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Tue Oct 8 14:03:41 UTC 2019

Please come and join the New York Parents of Blind Children for an
informative and fun workshop at the 63rd Annual NFBNYS Convention. The NYPBC
is an affiliate division of the National Organization of Parents of Blind
Children, and a division of the National Federation of the Blind of New York
State. We hold a division meeting and workshop(s) at our state convention
each year. The 2019 state convention will take place at the Holiday Inn,
4600 Genesee Street, Cheektowaga, NY 14225. This year we have a great
workshop for families and parents of blind children, which we hope you will
find to be both educational and enjoyable. We will hold our workshop from
2:00 P.M. until 5:00 P.M. on Friday October 18th 2019 and cover the
following topics:

Come and meet our new BELL state coordinator and check-out a mini BELL where
you can sample some of the neat activities that your blind child could enjoy
at our New York State BELL programs, and hear about our upcoming plans for
BELL 2020. There will be BELL programs held in Buffalo NY, the Orchard BELL
and in NYC, the Big Apple BELL in summer 2020. Next we have three
back-to-back presentations on IEP/IFSP, with three presenters who will take
you through three important questions: "What can/should be on your child's
IEP?" "How does that look once it gets put down onto paper?" and "What can
you do when the IEP is not being followed or you are not being given what
your child needs?" In the first segment we will go over the many options to
consider to make informed decisions on what is available to your blind child
in the school or preschool/EI system and how to select the services,
accommodations, technology and methods that will serve your child best. The
second segment will look at how to read an existing IEP, how an IEP is
written, how to write meaningful goals and make actionable requests in the
IEP process. The third segment will explore your options from polite
diplomacy to aggressive legal action, and all of the variations in between,
what they are, and when to consider each, if the IEP is not being followed
or if your requests for services or accommodations are not being heard or
honored.

This event is $5.00 per person, $1 for additional family members of the
first paying family member, and is free to registered convention attendees.
There is childcare provided during this event, and throughout our state
convention. Childcare is not just babysitting to us and if your blind child
attends during this workshop or any other portion of convention, they will
engage in fun activities that are designed to promote a blindness positive
attitude, that incorporate some of the neat activities we use in our BELL
programs, and that provide opportunities for free play with peers, Braille
literacy through art projects, Orientation and Mobility exploration, even
physical development through an Acro-Yoga session planned for our childcare
during the banquet. Convention registration is $15, however, it is not
required to attend this workshop, although it will make your workshop
admission free. If you are local to the Buffalo area we would especially
encourage you to attend this and other events at the state convention, as
the usual expense and logistical concerns of attending such a convention are
virtually removed by the fact that you live locally and can avoid travel or
lodging expenses, while enjoying a fantastic event right in your own
backyard, as it were.

Our convention will include a town hall meeting with NYSCB, the New York
State Commission for the Blind, where your children likely receive services,
workshops for various groups and divisions, including the NYPBC, and also
divisions for Guide Dog Users NYAGDU, Blind Students, NYABS, blind parents,
blind seniors, and blind diabetics. If your child is older, of middle school
or high school age, they may wish to attend the New York Association of
Blind Students workshop as well which runs concurrently with our workshop.
There will be an exhibit hall full of vendors of a plethora of products, and
services for people who are blind, which you can check out before or after
the workshop. General sessions will be held on Saturday, with a banquet on
Saturday evening and business meetings on Sunday.

If you would like to attend this workshop or the convention, please contact
the NYPBC president Jim Jonas at (585) 472-2433 or email to
gjonas817 at gmail.com <mailto:gjonas817 at gmail.com> 

For questions regarding the BELL program, please contact the NYS BELL
coordinator, Heather Bird at (585) 739-6473, or email to
heather.L.bird at gmail.com <mailto:heather.L.bird at gmail.com> 

for questions regarding childcare, please contact Maura Kutnyak at (716)
563-9882 or email to maurakutnyak at gmail.com <mailto:maurakutnyak at gmail.com> 

And for questions regarding the Blind Students Division please contact
Justin Yung at (585) 310-8575 or email to nyabsdivision at gmail.com
<mailto:nyabsdivision at gmail.com> 

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