Fellow Federationists:
Many of us will shortly be packing our bags and tapping our canes through airports and train stations as we make our way to Austin, Texas for the NFB national convention. It promises to be an extraordinary convention, and I hope everyone will participate, whether in person or through the virtual experience. Read on for information about our activities at the convention and our summer of exciting work ahead.
NFBMD National Convention Orientation – Wednesday, June 24, 2026 at 8:00PM!
The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland will once again be hosting a National Convention Orientation for Marylanders on Wednesday, June 24, 2026 starting at 8:00PM. All Marylanders who are attending an in-person NFB national convention for the first time or those who just want information about the Convention are welcome. We will be discussing what to expect, Maryland-specific events and activities, and mentoring and getting assistance during the convention.
Click this link to join: https://zoom.us/j/6248138327?pwd=eTZlYUgwR3ZQVVl1dXBLSHcrbml1QT09
Meeting ID: 624 813 8327
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,6248138327#
NFBMD Caucus – July 4 – 8:30 – 10:30 PM
We will be holding the Maryland Caucus in person during the NFB National Convention, and it promises to be action-packed. Come to meet the NFBMD State Scholarship winners, discuss the resolutions that will come before the convention, and so much more! This is a very important event, so please plan to attend.
We will meet from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. in Salon C.
If you plan to sit with Maryland at the convention banquet, please be sure to bring your banquet ticket to the caucus.
We hope to have a Zoom option for those attending the convention virtually, but as we have no control over the technology and internet connectivity at the hotel, we cannot guarantee this will work out. Below is the intended access information.
Click this link to join: https://zoom.us/j/6248138327?pwd=eTZlYUgwR3ZQVVl1dXBLSHcrbml1QT09
Meeting ID: 624 813 8327
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,6248138327#
See you at the caucus!
Support NFBMD By Donating and Then Getting Stuff
We will be accepting donations in Austin at our affiliate table at the Exhibit Hall, and members of the affiliate may also be on hand to receive donations to NFBMD. In appreciation for donations at a certain level, we will offer in appreciation a particular item. You can donate at various levels and can combine levels to get more tokens of appreciation. Here’s what our menu looks like:
- In appreciation for a donation of $1, you can have a snack item.
- In appreciation for a donation of $5, you can get a luggage tag shaped like a crab. This luggage tag is branded with the NFB of Maryland logo.
- In appreciation for a donation of $10, you can receive a pen toolkit. This pocket-sized pen tool includes a flashlight and several multi-tool features. This luggage tag is branded with the NFBMD logo. Supplies are very limited.
- In appreciation for a donation of $10, you can receive an entire back of assorted snacks.
- In appreciation for a donation of $20, you can receive a clear backpack with the NFB of Maryland logo on it. This stadium-approved bag is fun and practical, and it even has an outside pocket for your other stuff.
We’ll also have available the Sorry Try Again raffle, where you can, for a dollar per try, win instantly $1, $5, $10, $20, or some delicious mints.
Our Exhibit Hall table will be located at F7.
Crabbing for Student Scholarships
Please purchase your tickets today for the NFB of Maryland Annual Crab Feast. This fundraiser supports the John T McCraw Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to blind post-secondary education students.
When: Friday, September 18, 2026 - 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Where: Rosedale Gardens – 8037Philadelphia Road - Baltimore, MD 21237
Tickets are $85 each if purchased before August 31, or $95 afterword’s. Children 6 and under are free.
Special Promotion: Buy or Sell 25 or more tickets and get your ticket FREE!
Dancing, 50 / 50 Raffle, Door Prizes, and more.
Menu Includes:
Steamed Crabs, fried chicken, beef Bar B Que – All You Can Eat!
Plus a Buffet of Entrees Including Maryland-style crab soup, corn-on-the-cob, other sides, salad, fruit, cake…
Yuengling and Miller beer
Carbonated Beverages, iced tea, and Coffee
To purchase tickets, visit http://www.nfbmd.org/crabs.
For additional information contact Chair Millie Rivera at (202) 494-5687 or email TLCChapter@nfbmd.org.
Seeking Donations for Crab Feast Auction!
We are seeking donations of experiences, gift cards, and items for our 2026 Crab Feast Silent Auction. This auction will raise funds for student scholarships. Bidding will open via our online portal this summer and will close the evening of the Crab Feast on September 18, 2026, when the winning bidders will be announced.
We are asking members to reach out to restaurants, hotels, travel agents, shop owners, sports teams, and providers of experiences to ask that they donate gift cards, items, and experiences. We will create auction packages with one or more of the donations provided.
For additional information, contact Chair Millie Rivera at (202) 494-5687 or email TLCChapter@nfbmd.org.
2027 State Convention Theme Contest
Each year, we choose a State Convention theme that is representative of our hope, priorities, or expectations for the convention and what comes after. Recent themes have included: “Pilots of Progress: Sixty Years Strong, Soaring to New Horizons,” “Lead, Love, Live,” “Expect Much, Give Much, Get Much!”, “Celebrating our Stories, Defining our Future,” “Rise Up,” “Focus Forward,” and “Reconnect, Reimagine, Reignite.”
We use the theme to inform the opening ceremonies, tie together the presidential report, and hold seminars and other activities.
If you have a suggested theme, please text or email it to me by July 31, 2026. The person whose theme is chosen will get a free banquet ticket for the 2027 state convention.
Please email me at President@nfbmd.org or text 443-426-4110.
The BELLs Toll Once Again in Maryland!
The NFB BELL Academy provides children with Braille and nonvisual skills instruction through fun, hands-on learning activities. The NFB BELL Academy—which stands for National Federation of the Blind Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning®—is a nationwide summer program that prepares blind and low-vision children to grow into confident and independent blind people who live the lives they want. Activities at NFB Maryland BELL are provided in a day program. In addition to Braille crafts, games, and other engaging projects, children learn vital independent living skills, interact with blind adult mentors, and enjoy field trips to sites related to the NFB BELL Academy curriculum. Through these activities and interactions, the children learn that blindness or low vision does not define them or their future.
The NFB BELL Academy is appropriate for blind and low vision children ages four through twelve who:
- Do not receive enough Braille and nonvisual skills instruction in school
- Could benefit from more Braille exposure over the summer
- Would enjoy connecting with blind role models
The National Federation of the Blind of Maryland is offering three more in-person sessions this year, including:
- a two-week in person NFB BELL Academy session in Baltimore, Maryland, From July 20 – 31, 2026;
- a two-week in person NFB BELL Academy session in Rockville, Maryland, From July 27 – August 7, 2026;
- a one-week in person NFB BELL Academy session in Salisbury, Maryland, in partnership with Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, From August 3 – 7, 2026.
To register for the NFB BELL Academy, visit: https://nfb.org/programs-services/nfb-bell-academy. For questions, contact NFB of Maryland BELL Academy Coordinator Erin Zobell at Bell@nfbmd.org.
Give A Hoot Comedy Night Fundraiser!
Featuring Comedian Johnny Watson
Location: 16143 Shady Grove Rd, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Date: August 22, 2026
Time: 8PM (Doors open at 7PM)
Come out for a night of laughs and support the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland! Give A Hoot Comedy Club generously gives its proceeds to deserving nonprofits doing work in the local community. Please plan to support the important work of the oldest organization of and for blind and low vision Marylanders while enjoying an award-winning comedian at the same time.
Admission is $22.50 per person including fees. Tickets should be purchased in advance. Parking is free.
Full La Mexicana Restaurant menu available in club (food and drinks not included in admission price)
To purchase your tickets, please click on the link below.
NFBMD Night at Give A Hoot Comedy Club Tickets
Those interested in affiliate transportation from Baltimore should contact Ellen Ringlein. For more information, contact Debbie Brown.
Change to Zelle Contact Information!
NFB of Maryland has changed its Zelle contact information. Those sending payments should use the email address Payments@nfbmd.org moving forward. We have made this change in order to improve financial and operational efficiency. Please be sure to notate what the payment is for, e.g. general donation, crab feast ticket, etc. in the notes section. When adding Payments@nfbmd.org to your Zelle contacts, you may see either “NFB of Maryland” or “Ronza Othman” come up, depending on your bank. Either is accurate.
If you have questions, please contact Leah Mattern at Treasurer@nfbmd.org.
NFBMD Phone Number Back Online!
The phone number for the National Federation of the Blind of Maryland has been restored for both phone and texting. The number is 443-426-4110. We appreciate your patience as we worked to migrate our phone provider and port our number to a new, accessible solution.
Pay Your 2026 Dues!
NFBMD maintains an online portal for individuals to pay their chapter and division dues. We are asking members to pay their 2026 dues by December 31, 2025 so we can ensure that our rolls are accurate for State Convention voting.
Individuals may use NFBMD’s Dues Portal to pay their 2026 annual dues and/or lifetime membership dues for those chapters that have lifetime membership. The portal lists all NFBMD chapters and divisions and their dues amounts. Individuals may pay for as many chapters and divisions as they wish. The portal is located at http://nfbmd.org/dues. Alternatively, individuals may mail a check to their chapter or division treasurer.
Individuals may also pay their chapter dues at the Membership Table at the State Convention, but we strongly encourage individuals to pay dues prior to convention.
Please note that those paying via the online portal will incur a small processing fee.
Important Upcoming Dates
- July 3 – 8, 2026 – NFB National Convention, Austin, Texas
- July 20 - 31, 2026 – Baltimore NFB BELL Academy, Baltimore, Maryland
- July 27 – August 7, 2026 – Rockville NFB BELL Academy, Rockville, Maryland
- August 3 - 7, 2026 – Eastern Shore NFB BELL Academy, Salisbury, Maryland
- August 22, 2026 – Give-A-Hoot Comedy Night Fundraiser, Gaithersburg, Maryland
- September 5 – 10, 2026 – NFBMD Cruise to Bermuda, Baltimore, Maryland
- September 18, 2026 – NFBMD Crab Feast, Rosedale, Maryland
- October 1 – 31, 2026 – Blind Equality Achievement Month
- October 15, 2026 – White Cane Awareness Day
- November 14, 2026 – NFBMD Scholarship Dinner and Auction, College Park, Maryland
- November 15, 2026 – NFBMD Winter Market, Baltimore, Maryland
- January 21, 2027 – NFBMD Day in Annapolis, Annapolis, Maryland
- February 1, 2027 – Washington Seminar Great Gathering In, Washington, DC
- February 2, 2027 – NFB of Maryland Day on the Hill, Washington, DC
- February 11 – 14, 2027 – NFBMD 2027 Convention, Pikesville, Maryland