legislation on this matter, H.R. 3086, and we thank Minnesota Congressmen Peterson, Ellison, and McCollum for being among them.  We are working to get a hearing on this bill.  We are also boycotting Goodwill International to urge them to relinquish their certificates of exemption and support real pay for real work for people with disabilities.

Mere days after we returned from the convention, an article about sheltered workshops appeared in the St. Paul Pioneer Press.  The article provided a very skewed picture of this issue.  It contained many quotes from management of facilities with subminimum-wage positions, painting a picture of people unable to do real work, being protected from expectations that might be too high, and being grateful for jobs that pay a pittance.  We have, of course, contacted the paper to help them understand the full story, and we look forward to continued work with the press as this issue unfolds. 

It is another busy summer.  At Blindness: Learning in New Dimensions (BLIND), Inc., our own adjustment-to-blindness training center, the buddy program for children and the Post-secondary Readiness & Empowerment Program (PREP) program for teenagers are in full swing.  On June 23, BLIND, Inc. was the featured organization at the Minnesota Lynx game; the staff and students in the PREP program were on court at half-time, so all in attendance got to learn about the important work and positive, progressive philosophy of blindness. 

In the recently-released book The Pillsburys of Minnesota by Lori Sturdevant, there is a photograph of our headquarters building, which was once the town home for the Charles S. Pillsbury family, and the author of the book mentions the work of BLIND, Inc. as the building's current everyday use.

Remember that our 31^st annual Walk for Opportunity will take place on September 8^th in Rochester.  A mailing will be sent to all members with the details.  We hope that you can join us, but if not, you can still help by soliciting donations from your acquaintances to help us fund our activities to improve the lives of blind people.  Please make plans to be a part of the Walk for Opportunity!

Be sure to check out the summer activities of our local chapters as well.  A very good summer to all!