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2019 Holman Prize
Meet Alieu Jaiteh: Holman Prizewinner and Social Entrepreneur
08/12/2019 Christina Daniels	1 Commenton Meet Alieu Jaiteh: Holman Prizewinner and Social Entrepreneur
Alieu Jaiteh is one of three recipients of the 2019 Holman Prize for Blind Ambition. The Holman Prize is awarded annually by LightHouse for the Blind to three blind individuals with ambitious ideas. With his award of $25,000, Alieu will provide blindness skills training to eighty people in rural Gambia.
Born and raised in The Gambia, Alieu became blind shortly after graduating high school. He was interested in being an accountant, but as he explains, "In The Gambia, when you are blind, you have two options: to become a teacher or a beggar. Well, I didn't want to be a beggar, so I chose to become a teacher."
After graduating from The Gambia College, Alieu applied and won a scholarship to kanthari international, an institute which provides leadership training for people who want to make social change. His instructors at kanthari were impressed with his work and leadership skills and secured funding to send him to the Louisiana Center for the Blind in the United States. At the Louisiana Center, Alieu learned rehabilitation and technology skills. "I had never cooked for myself before," he explains.
After experiencing the services and opportunities available to blind people firsthand, Alieu knew that he wanted those same things for blind people in his country. "I said to myself, I have to change the system. I started dreaming and wondering what I could do for myself and all the visually impaired people in The Gambia. That is where the dream of Start Now began."
Start Now Gambia, founded by Alieu, provides rehabilitation and technology training to blind Gambians. Start Now's mission is to provide blind people with the training they need to work in a variety of fields. As word spread about his organization, Alieu was met with skepticism. "People said this won't work. It's a waste of time," Alieu explains. Alieu's response was frank. "This is about changing lives. These are services that are not available here." Start Now Gambia has continued with the hard work of Alieu and other liked-minded people in The Gambia.
Alieu learned about the Holman Prize for Blind Ambition in 2017. He realized the prize would provide him an opportunity to expand his training outside of the capital of Banjul and into rural Gambia. He applied in 2018 and became a finalist but did not win. In 2019, Alieu considered applying again, but was skeptical about his chance for winning because of the caliber of the competition. Finally, with only two weeks left of the submission period, he applied. When asked what he did differently from the first time he applied, Alieu says, "I wrote a more focused, creative and detailed proposal."
The Holman Prize is named for James Holman, a blind explorer who was the most prolific traveler of anyone, blind or sighted, before the era of modern transportation. The prize is about shattering misconceptions and changing expectations about what blind people can do. On winning the Holman Prize, Alieu says, "This is an opportunity to transform the lives of blind and partially sighted people in rural Gambia to become confident and independent. This award is a dream come true and obviously a motivating spirit for all my future activities."
Alieu's Holman Prize journey began last October. Follow along at HolmanPrize.org or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Subscribe to the Holman Prize email newsletter by sending a message to holman@lighthouse-sf.org.
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Announcing the 2019 Holman Prizewinners
07/11/2019 LightHouse Staff	2 Commentson Announcing the 2019 Holman Prizewinners
San Francisco, CA, Thursday, July 11
All inquiries and interview requests to: press@lighthouse-sf.org.
LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired's Holman Prizewinners will each use their $25,000 awards to promote blind empowerment by building a tool for blind people to find exoplanets, taking a plunge into public transit in six cities around the world and developing a network of blind mentors for the first time in rural Gambia.
In just a few months, three intrepid blind individuals will set off around the world in a daring series of groundbreaking adventures as the 2019 winners of the Holman Prize for Blind Ambition.
We announce the three 2019 Holman Prize winners: Yuma Decaux, Alieu Jaiteh and Mona Minkara after a rigorous, multifaceted judging process. Each winning project embodies its own sense of adventure and ambition – Yuma plans to give blind citizens advanced tools to participate in astronomical research, Alieu will create a network of blind mentors in his home country of The Gambia, where this is unheard of, and Mona will immerse herself in an adventure on mass transit systems worldwide, documenting the experience on film.
Created to change perceptions and popularize the concept of "blind ambition", the San Francisco LightHouse's Holman Prize Holman Prize annually awards three blind adventurers up to $25,000 to support their ambitious dreams.
Now in its third year, the prize is named for James Holman (1786-1857), a Victorian-era adventurer and author. As the first blind person to circumnavigate the globe, he holds the further distinction of being the most prolific traveler in history, sighted or blind, prior to the invention of modern transportation.
"While many awards in the blindness field look toward past accomplishment, the LightHouse is determined to spark new initiatives for future growth by some of the world's most ambitious blind people," said LightHouse CEO Bryan Bashin.
The LightHouse was first introduced to the three applicants through their 90-second video pitches. You can see their original pitches here:
Yuma Decaux
Alieu Jaiteh
Mona Minkara
Yuma Decaux, Alieu Jaiteh and Mona Minkara were part of a competitive pool of 111 applicants from six continents.
View all 15 Holman finalists' video pitches.
The three Holman Prizewinners will fly to San Francisco in September 2019 for a week-long orientation before starting their project year on October 1. Once they land in San Francisco, the winners will not only meet and learn from each other, but they will engage with other blind teachers, technologists and leaders from LightHouse's extended network. The winners will also create comprehensive plans to document and share their experiences along the way through video, audio, writing and other media.
Our 2018 prizewinners are each in the final stages of their Holman projects. Stacy Cervenka launched the Blind Travelers' Network last month, Red Szell successfully completed his extreme blind triathlon and Conchita Hernandez will soon host a blindness workshop in Mexico.
LightHouse is still interested in finding corporate or philanthropic supporters for the 12 finalists who we found irresistible but simply couldn't fund this year. For possible support please contact Jennifer Sachs at jsachs@lighthouse-sf.org.
Applications or the 2020 Holman Prize will open in January 2020. Please consult www.holmanprize.org for details.
The Holman Prize is determined by a prestigious international group of judges, all of whom are blind.
The prize is a flagship program of the LightHouse for the Blind in San Francisco, who will salute each winner in an annual gala now set for the fall of 2020 in San Francisco.
Meet the blind judges who picked the winners.
About the Holman Prize for Blind Ambition
In 2017, LightHouse for the Blind, headquartered in San Francisco, launched the Holman Prize to support the emerging adventurousness and can-do spirit of blind and low vision people worldwide. This endeavor celebrates people who want to shape their own future instead of having it laid out for them.
Created specifically for legally blind individuals with a penchant for exploration of all types, the Prize provides financial backing – up to $25,000 – for three individuals to explore the world and push their limits. Learn more at holmanprize.org.
About the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired in San Francisco
The LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in San Francisco, is actively seeking sponsorships and support for the Holman Prize, including donations of equipment for the winner's projects. To offer your support, contact holman@lighthouse-sf.org. Individuals may donate any amount using LightHouse's secure form. For sponsorship inquiries, email us or call +1 (415) 694-7333.
For press inquiries, contact press@lighthouse-sf.org.
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Announcing the 2019 Holman Prize Finalists
05/15/2019 LightHouse Staff	2 Commentson Announcing the 2019 Holman Prize Finalists
A photo collage of the 2019 Holman Prize Finalists.
The Holman Prize for Blind Ambition, a set of annual awards of up to $25,000 each for legally blind individuals with big ideas, is proud to announce its 2019 finalists. We received 111 applications from six continents, and narrowed down the field to 41 semifinalists. The semifinalists' proposed projects were incredible, and highlight advocates, artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more; that made it a tall order to narrow it down to just fifteen finalists.
This week, we're proud to announce our elite group of fifteen finalists, including a "People's Choice" finalist who we honor for receiving the highest number of YouTube 'likes' for his ambitious idea. These finalists will all be in the running to make their ambitions a reality when our Holman Committee meets in San Francisco this June.
The fifteen finalists include an activist, a pole dancer, a bird expert, a snowboarder, a few sailors and more. Over the next month, we hope you'll sound off on which Holman Prize candidate you want to see take their ambitions on the road. Feel free to tag Holman Prize on Twitter, Instagram and head to the LightHouse's Facebook page for more updates.
Meet the 2019 Finalists
Abdullah Aljuaid (People's Choice)
Abdullah is interested in e-commerce. With the Holman Prize, he would create a global consultation app for blind people to find information on learning, mobility, fitness and e-commerce.
Krystle Allen
Krystle, who once advocated for people with disabilities in Tokyo, would use the Holman Prize to pay for fifteen blind women to participate in the Miss Blind Diva Empowerment Fellowship Program. This is a sixteen-week program that provides personal and professional development and ends with the Miss Blind Diva Empowerment Pageant.
Trevor Attenberg
Trevor loves science and the outdoors. With the Holman Prize, he would travel and teach blind people to identify birds by sound and explore other natural soundscapes.
Natalie Devora
Natalie is an author and activist. With the Holman Prize, she would travel and collect stories from people of color with albinism around the world and share these stories in an anthology and documentary.
Yuma loves hiking and surfing. With the Holman Prize, he would build an online community to make astronomy more accessible to blind people, with the hopes of a blind person discovering an exoplanet.
Deniz, Yunus, Utku and Mina
Deniz, Yunus, Utku and Mina are from Turkey. With the Holman Prize, they would take the Trans-Siberian Express from Moscow to Beijing and create a documentary about it to inspire blind children to travel independently.
Pauline Dowell
Pauline and her guide dog live on a sailboat on the Boston Harbor. She would use the Holman Prize to form an all-female crew of blind sailors to compete in the 2020 Newport to Bermuda Race, which goes from Newport, Rhode Island to the island of Bermuda.
Stephanie Campbell
Stephanie is a newlywed whose wedding received media coverage when she requested her guests wear blindfolds during the vows. With the Holman Prize, Stephanie would film the pilot for a sensory travel show, that explores destinations non-visually through the senses of sound, smell, touch and taste. She would then shop this pilot to television executives with hopes for a series pickup.
Dennis Gallant
Dennis worked as a teacher ranger with the National Park service. With the Holman Prize, he would create a podcast to highlight the specific sounds from various national park locations, which would help blind people learn about the natural world in an accessible way.
Alieu is the founder of Start Now, a training program for blind people in The Gambia. With the Holman Prize, he would provide eighty blind people with rehabilitation training in rural Gambia.
Lisamaria Martinez
Lisamaria has been active in sports all her life. Recently, she's discovered pole dance. With the Holman Prize, she would use workshops, training and audio description to make pole dance accessible to blind people across the United States.
Bonface Massah
Bonface is a human rights activist. With the Holman Prize, he would create parent circles, so parents could discuss how to raise children with albinism and change the perception of children with albinism in Malawi.
Mona is working on postdoctoral research in computational chemistry. With the Holman Prize, she would film a documentary series called Planes, Trains and Canes, where she would navigate and access the public transportation systems of five cities around the world.
Kris Scheppe
Kris is the North American representative for Blind Sailing International and would use the Holman Prize to form a crew of blind sailors to complete in the Race to Alaska, a 750-mile race from Port Townsend, Washington to Ketchikan, Alaska.
Pamela Thistle
Pamela, an extreme sports enthusiast, enjoys many sports but her favorites are mountain biking and snowboarding. She would use the Holman Prize to train to heli-snowboard off the mountains of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
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Announcing the 2019 Holman Prize Judges
04/30/2019 LightHouse Staff
In its third year, the Holman Prize for Blind Ambition received 111 applications from six continents. The semifinalists' proposed projects are incredible, and highlight advocates, artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. It won't be an easy task to choose the three 2019 prizewinners from such a strong and diverse group.
The Holman Team is in the process of selecting finalists for the judging committee to select from, but in the meantime, we invite you to peruse the whole group of semifinalist submission videos to experience the diversity of people and proposals in the field.
This week, all semi-finalists have submitted their complete application packets, hundreds of pages of ambitious detail which will help them change the world's perception of blindness. In just a few weeks, we'll welcome our judges at LightHouse in San Francisco to review the finalists' proposals and select the 2019 Holman prizewinners.
As always, the prestigious Holman judge panel represents a leading cross-section of blind talent and experience, a group devoted to the highest ideal of blindness, both personally and professionally.
Meet the Holman Committee:
Jennison Asuncion, Engineering Manager, LinkedIn
"I lost my sight before I was two. So to me, being blind has always felt normal. It is part of me but does not define who I am."
Jennison Asuncion moved to the Bay Area in November 2013 to lead LinkedIn's digital accessibility efforts. Originally from Montreal, he has been working in digital accessibility for over ten years. In 2012, Jennison co-founded the annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Held annually on the third Thursday of May, GAAD is dedicated to raising awareness of digital access and inclusion by and for the more than one billion people with disabilities. Jennison sits on the Board of Directors for the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired San Francisco, AMI (Accessible Media Inc.), and Knowbility.
Bryan Bashin, CEO LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Bryan Bashin has led a diverse life since he graduated UC Berkeley in history and journalism. Mr. Bashin first spent 15 years as a journalist in television, radio and print, specializing in science news. In 1998 he was hired as Executive Director of the Sacramento Society for the Blind, where he quintupled the number of hours of teaching and developed innovative programs such as the Senior Intensive Retreat and summer immersion camps. In 2004, Mr. Bashin was hired as the Region IX assistant regional commissioner for the US Department of Education's west coast branch of RSA, overseeing funding for $500 million in federal disability programs. In 2010 he was hired to lead the LightHouse for the Blind in San Francisco, where he works today with a staff of 140. Mr. Bashin is a relentless innovator, working with a remarkable idealistic staff. Throughout his career, Mr. Bashin has worked in the confluence of high technology, social advocacy and governmental partnerships.
Eric Bridges, Executive Director, American Council of the Blind
"I believe that people who are blind or visually impaired should strive to be the best they can be, and I believe that each blind or visually impaired person has the right and responsibility to define success on his or her own terms."
Eric joined the staff of the American Council of the Blind in 2007. In 2013, he became the Director of External Relations and Policy, cultivating many key relationships with business, industry, government officials, and agency staff. Two years later, the Board appointed him executive director. He is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of both of ACB's offices.
Kerryann Ifill, President of the Senate, Barbados
"The art of living with blindness demands absolute creativity; creativity in attaining and maintaining your own independence, creativity in charting a path that encourages others to emulate your example, creativity in ensuring that others value and recognise your individuality and the right to be the whole person you were designed to be."
Kerryann's life continues to be characterized by landmarks. As the first totally blind student completing mainstream education to post graduate level; becoming the first female to hold the office of President of the Senate, the only person with a disability and the youngest person. She has served both professionally and personally in various organizations for persons with disabilities, both locally and regionally and currently hold the office of President of both my the National United Society of the Blind Barbados and the Caribbean Council for the Blind. She represented her country and at several local, regional and international fora on a cadre of issues related to disabilities. The Holman Prize embodies her belief that blindness is not a burden, but an exciting opportunity.
Anil Lewis, Executive Director, National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute
"Blindness is a paradigm shift."
A passionate advocate for the rights, education and employment of blind people everywhere, Anil currently serves as the executive director of Blindness Initiatives for the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute in Baltimore, MD, where he leads a dynamic team of individuals responsible for the creation, development, implementation, and replication of innovative projects and programs throughout a nationwide network of affiliates that work to positively affect the education, employment, and quality of life of all blind people.
Dr. Sile O'Modhrain, Professor, University of Michigan
A professor in performing arts technology at the school of Music, Theatre and Dance at the University of Michigan, O'Modhrain brings a wide breadth of personal and professional skill to the Holman Prize committee. With past careers in sound engineering, technology, music and more – and passionate study in the fields of arts, assistive technology, and haptics – O'Modhrain is constantly in search of better ways for blind people to access information and work in the world.
Sassy Outwater-Wright, Executive Director, Massachusetts Association of the Blind
"There is no one right way to do vision loss. There is your way, and individuality is essential to accessibility. We're writing history now, deciding how to combine technology and our own humanity to redefine what independence means to us as individuals who are part of the same community. Dignity, opportunity, innovation and accessibility feed off each other."
Sassy is the executive director of the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually impaired (MABVI). She lost her sight at 3 due to retinoblastoma, and has had several rounds of cancer since then. She is a passionate digital accessibility advocate, specializing in technology for people with multiple disabilities, and studying how intersectionality, artificial intelligence, and intersecting marginalizing factors affect people. She lives in the infamous Salem, Massachusetts, and it fits her perfectly.
Dr. Britt Raubenheimer, Senior Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
"Losing vision was a hurdle, but it forced me to grow. When I lost my sight I thought I would need to discontinue my work and many of my activities. But instead, overcoming my inability to see taught me self-confidence and encouraged me to explore."
Britt is a senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, MA. Working with a team of other scientists, students, and engineers, she collects and analyzes measurements to understand interactions among coastal waves and surge, beach and dune evolution, groundwater, and winds and precipitation during extreme storms. When others evacuate before a hurricane, Britt often is on her way to the beach. Deploying her instruments in the ocean requires SCUBA, and Britt is the only legally blind, certified, university research diver. Britt resides in northern Idaho, where she serves on the board of the Idaho Commission for the Blind, and enjoys skiing, hiking, and knitting.
Jason Roberts, Author, 'A Sense of the World'
An accomplished author, Roberts' acclaimed work, about the intrepid blind traveler (and namesake of this prize) James Holman, "A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler," was a finalist for the 2006 National Book Critics Circle Award, long-listed for the international Guardian First Book Award, and named a Best Book of the Year by the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle and Kirkus Reviews. Born in Southern California, Roberts earned his high school diploma at fourteen, then took a five-year hiatus from education. He worked as a day laborer, dishwasher and late-night disc jockey before matriculating at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He lives in Sausalito, California, with his wife, a chemical engineer, and their two young children.
Dr. Sharon Sacks, Retired Superintendent, California School for the Blind
Dr. Sacks is recently retired from her post as Superintendent of the California School for the Blind. During her tenure, Dr. Sacks led a staff of 150 and promoted education excellence for students served on campus and through outreach programs throughout the state. Prior to her role as superintendent, Dr. Sacks was the Director of Curriculum, Assessment, & Staff Development at CSB. After receiving her doctorate, Sharon coordinated programs, and was a university professor in moderate/severe disabilities at San Jose State University, and programs in visual impairments at California State University, Los Angeles. Dr. Sacks worked as a TVI for eight years as a resource and itinerant teacher prior to assuming leadership positions.
Dr. Sacks is a strong advocate for ensuring quality services for children and adults who are blind or visually impaired through her direct work with families, consumer organizations, and professional organizations. She is the recipient of the Mary K. Bauman Award for Distinguished Service in Education, and a past president of AERBVI. Dr. Sacks currently serves on the Lighthouse's Board of Directors.
Dr. Zach Shore, Historian
A historian of international conflict, Dr. Shore is the author of five books, including "A Sense of the Enemy." Shore is Associate Professor of History at the Naval Postgraduate School and Senior Fellow at the Institute of European Studies, University of California, Berkeley. He earned his doctorate in modern history at Oxford, performed postdoctoral research at Harvard, and held a fellowship at Stanford's Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences.
Kathryn Webster, President, National Association of Blind Students
"Though a single inconvenience, blindness has the power to ignite strength, resilience, and confidence. We may grow exhausted of educating society of our abilities, but who more qualified than blind communities to shatter the glass ceiling that eternally perpetuates negative misconceptions?"
Kathryn graduated from Wake Forest University with high honors, receiving Bachelor of Science degrees in Statistics and Computer Science in 2017. Her scholastic achievements propelled her into a career with Deloitte & Touché, LLP where she specializes in strategic transformation and data analytics. Kathryn recognizes the value in intertwining corporate prowess with civic engagement, thus jumpstarting a statewide transition program for blind and low vision youth, designed to ignite confidence and independence, demonstrate the value of mentorship, and encourage Virginia's youth to shoot for the stars. Kathryn proudly serves as President of the National Association of Blind Students (NABS), Kathryn lives each day with true authenticity, bringing difficult conversations to the table and engaging in a persistent challenge to be the best version of herself.
Holly Scott-Gardner, Blindness Advocate and Blogger
"I view my blindness as an integral part of who I am. It has shaped my experiences and more often than not presented me with opportunities I don't believe I would have had if I could see. The so-called difficulties of blindness more often than not result from a world that is not built with blindness in mind. Whether I'm faced with an inaccessible payment terminal, or a stranger who insists I shouldn't cross the street alone, I am wrestling with an inaccessible world and the misinformed views many hold on blindness. My blindness isn't the thing that needs to be changed."
Holly is a public speaker, blindness advocate and Youtube creator in the U.K. When Holly was still a teenager in school, she realized that she could use her voice and experiences to change how blindness is viewed. Eight years after setting up her blog she has spoken in Parliament, lobbying the government to alter its provisions for disabled students, advocated for the rights of disabled survivors of domestic abuse at the European Parliament in Brussels and represented disabled students at her university by winning the seat of disabled students counsellor. She aims to ramp up her advocacy work after graduation, with an outlook on international blindness movements. Read Holly's essay about her experience as a camp counselor at Enchanted Hills Camp.
Ahmet Ustunel, Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired and 2017 Holman Prizewinner
"As a blind person to educate the public about blindness and as an educator to inspire my Blind students, I am trying to foster the same qualities Holman demonstrated: immense courage and passion, persistence, a curious and adventurous spirit, strength of purpose, and belief in one's self. As a blind teacher of blind students, I tell my students that being blind should never prevent them from achieving their goals, although they might need to deal with prejudices, discrimination, and an inaccessible physical and educational environment. I let them know that limits and barriers they encounter are not results of blindness itself; they are just products of prejudice and discrimination in society. Even worse, sometimes they are our own mind's products. I want my students to understand blindness as a characteristic of a person rather than a limitation."
Ahmet is a full-time teacher of the visually impaired in San Francisco. He is also an avid outdoorsman and one of the inaugural recipients of the Holman Prize for Blind Ambition. He began solo kayaking in San Francisco Bay shortly after moving to the United States from Turkey a decade ago. With the Holman Prize, Ahmet achieved his ambitious goal in July 2018 by paddling across the Bosphorus Strait, which divides the European region of Turkey from its Asian counterpart, completely alone. Read about his solo kayaking journey from Europe to Asia.
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Announcing the 2019 Holman Prize Semifinalists
04/02/2019 LightHouse Staff	3 Commentson Announcing the 2019 Holman Prize Semifinalists
This year, we had 111 candidates from six continents for our third annual Holman Prize for Blind Ambition. We received ideas in 90-second pitch videos from advocates, artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. It wasn't easy, but we've narrowed it down to 41 semifinalists, including one People's Choice Semifinalist.
We're already proud of the impact our applicants have had on the world. Our 2019 candidates pitches have been viewed thousands of times on YouTube—that's thousands of people whose expectations of blind ambition and ability have been challenged. This is an impactful feature of the Holman Prize, but the best is yet to come.
Below, we present the full list of 2019 Semifinalists. Each will send a detailed proposal and budget to be reviewed by the 2019 Holman Team in May. This year, we will select a People's Choice Finalist from this group—that means the semifinalist with the most YouTube likes by May 10 will automatically become a Finalist. Help them out and like your favorite pitch videos! Final judging will take place in June, when the winners will be determined by an esteemed panel of blind judges who themselves are role models of blind ambition.
Click on each name to watch their original pitch video, share, and spread the word: This is what blind ambition really looks like.
Meet the 2019 Holman Prize Semifinalists:
Michael Aguilar
who is passionate about inclusivity in the beauty industry, would use the Holman Prize to develop his accessible makeup brand Visionary Cosmetics, which uses braille labels and vivid color descriptions.
Chad Allen
who's been a performing magician for over twenty years, would use the Holman Prize to digitize notable magic books and make them accessible to blind people for the first time.
a disability rights advocate, would use the Holman Prize to pay for fifteen blind women to participate in the Miss Blind Diva Empowerment Fellowship Program that provides personal and professional development.
Abdullah Aljuaid
the People's Choice Semifinalist, would use the Holman Prize to create a global consultation app for blind people to find information on learning, mobility, fitness and e-commerce.
who loves science and the outdoors, would use the Holman Prize to travel and teach blind people to identify birds by sound and explore other natural soundscapes.
Alexandria Brito
a powerlifter, would use the Holman Prize to train and compete in powerlifting competitions with the hopes of qualifying for the 2020 Paralympics.
Fernando Botelho
who works in social services, would use the Holman Prize to teach blind people how to build accessible, low-cost computers.
a newlywed who requested her wedding guests wear blindfolds during the vows, would use the Holman Prize to film the pilot for a sensory travel show, that explores destinations non-visually through the senses of sound, smell, touch and taste.
who loves hiking and surfing, would use the Holman Prize to build an online community to make astronomy more accessible to blind people, with the hopes of a blind person discovering an exoplanet.
who are from Turkey, would use the Holman Prize to take the Trans-Siberian Express from Moscow to Beijing and create a documentary about it to inspire blind children to travel independently.
who is an author and activist, would use the Holman Prize to travel and collect stories from people of color with albinism around the world, to share these stories in an anthology and documentary.
Nicolas Dewalque
an athlete who hopes to qualify for the 2020 Paralympics, would use the Holman Prize to train and complete in the Coolangatta Gold race in Australia, which involves kayaking, swimming, running and paddling a surfboard.
who lives on a sailboat on the Boston Harbor with her guide dog, would use the Holman Prize to form an all-female crew of blind sailors to compete in the Marblehead to Halifax Race.
Jesse Dufton
who's an experienced winter mountaineer, would use the Holman Prize to lead an expedition on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic. If successful in ascending a peak that hasn't been climbed, he would propose the peak be named "Blind Ambition".
Craig Faris
who loves hiking, camping, traveling and sailing, would use the Holman Prize to train and purchase assistive technology to sail a 7000-mile course from North America to New Zealand.
Matt Formston
who's a two-time world champion in para-surfing, would use the Holman Prize to run surfing workshops for blind children and youth all over the world.
who has worked as a teacher ranger with the National Park service, would use the Holman Prize to create a podcast to highlight the specific sounds from various national park locations to help blind people learn about the natural world in an accessible way.
Reem Hamodi
who grew up in Iraq where she didn't have access to books in an accessible format, would use the Holman Prize to set up a system to record audiobooks and distribute them online to blind students in Iraq.
Finn Hellmann
a Brazilian jiu-jitsu enthusiast, would use the Holman Prize to travel and train with blind Brazilian jiu-jitsu experts worldwide, and then teach other blind people this accessible martial art.
Zackery Hurtz
a musician, would use the Holman Prize to develop Reference Point Navigation, which provides accessible indoor and outdoor access to information and navigation on mobile phones.
who runs a training program for blind people in The Gambia. would use the Holman Prize to provide eighty blind people with rehabilitation training.
who's worked as a radio and television broadcaster in the United States and Mexico, would use the Holman Prize to travel to Cuba to teach a motivational workshop in English and Spanish to empower blind people.
Jennifer Lavarnway
a former music teacher who loves to cook, would use the Holman Prize to travel to Naples, Italy to train in the art of pizza making and open her own pizzeria back home.
Paul Lemm
who taught himself to program, along with other blind developers, would use the Holman Prize, to develop their prototype software Sable to allow blind people to create audio games without coding or scripting.
Joshua Loya
who is an athlete and martial arts enthusiast, would use the Holman Prize to train and seek setting the world record for distance traveled on a wave by a blind surfer.
Shon Mackey
who's competed in dancing competitions and talent shows, would use the Holman Prize to open Blind Rhythm Dance Studio to teach dance to blind and low vision individuals.
who has recently discovered pole dance would use the Holman Prize to develop workshops, training and audio description to make pole dance accessible to blind people across the United States.
a human rights activist, would use the Holman Prize to create parent circles, so parents could discuss how to raise children with albinism and change the perception albinism in Malawi.
Marx Vergel Melencio
who plays acoustic and electric bass, would use the Holman Prize, to develop a device he created called VIsION, a wearable AI device for the blind, with the goal of mass production.
who is working on postdoctoral research in computational chemistry, would use the Holman Prize to film a documentary series called Planes, Trains and Canes, where she navigates and accesses the public transportation of five cities around the world.
Natalie Minnema and Sarina Cormier
who are from Canada, would use the Holman Prize to create an online platform that focuses on blindness awareness and accessibility training for employers and organizations.
Shawn Prak
who has a passion for electronics, building and repairing, would use the Holman Prize and his many skills to renovate his home.
Terri Rupp
who's a writer, disability rights advocate and a marathon runner, would use the Holman Prize to form Project Runstoppable, a program that empowers blind children through a running curriculum.
is the North American representative for Blind Sailing International and would use the Holman Prize to form a crew of blind sailors to complete in the Race to Alaska, a 750-mile race from Port Townsend, Washington to Ketchikan, Alaska.
Brian Malvin Sithole
who co-founded Alive Albinism Initiative Trust, would use the Holman Prize to open a manufacturing plant in Zimbabwe that produces sunscreen for people with albinism.
Claire Spector
a textile artist, would use the Holman Prize to bring together blind weavers and blind textile artists to create new art, develop online and traveling exhibitions, and strengthen confidence in art-making.
Joshua Tatman
a motocross racer, along with his friend Pat, who is also blind, would use the Holman Prize to travel the country to motivate blind people to try different sports like snowboarding, jet skiing, sailing and more.
Johnny Tai
who has a bachelor's degree in social work, would use Holman Prize to film a series of professionally audio-described self-defense videos that blind people could access online.
an extreme sports enthusiast, would use the Holman Prize to train and heli-snowboard off the mountains of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.
Ness Vlajkovic
who's finishing up her degree in journalism, would use the Holman Prize to open a braille bookstore in Perth, for blind and Deafblind people to have easy access to hard copy braille books.
Michelle Young
who's worked with blind people on structured discovery in Qatar, the United States, and Australia would use the Holman Prize to hold residential workshops on structured discovery and echolocation orientation and mobility techniques.
Email holman@lighthouse-sf.org to be added to the Holman Prize mailing list.
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Join the Holman Prize community and make a tax-deductible donation to help fuel the dreams of blind adventurers and creators for years to come.
2019 Holman Prize2019 semifinalistsblind ambitionHolman PrizeJames Holman


May we someday reach that critical mass….
Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely. It is not given to us to know which acts or by whom, will cause the critical mass to tip toward an enduring good. What is needed for dramatic change is an accumulation of acts, adding, adding to, adding more, continuing.
Seems so. 🙂 It *Is* a good piece though and well worth spreading around. Clearly you thought so too.
I agree with this totally. One person cannot change the world but they can change their relationship to it.


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This study uses meta-analysis, a technique that statistically synthesizes diverse studies, to synthesize the effects of 31 evaluations of 15 voluntary government training programs for the disadvantaged that operated in the United States between 1964 and 1998. The 15 programs were quite diverse. They used different types of training, including structured job search, remedial education, classroom vocational or skills training, on-the-job training (OJT), and subsidized employment in the public or private sector. Some of the programs were national in scope, but others were limited to specific geographical areas. Some were based on random assignment, but other evaluation designs were also used. Meta-analysis provides information that cannot be found in individual evaluations or in other types of syntheses. Syntheses that have not used meta-analysis have focused more on the overall effectiveness of the programs than on the factors that bcause one program to be more effective than another. At best, individual evaluations indicate whether particular programs "worked," but they provide very limited information on why they were effective, for whom they were most effective, and the economic conditions under which they were most effective. The objective of the research described in the report is to explore which training types are most effective, the sorts of people for whom they are most effective, and the circumstances under which they are most effective.


text:
SEE ALL OZY NEWSLETTERS
Start your morning with a kick! Catch up and vault ahead with OZY's flagship morning newsletter (with a twist).
Dems' New Mantra: Fund the Police
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Police Killings: We Don't Know the Half of It
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Tue, Sep 28
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Read OnlineOZY Thursday, June 24, 2021
Bold start. Smooth finish. The newsletter that interesting people love.
Good morning! President Joe Biden has made it clear that he sees China as America's biggest threat. Today you'll meet the man who might hold the key to war or peace between the world's two most powerful nations. Read about the next theaters of anti-police protests around the world, check out a bizarre Mongolian coin that's a spooky tribute to JFK, try delicious sesame-based delicacies and read to the end for this week's spot the difference quiz.
Charu Sudan Kasturi, Senior Editor, and Eugene S. Robinson, Editor-at-Large
News in a Minute
1. Law and Order Party?
A year after a wave of protests following George Floyd's death sparked calls to defund the police, Democrats are increasingly pivoting in the opposite direction amid a rise in violent crime in America's big cities. President Biden unveiled an anti-crime plan yesterday that called for increased resources for policing, while Eric Adams, a former police officer, is leading the Democratic primary for mayorship in New York City. Will Biden get policing right? Vote here or on Twitter. (Sources: NYT, BBC)
2. Heart Alert
U.S. health officials have warned of a "likely" correlation between the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines and a rare heart condition in teenagers and young adults, but have advised that the benefits from the shots outweigh the risks. Meanwhile, the U.S. will today send 3 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines to Brazil, which has the world's second-highest pandemic death toll after America. (Sources: WaPo, Reuters)
3. Kabul Will Fall
American intelligence agencies, in their latest assessment, have determined that Afghanistan's elected government could collapse within six months of the withdrawal of U.S. troops in September, as the Taliban continue to attack and gain territory in the country's north. (Source: WSJ)
4. More Kids Found
A First Nation in Canada has discovered hundreds of unmarked graves at a former residential school for Indigenous children in Saskatchewan — after the remains of 215 students were found at a British Columbia school last month. Read more about the global horrors of such residential schools on OZY. (Sources: AP, CNN)
5. Gimme More
"I want my life back." That's what singer Britney Spears told a court yesterday during a hearing over her challenge to the conservatorship that allows her father to control her life, career and earnings. Read more on what's at stake on OZY. (Source: NBC)
Bacterial Masterpieces
How do you keep some of humanity's greatest works of art spotless? At the Medici Chapel in Florence, Italy, restorers have unveiled a dramatic new strategy: They've unleashed muck-eating bacteria on Michelangelo's marble sculptures to keep them clean.
THE FUTURE OF FOOTWEAR IS HERE
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Diplomats to Know
They're rarely in the photos where leaders are seen shaking hands. But without them, there would be no shaking of hands. Meet some of the world's most influential diplomats, tasked with fixing the planet's knottiest relationships.
1. Qin Gang
The 54-year-old is widely expected to take over as China's next ambassador in Washington, replacing veteran diplomat Cui Tiankai. Qin and Cui couldn't be more different. Where Cui was widely respected for his moderation even amid sliding relations between the U.S. and China, Qin belongs to a generation that's more aggressive in its defense of Beijing. He recently described Western critics of China's policies in Xinjiang as "evil wolves." Though he has little experience directly dealing with America he has the most important asset of all: the trust of the Chinese leadership.
2. Carlos França
Brazil's new foreign minister has a job as difficult as it gets: rebuilding ties with both the U.S. and China. President Jair Bolsonaro had aligned himself closely with former President Donald Trump, even publicly criticizing President Biden. And França's predecessor Ernesto Araújo had made it a habit to bash China — even though Beijing is Brazil's biggest trading partner. França is known for steering clear of his country's divisive politics and previously served as ambassador to the United States. But does his boss even want to mend relations with Washington and Beijing?
3. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
With more connections than a switchboard, the MIT-trained economist who was Nigeria's first female finance minister is now director-general of the World Trade Organization. No African before her has held that post. And few from anywhere in the world wield her clout: She is a member of the boards of Twitter, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), Standard Chartered Bank and more. Now she's using her diplomatic skills to try to convince the West to loosen up patent laws so COVID-19 vaccines can reach poorer nations faster.
Today on 'The Carlos Watson Show'
John Stamos, the iconic star of General Hospital and Full House, joins Carlos to talk about his life-changing relationship with the Beach Boys, the mentors who shaped him and what he's learned about love. Watch now.
New Police Protests
Biden might be backing the police, but a year after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis officer sparked global protests, a fresh wave of agitations has erupted in different nations against police violence. Here's why.
1. Tunisia
The North African nation's capital Tunis is aflame with protests after footage emerged of police stripping a 32-year-old man and beating him, while another man died in custody. This is the nation where the Arab Spring started a decade ago and led to the establishment of a democracy. Will the protests spark similar action in other Arab nations?
It started out as a protest against a tax hike during the pandemic, but has since morphed into a broader street challenge to the government of right-wing President Iván Duque. At the heart of the clamor for change is the demand for police reforms, after law enforcement used almost military tactics against their fellow Colombians to quell protests. For the moment, protesters have paused weekly agitations after Duque promised police reforms. But all it will take is a failed commitment for the protests to erupt again.
3. Hong Kong
The city's police force was once regarded as Asia's finest. Now it's Beijing's sword arm against Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement. Protests last year were crushed brutally, and last week police carried out a fresh set of arrests of journalists in a bid to kill dissent — forcing the closure of pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily today.
Bizarre Currencies
If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense. So goes the saying. But what about some of the world's wild and wacky currencies?
1. Dolphin Teeth
In the Solomon Islands, they're much more than just fancy adornments. They're the traditional currency, so popular still that even central bank governors own them. Want to get married? Bachelors spend 1,000 teeth just to claim a bride. The worry? Dolphins could soon disappear from the waters around the islands.
2. Tögrög Record-a-Coin
It's Mongolian. It has a picture of U.S. President John F. Kennedy on it. And the 500 Tögrög coin, issued in 2007, plays a recording of Kennedy saying "Ich bin ein Berliner." Don't ask us why.
3. The Hungarian Pengő
Want to be a trillionaire many, many times over? Find a time machine and get back to Hungary, 1946. As a result of terrifying economic unrest and the worst hyperinflation in history, the pengő, the country's currency, lost value so quickly prices doubled every 15.6 hours. The government issued 100 million billion pengő notes that were worth only 20 cents.
Great sesame dishes start somewhere. Let's make it here.
1. Beniseed Soup
With healthy handfuls of sesame seeds and palm kernels, this Nigerian soup — locally known as eka — is a healthy, non-cholesterol fueled meal. And the beef, crayfish, onion and roasted groundnuts you put in it mean you aren't compromising on taste either.
2. Til Ladoo
If you're a sesame seed fanatic you won't be able to get more fanatical than Indian til ladoo. They're sesame seed balls that take about 10 minutes to make but about an hour to cook. Sweet, saffron-y and eaten mostly during festivals ... or once you've tried them, all the time.
3. Sesame Tofu
OK. Stop with the faces. This vegan taste treat will totally change your mind every single time a forkful finds its way to your mouth. Don't believe us? There's only one way to find out.
Can you identify the four differences between the two above images? Check here for answers to last week's contest and the winners.
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Rob Centorani
rcentorani@pressconnects.com | @PSBRob
We've all heard of ideas getting 86ed.
As in, "We 86ed that proposal." It bothers me that 86 has a negative connotation.
Personally and as sports fan, 1986 was packed with enjoyable memories.
Started thinking about this Monday while watching "86" on the Golf Channel. It took an interesting look back on Jack Nicklaus' stunning Masters victory at the age of 46.
In April of '86, I ran track for Binghamton High. That season, I pulled off an upset that put Nicklaus' back-nine charge at Augusta to shame. Mostly, I ran distance, but occasionally I'd be called upon to get third-place points in the high jump.
Our roster that season included Wendell Mack. He could leap and I believe before graduating from Binghamton in 1987, Mack cleared 6-foot-8 in the high jump, possibly still a school record.
Well, I'm called upon to grab third in the high jump in a dual meet at Ithaca. It turned out that Ithaca's top high jumper was injured and I beat its other guy, so mission accomplished and then some. Mack hadn't even made it to the pit by the time I was done.
While jumping, we might have been at Cornell, I noticed the approach area was slick. The surface was a little gravelly, nothing to affect someone like me, but a good athlete easily could have trouble keeping his feet.
For some reason, Mack started with the bar at 5-10, even though 5-6 would have won the competition. Still, Mack could crawl out of bed and clear 5-10. I didn't find out until grabbing the paper the next morning that Mack missed all three of his attempts, clearing the way for my lone varsity track victory. I'm the only person on the planet who remembers that sequence of events.
By June of '86, my Boston Celtics neared the end of perhaps the best season in NBA history. They went 67-15 during the regular season and cruised through the playoffs, eventually beating the Houston Rockets in six games to win their 16th title.
My life revolved on the Celtics in the '80s. Watched them whenever possible. In '85-86, Larry Bird was at his peak, winning the last of three straight MVPs, Kevin McHale dominated in the post, Robert Parish was one of the top centers in the league, and Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge formed a solid backcourt. Boston even had a bench that season, with Bill Walton and Scott Wedman providing valuable minutes. If a better passing team existed in NBA history, I'm not aware of it.
June also brought my graduation from BHS, the first class to complete all four years in the combined school.
Something unexpected happened that summer. My best friend was Tony Wood. Tony's father, Gil, took over as legion baseball coach of Binghamton Post 1645 that summer. I probably spent more time at the Woods' house than my own growing up. Gilly was like a second father (might explain why I'm so messed up).
Anyway, Gilly asked me if I wanted to play.
Some background: Binghamton High's baseball team advanced to the Class A state semifinals that year. Those familiar with the area sports scene whose memories reach back 30 years can easily recall the Patriots standout football and basketball teams from that '85-86 school year, but the baseball squad was stacked as well.
Man, did we have some pitching. Michael Lynch's fastball sizzled, you could actually hear it from the dugout. Lynch and speedy center fielder Fred Seymour went on to play at Division II Rollins in Florida, and our No. 2 pitcher, Jim Gaetani, went to Le Moyne, then a Division I program.
We also had Duane Dennison and Dave Gardner on the staff, and Gilly grabbed Bobby Cummings from Seton Catholic Central. All of those guys possessed quality arms.
So here I am, coming off a track season and devoid of any baseball activities since playing in a Babe Ruth League the summer prior, joining these guys. All I'll say is I didn't embarrass myself in limited playing time.
On occasion I'll come across the team picture from that season. Back then, I stood 5-6 and weighed 110 pounds. Anyone looking at the photo would say, "Why is the 13-year-old batboy in the team photo?"
My lasting memory from that season, one that included a District 6 title, has nothing to do with baseball. I'd go to games with Gilly and Tony in this little red Ford Sprint (I passed my driver's test in that car).
Well, one day we stop at Harris Foodlines, a southside grocery store on Park Avenue. As we're leaving the store, Gilly says, "Rob, grab two bags of ice."
So I do it.
As I get into the car, I hear from Gilly, "Hey, Rob, you just stole two bags of ice." Hearty laughter ensued. I'm hopeful the statute of limitations has run out on that one.
Moving along, my Mets also had a memorable season in '86 and I witnessed much of it. They won 108 games in the regular season, outlasted the Astros in the NLCS and … well, you remember Mookie's groundball in Game 6, Knight's home run and Orosco's glove that still might be hovering somewhere above Shea Stadium as they beat the Red Sox in Game 7. With characters and talent throughout the lineup and "Doc" at the head of a dominant pitching staff, Mets fans never had it so good.
That fall brought my first semester at Broome Community College, my first job, as a pizza maker at Pudgie's on the Vestal Parkway (where Nirchi's now operates) and a group of friends that at the time I thought would be mainstays.
Nothing seemed serious back then. We'd finish a night shift at Pudgie's and head over to Green Field, where a singular light provided just enough illumination for pick-up basketball, or play touch football in the parking lot, or take a road trip to wherever.
Ah, to be 18 again.
A Google search uncovered that "86" has nothing to do with 1986 (it's not even worth explaining the term's origin).
Even so, when I hear "86ed" the brain needs a second or two to process it. Too many good memories are tied to that number.
Centorani can be reached at rcentorani@pressconnects.com and follow him on Twitter at @PSBRob.


The Center for Latino and Latin American Studies (CLLAS) combines an interdisciplinary academic program with a community partnership initiative to engage CWU and the surrounding community in an intensive study of Latino and Latin American peoples and cultures.
Emphasizing student success, study abroad, and community-based research, the LLAS minor fuses the usually separate fields of Latino Studies and Latin American Studies and allows students to develop a course of study based on their individual interests and needs. The academic program is enhanced by our community partnership initiative and annual series of sponsored cultural events to solidify and expand the relationship between CWU and the surrounding community, especially Washington State's booming Latino populations.
Ultimately, the Center seeks to create a physical and intellectual space within which both University and community members can find mutual understanding, intellectual stimulation, and personal and professional enrichment.
For our current students, we have a variety of summer classes offered online! All of these can fulfill LLAS minor requirements and more.
Looking for a job in higher ed? Check out Latinos in Higher Ed.
A look into the Latinx "Firsts"