[Nfbn-announce] 2017 NFBN Convention - If Not You Then Who

Thu Sep 28 06:05:10 UTC 2017

*IF NOT YOU, THEN WHO?!*

*LIVE THE LIFE YOU WANT!*

Announcing

The 47th Annual Convention of the

National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska

October 13-15, 2017

Divots Norfolk Lodge and Suites, 4200 West Norfolk Avenue, Norfolk, NE 68701

*“It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.” *– William
Shakespeare

Too many blind people are not living the life they want. They think their
destiny is not in their hands. Are you one of them? It’s easy to blame
other things (situations, other persons, the universe, God, etc.…) for what
is happening in our lives. It’s hard to take responsibility, but as William
Jennings Bryan said, “Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of
choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.
<https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/w/williamjen389006.html?src=t_destiny>
 You are the creator of your own destiny!” Or As Jack Welch said, “Control
your own destiny or someone else will.”

You are warmly invited to join the National Federation of the Blind of
Nebraska and see how, with love, hope and determination, we can turn your
dreams in to reality. Blindness is not the characteristic that defines you
or your future. Come be a part of the fun and fellowship, stay for the
education and empowerment. You won't want to miss the most influential
gathering of Nebraska's blind this year!

*HOTEL RESERVATIONS*

Phone (402) 379-3833

Mention NFBN for reduced rate of $93.00 per night + 14.3% tax.

Conveniently located just two miles west of Norfolk with countryside views
on Hwy 275 at 4200 West Norfolk Avenue, Divots is a full-service hotel and
conference facility comprised of the Divots Conference Center, the DeVent
Center, Norfolk Lodge & Suites, the SandBar & Grill, and the Divots Brewery.

The Norfolk Lodge & Suites includes large, comfortable guest rooms, an
indoor atrium-style pool, whirlpool, exercise room, guest laundry and 18-
hole miniature golf. The hotel offers a complimentary expanded hot and cold
breakfast buffet, 24 hour coffee service, gift shop, guest laundry
facility, free high speed wireless internet, and granite wet bar with
microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, and bottled water in each
room.

The hotel is connected to Norfolk's only brew pub, the SandBar & Grill and
Divots Brewery, serving Certified Angus beef steaks, prime rib, burgers,
sandwiches, soups and salads. The SandBar features large screen TVs,
outdoor patios, a covered beer garden, sand volleyball courts, and indoor
and outdoor fireside gathering areas. The Divots Brewery onsite makes
handcrafted beers with ten on tap and carries Norfolk's largest selection
of regional microbrews. Growlers are available to take your favorites home
with you.

*CONVENTION PRE-REGISTRATION*

Register by October 9th and save yourself a little cash.

Prices listed below will increase by $5.00 per item after October 9th.

Advance Registration Prices per Person

Convention Registration: $20

Friday Lunch and Learn: $15

Banquet: $45

Sunday So Long Box Lunch: $15

*REGISTRATION*

Register and make a secure on-line payment by visiting:
http://ne.nfb.org/201 <http://ne.nfb.org/2016>7

If you prefer to pay by check or money order with a paper registration,
print out the form from our website or contact Cheryl Livingston, NFBN
Treasurer, at (402)488-2509.

*“There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent or hinder or
control the firm resolve of a determined soul.”* – Ella Wheeler Wilcox

NATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

We are pleased to welcome back Mr. Anil Lewis, Executive Director of the
National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, as our national
representative. Dynamic, full of wit and wisdom, Anil brings passion and
commitment to each endeavor of life. Mr. Lewis has racked up many accolades
and accomplished much.  He’s a tireless champion for fair wages, equality
and accessibility for the blind, but Anil says his proudest accomplishment
came in 1997 when his son, Amari was born. He says: “My personal mission is
simple: I want to make a difference in the lives of others."

Born in 1964 in Atlanta, Anil was the first member of his family to attend
a four year college. As a sighted man he fairly easily found respectable
employment with wages high above the minimum wage. Then, in 1989, while
pursuing his bachelors of business administration in computer information
systems at Georgia State University, he became blind from retinitis
pigmentosa. "All of a sudden doors that had been open to me slammed shut."
At that point, although he had always considered himself socially aware, he
became personally acquainted with actual social injustice and
discrimination.

In his pro-active way, Lewis received blindness skills training while
completing his course requirements for his BBA at GSU. He quickly learned
the alternative skills of blindness, including Braille, activities of daily
living, assistive technology, and use of the white cane, and capitalized on
them to graduate from Georgia State with his BBA in 1993. "It was a
struggle to regain the life that blindness had appeared to take from me.
Almost everyone who had once respected me now pitied me, but I was
determined not to be redefined by my blindness." Armed with these new
skills and this new determination, he quickly became committed to ensuring
that others in similar situations could get appropriate training and
unlimited opportunities. He began as a Braille and AT instructor but has
also managed job placement programs for individuals with disabilities,
represented individuals with disabilities as an advocate, ben appointed by
the Governor as a Board member for the State Independent Living Council of
Georgia, and currently serves as the Executive Director of the National
Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute.

TRANSPORTATION

The National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska has again arranged for a
bus to this year’s State Convention in Norfolk. The bus will depart Omaha
on Friday, October 13, 2017, at approximately 6:40 am. The first pick-up
point will be in Omaha at the College of St. Mary, and the second one will
be in Lincoln at approximately 7:35 am at the Commission for the Blind
offices. There will be another stop in York, which will be at approximately
8:50 am at the Super 8 Motel. The final pick up will be in Columbus at
approximately 10:05 am, the location for this pick-up is yet to be
determined. The bus should arrive at the Divots Convention Center in
Norfolk at approximately 11:00 am that morning. The trip, including the
passenger pick up points in Lincoln, York, and Columbus should be
approximately four and a half hours. Following the convention, the bus will
depart at approximately 1:00 pm, following adjournment on October 15th,
2017. The bus should arrive in Omaha by early evening.

The price for the round trip will be $70.00 per person. In keeping with the
company policies of Fontenelle Tours, any reservations cancelled before
October 1, 2017, are fully refundable; however, there will be a $30.00 fee
for any reservations cancelled after this date. The bus is being arranged
by your state affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind of
Nebraska, and the excellent rates for travel are made possible through the
generosity of Fontenelle Tours, Arrow Stage, and the National Federation of
the Blind of Nebraska.

Reservations can be made when registering for the convention online at:
http://ne.nfb.org/2017

If you are not able for any reason to reserve your seat on the bus using
the online link, or if you need additional information regarding the
locations of boarding sites, please contact Jeff Altman directly at
debandjeff at allophone.com, or by calling (402) 489-9458 to make other
arrangements.

To insure that possible problems at any of the pick up points along the
route on or before the day of departure can be managed effectively, all
passengers are asked to provide their home address, a cell or home
telephone number where they can be reached, and their personal or work
e-mail address if available. Should an individual be late arriving to the
scheduled pick up point, and we do not have a means by which to contact the
person directly, it will not be possible to delay the bus for more than a
few minutes. Please help us to assure that you will have every opportunity
to successfully meet the bus.

Please remember that seating is limited. To insure yourself a seat, make
your reservations early. Some seats may still be available after the
deadline due to cancellations, so you are certainly encouraged to check if
you are running late in making your reservations, but remember that the bus
tends to fill up very quickly.

We have a packed agenda full of innovation, empowerment, tech savvy and
more for the blind of all ages and their families, teachers and
professionals. Make plans now to join us inNorfolk!

If you have questions, please contact:

President Amy Buresh

president at ne.nfb.org

(402)477-7711

-- 
National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska
Phone: 402-477-7711
Email: info at ne.nfb.org
Web: http://www.ne.nfb.org
Facebook: https://facebook.com/nebraskasblind
Twitter: @nfbn

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.
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