[Nfb-greeley] Fwd: starting the NFBCO's blind parents division

[Cody Bair]

For your information

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Nate Trela <ntrela at gmail.com>
> Date: March 8, 2016 at 5:37:49 PM MST
> To: slabarre at labarrelaw.com, jonrdeden at gmail.com, jdeden at cocenter.org,  dburke at cocenter.org, wmarshall at cocenter.org, nettiecosp at icloud.com,  kevanworley at worleyenterprises.com, dillonlln at yahoo.com,  nhecker at mavs.coloradomesa.edu, codyjbair at yahoo.com, garyvdrn at msn.com,  rascal.angel2 at gmail.com, massey52 at q.com, go.melissa at gmail.com,  annajee82 at gmail.com, bmfvend at yahoo.com, graduate56 at juno.com,  rmcgeorge at comcast.net, mnietfeld at cocenter.org, copobc at gmail.com
> Subject: starting the NFBCO's blind parents division
> 
> Hello chapter and division presidents and other NFBCO leaders,
> 
> I've had a chance to meet many of you, but for those I haven't yet,
> I'm working to get a blind parents division  started for the state. I
> was able to make it to a couple chapters to talk about it and reached
> out to many of you to pass the word on at meetings I couldn't make,
> but won't be able to make any more meetings before the next one for
> the fledgling parents division, so I'm passing this along with the
> hope we could get a plug in.
> 
> First, a little about myself ... I'm a 2013 CCB graduate and work full
> time as a reporterr covering the energy sector for a global financial
> newswire. I've got a 13-year-old daughter training for a performing
> arts career and a nine-year-old son who lives for soccer and his xBox.
> I've been blind for almost four years, (on top of spending roughly 20
> months of the five years before that below 20/200 as I went through
> surgeries aimed at saving my sight). And I'm divorced but my
> girlfriend (a fellow CCB graduate) is practically a stepmom to the
> kids.
> 
> Some of this is recycled from an email I sent to  Colorado Talk a
> couple weeks ago before the first meeting, but it's updated with some
> more current info ... Please free to pass it on to anyone you think
> would be interested as well as with your chapter members. I'll send
> another message next week to Colorado Talk to keep things rolling
> there.
> 
>  For many of us, living the life we want means raising a family, and
> we   know our blindness is a characteristic that shapes how we do some
>  things as parents, but it doesn't define us or limit us. It
> certainly   doesn't prevent us from raising happy, bright and active
> children.
> 
>   But we know that to some people - maybe teachers, social workers,
> neighbors or even our own families - how we do it all can be hard to
> understand. And maybe sometimes we even wonder if there is a better
> way to do things like keeping track of a child at a playground,
> lugging a car seat around just in case you might want to take an Uber
> later, getting the kids too soccer practice or working through their
> algebra homework.
> 
>  So we are launching a blind parents division for the NFBCO and we
> want  this to be a truly statewide entity. At our first meeting on
> Feb. 20,  we talked about ways this division can benefit parents
> around the  state. Whether it's being a resource for new parents
> wondering about  alternative techniques e have used, addressing
> accessibility issues  with our children's schools and the technology
> they work with, or  educating others about parenting without sight, we
> have shared  experiences and talents that are a benefit to all of us.
> We ran the  cross-section, from people curious about having children
> in the  future, an expectant mom, a new mother, parents with
> school-aged  children and even those with children long out of the
> house. We talked  about a social component with playgroups and group
> outings ... the  ideas kept coming.
> 
>  While we are starting off with meetings in conjunction with the
> Denver  chapter's meetings, there's a lot of enthusiasm for  taking it
> on the  road in conjunction with other chapters meetings. We'll
> likely have a phone line for our next meeting so more people can  get
> involved and it won't be as Denver-centric.
> 
>  The next meting is set for March 19 at CCB, starting at 1215 pm, and
> we'd love to have as many people participating as possible. We're
> planning to adopt a constitution, elect a board and really get things
> going. If you can't make it to Littleton or want to talk more please
> feel free to send  thoughts to me at ntrela at gmail.com or call me at
> 303-993-5895. We would welcome parents, grandparents and even those
> just curious about how we do it all.
> 
>   Cheers,
> 
>   Nate
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfb-greeley_nfbnet.org/attachments/20160308/cd6453e9/attachment.html>