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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>National Federation of the Blind of Ohio<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Cincinnati Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'>Meeting Minutes for January 2021<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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.<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle> <o:p></o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=2 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Emily Pennington moved to approve the November 2020 Chapter minutes. Gary Warren seconded, and the motion passed.<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=3 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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.<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=4 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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. <o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=5 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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:<o:p></o:p></li><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=1 type=a><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'>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;<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'>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;<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'>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 <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level2 lfo1'>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.<o:p></o:p></li></ol></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:1.0in;mso-add-space:auto'><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=6 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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.<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=7 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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. <o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=8 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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. 5<sup>th</sup> Street in Downtown Cincinnati, across from Government Square.<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=9 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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.<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=10 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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 <a href="http://www.testandprotectcincy.com">http://www.testandprotectcincy.com</a>. <o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=11 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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.<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle><o:p> </o:p></p><ol style='margin-top:0in' start=12 type=1><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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 <a href="mailto:employment@lighthouse-sf.org">employment@lighthouse-sf.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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.<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>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.<o:p></o:p></li></ol><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Respectfully Submitted,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Christopher Sabine<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Secretary<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Ohio<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cincinnati Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>