[CT-NFB] 54th Annual Convention Agenda

[cthompson at nfbct.org]

Good Afternoon everyone,
I wanted to provide the Agenda once more for all who are attending, I hope to meet you all this weekend!




 54thAnnual State Convention
November 7, 8, and 9, 2025


 Hartford Sheraton South

100 Capitol Boulevard

Rocky Hill, CT 06067



Get Your Steps In! We are taking a page from the National convention and are asking those that can to monitor their steps throughout our convention. The person that walks the most will win a prize at the end of the banquet. Total Steps must be given to President Melley. So, make sure your pedometers are working!

Chocolate Paw Pops, a delicious treat for people, not dogs are back! Purchase your Dark chocolate or white chocolate Pop for $5.00 apiece and support the Guide Dog Division!

Door prizes will be awarded throughout the convention. To be eligible, you must be registered and be in the room when your name is drawn.

50/50 raffle tickets will be sold throughout Friday and Saturday, the winner will be announced at the end of the Banquet. There will also be our annual Basket Raffles. Be prepared to buy tickets to try and win your favorite Chapter Basket. Winners must be in the room as well.



Therese Wales will be available from 12:00P.M. – 5:00p.m. on Saturday, November 8th to speak with parents of blind children. She can be reached at therese at gmail.com<mailto:therese at gmail.com>. Or please look for her husband Nathanael Wales at the convention and he will give you her phone number.



Guide Dog Relief Area: From our main conference room take a slight left and an immediate right once you exit. Follow the hall straight until you come to the outside doors. The relief area is on your left. PLEASE pick up after your dog. Thank you.



Remember some of our members and guests are allergic to scents. The best perfume or aftershave is none at all. Thank you.

                            We would like to thank our generous sponsors:

Platinum Sponsor:

www.oakhillct.org<http://www.oakhillct.org>

Gold Sponsor:

Vanda Pharmaceuticals

Non-24<https://www.non-24.com>

Achilles International

www.achillesinternational.org/connecticut

Silver Sponsor:

The Cronin Family

Retina Consultants



National Representative: Marilyn Green, National Board Member.

President: Maryanne Melley
National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut

www.nfbct.org<http://www.nfbCT.org>

Facebook: National Federation of the Blind of Connecticut



Friday, November 7, 2025

7:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. Chapter Building meeting with National representative Marilyn Green for all Chapter and Division presidents.



8:00p.m. -  9:00p.m. Live Auction in the Nutmeg ballroom. Please come bid on your favorite items. All bidding starts at $5.00 and increases by $1.00. No coin bidding.



7:00p.m. – 9:00p.m.; The Vendor Fair will be taking place right outside the Ballroom in the hallway. Please take time to visit our vendors.

Vendors

Vanda Pharmaceuticals – Vicki Preddy

Achilles International – Erin Spaulding

BESB  - Gary Allen

UR Community Cares – Michelle Puzzo

Carroll Center for the Blind – Isabel Rosario

Meant2beMovers – Steve & Sue LePack

New England ADA Center - Morgan Mulkern

Oak Hill – Gannon Olsen

Southeast Connecticut Community Center – Renee Labonte

CRIS Radio -Scott Baecker

Siyanni Allure LLC – Merly Ballesteros

CT independent Living Council -Molly Cole


Saturday, November 8th Convention Sessions

Student Division will be held from 2:00p.m.-3:00p.m. in the Rocky Hill room.

CTAGDU (Connecticut Association of Guide Dog Users) will be held from 3:00p.m. to 4:00p.m. on the Hartford room.

8:00a.m.- 9:30a.m. - Full Breakfast Buffet in the Ballroom. (This is not the hotel breakfast)

9:30a.m. - Call to order. Benediction by Father Chris Ford

9:40a.m. Pledge of Allegiance, NFB Pledge.





I Pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind; to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its constitution.

9:45a.m. – Announcements; I would like to extend my sincere thanks to this years’ convention committee, Jim Cronin, Chair, Allison Arbuckle, Melissa Thompson, and Deb Reed. In addition, we need to thank our donation mailers. Charlie Rival, Cheri Duquette, Glenn Miller, Carol Lemieux, George Reed, Mary Silverberg, Joe Kolczynski, and Ralph Dooley.

Without their commitment and effort, our current strong financial position would not be possible.



9:55a.m. – Julie Kulak - Nominating Committee report

10:00a.m. –Marilyn Green - National Report

10:40a.m. Scott White – NFB Newsline and AI

10:55a.m. - Maryanne Melley - President’s Report

11:05a.m. –  Jim Cronin -  Fit Break

11:10a.m. - Gene Kim - MIT Student

11:20a.m. – Hear from our Harlow Grant, Calypso Grant and NFB of CT Technology Grant Winners

11:30a.m. – Vicki Preddy - Vanda Pharmaceuticals, NON 24

11:35a.m. – Greater Hartford Transit -  Pat Williams

11:50p.m. – Morgan Mulkern New England ADA Center

12:05p.m. – Mia Edmanson  - TVI

12:15p.m. - Rachael Grider – Louisiana Center for the Blind

12:30p.m.- 1:30p.m. - Break for lunch

1:30p.m. - Erin Spalding – Achilles Connecticut

1:45p.m. – Raul & Stacie Gallegos: President & Secretary of NAGDU (National Association of Guide Dog Users)

 2:00p.m. – Isabel Rosario – Carroll Center for the Blind

2:10p.m. – Molly Cole and Gretchen Knauff - State Independent Living Council (SILC)

2:20p.m. - Lorenzo Diurno - Meta Glasses

2:30p.m. – Lorenzo Diurno, Kristen Dockendorf, Gary Allen, Meta Glasses Discussion Panel

2:40p.m. – Mike Hess - Institute of Blind Technology

2:50p.m. – Jim Cronin - Fit Break

2:55p.m. – Semsa Zuskic - Wells Fargo

3:05p.m. – Oak Hill  -  Gannon Olsen

3:15p.m. - Renee Labonte - Southeast Connecticut Community Center

3:25p.m. – Emily Gindlesperger – IEP’s

3:40p.m. - Keith Hailey - Hartford Braillers

3:50p.m. - Steve & Sue LePack - Meant2beMovers

Belief Message

The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. We know 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. Our collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.

Convention Sessions



4:00 - 6:00p.m. – Break. Mobility instruction will be available by Rachel Grider for those who are interested.

6:00 p.m. - Banquet Dinner, Nutmeg Ballroom

Invocation: Pastor Jack Richards

Master of Ceremonies: Melissa Thompson

Keynote Address: Marilyn Green

Presentation of 2025 Scholarships: Mary Silverberg and Nathanael Wales

Scholarship Finalists

Mia Giantonio

Zoe Marsh

Madeleine Babcock

50/50 Raffle winner

Get Your Steps in winner

Karaoke fun for all!


Sunday, November 9, 2025

8:00a.m.-9:00a.m.  Breakfast

9:00a.m. - Call to order; Business Meeting

Roll Call

NFB Pledge

Reports:

Reading of 2025 Business Meeting Minutes - Joe Kolcznski. Vote on acceptance.

Treasurers Report: Cheri Duquette - vote on report.

SRC (State Rehabilitation Council) - Deb Reed

BCAC (Bureau Consumer Advocacy Committee) - Melissa Thompson

New Business:

Vote on Purchasing a new Braille Machine – Christina Thompson

New Members of Convention Committee

Birdies for Charity -  Merely Ballesteros

Matching Gift Award to NFB – Maryanne Melley

Washington Seminar Appointments -  Mary Silverberg

Vote on Grant/Travel Expense Amount for Washington Seminar -  Maryanne Melley



RESOLUTION 2025-01

Regarding the Reductions in Force at the United States Department of Education

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Education administers programs essential to promote education, independence, and economic opportunity for millions of blind Americans; and



WHEREAS, contained within the Department of Education is the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), which houses the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA), all of which provide essential resources to aid blind Americans in our pursuit of education and employment; and



WHEREAS, these divisions are responsible for the enforcement and oversight of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) (20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq.), vocational rehabilitation services (29 U.S.C. § 701 et seq.), the Randolph-Sheppard program (20 U.S.C. § 107 et seq.), and the Independent Living Services for Older Individuals who are Blind (OIB) program (29 U.S.C. 796j-796l), as well as enforcement of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; and



WHEREAS, at 12:00 a.m. on October 1, 2025, after the United States Congress failed to pass either a budget bill or a continuing resolution, the Federal Government was shut down due to lack of funding; and



WHEREAS, on October 10, 2025, during the Federal Government shutdown, Reduction in Force (RIF) notices were issued to OSERS and OCR employees, which decimated both offices to the point of practically eliminating them; and



WHEREAS, the elimination of OSERS will cause a loss of institutional knowledge, possible disruption in the distribution of federal funding that helps supplement critical state programs, and a loss of administrative support and technical assistance for IDEA programs, Rehabilitation Act of 1973 programs, and the Randolph-Sheppard Program; and



WHEREAS, the elimination of the OCR will cause a severe reduction in the capacity to investigate and enforce both Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability in educational institutions that are funded at the federal, state, and local levels; and



WHEREAS, Vocational Rehabilitation programs are extremely efficient, as a study published by Associate Professor Michelle Yin of Northwestern University in 2024 “suggests that every dollar invested in VR services results in a return of $21.5 over a 43-year working lifespan for VR clients”; and





WHEREAS, without these protection and enforcement mechanisms, blind students, employees, and entrepreneurs will be left vulnerable to discrimination: Now, therefore



BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of

Connecticut, in convention assembled this 9th day of November, in the city of Rocky Hill, that this organization urge the administration to immediately rescind the Reduction in Force orders issued to the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services and the Office for Civil Rights on October 10, 2025; and



BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this organization demand the Department of Education ensure that there is adequate staffing to fulfill its statutory requirement to administer the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Randolph-Sheppard Program, and the Americans with Disabilities Act; and



BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT this organization demand the Department of Education promptly distribute all funds appropriated by Congress and associated with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.



Vote on Resolution



Location for our 2026 State Convention

State Scholarship Applications – Nathanael Wales

January Board Meeting, Date, time and location.

Chapter News

Elections -  Maryanne Melley, Moderator

Any member nominated from the floor should have agreed to serve prior to this convention.

Nominees from the committee and from the floor will have one minute to state why they feel the affiliate should vote for them. The one-minute time will be strictly enforced.

Board Member Allison Arbuckle

Board Member Veronica Allston






Have a great day,
Christina Thompson
Outreach Director
National Federation of the Blind CT
111 Sheldon Rd. Unit 420
Manchester, CT 06045
(860)289-1971
cthompson at nfbct.org
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