[MD-AtLarge] October 2017 Minute Message

[nfbmd]

Fellow Federationists:
 
Convention planning: full speed ahead!
You have less than two weeks to make your room reservations by calling 410
321-7400.  Remember, pre-registration will close on October 15.  Go to: 
 
<file:///C:\Users\admin\Desktop\Sharon's%20Documents%203\NFBMD%20Files%20201
7\nfbmd.org\convention\register> nfbmd.org/convention/register
The time to act is now!
We have planned several new activities and workshops that we have never had
at a NFBMD convention.  For instance, cardio drumming is a great way to have
fun without realizing that you are exercising.  Our wellness workshop will
introduce you to apps where you can find nutritional information as well as
fitness and exercise information.  This workshop will highlight
accessibility features.  How accessible is your home?  Get acquainted with
Google and Amazon products to make around the house tasks easier at our
'Accessibility around the House' workshop.  Tactile art is for everyone so
don't forget to stop by and check out or create art.    
Of course we will have many familiar activities that we look forward to
every year.  As usual, we will have a Friday night get together.  Our
carnival game night will have something for everyone from corn hole to
darts; board games, computer games and more.  Snacks and a cash bar will
also be available.  The newly formed Maryland Association of Blind Merchants
will conduct a meeting.  Guest speakers will discuss social security issues
faced by blind entrepreneurs and other business topics.  Students, parents,
and seniors will also conduct informative workshops.
We will have reports and updates from BISM, LBPH, MSB, and DORS.  We will
also be planning our advocacy activities for the coming year.  Don't miss
the Resolutions Committee meeting on Friday, November 10 at 9:30 am.  Jessie
Hartle will chair the Resolutions Committee this year.  If you wish to
submit a resolution please send it to Jessie by November 3.  His email
address is  <mailto:jesse.hartle63 at gmail.com> jesse.hartle63 at gmail.com.  
The newsletter of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland, The
Braille Spectator, will give you a good idea about the convention.  Be sure
to read the biography of our national representative Everette Bacon and the
article about convention challenges.  The Spectator also contains a summary
of the experiences of people on last year's employment panel.  This will
give you a flavor of what to expect for this year's employment panel.  The
Spectator will be on the website and Newsline soon.  Be sure to look at the
website for the agenda and other convention happenings.  See you at the
Sheraton North Hotel in Towson on November 10 - 12. 
 
Meet the blind month is in full swing
Every chapter around the state is planning meet the blind month activities.
We are doing everything from participating in a parade, conducting a
resource fair as well as a variety of fundraisers that engage the public.
Go to https://nfbmd.org/node/106.  Consult this link often because new
events are being added.  
 
White cane safety day
Three chapters have already scheduled or received proclamations   from local
officials for White Cane Safety Day.  If you need a sample proclamation go
to: https://nfb.org/white-cane-awareness-day. 
 
New legislation introduced in Washington
Last week Senator John Thune, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation; Senator Gary Peters; Senator Roy Blunt; and
Senator Debbie Stabenow introduced the American Vision for Safer
Transportation through Advancement of Revolutionary Technologies (AV START)
Act (S. 1885). This bill will promote equal access to automated vehicles for
the blind and others with disabilities through the prohibition of
discriminatory licensing practices and the promotion of accessible user
interfaces.
 
Two important library events
The Technology User Group (TUG) of the Maryland State Library for the Blind
and Physically Handicapped is pleased to announce that the October 14
Presentation will be held in Greenbelt, Maryland.  The production entitled
Accessible Gifts for the Holidays will be held at the Greenbelt Branch of
the Prince George's County Memorial Library System, located at 11 Crescent
Road, Greenbelt, MD 20770 from 10:15 AM to noon.  Patrons and interested
persons are encouraged to use the back door of the library since this is
closer to the auditorium.  We are looking forward to meeting our patrons and
disseminating information about the library to the citizens in the D.C.
suburbs.
Don't miss the Friends Annual meeting on October 28 at LBPH from 10:00 am -
12:30 pm.  Come and meet some of the new staff at LBPH and help us recognize
LBPH volunteers.  The theme of this year's meeting is "All about Maryland."
Try your hand at Maryland trivia, eat Maryland snacks, and enjoy a
presentation by a Maryland author about an important aspect of Maryland
history.  We are fortunate this year to have retired civil rights lawyer
Chris Brown as our speaker.  Author of the book, The Road to Jim Crow: the
African-American Struggle on Maryland's Eastern Shore 1860-1915.  This is
the story of African Americans on Maryland's Eastern Shore, from the
promise-filled days following the end of slavery to the rise of lynch law,
segregation, and systematic efforts at disenfranchisement.  Mr. Brown a
founding partner of the renowned civil rights law firm Brown, Goldstein and
Levy, litigated a series of Voting Rights Act lawsuits that brought the
first African-American officeholders to many Maryland town and county
councils. These cases marked the end of 250 years in which no
African-American had been elected to public office in Worcester County on
Maryland's Eastern Shore.
 
Important dates
October 2017 - January 4, 2018. Braille Reading Contest for Adults is
underway. It is not too late to sign up.  For more information contact Ellen
Ringlein at greaterbaltimore at nfbmd.org <mailto:greaterbaltimore at nfbmd.org> 
October 1-31, 2017. Meet the Blind Month. 
October 15, 2017. National White Cane Safety Day.
October 19-20, 2017. Braille Literacy in the 21st Century Conference, 200
East Wells Street, Baltimore, Maryland. Register at
https://nfb.org/events/brl-literacy-registration
November 10-12, 2017.  Annual State Convention, Sheraton Baltimore North
Hotel in Towson, Maryland.  Register at nfbmd.org/convention/register
 
 
 
Sharon Maneki, President
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
410-715-9596
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.
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