[Nfb-editors] Arizona's August 2012 letter from the President - making sure you seen it
Robert Leslie Newman
newmanrl at cox.net
Thu Sep 20 13:36:20 UTC 2012
(Making sure you got this one: Here is Arizona's monthly affiliate letter
from Bob Kresmer, president NFBA)
August 7, 2012
Hello, fellow Federationists,
We have a lot going on in the very near future!
* Affiliate board meeting Saturday, August 11
* Caribbean Cruise raffle tickets
* Affiliate informational picket of Goodwill stores Saturday, August 25
* Order of events of our September 7-9 state convention *Information about
convention meals
* Phoenix chapter fundraising activities for convention
* Free Parents Workshop at Burton Barr Library
* The affiliate will have a quarterly board meeting by telephone conference
Saturday, August 11 from 10:00 a.m. to noon. You can participate by calling
-
218 844-3388 and enter pin code 6322.
* We still have the month of August to sell our NFBA sponsored Caribbean
cruise raffle tickets. If you do not have any raffle tickets to sell,
please contact your chapter president or call me for some (888 899-6322).
People are happy to purchase a ticket from you to support your cause, and
don't forget that the seller of the winning ticket will receive a $100.00
prize.
* We will be holding an informational picket outside Goodwill stores on
Saturday, August 25. We will coordinate all our chapter informational
picket activities through our affiliate legislative coordinator, Donald
Porterfield (donaldpfield at gmail.com). Here is basic information from our
NFB national office -
>From Anil Lewis -
Taking Our Fight for Fair Wages to the Streets
Where: Goodwill Thrift Store Locations Around the Country
Date: August 25, 2012
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Local Time
This is an informational protest. Our purpose is to promote public
awareness of the unfair, discriminatory, and immoral practice of paying
subminimum wages to workers with disabilities. Goodwill is a household
name, but most households do not realize that Goodwill is one of the many
employers that pay less than the federal minimum wage to their workers with
disabilities. In order to effect a change in this policy, we are urging
people not to shop at thrift stores affiliated with Goodwill Industries
International and/or donate goods to Goodwill until they adopt a policy to
pay at least the federal minimum wage to all of their workers with
disabilities. Signs will be used to attract attention and informational
flyers will be distributed to the general public.
We are aware that some Goodwill-affiliated agencies pay their workers the
minimum wage, and others have chosen to limit the vocational potential of
these individuals by paying them pennies per hour. The agencies that value
their employees with disabilities by paying at least the federal minimum
wage are setting an example for the others to follow, and they can provide
the technical assistance necessary for the others to adopt a similar
business model that pays a competitive wage to every employee. As a result,
Goodwill is in a better position than most to assist in bringing this
discriminatory practice to an end.
We are setting up informational protests at Goodwill Thrift Store locations
across the country. The protests will occur between the hours of 11:00 a.m.
and 1:00 p.m. local time. The following website can be accessed to find
local Goodwill Thrift Store locations: http://locator.goodwill.org. A
larger protest makes a better media presentation. More protest sites
provide greater direct public awareness.
Informational flyers will be available for download shortly before the
protest date from www.nfb.org/fairwages<http://www.nfb.org/fairwages>.
A national press release about the protest will be issued prior to the
event, and a template to develop a local press release will be distributed
and made available upon request. We will also distribute talking points
that can be used by a local spokesperson when interacting with the media.
We will be taking our fight for fair wages to the cyber streets as well. We
encourage everyone to take advantage of social media to spread the word
about the protests. Twitter users should Use the twitter hash tag
#fairwages and the Goodwill twitter handle of @goodwillintl to post about
local protests, and Facebook users should Post comments to Goodwill's
Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/GoodwillIntl.
Sincerely,
Mr. Anil Lewis, M.P.A.
Director of Strategic Communications
"Eliminating Subminimum Wages for People with Disabilities"
http://www.nfb.org/fairwages
* The National Federation of the Blind of Arizona state convention will take
place at the Sheraton Crescent Hotel in Phoenix Friday, September 7 through
Sunday, September 9. Dr. Fred Schroeder is our national representative. I
have attached the convention pre-registration form.
I will send you the agenda as it is finalized, but here is a thumbnail of
events -
We will host a social gathering to memorialize the life of former affiliate
and chapter president, Arthur Dinges in the hotel hospitality suite
Thursday, the 6th beginning at 7:00 p.m., with punch and cookies.
Friday, September 7
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Exhibitors (technology and specialized services)
Area Agency on Ageing; Arizona Braille and Talking Book Library; AZTAP
(Arizona Technology Access Program); Colorado Center for the Blind; Desert
Low Vision; Digital Apex LLC; EnVision America; Foundation for Blind
Children; Guide Dogs, Inc.; Maricopa Association of Governments; Next Level
Assistive Technology; RSA Voc Rehab, Business Enterprise Program,
Independent Living; SAAVI; SunSounds; Viewfinder; and more.
8:00 a.m. Registration table to pick up registration packets or to register
for the convention if you haven't made use of the pre-registration form.
9:15 to 11:30 a.m. Combined Diabetes Action Network and Blind Seniors
seminar
9:15 to 11:30 a.m. Blindness Professionals seminar
9:15 to 11:30 a.m. Technology Panel (questions and answers concerning
access technology and mainstream technology accessible by blind and visually
impaired users)
Noon to 1:00 p.m. Plated lunch with speakers, including
Fredric K. Schroeder, NFB First Vice-President, Research Professor at San
Diego State University, and former Commisioner of U.S. Rehabilitation
Services Administration
Friday afternoon
1:15 to 3:30 p.m. Arizona Association of Blind Students seminar
1:15 to 3:30 p.m. Deaf / Blind Seminar
1:15 to 3:30 p.m. Rights, Responsibilities, and Advocacy in 2013 Seminar
Friday Evening
5:00 p.m. refreshment in Hospitality Suite
6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Affiliate Board meeting open to all
7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Resolution Committee
8:00 p.m. Phoenix Chapter Hospitality evening with h'ors d'oeuvres and no
host bar Action Auction and Karaoke (Lyrics in large print and Brail
booklets available for a donation of $5.00)
Saturday, September 8
8:00 to 9:30 a.m. Exhibitor Hall open
9:30 a.m. General session - speakers from specialized blindness agencies,
Youth activities, Arizona School for the Blind, transportation challenges,
legislative challenges, Braille availability challenges, etc.
Noon to 1:30 p.m. NFBA division elections and business sessions - Blind
Students, Deaf / Blind Division, Blind Merchants, Parents of Blind Children,
Blind Seniors, and Diabetes Action Network
Noon to 2:30 p.m. Exhibitors tables are open
2:30 p.m. General Session resumes until 5:00 p.m. adjournment.
Saturday evening
5:00 to 7:00 Arizona Parents of Blind Children Seminar
6:00 p.m. Social hour with no host bar
7 PM Banquet
9:30 PM After - banquet activities by the Arizona Association of Blind
Students
Sunday morning
8:30 a.m. Chapter breakfast
9:30 a.m. Affiliate business meeting with Board elections
Noon adjourn
There will be additional items finalized by the time we print our agenda,
and I will email you the finalized agenda, as well as post on our website
www.az.nfb.org.
The Sheraton Crescent Hotel is at
2620 West Dunlap
Phoenix, AZ 85021
Reservations (at the NFB rate of $89 per night plus tax) can be made by
calling 800 325 3535
* From Debi Black, convention arrangements chair -
Below, you will find the meals for this year's convention. If you have any
dietary restrictions and are unable to enjoy any of these meals, please
contact Debi Black at:
480.883.3121, or
debiblackaz at gmail.com
Please let us know as soon as possible, if you have any alternative dietary
needs. Thank you!
2012 Convention Meals:
Friday, September 7th:
Plated Lunch:
Side salad
Beef stew
Cheesecake
Iced tea and coffee
Saturday, September 8th:
Box Lunch:
Turkey sandwich
Chips
Fruit
Bottled water or soda
Saturday, September 8th:
Banquet:
Garden salad
Chicken Parmesan
Penne pasta with Basil, Pesto, and spinach
Garlic bread
Strawberry shortcake
Iced tea and coffee
And, special thanks goes out to the Sheraton Crescent Hotel for offering the
following:
A 15% off coupon for Sunday lunch after adjournment of convention. These
coupons will be handed out at check in. Let's continue the fun, so please
make plans to join us for a bite to eat after convention!
* From Debi Black, regarding the Action Auction during our state convention
-
2012 Technology Auction and Fund Raiser!
We will be having a Technology Auction and Fund Raiser, at our annual state
convention, during our hospitality evening, Friday, September 7th. So,
please help us raise funds for our very important programs. Perhaps, you
have updated your adaptive technology and have a talking dictionary lying
around collecting dust, or what about some software, keyboards,
microphones, notetakers, cellphones, headphones, hard drives, mp3 players,
digital recorders, and even computers, that you've meant to sell, but just
haven't found a buyer? We've got the perfect solution for you! Donate your
technology items, whether new or gently used, to us, so that we may auction
them off and raise money for our Arizona affiliate. Most of the donations
tend to be accessible electronic items, however we are not going to limit it
to just this. So if you have any homemade craft items, delectable
Desserts, or anything non electronic we would appreciate the donation of
those items as well.
When donating, it is helpful to have each item labeled in Braille. Also,
please let us know the physical condition as well as the working order of
your item. Please make sure to annotate the generous donor of the auction
item, so that we may offer them a sincere thanks. We also ask anyone who is
donating to pay for the shipping of that particular item to the winner of
that bid, if applicable. If you wish to donate an item to this fund
raiser, please, contact: debiblackaz at gmail.com. Please give us the name of
your item, how old the item is, model number, a brief description, any
problems with the item, and any other pertinent information about the item
which would be beneficial for the new user to know. Weather you donate or
not to the auction, everyone is welcome for an evening of friendship and
fun!
If you are unable to attend the auction, but wish to make a tax deductible
donation, please send your check to:
National Federation of the Blind of Arizona
9014 East Bellevue Street
Tucson, AZ 85715
Or go to our website to make an online contribution, at:
www.az.nfb.org
For your inspiration in thinking up potential donors of auction items, here
is a selection of some items collected by the Colorado affiliate for their
convention auction -
Packages for the convention:
1. Family fun time! $127 value
Four tickets to the Butterfly Pavilion ($32 value); Wildlife Experience 2
tickets ($20); $50 card from Macaroni Grill ($50); $25 to Cheesecake Factory
2. Summer time with the family!!! $191 value
Four Denver Zoo tickets ($42), Two 2012 Elitch Gardens day passes ($82);
three $10 certificate for White Fence Farm ($30 value); four tickets to the
Pirates Cove ($37)
3. On the wings of family love! $135
A family fun bowling package at Brunswick Zone ($75 value); one year
membership to Wings Over the Rockies Museum ($60 value)
4. Pamper yourself! $139
Salon Foushee & Spa in Littleton; a $48 value gift card for a haircut, a $41
value gift card for a luxury wash in their Luxury Wash House. $40.00 value
lunch gift card from Melting Pot in Littleton
5. Explore Denver: $107
Two Passes from Denver Botanic Gardens in Denver ($55); Four tickets for the
Hudson Gardens and the Events Center in Littleton ($20); Four tickets to
The Molly Brown House Museum in Denver ($32)
6. Movie night out and more! $74
Two tickets to the Landmark Theaters ($24); $25 gift card to Pappadeaux
Restaurant); $25 certificate to Yanni's Greek Restaurant (Landmark Square)
7. Taste of Centennial: $135
Two free entrees at the Cantina Laredo at Southglenn ($30 value); three $10
certificates from the Rising Roll Restaurant at the Landmark Square. ($30),
$25 certificate to Abo's Pizza; $50 to Cheesecake Factory
8. Pizza lovers paradise package ($100 value)
$20 Gift certificate from Il Vicino Pizza in Littleton, $50 to Abo's Pizza;
two gift cards from California Pizza Kitchen in the Cherry Creek Mall,
Denver, each serves an entree and a drink
9. Where magic never ends! ($420 value)
Four Disneyland park to park one day tickets (valid until Sep. 2013)
10. Fine dining, chocolate and wine! ($138)
$40 to the Broker Restaurant; a bottle of wine ($33) and a box of Godiva
truffles ($65)
11. Girl's night out! Value $120
Two tickets to the Denver Center for Performing Art - $70 value ("Girls
Only" show, Nov. 16th - Dec. 21st), $50 gift certificate to Ocean Prime
Restaurant downtown Denver
12. Starbucks basket $90 value
One pound of Starbucks coffee, one box of Earl Gray Tea, one $5 reloadable
gift card with Braille, one stainless steel coffee maker, one box of Russell
Stover's chocolate
13. Always on time! ($220)
One man's watch valued at $220 from Swiss Chalet Clock shop
FRIDAY AUCTION:
Silent Auction
1. Something old, something blue, something borrowed something new! ($70
value) An arrangement from an antique store with a drawer full of little
things you can use: a lavender body wash, a beautiful towel, a stand for
notes, a $15 gift card to Mellow Mushroom Restaurant and two tickets to the
Hollywood Theaters at Southglenn
2. Back to nature! ($125 value) A basket of goodies from the Vitamin Cottage
Natural Grocers. ($100 value); $25 gift card to Sazza Restaurant on Orchard
and University (pizza and salads, all natural ingredients)
3. Healthy shopping! ($146 value)
$50 gift card to Whole Foods; $75 to King Soopers; spice kit from Savory
Spice ($21 value)
4. Groceries for any occasion! ($141 value) $50 to Sunflower Farmers Market;
$70 to King Soopers plus spice kit from Savory Spice ($21 value)
5. Starbucks basket $125 value
One pound of Starbucks coffee, one box of Earl Gray Tea, two coffee cups,
one $5 reloadable gift card with Braille, one stainless steel coffee maker;
assorted Dove chocolate donated by Brenda Mosby
6. How we travel. ($175)
One month RTD regional pass ($175)
7. A painting by Maria Theresa Aguirre, a member of the Seniors Support
Group at the Colorado Center for the Blind. ($125)
LIVE:
1. And the party is on! $320
A bowling party for 8 at the Lucky Strike downtown (shoe rental, chips and
salsa and mac'n cheese bites incl.) ($200 value); D'Vine Wine, wine tasting
for up to twelve ($120 value)
2. Downtown dining for four. ($100)
Ghost Restaurant downtown Denver (dinner for four) - $100 value
3. Redesign your space! ($425 value)
Interior design consultation for up to two rooms from Diane Murphy with A
New Perspective. ($300 value); $25 coupon to Home Depot; $100 gift card to
Belcaro Paint Store
4. Littleton package ($110)
Two tickets for Littleton Town Hall Art Center (Performance of The Wizard of
Oz, Nov. 11 -Dec. 31, 2011); $50 gift certificate for Opus Restaurant
Thank you for your support! Together, we can change what it means to be
blind! See you on September 7th!
>From Sharonda Greenlaw, Phoenix Host chapter -
We will be offering high quality T-shirts with the theme; Cruising For Fair
Wages and with the Whozit logo on the back of the shirt. These shirts sell
for $20, and the chapter is taking orders now, as well as selling at the
state convention. Please email Chris Greenlaw to place an order
(godlyman2008 at gmail.com).
Also, for our Karaoke night, you will want your song lyrics to be included
in large print or Braille! Please send your request for lyrics to your
favorite song no later than August 25 to Sharonda at
dailyovercomer at gmail.com.
* From Mark Nelson of Digital Apex -
Understand Your Child's Assistive Technology Needs for Visual Impairment
The Products, The Processes and The Systems
The topic of assistive technology can be confusing and daunting. The
products change frequently and the education and vocational rehabilitation
systems can seem complex to navigate.
Mark Nelson, a leader in the assistive technology field within education and
rehabilitation for over 20 years, is conducting a free workshop, designed
specifically for parents, to address the issues they face when helping their
child with a visual impairment to:
. Identify the tools that will help them
. Obtain the most appropriate tools
. Learn how to use the tools
. Support them as they use the tools
When: August 30, 2012
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm
Where: Burton Barr Library, Room A
1221 N Central Ave
Phoenix Arizona
Cost: Free
Who should attend?
. Any family member of a student who is visually impaired and
is
involved in making decisions for and with the student regarding their needs
related to his or her vision loss
. Parents and family members who are struggling to understand
assistive technology and which products can help their loved one
. Parents and family members who are looking to find ways to
obtain
assistive technology products
. Parents and family members who are struggling to understand
the
education and vocational rehabilitation systems
Workshop Objectives:
After attending the workshop participants will:
. Understand all of the available assistive technology
categories for
people with vision impairment
. Understand the categories that will likely be applicable and
appropriate for their child
. Understand the process to identify the tools their child
should use
. Understand the School's and vocational rehabilitation
agency's
responsibility in the area of assistive technology
. Understand parental responsibility in the area of assistive
technology
. Understand purchasing and finance options and resources
Seating is limited, so register soon at
http://mydigitalapex.com/?product=understand-your-childs-assistive-technolog
y-needs-for-visual-impairment or call 480286-6537.
I have attached the file of our convention pre-registration form, and also
the file containing the thumbnail sketch of convention events with this
message.
Thanks,
Bob Kresmer, president NFBA
888 899-6322
Would you like to join me on a 7 night Royal Caribbean cruise?
Sign up for the National Federation of the Blind of Arizona's fun, fund
raiser to:
Falmouth, Jamaica; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico!
The spectacular cruise ship, Navigator of the Seas, sails from New Orleans
on January 5th , 2013, and this special offer is going quickly, so please
contact our travel agent to reserve your cabin.
Call Anahit Labarre at:
720.334.3652, or
Email her at: alabarre at labarretravel.com
All are welcome to enjoy this wonderful warm vacation, so bring your family
and friends along, too!
Robert Leslie Newman
Personal Website-
Adjustment To Blindness And Visual impairment
http//www.thoughtprovoker.info
NFB Writers' Division, president
http://www.nfb-writers-division.net
Chair of the NFB Communications Committee
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