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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hello All,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please read the minutes below. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>At Large Chapter Meeting Minutes for April 16, 2019 <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Presidential release was played at 7:30 PM <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The meeting was started at 8 PM by Margarete Woods, President <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Approximately 15 members on the call <o:p></o:p></p><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black'>Sharon spoke about The Maryland Legislative session We had three issues this year, which were <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black'>1. a single voting system to end segregated voting in Maryland based on disability<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black'>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<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black'> 3. continuing to fund the Center for Excellence in Non-visual Access to Education Commerce and Public Information (CENA). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black'>The NFB was successful on the CENA front, but we will continue the fight next year on the voter segregation and scooter issues. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black'>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. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The NFB Pledge was recited.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p style='background:white'>Tonight’s Guest speaker is Melba Taylor. <span style='color:black'>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 </span>federationist all her life. She spoke about her career as a vendor, the <span style='background:white'>Randolph–<em><span style='font-style:normal'>Sheppard Act, and the Business Enterprise Program. Melba urged others to think about having a career in business. <o:p></o:p></span></em></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Georgia",serif;color:black'>Submitted by Danielle Earl <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sharon Maneki, Director of Legislation and Advocacy</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>410-715-9596<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>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</span>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>