[Gabs] Notes from the Georgia Affiliate President for February 2018

Mon Feb 5 03:16:09 UTC 2018

Hello fellow Federationists,

I hope that the beginning of February finds you and yours safe and healthy
and that 2018 is getting off to a great start. This is the first installment
of what I hope becomes a regular update to keep the affiliate more
connected. I have just returned from Washington Seminar and am busily
preparing for our Affiliate and Chapter building seminar and Blind Day at
the Capitol on February 12. Please read below for the latest happenings in
the National Federation of the Blind of Georgia. 

Washington Seminar Update

This week in Washington D.C., I and several members of the NFB of GA joined
approximately 500 members of the National Federation of the Blind from all
over the country to advocate on behalf of the blind community. The key
issues were access to higher education for blind students (AIM High), the
Accessible Technology Affordability Act, opposition to the ADA Education and
Reform Act (HR 620), and the passing of the Marrakesh Treaty. To read more
about these issues, visit the Washington Seminar page.
<https://nfb.org/washington-seminar> 

The Georgia delegation contained 11 individuals from across the state, 6 of
which received a $500 stipend from the affiliate. The members of the
delegation were:

*	Greg Aikens
*	Lorynn Boland
*	Angela Daniel
*	Shikha Desai
*	Virginia Klein
*	David Robinson
*	Shirley Robinson
*	Zach Snow
*	Gaylon Tootle 
*	Stancil Tootle
*	Johna Wright

We had several good meetings with our elected officials. In total, we met
with 11 of our 16 representatives and Senators or their staff, securing
verbal promises that they plan to support our legislative initiatives. It
will be key for us to follow up in the next few weeks to make sure they
follow through on these promises. 

Even if you were not able to attend Washington Seminar, it is not too late
for you to call your members of Congress to ask them to support our
initiatives. Visit the Washington Seminar page
<https://nfb.org/washington-seminar>  to educate yourself on the issues and
then call your members of Congress. 

Blind Day at the Capitol/Atlanta Seminar

You are invited to join the NFB of Georgia during our Atlanta Seminar on
February 12, 2018 at the Capitol building in Atlanta. We will be meeting
with legislators to discuss protecting the rights of blind parents and other
issues relevant to the blind community. 

Join us from 9:00-11:00 AM in CAP 122 on the first floor to hear from
speakers and meet with our legislators about this important issue. Please
invite your legislators to join us during this time. 

After 11:00 AM, we encourage everyone to set up a meeting with your
legislator to continue the conversation about protecting the rights of blind
parents. 

If you do not know who your local legislators are or how to contact them,
visit this page <https://hq-salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5950/getLocal.jsp>
from the League of Women Voters which will help you find out by using your
Zip Code plus 4. If you don't know the plus 4, there is a link on that page
you can use to look it up. 

I'm looking forward to seeing you all there on February 12. Please contact
myself or Stancil Tootle with questions about the day. 

Face to Face Board Meeting February 11

The board will be having a face-to-face board meeting, next Sunday, February
11 from 5:00-6:30 PM. It will be located at AMAC on the Georgia Tech campus.
The        address is:

512 Means St NW

Suite 250

Atlanta, GA 30318

Affiliate and Chapter Building Seminar

The weekend before the day at the capitol, leaders in the NFB of Georgia
will be gathering for an affiliate and chapter building seminar. President
Riccobono is sending Anil Lewis to join us that weekend to help equip our
leaders with the tools and skills they need to build strong chapters and in
turn, a strong affiliate. 

National Scholarship Program

The deadline for the National Federation of the Blind Scholarship program is
March 31. So far, I have been contacted by two individuals. Please invite
high school seniors or college students to apply by visiting
https://nfb.org/scholarships.

Thank you for reading. Please contact me with questions about any of the
items above. 

Sincerely,

Greg Aikens, President

 <http://www.nfbga.org/> National Federation of the Blind of Georgia

Email:  <mailto:gaikens at nfbga.org> gaikens at nfbga.org

Cell: (404) 444-8661

The National Federation of the Blind knows 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. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.

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