[MD-AtLarge] Meeting Reminder and Minutes

[nfbmd]

Hello All,

The May meeting of the At Large Chapter of the NFBMD will take place
tomorrow evening, May 21.  The National President's Message will be played
at 7:30 and the meeting will be from 8-9pm.  We will conduct election of
officers, we will also discuss an interesting article called "Blindness:
Handicap or Characteristic?" I am sending the earlier announcement again
about this speech. You can either read it on email or NFB Newsline.  For
your convenience the call in number is 605-313-4818.  The access code is
720125. 

Please read the minutes below.  

 

At Large Chapter Meeting Minutes for April 16, 2019 

Presidential release was played at 7:30 PM 

The meeting was started at 8 PM by Margarete Woods, President 

Approximately 15 members on the call 

 

Sharon spoke about The Maryland Legislative session We had three issues this
year, which were 

1. a single voting system to end segregated voting in Maryland based on
disability

2. creating standards for electric low-speed scooters so that the blind have
access to the same information about them as the sighted and can navigate
safely

3. continuing to fund the Center for Excellence in Non-visual Access  to
Education Commerce and Public Information (CENA).  

The NFB was successful on the CENA front, but we will continue the fight
next year on the voter segregation and scooter issues.  

The legislature referred the voter bill to Summer  Study, which has no
parameters or accountability.  The scooter bill passed the House, but failed
in the Senate because they ran out of time when there was a last minute
amendment. 

In the recent Braille Spector, there is an article about Brian Holly who
received the Anna Cable award at the NFB MD State Convention in 2017.

 

The NFB Pledge was recited.

 

Tonight's Guest speaker is Melba Taylor. She is the president of the
Maryland Association of Blind Merchants which is a division of the NFBMD and
a member of the Board of Directors of the National  Association of Blind
Merchants.  Melba also is a board member of Blind Industries and Services of
Maryland. She stated that she has been a federationist all her life.  She
spoke about her career as a vendor, the Randolph-Sheppard Act, and the
Business Enterprise Program. Melba urged others to think about having a
career in business. 

 

Submitted by Danielle Earl 

 

 

Sharon Maneki, Director of Legislation and Advocacy

National Federation of the Blind of Maryland

410-715-9596

 

The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland 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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