[IL-Talk] correction

[David Meyer]

The Medical device Nonvisual Accessibility act is H.R.4853.
Original message:
> 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





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