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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><h1 align=center style='text-align:center'>NEWSWIRE<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h1 align=center style='text-align:center'>National Federation of the Blind of<o:p></o:p></h1><h1 align=center style='text-align:center'>North Dakota<o:p></o:p></h1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h2 align=center style='text-align:center'>Vol. 2, No. 20<o:p></o:p></h2><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3>National Convention<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal>The agenda/program of the upcoming National Federation of the Blind 2018 Convention is now available online on the Convention page of the national website at:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=MsoHyperlink><a href="https://nfb.org/convention">https://nfb.org/convention</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Also found on the convention page is the restaurants in the hotel and their menus.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>For those attending the convention you may want to check out the Exhibit Hall Announcements where you will find a listing of the affiliates, divisions and vendors who have submitted information on what they will be selling in their booth in the Exhibit Hall. The link can be found on the Convention Page.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This year we will have what I think is the largest group of members who have identified that they will be sitting in the North Dakota delegation. We have with myself a total of 6 of us.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3> NFB Annual Report<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal>The National Office has release the 2017 Annual Report on the status and accomplishments of the past year. Its available in various formats and you can find it at:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>https://<span class=MsoHyperlink><a href="http://www.nfb.org/annual-report">nfb.org/annual-report</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>You are encouraged to share this report with anyone who is interested in reading this report.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3>Blindness Statistics National Federation of the Blind<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal>A while back I received the announcement of a web page call “Blindness Statistics” which I checked out to see if information has been updated and I’m please to say that it has. You can find it at:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span class=MsoHyperlink><a href="https://nfb.org/blindness-statistics">https://nfb.org/blindness-statistics</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><h3>Meeting Schedule<o:p></o:p></h3><p class=MsoNormal>At the moment there is no meeting planned for the month of July as I and few others will be attending the National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind in Orlando, florida from July 3 thru 8. Should there be a need to hold a July meeting it will probably be by phone only and an announcement will be sent out ahead of time so that you can set aside the time for our meeting.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We will plan for a meeting in August on the second Friday with a time and place to be announced as well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In September I hope that all of you who are reading this will be in attendance at our 2018 State Convention on Friday and Saturday, September 7 and 8. The Friday will be an all-day meeting for a Leadership Training that is only open to members in good standing or indicate that they would like to become a member and get their $5.00 to the Treasurer Jesse Shirek. If you need is address and/or phone number, please call me at (701) 731-0511.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The Saturday, September is open to anyone and we will have speakers from the ND Talkingbook Library in Bismarck, someone from the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Superintendant from the ND School for the Blind in Grand Forks, and of course our National Representative. There will be other things that will be thrown into the program along with door prizes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>And, if you are a member of the NFB of North Dakota we would appreciate it very much if you would donate a door prize or two with no less than a $10.00 value.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>That is all I have for now as this is probably the last NEWSWIRE until I return from Orlando, Florida and I’ll have the announcement of where our 2019 Convention will be held.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Should you need to reach me, my contact is below.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Milton Ota, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of North Dakota<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Web: http://nfbnd.org/<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>909 8th St., S.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fargo, ND 58103-2723<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cell: (701) 731-0511<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>E-mail: mota1252@gmail.com<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND KNOWS THAT BLINDNESS IS NOT THE CHARACTERISTIC THAT DEFINES YOU OR YOUR FUTURE. EVERY DAY WE RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>YOU BACK. THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND IS NOT AN ORGANIZATION SPEAKING FOR THE BLIND--IT IS THE BLIND SPEAKING FOR OURSELVES.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>With Love, Hope and Determination, We Turn Dreams Into Reality.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Together We Change What It Means to Be Blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>