[Cinci-NFB] National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Cincinnati Chapter, Meeting Minutes for January 2021

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National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

Cincinnati Chapter

Meeting Minutes for January 2021

 

1.	The January 2021 meeting of the National Federation of the Blind of
Ohio, Cincinnati Chapter was convened by President Gloria Robinson at
approximately 1:30 P.M. on Saturday January 23 2021. Chapter members in
attendance were: President Gloria Robinson, Vice President Marianne Denning,
Christopher Sabine, Secretary, Emily Pennington, Treasurer, At Large Board
members Candice Armstrong and Dave Perry, Lisa Hall, Walter Mitchell, Gary
Warren, Frank Bragassa and Chris Windham. Also in attendance were Ohio
Affiliate President Richard Payne and Immediate Past Cincinnati Chapter
President Sheri Albers. President Gloria Robinson reported That Dave Perry
will take the vacant at large board seat previously held by Paul Jordan, who
passed away on December 21 2020.

2.	Emily Pennington moved to approve the November 2020 Chapter minutes.
Gary Warren seconded, and the motion passed.

 

3.	Emily Pennington gave this month's Treasurer's Report. Marianne
Denning moved to approve the January Treasurer's Report as presented with
amendments reflecting payments of 2021 dues received in January prior to
today's meeting. Dave Perry seconded, and the motion passed.

 

4.	Emily Pennington reviewed the list of members who have paid their
annual dues for 2021 at today's meeting at the request of President Gloria
Robinson. Gloria Robinson asked all Chapter members who wish to renew their
membership in the Cincinnati Chapter for 2021 to have their dues into Emily
Pennington by March 1 2021. Emily Pennington expressed that she posted an
email regarding how members can pay their dues to the Cincinnati Chapter
listserv prior to today's meeting, and she reviewed this information with
Chapter members during the meeting. 

 

5.	Marianne Denning gave this month's Legislative Report. She began by
announcing that this year's Washington Seminar will be held virtually from
February 8-11 2021. Held by the National Federation of the Blind annually
since 1973, Washington Seminar is the official presentation of the current
year's national legislative priorities to all the Federations members and
members of Congress. This event kicks off with The Great Gathering, in which
the leadership of the National Federation of the Blind presents the
Federations national priorities and fact sheets concerning each issue for
each participant to present to their members of Congress. This event is
being held virtually this year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. Eric Duffy,
Secretary of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, is organizing
this year's Ohio delegation. The four legislative priorities which the
national organization will present to Congress at this year's Washington
Seminar are as follows:

a.	The Access Technology Affordability Act, introduced to the House of
Representatives on January 22 by Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Ca) and Rep. Mike
Kelly (R-Pa) would provide a refundable tax credit of up to 2,000 which can
be used within a 3-year period for the purchase of assistive technology
specifically used by the Blind, such as screen readers, Braille displays or
Braille notetakers;
b.	The Americans with Disabilities Voting Rights Act would ensure that
Blind voters have the right to vote privately and independently in all
elections by ensuring that all voting platforms, voter registration forms,
and absentee ballot request forms are presented using secure and universally
accessible technologies which Blind voters can use independently and
privately;
c.	The Twenty-First Century Mobile Apps and Web Accessibility Act would
establish a legal definition of accessibility for Blind users of web sites
and mobile apps and require the ACCESS Board, which establishes and
implements regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other
related statutes, to promulgate and implement regulations concerning
accessible web sites and mobile apps; and 
d.	The Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act would require the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates the use and manufacture
of medical devices, to promulgate, implement and enforce regulations
requiring medical device manufacturers to ensure that all in-home medical
devices are accessible to and usable by the Blind.

 

6.	Christopher Sabine expressed as part of his Membership Committee
Report that efforts to recruit new members are ongoing, and several people
in the community have expressed interest in joining the Cincinnati Chapter.
President Richard Payne clarified several points related to the member
onboarding process and voting in new members to the Chapter and referred all
members to the current national policy on membership which National Office
issued in October. This policy document was posted on the Ohio Affiliate
Internet Listserv by President Richard Payne prior to today's meeting.

 

7.	Gary Warren began this month's Fundraising Committee report by
congratulating all members on the successful Fall Fundraising Campaign,
which netted approximately $800 to the Cincinnati Chapter. He expressed that
the Fundraising Committee will begin its next campaign in late February or
early March. 

 

8.	Chris Windham gave a report from the Transportation Committee. He
indicated that the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) will be
converting several of its more heavily used Metro routes to 24-hour service.
These include: Route 4 serving Montgomery Road, Route 17 Hamilton Avenue,
and Route 33 Western Hills / Glenway Avenue. Fairs for Zone 1 trips within
the city of Cincinnati on Metro are $1.75 for those without a Fair Deal Card
and $0.80 for those using a Fair Deal Card. Transfers are $0.50. Also, the
Bus Stop, Metro's Kiosk where Metro passes can be purchased, is now open as
of today's meeting after being closed due to the Pandemic. The Bus Stop is
located at 115 E. 5th Street in Downtown Cincinnati, across from Government
Square.

 

9.	Christopher Sabine reported that he has obtained some information
from Sue Gaugenti, Orientation and Mobility Specialist at the Cincinnati
Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She has provided some
general information regarding the layout and navigation of the new Northside
Transit Center which Christopher posted to the Cincinnati Chapter Listserv.
Christopher also expressed that Sue Gaugenti and public relations staff at
SORTA are working on a tutorial for Blind Metro riders on using the
Northside Transit Center. Sheri Albers, Immediate Past President of the
Cincinnati Chapter and currently Community Outreach Coordinator at the San
Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind, reported that the Media Access Design
Lab at the San Francisco Lighthouse can also design a tactile map of the
Northside Transit Center and other locations where high volumes of Blind
people may need orientation.

 

10.	Christopher Sabine gave an update on the distribution of the
Covid-19 Vaccines from both Pfizer and Moderna based on information from
Gov. Mike DeWine's twice weekly pressors. Christopher Sabine indicated that
Phase 1A of the vaccine rollout began in December for first responders,
health care workers, and residents of nursing facilities, assisted living
facilities and intermediate care facilities for people with developmental
disabilities. Starting in early January, Phase 1B will begin, in which those
over 80 can obtain the vaccine. Following this, the rollout will be made
available to incrementally younger people each week as well as other groups
such as people with developmental disabilities, teachers and other employees
of schools returning to in-person learning. Christopher emphasized that only
a handful of Chapter members meet the current eligibility criteria so far
and asked those members in touch with members who are to reach out to them
directly. President Gloria Robinson reported that anyone interested in
registering for a vaccine can contact their doctor and ask to be placed on a
list to be contacted when a vaccine appointment becomes available to them.
Those eligible for services from the Southwest Ohio Council on Aging can
also receive transportation to a vaccination site when a vaccine becomes
available. Finally, Christopher Sabine reported that the Hamilton County
Department of Public Health has converted the Hamilton County Board of
Elections Early Voting Center, located at 2300 Wall Street in Norwood, into
a vaccination site. This is the same location used for early voting during
the 2020 Election, and its location was discussed in a previous Chapter
meeting. However, anyone interested in receiving a shot there must register
and schedule an appointment online through the Hamilton County Department of
Public Health. More information on vaccination and testing is available
through the Hamilton County Department of Public Health and the Cincinnati
Health Collaborative at http://www.testandprotectcincy.com. 

 

11.	Candice Armstrong reported that the Affiliate's Community Services
Division is still looking for recipes for a cookbook it is compiling. Anyone
with recipes to submit for inclusion in the cookbook can reach out to
Candice or Cheryl Fields, President of the Community Service Division,
directly. The division has also hosted weekly happy hour events, a Martin
Luther King Day event, a mental health event and a special group for women
called the She Shed, which Candice is facilitating.

 

12.	Sheri Albers reported that the Employment Immersion Program, an
award-winning development and placement program provided by the San
Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind, has gone national and is now being
offered virtually. This is a month-long program focusing on all aspects of
employment, from resume writing and interview skills to career development
and disability disclosure. Anyone interested in participating can send an
email to employment at lighthouse-sf.org <mailto:employment at lighthouse-sf.org>
.
13.	The January 2021 meeting of the National Federation of the Blind of
Ohio, Cincinnati Chapter was adjourned at approximately 2:47 P.M. on
Saturday January 23 2020.
14.	The February meeting of the National Federation of the Blind of
Ohio, Cincinnati Chapter will be held on Saturday February 27 from 1:30 to
3:30 P.M.

 

 

Respectfully Submitted,

 

Christopher Sabine

Secretary

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

Cincinnati Chapter

 

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