<HTML><HEAD></HEAD>
<BODY dir=ltr>
<DIV dir=ltr>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">
<DIV>Final Updated Reminder!</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>Greetings to all!</DIV>
<DIV>If you are attending the state convention in early November in
Woodbridge,
</DIV>
<DIV>great!</DIV>
<DIV>If you are not attending the state convention held in Woodbridge, we
are
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Note: We are targeting to distribute the agenda to all on our
NFBNJ
distribution list, post to the state website, and to post on Newsline.</DIV>
<DIV>We will provide information highlighting the procedure to stream the
state
convention on Saturday, provide information to the collection of food and
personal items to donate to a local food pantry and information to
collecting
any unwanted white canes.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Special Note: The deadline to reserve a hotel room or rooms have passed
however, if you are in need of a room or rooms, please contact me at 973 743
0075 to discuss the possibility to locate and satisfy your needs.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>With this said, to all receiving this email, please join us on a
conference
</DIV>
<DIV>call on Monday, October 15 at 8:00 pm.</DIV>
<DIV>Note: please call in ten minutes prior to the scheduled call time as I
am
</DIV>
<DIV>expecting a good number to attend to the call.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Call: 605 468 8005</DIV>
<DIV>Code: 460994</DIV>
<DIV>We will have the opportunity to meet our national representative, Carla
</DIV>
<DIV>McQuillan.</DIV>
<DIV>Her biography is below.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In addition, I will provide any updates pertaining to the state
convention.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Looking forward to another educational, motivational and inspirational
state </DIV>
<DIV>convention, Live The Life You Want; Blind With Vision</DIV>
<DIV>Warmly,</DIV>
<DIV>Joe</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference</DIV>
<DIV>Joe Ruffalo, President</DIV>
<DIV>National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey</DIV>
<DIV>973 743 0075</DIV>
<DIV>nfbnj1@verizon.net</DIV>
<DIV>www.nfb.org</DIV>
<DIV>Raising Expectations To Live The Life You Want!</DIV>
<DIV>Your old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.</DIV>
<DIV>Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking</DIV>
<DIV>www.carshelpingtheblind.org</DIV>
<DIV>or call 855 659 9314</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>***</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Carla McQuillan</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Executive Director of Main Street Montessori Association</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Carla was born and raised in Southern California in the early 60's,
the</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>youngest of 4 children. In the summer before fifth grade, Carla lost a
great</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>deal of vision but did not notice it until she started school in the
fall</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>and was unable to read the chalkboard from the front row. A few
years</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>earlier, her older brother had been diagnosed with a rare genetic
eye</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>condition called Stargardt's disease, which resulted in the loss of
central</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>vision. It was soon confirmed that Carla had the same condition. She
was</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>diagnosed legally blind in 1971.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Because of her remaining peripheral vision, Carla did not "look blind",
so</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>she was not taught Braille or any other alternative techniques of
blindness.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>She had very little experience with blind people. The only blind person
she</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>knew was her brother, and he was forever using his blindness as an
excuse</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>for standing on the sidelines. Carla knew that this was not the life
she</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>wanted and was determined to do everything in her power to convince
the</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>world that she was not blind.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>After high school Carla went to Humboldt State University in
Northern</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>California. There she met her husband Lucas. They were married in the
summer</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>of 1981 and moved to San Diego for Lucas's master's degree program.
Though</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Carla had not completed her bachelor's degree, she was more than happy
to</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>put her college career on hold and work to support the couple. Her one
year</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>of college had not been very successful. Without the ability to read
Braille</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>and eyesight too poor to read print, Carla, who had been an A student
in</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>high school, saw her grades drop.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>She got a job as a Montessori Preschool teacher in San Diego while
Lucas</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>completed his master's degree. Their daughter Alison was born in 1983.
In</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>1985 the family moved to Illinois. Lucas enrolled in a doctoral program
at</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>the University of Illinois, and Carla decided to complete her
bachelor's</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>degree. With Lucas' encouragement, Carla asked for accessible textbooks
and</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>decided to learn Braille. The staff at the university's disabled
student's</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>services office told her how difficult Braille would be to learn and
how</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>inefficient it would be. Discouraged and defeated, Carla wondered if
there</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>was any hope for her future. Fortunately she learned of a
scholarship</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>program through the National Federation of the Blind. She won a
scholarship</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>from the organization's Illinois affiliate in 1988. The state
convention</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>changed her life. Her negative attitudes about blindness and about her
own</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>potential to be a successful professional were replaced by confidence
and</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>self-assurance that remain a hallmark of her character today.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>After both graduating with High Distinction from the University of
Illinois</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>in 1988, the McQuillans completed their family with the birth of their
son</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Duncan. They moved to Oregon to be near Carla's family. Carla started
her</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>own Montessori preschool, which later expanded to include 3 schools and
a</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Montessori Teacher Certification Program. Carla served as President of
the</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>National Federation of the Blind of Oregon from 1992 until 2006, when
her</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>business responsibilities became too demanding. She also served on the
NFB's</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>national board of directors from 1998 until resigning from that
position
as</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>well in 2006. She was re-elected president of the Oregon affiliate in
2012</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>and still serves in that capacity. She is the director of NFB Camp,
the</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>program that offers child care during the annual convention of the
National</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Federation of the Blind. Carla was again elected to the national board
of</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>directors in 2016.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>"I had such horrible misconceptions about blindness for most of my
childhood</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>and early adult life," Carla says. "I thought I knew what blindness
</DIV>
<DIV>meant,and I didn't want any part of it. The National Federation of the
Blind </DIV>
<DIV>taught me that blindness was only as limiting as I allowed it to be. My
</DIV>
<DIV>friends and colleagues in the movement have been more than ideal role
</DIV>
<DIV>models; they have saved me from a life of regret and
underachievement."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV
style='FONT-SIZE: small; TEXT-DECORATION: none; FONT-FAMILY: "Calibri";
FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY:
inline'></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>