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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hi Everyone,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Although it has only been a month since my previous update, a lot has happened. Further, there is still much going on as well as you will see when you read on. Thank you for reading through the information presented here. . <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>State Convention<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal>After much anticipation and planning, we held our first in-person annual convention last weekend since 2019. This was to some degree an experiment, and although I felt confident that it would be well attended, I didn't know what to expect. However, in-person attendance was very good. It was wonderful to be able to talk to one another without the audio processing that is a part of Zoom conversations. Thank you to everybody who attended. Having said this, I completely get that not everybody was comfortable attending in person yet. Thank you also to those of you who listened virtually. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>White Cane Day Activities<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>On October 14, a White Cane Awareness Day celebration was held at our state capitol. A program with speakers from BLIND Incorporated and the Minnesota Academy for the blind, including reading of a proclamation from Governor Walz as well as the actual white cane statute. I was also glad for the opportunity to represent the NFB of Minnesota by talking some about the history of White Cane Day. Did you know that a representative of the NFB was on national TV with President Lyndon Johnson as he signed the second White Cane Day proclamation in 1965? After the program we all went on a White Cane Walk. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><h2>Voter Feedback Requested<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal>Now that Election Day has passed, we need your feedback. If you used the Democracy Live OmniBallot machine, Send me your comments. We will be following up with Democracy Live as a result of our previous contacts with them. This machine replaced the Automark machine in Hennepin and many other counties in Minnesota. Send your comments to <a href="mailto:president@nfbmn.org">president@nfbmn.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'>We are also looking for your feedback as part of a national effort. <span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that voters with disabilities must be afforded an opportunity to vote privately and independently that is equivalent to the opportunity afforded to voters without disabilities. This requirement applies to both in-person voting and voting by mail for the upcoming general election on November 8, 2022.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>After exercising the fundamental right to vote, all blind and low-vision voters are encouraged to complete our 2022 Blind and Low-Vision Voter Experience Survey! The 2022 survey consists of two separate surveys: one survey for those who voted in person at an early voting center or their local polling place, and a second survey for blind and low-vision voters who voted by mail. Both surveys can be accessed, in English and Spanish, from our </span><a href="https://nfb.org/resources/voting-resources"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Voting Resources webpage.</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=MsoHyperlink><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>If someone is not able to access the survey online, they can call 410-659-9314 and get assistance from either Lou Ann Blake (extension 2221) or Jeff Kaloc (extension 2206). </span></span> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Give to the Max Day Reminder<o:p></o:p></span></h2><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Yes, I realize I mentioned this last week, but this is already occurring this week. </span>Thursday, November 17, 2022, is the annual Give to the Max Day (#GTMD22)—a day to inspire unprecedented levels of charitable giving in the state of Minnesota. Any contributions collected between now and 11:59 PM on the 17<sup>th</sup> will put the organization you donate to into a pool to receive bonus contributions. Just as we have done in previous years, both NFB of Minnesota and BLIND Inc. are participating. Every dollar given to either NFB of MN or BLIND Inc. will help all of us by improving opportunities and making life better for blind people in Minnesota and everywhere.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Please use these links to support and ask others to support the important work of <a href="https://www.givemn.org/organization/Nfbmn">the National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota</a> and/or <a href="https://www.givemn.org/organization/Blindinc">BLIND Incorporated</a> during Give to the Max Day, and share the opportunity with your contacts on email, word-of-mouth, twitter, Facebook, etc.! (Please include the hashtag #gtmd22 in your tweets and Facebook posts).<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you in advance for your generosity and especially for spreading the word to the people you know<span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Day at the Capitol and Washington Seminar<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal>It is already time to think about our efforts in the next sessions of our state legislature and Congress. Shortly, we will be setting our date for our Day at the Capitol which will almost certainly be in January. Also, our Washington Seminar is going to be in person and will be held from January 30 through February 2. Please watch for more details on both of these events. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>An Unsettling News Story<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal>Rocky Hart called this to my attention. A blind man in Florida ran into some trouble with the police because they thought his cane was a gun. It appears that cooler heads prevailed and this was quickly resolved. However, you can watch and listen to the news story at<br><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/legally-blind-florida-man-arrested-cane-confused-gun-rcna56396">TV News Story</a><br>or read the story at <br><a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-hodges-blind-arrested-columbia-county-sheriffs-officer-gun-collapsible-cane-lake-city-florida/">News Story Article</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2>Dates to Keep in Mind<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal>Please note that some chapter meetings for December are not given since some may change due to the holiday season.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>November 17 – Give to the Max Day<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>November 19 10:00 AM – In-person Metro Chapter Meeting<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>November 22 7:00 PM – Rochester Chapter Meeting<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>December 1 5:30 PM –State Rehabilitation Council – Blind meeting<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>December 5 7:00 PM – Chapter Leadership Check-in Meeting <o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>December 8, 7:00 PM – River Bend Chapter Meeting<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>December Board Meeting – Exact Date to be Established, watch for details<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraphCxSpLast style='margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo3'>January 30–February 2 – Washington Seminar<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Best regards,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Steve Jacobson, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Minnesota<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfbmn.org/">www.nfbmn.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>(612) 872-9363<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfb.org/">www.nfb.org</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Live the life you Want.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>