[MD-AtLarge] Meeting Reminders and Minutes

[Sharon Maneki]

Hello All,
The next meeting of the At Large Chapter is tonight, September 16, from
7:30-9 PM. The meeting starts with the National President's message. Our
guest speaker for tonight will be Shawn Callaway, president of the NFB of
the District of Columbia. He will be talking about the numerous programs
and opportunities that the National Organization of Blind Black Leaders
have to offer. The call in number is (339)-209-4083.

At our August meeting, Diane Ducharme who works for the image center told
us about Independent Living Centers. If you have questions, you may call
Diane at (443)-352-0716. Below are the minutes, which describe the August
19 meeting.

Minutes for August 19



The meeting began with the National President’s message.

President Riccobono reminded us to start saving money to attend next year’s
convention, July 3-8 in Austin, Texas.

He also reminded us to get cosponsors for H.R. 4206/S. 1261, the CONNECT
for Health Act of 2025. This bill is necessary because telehealth services
will currently expire on September 30.

Next, we introduced ourselves and talked about the 2025 National
Convention. There were 22 people on the call.

Sharon gave the Treasurer’s Report

This report was from March 1-July 31.

The opening balance in March was $940.08, the total income was $205, and
the total expenses were $216.40. The ending balance was $928.68

Our guest speaker was Diane Ducharme. She discussed what independent living
centers are, and how they help blind people. There are many independent
living centers throughout the state. They all help people to get out of
nursing homes, teach independent living skills to all disabled people, and
make peer counseling available for people who request it.

She works for the IMAGE Center, which is for residents of Baltimore County,
Baltimore City, and Harford County. A unique service that the IMAGE Center
runs is the Healthy Happy Home program. This service is for people who are
62 years and older and live in Harford County, and three locations, Middle
River, Essex, and Rosedale, in Baltimore County. The homeowner or renter
may receive up to $5000 in home modifications so that the consumer can
continue to live independently and safely. If you wish for more information
on this program or anything else about independent living, call Diane
Ducharme at (443)-352-0716.

Diane also talked about the Blind Shell 3 Cell Phone. The Blind Shell is a
phone made specifically for the blind. It has buttons that you can feel and
does not require you to do gestures. The Blind Shell 3 has been upgraded to
contain artificial intelligence, which enables you to dictate your
contacts. The phone also has tandem capabilities, which allows someone to
take over your phone so that they can help you if you’re having problems.
Diane was a wealth of information for everyone.



Respectfully submitted,

Sharon Maneki, Acting Secretary

*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. Everyday 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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