<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)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</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="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Hey NFB Family and Friends,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Our Black Empowerment Committee has another entry for us. Read on and enjoy!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Donald M. Fennell<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Donald Fennell was born with muscular dystrophy and attended a school for disabled children in Portsmouth, VA. He had a strong desire to succeed in life although he quickly learned that as an African American disabled person, he had many barriers to overcome. He realized that education was the key for reaching his goal. Upon graduation from high school, he attended Tidewater Community College and Old Dominion University. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Although he was faced with the barrier of not being able to access public transportation which was not accessible for wheelchair users, he hitch-hiked to and from college daily, which is no small feat for a wheelchair user. Upon graduation from ODU, he was employed as a Peer Counselor with The Endependence Center of Hampton Roads in Norfolk, VA. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Donald was a quiet activist who often led the fight for equal rights for people with disabilities. He, along with several other disabled individuals, sued Hampton Roads Transit Company to help bring about changes in Virginia’s transit policies for fixed route transit buses. He also helped to establish the Virginia’s Statewide Personal Assistance Services program (which still operates today). He served as Executive Director of Shenandoah Valley Center for Independent Living in Winchester, VA. He served as the Chairman of the National Council on Independent Living’s Minority Committee, Chairman of Handicaps Unlimited of Virginia, and Chairman of the Hampton Roads Transit Transportation Advisory Committee. He received the James C. Wheat, Jr. Community Service Award in recognition of his efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Virginia. He was also honored at the White House by President George H. Bush and featured in an article in Ebony Magazine for outstanding efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-align:justify;text-indent:.5in'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>Not only did he work to improve the lives of people with disabilities in Virginia, but he was also involved in national events to bring about changes for people with disabilities. He was arrested several times for participating in demonstrations to address discrimination against people with disabilities. He was a quiet, determined, and effective leader for people with disabilities in Virginia and the Nation</span>. <span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif'>He died in 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Submitted by: Corlis Jones<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'><br>Peace,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Jacki Bruce<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Corresponding Secretary, National Federation of the Blind of Virginia<br><a href="mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>mailto:jackibruce6@gmail.com</span></a></span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='color:#222222'><a href="tel:(757)291-1789" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>tel:(757)291-1789</span></a></span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='color:#222222'><a href="http://www.nfb.org/" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>www.nfb.org</span></a></span><span style='color:black'><br></span><span style='color:#222222'><a href="http://www.nfbv.org/" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>www.nfbv.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Follow us on Twitter @NFBVirginia<br>Find us on Facebook @NationalFederationoftheBlindofVirginia<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='color:#222222'>Live the life you want.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#222222'>The National Federation of the Blind is a community of members and friends who believe in the hopes and dreams of the nation’s blind. Every day we work together to help blind people live the lives they want<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>