[IABS-Talk] Chicago Chapter November 13 Minutes

[davant1958 at gmail.com]

Hello ALL:

Below are the Chicago chapter minutes for November.

Chicago Chapter Meeting Notes 

Hybrid (At Exchequer & on Zoom)

November 13, 2021

 

 

Denise called the meeting to order at 1:05pm and stated that this is a
hybrid chapter meeting noting that we have not been together in a couple of
months. She welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked that those in person
wear their mask unless drinking or eating. She also said that everyone in
person will need to conclude the meeting by 3:15pm as there is another
meeting in the space after. There will be social hour instead at Miller's
Pub. Eileen Truschke will be the mic runner and the introductions will begin
with those in person. 

 

In Person:

Denise Avant

Eileen Truschke

Marco Gianatti

Mary Lou Grunwald

Jemal Powell

Debbie Stein

Ken Borst - Jewel has the spiked eggnog for those that are interested

Ken Schad

Gary Jones - Joliet

Steve Hastalis

Michael Corley - his first time at a meeting

Glenn Moore

 

On Zoom:

Melissa Fuller

Sara Luna

David Meyer

Juliet Walker

Kim Liddell

Suzanne Turner

Pam Gilmore

Alicia ConDios Green

Bridgid Burke

Edward Birmingham

Kira O'Bradovich

Michal Nowicki - Out on the road

Katrina

Bart Hickey

Gregory Rosenberg

Gina Falvo

Denise noted that we had a quorum for the purposes of this meeting and let
Dave know to get ready for the program item. She said that we will play 15
minutes of President Riccobono's banquet speech at the 2021 convention to
look at our history as it relates to being a diverse organization, but it's
also about how our organization relates to all people. She asked everyone
think about unconscious biases that they have. She noted that we always talk
as blind people about how others are biased against us because of our
blindness but we have them against others as well. Denise noted that she
faces bias as a black and blind female, but she knows she also has biases
against others who for instance don't use computers. So, when she schedules
a meeting, she needs to include everyone as a leader and needs to continue
to think about it. 

 

Dave played 15 minutes of President Riccobono's speech.

 

"When day comes, we ask ourselves where can we find light in this
never-ending shade?
The loss we carry, a sea we must wade.
We've braved the belly of the beast.
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace,
and the norms and notions of what "just" is isn't always justice.
And yet, the dawn is ours before we knew it.
Somehow we do it.
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed a nation that isn't broken,
but simply unfinished."

These words, spoken by the young Black poet Amanda Gorman earlier this year,
framed a moment of reflection for our nation. Tonight, we, as blind people
organized in a civil rights movement, come to our own moment of reflection.
We cannot remove ourselves from the nation in which we live. We cannot deny
the influence of the pressures, perspectives, barriers, and inequities of
that nation-a nation that is not broken but simply unfinished. 

We can find hope, opportunity, and safety in knowing that we have created
something meaningful within our nation. We have started by building a
movement where we can, as blind Americans, work together on an equal basis
for change. Our movement, like our nation, is not broken, but it is
unfinished. Our movement, like our nation, is diverse, complex, and not
unlimited in resources. Our movement, like our nation, has not always gotten
it right. However, we choose to come together in this organization to raise
up all blind people in society. We choose this organization because we
believe that the blind have the right and the responsibility to speak and
act for ourselves. We stay with this organization because, although it may
be unfinished, we recognize that here we have the power to get more done
together. We are Americans; we are citizens of the world; we are striving to
achieve our hopes and dreams; we are committed to the process of learning
and growing; we are committed to independence and giving back; and we happen
to be blind. We are the National Federation of the Blind. 

"We know who we are, and we will never go back." This simple yet powerful
line first appeared in a Federation convention banquet speech delivered by
Kenneth Jernigan in 1975. Dr. Jernigan had been elected to the office of
President after the death of Jacobus tenBroek in 1968. Dr. tenBroek was a
brilliant scholar of the United States Constitution, a strong organizer of
blind people, and a tireless advocate. He founded our Federation; served as
its first long-term President; and gave it personality, direction, and wise
insight for more than a quarter century. In 1940 he brought blind people
from seven states together to form the beginnings of what would become the
most powerful vehicle for collective action by the blind. At that time, we
did not know who we were. Coming to understand ourselves as blind people and
our collective power and identity as a group was our first challenge. 

Centuries of myths and misconceptions resulted in our nation
institutionalizing low expectations into schools and agencies for the blind.
As our organized blind movement was built, we discovered our potential, and
we challenged the artificial limits placed on us by the agencies. Those
institutions pushed back on the right of the blind to organize in an attempt
to protect myth and tradition over independence and self-sufficiency. Dr.
Jernigan's rally call in his 1975 speech, "Blindness: Is the Public Against
Us," was a pivot point solidifying the truth that the organized blind
movement was here to stay and that blind people would forever determine our
own future. This truth grew in imaginative and powerful ways during the next
generation of the movement led by Marc Maurer-our leader and mentor for
nearly three decades. This truth fuels the lives we live and the march we
share today. 

Just as the 1975 Convention did for Dr. Jernigan, tonight marks the end of
my seventh year leading this movement-an honor and challenge unlike any
other in my life. This evening, in reflecting, I find myself asking these
questions: Do we still know who we are? Is it inevitable that we will never
go back? And what is most essential to our future?  

Let's examine who we are. We are first and foremost blind people. Our
structure as an organization requires the majority of our members and our
elected leaders to be blind (including 100 percent of our national board).
Upwards of 90 percent of our overall nationwide membership is composed of
blind people, and we have no expectation that this will or should change.
More than that, we come from every state, the District of Columbia, and
Puerto Rico. Our members represent the full range of diverse characteristics
including race, creed, color, religion, gender identity and expression,
sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, marital status, age,
genetic information, disability, and any other characteristics or
intersectionality of characteristics you might find in our nation. While we
now have a clear and well-established, open, national membership policy that
applies throughout all levels of our organization, it took real effort to
get here. And we recognize that where we are today is not where we strive to
be tomorrow.  

While we celebrate the tremendous achievements of our movement, we must also
make honest reflections about the costs and missed opportunities of
progress. We must learn from our past if we are truly to never go back.
Today we are not prepared to submit to the low expectations of the agencies
for the blind, nor are we prepared to be led by the outdated notions of the
society around us. This space, our movement, must reflect the high
expectations we demand from society. This requires consistent progress
toward building a safe, supportive, empowering, and enriching vehicle for
collective action by all blind people. This progress is destined to remain
unfinished if we fail to understand our past in planning for our future.
Thus, a more meaningful charge for today may be: We know who we are, and we
will never go back; together we march forward and learn from our past. 

Although we say with truth and conviction that our focus is the concerns of
blind people, other challenging social issues have always complicated our
unity in this movement. One persistent concern to consider is our nation's
conflicted struggle with inequality based upon race. Our previous
organizational responses to these issues are not well known and, therefore,
we should consider what we might learn from our past. 

>From our earliest days, our national leaders worked to promote the principle
that the Federation, as a democratic representative movement, should strive
to welcome and rely on the participation of all blind people irrespective of
their other characteristics. This expectation was dramatically different
from what was found elsewhere in our society. However, we, as a class of
blind people, had not yet defined who we were. Those who believed in their
heart that blindness was not the characteristic that defined them were few
compared to those blind people who felt safe and satisfied settling for the
social outlets of clubs for the blind and the limited work provided by
workshops for the blind. Combine that with the complexity of social issues
experienced in our nation after the Great Depression, the impacts of World
War II, and a slowly growing consciousness of race inequality, and it is a
wonder that the Federation accomplished as much as it did in its first two
decades."  

 

Denise noted that in the portion of the speech that was played you hear
President Riccobono talking about who we are and who we would like to be.
Denise then asked that since bias is simply a preference of one thing over
another in comparison, she said that unlike traditional biases discussed,
there may be other unconscious bias that prevents us from our work for
instance in finding new members. She welcomed all present to share any
unconscious biases they have against others. She asked if Debbie would be
willing to share first and noted that we will be asking zoom participants as
well. Debbie stated that she is most comfortable with people who are
educated and share her political views so her prejudice might be in needing
to take time to listen to people who don't have a lot of formal education
and those who have political views differing from hers. Denise then opened
it up to others. Ken Borst noted that as well as being blind he is gay, so
he's had problems in the blind community about people being homophobic or
having conflicting viewpoints. He also admits to having a bias towards
people who are blind who don't travel independently and shared how he's been
through that mill and that you just can be stranded so it's very important
to learn how to travel independently. Mary Grunwald said that Ken stole a
little bit of what she was going to say, stating that she had a bias against
people who don't want to give it a try and explore their options the way she
does in getting around. She stated she knows she has it and tries not to
have it but she does and feel more comfortable with those who share her
willingness to get out there and do things as a blind independent person. 

 

Steve went next and shared that when he took a survey for jobs to determine
what he could and could not do and marked no on medical transcriptionists,
after joining the NFB he met many people who were working as medical
transcriptions. The NFB saying and philosophy he shared is that with
accessibility blind people can be on par in the workplace with their sighted
counterparts. He said that he had similar issues with the state agencies
when he wanted to work for the Chicago transit authority but in the end, he
worked there for over 30 years. Greg mentioned that when he was in high
school back in 1970s and the teacher felt that a person who was blind had no
reason or right to be in a science class, his parents fought for him since
he had been interested in chemistry since he was about 8 years old. They
wound up having to have attorneys involved and he was allowed to be in the
class. Denise asked if he himself had any unconscious bias that he could
recognize and he said it was similar to Denise's as well. He noted that he
struggles with the reality of people who still don't have basic computer
skills to open up the world to themselves when there are resources to get
computers. Sara Luna mentioned that her main bias is against those who have
vastly different political viewpoints than her own and in Chicago she
doesn't have a great deal of exposure of people with differing views.
Melissa Fuller noted that she has a bias against those who feel they have a
higher education than others and judge people. She stated that if you are
not able to embrace other people you are narrowminded and a bigot. She has a
bias against people who use the word dumb as you can slander and hurt a
person's reputation or career. Jemal mentioned that he understands
everyone's circumstances in life are different and not all situations are
the same but that he struggles with bias against people who have a negative
story about themselves or something that has happened to them and feel sorry
for themselves. He said he needs to understand that some people have good
and bad circumstances. 

 

Denise wrapped the exercise up and noted that the real purpose is to focus
on our own unconscious bias since we so often focus on those that are biased
against us. We need to examine ourselves since we are an organization that
represents all blind people. When we gain a new member who for instance may
not be well educated, lives in a rural area, doesn't use technology, etc.,
we need to correct these biases that we may have against these factors and
continue thinking about it as we attempt to move forward and accomplish the
mission of the National Federation for the Blind. She then asked Dave to
play President Riccobono's Release but first noted that several new people
came in and those people were introduced and added to the list of
participants. 

 

The Presidential Release was then played. 

 

Denise noted that for the new people that was our national president and
every month he does the presidential release live and prepares a shortened
version that we play at all of our chapter meetings. She stated that it
highlights the activities that we in the NFB are engaged in to improve the
lives of all blind people. She then said that we also have a state report
from Marilyn who had to work. Marilyn thanked us for our participation in
the state convention and noted that they are truly grateful and ask for
feedback regarding the 20222 state convention. If you have ideas you can
email them to Marilyn at president at nfbofillinois org. She noted that we also
heard about Washington Seminar during the week of Monday, February 7th. The
Illinois appointments will be scheduled from Tuesday, February 8th to
Thursday February 10th. The application for Washington Seminar is available
on our website at Illinoisnfb.org

 

Applications for Washington Seminar are due to Marilyn at
presidetnt at nfbofillioins.org <mailto:presidetnt at nfbofillioins.org>  at
11:59pm on Friday, December 10th. If you want to know more about legislative
initiatives, you can contact either Denise or Dustin Cather. She stated that
we are trying to gather HR 431 Access Technology Affordability act and are
stuck at 13 co-sponsors, still trying to get Representatives Bustos and
Foster to sign on since they signed on in previous times and we are working
to get other IL representatives to sign on. Since we last met, she was happy
to report that Rep Danny K. Davis has finally signed on and thanked those in
his district. It is very important since he is on the house ways and means
committee. We have been trying to get it into the Build Back Better Act and
we've been told we should write Pelosi and Schumer to urge that it be put
back into the act since there was supposed to be some changes by the
congressional budget office. We need to continue to try to get other IL
congressman on the bill to get something to happen. Also, she noted that we
should not forget to work to get the Medical Device Accessibility Act passed
to ensure glucose meters and other medical devices are accessible to blind
people. On July 29th of this year, Jan Schakowsky introduced Bill HRC 453
and Denise hopes we've written to her and thanked her for always being a
champion of ours. We need to delegate with all of our congressional
delegation to get additional cosponsors 

 

The application period for scholarship applications at the state and
national level will open on December 1. The date was changed as it was
usually November 1 for many years. The end date will still be the
traditional March 31st date. IF you want to know more about the scholarship
programs at both national and state level you can contact Debbie Stein or
Patti Chang who is our first vice president of the Chicago chapter and
second vice president of the Illinois affiliate. Denise then noted she would
stop and tell us about one final thing. She, along with Bill Reif, Dave
Meyer, and Ray Campbell from ICB have been working hard to get the Illinois
Legislature to pass a bill that would allow for accessible vote by mail,
including accessible delivery and return so that we can use our own
technology to vote by mail. Right now, if any of us wanted to (vote) we
would have to get someone to request the application for us, fill it out,
and when the application arrived it would also need to be filled out and
returned by that person, not by us, therefore losing our right to a secret
and independent ballot. We had hearings in Springfield, Chicago, and
virtually where people gave testimony. She wanted to thank Eileen Truschke
for being there and giving a statement. The matter is now in the hands of
the Illinois Board of Elections to draft a bill that they think the state
legislature will pass. She stated this was the end and asked for any
questions.

 

Jemal asked Denise to explain HR 431 for those that are new and noted
someone else joined during presidential release but that was a false alarm.
The HR 431 Bill is the Access Technology Affordability Act. She noted that
we all know how expensive it is to purchase accessible technology and
devices like JAWS and braille display. The act would give us the ability to
get a refundable tax credit of up to $2,000 over a three-year span in order
to help defray some of the expenses of access technology. We have been
trying to advocate for that bill for many years, we are close now, 114 house
cosponsors and 31 cosponsors in the senate. 


Greg shared that he went to Costco and tried to eat at the food court and
found that you could no longer order with a person or pay in cash and needed
to use a kiosk that even his sighted driver was unable to figure out how to
use. Denise noted that McDonald's is leading the way with kiosks with fully
accessible kiosks including headphone jacks. 

 

Approval of the Secretary's Report was up next and one other minor
correction was needed which Dave noted was regarding the due date of
resolutions. Denise said that would be corrected and the minutes were
passed. She then invited Steve to provide the third quarter 2021 treasurer's
report, Thursday July 1, 2021-Thursday, September 30, 2021, Beginning
balance $3,057. Income: Donation $120, Read-A-Thon $15 & $50, Cane Tips 4 at
2 a piece, subtotal $8, Monthly collections from Meetings at Exchequer
including August $135 September $77 subtotal $212, total $405. Expenses
preauthorized contributions to national office, PAC, $150, July, August,
September subtotal $150, State Convention $500, door prizes $100, subtotal
$600, total %750, ending balance $3,162. Jemal moved to pass, Denise asked
for additions, deletions, or subtractions, there were none, motion passed.
Steve noted that this is not official, but he tries to keep our figures
coordinating with the bank, Interim report fourth quarter transactions
donation $150, PAC twice $100 October, November, reimbursement $50.80, our
actual balance agrees with the bank, $3,161.20. 

 

Dave then shared information from the fundraising committee. He noted that
our upcoming Beggar's Pizza fundraiser that will be through the duration of
Beggar's Pizza day from noon until 8pm. The Beggar's location is 310 S
Clinton Avenue in Chicago and that is the same location that we have always
used. You do not need a flier, just come in and let them know you are with
the NFB of Illinois Chicago Chapter and whatever your bill is, minus tax and
gratuity (they are excluded), Beggar's will donate 20% of that bill to us.
All are invited and if you feel like you should or cannot make it please
consider donating by way of a check or Zella payment. If you pay via Zella
you pay through the state, treasurer at nfbofillinois.org
<mailto:treasurer at nfbofillinois.org> . If you choose to pay by check, make
it out to NFBI Chicago Chapter and it would be helpful if you would put
beggar's fundraiser in the memo line of the check. Send it to Steve
Hastalis. We need your support. Generally speaking, we have spent about
$2,000 on Washington Seminar but with this treasurer report we probably
won't be able to spend even $1,000. So it's better for us and for you if you
want to participate and are accepted into Washington Seminar (for everyone
to donate). 

 

For the Holiday Auction this year there are certain things to consider.
There will be several gift cards that will be bid on, but we are going to do
something a little different this year. It was decided that the amount will
not be shared because if a gift card is defined it's likely that no one will
bid an amount greater than that on the gift card. Those participating on
zoom should feel free to bid on the gift cards, they will be mailed to you
upon completion of the auction. If you bid on an item other than the gift
card, if you're in person you will take it home, but if you are zoom you
will need to contact the donor and work out how the item will get to you. We
know that's not ideal but having someone drive all the items around would be
difficult so that will need to be sorted by the donator and winner. Another
fundraiser idea is poppin' popcorn which is an internet catalogue, all is
done online, it can go on as long as you would like and there is no cost to
us for the fundraiser. Thus, any profit that comes in will benefit our
chapter.

 

Games Night will take place on Saturday, January 8th at Exchequer, details
will be forthcoming but most likely pizza, salad, and soda will be a part of
the package and the cost may be a bit higher, from $25 to $30 due to the
increase of prices for the restaurant. 

 

Mary added that the auctioneers will be the same as the last time when we
made a lot of money and a lot of fun was had, Ed Birmingham and Giovanni
Francese are back to do it again, so you do not want to miss this. Mary
shared that she is going to go out and get a lot of great stuff. Denise
noted that as long as she has what she wants she's in. Dave said that
whatever Denise wants to bid against her and drive her up. 

 

Denise shared that some ICB members will be joining us at Beggar's since we
have also joined their fundraisers at times so Denise asked that those
interested to please come out and join her and the state president Marilyn
Green. Jemal had a question about games night regarding an alternative date
planned yet in case of inclement weather. Dave stated there hadn't been one
made yet but Denise suggested the committee decide that. 

 

Denise then moved to old business, Ken Schad shared that he lives up at
Friedman Place and they had a signing for the technology bill to get it back
into the Build Back Better Plan so he wanted to share they have signers from
Friedman as well. 

 

Steve asked what time Beggar's Activity starts and Denise shared it went
from noon to 8pm. He also shared that the business meeting this year will
start at noon so there will be more time for the auction.

 

Glenn shared an opportunity through IABS of another installment of a cooking
class fundraiser, on December 29th. The menu will consist of a Mexican
lasagna and guacamole and it will be taught by Teresa Fabre over zoom who is
a fabulous cook. She will tell everything step by step so you can learn to
do it on your own. It will take pace just after Christmas so it would make
an idea Christmas give and also be a great option for learning to make a new
meal to cook for New Year celebrations. The cost is $35 and if you are
interested you should reach out to Glenn at

(847) 899-98-01 or gmoore3rd at gmail.com <mailto:gmoore3rd at gmail.com>  and
also be sure to check out IL-Talk as he will post updates there as well.

 

This is the 30th anniversary, November 9th of Jemal's membership in this
federation.

 

Denise asked Ken Borst to speak on the assisted living place presentation
that he and Jemal gave at the Brookfield Assisted Living Facility. He
thanked Pam Provost for initiative the idea of them visiting and he said
many said they weren't blind but wanted to learn more about magnification
and other resources and explained what blindness really means. They were
well received and told that they'd be welcome back at any time. Denise said
that we compile a resource list with the independence market where people
can order items from the national list, but we also have a state list with
an introductory letter from Marilyn Green. 

 

Steve then shared that $57 was donated today in the cash collection and the
fundraising committee will have their next meeting on Wednesday night,
December 29th via zoom and to stay tuned for details.

 

The next Chicago Chapter Board meeting will be on December 11th via zoom and
all are welcome to join. 

 

Kira then shared that the next Chicago Legislative Committee Meeting will
take place on December 7th at 7pm and we are working to gain demonstrations
and more information for the new buses and trains. 

 

The meeting was then adjourned.

 

 

Signed and Submitted by, 

Kira O'Bradovich

Secretary

Chicago Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois