[NFB-Talk] Questions about NFB conventions and seminars

[Lloyd Rasmussen]

A quick answer before I head to work:
The Washington Seminar started out, primarily, to educate Congress about our 
issues, beginning in 1973. It has morphed into a mini-convention, but that 
is not its primary purpose. But this is one of programs that we raise funds 
for.
For another thing, the NFB is a consumer organization, first and foremost. I 
think that many of these disability conferences have more participation by 
professional workers in the field and less by actual people with 
disabilities. You may have some counter-examples.
Chika is correct; it costs a lot to attend a convention, regardless of the 
registration fee. Different organizations make different arrangements with 
hotels and convention centers as to who will pay for what and why.
I'm outa here. Time to head down to NLS, where, among other things, we are 
looking at prototypes of refreshable braille displays we hope to be able to 
provide on loan to patrons eventually.
Who lobbied to get this particular activity started? Our director believes 
strongly in braille, but the NFB pushed Congress to provide supplemental 
funding to get this braille eReader project started.
Just my opinion, as both an NFB member and an employee in the engineering 
section of NLS.




Lloyd Rasmussen, Kensington, MD
http://lras.home.sprynet.com
-----Original Message----- 
From: Anna Givens via nFB-Talk
Sent: Friday, February 21, 2020 1:31 AM
To: nfb-talk at nfbnet.org ; nfbv-discuss ; nfbmd ; ohio-talk at nfbnet.org ; 
Coloradotalk Listserv
Cc: Anna Givens
Subject: [NFB-Talk] Questions about NFB conventions and seminars

Hi friends.

I don’t know if this may be a strange thought here, but I’m wondering: Why 
is NFB’s Washington seminar free? Or is it free? I didn’t find any info from 
past years online about any registration fee. And according to last years 
national convention info, registration cost $30 to attend the convention. 
Additionally, I know that state convention registration fees are also low.
I’m very happy this is all the case. However, I’m very curious as to how and 
why this is, as any other disability Organizations’  conferences and/or 
large seminars that I am aware of or have attended seem to cost far more to 
register just to attend.

I realize that blindness is a low incidence disability, and so has it’s own 
needs that may not be the case in things like employment, training, 
research, etc as compared to many other disabilities. But even so, the 
disabled population as a whole faces crises regarding economic struggle and 
I can’t quite figure out what to attribute the differences between costs in 
permission to attend seminars and conventions to from NFB’s seemingly low 
cost, to the cost of other Organizations’.

These events are just as expensive to put on for NFB as they are for the 
other large non-profits, yes?
So what’s the deal?

Thoughts appreciated.

Happy Friday.
Best,
Anna E Givens
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