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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Hi Friends,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please read to the end of this message, as it contains a lot of information about our legislative efforts in Annapolis and at Washington Seminar. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>We are busy getting ready for legislative advocacy both at the State of Maryland level and at the National level, and we will be engaging with our elected representatives in Annapolis and in Washington, DC in January. We are finalizing our legislative agenda for Annapolis, and our National Center is working hard to finalize the legislative agenda for Washington Seminar. More information on our legislative priorities will be shared in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In the meantime, we are seeking participants for both Washington Seminar and Annapolis. If you plan to participate in either, please let me know by December 31, 2022 by emailing <a href="mailto:President@nfbmd.org">President@nfbmd.org</a>. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Virtual Week in Annapolis – January 19 – 26, 2023<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Due to the closure of conference rooms and the tunnels and walkways at the Maryland General Assembly Buildings in light of construction, we have determined it will be necessary to hold a virtual Week in Annapolis rather than an in-person single Day in Annapolis in 2023. We were very much hoping to return to in-person this year but the construction and lack of safe and warm methods for moving about the capitol complex, as well as our inability to gather as a group due to that construction which closed all meeting rooms necessitates the pivot.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please save the dates – January 19 – 26, 2023 for Virtual Week in Annapolis. In usual virtual week style, the bulk of our meetings will take place on:<o:p></o:p></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Thursday, January 19<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Tuesday, January 24<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Wednesday, January 25<o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoListParagraph style='margin-left:0in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'>Thursday, January 26<o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'>We will do our best to schedule meetings with our elected officials on specific days based on geography, e.g. Baltimore City and County on January 24, etc. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'>In the meantime, we need volunteers to serve as zoom hosts. If you are available to serve as a zoom host for any or all of the above days, please let me know by emailing <a href="mailto:President@nfbmd.org">President@nfbmd.org</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'>We will share the likely geographic schedule in the next few weeks, but it should follow last year’s model. We will also be sending out the information on which offices specific people should contact to schedule meetings in the next few weeks. If you would like to help schedule appointments, please let me know.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'>Due to redistricting, I am working to assess which NFBMD members have changed state legislative and congressional districts. If you know you have changed districts, please let me know, as the manual process I have to use is quite tedious and time consuming. I need to finish updating our members districts before we can start scheduling appointments. In addition, the Maryland General Assembly is beginning a new four-year term, which means many of the members are new. Congress will also be starting a new session, and so scheduling for both may be challenging before those sessions begin.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.25in'>Washington Seminar<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Washington Seminar will be in person in 2023, at the Holiday Inn Capitol. We will be bringing a contingent to the Great Gathering In and afternoon training seminar on Monday, January 30, 2023 as well as our Maryland Day on the Hill on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 when we will hold our appointments with our Congressional representatives. Our NFBMD delegation will attend the Congressional Reception the evening of January 31 and return late in the evening following the reception. Folks should save the date. If individuals are interested in helping to schedule appointments, please let me know.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>More information is coming! But go ahead and start getting fired up!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Yours,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ronza<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Ronza Othman, </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>President</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>National Federation of the Blind of Maryland<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>443-426-4110<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pronouns: she, her, hers<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>