[NFBofSC] Positive Note 2018

Mon Apr 14 02:13:49 UTC 2025

April 13, 2025

Memo To:  Executive Officers, Board Members, Chapter & Division Presidents &
Others

From:  Marty R. McKenzie, President

843-939-8091  president at nfbofsc.org <mailto:president at nfbofsc.org> 

Positive Note 2018

Dear Federation Family,

The Successful Transitions team, along with other Federationist,
participated in Advocacy Day which took place on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at
the State House. For some members, this was their first Advocacy Day and
everyone learned a great deal from this experience. There were many speakers
highlighting the challenges people with disabilities currently face. It is
events like this that prepare people with disabilities to advocate for
ourselves and keep the important issues concerning us in front of our
elected leaders. A huge thanks to everyone that participated in this
exciting event.

The Braille Monitor is the National Federation of the Blind's flagship
publication with eleven issues published each year. Until December 31, 2024,
Gary Wonder served as its editor as others have done over the years. Chris
Danielsen, originally from South Carolina, became the editor effective
January, 2025 and he is doing an excellent job thus far! In the April
edition of The Braille Monitor, Chris discusses the Texas vs Kennedy case
regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. While there is no
movement on this case at this time and several of the attorneys general have
softened their stance, only the withdrawal of this case is an acceptable
outcome for individuals with disabilities protected by this piece of
legislation. On pages 37 and 42 according to the article, the court is asked
to overturn Section 504 in its entirety which would set us back decades. NFB
members from the 33 states not involved in the lawsuit should reach out to
Attorney General Ken Paxton of Texas demanding that he withdraw the lawsuit.
NFB members from the other 17 states should contact their attorneys general
to demand that they withdraw from the lawsuit. We cannot let up on this
issue; it is entirely too important!

National Convention Hotel Reservations:

The National Convention will take place July 8-13, 2025 in New Orleans,
Louisiana. The last day to make a reservation in the convention hotel with
discounted rate is May 31, 2025. Currently, there are no rooms in the New
Orleans Marriott. If you plan to attend and have not booked your room,
please do so as soon as possible. The overflow hotel is the Sheraton New
Orleans and you can reserve a room there by calling 855-516-1090. This year,
Janice Bright will assist NFB of SC members who are seeking a roommate to
defray expenses. Please reach out to her at 803-760-3717 or via e-mail at
ms.jlbright at gmail.com <mailto:ms.jlbright at gmail.com> . We appreciate
Janice's assistance with this convention item.

Register Today

Registration is open for the National Federation of the Blind National
Convention. The registration fee is $25. Get access to the latest
information as it is made available. Register for the 2025 National
Convention now! The registration link is
https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=37855
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=37855&qid=11045175> &qid=11045175.

NFB25 Virtual Experience Registration

We are excited to offer opportunities for engagement and connection to
participants who are unable to attend the convention in-person. The Virtual
Experience registration fee is $10. Register for the 2025 National
Convention Virtual Experience at https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=37857
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=37857&qid=11045175> &qid=11045175.

National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina Scholarship Application
Open

The NFB of SC is thrilled to announce the launch of our Annual Scholarship
Program designed to support and empower blind students in their educational
journey. In addition to providing financial assistance, we strive to serve
as blind mentors by living the lives we want. individuals who believe in the
Philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind demonstrate academic
excellence, engage in community support, and show a strong passion for
pursuing higher education are ideal candidates for the NFB of SC Scholarship
Program. .

Eligibility Criteria:

High school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate students enrolled in
full-time post-secondary education.

*	Applicants must be legally blind. 
*	Strong academic record.
*	Growing participation in NFB-related activities.
*	Active participation in community service or extracurricular
activities.

Application Details:

*	Deadline: June 20, 2025 11:59 p.m. 

*	Award Amount: Three scholarships are awarded each year. Scholarships
are awarded at the banquet of the National Federation of the Blind of South
Carolina State Convention held in 2025 at the doubletree by Hilton in
Columbia, SC August 14-17. Scholarship recipients will be notified in
advance that they are a finalist and will have their hotel reservations and
registration costs covered by the  state affiliate. The first second, and
third place recipients will be announced at the banquet Saturday evening.
Students must stay for the convention and participate in all activities
during the weekend. Scholarship amounts are dependent on the donations the
program receives each year.

How to Apply:

Go to www.nfbofsc.org <http://www.nfbofsc.org> . The link to the scholarship
page and application is on the home page. Instructions are provided in
detail.

NFB of SC State Convention

I am excited to inform our affiliate that members wishing to make hotel
reservations for the National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina
State Convention can now do so. The Doubletree by Hilton on Bush River Road
in Columbia, SC is the convention hotel for 2025. Singles and doubles are
$129 per night, triples are $139 per night and quads are $149 per night, all
plus applicable taxes. These rates include breakfast coupons for the number
of people in your room up to four individuals. Reservations must be made by
July 23, 2025. You may book online at https://hil.tn/00qbnn or by calling
Central Reservations at 866-247-3572. When calling, ask for the National
Federation of the Blind of SC Attendee Block. Rooms are available between
August 12 and 19, 2025 at these rates. We will let you know when
registration for the State Convention is available.

Things to remember

*	National Convention room reservations due by May 31, 2025
*	National Convention early registration due by May 31, 2025
*	NFB of SC Scholarship applications due by June 20, 2025
*	NFB of SC hotel reservations and registration due by July 23, 2025

Marty

Marty R. McKenzie, President

National Federation of the Blind of South Carolina

119 S. Kilbourne Road

Columbia, SC 29205

Phone: 803-254-3777

Mobile: 843-939-8091

Website: www.nfbofsc.org <http://www.nfbofsc.org/>  

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250413/b25453b6/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 21173 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250413/b25453b6/attachment.png>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.png
Type: image/png
Size: 12738 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/nfbofsc_nfbnet.org/attachments/20250413/b25453b6/attachment-0001.png>