[NFBMI-Talk] The Informant v.1: Introductions and Invitations

[Robert Parsons]

Terrific Tuesday Friends and Family,

It is exciting to know that we are getting closer to our annual family
reunion, and it is only right that I swing through to introduce some
new additions to our state affiliate work and presence. After
conversing with our wonderful chapter and division presidents over the
past two months, I have been made aware of the interest of our members
in some of the work our state committees and programs are
accomplishing. Thus, I am happy to introduce the first issue of our
NFB of Michigan monthly newsletter, “The Informant.” This newsletter,
arriving directly from my desk to your inbox, can provide important
updates, meeting reminders and criteria for programs that affect blind
people throughout the state. This service is informational, but also
invitational, because we are always stronger when we are working
together. Let’s begin by recognizing some important announcements:

Affiliate Announcements
•	The leadership and membership of the former Kalamazoo chapter of the
National Federation of the Blind of Michigan must be recognized for
their advocacy efforts over the past three years. During the pandemic
and statewide shutdown of higher education institutions, the chapter
actively advocated for nonvisual accessibility in a multitude of areas
due to Western Michigan University’s shift to the virtual learning
landscape. The chapter’s advocacy between 2020 and 2022 culminated in
the creation of a written letter to the university’s provost, dean and
office of diversity, equity, and inclusion after conversations with
the Disability Student Services (DSS) office did not see movement. As
a result of this next step of advocacy, I have been contacted by WMU’s
DSS office informing me  that beginning May 8, the university will
begin geofencing and will be officially an Aira Exploration location
in September 2023. All registered blind WMU students will have
unlimited explorer access while living or commuting on campus, with an
accommodation option for monthly explorer minutes for independent
study after registration and a meeting with their office. A special
congratulations to our members that are still members of the affiliate
or students at WMU for their hard work, including: Victor Marques,
Osman Koroma, and  Monet Payne.; as well as a recognition for former
MIABS student division members Lisa Irving, Michelle Jiminez, Rachel
Pavone and Taylor Arndt. WMU remains the largest concentration of
blind students in higher education within the state of Michigan and
having an additional tool like Aira available has the potential to
maximize their chances at success.
•	The NFB of Michigan’s fundraising committee is excited for its
continued discussions about upcoming projects, including the work
performed at our annual national convention’s exhibit hall. As we are
approaching the time for decisions to be made on what items will be
offered in Houston as a part of our table, please take some time to
converse with our fundraising committee chair, Mark Eagle, at the next
fundraising committee call, where he and the exhibit hall coordinator,
Athere Jammoa, will be brainstorming ways to continue to make our
presence in the hall a success! To learn about the fundraising
committee or to get involved, please contact Mark directly at
treasurer at nfbmi.org.
•	The affiliate membership committee has been hard at work ensuring
that all members are listed in our national database. The National
Federation of the Blind is a family that holds over six thousand blind
people nationwide, with various programs and opportunities for
members. This membership, however, has a criterion, including that
members, chapters and divisions must be compliant in submitting their
registration information to our national database. To do this, each
local chapter and division is required to select one member to serve
as the membership coordinator for their chapter/division. This member
is expected to attend the monthly membership calls that the affiliate
holds, as well as communicate changes in membership with the state
membership chair, Michael Powell. For more information about how to
join the committee, please attend the membership committee scheduled
for June 14 or contact Mike directly for ways to begin connecting your
chapter/division.
•	The NFB of Michigan Youth and Family Committee is excited for the
momentum being built with the “Raising Expectations, Accessing Life
(R. E. A. L.)” program, which is live and open for registration. Thus
far, the committee has been in overdrive for marketing this program,
which takes place June 23-25, 2023, in the city of Flint. As a
reminder, the NFBMI REAL program is a collaborative weekend
experience, where blind youth (ages 8-13) take part in the NFB STEM2U
track, a STEM curriculum that gives the kiddos a chance to create
nonvisual science experiments themed around space. High school,
college, and transition-aged students (ages fourteen and above) will
participate in our NFBMI Scholars track, which includes academic
exploration, advocacy exercises, and professional development
seminars. All attendees can take part in our social experiences this
weekend, including participation in our 2023 Blind Bowlers Challenge
on June 23, our NFBMI Flint-Genesee Gala on June 24 and our NFBMI REAL
Career Fair on June 25. This past weekend, dedicated members of the
NFBMI Youth and Family Committee supported the program’s success by
marketing it at our vendor table in Kalamazoo at the 2023 Michigan
Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and
Visually Impaired (MAER) conference. Thanks to generous donations,
families interested in the STEM2U program are eligible for our
scholarship program, making the cost of attendance for them $25. NFBMI
REAL is also a program sponsored by the Bureau of Services for Blind
Persons (BSBP). If you are a student and are interested in attending,
please provide your counselor with the attached flyer, indicate your
interest in attending  and register using this link by May 15:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeUgZJv6RUIl7QXmF3wGWH7-krQaV5E6vlgT4ak_CjEnLp7kg/viewform
•	The NFB of Michigan’s Communications Committee could use your help!
Our members continue to increase and grow, with a consistent need from
chapter presidents being information about our programs and events.
What if I told you all that YOU are the key to getting the word out?
Our affiliate has five active chapters and one active division, but
members all over the state can benefit from our programs, events, and
services. By joining the communications committee, you can assist the
affiliate in disseminating valuable information to our members, even
choosing how you best do this. Some members thrive using our NFB email
lists, while others move efficiently on social media. Regardless of
your preference, our communications committee has a space for you. To
learn more about our communications committee and how you can join up,
please reach out to Rachel Newland, state secretary, at
secretary at nfbmi.org.
•	The National Federation of the Blind of Michigan recognizes that
April 15 marked the close of some of our seminal national programs:
the NFB National Scholarship and the Kenneth Jernigan Award. Both
programs, intended to support first-time convention attendees and
students in their respective goals, do so much to support members of
this affiliate, both current and former. I am excited to announce that
our affiliate had a total of ten applicants for our national
scholarship program and nine applicants for the Kenneth Jernigan
Award. We wish all our applicant’s luck in the deliberation process as
the respective committees consider the applications.
•	The NFB of Michigan recognizes the tradition of supporting our
members in their convention attendance in past years. The convention
of the National Federation of the Blind is the supreme authority of
the organization, as outlined in our model constitution and all
affiliate constitutions. To sustain and promote active membership, the
NFB of Michigan will continue to offer support to members interested
in attending our national convention. The process for this support,
however, will look a bit different from years prior. Our state
leadership is invested in making sure that our members get assistance
at conventions, but also get the most out of our programming. With a
general session, seminar day, resolutions, all the delicious dining
options, and entertainment; the choices can be overwhelming. To
request support from the National Federation of the Blind of Michigan,
members are encouraged to write a letter to the affiliate board. In
this official request, members should outline the amount of support
requested, their interest or intentions while in Houston and the work
of the Federation you have participated in since our 2022 convention
in New Orleans. Remember, you are considered an ACTIVE member of the
Federation if you are a dues-paying member of a chapter or division,
your chapter/division has submitted their dues to the state affiliate
for 2023 and your chapter/division president can verify your
membership after you have requested support. All members interested in
requesting assistance for convention should submit this letter to
convention at nfbmi.org on or before May 15, 2023, for a response, after
which an interview with members of the board will be held.

I know that this is a lot of information, and I am so happy that you
are all invested in the continued growth of our affiliate. If you have
questions about the updates provided, I am always able to be reached
via email at President at nfbmi.org. We know that the changes occurring
in our affiliate are large in scale, but they all come from similar
beginnings: the love, hope and determination of our members and
leaders to turn dreams into reality. Let’s go build the Federation!

Respectfully,

Robert E. Parsons, Jr., M. A., CRC, CVRT, LLPC
President, National Federation of the Blind of Michigan
www.nfbmi.org
“Without struggle, there is no progress,” - Frederick Douglas