2019 NFB of Maryland State Convention Information

The 2019 NFB of Maryland State Convention is Coming!

 

Celebrating Our Stories, Defining Our Future!

 

Get ready for a weekend of fun and fellowship.  Come and be part of celebrating our accomplishments and planning for the future!

 

  • Date: November 8 to 10, 2019
  • Place: Crown Plaza Baltimore Downtown Inner Harbor,
    105 W Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
  • Meet our keynote speaker, Carla McQuillan, a member of the National Board of Directors, and president of the NFB of Oregon.
  • Explore opportunities through special workshops for parents and teachers of blind children, blind merchants and entrepreneurs, and students. Check out our technology workshops and more.
  • Examine new products at the exhibit hall on Friday.
  • Help us raise expectations for ourselves and for officials who manage services for the blind.

 

 

Sponsors

We would like to express profuse gratitude to the following NFB of Maryland Convention Sponsors.

  • Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP, Independence Level Sponsor

  • Vanda Pharmaceuticals, Independence Level Sponsor

  • San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Equality Level Sponsor

  • Elections Systems & Software (ES&S), Opportunity Level Sponsor

  • Friends of the Maryland Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Opportunity Level Sponsor

  • Maryland Technology Assistance Program, Opportunity Level Sponsor

  • Sprint Accessibility, Opportunity Level Sponsor

  • Visit Baltimore, Freedom Level Sponsor

  • 3d PhotoWorks, Freedom Level Sponsor

 

Banquet and Keynote Speaker

The banquet on Saturday evening is the highlight of every convention.  Our keynote speaker, Carla McQuillan, has been actively involved in the National Federation of the Blind for more than 30 years.  She operates a Montessori preschool program consisting of three separate preschools.  She also runs NFB Camp at National Convention and leads our National NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) program.  You will not want to miss her inspirational address.  We will also award scholarships and recognize a variety of achievements at the banquet. 

 

NFB Maryland state convention Information

  • Date: November 8 to 10, 2019
  • Place: Crown Plaza Baltimore Downtown Inner Harbor,
    105 W Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21201

 

You may reserve your room by calling the Crown Plaza at 410-347-5707.  Convention Room Rates:  Standard Room - $85 per night. Tax on sleeping rooms is 15.5%.  These room rates start on Thursday, November 7, 2019.  The deadline for making room reservations was October 12, 2019. The hotel will sell remaining rooms on a space-available basis.

 

Below are the prices for the various convention activities (prices are per person unless otherwise stated):

  • Registration = $25 on-site
  • Banquet ticket = $45 on-site
  • Parent or Senior Luncheon ticket = $25 on-site
  • Friday boxed lunch = $20 on-site
  • Picnic & a Play tickets = $20 on-site
  • Transportation from New Carrollton Train Station = $35; this covers round-trip travel
  • Childcare = $30 per child and $50 per family for the entire weekend  

 

 

Registration Information:

Convention Pre-registration is closed.  Onsite registration will open on Friday, November 8, 2019

2019 NFB of Maryland state convention childcare online registration

 

Discounted Parking Information:

Visit Baltimore has provided a link where Convention attendees can reserve parking in advance and recieve a 10% discount on parking.  We cannot guarantee that parking will be available on the days convention participants need at garages participants prefer.  However, this promotion is available while supplies last.  The discount is only available to reservations made in advance through this link.  Visit https://parking.com/baltimore/partners/visitbaltimore?lot_id=&showListOnly=0&view=daily&sw&ne&facility&valet&general=&displayFullCity=0 and book parking.

 

Convention Tours

We have organized two tours for the Friday afternoon of the NFB of Maryland state convention this year: a tour of the M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, and a behind-the-scenes tour of Everyman Theatre. The times for the tours overlap, so you will need to choose one. Each tour costs $10.00. To reserve a spot, contact Ellen Ringlein by November 6 either by email at eringlein@nfb.org or by phone at (410) 659-9314, extension 2421. Please gather in International Ballroom B at 1:00 p.m. to pay for your tour and to prepare for departure. We will need to have your payment in hand (either cash or a check made out to NFBMD) before the tours leave. We are planning to depart for tours at 1:30 p.m. sharp.  You should be back by 3:30 p.m.

 

Financial Assistance Application for State Convention

Individuals who wished to request financial assistance to attend the 2019 NFB of Maryland State Convention must have completed and submitted a Financial Assistance Application Form by October 1, 2019.  The application window is now closed.  Individuals are encouraged to check with their local chapters and divisions to see what financial assistance may be available.  In general, if a member’s chapter does not have a financial assistance program, or if there is still unmet financial need, members may complete and submit the form to the State affiliate.  More information about the NFBMD Financial Assistance Application Form is available at http://nfbmd.org/financialassistance.  For questions, please contact me at 443-426-4110 or at President@nfbmd.org.

 

Seeking Resolutions for the State Convention

The Convention is the supreme authority of the National Federation of the Blind, and this too is true of the affiliates.  One of the most important charges of the Convention is to consider and vote on resolutions that come before it; those resolutions become the policy of the organization.  To that end, individuals interested in submitting resolutions should send them to NFBMD Resolutions Chairman Jesse Hartle by email at jesse.hartle63@gmail.com by October 19, 2019.

 

Convention Exhibitors

The following is a list of organizations that will be participating in the 2019 NFBMD Exhibit Hall.  Check NFBMD.org for updates and additions to this list.

 

  • Vanda Pharmaceuticals

  • Election Systems & Software (ES&S)

  • Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped

  • Maryland Technology Assistance Program

  • Sprint Accessibility

  • Visit Baltimore

  • AT Guys

  • Bureau of Engraving and Printing

  • Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

  • Dave Steele, the Blind Poet

  • Integration Technologies Group

  • Low Vision Specialists of Maryland and Virginia

  • Maryland ABLE

  • Maryland Department of Disabilities, Assistive Technology Program

  • Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)

  • Maryland Relay / Telecommunications Access of MD

  • NFBMD National Harbor Chapter

  • NFBMD Seniors Division

  • National Security Agency (NSA)

  • Paparazzi Accessories (jewelry)

  • Rare Patient Voice

  • Sheria Young

  • Sound Pro

  • The Image Center of Maryland

Convention social media options

We will be using the hashtag #NFBMD.  Please use this hashtag when posting about the NFB of Maryland 2019 Convention on Twitter or Facebook.  Please send any pictures you take of Convention activities to Social Media Chairman Karen Anderson at Kanderson@nfb.org or via text to 402-319-7645.  Please be sure to describe any pictures you post and send to Karen.

 

Multiple forms of the 2019 NFB of Maryland state convention agenda

The 2019 NFB of Maryland state convention agenda in Web (HTML), Microsoft Word, PDF formats can be found on the agenda web page. The NFB of Maryland Parents agenda can be found on the agenda web page as well. As soon as the BRF file can be made available, it will be downloadable from the agenda web page.