[Ohio-Talk] Notes for this week

Wed Jun 16 02:38:40 UTC 2021

Ohio Members and Friends,

Yes, I am starting this note out talking about the weather again because in
Dayton currently it is 75 degrees, but just this weekend it was 90 degrees!
While the weather had favored us getting out and meeting in person, I would
prefer cooler temperatures. 

Food for thought! 

I have shared with some of you that my intentions over the next few years is
to help bond my physical family. Although,, we have been working on that,
like the federation they too are committed to service., Because, family is
important, I am looking forward to spending time with my grandchildren in
the coming years and reflecting on Ohio's good works. 

Many of you have seen posts indicating that we do not have a block of rooms
at the hotel for November. That is not the case! Currently the hotel is
working to educate the staff on using the proper name for our Convention
block. Therefore, if you contact the hotel for the state convention and have
problems, email me and I will resolve the issue. Please alert me  and try to
document  to whom you've spoken to when making your reservation. Also, make
sure you are provided with a confirmation number. Subsequently, you will not
be charge until you check into the hotel.  So, book the room for November
5th-7 and email your conformation to me.

The online registration will be coming out in July if all goes  according to
plan. But I thought that it would be exciting to let you know that the Board
of Directors has made the registration free for the Ohio State Convention.
With this great news, we are encouraged that  conventioneers will be
motivated and will find it easier in getting to the greatest event in Ohio.
Stay tuned for more incentives for you, you and you!

The State Board Meeting  is in person and scheduled for September. This will
include leadership training, a Legislative Seminar and more. Please highly
consider attending; as the work of the federation is more important than
ever; as we have not had contact with not only each other, but our Ohio
legislative representatives to put forth our agenda on their tables. 

Incidentally, this is a message that Eric sent out last week and pleas be
diligent in helping us to make this happen.

Today Senators Hackett and Antonio sent out a request for Co-sponsors for
our Parental Rights Legislation that will soon be introduced in the Ohio
Senate. The letter will circulate for a week, and then the bill will be
introduced.

Now is the time for everyone to contact your member of the Ohio Senate and
ask him or her to sign on as an original co-sponsor. The opportunity is
still open in the House as well. Please make phone calls and send letters
today. In the Senate let your Senator know that the co-sponsor request has
come from Senators Antonio and Hackett. In the House let your Representative
know that the co-sponsor letter has come from Representatives Crawley and
Ray.

I just did some work on a custody case for a blind father in the Cleveland
area yesterday.

The need for this legislation is real. Let us get busy and show the state
and nation what the organized blind of Ohio can accomplish through
collective action.

Critical Actions:
	National Door Prize Registration Deadline Update:
	In one communication we had stated that the deadline to register for
convention and be included for door prizes was the same date as to be
included for voting. This is not the case. Everyone that has registered
during the registration period (that started March 1) through each morning
at 8:00 a.m. will be eligible to win door prizes that day. 

	Policies to Be Considered: 
	As the supreme authority of the organization, the convention
assembled elects leaders and sets policies and priorities. Delegates and
members in attendance normally need to be in-person to vote, but the board
has proposed rules of engagement for the virtual environment. Similar rules
were adopted in 2020. This information will also be posted on
nfb.org/convention.
*	Review the proposed rules of engagement for the 2021 NFB Virtual
Convention
<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/bm/bm21/bm2106/bm210603.htm>  
*	Review a board resolution
<https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/2021-june-board-resolution
-establish-fund-support-surviviors-under>  being recommended to the
convention to establish a fund to support survivors under our code of
conduct.
*	Review proposed resolutions-which will be posted under
nfb.org/resolutions as soon as the committee has processed them. 

News:
	Pre-Convention Activity-Zoom Cooking and Cocktails for Banquet:
	Plan to attend Feasting Together: Cooking and Cocktails, a
pre-convention activity to help prepare for the banquet, on June 30 at 6:00
p.m. eastern via Zoom. Federationists Regina Mitchell and Hoby Wedler will
share a couple of recipes and give tips to having a successful banquet
dinner no matter what your planned meal is. Please send your planned menu or
any cooking questions to communications at nfb.org
<mailto:communications at nfb.org> . Zoom details and agenda coming soon. 

	Reminder for First Time Convention Attendees-Convention Concierge
Service:
	Submit interest by June 15! Access the Convention Concierge Service,
hosted by the Kenneth Jernigan Committee: Let's connect you with someone who
can help break the ice, tap into our network, and answer your questions
about all things national convention. Email rookie at nfb.org
<mailto:rookie at nfb.org>  or drop us a voicemail at 410-659-9314, extension
2020, by June 15 to let us know that you are interested. Please include your
name, preferred telephone number, what state you are joining us from, and a
few things that you want us to know when matching you with mentors (e.g.,
life goals, if you are a guide dog user, if you are perhaps a parent of a
blind child, if you are a student, what are your hobbies, the types of
individuals you would like to meet, etc.).

	Give $20 Convention Drawing:
	Each year, thousands of Federation members and friends make
donations to fund our great programs. Your continued support is needed. When
you participate in the Give $20 campaign
<https://nfb.org/civicrm/mailing/url?u=20749&qid=5147870>  you will be
entered into the Give $20 convention drawing (formerly known as the Kenneth
Jernigan convention drawing) AND help our work to change lives for blind
people across the country. Visit the Give $20 Convention Drawing page
<https://nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/give-20-convention-drawing
>  to learn how to contribute and qualify. Please note: The drawing is for
individuals and is not intended for contributions by divisions, state
affiliates, or chapters.

	Join the National Association of Blind Students at Convention:
	Our national student division is calling all blind students and
allies to join us for our exciting convention programming. After having a
blast at NABS Networking, plan to attend the business meeting, happening on
July 7 at 8:00 p.m., by registering using this form
<https://forms.gle/D9jKCUTPt6HfPKUK8> . Please note that anyone can register
to attend up until the start of the convention on July 6, 2021. However, if
you intend to vote in this year's election process, you must be registered
and have paid your dues by June 21, 2021. For more information, we invite
you to check out this NABS at National Convention
<https://nabslink.org/national-convention>  page.

	PAC Prizes:
	Every year the Pre-Authorized Contribution program holds various
contests during the national convention for which NFB affiliates and
individual members contribute to the prizes. We are again asking NFB
affiliates and national divisions to support our fun PAC contests by
contributing cash donations to the contest prizes. Please make checks
payable to National Federation of the Blind, 200 East Wells Street,
Baltimore, MD 21230, Attention: Fiscal Services - PAC. You should also send
an email to PAC at nfb.org <mailto:PAC at nfb.org>  to let us know you are sending
a contribution for the contest prizes and the full name of the organization
that the contribution is from. We want to make sure we recognize your
organization in our thank-you list. You can contact Scott LaBarre
(slabarre at nfb.org <mailto:slabarre at nfb.org> ) or Bridgid Burke
(bburke at nfb.org <mailto:bburke at nfb.org>  or extension 2271) if you have any
questions. We are looking forward to another fun-PACked convention!

	 Attention Parents: 
	Are you a parent of a blind child? Will you be joining us for the
national convention of the National Federation of the Blind for the first
time in 2021? Or, have you joined us for convention before, but still feel
lost, overwhelmed, or have questions about parent activities, the convention
as a whole, or navigating the virtual environment? Or have you been coming
to conventions for years and want to help new families have a positive
convention experience? If you answered yes to any of the above, then you are
in luck! The National Organization of Parents of Blind Children (NOPBC) will
be offering two "Convention 411" sessions to introduce a few NOPBC board
members so you feel a little more connected, go over NOPBC activities,
discuss general convention activities including the NFB board meeting and
general sessions, highlight "shouldn't miss" events and why they are
important for parents and families, and answer any questions you may have
about this extremely exciting, yet very busy week.
	We will be offering this session twice; you do not need to attend
both sessions. Sessions will also be recorded in case you cannot listen to
either one live. Of course, during recorded sessions you cannot ask
questions, so we hope you will make the time to join us if at all possible
so we can give you the information you are looking for.
	Please join us on Sunday, June 27, from 4:00-6:00 p.m. eastern time
	https://zoom.us/j/96476022977  
	Meeting ID: 964 7602 2977
	One tap mobile
	+13126266799,,96476022977# US (Chicago)

	Or Thursday, July 1, from 8:00-10:00 p.m. eastern time
	https://zoom.us/j/94575291675
	Meeting ID: 945 7529 1675
	One tap mobile
	+13017158592,,94575291675# US (Washington DC)

	OurFamilyWizard App:
	We are investigating the accessibility of the OurFamilyWizard
<https://www.ourfamilywizard.com/>  co-parenting app. If you use, or have
tried to use, OurFamilyWizard with screen access software, please contact
Valerie Yingling, legal program coordinator, at vyingling at nfb.org
<mailto:vyingling at nfb.org>  to report your experience. 

	Access Technology Affordability Act:
	Last Wednesday Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) and Jerry Moran (KS)
cosponsored S. 212, the Access Technology Affordability Act. This brings us
closer to our goal of having 25 senate cosponsors by the end of next week.
Please continue to urge your senators and your representative to cosponsor
this legislation. 

	The Latest Issue of Future Reflections Available:
	Future Reflections
<https://nfb.org/resources/publications-and-media/future-reflections>  is a
quarterly magazine for parents and teachers of blind children that offers
resources and information based on the National Federation of the Blind's
positive philosophy of blindness. Read and share this special issue on COVID
and beyond. Access the recent Future Reflections
<https://nfb.org/images/nfb/publications/fr/fr40/2/fr4002tc.htm>  now.

	Recent Blog: "Ten Advantages of Being Blind"
	Social media can be a place to share the love of our identity with
everyone. Read Julie McGinnity's post about "Ten Advantages of Being Blind"
in our recent Voice of the Nation's Blind Blog
<https://nfb.org/blog/ten-advantages-being-blind> .

	Thanks to NFB of Kansas and NFB of Kansas Johnson County Chapter:
	Appreciation goes out to our Kansas affiliate and the NFB of Kansas
Johnson County chapter for recent generous contributions. We do it all
together with love, hope, and determination. You are appreciated. 

Dates to Keep in Mind:
	(all times eastern)
*	June 29: Rookie Roundup, 8:30 p.m. 
July 6-10: NFB National Convention, anywhere and everywhere

Richard Payne,  President
National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
937/829/3368
Rchpay7 at gmail.com <mailto:Rchpay7 at gmail.com> 
The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want;
blindness is not what holds you back.