[Nyagdu] Nyagdu Convention Report

[cheryl echevarria]

In reference to the brochures Margo, I totally apologize for not brining 
them, I knew I forgot something and they were sitting right next to my 
suitcase.  Please send me mailing address to everyone that wants them and  I 
will make sure you get them, I do not write in braille yet or have a braille 
printer, so if you want me to send it the the person that does all of our 
brailling I will do so that you can read the brochure. please let me know.

Cheryl Echevarria
Treasurer
National Federation of the Blind
Greater Long Island Chapter


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Margo and Elmo" <margo.downey at verizon.net>
To: "New York Association of Guide Dog Users" <nyagdu at nfbnet.org>
Cc: <President at nfb-nagdu.org>
Sent: Sunday, November 02, 2008 8:46 PM
Subject: [Nyagdu] Nyagdu Convention Report


> Hi, everyone.
>
> I am margo Downey, the newly elected president of Nyagdu.  We just had a 
> wonderful Nyagdu luncheon and NFB New York state convention.
>
> I'd like to report first on our elections.
>
> Lucy Cox and Shelley Bamrick stepped down from office due to circumstances 
> in their life situations which need more of their time at this point.
>
> elections were held to fill the two vacancies for the coming year.
>
> the officers are:
>
> Margo Downey, president
> Joyce Carrico, Vice President
> Julie Phillipson, Secretary-Treasurer
>
> We have officers but everyone is important and it's time for all of us to 
> enthusiastically roll up our sleeves and help Nyagdu really take off to do 
> many things.
>
> some of those things were discussed at this year's NYAGDU luncheon:
>
> 1.  find more members so we can do more work to expand what it means to be 
> blind and what it means to be a guide dog handler;
>
> 2.  Start the process of revising our state access law to strike the 
> sentence which states an I D card can be requested and to begin the 
> process of getting the  access law into the Penal Code.  At next year's 
> National Convention in Detroit, a resolution will be presented which will 
> state that all state access laws will be in the state penal codes.
>
> 3.  We need to do more community outreach and education with the public at 
> large and with entities such as health care facilities, police and fire 
> departments, emergency medical personnel, and so on.
>
> Rayne Wayne, our state NFB NY Treasurer who is also an attorney, talked 
> with us about our rights and responsibilities as guide dog handlers.
>
> I want to thank Lucy Cox and Shelley Bamrick for serving as officers and 
> hope you'll be able to help us with our Nyagdu projects.
> Tracy Carcione is gong to look at our state website to see what's up there 
> and will help determine what types of  items to be placed on the Nyagdu 
> page. From her work with that, we will plan a Nyagdu brochure.
>
> We will probably want to take a look at the guide dog brochures from NFB 
> itself so we don't have to completely invent the wheel.
>
> Very shortly, I want to write a letter and/or email to Chapter Presidents 
> and division Presidents to find other guide dog users who are not 
> presently attending Nyagdu functions or who are not on this list.  We want 
> to invite them to join with us.
>
> After Tuesday's elections, I'm going to talk with a couple of 
> Assemblypeople about the state access law.  I have approval from Carl 
> Jacobsen to at least start talking to people.  Let's hold off on that 
> until we see who's elected in our districts and then we can all figure out 
> what to do.
>
> Please send your comments, questions, complaints, thoughts, and ideas to 
> this list so we can all work together.
>
> also, very shortly, we will begin to hold regularly scheduled conference 
> calls.
>
> I want to thank all of you for helping us move forward in our journey.
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> Margo Downey, president
> new York Association of Guide Dog users
>
> Email:
> margo.downey at verizon.net
>
> Phone:
> (716)886-0567
> Cell:  (716)541-5574
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