[Cinci-NFB] National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Cincinnati Chapter, Meeting Minutes for September 2020

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National Federation of the blind of Ohio

Cincinnati Chapter

Meeting Minutes for September 2020

 

 

1.	The September 2020 meeting of the National Federation of the Blind
of Ohio, Cincinnati Chapter was convened by President Gloria Robinson at
approximately 1:37 P.M. on Saturday September 26 2020. This meeting was held
virtually by teleconference due to the Pandemic. In attendance were: Dale
Barta, Emily Pennington, Taslim Dibba, Lisa Hall, Ahkeela Cade, Dave Perry,
Walter Mitchell, Candice Armstrong, Tammy McRae, Christopher Sabine, Gary
Warren, Chris Windham and Robert Harris. Richard Payne, President of the
Ohio Affiliate, and Cheryl Fields attended this meeting as representatives
of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio Board of Directors. Sheri
Albers, Immediate Past President of the Cincinnati Chapter, also attended
today's meeting. Allison Meloy, Neil Hartman and Mike Samet attended today's
meeting as guests of the Chapter. 

 

2.	Emily Pennington gave this month's Treasurer's Report. Dale Barta
moved to approve the Treasurer's Report as presented. Taslim Dibba Seconded,
and the motion passed.

 

3.	Chris Windham gave a brief report from the Transportation committee.
Chris Windham, Christopher Sabine and Robert Harris attended a Board meeting
of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) held by
teleconference on September 8 2020. Chris Windham reported that there is a
proposal to increase fairs on Metro, SORTA's fixed rate service, from $1.75
to $2 for trips within the City of Cincinnati. All trips will be
consolidated under a flat rate structure, and the current rate schedule
based on zones will be discontinued. Fairs on ACCESS, SORTA's paratransit
service, will also increase from $4 to $5. This is a proposal, and a time
table has not been announced for these changes to take effect. Chris Windham
also expressed that social distancing and mask requirements are still in
effect for both Metro and ACCESS riders. Christopher Sabine expressed
concerns about some other announcements made during the SORTA Board meeting.
Particularly, he reported that a new transit center is opening on October 6
in Northside, which could affect service on the 17 Metro bus line. This is a
route which serves the Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired
and has a high concentration of blind riders. No information was shared
concerning this new transit center with anyone in the disability community
prior to the September 8 SORTA Board meeting. Christopher has reached out to
Robert Harris and representatives of the Cincinnati City Manager's Office
but has not heard back from anyone concerning the new center. Specifically,
Christopher is seeking the address of the center and orientation information
necessary for a blind person to navigate it and identify and board buses at
this location. Later in the meeting, Robert Harris promised to meet by
telephone to discuss this concern individually.

 

4.	President Gloria Robinson indicated that she had to change her phone
number prior to today's meeting. Her new number is (513) 615-1110. Gloria
asked anyone needing masks or other personal protective equipment to contact
her at that number. 

 

5.	Walter Mitchell reported that the Ohio Diabetes Action Network (DAN)
had their most recent meeting by teleconference at 10:30 A.M. on September
12 2020. Jean Brown, DAN's national Second Vice President, provided
information, education, and fund-raising ideas and shared her personal story
of Diabetes. The next Ohio DAN meeting is scheduled for October 10 2020 at
10:30 A.M. by teleconference, and meetings are held the second Saturday of
each month. Further information will be posted to the Ohio-Talk Listserv.

 

6.	Allison Meloy gave a brief overview of services available from the
Ohio Bureau of services for the Visually Impaired, Opportunities for Ohioans
with Disabilities, to enable the Blind of Southwest Ohio to obtain,
maintain, or advance in employment. Blind individuals ages 55 or older
needing independent living services can also receive services from the
Independent Living Program at Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.
Those interested in services from either program can call Wendy Ray, Intake
Coordinator, at (513) 768-6705.

 

7.	President Gloria Robinson reported that she is forming a new Senior
committee to ensure that Blind Seniors-especially those who are Chapter
members-receive the services, skills and support they need to continue to
live independently. Marianne Denning, Robert Harris and others have agreed
to serve on this committee. Amy Barker, Counselor for the Independent Living
Program at the Southwest Field office at the Bureau of Services for the
Visually Impaired, has also agreed to lend support. 

 

8.	Dave Perry and Gloria Robinson gave a brief Fundraising Committee
report. As of today's, meeting, The Chapter's Fall Fundraising Campaign is
moving forward. The Chapter is holding a raffle for a 39-inch Smart TV with
a built-in Amazon Firestick. The drawing will be held on December 12 2020.
Tickets will be sold for $5 apiece and 3 for $12. The Chapter member who
sells the most raffle tickets will earn a $50 gift card from Target. Neal
Hartman, a local artist who is designing the raffle tickets for the Chapter,
reviewed the general information and design with Chapter members. After some
additional discussion, Dale Barta moved that the Chapter hold a drawing at
an unspecified restaurant at 2:00 on December 12 2020, with participants
able to access the drawing virtually. Walter Mitchell seconded, and the
motion passed.

 

9.      Mike Samet, Public Information Officer for the Hamilton County
Department of Public Health, conducted a brief presentation on the current
Covid-19 case data for Hamilton County and available testing resources at
the request of Christopher Sabine. Christopher initiated this discussion
over concerns that information about case data and testing site availability
is not accessible to Blind computer users due to the fact that much of this
information is presented in Tableau, an interactive data visualization
platform that is inherently inaccessible. Mike reported that the Hamilton
County Department of Public Health has undertaken a page-by-page "ADA
compliance" audit and is "up to speed" regarding 90% of their web pages.
Mike expressed that he is aware that the site is "getting old", and the
material representing case data and testing sites is not accessible because
Tableau is being used. Mike indicated that the agency is working "furiously"
with Tableau to list the data behind the site in a more accessible format
and currently has funding to do so. He encouraged all Chapter members to
visit the site and the Department's social media feeds for information
regarding Hamilton County Covid data and response. The Hamilton County
Department of Public Health's web site is located at
https://www.hamiltoncountyhealth.org/. Today's case data were reviewed. Mike
reported that Hamilton County has committed about $18 million of federal
CARES Act funds to design a comprehensive health testing program for
Hamilton County. This program was designed by the Hamilton county Health
Collaborative. Information about the program-along with upcoming testing
sites and locations-is at http://www.healthcollab.org/testanpprotect.
Christopher requested that the Chapter invite Mike to future Chapter
meetings. Gloria agreed without a motion. Mike indicated that organizations
can apply to the Health Collaborative for group testing by calling (513)
618-3656. Gloria asked for information about how she can obtain masks for
Chapter members, and Mike promised to do so following the meeting.

 

10.  Cheryl Fields gave an update on preparations for this year's State
Convention, which is set for November 6-8 and being held virtually. The
Theme for this year's convention is "Vision Beyond Vision." All members who
register for Convention will be eligible to vote on resolutions and
nominations and receive door prizes. Cheryl expressed that three events are
of particular interest to new members. First, The Rookie Roundup, hosted by
Suzanne Turner Vice President of the Ohio Affiliate, will take place on
Wednesday November 4. Cheryl Fields encouraged all members interested in
taking part in organizing this event to contact Suzanne. Second, Suzanne
Turner will also be organizing a seminar for exhibitors set for late
afternoon on Thursday November 5. This seminar will include a "Q & A"
session in which anyone interested in details about a particular product
will be provided vendor's contact information. Finally, the Community
Service Division of the Ohio Affiliate will be holding a "Virtual Happy
Hour" event on Thursday November 5 at 7:00 P.M. Candice Armstrong from the
Cincinnati Chapter is helping to organize this event on the Affiliate's
behalf. Cheryl also expressed that the Community Service Division has been
holding weekly "Happy Hour" events on Thursday evenings at 7:00 P.M. on
Zoom. Information about these events is regularly posted to the Ohio-Talk
Listserv. The next event will celebrate male artists and feature a DJ.
Affiliate President Richard Payne stated that Jim Weiss, President of the
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Cuyahoga Chapter, will be holding
three days of training for members on use of the Zoom platform prior to
Convention. The trainings will be held for phone users, Smartphone users,
and computer users, respectively. President Payne requested all Chapter
members register for Convention online, as this will entitle members to vote
on nominations and resolutions and receive door prizes. Scott LaBarre,
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado, will serve as
the Affiliate's National Representative. All Chapters are requested to
provide door prizes, and Annette Lutz, President of the National Federation
of the Blind of Ohio, Capital Chapter, is in charge of door prizes for
Convention. Gloria Robinson requested that all Chapter members register for
Convention, and anyone needing assistance should reach out to Christopher
Sabine, Secretary.

 

11.  After discussion, the Chapter agreed to hold its annual "meet the
Blind" month virtually the week of October 15 2020 using the Zoom Platform.
The general consensus was to hold this meeting on Thursday October 15 from
11 A.M. to 1 P.M., and Gloria agreed to schedule another Chapter meeting to
finalize planning for this event.

 

12.  Gloria Robinson expressed that she has been chosen to serve as contact
person by the Center for Independent Living Options for its technology grant
program for people with disabilities living in Hamilton County. This grant
is administered by independent living centers throughout Ohio to provide
technology to enable a person with a disability to maintain or increase
their independence during the Pandemic. Gloria encouraged anyone needing
technology or resources through this program to reach out to her directly,
and her phone number was provided. 

 

13.  Robert Harris thanked President Gloria Robinson for her service to the
National Federation of the blind and the Greater Cincinnati disability
community. He also announced that he will be receiving the Dada Rafiki
award. This award serves to promote and recognize diversity within the
Cincinnati arts community and promote the accomplishments of unique artists
from diverse backgrounds. Robert received the nomination even though it is
primarily geared toward female artists. 

 

14.  Christopher Sabine announced that Gavel Awards are due to the Ohio
Affiliate ahead of State Convention. The Gavel Awards are awarded annually
to individuals, chapters and divisions of the Ohio Affiliate to recognize
their accomplishments, contributions to the overall community and promotion
of the values of the National Federation of the Blind within the
organization and the broader community. Christopher reported that he sent an
email to the Cinci-Talk Internet Listserv, and anyone who would like to be
recognized should reach out to him directly by 6:00 P.M. on September 28.
The awards are due to the Ohio Affiliate by October 1.

 

15.  Sheri Albers, Immediate Past President of the Cincinnati Chapter,
reported that services are available from Vote.org to assist users of the Be
My Eyes App to obtain information they need to vote in the 2020 election.
Users of Be My Eyes can access this service from the App by double-tapping
on "Specialized Help", then "Civic Engagement", and finally, "vote.org."
users can receive assistance to determine if they are registered to vote,
the location of their nearest polling place, ways to obtain an accessible
ballot and current ballot issues.

 

16.  Walter Mitchell announced a new group for Blind African American Men.
BAAM meets the second Tuesday of each month and serves as a forum for Blind
African American men to express their concerns and discuss issues and
dilemmas they face and topics of vital interest. The group is now active in
five states: Ohio, Indiana, Georgia, Alabama, and California. There is also
another group, Glorious Women, that meets virtually every morning at 6:00
A.M. as a prayer line. Anyone interested in more information about both
groups can reach out to Walter Directly.

 

17.  Cheryl Fields reminded Chapter members about the morning check-in calls
hosted every weekday morning by the Ohio Affiliate. These meetings are
hosted on the Ohio Affiliate Zoom line, and access information is posted to
the Ohio-Talk Listserv. The Happy Hour events were also discussed again.

 

18.  President Gloria Robinson nominated Candice Armstrong to be in charge
of keeping track of members' birthdays. 

 

19.  The September 2020 meeting of the National Federation of the Blind of
Ohio, Cincinnati Chapter was adjourned at approximately 3:13 P.M. on
Saturday September 26 2020 by President Gloria Robinson. 

 

20.  The next meeting of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio,
Cincinnati Chapter will be held virtually from 1:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M. on
Saturday October 24 2020.

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Christopher Sabine

Secretary

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

Cincinnati Chapter

 

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