ORLANDO, Fla., June 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Convention of Largest Organization of Blind Americans Starts July 5

Event: National Federation of the Blind National Convention

Dates: July 5–July 10, 2015

Place: Rosen Centre
9840 International Drive
Orlando, Florida 32819

Attention News, Sports, and Lifestyle Editors:

National Federation of the Blind to Attempt GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ Title
Members and supporters of the National Federation of the Blind will attempt to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for largest umbrella mosaic on the morning of Wednesday, July 8. Over 2,170 individuals (the current record, achieved by PT Philips in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2012) will simultaneously raise umbrellas to create an image that can be viewed from above. The National Federation of the Blind record title attempt will take place at 7 a.m. EDT in the rear surface parking lot of the Rosen Centre Hotel.

Attention Political Editors:

Administration Officials from Labor, Education to Address Convention
Christopher P. Lu, Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Labor, will address the convention of the National Federation of the Blind at 10:20 a.m. EDT on the morning of Friday, July 10. His remarks will address full participation by the blind and other workers with disabilities in the twenty-first-century workforce. Michael Yudin, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the United States Department of Education, will also address the convention at 3:50 p.m. EDT on July 10. Other officials to address the convention include Maura Healey, Attorney General for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and Sachin Dev Pavithran, Chairman of the United States Access Board.

Attention Technology Editors:

Google, Microsoft Officials to Address Convention
Senior officials from Google, Inc. and Microsoft Corporation are scheduled to address the convention of the National Federation of the Blind on Friday, July 10. Convention attendees will hear from Kannan Pashupathy, Director and Chief Operating Officer, Research, and Ray Kurzweil, Director of Engineering, both of Google, Inc., as well as John Jendrezak, Partner Director of Project Management at Microsoft Corporation. These speakers will address accessibility efforts at their respective companies, as well as other technological developments.

Attention News Editors:

NFB President to Give Presidential Report
Mark A. Riccobono, President of the National Federation of the Blind, will deliver his presidential report on the state of disability policy as it relates to the blind and on the past year's accomplishments of the National Federation of the Blind to attendees of the convention on the afternoon of July 8, 2015, at 2:05 p.m. EDT. Mr. Riccobono was elected to the presidency of the National Federation of the Blind in July of 2014 following the announcement by Immediate Past President Dr. Marc Maurer that he did not intend to seek re-election.

Attention Arts, Culture, and Lifestyle Editors:

Blind Artists to Create and Exhibit Work
Blind people are often told they cannot participate in art, and the National Federation of the Blind works to dispel this and other misconceptions and to encourage blind people to live the lives they want. On Tuesday, July 7, from 1 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. EDT in Room W202A of the Orange County Convention Center, special sessions will be held to allow blind people to experience tactile art as a creative way to gather information and share ideas. There will be drop-in activities from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., followed by an art exhibit and a special session for parents and teachers of blind children.

NOTE: The entire convention agenda is available at www.nfb.org.

About the National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.

CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281
cdanielsen@nfb.org

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SOURCE National Federation of the Blind