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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Happy Birthday National Federation of the Blind!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>The National Federation of the Blind was founded November 16, 1940, in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Everybody who came wanted to have a national organization. It wasn’t a matter of some people having the idea and converting others. The only discussion really was over the mechanics of it and how to implement it, set it up. But everybody was agreed, apparently, before arriving, that the time had come to set up a national organization. — Dr. Jacobus tenBroek, 1955<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><img width=325 height=502 style='width:3.3854in;height:5.2291in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D59C12.6FF41830" alt="Jacobus tenBroek portrait in black and white."></span><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Blind people from seven states—California, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin—attended that first meeting, which was held at the Redington Hotel in Wilkes-Barre, and successfully drafted a constitution for what would become the first national organization of the blind.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>The original constitution stated that the purpose of the NFB would be to "promote the economic and social welfare of the blind." Additionally, a major emphasis of the organization would be to influence national policy in Washington, DC.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>The NFB was founded on the guiding principles that blind people have an inalienable right to independence, that blind people have equal capacity, and that only blind people themselves can legitimately speak for the blind community. These principles have continually permeated the membership and structure of our ever-growing organization.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Today, the NFB is the largest organization of blind people in the United States.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>National, state, and local officers are elected by our members to ensure a representative form of government. This ensures that, as blind people, we can drive our own collective action and determine our own future, rather than relying on others to advocate for us.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>The main components of our structure are listed in our <a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/history-and-governance/constitution">constitution</a> (i.e., "Article V. Powers and Duties of the Convention, the Board of Directors, and the President"). In short, the <a href="https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention">national Convention</a> is the central and foundational element of our organization. It is the Convention that elects our <a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/leadership/board-directors">board of directors</a> and our <a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/leadership/presidents-corner">President</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>This structure at the national level is reflected in our <a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/state-affiliates">state affiliates</a>, where conventions of blind people set state policies and elect state leaders, including presidents. While the state affiliates must follow the policies and practices of the national organization, blind people in each state make independent decisions about the programmatic priorities and concerns in their local area.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Since 1940, we have worked collectively in a unified national organization, improving the lives of blind people throughout the country, and in some cases, the world. Along with high expectations and strong values, our structure continues to empower members of the National Federation of the Blind to live the lives we want.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span lang=EN style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>For more information, we invite you to read <a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/history-and-governance/building-lives-we-want"><em><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#005AA3;text-decoration:none'>Building the Lives We Want</span></em></a>, a comprehensive ebook that was published as part of our seventy-fifth anniversary. You can also review our extensive <a href="https://www.nfb.org/about-us/history-and-governance/timeline-organized-blind-movement">timeline of the organized blind movement</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></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><p class=MsoNormal>Suzanne Hartfield-Turner, President<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>NFBOH-Cleveland Chapter<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>C: (216) 990-6199<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>P: (641) 715-3900<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Ex: 582705<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>A: PO Box 141077<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Cleveland, Ohio 44114<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>E: <a href="mailto:President.NFB.ClevelandOhio@Gmail.com">President.NFB.ClevelandOhio@Gmail.com</a><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Please visit and take a moment to like our Facebook Page!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://m.facebook.com/NationalFederationOfTheBlindOfOhioClevelandChapter/">https://m.facebook.com/NationalFederationOfTheBlindOfOhioClevelandChapter/</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>