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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Hi Justin,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>It is simply that the messages will be reviewed before being posted. At least, that is the intention. Technology is not perfect. For instance, your reply just came through and was not reviewed. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Cullen, our affiliate secretary and I can post. If you want anything posted, you can send it to either of us or send it the typical way and it will simply be reviewed before it is posted. No stifling going on here. </span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Segoe UI Emoji",sans-serif'>😊</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Shara Winton<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>President, National federation of the Blind of Massachusetts<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="http://www.nfbma.org/">www.nfbma.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="mailto:sharawinton@gmail.com">sharawinton@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>617-304-0347<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'> Massachusetts-NFB <massachusetts-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Justin Salisbury via Massachusetts-NFB<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, August 14, 2026 12:09 PM<br><b>To:</b> NFB of Massachusetts E-mail List <massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> Justin Salisbury <PRESIDENT@alumni.ecu.edu><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Massachusetts-NFB] IMPORTANT: email changes and explanation<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Hi Shara,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Since I was not at the meeting, I don\u2019t know about all of the emotions involved or the actual changes that are being implemented. I hope that it\u2019s okay for me to ask about it here.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>What are the changes that will be implemented?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Since I\u2019ve bounced around the country a fair bit, I\u2019ve seen different things in different affiliates. I can tell you that I have lived in one state where the affiliate has no email list to which members are all allowed to post, and the email list is essentially an announce-only list where the president themselves gets to send all of the messages that get shared within the affiliate. If the president is sick, there\u2019s no email method. I don\u2019t know where the plans are headed for the Massachusetts affiliate email list, but I hope that we aren\u2019t headed toward that. In my opinion, it unnecessarily stifles the process of dreaming up new ideas and learning about the things we do as an organization in the affiliate that has it that way.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>With that said, I hope I\u2019m not critiquing the very plan that you had in mind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Go Sox,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Justin<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Justin MH Salisbury, MEd, NOMC, NCRTB<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>English Pronouns: He/Him/His<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Email: <a href="mailto:President@Alumni.ECU.edu">President@Alumni.ECU.edu</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>ResearchGate: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury&source=gmail-imap&ust=1727538746000000&usg=AOvVaw3uZJqqJkT2wSVxJDa9dD7W">https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Salisbury</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury&source=gmail-imap&ust=1727538746000000&usg=AOvVaw0XtyTG9WXXQ8TWe6UeU4Nz"><span lang=EN>https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-salisbury</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>ORCID: <a href="https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1786-2786">https://orcid.org/0009-0009-1786-2786</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Recent Public Scholarship:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Salisbury, J. (2025). <a href="https://ojs.scholarsportal.info/ontariotechu/index.php/id/article/view/323">Defining and understanding the blind community</a>. </span><i>Including Disability</i>, <i>6</i>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'>\u201cUntil the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.\u201d<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:none'>Chinua Achebe<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;mso-ligatures:none'> Massachusetts-NFB <<a href="mailto:massachusetts-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org">massachusetts-nfb-bounces@nfbnet.org</a>> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Shara Winton via Massachusetts-NFB<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, August 14, 2026 10:55 AM<br><b>To:</b> 'NFB of Massachusetts E-mail List' <<a href="mailto:massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org">massachusetts-nfb@nfbnet.org</a>><br><b>Cc:</b> <a href="mailto:sharawinton@gmail.com">sharawinton@gmail.com</a><br><b>Subject:</b> [Massachusetts-NFB] IMPORTANT: email changes and explanation<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Hello Beautiful NFB Family and Friends, <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I want to take a moment to address some of the discussion that took place during our recent Cambridge Chapter meeting. There was a tremendous amount of conversation, and I know that some of you left the meeting with concerns, while others may have felt discouraged or deflated by what took place.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Please know that, as always, my first and foremost responsibility is to advocate for, support, and protect our members as much as possible. Sometimes, making decisions that I believe are in the best interest of our organization may be uncomfortable or may not please everyone, and I understand that.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I also want to sincerely apologize for not giving everyone more advance notice about the changes to our email list. The situation developed much more quickly than I anticipated, and, quite honestly, I was caught a little off guard myself by how quickly everything came together.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Over the past year, we have received many concerns that our email list has become overwhelming and difficult to keep up with. We have also experienced an increase in spam and other unwanted messages. In addition, there have been occasions when a member, believing they were replying to only one individual, unintentionally shared personal information with the entire list. Once that information is sent, we cannot take it back, and it can potentially compromise someone's privacy, confidentiality, and even personal safety.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Our email list also includes many people who are not currently members but are interested in learning more about the NFB, as well as donors, agencies, media representatives, and other friends and supporters of our organization. Because of this, we have a responsibility to be thoughtful about what information is shared broadly.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>After speaking with and seeking guidance from other leaders within the National Federation of the Blind, I came to the difficult conclusion that we need to place some reasonable limits on what can be shared through our affiliate-wide email list.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I want to be very clear: this is not personal, nor is it directed at any one individual or small group of individuals. This decision is about protecting the privacy and safety of our members, reducing unnecessary email traffic, and creating a more comfortable and manageable communication environment for our affiliate as a whole.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>I truly hope that you will receive this decision in the spirit in which it is intended\u2014with care, respect, and a genuine desire to do what is best for all of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>We are a family, and families do not always agree. But we can continue to listen to one another, give one another grace, and work together toward something bigger than any one of us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Thank you for taking the time to read this, and most importantly, thank you for your understanding, compassion, and continued commitment to the National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>With appreciation and love,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Shara<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Shara Winton<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>President, National federation of the Blind of Massachusetts<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="http://www.nfbma.org/">www.nfbma.org</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="mailto:sharawinton@gmail.com">sharawinton@gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>617-304-0347<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>