[Nfbmt] When it comes to blindness & vision impairment... January 16, 6 pm - At Large Chapter Phone Conference Meeting

[Rik James]

Subjects for conversation. Subjects for investigation. Recipes for a quality 
of understanding of the past, the now, and the yellow brick road to the 
future.

Vision impairment.
Is this a term you are comfortable with?
Why or why not?
When did the term first begin to be used?

Blindness.
How good do you feel about where you are with it?
What is working and what is yet to be tackled, in the way of challenges.
Are there short term and long term goals for you? Or, for your family member 
or friends who are blind?

For a  bigger picture.
There is me, there is we, and there is the bigger us.
Both within our Federation organization, and the bigger, the much bigger 
general public.

What are the instruments which are your very best friends, in terms of
employing your own skills of blindness?
Describe them. Tell how long you have been using it.
Tell how you came to know about it, and how to use it.

Are there cheap solutions and expensive solutions?
Name some good ideas that some of us may not yet have thought of?

It is a new year.
Here is a springboard.
Here are seeds.
Let's plan our garden, while the year is still so young.

Let's teach, let's learn, let's talk, and let's have fun, too.
Let's remember, let's imagine, and let's build.
Both on this email discussion group and anywhere, really, I say.

And oh, yes.
There is a Treasure State At Large Chapter of NFB of Montana meeting, next
Thursday, January 16, at 6 pm.
I could use some people to call members who are not on email.
Remember that thing they call a phone tree? Each member can take several 
names and numbers and call to inform and/or remind them of the upcoming 
meeting.
I think now a days we are forgetting how nice it was to actually have phone 
conversations. Email is great. But let's not leave anyone out, just because 
they don't go for email.

Contact me for your phone tree volunteer assignment.
The phone conference number and access code are below.

This message has been sent to our entire statewide NFB-MT membership list.
All persons are welcome to participate.
The meetings, as I see them, are to help our membership and our shared 
knowledge and familiarity with the issues of blindness flourish and grow.

Now, let me say this, too. I may sometimes sound organized. But, alas, I am 
a bit overwhelmed in our modern age of so many distractions, too. I like the 
big idea, but I may forget to follow up. So, please do not hesitate to call 
me and remind me of what I have overlooked or mistakenly stated. Be my 
partner, and I will keep being yours, too.

Thank you, and Happy New Year, everyone.
Rik James
President, of that chapter mentioned above.
The one  that can reach long and far across our Treasure state landscape of
the National Federation of the Blind of Montana
I live in Bozeman, or as we call it, The Bo Zone.
And that is NOT just because one of its long time residents is a bona fide
Bozo.
My phone numbers are:
406 586 4123 for the land line.
406 548 5319 for the mobile line. So you can text message this one, too.

The Conference Number is
712 432 6100
The access code # is
41010893
no space
The next meeting is Thursday, January 16 at 6 o'clock pm. Generally one hour 
in length. Call me to propose items you would like to address or discuss.

TIP of the MONTH:
Jim Aldrich gave me a seed of an idea that I did to make it easier to call
in to this conference.
If, that is, you are using one of these new fangled phones, where you have
saved phone numbers into your Contacts.

When you put in the phone number into the Contacts, you can put in 3 commas
after the phone number, and then insert the access code. The commas cause a
slight delay, and then when that computer voice asks you for your access
code, Bingo. You get in on the fun, and it will ask you if you wanted to
dial that number and you hit number 1 for Yes. Then Bingo again, you are in
the room. Thank you, Jim.  A nice convenience.

It is so cool to have friends who know stuff like that. Now, I ask you.
Isn't it fun?