March 2018 Minute Message

Fellow Federationists:

NFBMD on the Move

During the next 3 weeks we have many events that you will not want to miss.

Saturday, March 24 – Board of Directors Meeting. Everyone is encouraged to attend. 9:30am-1pm. Includes lunch which will be $15. The National Harbor Chapter will host this board meeting. The location is Advent Funeral Home, Community Room (enter from back parking lot), address is 9013 Annapolis Road, Lanham, MD 20706.

Sunday, March 25th – Recital and Sing-A-Long, benefiting NFBBELL Academy, Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells St., Baltimore, MD 21230. Just a few days left for advanced tickets at $10. Tickets will be $15 at the door. To purchase tickets in advance, visit the Be Present event page and click on “Buy now.”

Saturday, March 31 – Deadline for National Scholarship applications.

Saturday, March 31 – One of our basket bingo sponsors, Solar Energy World, will offer a special deal to people who mention NFBMD when calling for information. Please call and ask for Jay Randell. Calls must be made on or before this date. Call 410-579-5176.

Saturday, April 7- Bid-for-Opportunity Dinner and Auction, to benefit John. T. McCraw Scholarship Program and NFBMD Youth Activities. VFW Post 9619, 6527 Suitland Rd, Morningside, MD 20746. Even though this event is April 7 you must commit to purchasing tickets by March 31. Please call Debbie Brown at 301-881-1892 about tickets and additional information. People in the Baltimore area who wish to attend should call Sharon Maneki about transportation 410-715-9596.

Monday, April 9- Maryland General Assembly Session ends. At the current time HB 1088 and SB 286 bills concerning accessibility requirements for state procurement of assistive technology hardware and services have passed both chambers. One of these bills must pass both houses. Watch the listserv to see when it’s time to make calls or send emails.

NFBMD Divisions Plan Great Activities

This year the Maryland Association of Blind Students will be entering National Scholarship applicants and State Scholarship applicants into a special drawing to win cash! A lucky scholarship applicant can win $25 and a state scholarship applicant can win $50. Remember National Scholarship applications are due on March 31. . State applications are due April 15. To learn more visit our scholarship page

Saturday, June 9- 8am – 4pm The Maryland Parents of Blind Children will conduct a free seminar entitled “Family to Family Connections.” Activities for the whole family! Everything from networking to technology information, to versatility of Braille, and more! The location is the Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD. For further information email Melissa Riccobono.

Saturday, June 23 -MABM Networking Mixer. Come join us for an afternoon of fun & effective networking on Saturday, June 23rd from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at FLAVOR Restaurant, 15 East Centre Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. Vanna Belton, a young, progressive, visually-impaired woman, is the owner of FLAVOR. Stay tuned for additional information.

Congratulations are in Order

Congratulations to the 6 students who entered the NFB National Braille Readers are Leaders (BRAL) contest. We are especially proud of the 3 Maryland students who won in their grade level. Aisha Safi won 1st place in the 2-3rd grade level for reading 1860 pages! Jonah Rau won 1st place in the 4-5th grade level for reading 991 pages! Isaiah Rau won 2nd place in the 4-5th grade level for reading 779 pages! These 3 students also received The Kelly Doty Awards of $25 which was given to students who overcame special challenges to achieve fluency in Braille reading. All 3 students are reading in English, which is their second language. Aisha has an additional challenge, because she only has one hand to read Braille! The Rau boys are making remarkable progress, since they only came to the United States from China in August 2017. Keep up the good work. We will be announcing the winners of the adult NFBMD braille reading contest soon.

Congratulations to LBPH on its outreach and marketing efforts. These marketing efforts are important because too many people still do not know about the library. On March 5, WBALTV featured the Library and explained its services. You may read the article or view the video online.

New Publication Available

The Whittle Pocket Reference Book of UEB Common Symbols is now available for sale. it is a pocket reference book of the Unified English Braille literary code. This book is 3 by 5 inches and easily fits in a pocket, purse, or backpack. We have an interpoint braille version for those who read braille tactually. The small size makes it manageable for both adults and little ones. We also have an ink version that consists of print and simulated braille. Perfect for parents, friends, and teachers. These books are great for those just learning the Braille code for the first time or refreshing their Braille knowledge! Each copy is $10 with all profits benefiting blind children’s literacy programs. To order either version of our Whittle books, please visit . Jerry Whittle was a renown Braille teacher at the Louisiana Center for the Blind for decades. He has written many articles on improving Braille reading speed and fluency. I am sure this is an excellent reference guide.

Important Dates for 2018.

  • March 24th — Board of Directors Meeting, 9:30am. Advent Funeral Home, Community Room (enter from back parking lot); 9013 Annapolis Road, Lanham, MD 20706.
  • March 25th — Recital and Sing-A-Long, benefiting NFBBELL Academy, Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells St., Baltimore, MD 21230.
  • March 31st — Deadline for National Scholarship Applications.
  • April 7th — Bid-for-Opportunity Dinner and Auction, to benefit John. T. McCraw Scholarship Program and NFBMD Youth Activities. VFW Post 9619, 6527 Suitland Rd, Morningside, MD 20746.
  • April 15th — Deadline for NFBMD Scholarship Applications.
  • June 2nd — Board of Directors Meeting. Location to be announced.
  • June 3rd — 6-K Dot Dash for Braille Literacy, 200 East Well Street, Baltimore, MD.
  • June 9 — The Maryland Parents of Blind Children seminar “Family to Family Connections.” Jernigan Institute, 200 East Wells Street, Baltimore, MD.
  • June 23rd — MABM Networking Mixer. FLAVOR Restaurant, 15 East Centre Street, Baltimore, MD 21202.
  • July 3-8th — NFB National Convention, Orlando, FL.
  • July 16-27 — NFB Bell Academy in Salisbury, MD.
  • July 29 – August 4 — NFB EQ for blind high-school students..
  • July 30 - August 10 — NFB Bell Academies in Baltimore and Glen Dale, MD.
  • August 4th — Annual Crab Feast, Columbus Gardens, Baltimore, MD.
  • November 9-11th — Annual State Convention, Carousel Hotel, Ocean City, MD.