[Nfbwv-talk] Cabell-Wayne Association for the Blind

[Smyth, Charlene R]

Greetings Fellow Federationists, 

 

As many of you are aware, some of us went to Huntington on Monday, March
4, to meet with Paul Slone, executive director of the Cabell-Wayne
Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, in an effort to
exchange and share information with one another so that we can be a
resource to one another as we serve and mentor the blind of West
Virginia.  NFBWV members in attendance were myself, Vice-President Ed
McDonald, Secretary Karen McDonald, Members at Large Board Member Andy
Baughman, Huntington Area Chapter President Brad Hodges, Huntington Area
Chapter Vice-President Mary Ann Saunders, and Harrison County Chapter
Secretary Sandy Cain.  Also in attendance, at our request, was Patty
Fitzpatrick, president of the board of directors for the Cabell-Wayne
Association for the Blind.  

 

As we want to build a more positive rapport with the Cabell-Wayne
Association for the Blind, we made it clear at the start of the meeting
that we weren't there to try to take over or to force our beliefs and
philosophy on them but to share information and to let them know that we
want to serve as a resource for them and their consumers.  

 

Paul gave us a better understanding of their budget, what services they
provide, the structure under which transportation needs are met, how the
provision of computer equipment and adaptive software and related
training is made, and so forth.  

 

In exchange, the NFBWV explained how we, as blind people, could mentor
their consumers by volunteering to accompany them as they utilize public
transportation for the first time, as they travel with a long white cane
on the streets of Huntington, as well as perform all of the other
day-to-day activities of a blind person.  We can offer valuable
information in regards to adaptive software and technology in regards to
computer training the Cabell-Wayne Association for the Blind offers
their consumers.  WE will have them put on the mailing list to receive
our national publications of the Braille Monitor and Future Reflections.
Our Scholarship Committee will provide them with information regarding
the NFBWV scholarship and the national scholarships available to college
students so that they can include this with the list of scholarship
resources they provide to prospective college students.  The Huntington
Area Chapter has invited the Cabell-Wayne Association for the Blind to
send a representative to be part of the seminar they are conducting in
May and the Cabell-Wayne Association has accepted.  

 

We were given a tour of their facility and we were glad of the
opportunity to meet all of the employees and hopefully, to have had a
positive impact in regards to being examples of independent and
competent blind people.  

 

This is just an outline of what took place at this meeting and I invite
comments from some of the others who attended the meeting.  

 

Charlene Smyth

NFBWV President