[NFBSF] March 2022 Meeting Minutes

[Taryn Morris]

Hello Everyone:

 

Hope everyone is doing great.  Below you will find the March 2022 meeting
minutes.  If anyone has any questions or clarifications please feel free to
reach out to me.  Thank you.

 

 


March meeting Minutes

 

*         Introductions

*          Secretary Report

*         Treasurer Report

*                 Presidential release Recap

*          Legislative Announcements 

Announcements

*         Diversity Equity and Inclusion Discussion

*         Bell Ringers

*         Discussion 

 

Members

*         Bobbi- president,    black, blind,  cis gender, queer  

*         Amy- first vice president,   San Francisco, blind,   queer,   bi
sexual,  additional disabilities,   most likely ADHD or autistic 

*         Christina-  second vice president,   pleasant hill,  blind,
black, cis gender woman,  agnostic,  anxiety disorder

*         Sara-  blind, Oakland,   treasurer,    mother of two chihuahuas  

*         Taryn-she/her, Millbrae, blind, mixture of Chinese and Caucasian,
Secretary, assistive technology trainer, employed

*         Sheri- she/ her, alameda, Caucasian, blind,  mom of two daughters,
chihuahua    and 

*         Rochelle- she/her,  cis gender , female,  mom of pug archie the
pug  33 to 29 pounds   happy he lost weight

*         Jeff-  Oakland,   white, cis gender male,   very low vision,
blind 

*         Cindy-  she/ her,   legally blind,   Caucasian, Puerto Rican,
glad to be here

*         Jenny- she/ her , white, legally blind, mom of two kids

*         Monica- queer, blind, woman, Oakland  

*         Paul- he/ him, legally blind, Dublin

*         Serena-  San leaner, blind cis gender heterosexual   mom of two
cats

*         Lom-  41 old blind Puerto Rican momma of three kids,  she/ her/
hers  

*         Allison- San Diego,    president of San Diego chapter,  assistive
technology  instructor

*         President  of central   chapter, president jeanette queer poly she
her  Jeanette- of blind parents' chapter

 

Secretary Report 

*         February meeting minutes were sent out to the list serve 

*         Motion was made by Rochelle and all approved of secretary report

 

Treasurer Report  

*         As a total we currently have $801.60

*         If anyone is still needing to pay dues, the information will be
relayed in the meeting agenda and minutes going forward

*         If using PayPal to make payments please use the online webpage in
order to avoid weird service fees

*         Every month ten dollars will be spent to avoid account charges

*         Every month ten dollars goes towards the PAC plan

If anyone wants to pay dues and is using PayPal or venom please use this
information  to pay:  Sara Hadsell, 510-387-0766

*          <mailto:SaraAHadsell at gmail.com> SaraAHadsell at gmail.com, if anyone
needs to pay with a different mode please email sara or call her

*         Motion was made by Monica and all approved

 

Presidential Release Recap

 

Washington Seminar was  successful, 4 of 5 bills got co-sponsors

Access technology affordability act gained nineteen co- sponsors,  gained 11
to 37 house and in senate  gained to know too equal to 35 

*         The non-medical home Devices Accessibility act gained 23
co-sponsors to  33 

The Transformation to employment act gained 16 co- sponsors to 40 total

*         All members are encouraged to Keep energy up, keep talking to
congress  representatives, if you participated in Washington seminar upload
your ratings if not done so already and push for meetings sf they did not
happen they can still happen

*         National convention will take place July 5-10 in new  Orleans  at
the New Orleans Marriott at 555 canal street        

There will be an overflow hotel at the Sheraton hotel across the street, and
the exhibit hall will take place there

*         You can now Register  for the convention at nfb.org/convention,
the cost is  twenty-five dollars  to register and   for banquet ticket it
will cost seventy dollars open online to  register until may31st  

*         There are scholarships available if this is your fist time
attending convention in person available 

*         All members will be required to wear masks at all times during
convention except eating or drinking, a negative covid test will be required
seventy-two hours prior to arriving, members will be allowed to take a covid
test on site but must wait for negative results before attending any event
at the convention

*         Members will be allowed to join virtually but will not be allowed
to vote and not be able to enjoy all events, but should register online so
you can use the crowd campus app to see the schedule of events 

*         The Bell Academy will be still happened but will continue
virtually again and is limited to a hundred children and should register
online , it will take place from July 18- August 5th

*         There has been Progress accessing covid 19 at home tests, the  FDA
site is working on becoming fully accessible with instructions, forms, and
documents    thanks to the NFB  

*         There are more Rain trainings being available , if you have
already completed the training you do not have to re take it, there is an
online survey to see if other members would like to take the train who are
not required to take the training

You can now order eight sets of at home covid tests through the government

 

Legislative Announcements

*         NFB sent out legislative alert excellent job  building co-sponsors
and support for bills at wash seminar

*         Members are being encouraged to focus on the access Technology
affordability act, currently there are   145 sponsors in house and 36
senate,  this act includes more than other congress representatives being
included in upcoming legislative package being send out in email

*         Members should still Call their representatives to support this
legislation

There  is a push to make ballot drop off boxes more accessible  for any
disabled person

 

Announcements

*         We will be having a picnic at Forge pizza in jack London Square in
Oakland, all members are invited \

and can bring guests, members can either bring their own food or get pizza,
we will mingle at seated areas , it will either take place on May 14th or
the 21st close by, there will be fun activities involved with fundraiser
options, if anyone has any fun activity or fundraising ideas please email
them to any board member

 

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Discussion 

*         This month is international women's month and we would like to
share powerful impactful blind women in our lives

*         Amy is going to share an amazing blind woman by  the name of
Isabelle Grant

Isabelle Grant is a blind Californian woman, first blind public school
teacher who lost vision while teaching, she kept being challenged by schools
trying  to stop her from teaching but hung on  , Believed  in opportunities
for blind folks for opportunities  integrating blind students into education
with sited students,    best known for her international work  traveling
for over 23 countries  including ten countries in Africa,  serving
educational experience of blind people  working to integrating education to
improve situations  for blind people, she is known to be the first blind
independent traveler with her companion Oscar her white long cane, 

the world first known blind woman to travel independently internationally
scope traveled  companion , she was nominated for a Nobel peace prize, and
she even wrote a book called cricken paths made straight book published in
2015 read more in march  2007 braille monitor dr. Isabelle grant leader
world traveler  teacher

*         Serena would like to introduce Christine Ha who was the first
blind chef to win master Chef season three she received high marks from
Gordon Ramsey for presenting visual aspect and plating  high marks tough
moments demonstrating blind people can go into mainstream tough place like
hot restaurant kitchen, she has a restaurant in Houston Texas      

*         Amy would like to introduce Rachel  Olivera  for her incredible
work for accessibility and for our organization, sweet woman 

*         Sara recognize all blind women in her life, first one heard about
NFB training center priscilla Ching lost touch with her told her about
Louisiana center for the blind, Joanna Wilson,  Pamela Allen, lots of
amazing women, and all of us too

*         Bobbi would like to recognize all the women on board, and is so
thankful of all of their amazing hard work 

 

Bell Ringers

*         LM is so happy of her amazing online badass women summit;  she has
worked for so hard for the last three months and is finally over

*         Amy is really excited for a job interview tomorrow

*         Rochelle is excited to be going out and meeting people again after
being home so for long due to the pandemic

*         Bobbi was happy to have her doggy as greeter for work today

 

Discussion

*         There was  a discussion about an article published in the Braille
monitor about if conservatives are welcome in the NFB

 

The next meeting will be on April 12th