This Ties That Bind Us is sponsored by Matt The Carpet Guy.
OCEAN CITY, Md. — Blindness is not what holds you back. That was the message shared in Ocean City as the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland hosted an event bringing together guest speakers, vendors and hundreds of attendees in support of people who are blind or have low vision.
The gathering focused on sharing resources, technology and personal stories, all with the goal of empowering individuals to live, learn and work without limits.
Ronza Othman, a volunteer with the federation, said the nonprofit has helped her and many others gain independence.
“I thought I was doing a great job, and I was living in the world and living my best life until I met a whole bunch of blind and low vision people who had a lot more independent skills than I did,” Othman said.
Devices like the Dot Pad give users the ability to read content connected to their tablets — from reading Harry Potter to feeling different types of drawings.
Othman said the organization receives around $250,000 a year in donations, money she says goes directly back into programs that support the blind community.
“We offer something called the NFB Bell Academy Braille Enrichment in Literacy and Learning. And those are essentially summer camps for blind and low vision kids, so they can learn braille and assistive technology and how to use their canes in their communities,” she said.
In addition to guest speakers, attendees had the chance to explore new technology designed to increase independence.
Devices like the Dot Pad give users the ability to read content connected to their tablets — from reading Harry Potter to feeling different types of drawings.
Chris Danielsen, a board member of the federation in Maryland, said events like this highlight what is possible.
“People really need to understand that they can live with blindness and they can still be happy. They can still learn. They can still work. They can still be productive. So it means an awful lot to me, personally, to be able to give back what I was given and to talk to people and say, you know, your life is not over just because you lost the one sense of your eyesight, you're going to be okay,” Danielsen said.
According to Othman, the federation has around 2,000 members across Maryland. Leaders say the organization continues to grow and that anyone interested in joining is encouraged to reach out.