[NFBMO] The Latest Edition of the Blind Missourian

[Shelia Wright]

Below and Attached is the June, 2021 Edition of the Blind Missourian

Thank you Carol Coulter for serving as the Editor..

Shelia Wright

 

The Blind Missourian

                                       June 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

Table of Contents  

 

Paying Tribute to a Man Who Embodied 

     Rehabilitation in Missouri by Gary Wunder
1

 

Braille Testimony: by Gary Wunder
2

 

Testimony by Carla Keirns
3

 

The Missouri Historical Society

     By Sarah Sims Director of Accessibility
6

 

2021 Annual Presidential Report March 27, 2021

         by President Shelia Wright
7

 

Resolution 2021-01
14         

 

Adversity by Svetlana Ehlers
14

 

Reflections on our 2021 State Convention Banquet

     by Rita Lynch
18

 

BELL Academy by Jenny Carmack                                             19

 

Jefferson City Chapter 40th Anniversary by Rita Lynch              20

 

Learning from Our Past Some Facts 

   and a Trivia Quiz by Eugene Coulter
22

 

One Minute Message
23

 

NFB Pledge
23

 

 

 

Paying Tribute to a Man Who Embodied Rehabilitation in Missouri

by Gary Wunder

 

I suspect this will be but one of many tributes written to our friend Mark
Laird. I first met Mark when he came before the State Rehabilitation Council
in the 1990s. The message he brought was what he was doing to encourage
employment of blind people in Springfield Missouri. One example that I
remember quite clearly is his going to the Huffy Bicycle company and telling
them that they had a number of jobs for which he had blind people who would
make excellent workers. I don't remember how many folks he placed, but these
were good, competitive jobs.

What I saw in Mark was what I wanted to see in every rehabilitation
counselor: a real belief in blind people, seeing that they got education and
training, and then aggressively helping them look for jobs - which, of
course, was the end goal.

Each time Mark moved up the ladder at Rehabilitation Services for the Blind,
I found myself with mixed feelings. I certainly did not want his competence
to be used against him, but I have often found it sad when the reward for
doing a good job is to be moved out of it. I have to say that I think that
Mark was just as fine a director of Rehabilitation Services for the Blind as
he was a counselor, but it isn't easy to find people who are as competent as
the person being replaced.

One of the things that used to bother me about inviting people to be on our
convention agenda was that they would come just in time to speak and leave
after the last question was asked. I understand they thought they were doing
us a big favor by meeting on the weekends and taking time from family and
leisure activities. While I certainly could respect this, I wanted them to
get to know us just as much as we got to know them. Mark Laird never let me
down. He came not just for his Rehabilitation Services for the Blind
presentation but for the entire convention. He was there on Friday evening
to move in and out of our committee and division meetings. He was there on
Saturday for the entire day, and many times I said goodbye to him on Sunday,
the day normally devoted to internal business.

We have a saying that we intend to be a complement to sighted people; we say
that they are blind at heart. There is no stretch in saying this about Mark.
As time moves along, I find that there are more and more people I hope to
meet on the other side. Mark is most certainly one of them. I'm ready for
the handshake that often turned into a hug; I'm ready for the spirited
conversations that often started from assumed philosophical certainties but
tried to encompass the real world; I'm anxious to once again hear the voice
of my friend and to see what task he is undertaking that will continue to
take advantage of his competence, his kind heart, his intelligence, and his
unwavering presence as a friend.

Braille Testimony:

By Gary Wunder

 

We have had a long struggle to get blind children taught where they live,
where their parents live, and our success is generally something we view as
good. But environmental integration is not the same as educational
integration, and when blind children aren't educationally integrated, they
sit and they listen while others do and learn. They become spectators rather
than participants, so not only do they fall behind, but they have to
overcome a mindset that says that in life they are necessarily a spectator,
passively watching as others progress.

Braille is a skill we consider crucial. At one point the legislature thought
so too, and it was put in the statutes that Braille shall be the default for
blind students. The only exception would be if the education team felt
differently after their discussion. But in reacting to the new legislation
in the early 90s, DESE's first act was to send out template language saying
this is how you document you talked about Braille and found it
inappropriate. As consumers who are blind, we didn't and still don't
consider this at all appropriate-certainly not in the spirit of the law that
said if you are blind, you will get Braille.

Educators spend too much time deciding whether to teach Braille, print, or
both, and while they evaluate the blind student, sighted students learn to
read. By the time the blind student is evaluated, their sighted peers have
already progressed to where they are no longer learning to read but reading
to learn.

When Braille is taught, it is too often offered not as a primary or
important reading method but like a foreign language. I took Spanish but
wasn't expected to use it for history, geography, or mathematics, but
Braille should be used for all of these. It is not a language; it is a way
to read and write.

The act you have before you provides definitions for all of the services we
believe blind children need. It provides a clear expectation that during and
after their training they will function at the same level as their
intellectual peers. Some children have disabilities in addition to blindness
that preclude measuring everyone using one standard. So it is with sighted
children.

The time I have spent on Braille could have been spent on cane travel and
overall mobility. Both are essential. Blind children go to school at the
public's expense, get training in blindness skills at the public's expense,
often go to college at the public's expense. We want to keep the only
promise we are asked to make for all of that: that unenforceable promise is
that we will try to get a job and to become a tax payer. We are thankful for
what we have been given, but we are even more thankful and proud when we can
count ourselves among those who now are able to give. You might find it hard
to believe, but what an honor it is to be able to pay taxes and then to
gripe about it.

This is what BRITE is all about, and as this bill moves, we are working with
educators to see that we agree on every word. The world is too competitive
to write off people who have something to give, and blind people do. Our own
self-respect and desire for economic success means that we want to be just
like you. Please do what you can to help us in this cause: Braille, cane
travel, daily living skills-all of the things that go into being truly
independent and productive.

Thank you for your commitment to public service, to learning about the
issues, and to putting your hands to the work of changing that part of the
world you can-today let part of that be for blind students who are
Missourians.

 

 

 

Testimony

By Carla Keirns

 

I am here to speak in support of HB 1360 and HB 1381, the BRITE Act.

My name is Carla Keirns, and I live in Kansas City with my husband Michael
and our son Russell, who is here with me today. Russell is seven years old.
He was fourteen weeks old when his eye doctor told us he was legally blind
due to albinism, a condition he was born with. 

Russell was blessed to attend the Children's Center for the Visually
Impaired (CCVI) in Kansas City, Missouri from age two to six, where he first
learned to use his fingers to do some of the work his eyes could not. Even
the vision he has degrades over the course of the day, going from 20/200 to
20/1000 - meaning that by the time he would need to start his homework, he
sees at 20 feet what someone with normal vision can see at 1000 feet. 

Children like Russell may do okay in early grades when the print is big and
books have only a few words on each page, but by third or fourth grade, at
the transition from learning to read to reading to learn, the letters get
smaller, reading loads increase, and Russell will not be able to keep up
using his eyes. We are grateful, therefore, that starting at CCVI and
continuing in our local school, Russell has been learning Braille. This will
allow him to continue to learn with his peers. He will be able to read with
his fingers when his eyes get tired. 

The current statute supporting Braille Education in Missouri mirrors the
Braille provision in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA) 2004, Section 614 (d)(3)(B)(iii)(B) Consideration of Special Factors.
-The IEP Team shall-

 

(iii) in the case of a child who is blind or visually impaired, provide for
instruction in Braille and the use of Braille unless the IEP Team
determines, after an evaluation of the child's reading and writing skills,
needs, and appropriate reading and writing media (including an evaluation of
the child's future needs for instruction in Braille or the use of Braille),
that instruction in Braille or the use of Braille is not appropriate for the
child.

 

When Russell was ready for kindergarten, we transitioned to our local
elementary school. Our district is full of dedicated educators, but because
blindness in children is rare, they have little experience with children
like him. They recognized that the law required them to teach him Braille
because he is legally blind, and individual testing found that he would need
it. But the law does not specify how much instruction children should
receive or what outcomes they should achieve. This is why we consider the
BRITE Act's provision calling for grade-level achievement crucial for
children like Russell. 

 

Section A (2) 3. "Instruction in Braille reading and writing shall be
sufficient to enable each student to communicate effectively and efficiently
at a level commensurate with the student's sighted peers of comparable grade
level and intellectual functioning."

 

At an IEP meeting in February, my son's Teacher of the Visually Impaired
tried to convince our IEP team that while "print readers learn all of their
letter sounds to read at grade level, Braille readers don't learn everything
they need to read at grade level until the end of third grade." This is only
true of Braille readers who have other disabilities and those who receive
inadequate instruction in Braille. 

Russell's Braille teacher works for multiple school districts across Kansas
City, and over the past two years when she has worked with him, she has had
twenty-four to thirty-two blind children on her caseload, across as many as
ten school districts. As a result, it has been difficult for her to provide
more than three hours per week of Braille instruction, 30% of what is called
for in the seminal study by Koenig and Holbrook that forms the basis for
Braille instruction recommendations at the national level, including those
incorporated by the American Printing House for the Blind in their widely
used Braille reading curriculum, Building on Patterns. 

 

Alan J. Koenig and M. Cay Holbrook, Ensuring High-Quality Instruction for
Students in Braille Literacy Programs, Journal of Visual Impairment &
Blindness, November 2000; 94(11): 677-694.

My son has above-average intelligence and spoken language, and I was shocked
and disappointed to learn that his Braille teacher did not share a goal of
grade level reading. Clarifying the existing Braille standards for Missouri
would be extremely helpful for our family, our school, and to set a standard
that will ensure that blind children like my son will be able to learn with
their peers instead of falling behind starting in the first grade. 

The provisions about assistive technology are also critically important. We
asked our school to start to consider technology needs when my son started
kindergarten in 2019. We were advised that the school didn't have the
children use computers until third grade, and so that is when they would
consider our son's need for access technologies, other than a digital
magnifier. That is not what state and national-level experts in the
education of blind children told me. 

The experts explained to me that blind children need to learn keyboarding
early because their handwriting will never keep up, that they need to be
able to use keyboard commands rather than a mouse to control their computers
because it is difficult to see and control a cursor when you are blind, and
that screen reading software and refreshable Braille displays should be
introduced as soon as kindergarten so students will be ready to use them
when they and their peers start using computers for learning in second and
third grade. 

By the end of that school year, of course, the pandemic had closed our
school, and my son had no training or experience with the kind of screen
reading and magnification software that is used to make a PC or tablet
accessible to the blind. He struggled for months in virtual learning, unable
to see what was being shown on the screen, unable even to mute and unmute
his microphone or raise and lower his hand. Testing in November showed he
had learned no Braille since schools closed in March. My son was finally
placed at the School for the Blind at the end of the third quarter, where he
is thriving. But he lost a full year of learning due to lack of access and
inadequate training in assistive and access technology. 

Finally, the focus on Orientation and Mobility and qualified instructors in
the bill is a pressing need. According to DESE, there are fifty counties in
Missouri with at least one blind child and no Teacher of the Visually
Impaired and fifty-seven counties with at least one blind child and no
Certified Orientation & Mobility Specialist (COMS). We went a full year with
our district in Kansas City unable to find a COMS to provide instruction to
my son in critical skills like safe street crossing and knowing when traffic
is coming-I think of these as the "don't get run over by a car" lessons.

All of these legislative provisions will help my son and so many children
like him in Missouri. Thank you for having faith in them and helping us to
ensure he learns what he needs to complete school and be ready for higher
education, work and independent living, just as the federal and state
special education laws offer as their goal.

 

 

 

The Missouri Historical Society

By Sarah Sims, Director of Accessibility

 

The Missouri Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind is invited to
explore the Missouri Historical Society (MHS) and to learn how we are
improving accessibility for visitors who are blind or have low vision.  

MHS shares the history of the St. Louis region through exhibitions,
publications, and public programs. We operate three buildings that are free
and open to all: the Missouri History Museum, located in Forest Park; the
Library and Research Center, located across from Forest Park; and Soldiers
Memorial Military Museum, located downtown. You can plan your trip at
<https://mohistory.org/welcome-back> mohistory.org/welcome-back.  

Our mission is to serve as the confluence of historical perspectives and
contemporary issues to inspire and engage audiences in the St. Louis region
and beyond. We know we cannot achieve that mission without a commitment to
ensuring that our buildings, collections, exhibits, programs, and services
are accessible to all. Our commitment to accessibility is achieved through
regular development of new accessible programs and features, evaluation of
exhibits for barriers, training for staff and volunteers on best practices
in accessibility, and more! 

We are especially excited to share about our recent enhancements for
visitors who are blind or who have low vision. All three sites of the
Missouri Historical Society now have Audio Description! In addition to the
three buildings, we also offer audio description for all special exhibitions
at the Missouri History Museum and Soldiers Memorial Military Museum. As new
exhibits are developed, we add new audio description. Visitors can listen at
home before their visit or listen on their own smart device while on-site.
These playlists describe interior and exterior spaces, points of interest,
highlighted artifacts, exhibit experiences, and general wayfinding
information. Check our  <https://soundcloud.com/mohistorymuseum/sets>
SoundCloud page for the latest offerings! We want to extend a special thank
you to the staff and volunteers at MindsEye who trained our staff and helped
us write and record the audio description for the Soldiers Memorial Military
Museum.  

We've also been hard at work reproducing all special exhibition labels and
key informational brochures into Braille and large print. Please visit the
information desks at the Missouri History Museum and Soldiers Memorial
Military Museum to check out these free resources. Thanks to the Midwestern
Braille Volunteers who printed these accessible materials! 



Connect with us to learn more! You can: 

*         Read about all of our accessible features at
<https://mohistory.org/visit/accessibility>
mohistory.org/visit/accessibility.   

*
<https://mohistory.us7.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4eaa2a5eaae236d5ecc09f850
&id=88cb7b72c7> Subscribe to our eNewsletters, which are offered for a
variety of interests, including accessibility!   

*         Follow us on Social Media-we're on
<https://www.facebook.com/mohistorymuseum/> Facebook,
<https://www.instagram.com/mohistorymuseum/?hl=en> Instagram,
<https://twitter.com/mohistorymuseum> Twitter, and
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeMi9mDFlG3JdsLsEXTiOSw> YouTube!

*         Send questions, accommodation requests, and feedback about
accessibility to  <mailto:access at mohistory.org> access at mohistory.org 

 

 

 

2021 Annual Presidential Report-March 27, 2021

By Shelia Wright

 

At the end of each calendar year, wordsmiths and language experts select the
word of the year. It was no surprise that pandemic and unprecedented were
two of the top considerations for 2020. In the end, dictionary.com chose
pandemic as the clear winner. While the pandemic demanded much of society's
attention and resulted in disruptions and restrictions, I want to look back
over the past year and focus on the positive lessons and accomplishments of
the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri, since our last state
convention. Let's draw on these to launch us into a new year of love, hope,
and determination as we move forward into the coming year. 

As you will recall the first change brought about by the pandemic was that
our annual state convention was delayed, and since we could not hold an
in-person convention, we immediately began exploring the virtual platform
that would become a part of our everyday life.

Therefore, I delivered my last presidential report about nine months ago as
we gathered for our first virtual annual state convention ever. By that
time, we had some experience hosting many small discussions and meetings via
Zoom, which felt much different from what we were facing. Our hard work and
the butterflies that often come with trying new things paid off. We had a
very successful state convention for which we could all be proud. Many of
our Federation brothers and sisters-from across the country-were able to
join us for the convention. Both we in Missouri and other state affiliate
leaders had an opportunity to learn what worked well and what changes might
work better. Who knew then that we would be holding our second virtual state
convention? We believe we will use our virtual tools even better, and we are
already off to what I believe will be an outstanding convention. Thank you
to all our members that help this to happen.

We have developed skills and a way that we can reach prospective members,
include members that cannot attend live events, and better serve blind
Missourians that do not live near other blind people. It will not take the
place of face-to-face interaction but will expand and enhance what we can
do. 

Even while our state convention was getting under way last year, our
Missouri Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy
Coordinators, Jenny Carmack and Debbie Wunder, were engaged with our
Missouri families participating in the first of three summer sessions of our
BELL Academy in Home Edition. Missouri had seven students participating
throughout the summer with their family's support. This was our first
contact with four of these families. Thank you, Jenny and Debbie, for your
work and to our national program that provided the framework. 

July brought another first: our first virtual National Convention. With the
convention, we learned about new tools and ideas that we could use, and we
are using a few of these tools and ideas to help us carry out this year's
state convention. Leave it to the National Federation of the Blind, to find
viable solutions to help us carry out the work of the Federation. Our
virtual National Convention allowed many people to attend their first NFB
Convention. Both members and nonmembers tuned in to take part in the
convention and Missouri had a record number of 120 in attendance.

During the fall of 2019 we received notice from the Commerce Trust Company
that the National Federation of the Blind St. Louis Chapter had been named
as a beneficiary by Virginia Schenk in her living trust. As the St. Louis
Chapter has been dissolved, The National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
was the appropriate recipient. Chris Tisdal in his capacity as President of
our Lewis and Clark Chapter received the first correspondence concerning the
Schenk Living Trust and worked with the state affiliate to connect us with
the financial institution handling the estate. Unfortunately, none of us who
remain had the privilege of knowing Virginia Schenk. What we do know is that
she had a huge impact in her community, both in her lifetime and beyond.
Based on the timeline that the living trust was established, it is probable
that she made her selection of the National Federation of the Blind St.
Louis Chapter, from having contact with our long-time member, John Dower.
John Dower was an insurance salesman in St. Louis and President of the St.
Louis Chapter. He would close his business every Friday to get out into the
community to sell candy and pass out cards and literature on behalf of the
Federation. As a result, the National Federation of the Blind has received a
number of bequests from the contacts he made. In late summer, the National
Federation of the Blind received $427,014. Thank you, Virginia Schenk, for
making room for the National Federation of the Blind in your heart. Thank
you, John Dower, for the work you did that still impacts us today. Your
legacy lives on because you not only worked on our behalf, but you shared
our work and our mission with whomever you came in contact. 

In keeping with NFB policy that affiliates will share at least fifty percent
of bequests with our national organization, we immediately shared
$214,000.00 with our national organization. All of us benefit greatly from
our national programs, our national literature, our branding, etc. Every
dollar that we spend on a national level goes further than those we as an
affiliate spend. Our collective effort includes efforts to fund our movement
and it is our collective movement that gives us the strength that we have.
We are proud to have been able to share this gift with our national
organization.

I want to say one more thing about the Virginia Schenk Trust and the added
benefits her gift gives us in funding our state affiliate. Having these
available funds, especially more than we have had in a very long time, can
be a blessing or a curse. It will be a blessing if we use it to build the
Federation by using it to develop programs that teach blind people that it
is respectable to be blind, to help blind people to learn skills, build
dreams, inspire them to live the life they want, and to help us educate
those in our communities that have low expectations of us.

It is a curse if we take the money we have and determine we are going to
save it for a rainy day, if we become complacent and feel like we don't
really need to do any fundraising. If we take either of these positions, I
assure you, the rainy day will come soon. The money will dwindle more
quickly than you ever imagined. The members will forget how to raise money.
Our communities will forget who we are because they no longer see us out in
the public working to fund our programs. We've seen this happen within our
own affiliate before, and we've seen it happen elsewhere. Let's be sure not
to fall into the trap of complacency. Let's turn our blessing into
opportunities to reach blind people of all ages and to help them understand
they can live the life they want!

We were all very excited when the new STEM2U Program was announced and
immediately applied to be one of the fifteen states to be selected to host
this event. We were selected and had started making plans to hold the event
in Jefferson City this past fall. Like everything else, this became a
virtual program and much of the work was planned by our national colleagues.
Jenny Carmack volunteered to help teach and was selected to do so in both
sessions that were offered. In addition, we were proud to have seventeen
Missourians participate. We were familiar with some of the students, but
again, we were able to make contact with several families for the first
time.

For over thirty years, the NFB of Missouri has received some funds from the
National Federation of the Blind Service Foundation. In December, 2019, the
thrift store and pick-up service in Kansas City was closed, and the work of
the NFB Service Foundation began winding down. For the first eight months of
2020 we continued receiving distributions from the Service Foundation. In
September, we were notified that we were eligible for a final distribution
in the amount of $50,000.00, but that we needed to identify how we were
going to use the money and that it should not go to regular operating
expenses or projects we were already doing. 

In October, at the direction of the affiliate board, a special committee was
appointed to accept proposals and make recommendations to the board. The
committee was given thirty days to do their work. The committee was chaired
by Becky Boyer; others that served were, Jenny Carmack, Tezzie Wells, Cory
McMahon, Daniel Garcia, and Dennis Miller. This committee worked diligently
and recommended that we set aside $40,000 to begin a transition program for
students ages fourteen to twenty-one and $10,000 to start a program to
assist newly- blinded seniors in adjusting to blindness. Committee members
were concerned that the proposal that was submitted requested $15,000 and
decided to appeal to the board to set aside an additional $5,000 to help get
this program off the ground. 

There were three other proposals submitted that the committee thought would
be worthwhile projects. The first was at the request of the Sports and
Recreation Committee for a Health and Wellness program with emphasis on
nutrition. The benefit of this program is that it could begin immediately as
an instructor and curriculum had already been planned and a lot of the
instruction could be done virtually. The second proposal came from our
Scholarship Committee, who recommended that we send our top scholarship
winner to the national convention. This proposal would be for a three-year
period to help determine if this would help our scholarship winners to
become more connected with the Federation. The third proposal was one that
really could not be acted upon at this time and should be reconsidered at a
later time. The NFB Board accepted the recommendations of the committee
including setting aside the additional funding. 

Thank you to those that submitted proposals and to those who served on the
special committee. Planning committees were appointed for the transition
program and for the senior program; both have begun their work. Much work
has already been done on the transition program for ages 14-21. The new
program will be known as Mission BEAM (Blindness, Empowerment, Advocacy, and
Mentoring). You will hear more about this program from Jenny Carmack, chair,
later in the convention. Gary Wunder is chairing the Senior Blind Program. 

Washington Seminar brought new challenges as we needed to move it to a
virtual platform. The beauty of it being virtual is that we had at least
twenty members participating in this event, and many of them were
participating in their first Washington Seminar. We were able to have
constituents from every congressional district which also was a first and a
delight to members of congress. You have already heard about the legislative
priorities this morning, so I will not go over those again; however, we made
the most progress on the Access Technology Affordability Act. Both Senator
Blunt and Representative Luetkemeyer have cosponsored the ATAA. Just
yesterday afternoon, some of us finally had an opportunity to meet with
Representative Cleaver. We were delighted that at the beginning of the
meeting we were assured that the congressman had signed on to the Access
Technology Affordability Act earlier this week. We should be certain to
express our thanks to these members and to follow-up with the rest to
encourage them to do likewise. Remember, Washington Seminar is the beginning
of our legislative work on the national level. We've laid the groundwork,
but the outcome will be based on the work we do the rest of the year.

I'd like to turn to our Jefferson City Seminar and our legislative concerns
on the state level. Once we realized that we really did need to go virtual
with our legislative work on the state level, I think we all started out
thinking it was going to be a difficult year; however, we felt it was
important for us to show a presence and bring our concerns to those we could
meet with. We extended our seminar dates from two days to five to allow for
scheduling meetings, and in some cases, the appointments stretched out over
a two-week period. While we did not accomplish meeting with someone in every
office, we had some really great meetings with representatives and senators.
We found them to be more relaxed, in less of a hurry, and more likely to ask
questions. I believe we established the beginnings of a good relationship
with a number of new representatives. 

One of our goals this year was to introduce the BRITE Act, which deals with
blind students' rights to learn Braille, cane travel, technology, and a
quality education. Early on in the seminar, we had two representatives that
agreed to submit the model bill we presented to legislative research and get
the bill filed. This was despite the fact that the deadline for filing a
bill was drawing near. Everyone realized that we did not have much time, but
the commitments were sincere. Today there are two bills which have been
filed and both have been referred to the Elementary and Secondary Education
Committee in the House. We're waiting now for a hearing to be scheduled on
these bills, which are identical and closely follow the model language.
Since we are running behind, I will not go into the other issues, but I
would definitely consider our efforts to be successful in many ways and we
are not done yet. 

We have acquired the legal services of Amy Coopman to help Sarah Coccovizzo.
Sarah is a senior in high school, and she and her parents have requested to
attend a one-year transition program at the Kansas School for the Blind. One
of the emphasis in the transition program outlined in the federal
regulations includes community involvement. Sarah wants to participate in
the Kansas School's program because it is a one-year program near the
community resources where she plans to live, attend college, and work. She
probably could go to the Missouri School for the Blind across the state, but
it is a two-year program and does not give her the benefit of tapping into
community resources she will be able to use. This plan has been discussed
for about a year, but only recently did the school district rule this out
saying they cannot cross the state line. This is despite the fact that it is
not at all unusual for school districts in the Kansas City metropolitan area
to enroll their students in programs at the Kansas School for the Blind. Ms.
Coopman will assist Sarah and her parents in navigating the school district
complaint process to ensure that Sarah's needs are addressed properly and to
determine next steps.  

We were contacted by James Shelton, who lives in Kirksville. James explained
that he has been caring for his mother for several years because her health
is declining, and she wants to stay in her own home. Recently, James' mother
fell, and he reported that a social worker has indicated that he cannot
provide his mother with the care that is needed because he is blind. He
indicated that there was going to be a hearing and asked for help. Dennis
Miller agreed to assess the situation and has been working with James
directly as he is familiar with all the players and resources there in
Kirksville. Since the initial contact, James has brought up several other
areas in which he has been denied services or roadblocks. He has reached out
to several affiliate leaders. We will assess the situation for each area and
advise him accordingly. 

Finally, I want to talk a little bit about Daniel Garcia in his capacity as
Chairman of our Public Relations Committee. You all see Daniel work hard in
our state affiliate and on the chapter level. He is bright and very
creative. He has excellent communication skills and does a great job
chairing our Public Relations Committee. When we think about public
relations, we may think about getting out a press release about something we
are doing or contacting the newspaper or TV station to get a story, or
coming up with a new brochure or advertisement. All good ideas but most can
be expensive. One of the things Daniel does is particularly creative, as far
as I am concerned, and is encouragement to me and to at least one of our
young members in Kansas City, and it is absolutely free: thinking outside
the box. I share this to encourage us all to recognize the opportunities
there are out there to tell our story to influence attitudes, and to get the
NFB of Missouri's name out into our communities. 

Daniel uses NFB Newsline every day to read the paper, and he reads the
Opinion Section. On several occasions he has written a letter expressing his
opinion on issues related to blindness and has used this as an opportunity
to promote the work we in the NFB are doing. I think I started paying more
attention to this in November. Daniel saw an invitation to the column's
readers to send in letters on what they are thankful for. Daniel prepared
his letter and sent it off to the paper for consideration. At the Kansas
City Chapter meeting in November, he told the chapter about the recent
invitation and that he had sent in his letter which indicated he was
thankful for the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri. He went on to
encourage our chapter members to send in their letters of thanks for the
NFB. He said that maybe if the editor got several letters from people who
are thankful for the organization, maybe they would select one to be
included in the paper. 

Tarra Coccovizzo, one of our NFB Cane Drivers and a member of the Kansas
City Chapter, took the challenge and wrote and submitted her letter about
why she was thankful for the National Federation of the Blind. I don't know
how many people took the challenge Daniel extended that day, but just as
Daniel hoped, the strategy worked. Congratulations to Tarra for accepting
the challenge and getting published. Thank you, Daniel for thinking outside
the box and providing us an example of how to think outside the box to
promote the National Federation of the Blind.

Just last week, there was another article in the Opinion Section, and it was
about some state legislators who wanted to eliminate the internet divide and
increase infrastructure that would bring internet service to rural and less
populated areas of the state. Daniel wasted no time at submitting another
letter about the existence of a second internet divide. Although they didn't
use his play on words, his letter was published and it was an excellent
letter about the inaccessible issues revolving around webpages and apps. 

There are all kinds of ways that we as members can educate the public and
further our efforts as an organization. Thank you, Daniel for demonstrating
this to us. There are all kinds of platforms we can use to make the work of
the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri known throughout Missouri.
We all have different strengths and talents, feel free to share your
successes. You never know who you will inspire, teach, or reach.  

I am very pleased that almost one-fourth of our members are on one or more
committees and or have specific assignments. The scope of our committee work
is greater than it has ever been. We are limited only by the number of hands
we have to carry out our programs. If you are not serving in some special
way in our affiliate and want to get more involved in what we do, please
reach out and let me know where you would like to serve. We need your help
as we continue to build the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri.

As I wrote this report, I considered what would be the word of the year
within the National Federation of the Blind. I don't know that I settled on
one specific word, but what seemed to resonate with me were words like
resilient, commitment, and determination. 

 

 

 

Resolution 2021-01

A RESOLUTION REGARDING ACCESSIBLE VOTING.

 

WHEREAS, the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) was passed in 2002 in part to
ensure blind people would be provided an accessible, private, and
independent method of voting in all federal elections; and

 

WHEREAS, this organization has attempted ever since to extend the provisions
of HAVA to state and local elections through legislation and interaction
with the Missouri Secretary of State's office; and

 

WHEREAS, repeated legislative efforts have been unsuccessful and the
Secretary of State's office has shown a total unwillingness to work with us
to ensure that blind people have the right to a private and independent vote
as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973: Now, therefore:

 

BE IT RESOLVED by the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri in
convention assembled this 27th day of March, 2021, that we shall immediately
do whatever is required to ensure that blind people have full and equal
accessible voting rights regardless where they live, whether it be in a
local or national election and whether they choose to vote at the polls or
by absentee ballot; and

 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that our efforts include working with the United
States Department of Justice, filing legal action in the courts, or by any
other means that will achieve this goal in giving blind people the right to
vote privately and independently in every election. 

 

 

 

 

Adversity

                                            By Svetlana Ehlers

 

     Have you ever lived on a farm? Living on a farm you can learn so much,
like watching a chick hatch. You watch the poor chick struggle, and
struggle, and struggle. Then you see a tiny crack in the shell, so you
decide to pull the shell apart because you felt sorry for the chick. Once
you pull the shell apart the chick will eventually die because it had to
build its strength by pushing its wings against the shell. It needed that
adversity to survive. Adversity can be a blessing as it will grow your
confidence, determination, and faith in Jesus Christ.     

      I was born in Armenia; Armenia is located north of Iran and east of
Turkey. I was born at twenty-four weeks; I just didn't want to waste any
more time. Just call me an over-achiever. Poor planning on my part: my eyes
didn't develop right. So my parents could not care for me, and they put me
in an orphanage. Over the next nine-year period, I moved from a hospital to
two different orphanages and a blind school. I don't remember much about my
first orphanage, but I remember this one person named Guion who was abusive.
She would hit me if I talked or moved. Sometimes I felt she would just hit
me for no apparent reason. I also had a friend named Samvel. He was like a
brother to me. We were each other's anchor. I don't know how I would have
survived without him there. He went with me to my second orphanage and to
the blind school. I was hoping that when I moved the abuse would stop. And
it did, for about a week. After that week the abuse started again. But it
was different in this new orphanage.  

      The orphanage staff let the other kids play, but Samvel and I had to
just sit and listen to the other kids, because we were both blind and
couldn't get around on our own. If I got up from my chair, I would
immediately be hit. I think my blindness was a burden to the staff. Also,
when we went to bed, we had to be asleep as soon as we put our heads on the
pillow. Most of the time that was very difficult, because it was scary at
night. So, I just pretended to be asleep and listened to the other kids
being hurt by the staff. I started thinking that this was normal, so I
figured out ways that I could avoid being abused.  

     One day a priest named Father Grigor and his wife Anahit came to visit
the kids with disabilities. They took Samvel and me and some of the other
kids to church every week. They even took us on vacation to a lake for a
week. This was the only place where I felt safe and the only time I ever
felt loved. This is where Father Grigor introduce me to God. I think this
helped me to see that there was something good in life. But then we had to
go back to the orphanage. This made me very upset because I had to go back
to that place. That same year Samvel and I went to the Blind school.   

      The school was not abusive, but I did not learn much. They brushed my
hair and teeth, and they even dressed us. I didn't even learn how to lift a
fork to my mouth. I just put my mouth on the plate and pulled food in. My
mom called it my puppy dog eating. If I hadn't gotten adopted, I would be
finished with school by the age of fourteen. People in Armenia believe that
children who are blind don't need to obtain an education above an
eighth-grade level.   

     Then one day the orphanage staff told me that the Americans were coming
to steal my organs. I've seen kids disappear before. So, I was scared when
my new mom came and took me away. Once I was adopted, my life changed very
quickly. At first I was very immature. My mom said that because I couldn't
touch anything all my life, I made up for lost time and touched everything.
Remember I see through my fingers. Imagine me going out to dinner with
family friends. Everyone else looks around to see what each person ordered,
but for me, my hands immediately went into everybody's plates.   

     My mom taught me how to read Braille, and then my whole world opened
up. Everything that I couldn't see in the orphanage I could now see in
books. Since then, I've never stopped learning. My goal is to become a
lawyer, and I am going to do what it takes to achieve that goal.    

     Are you wondering what happened to Samvel?  Well, he got adopted also.
Remember Father Grigor and Anahit, the people that took us to church?  I
think once I was being adopted they realized they could lose us, so they
adopted Samvel.  Most people in Armenia don't care about kids with
disabilities, but these folks did. I would commend them for going against
their culture, because not only did they adopt Samvel, but they also adopted
another child from that orphanage who had challenges. Today Samvel is a
beautiful opera singer doing concerts all across eastern Europe. Samvel's
life will be very different from mine. He finished school at the age of
fourteen. Because of this, he will not be able to support himself in
Armenia. The good thing is that he has a family that can support him. God
has a purpose for everything that He does. "'For I know the plans I have for
you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.'" -Jerimiah 29:11     

     I wouldn't wish for anyone to go through what I had to go through in
Armenia. It was a horrible experience. No child should ever have to endure
that type of abuse. But everyone has adversity in their lives. Some
experience adversity more often and to a greater or lesser extent. What
matters is how you view your adversity. We can become a victim of our
adversity, or we can grow from the challenges that God gives us. I choose to
grow from my adversity, and I am going to encourage you to teach your
children to grow from theirs as well. Adversity can be a blessing, as it
will grow your confidence, determination and faith in Jesus Christ.    

     First, let's talk about confidence. If I had not gone through the
challenges I did, I would not be the person that I am today. "You gain
strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really
stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I lived
through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along'."-Eleanor
Roosevelt. When you let your kids experience adversity, they will be more
self-reliant as an adult. For example, if your child is having a problem
with their friend, let them talk to their friend so that they can resolve
the issue. Once you let them do that, they will build a sense of self
confidence that will get stronger with time. Dr. Laura Markham says, "Manage
your own anxiety so you don't make a habit of rescuing your child. Instead,
when she gets into a jam, support her in brainstorming possible solutions.
If you lecture, teach, or solve the problem for her, you're teaching her
that she can't solve things herself." Also, God commands us to have
confidence. Joshua 1:9 states "Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and
courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God
will be with you wherever you go."    

     Adversity builds determination. This year I wanted to learn how to put
wood in our wood stove. I kept telling myself that I couldn't do it. It was
just too hard. And I was afraid that I would touch the flames, ouch!
Finally, I decided to use the fireplace tongs to put the log in the fire. I
figured out that this wasn't going to work, so then I tried to put the log
in the fire with my gloved hand, and it worked! I had to stop thinking about
the negative aspects about putting wood in the fire. You might think that is
easy, but again I am totally blind. If I were to touch the flames that would
be very bad. I did melt my dad's firefighter gloves because they are not
designed to actually be in the flames.  

     He was very surprised, but I haven't burned my hands. That is okay
right!  "I really believe in the old expression that what doesn't kill you
makes you stronger. It's through adversity that you find the strength you
never knew you had." -Christie Brinkley

     Lastly, my faith in God has greatly increased. When I think back to the
past, I thank God for what He let me endure. If I did not go through
hardships, I would have not reached out to God. So, I encourage you to thank
God for your hardships. ". adversity is not the time to abandon the faith
that has brought us this far. Instead, we should ask the Lord to use the
adversity as a tool to strengthen our trust in Him. Let us pray that God
will give us courage, boldness, wisdom, and faith as a result of walking
through adversity." -Pastor David Delman. When you trust in the Lord, He
will help you through hard times. "I can do all things through Christ who
gives me strength"-Philippians 4:13. God is not going to take that hardship
away, but He will help you through it.    

     After listening to this speech what do you think about adversity?
Should we wait until the child is a grown adult to experience adversity, or
should we let them start experiencing little adversities now?  I hope that
you start now because it will greatly increase their confidence,
determination, and faith in Jesus Christ. Remember let your little chicks
break out of their shells on their own.  

 

 

 

Reflections on our 2021 State Convention Banquet

By Rita Lynch

 

The convention banquet was again the highlight of the convention weekend.
Our Master of Ceremony, Dennis Miller, along with Amy Wilson, as our Door
Prize Chair, kept us all thoroughly entertained. I found the banquet address
given by our National Representative, Anil Lewis, to be very moving and
truly insightful!

Our Jefferson City Chapter was pleasantly surprised to win the King and
Queen Contest with a donation of $500 to our State Affiliate. We also want
to Congratulate our Kansas City Chapter for winning the Roy Zuvers Traveling
Trophy for 2021. Their contribution of $4,024 to our state affiliate for the
year is nothing short of outstanding work!   

The winner of the Jacobus tenBroek Award this year was our Jefferson City
Chapter fundraising chairperson, Linda DeWeese. Linda has been very loyal
and dedicated to our cause for the past thirteen years. Linda is always
anxious to give of her time and energy and is always ready to contribute in
whatever way is needed for the Federation. She not only is an integral part
of our Jefferson City Chapter but also helps on the Missouri Affiliate
level. She can be found serving at state board meetings to helping at the
State Capitol, often on short notice and even with snow coming down. We
sincerely thank you, Linda for all you do to help us build the Federation.


Congratulations to our loyal and steadfast Federationist Gene Fleeman, this
year's winner of the Jernigan Award. We thank you, Gene, for the many years
of dedicated service you have given to help us in achieving our goals. Those
of you who know Gene would agree that when he undertakes an assignment, we
know that he will carry it out most successfully in his quiet and unassuming
manner. We love and appreciate you, Gene, more than you know!

President Wright presented the Gary L. Wunder Award to Jenny Carmack. Jenny
is the second person to receive this award since it was renamed in 2017. The
number of projects Jenny has worked on over the past year, and the
importance of the work she has done really is so significant that we wanted
to recognize Jenny at this time with this special award. Thank you, Jenny,
for all that you do on behalf of the NFB of Missouri. 

It is always a historic moment when we welcome and charter a new chapter
into the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri. President Wright
presented the Charter of Affiliation to President James White of our Ivanhoe
Chapter located in Kansas City. We look forward to seeing our newest chapter
grow and serve. 

Robin House, Scholarship Committee Chair, presented scholarships to four
deserving students. The Scholarship Class of 2021 included the following:
Jordan Walker, Aida Talic, Nancy Aguilera, and Kendra Damron.
Congratulations to these students as they pursue their education goals. The
members of the National Federation of the Blind allocate funds for our
scholarship program at our annual convention for the following year. This
provided the committee with $2,500 for this year's John & Rhoda Dower
Memorial Scholarship Fund. In addition, the Columbia Chapter annually
donates $500 for the Hentges Memorial Scholarship in memory of Mary Lou
Hentges. There was also a $500 donation for scholarships by the Jefferson
City Chapter in memory of Glenda Elgin who passed away in early 2020. Thank
you all for helping build our 2021 Scholarship Program.

All of the programs we do are based on our ability to raise the money needed
to carry out the work we have planned. For this reason, it is tradition that
we end our banquet raising a portion of the money we need. Jeff Giffen, our
affiliate PAC chairman, opened the floor for members to get on the
Pre-Authorized Check Plan or to increase their monthly contribution. One of
the disadvantages of a virtual convention is that it is just not as easy to
sell popcorn, candy, baked goods, auction tempting items, etc. To keep our
traditions going, Jeff and a few other members made sizeable donations to
the affiliate and invited others to do what they could. As the pledges
ceased, Mark Harris indicated that he wanted to match the total amount that
was raised for the affiliate during the evening in memory of his father who
passed away earlier this year. What a loving and generous gift from Mark as
he pays tribute to his father. Mark, we love and support you through this
tender time of your life. We the members of the NFB of Missouri truly
believe in the organization and in carrying out the work of the Federation
so that those who come behind will have opportunities and fewer battles as
they conquer their goals.

 

 

 

BELL Academy

By Jenny Carmack

 

        The 2021 BELL (Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning) Academy
will be held virtually this year. We need your help to spread the word about
this wonderful and free opportunity for students ages four to twelve years
old. For a flyer that provides all of the details, go to www.nfbmo.org/bell
<http://www.nfbmo.org/bell> . Please share this with your chapter members,
friends, family, or acquaintances, anyone you know who knows a blind
student.
         Last year we had seven students from Missouri participate, and we
already have several signed up this year. Spaces are limited, and we want
our Missouri families to have the chance to participate in these fun and
engaging activities to promote the use of Braille. If anyone has any
questions, they can contact Debbie Wunder or myself. Let's bring as many
families to the NFB BELL Academy at Home Edition as possible!!! Thanks for
your help. 

      Below is information from the flyer. 

 

Attend 2021 NFB BELLR Academy In-Home Edition

Enhance your Braille and nonvisual skills with us!

 

           The National Federation of the Blind is offering three virtual
programs of the NFB BELL Academy this summer to prepare blind and low-vision
children to grow into confident and independent blind people by enhancing
their education. Options are available for beginner, intermediate, and
advanced students. Receive Braille and other fun materials for lessons,
connect with experienced teachers, and build relationships with other blind
students and mentors.

Take advantage of this opportunity for your child to connect with blind role
models and more by applying for one of the following sessions.

Session 1 June 7-18, 2021

Session 2 July 19-30, 2021

Session 3 August 9-20, 2021

Limited space available. Learn more and apply now at nfb.org/bell

 

 

 

Jefferson City Chapter 40th Anniversary

By Rita Lynch

 

     Our Jefferson City Chapter was formed on May 27, 1981, according to the
minutes of the organizing meeting. There are no current members of our
chapter at this time who were members back then. Jan Akers was our chapter's
first president, Dave Dillon served as vice-president, Adrianne Dillon
secretary, and Barbara Cheadle treasurer. In late 1981, the Dillons moved to
St. Louis. Jan was again elected president in 1982, Gary Wunder was our
Vice-President, John Cheadle secretary, and Barbara remained chapter
treasurer. The chapter membership must have been very few.

     LaVern Benne-Toebben and I joined in late February of 1982, when a
membership seminar was held at the Lohman Hotel here in Jefferson City. A
couple months later Alvin Toebben joined, and in August of 1982, Brian
Wekamp and his parents, Jim and Donna Wekamp, joined our Chapter.

     Several members from our Columbia Chapter had come to the seminar
including Gary Wunder, Ed and Gail Bryant, and Tom Stevens. I remember
hearing Gary and Tom present at the seminar, but I did not meet them in
person that day. I do remember meeting Ed and Gail as I happened to be
sitting at the same table with them. At that time, I wasn't brave enough to
ask questions, but listened and took it all in.

    LaVern and I attended our first chapter meeting in late March of 1982 at
the Cheadle home. Then, later that month was the state convention in
Springfield. John and Barbara encouraged me to go. They could not attend
because their youngest and only daughter, Anna Katharine, was soon to
arrive. Here is where I met lots of Federationists, including: Lawson and
Billie Weaver and Joan Davis from the host chapter; Nick Whitney, Bill and
Florence Neal from the Gateway Chapter; and John and Rhoda Dower from the
St. Louis Chapter. I got to know Gene and Carol Coulter and June Holman from
our Columbia Chapter as I sat at their table during banquet. 

My first in-person meeting with Gary was a few days after the state
convention, when members around the state gathered at what then was known as
the Governor Hotel. From there, we walked over to the Capitol to meet with
legislators regarding the Bureau for the Blind budget. That was my first
experience meeting with state legislators and the first time I had been to
our State Capitol. What an experience that day! My husband and I along with
our three children had moved from where we had been living out in the
country to Jefferson City in late May of 1981. In fact, it was evidently the
same weekend that the membership seminar was held.         

     As I think about these past forty years, I am proud to say that our
chapter has been very active as a part of our state affiliate. We hosted six
state conventions: 1985, 1993, 2000, 2006, 2013 and 2018. We have won the
Roy Zuvers Traveling Trophy many times and been able to keep three of them,
and we have won the King and Queen contest at least nine times. We've been
very blessed in our fundraising activities especially our walk-a-thons which
we have been holding in the month of October for thirty-three years now.
Four years members of our chapter have received the Jacobus tenBroek Award:
Alvin Toebben, Phyllis Wilson, Ron and Kathy Hurley, and Linda DeWeese.
We've had several scholarship winners and Jernigan Award winners, as well.
Our chapter has maintained a membership each year in the thirties for
decades now.

     We are pleased to be able to help in all activities of our state
affiliate, especially with Governmental Affairs. When things happen quite
unexpectedly, we are here to do whatever is needed. We are planning our 40th
anniversary chapter picnic on June twenty-seventh at the Memorial Park
pavilion. We hope those of you who were around when our chapter was
organized can come join us, and anyone else who would like to come to
celebrate the past forty years are certainly welcome as well.    

 

 

 

Learning from Our Past

Some Facts and a Trivia Quiz

By Eugene Coulter

 

The Data Retention Committee is working on salvaging our records from the
last sixty years. The unfortunate part of this endeavor is that some
memories are forever lost especially from our first ten years. The last two
months has found me searching high and low for memorabilia to preserve
memories for the future generations. Hopefully this will answer the question
as to how we got to where we are now. Below I will share a couple of tidbits
followed by a short trivia quiz; I love trivia.

In 1983, we had a wonderful convention in St. Joseph with Jim Omvig as our
National Representative. We passed over a dozen resolutions, including the
first of many urging that blind children be taught Braille. On Sunday
morning, March 27, we held elections. I was privileged to serve as
Nominating Committee Chair. There were three candidates for president
because Gary Wunder was not running for re-election. The election was quite
dramatic; only one vote separated all three candidates with the second and
third place candidates tying. So, a run-off was held between them. In the
third and final round of voting, everyone who voted for the loser of the two
run-off candidates, voted for the person that finished on top in the first
round electing Billie Weaver President. 

In the Summer 2002 Blind Missourian, it was reported that Debbie Houchen and
Gary Wunder got married and that J. C. Moynihan, Megan Worley, and Melissa
Wunder had graduated from high school. In addition, Elisabeth Coulter had
been named to Who's Who in American High Schools.

How about state convention banquet prices over the years? In 2003, we paid
$20.00 which increased to $25.00 in 2011 and $35.00 in 2019. But, going
further back in history to 1971, the banquet cost a lofty $4.25 with
registration costing $2.00 and a single room, at the Aladdin Hotel in Kansas
City, priced at $7.00. 

 

Now for a short quiz. Sorry, I will not give the answers until the next
issue.

1.     According to The Blind Missourian when did NFB Newsline Start in
Missouri?

2.     Since 1971, how many editors has this publication had?

3.     In what cities, have we had state conventions (Suburbs of Kansas City
and Saint Louis are considered as being part of those cities)? 

4.     Who served the longest as a chairman of any state committee, having
served for twenty-three years? Name the person and the important committee
they chaired.

5.     How many years did Shelia Wright spend as First Vice President?

6.     In What year did the Model White Cane Law pass in Missouri?

7.     Who was Gary Wunder's first Guide Dog?

8.     Name four chapters that served the Saint Louis area.

9.     Which of these have been state affiliate fundraisers? Wooden toys,
stuffed animals, t-shirts, skate-a-thon, carved elephants, raffles.

10.                         In what year did the Student Division host the
state convention and in what city?

 

 

 

One Minute Message

 

The National Federation of the Blind 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.

 

 

 

Pledge of the

National Federation of the Blind

 

I pledge to participate actively in the efforts of the National Federation
of the Blind to achieve equality, opportunity, and security for the blind;
to support the policies and programs of the Federation; and to abide by its
Constitution.




 

Board of Directors

National Federation of the Blind of Missouri

 

Officers:

Shelia Wright, President                              Melissa Kane, First
Vice President 

Jenny Carmack, Second Vice President          Becky Boyer, Recording
Secretary

Daniel Garcia, Corresponding Secretary         Carol Coulter, Treasurer

 

Board Members:

Eugene Coulter              Dennis Miller                             Robin
House

Amy Wilson                            Chris Tisdal
Randy Carmack

Jeff Giffen             President Emeritus, Gary Wunder

 

 

Chapter Presidents

Columbia Chapter, Gary Wunder, 573-874-1774    

Old Drum Chapter, Warrensburg, Amy Wilson, 660-441-1907

Jefferson City Chapter, Rita Lynch, 573-634-3865          

Springfield Chapter, Carolyn McGhee, 573-673-7904

Kansas City Chapter, Daniel Garcia, 816-505-5520       

Lewis and Clark Chapter, St. Louis, Chris Tisdal, 314-440-1684  

Mineral Area Chapter, Farmington, Roger Crome, 573-701-8409

Show Me State Chapter, meets via conference call, Dennis Miller,
660-234-5351

Ivanhoe Chapter, Kansas City, James White 816-923-7074

 

 

Blind Missourian Editor Carol Coulter

Proof Readers: Shelia Wright, Daniel Garcia and Grace Warn

Read by Elisabeth Coulter


 

 

 


	
		
 



NFB of Missouri


1504 Furlong Dr.

Columbia, MO  65202

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelia Wright, President

National Federation of the Blind of Missouri

7928 NW Milrey Drive, Kansas City, MO 64152

816-741-6402

President at nfbmo.org <mailto:President at nfbmo.org> 

www.nfbmo.org <http://www.nfbmo.org> 

 

The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends
who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation's blind. Every day we work
together to help blind people live the lives they want.

 

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