[Travelandtourism] Meeting Minutes for February 27, 2012

[Mary Donahue]

                SECRETARY'S REPORT

NFB Travel and Tourism Division Board

February 27, 2012

 

                President Cheryl Echevarria called the meeting of the NFB
Travel and Tourism Division board to order at 7:05 P.M. central time. Board
members and guests present were as follows:

 

Mary Donahue, secretary

Pete Donahue, board member and webmaster

Milton Taylor, treasurer

April Scheppe, second vice president

Cheryl Echevarria, president

Anahit LaBarre, board member

Maurice Shackelford, first vice president

Jemal Powell, board member

Margo Downey, guest

 

                President Echevarria welcomed everyone.

 

                Board members summarized events that went on between the
January and February telephone conference meetings. 

 

Maurice Shackelford is picking up business and getting ready for the
national convention.

 

                April Scheppe is building a travel clientele and learning
how to print fliers. Her new Web site is as follows:

 

www.greatescapestravel.us

 

                Mary Donahue is getting ready to travel to Scottsdale,
Arizona, on March 10, to visit her widowed mother. She will be in Scottsdale
from March 10-15, flying on U.S. Airways.

 

                Milton Taylor is involved with his 45-year class reunion,
and getting ready for the Utah convention April 13-15. He also reported that
there is  $717 in the treasury. Treasurer Taylor announced about the Arizona
cruise which Anahit LaBarre is putting together.

 

                Anahit LaBarre is putting together two cruises going out of
South Carolina and New Orleans, respectively, in 2013. The Arizona cruise
will sail out of New Orleans

 

                Jemal Powell has been busy with the Illinois Transportation
Committee, mainly with accessible signage. He plans to post his committee
information to the list and later, to send to the Web site.

 

                Anahit LaBarre reported that she is involved onn an
accessibility committee for the accessibility of transportation in the
Denver, Colorado, area. There are five blind people on the committee, two of
them Federationists. Feedback about what AccessARide and buses should be is
a goal of this committee. Discussion followed about the availability of
AccessARide. Discussion continued about the routing of paratransit rides and
voucher systems in which paratransit passengers can use with the cab company
up to a certain amount. First Vice President Shackelford reported that the
Metro Atlanta Regional Transit Authority has hired its own orientation and
mobility instructor to work with passengers to use the buses.

 

                Pete Donahue reported the latest news about the Web site.
Daniel Carr, a member of the San Antonio Chapter,  has offered to work with
Pete to build the Web site, along with President Echevarria and First Vice
President Shackelford. Daniel Carr is knowledgeable about content management
systems. Pete has set up search categories, keywords, and main pages. Pete
wanted to know if the minutes should be on the Web site. President
Echevarria suggested either putting a recording of the meetings or an
archived copy of the minutes up on the site. The home page will give
information about the site and contact information. The About page will also
tell more information about the division. The Under-Construction page will
contain contact information and a link to the NFB site. Pete will be working
with Daniel, and would like to have the Web site up before the convention.
There will be a PayPal account so members can send tour payments. Pete
Donahue will work with Treasurer Taylor to establish the  PayPal account in
the next couple of weeks. 

 

                President Echevarria reported that she has contacted the
AT&T Arena in Dallas for _Jersey _Boys shows, Medieval Times, and Texas
President Kimberly Flores and First Vice President Jose Marquez. She has
been working with a Dallas tour operator. The possible dates for the tours
would be July 1 and July 6. President Echevarria would like to have the
_Jersey _Boys tour on July 1, or have __The Jersey _Boys on July 1 and
Medieval Times on July 6. President Echevarria is waiting for 
Texas State President Flores to find out whether the group price for hotel
rooms would remain the same on July 6. The TV series _Dallas is being
filmed, and is going to show again on TNT in March or June. Tentatively,
_Jersey _Boys will bbe on July 1, and Medieval _Times will be on July 6.
Five percent of the tour would go to the Travel and Tourism Division. For
participants going to _Medieval Times, if we go to the last show at eight,
there would not be a problem with people touching the suits of armor and
jousting equipment.

 

                Discussion resumed about the division going to Walt Disney
World. The tickets include all four Disney parks when staying at the Disney
World hotels. Mark Jones, manager of 
Domestic Services for People with Disabilities at the Disney Parks, will be
on the conference call next month for any further questions. First Vice
President Shackelford suggested discussing Disney World on the list and with
Mark Jones. As of October, 2012, the Walt Disney World Web site will be
fully accessible. Mr. Jones said that there will be representatives at
upcoming Orlando conventions. President Echevarria stated that it is
important to let the right people know about specific needs. Discussion
followed about Braille menus and schedules on Norwegian Cruise Lines. 

Their ships have an access staff who knows where  the Braille menus are.
Margo Downey suggested that the cruise line send an e-mail menu. There are
no Braille menus at Disney World

 

The next conference call will be March 26 when Mark Jones, manager of
Domestic Services for Persons with Disabilities for Disney Parks will be
there. Any information will be posted to the list or by separate e-mail.

 

President Echevarria reminded everyone to make reservations for their
convention rooms.

 

                So far, there has been no response from Costco, and
President 
Echevarria will be speaking with Kathy O'Shaughnessy of Saber Travel
Software tomorrow.

 

                The meeting adjourned at 8:16 P.M. central time.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Mary Donahue, Interim Secretary