[NFBOH-Cleveland] Cleveland Announcements

Sat Jan 25 02:41:34 UTC 2020

Cleveland Members,

I trust all is well!

I have a few announcements for you to day.

On Monday, January 27, 2020 at 7:00 PM, there will be an Ohio Affiliate
Board Meeting. I am requesting that all members attend. This is where you
will learn about the goals for the 2020 year. 

Conference Line: 712-775-7031

Code: 240281423

Time: 7:00 PM

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On Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 7:00 PM, there will be a conference call
on the 2020 National Convention. If you are making preparations or
contemplating on attending the National Convention in Houston, you should
make that call. Travel, expectations and more will be discussed.

Conference line: 712-775-7031

Code: 240281423

Time: 7:00 PM

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On February 6, 2020, the Cleveland Chapter will hold their second session on
"Adjusting to Blindness, An Introductory Seminar". The time is set for 10:15
AM to 4:00 PM. The location will be announced one week prior to the seminar.
Cleveland members are welcome to register as well. You should determine if
"newly blind" meets your characteristics. Thus, your vision may have
changed, you may have never received some of the presentations that will be
offered, or you want to learn how to live your best life with assistive
devices, accessible technology and community involvement. The session is
half full. So please register as soon as possible. Send an email to
ali.benmerzouga at hotmail.com <mailto:ali.benmerzouga at hotmail.com>  with your
request or call Suzanne Turner at 216-990-6199. If you know of someone who
also may benefit by attending, pass this info on. Note! This offer is for
NFBO members and the general public as well. The seminar includes, the
introduction of The National Federation of the Blind, Basic Techniques and
Products, Orientation and Mobility, Braille and Community Resources.  

///

On February 21, 2020, the Cleveland Chapter meeting will be held at Tri-c
Community College from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. We will visit the Accessible
Apartment organized by the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental
Disabilities. This apartment is a custom living environment with several
products, technology and durable medical equipment to assist persons with
disabilities in their home. There will be a short Chapter meeting, due to
the time that it will take all members to view the apartment. Note: if
anyone could come to visit the apartment between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM,
contact me off list. The address of our meeting is, 2421 Community College
Avenue, William Patrick Day Service Center.

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The 2020 National Convention of the National Federation of the Blind will be
held at the Hilton Americas-Houston hotel located in the heart of downtown
Houston on July 14 to July 19, 2020. The nightly rate is $105 for singles,
doubles, triples, and quads. In addition, the sales tax rate is 8.25
percent, and the hotel occupancy tax rate is 17 percent. To book your room
for the 2020 convention, call 1-800-236-2905. For each room, the hotel will
take a deposit of the first night's room rate and taxes, and will require a
credit card or a personal check. If you use a credit card, the deposit will
be charged against your card immediately. If a reservation is cancelled
before Monday, June 1, 2020, half of the deposit will be returned

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The 2020 Annual Convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
(NFBOH) will be the largest gathering of blind people in the state.
Therefore, I encourage you to begin making preparations to be there the
weekend of November 6th, 7th and 8th of 2020.  Our 74th Convention will be
held at the Crowne Plaza Dayton Hotel; located at 33 E. Fifth Street,
Dayton, Ohio    45402. Room rates are $109.00 with a 13.50% tax per night,
which includes a hot buffet breakfast. The Crowne Plaza Dayton is in the
heart of downtown Dayton Ohio  and offers free Wi-Fi, televisions with
premium HD cable channels, and comfort to help you unwind at the end of your
busy day.

///

This email is to let you know that our organization's name has been posted
on the Piggest Raffle Ever website

 <http://www.piggestraffle.com/> www.piggestraffle.com. Just type, National
Federation of the Blind of Ohio or the letter N and it will pop-up. Then
choose the quantity of tickets you would like to purchase and follow the
steps. Please begin promoting this website via email, newsletter, etc.
asking your donors to "buy pigs" on behalf of our organization. The cost of
one pig is $5 and for every pig purchased for our organization, we will
receive 100% of the donation to continue the work we do for blind children,
blind adults,  blind seniors; as well as our programs and services. First
place is ten thousand dollars, five thousand goes to the Affiliate and the
other to the winner. Second prize is five thousand dollars; twenty-five
hundred goes to the Affiliate and the other to the winner. Finally, the
third prize is a fifteen hundred dollar weekend in Cincinnati. The Ohio
Affiliate has been gracious enough that when a Chapter sells a ticket, two
dollars goes to our treasury and the three dollars into the State treasury.
So, when you sell the ticket, you are supporting everyone involved. 

///

On February 10th through February 12th, Wilbert, Al and Theresa will
represent Cleveland at the Washington Seminar for the 116th Congress, Second
Session. They will go into our Congress and Senator offices to talk about
the three National Legislative Bills. Please review them; as we will do cold
calling on February 12, 2020 to assist from home. I will pass out the
telephone numbers for your convenience. Please review these bills.  

1: The Access Technology Affordability Act (ATAA) (H.R. 2086/S. 815) The
cost of critically needed access technology is out of reach for most blind
Americans. By providing a refundable tax credit for qualifying purchases,
Congress will stimulate individual procurement of this technology and
promote affordability of these tools. Learn more about the Access Technology
Affordability Act (ATAA) (H.R. 2086/S. 815).

2: The Greater Access and Independence through Nonvisual Access Technology
(GAIN) Act (H.R. 3929) Advanced digital interfaces create barriers that
prevent blind individuals from independently operating essential devices
that enhance quality of life. Congress must end the digital divide that
threatens the independence of blind Americans by developing minimum
accessibility requirements for such devices. Learn more about the Greater
Access and Independence through Nonvisual Access Technology (GAIN) Act (H.R.
3929).

3: The Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education (AIM HIGH) Act
(H.R. 5312/S. 3095) Until a market-driven solution for accessible
instructional materials is achieved, blind college students are denied
access to critical course content. The AIM HIGH Act will remove these
barriers to equality in the classroom by creating a set of guidelines that
clearly define accessible instructional materials. Learn more about the
Accessible Instructional Materials in Higher Education (AIM HIGH) Act (H.R.
5312/S. 3095).

///

Here is a note from Deanna,

Good Morning!  Haven't purchased your gift cards yet? There's still time!
The fundraiser will end on Monday, April 20th, which is just after Easter.
Let me know if you need help, I'm happy to help in any way that I can. I can
be reached via email at: Deannakay03 at gmail.com
<mailto:Deannakay03 at gmail.com>  or via phone as well at: (513) 328-7976.

Easter is just around the corner, are you looking for the perfect Holiday
meal? Look no further, Honey Baked Ham has it all! Stop by your local store,
or shop online for all your Holiday favorites from hams, turkey, delicious
side dishes, and scrumptious desserts! Enjoy your time with friends and
family without all the fuss of prepping, cooking, and baking for hours.

Buy your Honey Baked gift cards today to help raise money for the National
Federation of the Blind of Ohio!

We'd love your help raising funds to support our NFB of Ohio Fundraiser.
Please check out our fundraising page at:

https://honeybakedfundraising.com/fundraisers/NFBOhio

You can purchase gift cards to use online or at any Honey Baked Ham retail
store. These would make excellent gifts for your friends, family, neighbors,
co-workers, and others! You can purchase a plastic gift card (which Honey
Baked Ham will mail to you) or an electronic gift card. The possibilities
are endless with the selection of wonderful items that Honey Baked Ham
offers!

Please spread the word far and wide!

///

Here is a message from Cheryl.

Vote-by-Mail

request or print your Vote-by-Mail ballot application.

Who can vote by mail? 

All Ohio voters whose registration information is up to date can vote by
mail.

Why should I vote by mail?

Vote in the comfort of your own home!

Avoid the lines at the polls on Election Day.

Take your time researching candidates and issues.

Absentee ballots are the first votes counted on Election Night!

How do I vote by mail?

Complete a  <https://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/VoteByMail.aspx>
Vote-by-Mail ballot application for the upcoming election.

Once you have completed your application by providing all of the required
information, print and sign it.

Mail the application back to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

Wait to receive your ballot in the mail. 
If you have questions about your Vote-by-Mail ballot request, you should
call the Board of Elections at  <tel:216-443-VOTE> 216-443-VOTE (8683) or
you can click here to track the status of your ballot request on our website
at www.443vote.us <http://www.443vote.us> .

Return your voted ballot.

When is the deadline to vote by mail?

Your application must be received by the Board of Elections by 12:00 p.m. on
the Saturday before Election Day.

Your ballot must be received by the Board of Elections:

By 7:30 p.m. on Election Day if delivered in person; or

Postmarked by the post office by the day before Election Day and received by
the Board of Elections no later than 10 days after the election if sent by
U.S. Mail.

For more information about voting by mail, click
<https://www.sos.state.oh.us/elections/voters/absentee-voting-by-mail/#gref>
here.
///

National Federation of the Blind of Ohio (NFBO)

Suzanne Turner, Ohio Affiliate Vice President

Cleveland Chapter, President

(216) 990-6199

Please click on the links below to learn more about the organization

The Ohio Affiliate

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGe_1qGbkX8>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGe_1qGbkX8

"Live the life you want" featuring, National President, Mark Riccobono

 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DesLNDBpYVE&feature=share>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DesLNDBpYVE&feature=share

Visit and take a moment to like our Facebook Page!

<https://m.facebook.com/NationalFederationOfTheBlindOfOhioClevelandChapter/>
https://m.facebook.com/NationalFederationOfTheBlindOfOhioClevelandChapter/ 

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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