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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>THE DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY CONVENTION 2021<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>BY SUZANNE TURNER <><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Editor’s note: Suzanne Turner is vice president of the NFB of Ohio. She also chairs the convention planning committee. After investing months of planning for an in-person convention this November, she has accepted the covid handwriting on the wall and changed gears to organize a virtual convention. This is what she says:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Happy birthday, National Federation of the Blind of Ohio. You are 75 in this year of 2021. We honor and celebrate your outstanding accomplishments, innovation, and advocacy. Through your members’ active participation you have continued to keep our pledge by fighting for equality, opportunity, and security for the blind. Without you blind Ohioans would not have the opportunity to witness confident blind people living the lives they want, so we salute you and invite anyone who has interest or concerns for the blind to come and help us celebrate your birthday. More details are below.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>You are cordially invited to a birthday party at the Ohio annual state convention. The theme this year is “back to the basics and engaging the future.” the location and time of this grand event is anywhere and everywhere on November 5 and 6, 2021. We will shine bright like a diamond because it is Ohio’s 75th anniversary.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Considering the ongoing impact and wide-ranging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 state convention will be held virtually. Registration is now open and free. Go to nfbohio.org to register now.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Come one and all and join us as we celebrate on a virtual platform this year. We will expand our circle of participation, connecting blind Americans, not only across the state, but anywhere and everywhere for what we expect will be the largest gathering of blind people in the history of Ohio.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>All events will be held on the Zoom Platform and in the Eastern Standard Time Zone.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Zoom Meeting Connection Information<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>One meeting link will be used for the Board Meeting, General Sessions, and the Banquet. Closed Captioning will be available in these sessions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Here are helpful commands:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Phone command to mute and unmute: *6<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Phone command to raise and lower hand for speaking: *9<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>PC shortcut to mute and unmute: Alt A, Mac command: command shift A<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>PC shortcut to raise and lower hand: Alt Y, Mac command: option Y<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Zoom Meeting Etiquette<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Keep in mind that, when joining convention, you will be placed on mute. If you wish to speak and are not on the agenda, you may raise your hand. A host will get to you as soon as possible; do not unmute yourself until you are prompted to do so. If you are on the agenda, the host will unmute you as we approach your presentation. Stay on mute if you are not a presenter. If on video, please do not eat or move about in any way that could be a distraction to others watching. We recommend that you not activate your video unless you are speaking.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>About the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio: The NFB-O is a 501 (c)3 not for profit organization and a founding affiliate of the National Federation of the Blind. We are proud to be an integral part of the oldest and largest organization of the blind in the United States. We are a diverse group of people dedicated to changing what it means to be blind. Our members work tirelessly to break down the legal, social, and personal barriers to living the lives we want.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The mission of the National Federation of the Blind is to achieve widespread emotional acceptance and intellectual understanding that the real problem of blindness is not the loss of eyesight but the misconceptions and lack of information which exist. We do this by bringing blind people together to share successes, to support each other in times of failure, and to create imaginative solutions.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Those who pre-register for the Ohio convention by October 27, 2021, will be eligible for door prizes. Door prizes will be drawn during pre-convention festivities, general sessions, and the banquet. Registration is required, and you must be present to win. When your name is called, please virtually raise your hand or email <a href="mailto:ohioprize@gmail.com">ohioprize@gmail.com</a> <<a href="mailto:ohioprize@gmail.com">mailto:ohioprize@gmail.com</a>> within two minutes, which is the designated window of time to claim your prize. Also, if you would like to donate a door prize, please alert Ohio’s door prize facilitator, Annette Lutz, at <a href="mailto:president.capital.nfboh@gmail.com">president.capital.nfboh@gmail.com</a> <<a href="mailto:president.capital.nfboh@gmail.com">mailto:president.capital.nfboh@gmail.com</a>>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Resolutions: All resolutions must be submitted to the Resolutions Committee chair, Barbara Pierce, no later than October 24. Resolutions will be considered at the general session on Saturday, November 6, 2021.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>If you plan to vote in the election or on issues brought to the Convention, you must opt in to vote by registering your name, the phone number you will use, your chapter or division, and an email address at the NFB of Ohio website, nfbohio.org. You will receive an email acknowledgement. This means that you can call in to vote. You must opt in to vote by October 24. I reiterate that this is a separate procedure from registering for the convention, which you must have already done before going to the website to opt in.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The Ohio affiliate is pleased to have Everette Bacon as our national representative for 2021. We extend a warm welcome to Everette, who is a national leader in the National Federation of the Blind.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Everette Bacon was born in Huntington Beach, California. At the age of five he was diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, a condition which had run in his family on his mother’s side for thirteen generations, causing rapid-onset blindness primarily in female family members. Despite the diagnosis Everette’s family took the advice of teachers and medical experts, believing (or, more accurately, hoping) that, since Everette was male and his vision was not deteriorating rapidly like that of other family members, he was unlikely to go blind. As a result Everette did not learn Braille or other alternative techniques during his school years. Looking back, Everette says, his mother and other family members wish that they had encouraged him to learn Braille and other blindness skills.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>When Everette was about eighteen, his entire family moved to Texas. Everette pursued a degree in church music at Dallas Baptist University. He jokes that he was pushed toward music because “you know, blind people sing.” His first job was teaching a seventh grade choir, but he found teaching not to his liking. Searching for other employment in order to earn money to help his wife through medical school, Everette ultimately accepted a management position with Blockbuster Video in 1997. He was very successful in this position, winning several awards and steady promotions. By 2004 he was managing ten stores in the Houston area.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Everette’s eye condition began to worsen, but instead of giving up, he adapted by using alternative techniques. “I started carrying a cane, mainly for identification, but I was using it when I felt I needed it.” “I was never embarrassed or ashamed about becoming blind because I grew up around blind people, adapting was something you just became accustomed to doing.” However, when he asked for reasonable accommodations from his employer, instead of granting these accommodations, Blockbuster terminated his employment despite his outstanding record. The company even went so far as to describe Everette’s conduct as “fraudulent,” implying that he had deceived the company about his capabilities, even though he had previously been praised and awarded for his work.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>This experience traumatized Everette and his family. His wife, mother, and other family members sent angry emails to everyone they could; urging readers to avoid shopping at Blockbuster based on discrimination against the blind. One of these emails found its way to Scott LaBarre, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Colorado and a successful disability rights attorney. Scott took Everette’s case, and ultimately Everette received a settlement from Blockbuster. More important, though, he learned about the National Federation of the Blind and the many battles the organization has fought in the effort to advance and protect the civil rights of blind people. “I had heard of the Federation and been told that they were militant,” Everette says, “but my experience taught me the importance of our advocacy.” There are so many reasons to be proud of who we are as blind people, and the Federation has paved the way for our climb to the top of the mountain of civil rights!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>In 2004 Everette and his wife, Dr. Angela Peters, moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Everette became involved in the Utah affiliate of the NFB and developed what he describes as life-changing relationships with dedicated Federationists like Nick Schmitroth, Karl Smith, and Deja Powell. These friends helped Everette improve his blindness skills and grow in the movement. Everette was also looking for new employment opportunities in Utah and heard about a job opening as a Blindness Skills Teacher at the Utah Division of Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Everette remembers speaking with Ray Martin about the fact that he knew nothing about teaching blind people; Martin told him that being blind was the most important qualification. The agency supported Everette in his pursuit of a master’s degree in rehabilitation. He went from teaching technology to supervising the technology staff and now serves as the agency’s field services coordinator, overseeing all of the agency’s technology and employment services, supervising a staff of nine.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Everette began advocating for Utah’s blind residents with an effort to encourage a prominent local cinema chain to incorporate audio description technology into its theaters so that blind people who wanted to experience movies with audio description could do so. An avid movie fan with an extensive collection dating from his Blockbuster days, he believes that audio description can enable blind people to connect more easily with their sighted peers when discussing entertainment. “One of the most valuable lessons I have learned from the NFB is the understanding that blending into society is an important skill. Being able to relate to our sighted colleagues about movies, television, politics, and sports are excellent paths to opportunities that help change common misconceptions about blindness.”<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>In 2012 Everette was elected president of the National Federation of the Blind of Utah <<a href="https://nfb.org/about-us/state-affiliates/utah">https://nfb.org/about-us/state-affiliates/utah</a>>. He is proud of the affiliate’s successful advocacy for a state mini-508 law requiring accessibility of new state websites and procurement of accessible electronic and information technology, subject to fines when agencies fail to comply. His advocacy for accessibility made him an outstanding candidate to serve as the Federation’s representative on the Disability Advisory Committee to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). He was nominated for appointment to this committee by President Riccobono and duly appointed to serve by the FCC in 2015. Everette is also chair of the Utah Library Advisory Board. He also sits on the Utah Assistive Technology Council and the Library of Congress’ National Library Service for the Blind’s Audio Equipment Advisory Committee (Western Region). He was unanimously elected to the Board of Directors of the National Federation of the Blind at the organization’s 2015 convention. He and Angela and their two dogs live in Salt Lake City, but Everette still roots for his beloved Dallas Cowboys.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Convention Highlights and Activities:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Rookie Roundup: Wednesday, November 3 at 6:30<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Exhibit Seminar: Thursday, November 4, at 3:00 pm<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Lab Computers, Inc, Ohio Dept. of Insurance, Vispero, Vanda Pharmaceuticals, and more: these and more vendors will be on hand to demonstrate their high-tech and low-tech products for blind and visually impaired users.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Happy Hour: Thursday, November 4 at 7:00 pm<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Music, BYOB, Door Prizes, and More<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Here are a few convention opportunities:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>• Network with blind people from all parts of the country.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>• Encourage blind people to expand their knowledge of resources.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>• Attend workshops designed to promote leadership, membership-building, and successful employment strategies and attitudes.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>• Attend the banquet and cheer three blind students as they receive scholarships.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>• Visit the Hospitality Room, which will be open virtually to mix and mingle Friday, November 5, from 9:00 to 10:15 am and on Saturday, November 6, from 12:00 noon to 1:45 P.M.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>• Enter a drawing when you register online to win one hundred dollars by donating ten dollars or more to assist with the work of the Ohio affiliate. Each ten dollars donated will add your name that many times into the pot.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The gavel will fall on Friday, November 5, promptly at 2:00 pm for the opening ceremonies and general session. We will have a series of speakers covering a wide range of topics, including a report from our Ohio president, a welcome to Columbus by the Capital Chapter, our national representative, Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD), and educational and inspirational presentations. Annette Lutz will have exciting door prizes as well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Friday evening will see a flurry of activities. The At-Large Chapter, the Ohio Community Service Committee, the Ohio Association of Blind Students, and the Ohio Association of Blind Merchants will hold their annual business meetings that evening. The Nominations and Resolutions Committee meetings will also take place.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Saturday morning, November 6, we will begin with a breakfast meeting of the Diabetes Action Network (DAN) and its business meeting at 7:30 a.m. If you are interested in becoming a member of this division, you should strongly consider attending.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The gavel falls again promptly at 9:00 am to continue general sessions. We will break at 12 noon for lunch. The NFB of Ohio Senior Division and the Ohio Association of Guide Dog Users (OAGDU) will conduct their annual business meetings. The afternoon includes workshops on promoting leadership, membership building, and successful employment strategies. Therefore, this year we are offering an exciting opportunity for businesses, nonprofits, and employers to attend the ability seminar that will offer awareness of the tools and techniques that members of the blind community use to interact in formal and informal settings; to provide descriptions of how blind people perform professional tasks in paid or volunteer work; and Explain the vital role that a positive philosophy and attitudes about blindness play in the development of capable successful blind individuals. Finally, chapters and divisions will also have the opportunity to conduct fundraisers during the afternoon as well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Saturday night’s banquet will surely be the highlight of the convention. This is an opportunity for fellowship and for all of us to share a meal. Our keynote speaker for the evening will be our national representative Everette Bacon. We will also have our Gavel Awards ceremony to celebrate chapter and division accomplishments from the past year. The finale of the banquet will be the announcement of the 2021 scholarship winners and the annual Money for the Movement fundraiser that supports Ohio’s programs and services. Be sure to order or prepare your convention banquet meal before you come into the Zoom Room. Don’t worry, the night is not over–plans are in the works for an exciting after-banquet activity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Finally, our Convention Planning Committee is committed to making your convention experience memorable and enjoyable. Therefore our goal is to bring you the most up-to-date information on the convention. So please feel free to contact the committee chair, Suzanne Turner, with any questions, concerns, or requests for accommodations at <a href="mailto:SMTurner.234@gmail.com">SMTurner.234@gmail.com</a> <<a href="mailto:SMTurner.234@gmail.com">mailto:SMTurner.234@gmail.com</a>>. Anette Lutz , president, along with the Capital Chapter will be ready to greet you bright and early at 8:30 am on Friday morning, November 5, 2021. Please notify Anette Lutz of any donated door prizes. You can email her at <a href="mailto:president.capital.nfboh@gmail.com">president.capital.nfboh@gmail.com</a> <<a href="mailto:president.capital.nfboh@gmail.com">mailto:president.capital.nfboh@gmail.com</a>>. Eric Duffy and the tech team will ensure that all technological issues are addressed. Consult the convention agenda on how to connect to all meetings and how to contact the team.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The Ohio President, Richard Payne, along with our affiliate Board of Directors, will be on hand to welcome you. We are excited and looking forward to seeing you at the 2021 75th annual virtual Ohio convention. Together, with love, hope, and determination, the members of the National Federation of the Blind transform dreams into reality. You can live the life you want; blindness is not what holds you back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>