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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Friends,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We’re excited about seeing you at convention later today. We are sending out an updated description of the hotel. The only clarifications relate to the Terrace Level. Please remember that the Ashore Resort and Beach Club is a free Aira Access Site thanks to our sponsor, Aira!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Navigating the Ashore Resort and Beach Club</span></strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><br>This location is an Aira Access Site, meaning you can use the Aira Explorers mobile application free of charge during the convention weekend.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>The Ashore Resort and Beach Club is located at 10100 Coastal Highway. This hotel has two buildings that are connected through a hallway on the second floor. Most sleeping rooms and common spaces such as restaurants are in the Tower Building, while meeting rooms and Cabana sleeping rooms are in the Conference Center. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>The first floor of both buildings is called the “Main Level,” while the second floor is called the “Terrace Level.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>As you arrive at the hotel and face it, the Conference Center will be on your left and the Tower Building will be on your right. The Conference Center and Tower Building are separated by a covered driveway on the Main Level. Individuals can cross between the two buildings at this level, but they will be outside for approximately 50 feet. Beware of traffic, as this driveway is used both as a loading and unloading zone and also for through traffic for the hotel parking lots. The two buildings are connected on the second or Terrace Level by an internal hallway.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Tower Building </span></strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><br>There is one entrance to the Tower Building, which is not facing Coastal Highway but rather on the side of the hotel with the covered driveway entrance. As you come into the tiled lobby of the hotel Tower Building through the entrance from the covered driveway, you will be on the Main Level. Directly to your left along the wall are the hotel check-in desks. With your back to the covered driveway doors, to your left past the check-in desks, you will find a set of three elevators to take you to the Terrace Level and to all other floors of the Tower Building. Again, standing with your back to the doors leading to the covered driveway, straight ahead and to the right, you will find the Grand Staircase that will take you to the Terrace Level. In the middle of the Main Level lobby are several conversation areas with different types of chairs and couches. Past the elevator you can find a small business center. The ATM is at the check-in desk.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>If you turn and face the doors to the covered driveway, you can use these doors to get to the Conference Center by walking straight ahead about 50 feet.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>On the Terrace Level of the Tower Building, you will find a hallway that connects common spaces and amenities. The closest amenity to the Conference Center is Ashore Things, which sells coffee, snacks, quick bites, sundries, and tourist merchandise. Past Ashore Things is the Tide Room, which is the hotel restaurant. Connected to the Tide Room and further down the hall is the TAP Room, which is the hotel’s bar. The Tap Room has a limited food menu. At the end of this hallway, you will be on the Shore Deck, which will be described later.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>The third through sixteenth floors of the Tower Building are sleeping rooms.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Those looking for a guide dog relief area from the Tower Building should use the entrance leading to the covered driveway and walk left towards Coastal Highway. At the end of the covered driveway, turn right, and you’ll be outside the Conference Center, where there is a guide dog relief area described in more detail later.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Conference Center</span></strong><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><br>The Conference Center has two floors – the Main Level and the Terrace Level. The Conference Center Main Level has two sets of doors – one is the large set of main doors that face Coastal Highway, and the second faces the covered driveway. If you enter the main doors, you will find yourself in the Grand Foyer. Registration, packet pick-up, boxed lunch distribution, and banquet ticket exchange will all be in the Grand Foyer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>If you put your back to the Coastal Highway set of doors, you will face Tideline A and Tideline B, which together, make the Grand Ballroom. Tideline A is on the left, and Tideline B is on the right closer to the entrance to the covered driveway. Our general sessions will be held on Saturday and Sunday in Tideline A. Tideline A will also house the board meeting, resolutions, and several seminars. Tideline B will host Pizza and a Play and Crab Idol, but there may be times when, as space is needed, we open up the rooms to make one large room which is the Grand Ballroom. If you face the Grand Ballroom, you will find a set of stairs to the Terrace Level on your far left and an elevator on your far right on the wall where the Coastal Highway doors are located.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>An accessible guide dog relief area is available just outside the Conference Center entrance on the Coastal Highway side of the Main Level. There, you will find some sandy areas and trash cans. Please don’t forget to bring your own baggies and dispose of them in the trash cans.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Many of our seminars and workshops, childcare, the exhibit hall, and the banquet will be on the Terrace Level of the Conference Center. You can get to this level either through the elevator and staircase in the Conference Center, or through the hallway from the Tower Building.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>When exiting the elevator vestibule, Ashore Things will be directly ahead of you with steps to the first floor to the right. Turning right out of the elevator vestibule will take you toward the conference center. After turning right, Seaside 5 conference room will be directly in front. Seaside 6 is to the left and Seaside 4 is to the right. Turning right at Seaside 5 will lead down a hallway to the entrance of the conference center. There is a change in flooring from tile to carpet when entering the conference center just after a set of double doors. After going through the double doors, turning to the left will take you down a hallway toward the ballroom. (There is a small hallway slightly to the right that is for staff that leads to the kitchen.) Going down the hallway towards the ballroom, there are restrooms on the right hand side (women's room on the left when facing it and men's room on the right), followed by a hallway that leads to entrances to Seasides 1, 2, and 3 as well as Atlantic ballroom 2A and 2B. When turning right down the hallway Seaside 3 entrance will be on the right and Atlantic 2B entrance is on the left. Following down the hallway, Seaside 2 will be on the right. Continuing, there is an entrance to Seaside 1 on the right and there are 2 entrances to Atlantic 2A on the left.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Passing the hallway for the Seaside conference rooms will take you to the Terrace lobby. When entering the lobby, the entrance to Atlantic 2B and Atlantic 1 are on the right. There are stair if you continue to go straight, slightly to the left. The elevators are on the left side. There is a window and seating in front of the elevators. The elevators in the conference center go to the 1st floor of the conference center and can also go to the 3rd floor, but there is only access to hotel rooms on this floor.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Resuming our walk from the Tower Building, the hallway that passes the Tap Room opens up into a large, tiled seating area called the Shore Deck. This is an inside beach-style seating area, which once housed an indoor pool that has now been filled in. With your back to the hallway you came down, to your far left is a set of doors that lead you to an outside deck. This deck has outdoor seating and a staircase down to the beach.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>A guide dog relief area is available just at the bottom of these outside stairs on the beach. There, you will find trash cans. Please don’t forget to bring your own baggies and dispose of them in the trash cans. Those needing an accessible relief area should choose the other guide dog relief area.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Standing on the Shore Deck, directly in front of you, are a set of Cabana sleeping rooms. Some of these rooms will also be used for teen and tween activities. To the far right of the Cabana rooms is a hallway that takes you to the meeting room hallways. There is furniture and a waist-high wall directly in front of the Cabana rooms. Access is available by entering from either the far left or far right of the room, going around the wall.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>It is noteworthy that the Tap Room has a second entrance directly from the Shore Deck, and individuals can purchase food and beverages from the bar and enjoy them on the Shore Deck while enjoying sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean in the comfort of an inside venue.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>If you move across the Dune Deck to the hallway that leads to the conference rooms, you will find yourself on a carpeted area that is a space that can be broken into four parts. If you stand at the apex of these four sections, the top left section contains the Atlantic Ballrooms. The top right section contains Seaside Conference Rooms 1 through 3. The bottom left section contains the Terrace Lobby, stairs, and elevators. The bottom right section contains Seaside Conference Rooms 4 through 6.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Starting at the bottom left section, you will find yourself in a large open area called the Terrace Lobby. The Terrace Lobby is where we will hold our pre-banquet reception. The staircase is on the far left, and the elevator is on the right.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>The top left section of the Terrace Level consists of three conference rooms that, together, make up the Atlantic Ballroom. We will hold our banquet in the Atlantic Ballroom. The three conference rooms that comprise the Atlantic Ballroom include Atlantic 1, which is on the far left and has windows; Atlantic 2B, which is to the right of Atlantic 1 and closer to the Terrace Lobby than Atlantic 2A; and Atlantic 2A, which is behind Atlantic 2B. Atlantic 2A and 2B share a hallway with Seaside 1 through 3. Atlantic 2B has two entrances – one on the same hallway as Seaside 1 through 3 and the other on the same side as Atlantic 1. We will use Atlantic 1, 2A, and 2B for various seminars and some of our Saturday luncheons. Atlantic 1 is also the home of the exhibit hall.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Returning to the apex of the Conference Center on the Terrace Level, the top right section consists of Seaside Conference Rooms 1, 2, and 3. Seaside 3 is closest to the apex and directly across from one of the entrances to Atlantic 2B. Seaside 2 is just past Seaside 3, and Seaside 1 is the furthest from the apex. Seaside 1 and 2 are directly across the hallway from Atlantic 2A. Directly next to Seaside 3 but before the apex, you will find a cloak room and then restrooms.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0.1rem 0px'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>On the bottom right section of the apex, you will find Seaside 4, which will be used for luggage storage on Sunday, next is Seaside 5, and at the end of the hallway furthest from the apex, Seaside 6, which is where childcare will be held.<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'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>President</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pronouns: she, her, hers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>