[NFB-Maryland] Corrected: September Minute Message from the Movement

Mon Sep 30 12:50:43 UTC 2019

Apologies, please see corrected message below.  I added one Meet the Blind
Month activity and fixed one date typo.

September 2019 Minute Message 

Fellow Federationists:

As Summer comes to a close, we have had a very busy September.  Several of
our Chapters held their annual picnics.  We have ramped up our advocacy
efforts, and our chapters and Divisions are working hard to plan Meet the
Blind Month activities.  And of course, our Annual State Convention is just
around the corner.  Please read below for information about important
happenings around the affiliate.  

The State Convention is Almost Here - Deadline to Make Room Reservations &
Preregister is October 12, 2019!

You will not want to miss the state convention at the Crown Plaza Downtown
Baltimore Inner Harbor in Baltimore which takes place on November 8-10,
2019.  This year, our National Representative will be Carla McQuillan,
President of the National Federation of the Blind of Oregon.  You may
reserve your room by calling the Crown Plaza at 410-347-5707.  Convention
Room Rates:  Standard Room - $85 per night. Tax on sleeping rooms is 15.5%.
These room rates start on Thursday, November 7, 2019.  The deadline for
making room reservations is October 12, 2019.  

You may preregister for the Convention by visiting
<http://nfbmd.org/convention> http://nfbmd.org/convention or by contacting
me at  <mailto:President at nfbmd.org> President at nfbmd.org to request a paper
form.  Below are the prices for the various convention activities (prices
are per person unless otherwise stated):

-          Pre-registration = $20 until October 12, 2019; $25 on-site

-          Banquet ticket = $40 until October 12, 2019; $45 on-site

-          Parent or Senior Luncheon ticket = $22 until October 12, 2019;
$25 on-site

-          Friday boxed lunch = $16 until October 12, 2019; $20 on-site

-          Picnic & a Play tickets = $18 until October 12, 2019; $20 on-site

-          Transportation from New Carrollton Train Station = $35 until
October 12, 2019; this covers round-trip travel

-          Childcare = $30 per child and $50 per family for the entire
weekend   

Please plan to join us at the Crown Plaza.

Financial Assistance Application for State Convention - Final Call!

Individuals who wish to request financial assistance to attend the 2019 NFB
of Maryland State Convention must complete and submit a Financial Assistance
Application Form no later than October 1, 2019.  Individuals are encouraged
to first check with their local chapters and divisions to see what financial
assistance may be available.  If a member's chapter does not have a
financial assistance program, or if there is still unmet financial need,
members may complete and submit the form to the State affiliate.  More
information about the NFBMD Financial Assistance Application Form is
available at  <http://nfbmd.org/financialassistance>
http://nfbmd.org/financialassistance.  For questions, please contact me at
443-426-4110 or at  <mailto:President at nfbmd.org> President at nfbmd.org.

Seeking Resolutions for the State Convention 

The Convention is the supreme authority of the National Federation of the
Blind, and this too is true of the affiliates.  One of the most important
charges of the Convention is to consider and vote on resolutions that come
before it; those resolutions become the policy of the organization.  To that
end, individuals interested in submitting resolutions should send them to
NFBMD Resolutions Chairman Jesse Hartle by email at jesse.hartle63 at gmail.com
<mailto:jesse.hartle63 at gmail.com>  by October 19, 2019.

Seeking Convention Sponsors and Exhibitors

We are seeking sponsors for our 2019 NFB of Maryland State Convention.
There are various levels of sponsorship, and the various levels include
different benefits.  Entities and individuals interested in serving as an
NFBMD Convention sponsor should contact Anil Lewis at
<mailto:alewis at nfbmd.org> alewis at nfbmd.org to request additional
information.  

We are also seeking exhibitors for our Friday Exhibit Hall.  Individuals and
entities interested in exhibiting should also contact Anil Lewis at
alewis at nfb.org <mailto:alewis at nfb.org>  to request additional information.

Seeking Nominations for the 2019 Distinguished Educator of Blind Children 

The Maryland Organization of Parents of Blind Children (MDPOBC) is seeking
nominations for the Distinguished Educator of Blind Children.  Please tell
us how your child's teacher works to help his or her students live the life
they want with high expectation and strong skill development.  Nominations
are due to Sharon Maneki by October 7, 2019.  Please visit
<http://www.nfbmd.org/node/317> http://www.nfbmd.org/node/317 to download
the nomination form and send it to  <mailto:NFBMD at earthlink.net>
NFBMD at earthlink.net.  For questions, please contact Sharon Maneki at
410-715-9596.

Central Maryland Chapter Fundraiser - September 30, 2019

The NFBMD Central Maryland Chapter will be holding its fundraiser on Monday,
September 30, 2019 between 11:00AM and 10:00PM at Tino's Italian Bistro in
Columbia.  You do not need to mention you are with the NFB for the Central
Maryland Chapter to receive a part of your check.  For this fundraiser, a
local business gives nonprofits a percentage of its sales on a particular
day.  That means you eat at Tino's and the Central Maryland Chapter gets a
cut of your check.  For questions about this event, please contact Sharon
Maneki at  <mailto:NFBMD at earthlink.net> NFBMD at earthlink.net or at
410-715-9596.

-          Tino's Italian Bistro - 8775 Center Park Drive, Columbia, MD
21045

Meet the Blind Month Activities

The below are just some of our Meet the Blind Month activities.  Please
visit  <http://nfbmd.org> http://nfbmd.org for information on these and
additional activities.

-          At Large Chapter:

o    Thursday, October 10, 2019 at 12:30PM: Meet the Blind Panel Discussion
for the Zeta-Healthy Aging Program (Z-HAP) - Langston Hughes Business and
Resource Community Center, 5011 Arbutus Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21215

o    October 12, 2019 at 12:15PM: An Afternoon at the Movies (Movie and
Fundraiser) - Scent of a Woman Film Showing and lunch; donation of $10 per
person is requested - National Federation of the Blind, 200 East Wells,
Baltimore, MD 21230

-          Central Maryland Chapter & MDPOBC

o    October 5 and 6, 2019 from 10:00AM to Close: Wizarding Weekend on
Magical Main OEC (Old Ellicott City) - Main Street, Ellicott City, Maryland

-          National Harbor

-          October 12, 2019 from 10:00AM - 2:00PM: Ninth Annual Resource Day
for People with Blindness or Low Vision - Colmar Manor Town Hall, 3701
Lawrence Street, Colmar Manor, MD 20722 (just outside of the DC line from
Bladensburg, NE)

-          Greater Baltimore Chapter

o   October 5, 2019: Farmers Market Booth - Federal Hill Farmers Market,
Baltimore, MD

NFB Files for a Preliminary Injunction to Compel the Maryland Board of
Elections to Use the BMDs as the Default Method for All Voters in the 2020
General Election So the Blind Can Have the Secret Ballot Restored! 

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.

We will continue to fight to restore the secret ballot and desegregate
voting in Maryland - and we'll do whatever it takes, as long as it takes!

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 <mailto: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 anniversaries, weddings and graduations, 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 

*	September 23, 2019 - MDABS Fundraiser at Mothers Grille
*	September 30, 2019 - Central Maryland Chapter Fundraiser at Tino's
Italian Bistro
*	October 1 - 31 - Meet the Blind Month
*	October 15 - National White Cane Awareness Day.
*	November 8-10 - Annual State Convention - Crown Plaza Baltimore
Downtown
*	February 10, 2020 - Great Gathering In, Washington Seminar,
Washington, DC
*	March 13, 2020 - Basket Bingo
*	June 30 - July 5, 2020 - NFB National Convention, Houston, Texas
*	August 8, 2020 - Crab Feast

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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