<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Aptos;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#467886;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:441148065;
mso-list-template-ids:-118599742;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1
{mso-list-id:515311833;
mso-list-template-ids:470722402;}
@list l1:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l1:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@list l1:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:1.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:2.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:3.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.0in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l1:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:4.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#467886" vlink="#96607D" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>National Federation of the Blind of Ohio<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Cleveland Chapter Meeting<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>February 20, 2026<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>5:00PM to 7:00PM<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Cleveland Chapter is inviting all to attend the February meeting on the Ohio Zoom Platform. We will have three speakers and a short business meeting. The link to join is below.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Agenda:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Welcome: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Joann Williams, Cheering Committee<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>NFB Pledge: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>William Turner, Secretary<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Vote In New Members<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Chacity Gilliam, Vice president and membership Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Secretary Report<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Chapter Vote<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Treasury Report:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Natassha Ricks, Treasurer<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Fundraising Report:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Tomeika Hurt, Fundraising Chair<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>President’s Announcements<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>President, Suzanne Turner<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Guests:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>5:45PM to 6:15PM: - January Braille Monitor Article, <b>Changing Words, Changing Minds, Changing the World.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Gary Wunder, Author, <b>Read his article below!<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>6:15PM to 6:35PM: - “Why and How to become a leader in the federation”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Ohio Affiliate President, Richard Payne, Read his bio below! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>6:35PM to 6:55PM: - Amerifest State Pageant<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Crystal Carlgren, Experiential Speaker<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>6:55PM - Closing Remarks<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Chacity Gilliam, Vice president, Cleveland Chapter <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>///<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><u><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Braille Monitor January 2026</span></u></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm26/bm2601/bm260107.htm">(back)</a> (<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm26/bm2601/bm2601tc.htm">contents</a>) (<a href="https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm26/bm2601/bm260109.htm">next</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Changing Words, Changing Minds, Changing the World<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>by Gary Wunder</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Gary Wunder" style='position:absolute;margin-left:272.8pt;margin-top:0;width:324pt;height:188.25pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:0;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:0;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:right;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:line;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page' o:allowoverlap="f">
<v:imagedata src="cid:image001.png@01DCA115.4FE9A690" o:title="Gary Wunder" />
<w:wrap type="square" anchory="line"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=432 height=251 style='width:4.5in;height:2.6145in' src="cid:image001.png@01DCA115.4FE9A690" align=right alt="Gary Wunder" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2"><![endif]><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>For as long as there have been people, there have been ideas about blindness. Some are kind, some are cruel, and many are simply wrong. A sighted stranger may gush that a blind person who travels independently is “inspirational.” Another may think they are being helpful by insisting on doing what we as blind people can do perfectly well alone. Blind people themselves may sometimes doubt their own potential, not because of any lack of skill, but because of the weight of messages they have absorbed from childhood.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>It is tempting to say that change comes from teaching people the right words: avoid this phrase, use that one instead. Language does matter—it sets boundaries for what can be imagined and what cannot. But real change is more than words. If a person says “visually challenged,” “visually impaired,” or “visually handicapped” instead of “blind,” yet still believes blind people cannot work, marry, or raise children, then nothing of importance has changed. The deeper work is not just to refine how people speak but to transform what they believe.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Surface Change vs. Deep Change<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Psychologists often distinguish among <b>compliance</b>, <b>identification</b>, and <b>internalization</b>. Compliance happens when people change their outward words or actions because they feel pressure. Identification happens when they imitate a group they wish to join. Internalization is the deepest form of change: a belief becomes part of a person’s identity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The field of blindness shows all three. A person might stop telling offensive jokes about blindness because they fear criticism—this is compliance. They might start using respectful terms because their friends do—this is identification. But only when they truly accept that blind people are equal participants in society will they reach internalization.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The challenge for us is not just to stop offensive words but to nurture the conditions for deep change. We want people to <b>see blind people differently</b>, not just talk differently in public.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>How Change Happens<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>History offers encouragement. In living memory, blind people were routinely excluded from schools, professions, and civic life. Employers assumed blindness meant unemployability. Colleges denied admission. Parents of blind children were urged to expect little.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Today, the landscape is different. The White Cane Laws in the states and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act provide protection, but more importantly, expectations have shifted. Blind lawyers argue cases before the Supreme Court. Blind engineers design software used worldwide. Blind parents raise children who never doubt the capacity of their parents. None of this was common just a few generations ago.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Change came because blind people themselves insisted that it could. The Federation challenged assumptions through advocacy, lawsuits, and personal examples. Each blind person who traveled independently, who excelled in a classroom, or who succeeded on the job made it harder for society to cling to outdated beliefs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>But there is more: <b>individual effort must join with collective action.</b> One blind teacher suing for her right to work could win a personal victory. But when hundreds of blind teachers came together, supported by the infrastructure of the Federation, we transformed the profession itself. One blind person advocating for white cane recognition could change a single encounter with law enforcement. But when blind people in many states organized, we established <b>White Cane Laws</b> that recognize the rights of blind pedestrians everywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>This is the lesson: individuals are absolutely necessary, but individuals acting together, with a common purpose and a structure to sustain their fight, can move mountains.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Power of Language—and Its Limits<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>We must be clear: language can open doors, but it is not the whole journey. If a teacher switches from saying “handicapped” to “student with vision loss” or even “blind student,” but still steers blind children away from advanced classes, the words are hollow. If a company writes diversity statements but never hires blind applicants, the commitment is empty.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Words are signals, and they matter because they shape expectations. Yet words must be matched with action. That is why the Federation does not stop with language reform but insists on equal access, full participation, and high expectations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>The Role and Responsibility of Each of Us<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>It is natural for blind people to value privacy. Not everyone wants to be on stage all the time. Sometimes we want to run errands without questions, ride a bus without commentary, or simply live without being seen as an example. That desire is reasonable, and privacy is part of human dignity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Yet here is another and vital part of the truth: <b>attitude change must fall to each of us.</b> Every encounter with the public is an opportunity to shift perception. When a child sees a blind person using a cane with confidence, when a coworker hears a blind employee solve a problem, or when a neighbor observes a blind parent organizing a school fundraiser, those moments are lessons that ripple outward.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>We may not always want to be “blindness ambassadors,” but if privacy always outweighs the chance to educate, then change will stall. We will live with less progress and more frustration than we want. Seen another way, though, public interaction is not a burden but a <b>cherished opportunity</b>. Each time we explain, demonstrate, or simply live our lives with confidence, we invest in a future where the next blind person faces fewer barriers. We should work to feel in our hearts that there is no such thing as a stupid question but rather that each question is a chance to inform with a polite and dignified answer that not only speaks to an issue of blindness but also to the civility on which good communication and the building of relationships is based.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Why Authorship Should Not Be a Barrier<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Sometimes our work faces skepticism not because of what we say but because of who says it. An article submitted to a professional journal may be dismissed simply because it comes from the National Federation of the Blind, as though our firsthand experience makes us less credible rather than more. Yet history shows that truth does not always come from official credentials.<br>Rachel Carson, a marine biologist, was dismissed by chemical companies when she warned of the dangers of pesticides. Her book <i>Silent Spring</i> changed environmental policy worldwide. Rosa Parks was not a legal scholar, but by refusing to give up her bus seat she reshaped the law. Ordinary people, when persistent and clear, have changed nations.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Blind people are experts on blindness. Research by blind scholars and testimony from blind workers are not biased detours from objectivity—they are essential evidence. If reviewers dismiss our work because of its source, that reveals more about their bias than our merit.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>How We Reach the Public and Decision-Makers<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Academia is not the only gatekeeper of truth. Change spreads when ideas move beyond scholarly journals and enter everyday conversation. The Federation has shown again and again that the public can be reached. Here are just a few examples:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>White Cane Awareness.</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Once, blindness laws varied wildly, and few drivers knew to yield to blind pedestrians. Through coordinated Federation advocacy, white cane laws spread across the country, changing not only statutes but everyday driver behavior.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Blind Teachers.</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> In the mid-twentieth century, many school districts refused to hire blind teachers. The Federation’s lawsuits, testimony, and collective insistence changed that landscape. Today, blind teachers instruct at every level of education.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Technology Access.</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> The Federation has pushed relentlessly to ensure that websites, software, and devices are accessible. One person’s complaint could be ignored, but thousands of voices, coordinated, forced companies to change their design.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Beyond these major efforts, the way forward is familiar, and here are some ways we individually and collectively continue our progress:<o:p></o:p></span></p><ul style='margin-top:0in' type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Tell our stories.</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Personal accounts of success, struggle, and ordinary life undercut stereotypes more effectively than statistics alone.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Be visible.</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> The more the public encounters blind people as colleagues, leaders, parents, and neighbors, the less space there is for outdated assumptions.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Use accessible media.</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Blogs, podcasts, community talks, and mainstream press reach audiences far beyond conference rooms.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Connect to values people already hold.</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Most people believe in fairness, opportunity, and community. We frame blindness not as tragedy but as part of the human family, demanding equal treatment.<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class=MsoNormal style='mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2'><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Model the change.</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> When blind people themselves expect equality, live it, and teach it to each other, sighted people take notice.<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>What Real Change Looks Like<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>We know we are making progress when people stop catching themselves mid-sentence to substitute a polite word, and instead truly understand that blind people can and do live full lives. We know change has happened when a hiring manager does not just avoid discriminatory language but also hires and promotes blind workers. We know it when a blind child grows up never doubting she can be a scientist, musician, or parent.<br>Words open the door. Belief and action walk through it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>A Call to Action<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Changing attitudes is not the work of experts alone. It belongs to each of us, but it becomes most powerful when we act together. When we speak up, when we write, and when we live openly as blind people expecting equality, we educate and make change. When we join our voices in the Federation, we amplify those lessons into laws, policies, and cultural norms that endure.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Change begins with individuals, but individuals united with infrastructure, purpose, and persistence change the world. This is why we so often say, “Let’s go build the National Federation of the Blind,” and why so many of us act each and every day to do it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>///<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>President Payne’s Bio<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Meet Ohio Affiliate president, Richard L. Payne<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>In Recognition of Black History Month<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Richard started his quest for knowledge and liberation within the organization at the young age of 17. He has demonstrated that decades of service have not only challenged him but taught him to be assertive, independent and informed about “what it means to be blind”. Richard’s sleeves are always pulled up, his hand is generously extended outward and his mouth rings with understanding about how one can make it despite his or her lack of sight. He has substantiated individual confidence and transferred knowledge enhancing membership by spreading hope, kindness and admiration to the blind. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Most of us know the story of Richard Payne and how he became blind and impaired. However, here is his story in his words! “When I was fifth teen, I lost my vision, due to an explosion in my grandparent’s home. Like any teenager, I had a ten speed bike that had a radio that wasn’t working that sunny day. I grabbed some wire from the back of grandfather’s truck thinking that it was just wire. To everyone’s surprise, it was dynamite. When the explosion was over, I was totally-blind and my left hand was severely injured. For about one year, a rehabilitation facility was my home. I had to learn to walk and regain life. I do know quite well what it means to run this race, because I am blessed to be alive. This is why most know me as Positive Payne. I live life to its fullest, with no regrets”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Richard has initiated several NFB Chapters in two different Cities in Mississippi: which prepared him for a more prevailing position in Ohio. Did you know that before he was aware of a fight for (Fair Wages), he fought the CEO of a company to give equal pay to the blind, when they were working for sub-minimum wages in Mississippi? Did you know that he has helped to revitalize and visited many Chapters throughout Ohio, encouraging inspiring and offering support to communities? Did you know he has served on the board of directors for the Affiliate for over 12 years as a board member, Chairman of the Membership Division, Vice President for 8 years and currently as the Ohio Affiliate president? Did you know that he pulled himself up from the ranks of pennies working in sheltered shops and now is productive in his third career with one of the largest Banks in the World establishing precedence and open-mindedness? He believes in the removal of “stand your ground” so that others can stand on common ground: by assisting them with succeeding to a higher ground! He sees no flaws in anyone only an opportunity for growth within the National Federation of the Blind for all who believes in the power and principles that has contributed to his unresolved walk in life. He tells the story that “yes life is hard but thank God success doesn’t show favoritism. I believe in the full capacity of the blind. There is value in everyone. This is why the National Federation of the Blind helps to transform dreams into reality. I could not live my everyday life or advocate for the blind without having faith in the grass roots of this organization”. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Richard’s appreciation for the philosophy of the National Federation of the Blind derives from many. “I first was introduced to the organization by my high school band director. But, Dr. Kenneth Jernigan’s viewpoints from his many speeches has been my guidance and rock that is abided into my soul”. Perhaps, this is why Richard always communicates in and outside of the body about the vision, equality and optimism by way of technology, education and empowerment. He places no limitations on himself. He does as Richard does and it is for the betterment of those to whom he comes in contact.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Moreover, Richard is comfortable and secure because he believes in the core values of the organization, that is based on his evidence of positive outcomes, and the patient skill shown. He has fought for others, cried with most and appealed for the indifferent. He has sat on panel discussions, walked in picket lines, raised income to support the Affiliate, marched on Washington representing the district and has done a host of other advocacy and works toward positive change in Ohio. Certainly, this is displayed by his leadership throughout the State and the Miami Valley Chapter. Even beyond that, he has passed the baton to others so that they too can make a difference within their Cities and communities. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Finally, Richard’s dream was expounded on at the 2012 State of Ohio Convention. He stated that he was not a speaker. However, he had much to say. One particular piece of information was disclosed; “I thought I would never be independent until I attended the Arkansas school for the blind and was introduced to the National Federation of the Blind”. For all who heard his speech, I am sure that perhaps at one time you had the same thought. So, for those who have seen him thrive in the organization, for those who have seen him work hard for the mission and even for those who have seen him speak about not so popular issues; we know that he lives and breathes the National Federation of the Blind. His insight about life and the pursuit of autonomy is compelling to say the least. Richard says that “wisdom does not always come from articulation, but often from edification. It is my works, compassion and diligence why I do reverence in the philosophy and mission of the National Federation of the Blind. My guidance and belief are in my fellow man that we can all be treated with dignity, fairness and liberty for all”. Richard goes on to say, “I discriminate against no one, this is why the National Federation of the Blind is in a better place when we serve all people equally”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'> Also, Richard has shown us that blindness need not stop us from realizing our dreams and greatest potential. If it can be done, he can! And if you do not know Richard l Payne, you are missing a treat, and if you do, you have a friend for life! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>NFB Ohio Zoom access<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>To access zoom platform<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><a href="https://zoom.us/j/4081850851">https://zoom.us/j/4081850851</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Smart phone one touch number:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>1 (646) 876-9923,,4081850851#<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Dial in number:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>1 (669) 900-6833<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>Meeting ID:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'>4081850851#<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>