[nfb-db] Minutes of Orlando 2013 DB Division Meeting

[Janice Toothman]

Hi Everyone,
I am enclosing the minutes  the meeting that I transcribed from my 
digital recorder of our meeting on July 2.  I will copy and paste them 
into the email, since some people have had problems opening my previous 
attachments.


*Deaf-Blind Division Convention Minutes*

*July 2, 2013- *

*Salon 13 in the Rosen Center Hotel*

*Registration 6:00 PM EST*

**

*The meeting started at 7:00PM EST*

**

*1. Introductions of People of Interest*

*A.**New Jersey State Affiliate President- Joe Ruffalo*

*B.**Georgia State Affiliate President*

*C.**Florida Vice President of Deaf-Blind Association Cheryl Rosetotally 
deaf*

*D.**Two people from the Florida's Office of Blind and Vision Services 
and Vocational Rehabilitation:*

*i.**Pamela Watts-stills*

*ii.**Kelly Parker*

**

*2.Joe introduced the current division President Burnell Brown; she 
opened with a prayer*

**

*3. Election of Officers: Joe Naulty stated that the nominating 
committee gave the names of the people placed in nomination as follows:*

*President: Joseph Naulty*

*First-Vice President: Tracie Inman*

*Second-Vice President: Marcus Simmons*

*Treasurer: Burnell Brown*

*Secretary: Janice Toothman*

*Board Member: Cathy Miller*

*Board Member: Alice Eddy*

**

*4. Each of the Candidates will have a 2 minutes speech to allow the 
members to get to know the candidates and to have confidence in the 
elected board member.*

*A.Joseph Naulty -- He started a deaf-blind division back when Dr. 
Jernigan was alive. He told me I had four days to start a deaf-blind 
division during the NFB Convention in Anaheim, CA. *

*Bob Eschbach was the next President of the Deaf-Blind Division and now 
Burnell Brown**.I owned my own company for 22 years and I have been 
married to my wife Arlene for 56 years.*

*B. Tracie Inman- I came to the Federation in 2010 and became a member 
of the board that same year.I started a Support Service Provider program 
in Florida. In addition, I worked to create a Florida Deaf-Blind 
Concerns Committee and act as the committee's chairperson. We are in the 
process of making the Florida Deaf-Blind Concerns Committee a division 
at the state level.I believe that we can improve independence and 
equality. I believe that we can accomplish much to achieve our goals but 
there is much work still to do to achieve greater the independence, 
equality and rights for the deaf-blind. I believe we can achieve much 
through teamwork, support for each other and advocating for ourselves 
and for one another.I have worked so hard to help each member of this 
board over the past 3 years.We can accomplish much but we have a long 
way to go.*

**

*C.Marcus Simmons retired automotive engineer and Certified as a 
technician in Automotive Service Excellence.He stopped earning a 
paycheck for that for work in 1971.From 1971 to the present, I am 
overcompensated for my hobby of building specialty cars.I still work on 
cars even though I cannot see them. I do it by feel.I am putting 
together a training program for the socially and economically 
disadvantaged youth as they leave the school system.I will do all I can 
for the Deaf-Blind; just do not ask me to build your car. I am your role 
model and I am not ashamed of it.*

**

*E.**Janice Toothman -- I lost my sight & hearing in 2002 and it was not 
until 2006 when I joined the NFB that I learned that the blindness 
skills that I needed like learning Braille.It was in 2009 when I 
attended my first Deaf-Blind division meeting and I had taken notes on 
my PACMATE (Freedom Scientific); and Burnell had noticed my taking notes 
and asked me if I wanted to be secretary of the division. I boldly took 
the challenge and became secretary. I hope that people will make use of 
the division email so that we can all stay connected and share concerns 
at www.nfbnet.org <http://www.nfbnet.org> (nfb-db).*

**

*F.**Burnell Brown- Since 1995 in Chicago with DB division and worked 
with United States Chambers of Commerce until 1999. I have been legally 
blind since birth and deaf since I was three years old. I have an 
Associate's degree in accounting. I have worked in accounting for 40 
years. I joined the Federation in 1993, met Joe in 1995, and joined the 
DB division.I want to get Deaf-Blind going. I am looking forward to 
pushing as hard as I can to get everything from congress and Washington 
DC for the Deaf-Blind people in the United States.Most of all I am 
working to make sure that all those seniors get what they deserve 
because those seniors put those people in the White House.We need to 
make sure that the Deaf-Blind children receive education because they 
are the future. We need to make sure that the Deaf-Blind get all that 
they deserve because we do not know what will happen tomorrow. I need 
all the help I can get with fundraising; I cannot do it all by myself. 
We have T-shirts, baseballs and last year's T-Shirts.I want to be able 
to go to other state conventions to talk about deaf-blind issues. The 
federal government has money for the Deaf-Blind but you have to go and 
get it; it is not going to come to you.*

**

*G.**Cathy Miller- 1973 Arkansas Center for the Blind; it was a complete 
shock when I started losing my hearing; It was shock and the kiss of 
death for me because I did not know anyone who was deaf or deaf and 
blind.I was fortunate to attend the Louisiana Center for the Deaf and 
Deaf-Blind. They taught me ASL tactilely; it was wonderful.It taught me 
I could communicate again.When I meet other blind who are losing their 
hearing, they are living in hell because I have been there.I want you to 
know that there is hope for every blind person losing their hearing or 
deaf-blind person. They do not know that you can use ASL tactilely, 
finger spelling, Deaf-Blind Communicator, an Apex note take paired with 
an Ipad. That is why I am here tonight because I do not want anyone else 
to spend one more minute longer suffering stress wondering who is 
speaking around you nor will you be able to understand the next phrase 
correctly. I am here tonight because of those entire leader who say that 
there are no deaf-blind living in their states.One the people themselves 
are denying it; deaf-blindness is so hard to face unless you know other 
deaf-blind people. Secondly, people in leadership positions do not 
recognize it, so the denial works both ways.We are here to end all that 
starting tonight.We are about to explode. I am glad we have interpreter 
here tonight.I want everyone to communicate with us.No matter what 
language you speak, we want to talk with you.I am just a child but 
looking forward to learning from the experienced board members can teach 
me. *

**

*H.**Alice Eddy- an Educator by training.She joined the Federation in 
2007.She had been the treasurer of her former Chapter and serves as the 
Vice-President of her current Chapter in Jew Jersey. I have been to 
leadership training; done press releases for her chapter and set up 
speakers and does educational training when the teacher asks me to.I 
have two grown children, 5 grandchildren. She certified in office 
administration. Work with SSP, transportation, and aging and outreach 
for helping other people.*

**

**

*4.Election of Officers*

*A.Anyone who wants to vote has to be current with the payment of his or 
her dues.*

*B.Tracie made a motion of Joe Naulty for President and Janice Toothman 
seconded it.*

*C.Marcus Simmons made a motion to accept the board as stated all at 
once and Tracie seconded it.*

*D. Garrick noted that as a parliamentary procedure requires that the 
questions "are there any nominations from the floor?" be asked for 
candidate separately so that others have the opportunity to run for 
office.If no one speaks after the question "Are there any nominations 
from the floor? Is spoken; then someone states "I move that nominations 
cease and so and so be elected by acclamation". Someone must second the 
move. If it has been moved, then seconded everyone must agree; 
otherwise, there is discussion.*

**

*5.Start of Elections*

*A. President- Joe Naulty became president by acclamation.*

**

*B.The Vice-President *

*i. Brook nominated Alice Eddy for first Vice-President from the floor*

*ii. Members stood to vote for either Tracie or Alice as First Vice 
President.*

*iii.**Tracie received 13 votes and Alice 2 votes*

**

*C. Second Vice-President Marcus Simmons had not other nominations from 
the floor; so unanimous vote by acclamation.*

**

*D.Secretary- Janice Toothman had a motion to be accepted by acclamation 
but no one seconded the motion prior to vote for whether people were in 
favor or not.*

**

*E.**Treasurer Burnell Brown did not have anyone challenge her 
nomination from the floor so she became treasurer by acclamation.*

**

*F.**Board Member- Cathy Miller became a Board Member by acclamation 
without any other nominations from the floor.*

**

*G.**Board Member *

*i.**Alice Eddy (See above for her information)*

*ii.**Tracie nominated Matthew Pettit from Nebraska. He had just 
completed the Jernigan Institute youth leadership training.I have been 
blind in right eye since birth and have a detached retina in the left 
eye. I will be getting a guide dog- in the next two weeks. I look 
forward to working on equal access to information for the Deaf-Blind.*

*iii.**Stand up vote for Alice Eddy 4; Matthew Pettit 10*

*iv.**Mathew Pettit won*

**

*5.Create a Division in each state: I will give two years to do it.We 
need all of you to help. *

**

*6.Affiliate President gets the Deaf-Blind Outreach Letters in Braille 
and large Print; Arlene read the letter in the meeting (Georgia 
Affiliate President- Garrick wanted an electronic copy to disseminate to 
all Affiliate President)*

*A.Identify Deaf-Blind in the State*

*B.Inform the Deaf-Blind of and have applied for the Icanconnect Program*

*C.Connect the Deaf-Blind with Services in their States as appropriate*

*. *

*7.Break for interpreters *

*(Digital recorder failure)*

**

*8.ICANCONNECT Program --Perkins School for the Blind*

**

*9.Presentations of two resolutions in the General Assembly for vote*

*A.Transportation & Security Administration (TSA) --Pre-Checking of DB 
qualified applicants*

*B.SSP program request for congress to fund a National SSP program*

**

*8.Emily Taylor-Snell from University of Florida, Gainsville*

*Talked about several students who made an impacted her life; including 
one person dear to her hear because she became her adopted daughter 
(from Jamaica or Haiti).*

*Another student, he wants to own his own restaurant someday so he is 
taking accounting classes at a junior college.*

**

*9.Divia is Deaf-Blind and from India (voiced by two interpreters') she 
talked about how she developed confidence in independent travel and how 
that changed her as a deaf-blind person.She went to HKNC for training 
with Emily Taylor-Snell but Emily left due to an emergency and that 
meant that Divia had to find her way back to Florida alone.She thought 
about what she needed to do and figured out that she could write what 
she needed and give the paper to people when needing assistance.When she 
arrived, back home safely, her parents were shocked at the change in 
their shy daughter. Each time she navigated an airport by herself it 
became a little easier and her confidence grew until she has no qualms 
about planning a trip that requires her to fly alone or travel 
independently.*

**

*10. Barbara Chandler:I see all types of communication: tactile, 
"close-in interpreting", FM system, hearing aids, but everyone is 
communicating in their own way.Do you know when Helen Keller was 
born?June 24.How old would she be? / What year was she born? We are 
celebrating her birthday and her accomplishments as a deaf-blind woman 
in that time period.*

**

*11.Closing remarks- the Helen Keller Celebration will continue at 
Denny's immediately after the meeting for anyone interested.It will be 
"Dutch Treat". *

**

*Meeting Adjourned at 9:30PM EST.*


Sincerely,
Janice
Secretary
Deaf-Blind Division/NFB
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