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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>National Federation of the Blind of Ohio, Cleveland Chapter,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Recognizes </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Maria (Conchita) Hernandez Legorreta</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>In Celebration Of Hispanic Heritage Month<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>(Conchita) Hernandez Legorreta was born in Mexico and grew up in California. She advocates for the rights of blind children and their parents in the public-school setting in the United States and abroad through a lens of intersectionality focusing on social justice. Conchita received her Bachelor's degree from Saint Mary’s College of California, majoring in International Studies, Spanish, and History. She then went on to Louisiana Tech University where she received her Master’s in Teaching with a focus on teaching blind students. As well, Conchita earned a Masters certificate in working with Deaf-Blind students from Northern Illinois University. She is currently a Doctoral student at George Washington University pursuing a degree in Special Education. Conchita has been published in Future Reflections and Rooted in Rights. Conchita keeps up with research in special education and serves as a peer reviewer on the Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Conchita conducts workshops on best practices for educators and professionals in the field of disability and advocacy. Conchita worked in the rehabilitation field in Nebraska where she set up innovative programming for disabled adults. Conchita has been the director of the NFB BELL Academy in Washington DC for the past 5 years. Conchita is the founder and Chair of METAS (Mentoring Engaging and Teaching All Students) a non-profit organization that trains educators in Latin America that work with blind/low vision students and other disabilities. In this role she engages lawmakers in policy discussions around people with disabilities and inclusion. Conchita is also a co-founder of the National Coalition of Latinx with Disabilities that seeks to amplify the voices of disabled Latinx in the disability rights movement.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Currently, Conchita is the Low Incidence Specialist for Blind and Low Vision Services for the State of Maryland. Conchita strives to be a voice for change for educators, professionals and advocates to make full inclusion a reality for people with disabilities in the United States and Latin America.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:8.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:105%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Maria (Conchita) Hernandez Legorreta M.A.T.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Statewide Vision Low Incidence Specialist for the State of Maryland</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Doctorate Student at George Washington University</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>METAS Chair: <a href="http://metasinternational.org/" target="_blank">http://metasinternational.org/</a></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>