November 2017 Minute Message

Fellow Federationists:

10 Days To Towson!

I hope you are packing your bags and getting ready to go to our 51st convention! Read the agenda on the website, on newsline, or on the listservs. It is jam packed with events. We will have three exhibit areas this year. Make sure you get to all of the areas so that you don't miss any of the vendors or services that will be in our largest exhibit hall ever.

Don't forget to bring door prizes. Remember your baked auction items and of course bring money so that you can bid and participate in our crab race.

Please encourage folks to attend our low vision seminar, especially if they are new to the federation or blindness. Go to the Access Technology Around the House workshop to learn about Amazon and Google products. If you participate in the student raffle you can win a "Google Home." All of our divisions will be having meetings. For the first time in many years we will have a meeting for blind entrepreneurs sponsored by the Maryland Association of Blind Merchants. They will have 2 interesting presenters Lisa Anderson and Michael Dalto. Be sure to read the listserv announcement for further information.

If you forgot to preregister you may register at the convention. The important thing is to come! See you at the Sheraton Baltimore North in Towson November 10, 11, and 12.

Access to Health Care

From November 1 through December 15 individuals who need health or dental insurance for 2018 may purchase it on the Maryland Health Care Exchange.

Please visit https://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov/ for more information. There were accessibility issues with this site in the past. We would like to know if these problem have been remedied. Please send a message off list to me at nfbmd@earthlink.net and to Valerie Yingling vyingling@nfb.org and tell us your experience.

NFB RideShare Testing Program

If you use a service animal or are accompanying someone who does please fill out a short form about your experience, each time you use Uber or Lyft. Please go to https://nfb.org/rideshare-test to complete the survey. Please give us information about both good and bad experiences. Spread the word, we need information from every blind person whether they are a member of NFB or not. Sarah Baebler is the Maryland coordinator for this program. If you have questions email her at sbaebler@bism.org.