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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>BRAILLE MONITOR<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Vol. 63, No. 1January 2020<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Gary Wunder, Editor<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Houston Site of 2020 NFB Convention<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The 2020 convention of the National Federation of the Blind will take<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>place in Houston, Texas, July 14 to July 19, at the Hilton Americas-Houston<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>hotel, 1600 Lamar Street, Houston, TX 77010. Make your room reservation as<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>soon as possible with the Hilton Americas-Houston. Call 1-800-236-2905 to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>reserve your room in the main hotel. If you wish to stay in our overflow<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>hotel, the Marriott Marquis Houston, the number to call is 1-877-688-4323.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The 2020 room rate at our main hotel is $105 per night and applies to<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>singles and doubles as well as triples and quads. Hotel and sales taxes in<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Houston are 13.38 percent and 8.25 percent, respectively. The rate for the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>overflow Marriott Marquis is slightly higher at $119. As with our main<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>hotel, hotel and sales taxes are additional, and the nightly rate covers up<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to four in a room. Both hotels will take a deposit of the first night's<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>room rate for each room and will require a credit card or a personal check.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>immediately. If a reservation is cancelled before Friday, June 1, 2020,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>half of the deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Reservations may be made before June 1, 2020, assuming that rooms are still<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>available. After that time the hotels will not hold our room block for the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>convention. In other words, you should get your reservation in soon.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Both hotels offer complimentary in-room wireless internet (though the<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Marriott requires a free-to-establish Marriott Bonvoy account) and fitness<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>center access for all guests. All rooms are furnished with mini<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>refrigerators along with many of the usual amenities such as in-room safes,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>irons and ironing boards, and hair dryers. After the day's events, you can<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>get your swim on at either hotel. The Hilton has an indoor pool on the 23rd<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>floor, while the Marriott features an outdoor pool adjacent to its Texas-<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>shaped lazy river pool. Both hotels have several on-premise dining outlets<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>with a broad range of additional options within a short walk from the front<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>door.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The schedule for the 2020 convention is:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tuesday, July 14 Seminar Day<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Wednesday, July 15Registration and Resolutions Day<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Thursday, July 16Board Meeting and Division Day<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Friday, July 17Opening Session<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Saturday, July 18Business Session<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sunday, July 19Banquet Day and Adjournment<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#1F497D'>Steve Cook<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LddWwCJNPHI"><span style='color:#0563C1'>Click here to view the PSA for the National Federation of the Blind of SC</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.nfbofsc.org"><span style='color:#0563C1'>www.nfbofsc.org</span></a><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://m.facebook.com/NatFedofSouthCarolina/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>Follow the National Federation of the Blind of SC On Face Book</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="http://www.rockybottomofsc.com/index/index.php"><span style='color:#0563C1'>www.RockyBottomofSC.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://m.facebook.com/RockyBottomofSC/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>Follow Rocky Bottom Retreat & Conference Center on Face Book</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://m.facebook.com/Computer-Science-Technology-Division-of-the-NFB-of-SC-343263089815304/"><span style='color:#0563C1'>Follow the Computer Science & Technology Division of SC on Face Book</span></a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>District 2 NFB of SC State Board Member<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>1<sup>st</sup> Vice President of the Computer Science & Technology Division of the NFB of SC<span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal>Board Member at Large of the Columbia Chapter of the NFB of SC<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>