[NFBofSC] The December 2022 Blind Missourian!
Steve Cook
cookcafe at sc.rr.com
Mon Dec 19 11:53:44 UTC 2022
Dear Friends:
Attached and below is the latest issue of the Blind Missourian, the
quarterly publication of the NFB of Missouri.
Regards,
Daniel
Daniel Garcia, President, Kansas City Chapter
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
dangarcia3 at hotmail.com <mailto:dangarcia3 at hotmail.com>
(816) 621-0902
www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org>
www.nfbmo.org <http://www.nfbmo.org>
Live the life you want
***
The Blind Missourian
December 2022
Table of Contents
Voting Rights by Melissa Kane 1
Blind Equality Achievement Month Celebrations
by Stephanie McDowell
1
Celebrating October by Janice Grisham 2
Columbia Chapter by Gary Wunder 3
Kansas City Chapter 2022 Blind Equality
Achievement Month by Daniel Garcia 3
Social Security Benefits For 2023 by Eugene Coulter 5
Chapter Elections by Carol Coulter 7
61st Annual Convention of the National Federation
of the Blind of Missouri
8
NFB Pledge
12
One Minute Message
12
Voting Rights
By Melissa Kane
For many years we have worked to get the legislature to pass a requirement
to have accessible ballot marking devices at all polling places during every
election. As nonpolitical as this should be, our advocacy has failed to
produce any results with the legislature. We have also had meetings with the
Secretary of State's office. These too have produced no results.
After years of advocacy that produced no results, the National Federation of
the Blind(NFB) partnered with the Missouri Council of the Blind and with the
assistance of the NFB's national office, a complaint was submitted to the
Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice. This
complaint was submitted at the end of September of 2021.
Recently there has been action from the Department of Justice. On November
3, I spoke to two US attorneys regarding my voting experiences in Cole
County. They intended to conduct monitoring during Election Day in Jefferson
City. Unfortunately, County Clerk Steve Korsmeyer refused to allow the
Department of Justice officials inside the polling locations. They had to
remain outside the polling places and be at least 25 feet away. One doesn't
have to be partisan or political to ask how this can happen in a country in
which cities are subordinate to counties, counties to states, and states to
the United States of America. Whatever one's political persuasion, one can't
help being offended by seeing that our rights to have an accessible voting
experience is placed second to an argument about whether the federal
government has the ability to enforce federal law.
Blind Equality Achievement Month Celebrations
By Stephanie McDowell
The Lewis and Clark chapter celebrated Blind Equality Achievement Month in a
variety of ways throughout the month of October. Our goal was not only to
bring awareness to the abilities and diversity of blind people, but to
encourage other blind people to live the life they want. One of the
activities was an information booth at the Italian Festival that took place
at Berra Park. Chapter members engaged with festival attendees by providing
literature, writing names in Braille, and sharing personal experiences. We
also got the St. Louis County Executive and the St. Louis City Mayor to sign
a proclamation designating October 15, 2022, as "White Cane Awareness Day".
The chapter also held a Dine and Donate event at a local Pasta House. Many
community members came out to support the Lewis and Clark Chapter, and we
were also able to provide them with information about the National
Federation of the Blind. Our final activity involved two Lewis and Clark
Chapter members. Judy Redlich, a chapter member, has her own weekly radio
show called Encounters, and she interviewed fellow chapter member Annette
Nowakowski. Annette told her story of getting through school, passing the
Illinois state bar exam, and becoming a lawyer. The interview aired on
November 1st.
Celebrating October
By Janice Grisham
The Springfield Chapter has been busy celebrating Blind Equality Achievement
month. We started the month off on October 1 with Becky Boyer, Hal Boyer,
and Janice Grisham attending the state affiliate board meeting in Columbia,
Missouri. We had our monthly meeting at our new location, The Station
Library on North Kansas in Springfield.
On October 13, in a joint venture with the Springfield Chapter, Mary's
Braille Transcription Services, and The Missouri Council of the Blind, we
met with Mayor Ken McClure of Springfield where he signed the White Cane
proclamation for October 15. Then on October 15 we had our annual garage
sale which was very successful. We finished the month off on October 28 with
a track- or- treat at the Springfield Cardinals Hammons Field presented by
Mediacom and Springfield Cardinals. We set up a booth along the warning
track on the baseball field along with other exhibitors. We dressed in
costumes and passed out tons of cheeseballs along with Braille cards and
other literature provided by our national office. The Braille cards were a
hit. The teenagers even enjoyed helping along with our little ones dressed
in their costumes. They helped pass out the cheeseballs and literature. I
don't know what we would've done without their help. It was a long and
tiring day, but we are definitely looking forward to doing it again next
year. It was a blast. We hope everyone else had a successful Blind Equality
Achievement Month. Let's go live the life we want!
Columbia Chapter
By Gary Wunder
The Columbia Chapter celebrated Blind Equality Achievement month by sending
out tweets explaining what it was all about. We had the Mayor Pro Tem read
and presented a proclamation at our chapter meeting which happened to be on
October 15, White Cane Safety Day. Gene, of course, had it immediately saved
to the archives. He is very good at preserving our history. Gary Wunder
appeared on "Radio Friends with Paul Pepper". It is a local radio show. He
talked about Blind Equality Achievement Month and what the National
Federation of the Blind is and what we do.
Kansas City Chapter 2022 Blind Equality Achievement Month
By Daniel Garcia
Remembering history, celebrating achievement, and advancing equality is what
we do during October, Blind Equality Achievement Month. It is during October
that the National Federation of the Blind puts forth an extra effort in
advocating for the rights of the blind and bringing public awareness to
dispel myths and misconceptions about the blind. The Kansas City Chapter was
active in promoting the goals of Blind Equality Achievement Month during
October 2022.
In response to a few email messages I sent to various Kansas City Area
Transportation Authority (KCATA) officials, I received a call on October 6,
from Lewis Lowry, Chief Transportation Officer for the KCATA, about the
inaccessibility of the application form to obtain or renew eligibility for
the complementary paratransit service. We agreed that the NFB and the KCATA
would work to resolve this issue. I also invited him to a future chapter
meeting so we could have a conversation about other topics of interest to
blind KCATA passengers. Sadly, he said he would not be able to attend the
October 15 chapter meeting which would have been most appropriate since this
is White Cane Awareness Day, but he did agree to attend our November
meeting.
Two days later on October 8, a few members of our chapter went bowling. The
bowling alley staff treated us very well, and as I explained in my thank you
letter to them, this was more than just a mere social outing. This event
showed the community that blindness does not hold us back from engaging in
fun recreational activities. It also provided an opportunity for bonding
among chapter members. Though the primary purpose of the NFB is not to be a
social organization, it is through social interactions that we strengthen
relationships among chapter members; this improves our ability to retain our
membership and leads to improved working relationships between chapter
members.
It was not until Wednesday, October 12, that we were able to go to city hall
to pick up a proclamation that had been signed a few days earlier by Mayor
Quinton Lucas declaring October 15, 2022, as White Cane Awareness Day. The
credit for this happening goes to Tony Waterhouse-Leal who chairs the
chapter Civic Engagement Committee. Below are excerpts from an email message
he sent to the committee on October 14.
"On October 12, 2022, The National Federation of the Blind met with city
leaders to declare October 15 as White Cane Awareness Day in Kansas City,
Missouri. White Cane Awareness Day is an event that is recognized nationwide
to celebrate the achievements of blind and low vision individuals and spread
awareness of blindness. Both the Kansas City Chapter of the Federation of
the Blind, and The Ivanhoe Chapter of the Federation of the Blind were
present to commemorate this momentous occasion in Kansas City to recognize
the blind and low vision community in Kansas City. We will use this day to
commemorate and celebrate achievements of the blind and to bring awareness
to blindness related issues across Kansas City. Special thank you to the
National Federation of the Blind [Kansas City Chapter] Civic Engagement
Committee for helping to plan and establish White Cane Awareness Day in
Kansas City Missouri: Julie Dawson, Ben Blagg, Linda Coccovizzo, Cari Ford,
and Brent Ford. [Present in this meeting] Tony Waterhouse-Leal, NFB of KC
Civic Engagement Committee Chair; Councilman Kevin O'Neill, 1st
District-at-Large; Daniel Garcia, NFB of KC President; Ivanhoe Chapter Vice
President Courtney Parker; Conrad Parker; and In Spirit, Mayor Quinton Lucas
(Cardboard cutout sitting in office chair)"
The Kansas City Chapter holds meetings on the third Saturday of the month.
This year, therefore, our October chapter meeting happened on October 15,
White Cane Awareness Day. In addition to the usual agenda items that are
part and parcel of any regular NFB chapter meeting, we were treated to a
reading of the proclamation by Kathy Giffen, a very active member of our
chapter.
Two weeks later on October 30, Jeff & Kathy Giffen as well as Tony
Waterhouse-Leal participated in a trunk or treat event at the Fraternal
Order of the Eagles Aerie Number 47. In addition to giving candy to the
young trick-or-treaters, they also handed out NFB brochures and other
literature to the accompanying adults. In so doing, they informed the public
about our organization and about the important work we do to improve the
welfare of the blind.
We are very fortunate to have as a member of the Kansas City chapter our
affiliate President, Shelia Wright, who was recently elected to serve on our
national board of directors. On October 30, she submitted a guest commentary
to the Kansas City Star on the subject of accessible voting for the blind.
In this piece she explained how accessible voting ballot marking devices
(BMDs) personally benefited her and how these machines make it possible for
the blind and people with other disabilities to vote privately and
independently. Though the newspaper did not publish this guest commentary
until November 4, it was written in October and in the spirit of Blind
Equality Achievement Month to inform Kansas City voters about "one of the
best kept secrets of our election system."
In November we not only celebrate the founding of the NFB on November 16,
1940, but we also celebrate Thanksgiving. I am very grateful for the work of
our chapter members during Blind Equality Achievement Month and the creation
of a national blind people's movement dedicated to improving life for all
blind people.
Social Security Benefits For 2023
By Eugene Coulter
Good news, for the first time in ten years, there will not be an increase in
the standard Medicare premium; in fact, it will decrease. Currently the
premium is $170.10; in 2023 it will go down to $164.90 or a decrease of
$5.20. There will even be a slight decrease in the annual deductible. Also,
for those paying for prescription drug coverage, Part D, in most cases the
premium will likely decrease.
Supplemental Security (SSI) for individuals will increase from $841 to $914,
and couples from $1,261 up to $1,371. The resource limit for SSI remains
unchanged at $2,000 for a single person and $3,000 for a couple.
Social Security checks will increase by 8.7%. The Substantial Gainful
Activity (SGA) income limit for blind recipients will go from $2,260 to
$2,460 a month. For non-blind beneficiaries,
the SGA income limit will go from $1,350 to $1,470.
A Trial work period month will be counted for earnings exceeding $1,050 for
up to nine months within a five-year period.
The only negative news for most of us is that to earn a quarter of coverage
toward being eligible for Disability benefits in 2023, you need to earn
$1,640 which is up from $1,510. You will receive credit for four quarters of
coverage in 2023 if you earn at least $6,560 regardless of when in the year
you earn the income.
If you want to figure your 2023 check amount follow the steps below. Note:
due to Social Security rounding rules the amount you calculate maybe a
couple of dollars different than what you figure.
1. Add your current check amount together with the current Medicare
premium of $170.10
2. Then multiply that figure by 1.087
3. Next, subtract the new Medicare premium of $164.90.
4. Finally, discard any cents and you have a reasonable estimate of
your new amount.
Here is an example:
1. Betty Lou's 2022 check is $1,201
2. Add her Medicare Premium of $170.10 giving you her gross Social
Security benefit of 1,371.10
3. Multiply $1,371.10 by 1.087 giving you her new gross benefit of
$1,490.38
4. From 1,490.38 subtract $164.90 giving a result of $1,325.48.
Discarding the pennies gives Betty Lou an estimated check of $1,325.00
For those receiving a lesser amount of SSI or those getting Disability who
are not yet on Medicare, simply multiply your current check by 1.087 to get
your new payment amount.
One final note: whenever a person is eligible for Medicare, they should
ALWAYS take out the coverage. Failure to do this can result in penalties
later causing your premiums to soar when you really need the coverage.
Chapter Elections
By Carol Coulter
The following National Federation of the Blind of Missouri chapters held
elections in November. The Kansas City Chapter reported that their board
takes office at the end of their November meeting. Here are the results of
those elections. Congratulations to all the elected officers and thank you
to all who have served.
Lewis & Clark Chapter:
President, Jenny Carmack
Vice President, Mark Harris
Secretary, Stephanie McDowell
Treasurer, Randy Carmack
Board Member, Aida Talic
Jefferson City Chapter:
President, Melissa Kane
Vice President, Eric Meister
Secretary, Carolyn Patterson
Treasurer, Nina Theroff
Board members, Sue Tussey, Vivian Smith and Pam Nesslehoff
Columbia Chapter:
President, Gary Wunder
Vice President, Gene Coulter
Secretary, Dacia Cole
Treasurer, Carol Coulter
Board member/Historian, Grace Warn
Kansas City Chapter:
Daniel Garcia, President
Linda Coccovizzo, First Vice President
Debbie Eifler, Second Vice President
Sarah Coccovizzo, Secretary
Jeff Giffen, Treasurer
Willa Patterson, First Board Position
Tony Waterhouse-Leal, Second Board Position
Ruby Polk continues to serve as our Immediate Past President
61st Annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
Hilton St. Louis Airport Hotel
10330 Natural Bridge Road St. Louis. Phone: 314-426-5500
April 13-16, 2023
Pre-register online at www.NFBMO.org <http://www.NFBMO.org>
Members of the Lewis and Clark Chapter welcome you to the St. Louis
metropolitan area where you can find everything from lakes to rivers, caves
and hiking trails, numerous shopping experiences, and any kind of food that
you are craving. In addition, St. Louis has more free tourist attractions
than anywhere else besides Washington, D.C. In 2021 the St. Louis Society
for the Blind published a PDF called "Exploring St. Louis From a Blind
Perspective" at https://slsbvi.org/exploring-st-louis/. For foodies
neighborhood restaurants abound. Among these is Ted Drewes on historic Route
66. Best of all the 61st annual convention is being held here. We invite you
to enjoy this year's convention with us!
The Hilton Airport Hotel has room rates of $103 a night (plus 17.338% tax).
To make reservations, call 314-426-5500 before March 27. The hotel is pet
friendly, has a fitness center, EV charging, free Wi-Fi, and free airport
transportation. Constellations Lounge is open for dinner and Worlds Away is
open for breakfast and lunch with 24-hour room service. Check-in is 3:00 PM
and check out is noon.
We have the Frugal Federationist Package again this year for $70 if bought
by April 4. This includes convention registration, a banquet ticket, and a
Saturday lunch ticket, saving you up to $30. We will also have a planned
lunch for Friday and the Prayer Breakfast Sunday. After April 4 the cost for
registration and all meals will increase by $5 each. Registration will be
open from 8:15 to 8:45 AM and 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Friday, and 8:00 to 8:25 AM
Saturday. Hospitality will be open Friday from 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM.
We will be offering the Kid's Zone for children in need of supervised care.
There is no cost for children who are registered for the convention. See the
information on the following pages for details on Kid's Zone, children's
meal prices, and exhibitor/sponsorships. To donate door prizes, please
contact Chair, Charlotte Bellmyer. Her email address is cebellmyer at gmail.com
<mailto:cebellmyer at gmail.com> , and those bringing door prizes should drop
them off at the registration table.
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri
61st Annual Convention, April 13-16, 2023
Please use one form per residence. Several registrations may be combined on
one check if they are sent together. Sorry No refunds unless the event is
cancelled.
Registrant Name: ________________________________________________
Second registrant: _________________________________
Street Address: __________________________, Apt.: ________
City: ______________________, State: ____, Zip Code: _________
Phone Number: ______________, Email: _____________________
Select preferred agenda format: -__ Braille, ___ Print, ___ Electronic
Select the items or events that you would like to purchase below:
Frugal Federationist Package: prior to April 4, 2023
Number of Packages: ___ at $70.00 Total:
$______
*Convention Registration: Preregistration prior to April 4, 2023
Number of registrants: _____at $25.00 Total:
$______
*Annual Banquet: ____tickets needed at $40.00 Total: $______
*Friday Luncheon: --___--_ tickets needed at $20.00 Total:
$______
*Saturday Luncheon: ____ tickets needed at $20.00 Total: $______
*Prayer Breakfast: ____ tickets needed at $15.00 Total: $______
Total amount enclosed:
$______
*For forms postmarked after April 4, 2023, please add $5 each for
registration, and each meal. Add amounts on all forms enclosed and make your
check payable to: NFB of Missouri. Please mail to: Carol Coulter, 1504
Furlong Drive, Columbia, MO 65202.
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri Convention
Children's Registration Form and Kid's Zone Request
April 15-16, 2023
We will be offering childcare for those children of parents who are
registered for the convention in need of supervised care. There is no
additional cost for children who are registered for the convention, see the
form below to register. Care will be provided during all general sessions
and the evening banquet until 9:00 PM. Meals are not provided in the Kid's
Zone, so parents need to make arrangements to feed their children.
Important: Parents wanting care for their children must send this request
along with payment for registration and meals on or before March 24, 2023.
Mail it along with payment to the address below. Note: for children not
needing childcare, payments for pre-registration and meals must be received
by April 4. Payments can be mailed or made at <http://www.nfbmo.org/>
www.nfbmo.org. Meals and registration purchased after April 4, 2023, will
cost an additional $5.00 each.
Name of Parent or Guardian: _____________________
Address: ________________________________________
City, State, Zip: ________________________________
Cell Phone: _______________ Home Phone: ________________
Names and Ages of Children:
_____________________-------------------------------___________________
__________________________________________________________________Special
Concerns:
__________________________________________________________________Are the
above named children in need of services in the Kid's Zone? _____
Number of registrants: ___ at $10.00
Total: $______
Annual Banquet: ____ tickets needed at $20.00
Total: $______
Friday Luncheon: ____ tickets needed at $10.00 Total: $______
Saturday Luncheon: ____ tickets needed at $10.00 Total: $______
Prayer Breakfast: ____ tickets needed at $10.00
Total: $______
Total amount enclosed:
$______
Mail form and check made payable to NFB of Missouri to: Carol Coulter,
Treasurer, 1504 Furlong Drive, Columbia MO 65202.
National Federation of the Blind of Missouri Convention
Sponsorship and Exhibitor Registration April 14, 2023
We are pleased to offer the opportunity for companies and organizations to
either exhibit or sponsor our 2023 convention. This year we will be at the
Hilton St. Louis Airport Hotel 10330 Natural Bridge Road from April 14-16.
Exhibits will be open on Friday, April 14 from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Below is
the registration form including information on sponsorships. Forms must be
returned by April 4.
Name of Organization: _____________________ Phone: __________________
Contact person: _______________________ Email: ___________________
Address: _____________________________________________
Items exhibiting: __________________ ___________________
Exhibits:
____ $40 for exhibit table only
____ fee waved NFB Chapter or division exhibit
Sponsorships:
____ Bronze $100 includes exhibit table, 25-word informational message in
agenda, and a mention on the <http://www.NFBMO.org/> www.NFBMO.org State
Convention Page until April 30, 2023.
____ Silver $250 includes exhibit table, 60-word informational message in
agenda, a thank you at opening ceremony and banquet, and a mention on the
<http://www.NFBMO.org> www.NFBMO.org State Convention Page until April 30,
2023.
____ Gold $500 includes exhibit table, 100-word informational message in
agenda, a thank you at opening ceremony and banquet, and a mention on the
<http://www.NFBMO.org/> www.NFBMO.org Home Page and State Convention Page
until April 30, 2023.
____Diamond $1,000 same as Gold plus a one-hour showcase Friday morning.
Make checks payable to NFB of Missouri and mail to: Carol Coulter, Treasurer
1504 Furlong Drive, Columbia, MO 65202.
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.
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.
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
Janice Grisham
Amy Wilson Randy Carmack Jeff
Giffen Svetlana Ehlers President Emeritus, Gary
Wunder
Chapter Presidents
Columbia Chapter, Gary Wunder, 573-874-1774
Jefferson City Chapter, Chris Griggs, 573-418-9284
Springfield Chapter, Janice Grisham, 417-761-0253
Kansas City Chapter, Daniel Garcia, 816-505-5520
Lewis and Clark Chapter, St. Louis, Jenny Carmack, 314-239-9776
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, Linda Black-White 816-923-7074
Blind Missourian Editor Carol Coulter
Proofreaders: Shelia Wright, Daniel Garcia and Grace Warn
Read by Elisabeth Coulter
NFB of Missouri
1504 Furlong Dr.
Columbia, MO 65202
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