[Ohio-Talk] Ohio President's Remarks

[Richard Payne]

Ohio President's Remarks

August 21, 2022

Richard Payne, President, National Federation of the Blind of Ohio
(937) 829-3368
RCHPAY7 at Gmail.com <mailto:RCHPAY7 at Gmail.com> 

Ohio Members and Friends,

I am so rejuvenated after returning from the National Convention in New
Orleans. It was very rewarding, and it has charged my battery on high with
great expectations for both the Ohio State Board Meeting and our Ohio State
Convention.

I am so grateful to serve as President of this wonderful Affiliate.
Although, many Federation members work tireless every day and may feel as if
they will never receive the support or encouragement they deserve. I will be
the first to tell you that we are very proud of you and the commitment you
bestow to the blind of Ohio is quite noteworthy.

I encourage you to highly attend Ohio meetings. When I served as a member
holding no office and as a member of the Ohio Affiliate State Board of
Directors, I always attended the meetings. As a reminder, you are encouraged
to weigh in on the issues and also get updates about what the board make
decisions on, which affects the membership. This particular setting allows
for our leaders to communicate in person and make significant plans and
possibilities for the Affiliate. So, on September 17th at 10:00 AM. you
should make every effort to attend the State Board Meeting, that will be
held at the same hotel as the Convention. For those who wish to stay at the
hotel, there is a limited number of rooms available.  Please call the hotel
and make those arrangements as soon as possible.  The cutoff date for rooms
at the State Board Meeting is the end of day on August 27th. Please call
216-447-1300 to reserve your room. For more on this note, several of you
serve or chair committees and is expected to provide a report on your
activities for 2022. If possible, for all Chapter's, Divisions and some
Committees who have raise funds throughout the year, sending a
representative from your entity could be  arranged to get them there. 

Per the State Convention, you also can make reservations now by calling
216-447-1300. The room rates are only $104, which includes breakfast. The
good news is that when you make your reservations, funds are not deducted
from your credit card until you arrive at the hotel. 

I am excited to report that preregistration is up and running.
Pre-registering for the Ohio convention by October 28, 2022, makes attendees
eligible for door prizes. Door prizes will be drawn during Convention
festivities, general sessions, and the banquet. Preregister at
WWW.NFBOhio.ORG <http://WWW.NFBOhio.ORG> . Preregistration is $25.00 and the
Banquet is $50.00. You can also choose a box lunch online as well. 

National Representative:
The Ohio affiliate is pleased to have Carla McQuillan as our National
Representative for 2022. Carla is a member of the national board of
Director's, the president of the Oregon affiliate, and she is the director
of NFB Camp, the program that offers childcare during the annual convention
of the National Federation of the Blind. We are proud to have her leadership
and expertise in the blindness arena.   

Resolutions:
All resolutions must be submitted to the Resolutions Committee Chair,
Barbara Pierce, no later than October 23rd. Resolutions will be considered
at the general session on Sunday, November 6, 2022. For questions, email
Barbara Pierce at Barbara.pierce9366 at gmail.com
<mailto:Barbara.pierce9366 at gmail.com> .

>From the Door Prize Coordinator, Annette Lutz,
NFB of Ohio friends and family,
Everything! Everything is very cool about state convention! 
Everybody getting together, doing the work of the Federation, learning about
new technology, and the list goes on and on. But, one item that is very,
very, cool about state convention is the ability to win prizes! Door prizes.
But, in order to win prizes, we have to have prizes to give. So, it is not
too early for your chapter, division, or as individual members, to prepare
to donate door prizes for convention. All kinds of things can be door
prizes. But the absolute favorites are cash and gift cards. Or, very special
NFB of Ohio fudge. Hint hint.
If you are planning to donate a door prize, make sure to bring it to
convention when you come. Also, please have it labeled in braille what the
price is and who is donating it so they can get proper credit when a name is
drawn.

And, another really cool thing about state convention is the ability to
raise money. Yes, money for our great affiliate! We will be doing that this
year by bringing back the not so silent auction at the banquet. What a fun
event to allow money to be raised, and have some friendly competition for
great items. But, like the door prizes, we need items to auction off. So,
again your chapter, division, or individuals, can contribute to this worthy
cause. These will be bigger ticket items than the door prizes. Think of gift
baskets, electronics, handmade crafts, etc. Some of the items that have
brought the most money in the past were very special, well thought out
baskets, and adaptive technology items that we could all use. Again, please
label in braille what the item is with a very good description. That way
everybody knows what they're bidding on!

When you come to convention, there will be a table to drop off items for
both door prizes and auction. I am also around to answer any questions or
assist from now throughout convention, so please feel free to reach out.

As another note, in order to be eligible to win a prize, or to bid on an
auction item, you need to be there!  So, go ahead and get registered and
make your room reservations now. It is definitely not too early.

	Prospective Member Open House:
	The National Federation of the Blind invites blind people to an open
house for prospective members on August 31 from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m., eastern,
via Zoom. Please recommend this opportunity to those who have questions
about who we are, our philosophy, and how to join. Please email
membership at nfb.org <mailto:membership at nfb.org>  to sign up.
	 
	Host the October Presidential Release LIVE:
	President Riccobono is taking his monthly message on the road. By
chapter, affiliate, or even region, submit a brief proposal to have the
October Presidential Release broadcasted live in your area. We will come to
you! Submit your pitch:
	In addition to letting us know why it would be important to your
chapter or group for us to come to you, please be sure to include the
following logistical details. 
	.     Who - Who will be organizing the release? Will it be your
chapter, affiliate, group of chapters or affiliate divisions?
	.     Where - Would the release be hosted at a community center,
restaurant, gym, or at a different sort of location?
	.     What - What are some unique stories or reasons that set your
group apart from the rest?
	Remember that this opportunity is available to all chapters and
affiliates no matter the size of the group or where you're located. Send in
your pitches to membership at nfb.org <mailto:membership at nfb.org>  no later
than Sunday, August 28. We will announce the site on the September release. 
	 
 News:
	Center for Employment Opportunities: 
	Please join us on Friday, September 9, at 8:00 p.m., eastern, for
the next in our Where the Blind Work webinar series, highlighting blind
workers in blue-collar jobs in our upcoming segment. Remember that we are
always looking for a range of blind people working in all sorts of
interesting jobs and careers. If you have suggestions, please contact
Maurice Peret, coordinator of career mentoring and employment programs, at
mperet at nfb.org <mailto:mperet at nfb.org>  or at 410-659-9314, extension 2350. 
	 
	Self-Employment Opportunities-From Getting Started to Securing the
Funds:
	The National Federation of the Blind works to bridge the gaps
leading to unemployment and underemployment among the nation's blind through
our Center for Employment Opportunities initiative. And this year, we were a
founding ambassador in the global launch of SmartJob, LLC. As part of that
partnership, we are excited to share the following August business
opportunities through Include, LLC. There are two upcoming learning tracks.
Track 1: From Idea to Business is a webinar series to focus on the process
of how to evaluate whether your idea is ready to become a business and how
to make it happen. Track 2: Raising Venture Capital is a one-on-one coaching
program regarding the process of fundraising. The registration and
application deadline is approaching. Learn more at
https://www.includellc.org/. 
 
	Mosen At Large Podcast Episode 191 with President Riccobono:
	Hosted by Jonathan Mosen, Mosen At Large is the "global podcast
that's got the blind community talking." Listen to the Mosen At Large
episode that features President Riccobono where they cover many topics from
membership, advocacy, and philosophy today
<https://mosen.org/episode-191-national-federation-of-the-blind-president-ma
rk-riccobono/> .
 
	Accessibility of Federal Technology and Websites:
	On Thursday, August 11, Senate Aging Committee Chairman Bob Casey
(Pennsylvania) sent a letter requesting a Government Accountability Office
investigation into the accessibility of federal technology, including
websites, for people with disabilities. Additional signatories on the letter
include Senators Patty Murray (Washington), Richard Burr (North Carolina),
Kirsten Gillibrand (New York), and Mike Braun (Indiana). We believe this
letter is in response to the recent hearing on this topic, at which Anil
Lewis testified in person. You can read Anil's testimony
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/anil-lewiss-te
stimony-senate-special-committee-aging>  on the Policy Statements page
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements>  of our
website.
 
	Federation Comments on the Findings for the 2022 Twenty-First
Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act Biennial Report:
	On Monday, August 8, we submitted comments in response to the
Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) tentative findings for the 2022
Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act Biennial
Report to Congress. The full text of our comments to the FCC
<https://nfb.org/programs-services/advocacy/policy-statements/national-feder
ation-blind-comments-tentative-findings>  can be read on the Policy
Statements page of our website. 
 
Dates to Keep in Mind:
(all times eastern)
*	August 31: Deadline for affiliates to request Action Fund Braille
calendars
*	September 1: Presidential Release
*	January 30, 2023: Great Gathering-In
*	March 23, 2023: Jacobus tenBroek Disability Law Symposium
*	July 1-6, 2023: National Convention; Houston, Texas


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.