[NFB-Maryland] November Minute Message from the Movement
president at nfbmd.org
president at nfbmd.org
Sun Dec 1 04:37:04 UTC 2019
November 2019 Minute Message
Fellow Federationists:
We have shared our stories and charted our path forward at our 53rd Annual
Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland. I am
immensely grateful to each of you who played a role, from running a
workshop, to organizing or leading a tour, to coordinating the Exhibit Hall
and soliciting sponsors, to providing door prizes and auction items, to
organizing Bingo, to running sound, technology, and social media, and on and
on and on. As you can see, it takes a myriad of people to put on a
convention, especially one as big and energetic as ours. Please visit our
website, nfbmd.org, to find the 2019 resolutions as well as some key
highlights such as our Audio Quilt, the History of the NFBMD, and some other
important moments you'll want to revisit. Please find below some important
announcements and information about our activities as an affiliate.
National Convention Date Change
The 2020 national convention of the National Federation of the Blind will be
held July 14-19 <x-apple-data-detectors://0> in Houston, Texas. While the
convention was originally planned for two weeks earlier, the Federation
agreed to move its convention to accommodate activities in the city of
Houston. We believe this change will further enhance the program, exhibits,
and dynamic content provided at America's civil rights and resource
convention of blind people and their families. More information regarding
convention arrangements will be published in the December issue of the
Braille Monitor.
Blind Cruising 2020
The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland will be hosting a cruise
fundraiser from September 27, 2020 to October 4, 2020. The affiliate will
receive a portion of the cost of each cabin that is booked. All are
welcome, including members of the NFBMD, other affiliates, families,
colleagues, and friends. For additional information or to reserve your
cabin, please email <mailto:NFBMD.outreach at gmail.com>
NFBMD.outreach at gmail.com. Details are as follows:
Ship: Carnival Pride
Date: September 27 - October 4, 2020
Port of Departure: Baltimore, Maryland
Number of nights: 7
Ports visited: Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos; Half Moon Cay, Bahamas; and
Freeport, Bahamas
Key Dates:
- First deposit due: January 10, 2020 = $25 per person
- Second deposit due: April 15, 2020 - $250 per person plus full names
of sailors
- Final payment due: June 15, 2020
Types and prices of cabins (this is a per person price based on double
occupancy and includes cabin fee, port charges, and taxes)
- Balcony cabin (extended balcony) = $951.64 per person
- Balcony cabin (standard balcony) = $928.64 per person
- Balcony cabin (obstructed view) = $885.64 per person
- Ocean View cabin = $835.64 per person
- interior cabin = $770.64 per person
- if anyone needs a triple or quad cabin, they should let us know.
Participants Needed for National Braille Readers Are Leaders Contest
As part of its mission to promote Braille reading, the American Action Fund
for Blind Children and Adults is sponsoring Braille Readers Are Leaders
2019-2020. Braille readers in grades K-12 compete with others in their grade
category to read the most pages during the reading period from December 1 to
January 18. An adult category allows adults who want to practice their
Braille skills to participate as well. Registration began on November 1, and
it will remain open until the final day of the reading period. Cash prizes
will be awarded to the top readers in each category, and each participant
will receive a packet of Braille-related gifts.
You can find the registration form, reading log form, and contest rules by
visiting https://actionfund.org/BRAL. If you have questions, email
braillereadingcontest at actionfund.org
<mailto:braillereadingcontest at actionfund.org> or call 410-659-9315.
NFB and NFBMD Scholarship Programs
The National Federation of the Blind and the National Federation of the
Blind of Maryland each administer a separate scholarship program for
post-secondary students. The deadline to apply for an NFB scholarship is
March 31, 2020, and the deadline to apply for an NFBMD Scholarship is April
15, 2020.
National Scholarship Program: Each year, the NFB awards 30 merit-based
scholarships totaling at least $120,000.
- Scholarships range in amount from $3,000 to $12,000.
- Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement,
leadership, and community service.
- The 30 scholarship finalists are announced in the spring and
attend the National Convention, where they are awarded a specific
scholarship.
- Application materials must be submitted (online or postmarked) by
11:59PM on March 31, 2020.
- To be eligible, applicants must:
o Be legally blind in both eyes;
o Reside in the United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico;
o Be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of
study in a degree program at a U.S. institution in the Fall of 2020 (one
scholarship may be awarded to an individual who works full-time and attends
school part-time); and
o Attend the entire National Convention of the National Federation of the
Blind (and all scholarship activities) in Houston, Texas from July 14
through 19, 2020 (scholarship finalists will receive convention assistance).
- To apply:
o Submit an application using the online application system at
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/scholarships/login>
https://nfb.org/civicrm/scholarships/login; or
o Download, complete, and email or mail in a hard copy application form by
visiting: <https://nfb.org/programs/scholarship-program>
https://nfb.org/programs/scholarship-program.
State Scholarship Program: Each year, the NFB of Maryland awards the John T.
McCraw Scholarship to two students in the amounts of $2,000 and $1,500 each.
NFBMD may award a third scholarship to a former McCraw scholarship
recipient.
- Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement and
community involvement.
- Application materials must be submitted (online or postmarked) by
11:59PM on April 15, 2020.
- To be eligible, applicants must:
o Be legally blind in both eyes;
o Be a legal resident of Maryland or be pursuing post-secondary studies at
a school in Maryland;
o Be pursuing or planning to pursue a full-time, post-secondary course of
study in a degree program in the Fall of 2020; and
o Attend the entire National Convention of the National Federation of the
Blind in Houston, Texas from July 14 through 19, 2020 and the annual
convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland in Towson,
Maryland from November 6 - 8, 2020 (scholarship finalists will receive
convention assistance).
- To apply:
o Submit an application using the online application system at
<http://nfbmd.org/scholarship/apply> http://nfbmd.org/scholarship/apply; or
o Download, complete, and email or mail in a hard copy application form by
visiting: <http://nfbmd.org/scholarship> http://nfbmd.org/scholarship.
do You Feel Lucky?
The NFBMD spring raffle is underway. During the months of May and June, you
have the opportunity to win $50 Sunday through Friday, or $100 on Saturday.
Purchase a 3-digit number raffle ticket for $10. You will be the only one
who has this number. Between now and February 10, you may request a specific
number from Melissa Riccobono and pay the $10. You might want to request
your birthday, your anniversary, or some other significant number. After
February 10, tickets will be available from chapter presidents and you will
not necessarily be able to get the specific number you want. If you want to
buy or sell tickets, please contact Melissa Riccobono at
MelissaARiccobono at gmail.com. Help us sell all 1,000 tickets! The individual
who sells the most winning tickets will win a prize, provided we sell all
1,000 tickets.
Update on Voting Lawsuit
In August, the National Federation of the Blind, the NFB of Maryland, and
three blind members, Joel Zimba, Marie Cobb, and Ruth Sager, filed suit in
Federal Court against the Maryland Board of Elections. The suit asserts
that the Maryland Board of Elections maintains a segregated system of voting
that denies blind voters their right to a secret ballot and equal voting
experience as non-disabled voters. The suit claims this violates the
Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act and that the
Board of Elections' actions are discriminatory based on disability. In
early September, the Board of Elections filed a Motion to Dismiss our
lawsuit, claiming: 1) the Board could not get the appropriate number of BMDs
from the manufacturer; 2) the policy the Board adopted in June 2019 to
require 5 people to use the BMD at each polling location solves our problem
of not having private ballots; and 3) it would be too costly to obtain a
sufficient number of BMDs. The Board later corrected itself, saying it
could indeed get enough BMDs from the manufacturer to make the BMDs the
default, but it was standing by its other two reasons for not thinking it
should have to do so.
On September 20, 2019, we filed for a preliminary injunction to compel the
Board of Elections to have to use the BMDs as the default means for all
voters in the 2020 General Election unless a voter specifically asks for a
paper ballot. We argued that we should not have to sacrifice our privacy
and civil rights for the illusion of security and that since the Board is
able to obtain enough machines, they should do so. We also argued that
since the Board couldn't successfully get even two people to use the BMDs
before, they aren't going to succeed in getting five to use them unless the
BMDs are the default method of voting.
In mid-October, the Board filed an Answer to our Motion, arguing that it
would, in essence, be too costly and burdensome for the State to make using
the BMDs the default voting method in Maryland. We now wait for the judge
to rule on our preliminary injunction request.
The parties are currently in discovery, meaning we are exchanging
information, evidence, and depositions. The Judge has scheduled a hearing
on the Board's Motion to Dismiss our lawsuit for January 13, 2020, and we
will definitely be in attendance.
Meanwhile, we know for certain there will be a Special Primary and a Special
General Election in February and in April, respectively, in Congressional
District 7 to fill the vacant seat of the late Elijah Cummings. Our
preliminary injunction request did not envision a special election, and
thus, we will be forced to go through the special election cycle without the
ability to vote in secret, and we know that segregated voting due to
disability will remain in place for that election. Despite this, we will
not stop fighting until Maryland desegregates voting for voters with
disabilities.
NFB RideShare Testing Program
We continue to need your help. If you use a service animal or are
accompanying someone who does, please fill out a short form about your
experience each time you use Uber or Lyft. In Maryland, we have to complete
a certain number of surveys each year. You can submit a survey for every
trip you took, so please look back at your ride history and do this if you
haven't already done so. Please go to <https://nfb.org/rideshare-test>
https://nfb.org/rideshare-test or use the NFB Connect app (instructions
below) to complete the survey. Please give us information about both good
and bad experiences. Spread the word, we need information from every blind
person whether they are a member of NFB or not. Ashley Alvey is the Maryland
coordinator for this program. If you have questions email her at
ashleyalvey1994 at gmail.com.
NFB Connect App instructions for Rideshare Survey
1. On the top left corner of the screen, you will find a button that
says, Menu button. Double tap Menu.
2. After double tapping on menu, at the top left corner of the screen,
you will see Home.
3. Swipe to the right once and you will see Fast Facts. Double tap Fast
Facts.
4. You will swipe right until you see, Rideshare Survey. Double tap
Rideshare Survey.
5. Lastly, swipe to the right. When you see First Name, this is where
the form begins and this is where you put in the information for the survey.
use Amazon smile
Since this is the season of gift giving, be sure
to use Amazon smile and choose NFBMD for your charity when you purchase that
special gift. Go to
<http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1301033>
http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1301033.
Important Upcoming Dates
* January 16, 2020 - Day in Annapolis, Annapolis, Maryland
* February 10, 2020 - Great Gathering In, Washington Seminar,
Washington, DC
* March 13, 2020 - Basket Bingo
* July 14 -19, 2020 - NFB National Convention, Houston, Texas
* August 8, 2020 - Crab Feast, Parkville, Maryland
* September 27 - October 4, 2020 - Blind Cruising 2020, Carnival
Pride, Departing from Port of Baltimore
* November 6-8, 2020 - Annual State Convention, Towson, Maryland
Ronza Othman, President
National Federation of the Blind of Maryland
443-426-4110
The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland knows that blindness is not
the characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations 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 you back.
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