[NFBMI-Talk] The MIABS Mosaic Vol. 6.4- June 30th, 2026

[Jeffery Crouch]

The MIABS Mosaic Vol. 6.4
June 30TH, 2026

Message from treasurer Danielle Agajan
Good Evening fellow MIABS members! I hope you all are keeping cool in this crazy heat wave we are going through. It has been another exciting, productive and extremely active month for the student division. There is so much to go over, so let's not waste a second and jump right into it! Grab yourself an ice cold beverage of your choice, crank up your fans or air conditioning and let's get to it.

The Student Advocacy Toolkit is Complete!

President Crouch and the Advocacy Committee have been hard at work, and the results are here. Last month, we gave a brief sneak peek into the development of our new Student Toolkit. Today, we are immensely proud to announce that this invaluable resource—designed to guide current college students and support those preparing to step onto a campus for the first time—is officially finished!

Before we begin utilizing this comprehensive guide for external outreach, we want to share it exclusively with our Advocacy committee and MIABS members. Make sure to mark your calendars and join us on July 17th at 6:30 PM for the official, full unveiling of the Toolkit.

We also want your lived experiences to be a cornerstone of this project. Please keep an eye out for an announcement regarding a special upcoming meeting. We will be coming together to discuss times you have had to advocate for yourselves as blind students, with the goal of adding your powerful stories as a dedicated testimonial section within the Toolkit.

Week Two: Tech, Communications, and Jackbox Fun!

Moving into the second week of the month, Secretary Steven Crouch led the charge on all things tech and communication. On the technology front, board members Shaun Williams and Bruce McClellan kicked off a highly anticipated "Tech Talk" series. They are diving deep into the ins and outs of screen reading software—including TalkBack, NVDA, and JAWS—alongside sharing essential tips and tricks for navigating Zoom rooms. Meanwhile, our communications team, spearheaded by Secretary Crouch and board member Malaki Riley, has been hitting our social media accounts hard. Their dedication ensures that all of our vital information and messages are reaching the masses.

Taking a break from business for some interactive entertainment, Unseen Media Live hosted a fantastic night of Jackbox games! We want to send a special thank you to Maryann Murad, Roman McCary, Makenna Charvat, and Shaniece Milledge for joining us. It was a hilarious and incredibly successful night of gaming, and we can confidently say it won't be the last time we do this!



Week Three: Membership and the Upcoming State Convention

Rounding the corner into week three, Vice President Kashonia Graham took the floor to discuss all things membership. She emphasized the importance of staying active and involved, reminding us that our collective participation is exactly what empowers us to make our division the absolute best it can be.

During her presentation, Kashonia also highlighted a major milestone on the horizon: our upcoming State Convention! Scheduled to take place in Grand Rapids from November 5th – 8th, this convention is shaping up to be an incredible weekend packed with advocacy, education, and plenty of fun. Mark your calendars now, because this is definitely an event you will not want to miss!

Looking Ahead

So that's it, my friends—another month in the books! We promised not to slow down, and so far, we have been true to our word. Let's keep this train chugging down the tracks and look toward what's coming next.

As you all know, the National Convention is set to kick off this upcoming weekend in Texas. Because of this, the division is going to take a much-needed break to allow everyone attending to put their focus where it needs to be. President Crouch and I will also be attending the convention virtually, so we hope to bring back some of the inside scoop and possible interviews after the convention is over for all those who were unable to attend.

We will resume our crazy schedule kicking off with our monthly business meeting on July 11th from 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM on the affiliate Zoom line. Stay tuned for the first episode of July's Mosaic on July 5th, where President Crouch will include a calendar of events, as always, so you don't miss a thing.

Until then my MIABS Family, stay cool, keep it classy, and Let's go Build the Federation!

The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and all blind people in the United States. We know 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. Our collective power, determination, and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.

Sincerely,
Danielle Agajan
Treasurer: Michigan Association of Blind Students
Fundraising Chair: Michigan Association of Blind Students