[Greater-Baltimore] February Chapter Meeting

[Ringlein, Ellen]

Dear NFB Chapter Colleagues,

The next meeting of the Greater Baltimore Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind  will take place on this Saturday, February 18 at 10:00 a.m. We will meet in the Utah Auditorium.

In addition to our usual chapter business we will also have a guest speaker, DWIGHT R. KINES, VICE PRESIDENT - MID ATLANTIC REGION for TRANSDEV ON DEMAND, INC. I have asked him to give us an update about the accessible credit card terminals installed in all Yellow Cabs as well as to inform us about the Z-Trip app for Yellow Cab.

Peter Acosta will also give us a brief presentation about simple fitness exercises you can do at home.

If you did not sign the petition asking Congress and President Trump to support the Accessibility Instructional Material Higher Education Act, please do so right away. Go to: https://www.change.org/p/united-states-congress-remove-barriers-to-classroom-equality-ensure-accessibility-of-instructional-materials.
If you are not comfortable with filling out online forms, we can help you sign this petition at the chapter meeting. But you need your email address to sign the petition, so please come with this information.

This is also a reminder to work on your letters to Maryland Senators about the LBPH and the Procurement issues. I am pasting the information from Sharon below about who to contact for both issues. I am also attaching the fact sheets, if you need more background on the issues. If you are sending your letters via email, please copy Rose Sloan (rosesloan920 at gmail.com<mailto:rosesloan920 at gmail.com>), as she is the legislative coordinator for the chapter.

Issue 1:
It is time to write to the General Assembly concerning our legislative priorities.  Please ask the following senators to support SB439, a bill strengthening the non-visual access requirements in the  procurement process.  To read our fact sheet on the bill go to nfbmd.org and look under "current advocacy issues."   You may do either email or snail mail.  The email is first name.lastname at senate.state.md.us.  I have included the email addresses for the people that have an extra name.  The snail mail address is 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.  Senators Conway and Waugh are in the Miller Senate Office Building, everyone else is in the James Senate Office Building.

Everyone should write to Senator Joan Carter Conway, Chairman, joan.carter.conway at senate.state.md.us and thank her for sponsoring the bill.  If you live in Baltimore City, write to Senator Barbara Robinson and Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam shirley.nathan.pulliam at senate.state.md.us .  If you live in Baltimore county, write to Senator Shirley Nathan-Pulliam shirley.nathan.pulliam at senate.state.md.us  and Senator Johnny Ray Salling johnnyray.salling at senate.state.md.us . If you live in Anne Arundel County, write to Senator Bryan Simonaire.  If you live in Calvert or St. Mary's write to Senator Steve Waugh.  If you live in Howard or Carroll County write to Senator Gail Bates.  If you live in Frederick County write to Senator Ronald Young.   If you live in Montgomery County, write to Senator Cheryl Kagan and Senator Craig Zucker.  If you live in Prince Georges County, write to Senator Paul Pinsky.

Issue 2:
We need to improve services at LBPH by supporting the bill SB587  to move LBPH out of the Department of Education and into the new State Library Agency.   Visit nfbmd.org and look under "Current Advocacy Issues" to find the fact sheet.   You can write email or snail mail.  The email addresses are firstname.lastname at senate.state.md.us<mailto:firstname.lastname at senate.state.md.us> .  The snail mail address is 11 Bladen Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.  Senators Kasemeyer, McFadden and Madaleno are in the Miller Senate Building. Everyone else is in the James Senate Building.

Everyone should write to Senator Edward Kasemeyer, Chairman Budget and Taxation Committee.  If you live in Baltimore City write to Senator Bill Ferguson and Senator Nathaniel McFadden.  If you live in Anne Arundel County, write to Senator James DeGrange.  If you live in  Allegany County, write to George Edwards.  If you live in Howard County, write to Guy Guzzone.  If you live in Montgomery County, write to Senator Richard Madaleno, Senator Nancy King (and thank her for sponsoring the Bill) and Senator Roger Manno.  If you live in Prince Georges County write to Senator Ulysses Currie and Senator Douglas Peters.  If you live in Washington County Senator Andrew Serafini and Senator George Edwards.  If you live in Caroline, Dorchester, Talbot or Wicomico Counties write to Senator Adelaide Eckardt.


Cordially,

Ellen Ringlein, President
Greater Baltimore Chapter
National Federation of the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want.

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