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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Hello everyone!! I am thrilled to have </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Paul DeFazio, join us at this year\u2019s convention. He is a legally blind architect and educator based in Boston. He is currently developing a pre-architecture program for blind high school students. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>A little bit of context: he received his Masters in Architecture from Rice University two years ago, and currently works with the Institute for Human Centered Design in Boston, and remotely with the Critical Design Lab in Toronto. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Paul is interested in creating a program for other blind folks who want to become designers. He says, \u201cI think that blind students can challenge the way architecture is taught and practiced in ways that benefit the design professions\u2014making them less vision-centric, generating our own ways of designing, engaging with buildings in new ways, etc.\u201d <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>\u201cThis has led me to being interested in pre-architecture programs where blind high school students can explore architecture as a potential career path. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>I\u2019m reaching out to NFB Massachusetts because I want this program to be shaped not only by educational institutions, but by blind leadership, blind community, and blind ways of doing things. I think that piece is essential. Alongside architecture and design skills, I hope the program can help students build confidence, mentorship, community, and a stronger sense that these fields belong to them too,\u201d states Paul. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>He will be at our exhibit hall and will speak briefly during general sessions. He will be with us all weekend to bend our ears and hear our ideas. <o:p></o:p></p><div><div><div><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'>Also, for those who are interested, the Crowne Plaza website has been updated with the most current menu\u2019s. Please find links below to the websites that offer each service type:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><a href="https://www.scoreboardwoburn.com/breakfast/">Breakfast</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><a href="https://www.scoreboardwoburn.com/lunch-and-dinner/">Lunch & Dinner</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><a href="https://www.scoreboardwoburn.com/cocktails-beer-and-wine/">Cocktails, Beer & Wine</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsolistparagraph style='margin-left:1.0in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo2'><![if !supportLists]><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Symbol'><span style='mso-list:Ignore'>·<span style='font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"'> </span></span></span><![endif]><a href="https://www.scoreboardwoburn.com/lunch-special-menu/">Lunch Special Menu</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>We are looking forward to being with all of you this weekend!! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>With Love, Hope and Determination,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>Your Convention Committee<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=xmsonormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>