[Greater-Baltimore] December Minute Message

[nfbmd]

December Minute Message

 

Fellow Federationists:

 

Many thanks to everyone who attended and participated in our very successful
2015 State Convention.  We reached our goal of at least 25 new members and
were delighted to have registered 344 people.  Check the website, nfbmd.org,
for the 2015 Presidential Report.  Don't miss the panel "Living the Life you
Want: Three Federationists Demonstrate How it is Done."  The audio of this
panel will be on nfbmd.org under Success Stories. 

 

At the convention we created a Diabetic Action Network committee.  The
purpose of this committee is to communicate information and offer support to
people facing blindness and other diabetic complications. The committee will
hold its first conference call meeting on January 7 at 7 pm.  Tom Ley, who
has a wealth of experience concerning diabetes, will facilitate these calls.
The call-in number is 641-715-3272.  The access code is 720125. Please
spread the word to all diabetics and to everyone who is interested in
learning about this leading cause of blindness.

 

One of the speakers at our convention, Mr. Chris Koermer, who is the
director of transportation at the Maryland Public Service Commission
promised to send us the complaint process that passengers may use if they
have a problem with taxis in Baltimore City, Baltimore County or Hagerstown.
You cannot complain about taxi services in other jurisdictions because they
are not regulated by the Public Service Commission.  The Public Service
Commission also regulates transportation network companies such as Uber and
Lyft.  There are four ways to submit taxi or transportation network company
complaints to the Public Service Commission.  Here are the ways, 

"Online -  <http://www.psc.state.md.us> www.psc.state.md.us, 

In Person - Transportation Division, 6 St. Paul Street, 18th Floor,
Baltimore, Maryland, By Mail - Public Service Commission, Transportation
Division, 6 St. Paul Street, 18th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202, 

Over the Phone - 410-767-8128 or 410-767-8062."

 

NFB v. Lamone: Oral Argument
In November the NFB had the appeal hearing in the case against the State of
Maryland for its preventing access to an absentee ballot marking system. The
court has posted an audio recording of the hearing, which you can access at
http://coop.ca4.uscourts.gov/OAarchive/mp3/14-2001-20151028.mp3.

Since we are in the midst of the season of shopping, please remember to use
Amazon Smile and select NFBMD as your charity.  Amazon Smile has everything
from toys to DVDs, food and much, much more.  Please spread the word to your
relatives and friends.  Here is the link to use.
http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1301033.

 

Let's make sure that every blind child in Maryland gets a Braille letter
from Santa.  Until December 19, parents and others can go online at
www.nfb.org/santa-letters and fill out a Santa Braille Letter request form.

 

Here is a quick calendar summary.

 

December 14. Senior Division conference call. 10 am.  Contact Ruth Sager for
more information. rsager at bism.org <mailto:rsager at bism.org> .

January 7, 2016.  Diabetic Committee conference call.  7 pm.

January 21.  Day in Annapolis.  

January 25.  Washington Seminar begins.

January 26.  NFBMD visits Maryland congressmen and senators on Capitol Hill.

 

Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season to you and your family. May we
continue to live the lives we want, not only throughout the holidays, but
all year long.

 

 

Sharon Maneki, President

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

410-715-9596