[COAGDU] coagdu meeting notes.

[Melissa R Green]

2/11/18 



The meeting was called to order at 5:05 PM. People present were Marty, Becky, Rene, Diane, Ellie, and Maryanne. Shon and Melissa were not present. Bianca and Ashley were present as guests. Our Treasurer’s report remains unchanged at $255. Becky and shon are  in the process of getting on to the bank account. Diane recommended that this action take place before the next meeting to which all of the board agreed. The Treasurer’s report was moved by Maryanne and seconded by Marty and was approved. Minutes were accepted as sent. Motion was made by Maryanne and seconded by Becky. Next, Hr620, the bill to change the ADA were discussed. This bill will be up for a vote on Wednesday of this upcoming week, and we need to call our reps and let them know why we oppose this. Maryanne suggested that we all listen to the BlindSide podcast put out by Jonathan Mosen. Next, we discussed Colorado 18-1104 which aims to prevent discrimination against parents with disabilities. This bill would guarantee the right of people with disabilities to become parents. The day at the Capital will be one of the places at which this will be discussed. It is taking place on Wednesday, feb. 14 at 11:00 AM in the Old Supreme Court Chambers. Newsline for the Blind will also be discussed. There is a strong possibility that we can get a raise for Newsline this year. Next, we discussed Delta’s new policy for service animals. A lot of groups have been meeting with them including NAGDU. Consensus is that the doors are open to discussion, but that nothing has been changed. The TSA is currently determining whether this policy that they have developed to address the issue of fake service dogs is lawful. There is also word that United/American are also frustrated with fake service animals and are looking into changing their policies as well. They have aimed their policy directly at the Emotional Support Animals, but have not touched the rights of guide dog users. Ashley informed us of an article that summarized a bill passed by the house to fine “untrained service animal” owners around $500, but she was unsure of the bill number or the state in which the bill originated. The NFB is also continuing to take both good and bad experiences with ride share services. The message sent to our lists reiterated that the more evidence one has to back up their complaint, the better. Both Uber and Lyft apps have ways to contact your driver as well as to report a complaint. Regarding the fining bill earlier discussed, current consensus is that this may be a bill out of Washington State. We next discussed setting up an educational event. Diane suggested that we could look into carrying pamphlets explaining the law regarding guide dogs. Maryanne suggested putting together a pamphlet on the courtesy rules of guide dogs. Becky stated that she had looked into the idea of printing brochures at Staples, Office Max or Office Depot and has the costs for doing so which she will send out. Diane will contact Marion to see if he already has a generic pamphlet that he would be willing to sharewith us. Next, we turned to fundraising. There was a suggestion brought up to take on these projects such as restaurant fundraisers within our own communities since this is where most of the money can be raised. Ellie suggested combining restaurant fundraisers with taking a picture of a puppy or going on a Juno Walk. The consensus is that we need to support one another  as we all take on the initiative to set up a fundraiser within our own communities. There was a suggestion to have our seminar at a hotel or a restaurant. It was recommended that we establish a fundraising committee. It was also recommended that we establish a public relations committee. Rene stated that she wants to have another jewelry party. There is no charge for having a table at National Convention. This is definitely something we should consider. Regarding the member’s situation that we discussed last time, she has had a meeting with hR and they have now put her back on the floor with all of her coworkers. We tabled the discussion of a location for our face-to-face meeting until next month. The next meeting was scheduled for Sunday March 11th at 5:00 PM. The meeting was adjourned at 6:05 PM.

Best,
Melissa R. Green And Pj
"Listen to God with a broken heart. He is not only the doctor who mends it, but also the father who wipes away the tears."
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/coagdu_nfbnet.org/attachments/20180311/2b589ed7/attachment.html>