<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div dir="ltr">\ufeff<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div dir="ltr">\ufeff<span>Good Morning,</span><br><span></span><br><span>I wanted to share some information with those of you who are attending the Columbus Seminar next week.</span><br><span></span><br><span>As you know, we will be staying at the Plaza Hotel at 75 E. State Street. This hotel is located on the southwest corner of E. State St. and S. Third. The buildings where we will be meeting with our legislators are the Riffe Center located at 77 S. High St. and the Ohio Statehouse located on Capital Square. The Senators are in the Statehouse, and the Representatives are in the Riffe. Capital square is exactly that, a square bordered by E. State Street on the south, S. Third Street on the East, W. Broad Street on the north, and S. High Street on the west. Therefore, the hotel is at the southeast corner of capital Square, but across both State and Third streets. I am unsure of which entrance you would use for the Statehouse if you are going there from the hotel, but if someone has this information, I can help direct you there from the hotel.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Most of our meetings will be in the Riffe Center. It is located directly across from the Statehouse where S. High Street runs between them. The Riffe Center is located on the Northwest corner of State and High streets. When leaving the hotel fromthe main entrance, you will be on third street facing east. There is a drop off area here where cars can pull in, and is probably where you were dropped off. If you are walking to the Riffe, you will go out that main entrance and turn left or north. I believe there is a sidewalk to follow out to the corner of State and Third. When you reach this intersection, you will turn left again and walk west along State Street. You will stay on this street until you reach the traffic light at State and High. This is technically only one block, but it is a long one. The intersection of State and High is a major intersection and you will want to cross both streets. Once you do that, you will be at the corner of the Riffe building. Walk north on High Street for a small bit and the entrance to the Riffe will be on your left. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Once you enter the Riffe, you will be facing west. There is a security station there. The security of the building has been informed to expect several blind people arriving that day, but I am not sure if there will be extra guards on duty or not. Typically, bags are looked into and people must go through a metal detector at this point to enter the building. You should also be given a visitor swipe card to use to enter the elevator banks. More on this later. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Once you go through security, you will want to find the elevators. You are on the first floor, but the elevators are not easily reached on this floor from the High St. entrance. It is best to go to the third floor to catch your elevator. Once you leave security, you will want to travel south through the lobby. You will hear some escalators soming up on your left that go up to the third floor or down to the basement B1 level. Take the escalators up to the third floor and walk west through a wide corridor. The two banks of elevators will be on your right. If you can not do the escalators, there is an accessible elevator across from the escalators on the first floor, but this can be tricky to find because it is in a niche and doesn\u2019t have a good landmark to find it. But if you do, this elevator can take you to the third floor elevator banks or the the B1 level as well. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Please be aware, there is a long flight of steps going down across from the escalators and close to the accessible elevator on the first floor. Please use your canes in order to find these steps when walking through the lobby. It is an open and echoing area and the steps can come out of nowhere if you go in that direction. Please be cautious of this. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Once you reach the elevators, there are two banks. The first bank goes directly to the 19th floor or above, and the second bank services all the floors between this third floor lobby and the 19th floor. This is the bank that we will be using, because the representative offices are on the lower floors. So when you are walking from the escalators or the accessible elevator that you took up to the third floor, the banks will be on your right. Go to the second bank. When you turn into the bank, you will be facing north with elevators on both sides. The Riffe building uses the so called smart elevator system where you let the computer know what floor you wish to go to prior to getting on the elevator. When you are facing north with elevators on both sides and your back to the lobby, there are two call buttons are on your left. When you find the button panel, you will feel a long button towards the bottom of the touchscreen. If you push this button, you will be prompted audibly to select the floor you wish to go to. The voice will list all of the floors and you must push the button again when you hear the floor you want. You will then be prompted to a specific elevator that will take you to that floor. All of the elevators are lettered, and the letters are a litttle over head high to the sides of the individual elevator doors. They are labeled in both Braille and raised print. These elevators can be very frustrating, but if you are patient, you will get to where you need to go. The elevators do audibly announce the floors where they stop. </span><br><span></span><br><span>One place to be able to hang out between appointments is on the 19th floor. There is a snack bar and vending machines along with plenty of tables and chairs. To find the snack bar, when you get off the elevators on the 19th floor you will want to turn north. This could be either left or right depending on which elevator you were on. Remember the call buttons for the elevators are on the west side of the elevator bank, so if you are facing the call button, north would be to your right. At the end of the elevator bank, there are some glass doors that may or may not be closed. Once you go through these doors, you will turn east or right and go down that hall until you reach the open area. This is the dining room for the snack bar which will be on your left and the vending machines will be on your right. The snack bar workers are aware of our plans, and will be available to help. They are all Federationist and my family. My husband Jim is the manager, and my Mom Dorothy and daughter Misty will be running the cash register and around to help.</span><br><span></span><br><span>In addition to the vending machines and snack bar, there are other meal options. Fooda will be there between 11:00 and 1:00. This is a company that brings in food from local restaurants. Tuesday\u2019s selection is from a vietnamese restaurant that I am unfamiliar with. Other than that, there is a Farmer\u2019s Fridge vending machine that sells salads and wraps and other healthy options. Outside the building and along high street going north is Einstein\u2019s Bagels and a Potbelly Sandwich shop. Those of you going to the Statehouse will find vending there operated by Federationist Shelbi Hindel and a cafeteria. </span><br><span></span><br><span>That brings me to the Statehouse. I am not familiar with the layout of the Statehouse like I am with the Riffe building, but I can tell you how to get there. The easiest way is through the underground tunnel and parking garage. Take the elevators back to the third floor, and then either the escalators or the accessible elevator to the B1 level. You will then go down a corridor that runs to the north. On your right, you will come to an automatic sliding door that leads to the tunnel. You will follow this tunnel until you go through a second sliding door and enter the underground parking garage. If you walk straight, or east, you will find the entrance to the Statehouse. Unfortunately, I can\u2019t help you after that because I am unfamiliar with the layout there. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Earlier, I mentioned that you will get swipe cards. What I forgot to mention was that in order to enter the elevator banks at the Riffe, you must use this card to open small automatic gates that stand between the lobby and elevators. This is kind of like a turnstyle thing, but the doors will open to let you in, you don\u2019t have to push your way through. When you come up to the gate, you will find a flat table like surface on either side of the waist high gate. Lay the card flat on the table on your right, and the door should open. There is a similiar set up when coming back into the Riffe from the Statehouse tunnel. </span><br><span></span><br><span>The only other bit of information that I can think of are the restrooms. There are some on the 19th floor. If you are in the snack bar dining area, and are facing the vending machines or west, you can go to the end of the bank of machines on the left and find a hallway continuing west. The restrooms are on the right with the ladies room being first and the mens room being furthur down the hall. Those working in the snack bar will be happy to help give directions if needed. As for dog relief areas, I have no idea. Downtown is lacking on green space, but there is grassy areas surrounding the statehouse along high street.</span><br><span></span><br><span>I hope this information helps. I will be available on Monday during the training session to answer any questions. </span><br><span></span><br><span>Thanks to all of you who are participating in our Columbus Seminar! I know we are going to have a successful day!</span><br><span></span><br><span>Annette</span><br><span>Sent from my iPad</span></div><br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Annette Lutz<div>President</div><div>Capital Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Ohio</div><div>614-288-4323</div><div>President.capital.nfboh@gmail.com</div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 13pt;">The National Federation of the Blind knows that blindness is not the characteristic that defines you or your future. Everyday we raise the expectations of blind people because we know that low expectations create obstacles between blind people and our dreams. You can live the life you want, blindness is not what holds you back. </span></div></div></div></body></html>