[Massachusetts-NFB] At-Large Chapter January Minutes

[Cullen Gallagher]

Good morning everyone,
Here are the minutes from last months At-Large meeting.
Thanks,
Cullen
At-Large Chapter Minutes, January 13, 2026

The January 13, 2026 meeting of the At-Large Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts was called to order at 7:01 PM.
In attendance:

Liz Lesperance, President
Sandy Burgess, Vice President
Cullen Gallagher, Secretary
Allen Larkin, Treasurer
Kristina Constant, Board Member
Shara Winton, Affiliate President
Brian Langlois
ElizabethAnn Johnson
Sengil Inkiala
Mike Karsok
Neil Schoonmaker
Stephen Yerardi
Pam Kalinoski
Brian Switzer
Icebreaker: Members shared a creative headline describing what they hoped to accomplish this year.
NFB Pledge

Inky led the NFB Pledge.
Approval of Minutes

Neil moved that the November minutes be accepted; the motion was seconded by Brian and passed unanimously.
Paying Dues

Allen reminded members that it was time to pay dues for 2026. Dues were $10 for the main chapter and $5 for additional chapters. Payments could be made using PayPal or by Zelle to treasurer at nfbma.org. Members were encouraged to contact Allen to confirm that their payment had been sent.
Allen also reported that the Giggle Gala brought in $7,100 in donations.
Affiliate President’s Report

STATE CONVENTION

Shara announced that room reservations could now be made for the state convention, March 27–29. The food choices had been finalized. Friday night would feature an Italian buffet. Lunch on Saturday would be a sandwich board with options for turkey, ham and cheddar, and a vegetarian option. Box lunches would not be available this year, as the hotel charged a fee for consuming them on site.
Banquet dinner options would include chicken with caper wine sauce, filet mignon, or stuffed zucchini. Chocolate mousse cake would be served for dessert.
The room rate included access to the hotel restaurant’s breakfast buffet. 
Hotel Room Booking For State Convention <https://www.ihg.com/redirect?path=asearch&brandCode=CP&localeCode=en&regionCode=1&hotelCode=bosms&checkInDate=27&checkInMonthYear=022026&checkOutDate=29&checkOutMonthYear=022026&rateCode=6CBARC&_PMID=99801505&GPC=nfb&cn=no&adjustMonth=false&showApp=true&monthIndex=00>
To book by phone, call 781-935-8760 .
WASHINGTON SEMINAR

The Washington Seminar was two weeks away. Members who were not attending were encouraged to review the fact sheets for the legislative priorities and to call their representatives and senators. 
Fact Sheets <https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/washington-seminar>
NATIONAL CONVENTION

Room reservations for the National Convention were open. Members who had not previously attended a national convention and wished to attend were encouraged to apply for the Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship. Members applying were asked to inform Shara so she could submit a letter of recommendation. The deadline was March 30. 
National Convention Information <https://nfb.org//images/nfb/publications/bm/bm26/bm2601/bm260102.htm>
GENERAL SESSIONS AT STATE CONVENTION

Shara announced that General Sessions would begin at 3:00 PM on Friday to ensure that all agenda items could be completed.
Presidential Release

The January Presidential Release  <https://nfb.org/sites/nfb.org/files/2026-01/presidential_release_january_2026_chapter_version.mp3>was played.
Training Program at the Carroll Center

Brian Switzer from the Carroll Center joined the meeting to share information about the Screen Reader User Tester Training Program. The next session would begin on March 24. The program covered digital accessibility testing and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which form the basis of several accessibility laws.
The program would run for five weeks from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM and from 1:00 to 2:30 PM. Assignments would also be included. An internship would be available for those who completed the program.
Next Meeting

The next meeting was scheduled for February 10. Mike would come up with an icebreaker, and Kristina would lead the NFB Pledge.
Adjournment

The meeting was adjourned at 8:10 PM
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